:00:38. > :00:47.Morning, welcome to the veritable pot pourri that is this morning's
:00:47. > :00:52.Sunday Politics. We have Alastair Charmichael. We'll ask him what he
:00:53. > :00:57.has that his predecessor Michael Moore hadn't. Ken Clarke just keeps
:00:57. > :01:04.going on and on and on. He'll bang his drum for Europe.
:01:04. > :01:07.Free of the shackles of Government, former Energy Secretary Chris Huhne
:01:07. > :01:08.will be with us. We'll ask him for the inside scoop.
:01:08. > :01:17.in the Midlands: We could work Diane
:01:17. > :01:21.in the Midlands: We could work harder and we want to work harder.
:01:21. > :01:25.says we've misunderstood the problem of human trafficking and that men
:01:25. > :01:36.are the forgotten victims. of human trafficking and that men
:01:36. > :01:41.pundits who we try to shuffle out of a job but failed miserably, Mick
:01:41. > :01:50.watt, Miranda Green Andijan an Ganesh. They'll Tweet like mad as if
:01:50. > :01:59.Is Ed Miliband's Labour Party moving chid owe Cabinet reshuffle was seen
:02:00. > :02:08.a a shift to the lot of. Two have announced policy changes which could
:02:08. > :02:13.Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves says Labour will be tougher on the
:02:13. > :02:16.Tories. While Tristram Hunt says Labour loves Tory-style free schools
:02:17. > :02:25.after all. Here he is on the BBC viewers. If you are a group of
:02:25. > :02:29.parents, social entrepreneurs, teachers, interested in setting
:02:29. > :02:32.parents, social entrepreneurs, school in areas where you need new
:02:32. > :02:34.school place, the Labour Government will be on your side. That's free
:02:34. > :02:41.enterprise and innovation. It will will be on your side. That's free
:02:41. > :02:46.be in areas of need. We have a school places crisis going on. It
:02:46. > :03:00.teachers in these schools. And accountability. What is going on
:03:00. > :03:07.with the Al Madina school is because of terrible mistakes with Michael
:03:07. > :03:11.changed, the change of tone is I'm not sure if the policies have
:03:11. > :03:13.changed, the change of tone is remarkable, both on welfare and
:03:13. > :03:17.changed, the change of tone is schools. A significant change of
:03:17. > :03:24.reshuffle on the Labour frontbench last week was init wered as a purge
:03:24. > :03:31.of Blair rights. It seemed to be a purge of anti-reform thinking.
:03:31. > :03:35.Rachel Reeves was not saying anythi different on substance but saying
:03:35. > :03:42.Labour will be tough than the Tories on welfare. You've seen that clip
:03:42. > :03:48.from Tristram, free schools will be allowed to be set up in areas of
:03:48. > :03:52.need. Greater oversight. But a completely different change of tone,
:03:52. > :03:58.we are on the side of parents and social entrepreneurs who want to set
:03:58. > :04:06.these up. A different change. Why are they doing this? On education,
:04:06. > :04:12.polarised. You've had the Michael department. This weekend, we've
:04:12. > :04:14.polarised. You've had the Michael leaked memos from one of Michael
:04:14. > :04:19.Gove's advisers which are extreme views about the state of education.
:04:19. > :04:25.And on the other side teaching unions. It hasn't led to a healthy
:04:25. > :04:30.debate which represents what parents want out of schools or employers.
:04:30. > :04:33.This is a huge move from the Labour Party to sound more reasonable.
:04:33. > :04:38.This is a huge move from the Labour have been silent on education which
:04:38. > :04:46.is a huge policy area on the left. Is this a focus group-driven change?
:04:46. > :04:52.They've seen the polls. Welfare reforms are hugery popular and free
:04:52. > :04:58.only apiece the focus groups by changing the policy substantially. I
:04:58. > :05:02.always thought a test for this Labour reshuffle was not whether Ed
:05:02. > :05:06.Miliband would promote Blair rights, it is clear he did, it is whether
:05:06. > :05:12.they would be allowed to be Blair rights. When Stephen Twigg carried
:05:12. > :05:16.the education portfolio it was clear his own views were closer to the
:05:16. > :05:21.Government than he was allowed to let on. He was constrained. There is
:05:21. > :05:25.no point of giving Tristram Hunt this job if he is not allowed to say
:05:25. > :05:29.what he thinks. I wouldn't mind betting privately he thinks free
:05:29. > :05:35.schools should be available beyond just areas of need. He hasn't yet
:05:35. > :05:44.defined need. It could be, we've run schools are so bad we need schools.
