:01:29. > :01:34.Have been good morning and welcome And in the Midlands: An independent
:01:34. > :01:44.take on the commissioner elections. An Independent poll up almost upon
:01:44. > :01:44.
:01:44. > :37:30.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2146 seconds
:37:30. > :37:36.Hello from the Midlands. Joining us this week, one of Our latest intake
:37:36. > :37:44.of Conservative MPs now making his way up the ladder and one of our
:37:44. > :37:50.top union leaders. The MP for Staffordshire South and the
:37:51. > :37:54.regional secretary of Unison. During this past week the head of
:37:54. > :37:59.the Confederation of British Industry came to Birmingham in
:37:59. > :38:04.search of the economic equivalent of the Holy Grail, growth. The
:38:04. > :38:08.overriding message from business leaders here is that they want more
:38:08. > :38:13.help from the Government. Support from the very top would boost
:38:13. > :38:18.confidence and create more jobs, they say. When you look had told
:38:18. > :38:24.the initiatives that the Government has poured out recently, extra
:38:24. > :38:29.efforts on apprenticeships, growth fronts and so on, what more do you
:38:29. > :38:34.think they can do? They have only recently started to put these
:38:34. > :38:41.things forward, they should have had a strategy when they came into
:38:41. > :38:45.power. All they seemed to have was cuts, cuts, cuts, now they are
:38:45. > :38:55.trying to put together a strategy that they should have done two
:38:55. > :38:56.
:38:56. > :39:00.years ago. What you are seeing now in my constituency alone is �400
:39:00. > :39:04.million of private sector investment, investment in the
:39:04. > :39:08.regional growth fund announced, supporting private business to
:39:08. > :39:12.create jobs. This is what we need and what the Government is
:39:12. > :39:18.delivering, we are going to see benefits. Lead us remind ourselves
:39:18. > :39:26.what the head of BCB I had to say. He was clear it was time for us to
:39:26. > :39:30.build, drive and tunnel our way out of economic problems. We have to
:39:30. > :39:35.balance the books. Within the cut side would like to see them doing
:39:35. > :39:38.more on infrastructure and working with the private sector,
:39:38. > :39:46.particularly construction companies, to do more or infrastructure
:39:46. > :39:52.building. That helps create jobs for the long-term unemployed.
:39:52. > :39:57.know about the extinction of the Birmingham Airport runway, the
:39:57. > :40:02.Metro and lots going on in the transport area, is that something
:40:02. > :40:08.you imagine we will see more of an want? We cannot go into details but
:40:08. > :40:14.we have already seen the Government commitment to high street -- high-
:40:14. > :40:20.speed rail. We have already seen the commitment for �16 billion
:40:20. > :40:27.worth of additional rail spending. �170 million of spending on pinch
:40:27. > :40:36.points, that is about getting Britain moving. There is a real
:40:36. > :40:39.passion to spend on infrastructure. We want to deliver on that. The CBI
:40:39. > :40:45.wants infrastructure development and the Government has the message
:40:45. > :40:49.more than Labour had before. There should be increased spending on
:40:49. > :40:57.infrastructure but this Government did not heed that call at all, it
:40:57. > :41:00.is only now, two years later, why are the CBI having to call for
:41:00. > :41:05.infrastructure spending two years after the Government got into
:41:05. > :41:12.power? One of the proposals from Labour is that instead of having a
:41:12. > :41:17.tax cut for people who earn over �1 million, we would like to see
:41:17. > :41:22.bankers bonus tax which would raise �2 billion and enable the
:41:22. > :41:28.Government to build 25,000 new homes which are desperately needed.
:41:28. > :41:32.Coming up later, where are does all important independent minded free
:41:32. > :41:38.spirits we were told would stand to be police and crime Commissioner?
:41:38. > :41:43.Elections take place on Thursday but the candidates list are
:41:43. > :41:49.dominated by recycled party politicians, we will be asking why.
:41:49. > :41:54.It symbolises this country all over the world. It has been made in
:41:54. > :41:58.Coventry for 64 years, but union leaders in the city fear the
:41:58. > :42:03.production lines of the historic London taxi could disappear for
:42:04. > :42:11.ever. Nearly 100 workers have lost their jobs. The unions carried the
:42:11. > :42:16.fight to Westminster and now Vince Cable is involved. The irony was
:42:16. > :42:20.lost on no one. He came to celebrate the increasing success of
:42:20. > :42:28.the Midlands motor industry. This plant near Nuneaton plans to create
:42:28. > :42:35.2000 jobs within eight years. The Business Secretary could not escape
:42:35. > :42:40.the gloomy backdrop up the road in Coventry where the last significant
:42:40. > :42:50.car maker in the city faces an uncertain future. It is obviously a
:42:50. > :42:59.worry for individual workers but we Hope we are able to find a buyer to
:42:59. > :43:04.make this an on going concern. people have got nothing but by,
:43:04. > :43:08.they are waiting for their redundancy to come through. We have
:43:08. > :43:18.been here for many years and this is the way they are treating us, it
:43:18. > :43:19.
