28/04/2013 Sunday Politics West Midlands

to go until the counties go to the polls. Good high-speed rail change

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2286 seconds

their political colours just as I'm Patrick Burns. And head to head

here today, Government and opposition MPs debate the questions

that cut through, as well as between, the main parties. Gavin

Williamson is Conservative MP for South Staffordshire. He's the

parliamentary assistant to the Transport Secretary Patrick

McLoughlin. Gisela Stuart is the Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston,

a seat she's held for the past 16 years.

Gavin was on his feet in the Commons last week, asking why schools in his

South Staffordshire constituency each receive on average almost �700

less every year, than their counterparts across the border in

Wolverhampton. It seemed to be the question the minister had been

angling for. The last government left as a funding calculation for

schools that is unfair. And that is why we do intend to introduce a

national funding formula and in the meantime we are funding �20 million

more to Staffordshire through the people premium. The question seemed

to suit his answer, but did his answers suit you? Well, it is

necessary that the government starts to address this issue. But what I

want to see is the government deal with this in a much quicker way, and

actually bring forward these changes so they start next year, not 2015.

It is very unfair that my constituents are seeing so much less

per pupil than knows a mile or so away. Let's hear the voice of the

city MP on this. There is a grievance. It is more costly to

educate children in less densely populated areas. When you said I had

been an MP for 16 years, I think every year you get an MP from the

shires getting up and saying the funding formula is wrong. I don't

think a national formula is the answer because there is a difference

between urban education and rural education. The way you need to fund

and organise things in the cities and in the countryside, where you

have distances to travel. But I really think we need to invest in

our school buildings, because it grieves me to see old, crumbling

school buildings. The Labour government addressed a lot of that

and they ought to get more credit than that. The current government

needs to do that because our children deserve better, wherever

they live. We'll come onto the crumbling buildings in a second.

But, fundamentally, if you look at the diversity and the complexity of

many of our urban areas, it is a vastly expensive and complex

business to educate the children there. It is absolutely right that

children in deprived areas need more support in terms of education

funding. But we're seeing a gross unfairness. A high school with 1000

pupils is going to be �700,000 worse off because they are on the wrong

side of the border. That is unfair to my constituents children. What

about the challenge of quality of school buildings? Well, the

government is starting to invest more. In the last government, so

much money was wasted through procurement. We've address that and

we're starting funding again. word on this? It is not enough what

is going on there. I have some schools where 60% of the children

change schools in one year. It's not just deprivation, it is the system

of the city which is different, and it needs a different response.

Coming up. We all know High Speed Rail is a 'hot-button issue' in some

key shire counties. I wonder if that makes it an election issue as well?

The plans already divide opinions. But will they change the political

complexion of constituencies as well, as traditional loyalties jump

the tracks? And who stands to benefit if they do? That's our big

talking point, a little later. But before that, how's this for a

challenge: 1,000 new apprenticeships in just 100 days. Birmingham City

Council's ambitious target makes it the latest local authority to unveil

plans to drive down unemployment rates, by supporting job creation

schemes. With an average 19 people chasing every vacancy in our part of

the country, Ben Godfrey has been finding out just how tough it can be

for job-seekers to marshall the skills and sheer imagination they'll

need to stand out in the crowd. Mark Collins believes it was

thinking outside the box which got him his job. I stood there from

eight o'clock in the morning until four in the afternoon through

blizzards, rainstorms... He took his hunt for work to the A34 in

Newcastle under Lyme - and the advertising paid off. I'm sat there

wondering how on earth I'm going to ring all these people back and a

phone call comes through. They explained they were a new business

starting up, and would I like come for a chat, just an informal chat.

So on the Friday I went for the chat and they offered me the job on the

Saturday. But he says it still wasn't easy to keep going in the

face of rejection and the frustration and lack of confidence

that can cause. It's very, very soul searching and it does make you feel

that the problem is me rather than the fact I can't get a job - you

know, that employers don't like me, I must be doing something wrong.

