14/10/2012 Sunday Politics West Midlands

One nation still in it together. We go in search of the new centre go

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2174 seconds

round. Diversifying everything from Hello. It was a case of keep your

friends close and your enemies even closer for one of our guests this

week, Birmingham's council leader. He hosted the Conservative Party

conference. Carol Lumley has been a Conservative MP in or stiffs as the

last general letter. Grant Shapps said it Birmingham had been a

fantastic host city. What a pity that Labour is now the only one of

the big four parties not to have main -- held its conference in your

home city. I nitrous -- regret that as well but I was pleased we were

able to offer the facilities. thought you might influence with Ed

Miliband. That's another discussion for another time. Are you party

less likely to come to Birmingham now that Albert and his Labour

party colleagues are in charge? hope not. Birmingham was a

fantastic venue. The atmosphere was great. I think it's good. And

please that our party go to Birmingham and it would be good to

go back again. We are going to unapologetically reflect back on

what has been an epic political event for Birmingham. The city

formally welcomed the Conservatives with a reception in the very

imposing round room in the art gallery which inspired Eric Pickles

to regale everyone with his own expert knowledge of the Pre-

Raphaelite and arts and crafts collections there. The leaders of

the two main parties were more concerned with the here-and-now.

hope you will learn about the city and take Ford memories of a city

shaped not just by its industrial past but by the vision of looking

forward to a future as a centre for higher value and innovative

industry. With the right support, with the right political

acknowledgement and the freedoms that are coming through the

coalition government, we can prove what a progressive partnership can

do. The serious point that cities can be the engine of economic

regeneration, is that a point that you in Worcestershire were taken on

board? But Birmingham can be the engine for growth and the warmth

radiates out? I think so. We are now part of the Birmingham and

Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership because we see our

future and our economy moving that way. Brian in favour of high speed

to, and in favour of Birmingham Airport increasing because I think

those will bring jobs to Worcestershire. Birmingham does

have a unique attributes like that, with a -- which go with the

regional city. The idea of economic... If we take Redditch,

over 40 % of the employable population of Redditch actually

commutes into Bingham for stop he could to the north, -- commutes

into Birmingham. If you go north, very 50 % commuting to Tamworth.

Coming up, how Telford and Shropshire is updating the co-

operative movement. No longer just about shopping and banking, schools

have signed up and apprentices are landing jobs but are our

politicians all in this together? Next up, the health service and how

we pay for it. David Cameron promised us in Birmingham that it

would still be ring-fenced but factor in the mounting costs of

treating an ageing population and you can see why hospital managers

are feeling the squeeze. With local trusts struggling to manage their

books, we ask which of our local hospital services are most in

danger of becoming an affordable. A packed meeting this week blamed

the this hospitals bills on bad management. It has been bad

management over the years. hospital is only 40 % use and his

�8 million in the red also put us a history of losing tenants. Other

bosses also say changes to the work he is to have it mean patients are

not staying in hospital as long will still have --. If David

Cameron tries to close McCulloch hospital, I will be the last person

chained to the gate. We need to use with other public sector providers,

the local council, the police. the local Labour Party, it referred

and she is a dish served cold -- but revenge is a dish best served

cold. We are currently down towards. It is getting less and less and I

really am worried about the future of the hospital. The threat to

services is happening elsewhere. The two and has an have signed a

petition to save the Alexandrov hospitals accident and emergency

and paternity services. What the Government really wants of super

hospitals like this one in Birmingham during most of the work.

Small hospitals would ask -- act as satellite or simply fade away. This

would create economies of scale and mean more money could be spent on

keeping people out of hospital. This, they argue, is better for

patients and more football. But for some conditions, such that

proximity to a hospital does count. Let's hold that thought of that and

he changed the gates. You have a similarly for long position on her

own account so far as accident and emergency is concerned. Yesterday,

it just announced that they would Kibble three sites open

Worcestershire and it's a question of what kind of services arrogant

pride at those sites. I am nervous about that and will carry on

fighting for people of Redditch for an A and D and a maternity unit,

which is what is needed. Palace there on Friday in an eternity for

two hours cornicing to nurses and see what a fantastic job we do.

Isn't this an example of politicians being unhelpful for? He

cannot get an overall strategic solution is to oblige you in

Redditch and aid and Burghley in Cannock, everybody is fighting for

their own bit of turf. That is for the trust to decide, not for me to

decide. It is their decision and their decision alone. The

Conservative Party were the only party at the last general election

to promise more money for the NHS and have delivered on that cost.