:05:44. > :05:56.If that is it, it is the same Asics itsing Government policy. In they
:05:56. > :06:00.unsatisfactory that's no different. He wanted to say he was in favour of
:06:00. > :06:06.higher educational standards and rigour, he had to tell the audience
:06:06. > :06:09.he has a Cambridge PhD to attack Michael Gove. That was difficult for
:06:09. > :06:18.Tristram Hunt he had to mention that. Is that worth something, a PhD
:06:18. > :06:24.from Cambridge? Obviously to him it is. He said they would demand proper
:06:24. > :06:34.teaching qualifications. That could teaching? Independent schools do not
:06:34. > :06:39.have to have teachers with formal teaching qualifications. I've never
:06:39. > :06:48.been to one? What about you? That decision by Michael Gove to allow
:06:48. > :06:54.free schools to employ nonunionised and non-trained people, so he has to
:06:54. > :06:58.Watch this space. The dust settled after the party resufficients. Do
:06:58. > :07:11.the Tories look a bit more like Britain. Do the Tories look more
:07:11. > :07:16.#4 With reshuffles, you're never really certain. There's whispers,
:07:16. > :07:22.rumours, guesses. But the only way to know it is underway is keeping
:07:22. > :07:28.beady eyes on a front door. Up until now, the only way we knew who was in
:07:28. > :07:31.and who was out was who came walking down this bit of Downing Street
:07:31. > :07:34.and who was out was who came walking a smile on their face after going to
:07:34. > :07:39.see the boss. The once who are to be sacked, they usually go round the
:07:39. > :07:47.back. Not this time. No, something new alerted us all. The-PM started
:07:47. > :07:51.can't remember a triple decker reshuffle where you've three parties
:07:51. > :07:57.changing ministerial teams at the resufficient happened on Twitter.
:07:57. > :08:05.Not that the press stopped watching the door as well. News was a bit
:08:05. > :08:10.Charmichael replaced Michael Moore, the first to be pounced on. I'm
:08:10. > :08:15.disappointed to be leaving office now but pleased at what I've been
:08:15. > :08:19.able to achieve in the last couple of years. Not as pleased as one
:08:19. > :08:35.imagines as the man receiving the welcome that went on, and on and
:08:35. > :08:42.simultaneously having Jeremy Browne, in a sense seen off the premises of
:08:43. > :08:58.the Home Office in conspiracy to let # Blowing hi Jude through a traffic
:08:58. > :09:02.Democrats. We tend to think they are herbivorous. Sacking a Cabinet
:09:02. > :09:05.Minister, another minister, Jeremy Browne. By lunch time, the Tory
:09:05. > :09:10.ranks were shifting too. The PM Browne. By lunch time, the Tory
:09:10. > :09:12.to boost the numbers of telegenic women walking into Government and
:09:12. > :09:21.turning perceptions around. He tipped a so-called flatcap to men
:09:21. > :09:24.backgrounds with room for some which fitted neither label but are friends
:09:24. > :09:30.of George Osborne. And, all the while, those new Tory ministers
:09:30. > :09:33.of George Osborne. And, all the learning of Labour's changes. Labour
:09:33. > :09:37.too knows the value of new young blood striding into the limelight.
:09:37. > :09:43.Again some with TV experience of that. Tristram Hunt and Gloria de
:09:43. > :09:47.peer row would be hard to describe as hard left. But Blairbrushing
:09:47. > :09:52.peer row would be hard to describe past out of the picture seemed to be
:09:52. > :09:58.the name of the day. Liam Byrne With Diane Abbott also gone, was
:09:58. > :10:00.this really a Blair right cull? It depends what you mean. Blair right
:10:00. > :10:04.used to mean someone who wanted depends what you mean. Blair right
:10:04. > :10:07.Blair to be leader of the Labour Party. Somebody who worked closely
:10:07. > :10:11.with him. Now it means sometimes people who believe in a certain
:10:11. > :10:14.with him. Now it means sometimes of ideologyies or ideas. There are
:10:14. > :10:18.still very much those kind of Blair rights within the party. But we
:10:18. > :10:21.still very much those kind of Blair seeing the group around Tony Blair
:10:21. > :10:27.are not long assassin flew enjoys as they once were. By evening, it was
:10:27. > :10:32.over. New bees were sharing the ministers quietly thanked commits
:10:32. > :10:46.raters. Or -- commiserators. Or ministers quietly thanked commits
:10:46. > :10:51.disified. How much much someone standing here might want it to be
:10:51. > :10:59.the case, you are unlikely to get someone coming out of that do going
:10:59. > :11:04."how could." And running off crying! And the brand, spanking new Scottish
:11:04. > :11:12.Secretary Alastair Charmichael joins us from Orkney on a line that hasn't
:11:12. > :11:17.been used since the fleet was used in the outbreak of World War I! I
:11:17. > :11:21.wasn't around at the time. I'm hearing you loud and clear. Why
:11:21. > :11:26.wasn't around at the time. I'm you agreed to run a department?