:43:19. > :43:23.is not very nice. The plans are to sell this as a going concern --
:43:24. > :43:29.growing concern but there has been an urgent recall of vehicles
:43:29. > :43:34.because of steering problems. the moment things look very bleak,
:43:34. > :43:39.we can all my try to give as much support as we can to those
:43:39. > :43:43.employees and their families in terms of trying to secure jobs at
:43:43. > :43:48.the Coventry plant and in particular to try to maintain the
:43:48. > :43:51.manufacture in the UK, in particular in Coventry. Price
:43:51. > :43:57.Waterhouse Coopers are or in the position of having to find a buyer
:43:57. > :44:02.to make sure Coventry does not lose another part of its famous
:44:02. > :44:08.manufacturing heritage. Let us Hope this does not drag on for too long.
:44:08. > :44:13.You know what it takes to turn around at struggling business, you
:44:13. > :44:18.did that in the past, what lessons have you learned that could apply
:44:18. > :44:23.to this company? You can manufacture products here in
:44:24. > :44:28.Britain successfully. It is about design, fashion, making sure we
:44:28. > :44:34.market them properly. For far too long we believed we could outsource
:44:34. > :44:41.everything. We can be a great manufacturing nation. We have seen
:44:41. > :44:43.that in what has been achieved with Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, the
:44:43. > :44:51.eight British brands which have invested in the design and
:44:51. > :44:55.development. I Hope there will be Adjabiya bent on British
:44:56. > :45:05.manufacture and design for this company. I Hope it will be a
:45:06. > :45:09.
:45:09. > :45:16.success in the future. -- up by here. -- a buyer. No one can blame
:45:16. > :45:22.the Government for what has happened here. There are 80 buyers
:45:22. > :45:27.in the frame according to the local MP. It is great to hear that
:45:27. > :45:31.outsourcing is not the answer all the time. I wish that the
:45:31. > :45:35.Government would understand that in the public centre as well as the
:45:35. > :45:43.private centre. It's the worst does happen what we should be looking to
:45:43. > :45:47.do is what the Labour Party debt when n g closed in Longbridge. A
:45:47. > :45:56.lot of people worked to make sure those from that industry got the
:45:56. > :46:04.right training to get them back into work as quickly as possible. -
:46:04. > :46:09.- did when MG closed. Bet is out of the power of the Government to
:46:09. > :46:14.instruct them what to do but we Hope there is a sense of moral
:46:14. > :46:22.obligation on the a administrator to find I do it by ear to take this
:46:22. > :46:29.organisation forward. -- a buyer. We will support them and helped
:46:29. > :46:34.deliver. We Hope a solution is found. Thank you very much. Who can
:46:34. > :46:41.decide crimes fighting strategies for the police where you live? Any
:46:41. > :46:49.idea? Well you better think about it. There are just four more years
:46:49. > :46:55.before at the crime commissioners elections. 14 candidates in our
:46:55. > :47:01.local regions belonged to the major parties. Our correspondent
:47:01. > :47:07.considers why. Crime is officially falling but tensions on the streets
:47:07. > :47:14.can seem higher than before. How did this arrive and what their
:47:14. > :47:20.priorities should be has never been more important. This man has the
:47:20. > :47:25.thin blue line of the police written into his very DNA. This
:47:25. > :47:31.country is the envy of the world. Here we are changing it so that
:47:31. > :47:36.people with few qualifications and little knowledge of the police are
:47:36. > :47:45.now being put in the position where they can go as far as sacking deep
:47:45. > :47:51.Chief Constable. He was born in a police station. Starting as a ball
:47:51. > :47:57.be key hold the record for the longest serving officer, 44 years.
:47:57. > :48:01.He thinks police -- people should boycott the elections for police
:48:01. > :48:07.and crime commissioners. Many people who are against this should
:48:07. > :48:12.not vote at all. If we get it down to 20% or even 10% or as low as
:48:12. > :48:15.single figures, it will make it clear to this Government and
:48:15. > :48:25.governments of the future that the public do not take this with the
:48:25. > :48:26.