There has been more money put into the NHS but people are living

longer and people have to make choices. A D you see the general

logic as inevitable that surrounding areas do tend to have

to look towards centres of excellence? -- do you see? The NHS

is not cocooned here. It is going to have to make savings and we all

know that. There is a balance between the cost that she needs to

put in to deliver a proper service and that can cut care that you

afford to patients. I think in the end, that is the balance you have

to strike. It may be unfortunate for some areas but that will lead,

I think, to some services being moved to larger hospital said that

you can actually provide the appropriate level of concoct care

to patients. I'm sure... There appear -- there are basic things

like heart patients who need to know that they did have to travel

too far. It will but the critical functions to provide. Figure to a

larger hospital, you're more likely to find that birds, the people who

wore at the forefront at their profession and therefore are able

to deal with those perhaps unique situations that sometimes arise

with the most serious cases. follows from that that getting into

the... The buzz word now is urgent care centres which is caricatured

as accident and emergency light, a smaller scale version. Do you think

that could be the way forward for smaller centres? China we've been

to look at one in Canterbury. They were impressed with it. It's about

telling people what they are going to get in a local hospital and for

example, in Redditch, they want to be able to go the 24 hours a day

and I want them to be able to go the 24 hours and receive good care.

They have already been transferred to Worcester weather Centre of

excellence is. They need the best treatment. If it means they go to

Worcester, I'm in favour of that for a service. What are not in

favour of his having a hospital. David Cameron made a great deal of

play the facts of the NHS was safe in his hands at the last general

election and here you are, embroiled in a battle over health

by Labour are outscoring EU in terms of trust. The array situation

where people are living longer, have got to make more difficult

choices but actually, we were the only party that went into the

general election promising more money for health and we have

delivered on that. That is one thing I'm very proud of. With got

the trust and Worcestershire are going back to the government for a

loan because of overspending for 2002 to his 2006. That is not under

our watch. A final quick word before you move on. The nature of

their health service is changing. Resources are in short supply. But

has been the case -- that has been the case for some time. We have to

ensure that the level of medical care we provide in a hospital or

through their GPs is most appropriate to the area in which

the services provided. With pressure mounting us never

before on local authorities to find new as imaginative ways of cutting

their costs, they are having to devise ever more creative ways of

delivering their services. Since July last year, 21 councils have

become corporate lives. Among them, tell food and Wrekin and Stoke-on-

Trent. -- Telford. The co-operative movement says it is an idea whose

time has come back. BBC Shropshire's political reporter to

investigating what it will mean in practice.

Her most people have used a Co-op to buy a pint of milk, pay a cheque

or book a holiday but behind the well-known brand is an idea that is

now being adopted across all aspects of society. This artwork

tells the story of the co-operative Revolution, from its humble

beginnings in Rochdale. Its principles were spread through the

writings of George Hollioake. Now, in Telford, a more modern co-

operative revolution is quietly under way. Telford and Wrekin

Council became a corporate of after the Labour group took control last

year was to put points to the success of his apprentices as a

prize away a Co-op can work. apprenticeships have come about

because of a partnership between the parish councils and the borough

councils. There are new apprenticeships, new jobs for young

people. Had that differ from a the way area the council might operate?

We are involving residents and we are doing something that doesn't

have happened if it went a corpus of council but has what would have

happened before is the government cuts would have taken effect and a

service could have been lost. of course there are those who view

the council's approach with an eye of scepticism. This is what the

council is here to do. We are here to represent local people, work

with local people for the local borough. It was never any different

from that. That is carrying on as normal. There is so tangible or

part of difference to a corporate accounts of many other. It is not

just local authorities where the movement is spreading. As to have a

school is part of the school's corporate of society, set up four

years ago as to Britain now has 340 members. It doesn't stop there.

Telford United is owned by a supporters' trust and Telford

Tigers has just adopted the same co-operative ownership. Then there

is the political arm, the co- operative Party, which works with

Labour than pursue its membership grow over three years.

Conservatives are now talking corpse as well. Crops have virtues

of local involvement and thrift and spreading well being and wealth and

those things are actually completely compatible with

capitalism. Certainly with a properly understood conservatism.

So if parties have all colours have found an idea they can agree on, is

working together the new centre ground in politics?

The centre ground is rapidly becoming the Holy Grail of British

politics. We are also joined today by a representative on the

corporate of party's National Executive Committee for stop is the

chief executive of the Black Country reinvestment society,

aiming to help small businesses get access to finance arm stood us the

Labour and co-operative Party candidate for Wrekin at the last

election. What to make a dressing Normans intervention question what

he says having founded the Conservative co-operative movement,

there is no contradiction between that and conservatism and captain

has a question mark the copra such a trusted brand. The differences

about values. The core values of the co-operative movement about

equity, solidarity, I'm not sure that fits with every single

political party. Some people... there is a Trojan horse going off.