:11:26. > :11:30.wasn't around at the time. I'm you wanted to abolish six years
:11:30. > :11:31.wasn't around at the time. I'm Hello? Maybe our connections are not
:11:31. > :11:37.Charmichael. Can you hear me? I Hello? Maybe our connections are not
:11:37. > :11:42.hear you now. There was a nasty second there where you disappeared.
:11:42. > :11:44.Let me try the question again. Why have you agreed to run a department
:11:44. > :11:50.you wanted to abolish six years have you agreed to run a department
:11:50. > :11:54.Because this is the, probably one of the most important jobs in British
:11:54. > :12:00.politics at the moment. To ensure that Scotland remains part of the
:12:00. > :12:06.UK. Even when I was talking about the reconfiguration of rep sen Taigs
:12:06. > :12:10.of Scotland -- representation of Scotland within Whitehall, there was
:12:10. > :12:14.always a job to be done. That is true in spades now. I will focus on
:12:14. > :12:18.making sure the UK Government has a real voice in that debate. What
:12:18. > :12:19.making sure the UK Government has a you that Michael Moore didn't have?
:12:19. > :12:24.Look, I think Michael Moore did you that Michael Moore didn't have?
:12:24. > :12:32.excellent job. The work he did delivering the Edinburgh agreement
:12:32. > :12:40.clear legal and decisive referendum, the work delivering extra powers to
:12:40. > :12:47.substantial piece of work. I'm not friend of mine. I will say that
:12:47. > :12:48.substantial piece of work. I'm not we go forward into this, this is now
:12:48. > :12:52.about the actual debate itself. we go forward into this, this is now
:12:52. > :13:02.will be putting the case, with some passion, I hope, for Scotland to
:13:02. > :13:09.just some abstract debate about nationhood, sovereignty, this is a
:13:09. > :13:16.their livelihoods, the cost of their mortgage. That and an awful lot
:13:16. > :13:25.challenge. I understand that. But if you're being put in there to save
:13:25. > :13:30.the union, every pole has the no -- poll has the no campaign margin
:13:30. > :13:35.alley ahead. Mr Moore was doing pretty well to save the union. I
:13:35. > :13:42.suspect you've been given the job to Scotland? And lieu, you misread
:13:42. > :13:45.suspect you've been given the job to situation if you -- Andrew, you
:13:45. > :13:48.misread the situation new think anybody is going to be the person
:13:48. > :13:50.who will save the union. The people who will save the union are the
:13:50. > :13:54.people of Scotland if they turn who will save the union are the
:13:54. > :13:59.next year and vote to save the union. We have to put the case for
:13:59. > :14:05.that. That is what I will be doing. Look at the position of your own
:14:05. > :14:12.party. You came fourth in the last Scottish parentry elections. You
:14:12. > :14:18.were even behind the Conservatives. The latest poll has you still in
:14:18. > :14:22.fourth. Are you there because you're a bruiser and you will pep up the
:14:22. > :14:25.Liberal Democrats opportunity in Scotland. If I had a pound for
:14:25. > :14:30.everybody to referred to me as being Scotland. If I had a pound for
:14:30. > :14:34.a bruiser, I wouldn't need to be sitting here this morning. I could
:14:34. > :14:39.have retired by now. The truth of this, if I can address it once and
:14:39. > :14:45.for all, I have done probably one of the most complex and subtle jobs in
:14:45. > :14:51.three-and-a-half years, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in a Coalition
:14:51. > :14:54.survived in that job a week, let alone three-and-a-half years, if I
:14:54. > :14:59.was the sort of person who went around picking unnecessary fights.
:14:59. > :15:04.So, can we just please forget about this business about being a bruiser.
:15:04. > :15:08.As far as the position of the party in the polls, this is true also
:15:08. > :15:11.As far as the position of the party the referendum vote, opinion polls
:15:11. > :15:14.are a snapshot. They are not a prediction of what will happen in
:15:14. > :15:20.the future. I will be out there putting the case. Neither the next
:15:20. > :15:25.election nor the referendum is one or lost yet. One of the things I
:15:25. > :15:32.really want to be guarding against because we are a good margin ahead
:15:32. > :15:40.today, 12 months out from the actual polling day, that it is in the bag.