:48:26. > :48:32.same view as them. 19 candidates are standing to over see our own
:48:32. > :48:36.police forces. Six our independence, everyone has had to put up �5,000
:48:36. > :48:40.as a deposit. The Independent chair of the Staffordshire police are
:48:40. > :48:46.authority which is being replaced by the commissioners has said the
:48:46. > :48:56.election is just too expensive. you have got to get yourself out
:48:56. > :49:01.there and get known to people, as far as Staffordshire is concerned,
:49:01. > :49:08.throughout the call of the region you have got to be able to inform
:49:08. > :49:12.people with a mechanism that will cost money. It has been said that
:49:12. > :49:17.it will give the public a real opportunity to choose who they want
:49:17. > :49:22.to represent their views on crime. The Home Office says everyone will
:49:22. > :49:28.be able to get the information they need about a candidate's standing.
:49:28. > :49:34.The politics have not stopped. Candidates have been debating,
:49:34. > :49:40.cajoling and pressing flesh. Despite all the criticism over
:49:40. > :49:45.these elections, many people are turning out in numbers to actually
:49:45. > :49:50.meet the candidates at community events held all over our region.
:49:50. > :49:57.For them, this is proving to be one of the most exciting races ever
:49:57. > :50:03.held. During that report week her from the chair of the outgoing
:50:03. > :50:09.Staffordshire police as oddity who believes that costs of campaigning
:50:09. > :50:13.favours the big parties with their deep pockets. We know something
:50:13. > :50:18.about independent politics in our part of the country, remember a
:50:18. > :50:24.hospital doctor who was so incensed about plans to downgrade
:50:24. > :50:31.Kidderminster General Hospital that he headed off to the stump with
:50:31. > :50:37.leaders in -- leaflets in hand. He was duly elected as an independent
:50:37. > :50:42.MP giving him a place in Midlands political history. The good doctor
:50:42. > :50:46.is here with us now. Cast your mind back to the beginning of that idea
:50:46. > :50:51.that you would become an independent politician and take on
:50:51. > :50:56.the big parties. What was it like for you as that moment of the
:50:56. > :51:01.realisation dawned? The moment I realised it was possible, it really
:51:01. > :51:10.became absolutely fascinating. I am so sorry for these Police
:51:10. > :51:15.Commissioner candidates. The deposit is a near �5,000 -- �500. I
:51:15. > :51:23.kid find that. For the West Mercia Police Commissioner they are
:51:23. > :51:28.allowed to spend �160,000 during the election period. What
:51:29. > :51:34.independent can find that? The major parties probably can. In the
:51:34. > :51:40.run-up to a General Election all candidates are allowed one free
:51:40. > :51:47.mail delivery of their best leaflet to every household. That helps the
:51:47. > :51:50.bigger parties as well, you might say. The Government said at the
:51:50. > :51:56.start the expected local independent candidates to come
:51:56. > :52:01.forward. In a relatively small parliamentary constituency an
:52:01. > :52:06.ordinary person can be fairly well known, particularly if he is at
:52:06. > :52:11.doctor or another professional. How can anybody be known throughout the
:52:11. > :52:17.whole of the West Midlands? To be faced with the vast amount of money
:52:17. > :52:20.needed to spread your message right across the I think is impossible.
:52:20. > :52:25.Before we bring in our other guests it would be interesting to know
:52:25. > :52:30.what you made of the recommendation that people should boycott these
:52:30. > :52:35.elections? If everybody boycotted ate and there was no election at
:52:35. > :52:40.all that would be absolutely brilliant, but we will never get to
:52:41. > :52:45.that local -- low level I am afraid. There are some very spirited
:52:45. > :52:51.campaign is being waged out there. The basic point is that what you
:52:51. > :52:58.have presided over here is a very lacklustre campaign. You do not
:52:58. > :53:04.need an organised boycott quite frankly, people will stay away in
:53:04. > :53:10.their droves. We have a fantastic candidate. I am sure Labour will
:53:10. > :53:15.say the same! We are debating policing as a key issue. Labour and
:53:15. > :53:21.the Conservatives are battling it out and the independence in many
:53:22. > :53:25.area as R. It is challenging, it is challenging in any region or for
:53:25. > :53:33.any political party but over the next few years we will see that
:53:33. > :53:38.people appreciate how important these roles are. In the US you have
:53:38. > :53:43.independence at a congressional level. Like that, here we will see
:53:43. > :53:48.the rise of people are realising how important these roles are.
:53:48. > :53:53.There is at direct line of accountability, isn't there? There
:53:53. > :53:58.is but the Government made a mess. Turnout was likely to be less than
:53:58. > :54:03.20% even among those people who do want to come out. I would encourage
:54:03. > :54:09.people to turn out. I think we have to send the Government a strong
:54:09. > :54:17.message about austerity. You mean, not to bought about the issue?