Is it incompatible with Conservatism? It fits with

compassionate conservatism but when he has taught what capitalism, the

co-operative movement is concerned with one-member, one-vote. That is

not compatible with judicial capitalism. How does this work in

practice? A former Conservative leader in Telford said there is no

tangible difference, it's just that in a Monde something that happens

anyway. There is a tangible difference. I've been working with

a commission in Telford, hard- hitting stuff meeting recently.

There is a tangible difference in the way the council works with a

committee. Less of a Silo mentality, more competition, or sharing. Also

in terms of community regeneration, the committee believes that this

council is working with them, not doing things to them. There is the

co-operative fiscal arm as we were hearing in the report. We keep

reading, according to the polls, that politics are becoming much

more fluid had UK pricing and the Lib Dems sinking back. Is there a

kind of fundamental change being witnessed as part of a process

you're talking about Chris Rock I don't think you Kip are coming into

the centre stage. I think where it is developing is that corporation

run a natural with the most people. The fact that is typical party

which has at admitting corporate of values and there are economic to

fault -- models developing. 35 billion pound contribution to the

economy in the UK. 1 billion co- operative members worldwide. Is it

time that is coming around full steam. A very persuasive message.

Is it time for Birmingham City Council to become a corporate of?

We'll always -- already exploring the co-operative model. Our schools

may be needed to work as a family of schools. We are exploring the

co-operative model to keep a family of schools to go. When I read Jacey

Normand book, the big society, he thought that occurred to me was

that there was an echo of the original co-operative movement or,

being fanciful? I think politics has moved and has changed. Jessie

is adopting the principles that... Operatives exist all over the place.

In a village near where I live there is a co-operative movement

that runs a shop. We have corporate of homes in Redditch that build

houses. It is not delivered what he should. It's an actual issue for

all of us in the country. The whole history of this is with the Labour

movement, isn't it? Yes. DCA bridge being built? We are the political

arm of a quarter of movement. Things are changing. It is how we

put into practice. Be seen things like funds for quarter of pubs and

shops, they'd been cut by the government. We had Northern Rock,

this acid demutualisation of the building societies converted into

bank which led to the financial crisis. There it re to neutralise

it? No, it has sold to Virgin Money. It is any the Conservative Party

that met their numbers have won the member, one vote to vote for the

lead. Yeah, that's fine. British Waterways could have been converted

into will corporate of, Foundation Trust hospitals could have been a

co-operative, the BBC, we would like to make that into a corpus of.

Then there would be more greater accountability. They want the trust

that comes with the corpse of brand. But when you think about the

financial crisis and so on, the co- operative movement was one of those

areas which emerged with their reputation enhanced. Absolutely.

All his corrective. There is a set of values associated with the co-

operative movement and I think there is a notion that people

returning to. This respect and understand his follies and want to

be part of it. Now for our regular round-up of the

Daring to Derry, a Shropshire farmer has announced is investing

�3 million in a so-called Super heard of cows. �2.4 million being

invested in Warwickshire. Under Donald it will create more than 400

jobs. 200 and some of their jobs have already been created in air-

raid Burton by the it's the new Football Association centre of

excellence. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came to give their seal

of approval. I feel tempted to cry God, for Harry, and just enjoy it

but I don't want to lower the tone by bringing my brother into it.

Social workers are staying longer and salaries have been raised. In

Birmingham, discussion was all about the arts and had to improve

the ways to pay for them in a special debate about modern day

philanthropy. The government is very keen to

encourage philanthropic giving to the arts. There... They do in

America but they have tax-breaks to rinse and visored, don't they?

they do and I think that's a really good idea. I think it is important.

Does the Chancellor think it's a good idea of a shock to you have to

ask him. I do think it's a good idea and I think it's important for

our younger than to get access to this kind of stuff has to buy think

that will help a great deal. We are difficult times and the more that

we can encourage private enterprise to come and help and make things

more accessible, and all for that. A worry is that you think of the

big headline people like the CBSO, the orchestra and the Birmingham

Royal Ballet, they all tend to appeal to the big donors but it is

the smaller, Coetzee based arts groups who might have more of a

struggle. We have to get a balance between the large and small. The

renaissance of Birmingham had at its very heart arts and culture.

Without that, I don't think we would make the economic recovery

that we've made. Interestingly, I set up a summit for arts and

culture this coming week. I hope it will get the Arts Committee to sit

down and think through where Birmingham needs to be in terms of

future of the future -- the future of arts and culture. Is there a

private future for the arts? Certainly. But that we have great

stuff going on now, all across the region. Fund you very much indeed.

That is where we have to leave in the Midlands today. My thanks to my

guests. Next week, nominations close on Friday for the police and

crime commissioner candidates in our five police force areas so we