:15:40. > :15:43.Believe me, Andrew, it is not. As you know, wasn't for the Liberal
:15:43. > :15:52.Democrats. Not just talking about the polls. You came fourth in the
:15:52. > :16:03.You said you were happy to facial ex-Salmond in a TV debade. Should
:16:03. > :16:15.David Cameron face him? I am happy debate. Should David Cameron face
:16:15. > :16:19.him? No, because that allows Alex Nationalists to portray this as
:16:19. > :16:23.him? No, because that allows Alex sort of contest or choice between a
:16:23. > :16:25.vision of Scottish social democracy and English conservativism, which it
:16:25. > :16:30.is not. This is a debate that has to is not. This is a debate that has to
:16:30. > :16:38.be held in Scotland about the future of Scotland amongst Scots. David
:16:38. > :16:43.Cameron has a very important part in Scotland's public life, but he is
:16:43. > :16:47.not Scottish and I think he will accept Commies edit himself in fact,
:16:47. > :16:57.the person who should be debating Darling. He has got a Scottish name
:16:57. > :17:04.wealthiest of Scotland at some stage in the past. Anyway, you described
:17:04. > :17:10.the campaign to keep the union together as lacking passion, were
:17:10. > :17:17.you referring to the campaign or referring to Alistair Darling. I
:17:17. > :17:24.think what I was saying is that referring to Alistair Darling. I
:17:24. > :17:30.we move into this new stage, and Alistair Darling said it himself, we
:17:30. > :17:35.are now campaigning for people Alistair Darling said it himself, we
:17:35. > :17:41.hearts because if you look at the range of papers the Government has
:17:41. > :17:50.published, it is pretty clear the arguments lie in relation to the
:17:50. > :17:56.head. I am not giving up the battle for the hearts and Scotland because
:17:56. > :17:58.there is a good strong case, as somebody who is proud to be Scottish
:17:58. > :18:03.and to be British, for Scotland somebody who is proud to be Scottish
:18:03. > :18:09.remain part of the UK. You come somebody who is proud to be Scottish
:18:09. > :18:14.distilleries and I understand you celebratory drink for your new post.
:18:14. > :18:22.Not a drop has touched my lips. celebratory drink for your new post.
:18:22. > :18:27.supporting local business! I will be making up for lost time on the
:18:27. > :18:28.supporting local business! I will be of November, I will be doing it
:18:28. > :18:34.supporting local business! I will be aid of Macmillan Cancer care and if
:18:34. > :18:39.website, they can donate. It is worthwhile. I cannot think of a
:18:39. > :18:50.better cause. One Cabinet minister who many thought might get Reef
:18:50. > :18:54.better cause. One Cabinet minister Clarke. Welcome to Sunday Politics.
:18:54. > :19:03.minorities, where did you fit in? I minorities, where did you fit in? I
:19:03. > :19:09.would describe myself as the elder statesman, to be polite, but it
:19:09. > :19:11.would describe myself as the elder difficult to replace them. I enjoy
:19:11. > :19:13.it. It is a great privilege to have a role in Cabinet and I will carry
:19:13. > :19:19.on as long as David wants me to a role in Cabinet and I will carry
:19:19. > :19:24.I have seen many reshuffles, they are dreadful and I seem to have
:19:24. > :19:30.survived them so far. Did David Cameron talk to you before this
:19:30. > :19:37.reshuffle? No, he didn't. I would have had expected a phone call,
:19:37. > :19:47.asking, how do you think about stepping down, but he didn't and my
:19:47. > :19:51.role is one of giving my wit and wisdom to the Cabinet and meetings
:19:51. > :19:56.of the Security Council so he has got to put up with me a bit longer.
:19:56. > :20:03.You said you are going to stand again at the next election, why
:20:03. > :20:05.You said you are going to stand you keep going? What do you hope to
:20:05. > :20:11.achieve in politics? I am mostly a political anorak, I have been since
:20:11. > :20:17.I was very small, by the process of politics but the older I get I get
:20:17. > :20:20.governance of the country and at the moment the combination of problems
:20:20. > :20:25.is quite appalling. The difficulty of tackling the modern world is
:20:25. > :20:29.is quite appalling. The difficulty difficult and I find it fascinating.