:54:17. > :54:21.I think there is a reality. -- vote. They said it was going to make
:54:21. > :54:27.things more democratically accountable but turnout is going to
:54:27. > :54:33.be abysmal. They are spending �100 million on these elections when
:54:33. > :54:39.that money to employ 3,000 police officers. They are ready to take a
:54:39. > :54:44.real battering in these elections. That is why people get so anguished
:54:44. > :54:49.about the politicising of policing. We are concerned about getting
:54:49. > :54:55.officers on the beat and crime levels down. Batter -- is what the
:54:55. > :55:00.arguments will be around. Accountability for people who run
:55:00. > :55:04.our police can only be a good thing, it matters to people and we have to
:55:04. > :55:11.deliver it. We think now that the police and crime Commissioner
:55:12. > :55:14.elections are there people should vote. How many people on your
:55:14. > :55:21.street do you think know who the chairman of the police of oddity
:55:21. > :55:27.is? Not many people know who their MP is! If you want more officers on
:55:27. > :55:32.the beat, if you're Government had not spent �100 million on these
:55:32. > :55:37.elections, we should have 3,000 officers on the beat. Let us bring
:55:37. > :55:41.the doctor back in, isn't it inevitable that policing has always
:55:41. > :55:47.been political to some extent and if you call yourself an independent
:55:47. > :55:51.that does not stop you being political. It does not, but the
:55:51. > :55:56.thing it does do is make you independent of the main political
:55:56. > :56:03.parties so therefore you have no allegiance to the main political
:56:03. > :56:07.party, your allegiance is to your constituents and in this case the
:56:07. > :56:12.people you Police Force Survey. It is easier to be elected as an
:56:12. > :56:18.independent MP than as a police commissioner. This is marvellous
:56:18. > :56:23.news to my new political party. That will be next week's story! We
:56:23. > :56:28.will leave that for another day! People will catch on in terms of
:56:28. > :56:33.engaging with more vigour and determination than the next time
:56:33. > :56:43.these elections come up, in 3.5 years' time. It is better to crack
:56:43. > :56:44.
:56:44. > :56:48.on with this now. I will encourage people to come out and vote. A lot
:56:48. > :56:52.of my independent colleagues will go for the Independent chap in West
:56:52. > :56:58.Mercia because we would love to have it run by somebody who is not
:56:58. > :57:04.in the pocket of a major party. Quickly, from each of you,
:57:04. > :57:09.predictions on the turn out? think in Staffordshire probably
:57:09. > :57:16.higher than the West Midlands, well over 20%. A across the whole of the
:57:16. > :57:24.West Midlands we will be lucky to get 20%. Less than 20%. Thank you
:57:24. > :57:34.all. Now for our regular round-up of the political week in the
:57:34. > :57:34.
:57:34. > :57:38.Midlands. A ballot of 250 Birmingham the airport staff could
:57:38. > :57:44.lead to an enforced this the occasion for some jet-setters this
:57:44. > :57:54.Christmas. Members of the Unite union are unhappy about pay and
:57:54. > :57:56.
:57:56. > :58:03.conditions. -- staycation. Royal Mail Sorting Office to closed end
:58:03. > :58:11.shrews bury. A Shropshire Wildlife Group say badgers are being shot
:58:11. > :58:18.and then disguised as a road kill. A cull of badgers to prevent the
:58:18. > :58:24.spread of TB in cattle has been postponed. A new television station
:58:24. > :58:30.in Birmingham could be on the air by the end of next year. London
:58:30. > :58:35.Midland has reassured MPs that the rate of trains being cancelled due
:58:35. > :58:41.to a driver shortage, it should begin to halt. And not before time
:58:41. > :58:45.when you think of the thousands upon thousands of people who are
:58:45. > :58:53.having their transport plans disrupted. How long could this
:58:53. > :58:57.situation go on before Patrick McLaughlin has to step in? We have
:58:57. > :59:05.already had West Midlands MPs making representations and raising
:59:06. > :59:10.concerns about the performance of London Midland. Raising the issue
:59:10. > :59:20.of raising performance, that is what we want to see, the best
:59:20. > :59:22.
:59:22. > :59:29.quality train services. What do you have end dip way of -- in the way
:59:29. > :59:34.of frighteners to force them into providing the service? We have a
:59:34. > :59:43.few things we can look at. I think the Government should look at
:59:43. > :59:49.taking the franchise off them. Maybe he should look at that and
:59:49. > :59:55.refunding money to the taxpayer. It could go back into public ownership.
:59:55. > :59:58.It could work with the East Coast mainline. We have to leave it there.
:59:58. > :00:04.A reminder that with those elections for police and crime