It's a problem Gary Moseley recognises. He was made redundant

from Peugeot's Ryton Plant in Coventry six years ago and hasn't

had a job since September. Unemployment across the West

Midlands remains stubbornly above the national average, now standing

at 9.4%. Almost one in five of those claiming benefits have been out of

work for more than a year - up by 6% from March 2012. Gary's now signed

up for a job coaching scheme being run by BBC Coventry and

Warwickshire. It brings together many of the support services offered

by other back to work schemes, including interview techniques and

how to write a CV. Skills he's concerned everyone may have to draw

on more than they'd like in the future. Nobody's going to be long

serving anymore as regards to employment because employers are

finding it very difficult themsleves, so they are chopping and

changing. In the world of work, as in politics, there's no such think

as a job for life. Ben Godfrey reporting. And as we

enter the final stages of the local election campaign, we're also

joined, from the Green Party, by Felicity Norman. She's fought

European and Westminster elections and is a former district councillor

at Leominster in Herefordshire. You're a teacher by profession, and

I gather you think we should have a complete rethink of our attitude

towards vocational, technical qualifications. I certainly do. I

think anyone who has taught in our secondary schools will be aware of

the situation you often have, with young people reaching the age of 14

and switching off. When not offering anything worthwhile. What should we

be offering? I believe we should be looking at vocational options for

both academic qualifications and vocational opportunities. We need to

be very specific about who we are offering this too. Children vary

enormously. Clearly, it's not that everybody. But the idea that the

academic route suits all children simply isn't sensible. We've all

suffered from young people who have become very disenchanted, very

difficult. They don't benefit, and neither do the schools. We also

often hear from people in industry that the skills being taught and not

necessarily the right skills coming through the education system.

think there is an important debate to be had about the age of

transition. The some people, I think it is earlier. That is why I welcome

College is looking at 14 to 19. The world of work and education have to

be much more closely linked. If we don't make that link, we will have

future problems. This city councillors are now working with the

Birmingham baccalaureate. And you add work experience linking with the

world of work. The one thing holding us back is employers coming back,

because they always complain they don't get the skills we need without

helping others. Exactly what is it you need and what role you prepared

to pay? Gavin, you hosted a job fair in your constituency on Friday. What

was the main feeling their? everyone wants to go to university.

For far too long, we've been funnelling everyone down the same

path. We had companies like Jaguar who are offering highly paid jobs

and people don't need to go to university for them. Yes, they want

graduate as well, but they want of a righty of people. But haven't

successive governments downplayed technical qualifications? I agree

with that, I really do. I think what is key is we value skills and we

begin to value the skills, the technology, the training beyond the

academics. It sounds as though the main two parties aren't doing that.

The employers also need to help and put in training. I think the trade

unions have a role to play when it comes to the workforce.

The consultation on the Government's compensation scheme for phase two of

HS2, originally due to end tomorrow, has now been extended for a further

three weeks. The controversial high-speed rail link between

Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds would cut two great swathes through

Staffordshire, rather as it divides political opinions, running through

party lines as much as between them. With the county council elections

just four days away, BBC Radio Stoke's political reporter Phil

McCann examines how HS2 might play out in the ballot box.

The Sywnnerton estate has been in Lord Stafford's family for over 900

years. It supports four tenant farms, and employs 30 people, many

of whom live in the village. The Lord himself is firmly opposed to

HS2 - but then he has reason. can see we've got cottages, houses.

It will affect a huge number of people, particularly the farmers,

because of the access aspect. You can imagine this huge train track

coming through. The access from one field to another, how do they get

their cattle and machinery across? The noise aspect, and also the

blight. HS2 runs in a Y across Staffordshire. The Sywnnerton branch

follows the M6 past Stafford and Stoke on Trent, the other runs along

the Trent Valley past Tamworth. For voters here, HS2 will be an issue at

the ballot box, even though county councillors don't really have any

say over the route. In Staffordshire, the Tory county

council has come out against it - despite David Cameron's view that it

is vital for the UK economy. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are

also in favour in Westminster. So campaigners against HS2 are left

with just the smaller parties to represent their views - only UKIP

and the Greens are unambigiously opposed. Peter Kenny is a tenant

farmer - the line will come right through his yard. The threat has

forced him to rethink how he'll place his vote. It has left me in a

complete quandary. As I say, all parties are in favour of it. But I

know the effect it will have on this farm, which is very, very

detrimental. So, given all this opposition, why have a jazz to?

Problems -- projects like this bring confidence, new investment. That can

only be good for this area and regeneration. The business community

in North Staffordshire is saying that if the government is serious

about rebalancing the economy towards manufacturing, centres of

excellence for manufacturing like Stoke must be on that high-speed

line. The actual reality of HS2 is still many years away, so the

question is now, how will the debate translate into votes?

Phil McCann reporting. And, by the way, talking of trains, BBC WM's

Breakfast Show and our 'Local Live' website will have the latest from

Birmingham New Street Station's shiny new concourse during its first

morning rush hour, from six o'clock tomorrow morning. Now, Gisele, you'd

share the group in support of HS2. There is a real democratic deficit

out there. I also campaigned the new Street station. The argument there

was we didn't have enough capacity. If we look at UK LBC, we have to

enable people to move from a to be swiftly. If I were in Staffordshire

with that farm, I would be as heartbroken as they are. In terms of

the political campaign, it is how they get proper compensation and how

we minimise the environmental disruption. MPs will resolve those

answers, rather than having a protest vote which will be silenced

after the election. Gavin, do you feel you have a duty to articulate

to the transport minister be obviously very deep concerns in your

county? There are many MPs who represent Staffordshire 's seats.