:20:29. > :20:30.The old argument that attracts every decent person into politics, you
:20:30. > :20:35.might be able sometimes to make decent person into politics, you
:20:35. > :20:38.bit of difference, and I try to decent person into politics, you
:20:38. > :20:40.that. I try not to hark back on decent person into politics, you
:20:40. > :20:43.experience but we will have a lot of tough problems which I think the
:20:43. > :20:50.Conservative Government will have to tackle. You opposed referenda on
:20:50. > :20:57.Maastricht, the Lisbon Treaty, you were even against one on Britain
:20:57. > :21:04.adopting the euro. It must follow that you are against the referenda
:21:04. > :21:13.on Britain's membership to the EU? I accountable to the long-term and
:21:13. > :21:19.representatives, but this is a minority now and my colleagues have
:21:19. > :21:23.firmly decided a referendum needs to be held to settle the question of
:21:23. > :21:28.Britain's relationship with the European Union which I think is
:21:28. > :21:32.Britain's relationship with the of the most important things in
:21:32. > :21:38.Britain's place in the modern world politicians are able to look after
:21:38. > :21:45.the living standards, the economy, the safety against terrorism. Last
:21:45. > :21:49.the living standards, the economy, summer you said that only extreme
:21:49. > :21:54.nationalists wanted a silly EU referendum. It follows your party
:21:54. > :22:00.must be full of extremely silly nationalists. The people who are
:22:00. > :22:07.desperate to have a referendum are all the people who actually want to
:22:07. > :22:12.referendum will involve the public and people like me have got to get
:22:12. > :22:15.across to the public, don't just feel angry about the last thing
:22:15. > :22:17.across to the public, don't just read in the newspaper about what the
:22:17. > :22:22.commission is or is not doing, do commission is or is not doing, do
:22:22. > :22:29.bear in mind this is our base in the modern world. We happen to be a
:22:29. > :22:36.leading member, almost as valuable and rich as the Americans, from
:22:36. > :22:40.influence in events. That is not just how the politicians get on
:22:40. > :22:48.influence in events. That is not politicians look after us when we
:22:48. > :22:52.spilling over from the Middle East, or we face public services being
:22:52. > :23:00.threatened. You didn't even turn up to vote for the bill which will
:23:00. > :23:04.threatened. You didn't even turn up engagements on the Friday concerned.
:23:04. > :23:07.It seemed to get through without my participation. You didn't want to be
:23:07. > :23:16.seen voting for something your heart Look, many of your colleagues I
:23:16. > :23:24.seen voting for something your heart interviewed say that if the choice
:23:24. > :23:29.was between the state -- the status quo with the European Union and
:23:29. > :23:33.leaving, they would leave. The truth is that you would vote to stay in
:23:33. > :23:41.even on the status quo, wouldn't supporting the EU to leave now if I
:23:41. > :23:45.got chance. I think our economy supporting the EU to leave now if I
:23:45. > :23:54.investment, as in Washington last been if we were outside the EU.
:23:54. > :24:01.investment, as in Washington last week. We are trying to roll forward
:24:02. > :24:05.the prospect of free trade and I have to reassure Americans that
:24:05. > :24:10.the prospect of free trade and I are not likely to leave the EU to
:24:10. > :24:15.That is true but it also needs reform. The cry for reform, which is
:24:15. > :24:22.particularly Germany, is a good reform. The cry for reform, which is
:24:22. > :24:25.Even if David Cameron came back reform. The cry for reform, which is
:24:25. > :24:34.nothing from Brussels, you would still vote to stay in, correct?
:24:34. > :24:39.one which is dwindling in comparison with others, in the modern world it
:24:39. > :24:43.would be dangerous. I also think the dangers of the Middle East and the
:24:43. > :24:54.dangers of some of the countries disengage. I will take that as a
:24:54. > :25:00.strengthen the case, and of some members of the public don't agree
:25:01. > :25:06.persuaded when David delivers his reforms. The latest poll gives
:25:06. > :25:10.Labour a ten point lead over the Tories and the reason why it has a
:25:10. > :25:15.ten point lead is because UKIP are up there with 18% of the vote and
:25:15. > :25:20.ten point lead is because UKIP are the Tory vote has slumped in the
:25:20. > :25:26.Paul to 27%. How would you see off UKIP? By saying you need a strong
:25:26. > :25:31.Paul to 27%. How would you see off and effective Government. We faced
:25:31. > :25:36.terrible problems. Every Government I have been in has been behind in
:25:36. > :25:40.the polls. This Government is not as popular as the previous Government I
:25:40. > :25:42.have served in under the three previous prime ministers. When you
:25:42. > :25:46.get an election, people have to previous prime ministers. When you
:25:46. > :25:53.themselves who do we want to decide the issues of war and peace in this
:25:53. > :25:59.country? Who do we want to get us out of our economic problems. I
:25:59. > :26:03.don't think Ed Miliband is up to it. That generalised stuff will not
:26:03. > :26:08.don't think Ed Miliband is up to it. off UKIP. People will not listen to
:26:08. > :26:11.that. When people answer an opinion poll, they tell you how annoyed
:26:11. > :26:16.that. When people answer an opinion are by something that has recently
:26:16. > :26:20.upset them, but people are more sensible than this. Every Government
:26:20. > :26:28.I have served in has been behind in the polls. At a general election you
:26:28. > :26:36.have to mobilise the public to start thinking, who do we want to govern
:26:36. > :26:45.us? They did take over a calamitous important problems to be decided
:26:45. > :26:49.going forward. UKIP represents anti-immigration, anti-foreigners,
:26:49. > :26:52.anti-Europe, anti-politics but I don't think it will get 18% of the
:26:52. > :27:25.Thank you. Once upon a time, a politician whose career ended in
:27:25. > :27:29.disgrace might choose to lie low for a while, perhaps to spend a bit
:27:29. > :27:31.disgrace might choose to lie low for time tending the tulips and doing
:27:31. > :27:32.the odd bit of charity work. Not Chris Huhne. He walked free from
:27:32. > :27:35.prison only five months ago but Chris Huhne. He walked free from
:27:35. > :27:39.former Energy Secretary is already back in the public eye - a column in
:27:39. > :27:43.the Guardian, a job with a renewable interview. So is he working on a
:27:43. > :27:47.political rehabilitation? Chris Politics. The answer to that is
:27:47. > :27:50.clearly know, and thank you for inviting me back. You have set your
:27:50. > :27:55.career in politics is over so what does the future hold for you? I
:27:55. > :27:57.career in politics is over so what happy doing what I am doing, I am
:27:57. > :28:03.passionate about green energy and climate change, so I am doing things
:28:03. > :28:09.on that front in terms of business non-governmental organisations,
:28:09. > :28:09.on that front in terms of business I am doing a column for the Guardian
:28:09. > :28:14.on Mondays. You obviously get a I am doing a column for the Guardian
:28:14. > :28:20.of material from the Sunday Politics to write about. Have you embarked on
:28:20. > :28:24.political rehabilitation? It was clear from the point of view of
:28:24. > :28:29.political rehabilitation? It was George when I was sentenced, he
:28:29. > :28:33.rehabilitating you, because I had not offended for ten years, it was
:28:33. > :28:39.actually about stopping people like you, Andrew, Ron doing the same
:28:39. > :28:44.thing. It was a deterrent effect for the public. That is I think why
:28:45. > :28:47.thing. It was a deterrent effect for prosecution was brought. I had not
:28:47. > :29:17.offended for ten years on this, rehabilitate yourself in the public?
:29:17. > :29:23.coalition to the bitter end? Or should they re-establish their own
:29:23. > :29:30.Coalition agreement is for the whole Parliament, and the Lib Dems are
:29:30. > :29:33.going to stay, and should stay. What would be a good result for the Lib
:29:33. > :29:41.Dems in 2015? The loss of ten, would be a good result for the Lib
:29:41. > :29:46.interesting election because I think you will have essentially three
:29:46. > :29:54.party leaders, all of whom are negative ratings so it will be a
:29:55. > :30:01.battle between the walking wounded. In those circumstances, in my view,
:30:01. > :30:10.the Lib Dems can come out very well. But you will lose seats, won't
:30:10. > :30:15.you? It is far too early to say. If the Liberal Democrats do badly in
:30:15. > :30:20.next year's European elections, you could come fourth on fifth behind
:30:20. > :30:26.the Greens. Will Nick Clegg's leadership be in jeopardy? I've been
:30:26. > :30:32.in countless cycles where we've had very low poll ratings. The normal
:30:32. > :30:37.pickup to the subsequent general election on average has been 10
:30:38. > :30:41.percentage points. So he's not in jeopardy? I think Nick will be there
:30:41. > :30:45.at the next general election. I think he'll lead the party into the
:30:45. > :30:52.next general election. I expect we'll do much better than most
:30:52. > :30:54.people think. If we are heading for another hung Parliament, which is
:30:54. > :30:59.what the Liberal Democrats want. Let's be honest, you'd rather be in
:30:59. > :31:03.coalition with the Labour Party than have a repeat of the Conservatives?
:31:03. > :31:08.One of the key things I sawed to colleagues, whatever your personal
:31:08. > :31:12.preference, I used to be a Labour Party member, you can derive from
:31:12. > :31:19.that I'm on the left of centre of the party. I always said to my
:31:19. > :31:19.colleagues in the party, it is absolutely
:31:19. > :31:22.colleagues in the party, it is the we are in politics because we
:31:22. > :31:26.are Liberal Democrats, not because we are either Conservatives or
:31:26. > :31:32.second best Labour. If you don't take that view, you don't have any
:31:32. > :31:35.bargaining position when it comes to coalition. You have to be able,
:31:35. > :31:39.genuinely, to do a coalition with either of the other parties. I
:31:39. > :31:44.understand that, but you'd prefer Labour? Your personal preference
:31:44. > :31:47.really should not come into this. It is about making sure you get the
:31:47. > :31:53.best possible deal for the things that your voters have voted for. If
:31:53. > :31:58.you get that with one party rather than another, that's fine. You stand
:31:58. > :32:02.up for Liberal Democrat values, not for Conservative or Labour second
:32:02. > :32:08.best values. You said you're keeping up your interest in energy matters.
:32:08. > :32:14.Is Ed Miliband right to promise a temporary price freeze? There's been
:32:14. > :32:20.pop ewe louse posturing. It is not a sensible policy. It was tried in
:32:20. > :32:26.California in 2,000 and 2001 which led to blackouts. We had the Prime
:32:26. > :32:30.Minister promising we should sift everybody automatically to the
:32:30. > :32:35.lowest possible tariff. So unfortunately we're at the stage in
:32:35. > :32:41.the political cycle where we are getting clap trap. You're against
:32:41. > :32:45.the freeze? It is a bad idea when we are trying to encourage investment.