You are right, it is proper that those concerns are heard by the

secretary of state for transport. We have to make sure compensation is

right, and that is why the consultation period has been

extended. Making sure that whatever can be done to reduce the impact on

people affected by it is done. talked about the way this issue cuts

through parties. Someone like the county council leader, Philip

Atkins. An impeccable conservative in so many ways. And yet he is

implacable on this issue. So it really does divide opinion. Yes, I

think it divides opinion in lots of parties. The Prime Minister and the

parliamentary party largely agree we need to do this for the benefit of

the country. It will bring massive economic benefits. Even if you

suffer a bumping electoral result is a consequence? In Staffordshire, I

think people realise we don't want to go back to the 14% increase in

council tax that we had under the last Labour administration. It is

about improving our schools, those will be the issues. We will find out

soon enough. Felicity, I'm puzzled by the Greens position on this. I'd

always understood they were in principle in support of high-speed

rail as part of an integrated transport package. But now they have

come out against it. I think from the start we have been against this

particular approach. You are right, there are some benefits to

high-speed trains. There may be a time in the future when we look to

it. The problem with this particular scheme is the root and the untold

damage it was do. And also, a comparatively small amount of people

are going to benefit from it. If we could put this money into improving

the existing system, that would benefit a far, far greater

proportion. This is a 20, 30, 40 year project that will bring the

entire country together. If we don't do it, the sagging to the south-east

will just continue. Well, I'm all for focusing away from the

south-east. If we do not invest in our Railways, all were going to look

at is building more motorways. And believe me, as someone who has

motorways in their constituency, that has a far greater impact. We

need to be investing in our railways so we don't have to constantly build

more motorways. We are just a few days away from the county council

elections, of course. One of the benchmarks that Ed Miliband would be

to try to regain the lost ground from four years ago. They lost 29

seats in Staffordshire. You have no chance of coming anywhere near those

losses that you lost last time and bringing them back this time.

like Birmingham don't have elections. Some of them are Labour

strongholds. I'm talking about the shire councils which you used to

control. I'd be much more interested to see what UKIP will do to the

Conservatives in that election. Well, the Tories are more frightened

of UKIP than they are of the real opposition. I think it will be about

how much the Conservatives are illegitimate, coherent party.

is a real threat to you. At the last general election they had a

commitment for three high-speed rail lines, more than one high-speed rail

line that has been proposed. Yes, every party is a threat. I wouldn't

like to judge what the election is going to be, but we have a county

council that has reduced council tax, that is dedicated to trying to

create jobs, as seen from the Jaguar Land Rover plant built in my

constituency. The Labour council just put up tax year upon year.

think where Greens have been elected they are making very positive

contributions in Worcester and Herefordshire. Where people are

standing, they're going to make a difference and give someone very --

something very positive to work for. We shall see. Thank you very much.

Now here's BBC WM's political reporter Elizabeth Glinka with our

round up of the political week in There are those in Sandwell who do.

They're now spreading the word to their neighbours in Birmingham,

who'll soon be trialling them. investing to save. The more rubbish

that is thrown away, the more it will cost us.

And good news for business? Lorry drivers are to be allowed to use the

M6 toll road for nothing during July.

Standards at Hewell Jail in Worcestershire have come under fire

by prison inspectors. They found it to be filthy, unsafe and a degrading

environment. While the conduct of Martin Yeates

and Toni Brisby, the former chief executive and chairman in charge of

Stafford Hospital, is to be investigated by the Crown

Prosecution Service. It follows a formal complaint by Stafford Borough

Council. No polling stations will be opened

in Whitchurch in Shropshire for next week's elections. As no seats in

either the unitary, town or rural parish elections are being

contested, there's no-one for voters uncontested this time. It's a sad

reflection on a democracy, isn't? Is it partly the senior figures? We've

seen Vince cable, Ed Miliband here, but generally the heavy hitters are

further and fewer between. Is the whole interest level falling?

certainly hope not. Staffordshire had a closely contested election.

Obviously, as Conservatives, I believe we are fielding strong

candidates. You want to see other parties doing their responsibility

to field candidates as seriously as we do. It's the first time in 20

years these particular elections happen standalone, without a

national election to bolster the turnout. I have had phone calls from

people saying, my postal vote hasn't arrived. I'm beginning to wonder,

when you have them uncontested, you could have an affirmation. The back

process of still saying, yes, I'm affirming those candidates. Because

if we don't go to the ballot box, it and minds the whole process. I think

it's a reflection of not having enough local power. We will see what

the turnout is. It's certainly a challenging thought, that there are

no elections in certain places. My thanks to Gavin Williamson and

Gisela Stuart. The results of Thursday's council elections are

expected to be declared during Friday afternoon, so stay close to

your BBC local radio and online output. And I'll be reporting on the

BBC News Channel and of course on Midlands Today throughout Friday.

Then next Sunday, we'll consider who are the real winners and losers, and