:32:45. > :32:48.When the market can give us some of the lowest gas and electricity
:32:48. > :32:53.prices in Europe. Britain has son-in-law of the lowest? Not our
:32:53. > :32:57.base price? The other European Ian prices are only higher because they
:32:57. > :33:02.put a lot more taxes on to it? Our base energy prices are among the
:33:02. > :33:06.highest in Europe? No, if you look at EU comparisons in what goes out
:33:06. > :33:10.to people's households. That's after all the taxes have been put on them?
:33:10. > :33:10.to people's households. That's after . The Conservatives are claiming
:33:10. > :37:14.there are —— are. Congratulations to Steve
:37:14. > :37:23.McCabe recently appointed children's minister. It is a job I look forward
:37:23. > :37:33.to doing. It is quite a lot of work involved. Elizabeth job on child
:37:33. > :37:39.protection? Yes, I think we have to go back to fundamentals on that. ——
:37:40. > :37:48.there is an big job on child protection. Yes, we need to
:37:48. > :37:53.concentrate on the task. Liam Byrne moves out of the Shadow Cabinet,
:37:53. > :38:00.there is no place on the opposition front bench for someone is widely it
:38:00. > :38:10.as Pat Macfadyen, isn't this a terrible waste of talent? I am not
:38:10. > :38:16.sure that is true. I think Liam has got a big job to do in higher
:38:16. > :38:22.education. I was talking to him recently. He is quite committed. It
:38:22. > :38:32.is fanciful to think there has been up urge. I think it is we in just in
:38:33. > :38:42.of people. —— it is fancy double think there has been up purge. It is
:38:42. > :38:52.a readjustment of the ball. Do you fancy moving up to the leadership? I
:38:52. > :38:55.am quite happy doing the job I am doing but I am happy to see women
:38:55. > :39:03.getting promoted in the House of Commons. I am really light Karen
:39:03. > :39:07.Bradley has had promotion. The economic secretary has moved up to
:39:07. > :39:15.the financial Secretary and I think we will see a great deal of him
:39:15. > :39:21.doing very well. Politics does seem to be male dominated? Women are
:39:21. > :39:28.coming in and more women are standing as MPs. It is all good
:39:28. > :39:35.stuff. For the moment, find you both. Now coming up: In the drive
:39:35. > :39:38.for renewable energy is our countryside about to be carpeted
:39:39. > :39:45.wall—to—wall with solar panels? More on this later. There will be
:39:45. > :39:52.political buzzwords of our times. Cost of living crisis. Hard—working
:39:52. > :39:57.people. Many Midlanders with the only too happy to work harder at all
:39:57. > :40:01.they can find is part—time work or no work at all. We have discovered
:40:01. > :40:13.the hidden casualties of the downturn, those who are
:40:13. > :40:16.underemployed. We will see if the political slogans have any real
:40:16. > :40:24.meaning or if they are just empty words. What is in a word? If that
:40:25. > :40:31.word is work, it depends where you put this word. Both the government
:40:31. > :40:36.and the opposition are spelling out how much they are on the side of
:40:36. > :40:40.working people. What if you are somebody who is working hard but
:40:40. > :40:46.cannot get the work? People like this man who is an electrician and a
:40:46. > :40:51.dad of four. He would like to work more hours if he had the chance. All
:40:51. > :40:56.he can get is temporary work. Several jobs have aimed from one
:40:56. > :41:05.week to the next. I never know where I am. It is at the drop of a hat. I
:41:06. > :41:15.might be one of 20 lads sub contracting and that is how it is.
:41:15. > :41:18.Time for another word. David Cameron told us there were 27,000 more
:41:18. > :41:23.people employed now than four years ago. What if you are one of the
:41:23. > :41:29.people considered to be underemployed? They are the people
:41:29. > :41:36.currently in part time or temporary jobs who cannot find full—time work.
:41:36. > :41:42.In our 167,000 of them in the West Midlands according to the latest
:41:42. > :41:47.figures. That is on top of the 267,000 people here who are
:41:47. > :41:52.unemployed in the region. This 21—year—old sees himself as another
:41:52. > :41:57.of the underemployed. He is showing me around his friend's flat. This is
:41:57. > :42:07.where he has been staying because he cannot afford a place of his own on
:42:07. > :42:10.just 22 hours per week. You just seem to be like a text that says you
:42:10. > :42:20.have got a job but there is no thought into how many hours and they
:42:20. > :42:29.pay. —— had been kicked. It is no consideration for somebody who has
:42:29. > :42:37.got a part—time job. —— a green tick. Should the focus we were
:42:37. > :42:44.taking this word off the table and replacing it with this one? I am
:42:44. > :42:49.joined by a Human Resource Manager from the University business School.
:42:49. > :42:54.He has worked as an adviser to public and private sector to
:42:54. > :43:01.companies and the reconciliation service. There is evidence that they
:43:01. > :43:04.are covering is startling. On the evidence before us here they are
:43:04. > :43:12.hundreds of thousands of Midlanders that we are not seeing the benefits
:43:12. > :43:16.for. We have several million people across the country who are willing
:43:16. > :43:21.to work hard, you do have skills. The Libra Park it —— the labour
:43:21. > :43:27.market is truly inefficient in this country. What you need is a clear
:43:27. > :43:32.land investment over the next few years. You cannot just allow the
:43:32. > :43:36.market to do what it wants because that leads to chaos. You need to
:43:36. > :43:40.invest in skills and infrastructure. It needs to be
:43:40. > :43:51.quarter dated regionally and nationally. —— coordinated. As long
:43:51. > :43:59.as you have low wages, you will continue to have the cycle of
:43:59. > :44:05.decline. This government and future governments will have to bear down
:44:05. > :44:09.on the debt and deficit. Of course you can borrow some money at this
:44:09. > :44:16.time, at any time, to get out of recession. The alternative is that
:44:16. > :44:21.it just gets deeper and deeper. You have to break the cycle of
:44:21. > :44:27.deprivation. You have to give people hope and the security in the job
:44:27. > :44:42.market. I wonder if what you are seeing is, —— saying levels of
:44:42. > :44:47.employment are sluggish, should you be a separate economic policy for
:44:47. > :44:52.the West Midlands? There should the regional differences. It is not
:44:52. > :44:56.sluggish computer parts of the country in the North but it is
:44:56. > :45:04.sluggish computer the south—east. What we need is some deep
:45:04. > :45:19.investment. —— compute to the south—east. —— compared. What would
:45:19. > :45:27.you saying to the professor who says we need major investment? I would
:45:28. > :45:33.say we are seeing a cycle of growth. We saw Jaguar Land Rover. We have
:45:33. > :45:41.seen just today accompanying Warwickshire with 350 new jobs.
:45:41. > :45:46.There are some people that would like to have full—time job and only
:45:46. > :45:52.have part—time jobs that we should not be tried part—time jobs. I have
:45:52. > :45:56.them avoid people on a park time basis because that suits them, the
:45:56. > :46:01.picture lonely mothers with young children. There are nevertheless
:46:01. > :46:09.many people who want to work full—time who cannot? Say
:46:09. > :46:16.absolutely. There are 37,000 new job in the region which are full—time
:46:16. > :46:20.jobs. When I talk to small companies that want to grow and are gradually
:46:20. > :46:26.taking on more people, I think that is very encouraging. This a jobless
:46:26. > :46:31.density is going to persist into the next Parliament, a future Libra
:46:31. > :46:37.condiment would not be able to weave a checkup this problem. —— Libra
:46:37. > :46:46.government could not weave check out this problem. One in ten working
:46:46. > :46:54.people report themselves as not having enough hours to make ends
:46:54. > :46:59.meet. These are 1 million people on 01 contracts, not all voluntary.
:46:59. > :47:03.What we have to do is concentrate on pushing the living wage with
:47:03. > :47:10.companies that will do that. We have a better targeted programme for
:47:10. > :47:14.young people and the bias towards apprenticeships for young people. We
:47:14. > :47:20.have to stop the scandals of people preventing for from working or
:47:20. > :47:26.deliberately undercutting hours. That is not acceptable. Isn't there
:47:26. > :47:30.a danger that when the level of output increases the lawyers
:47:30. > :47:34.wilderness warned by simply adding to the hours of people who are
:47:34. > :47:44.working part—time at the moment rather than taking people in off the
:47:44. > :47:52.unemployment queue. —— employers would simply add to the hours. I
:47:52. > :48:05.think those hours will increase as we get more and more growth. Better
:48:05. > :48:11.job like that than no job? As you score by you have lost the time, the
:48:11. > :48:18.hard work and the expedients. —— as years go by. —— the expedients.
:48:18. > :48:23.Jaguar Land Rover and other multinationals will need even more
:48:23. > :48:39.jobs when they are convinced there is stable growth in the area with
:48:39. > :48:44.better and skilled workers. Could a giant solar farm be coming to a
:48:44. > :48:49.field near you? The government wants a tenfold increase in the amount of
:48:49. > :48:59.power generated you from the sun within the next decade. With solar
:48:59. > :49:09.power already blamed for pushing up energy bills, how great is the
:49:09. > :49:18.outlook? Here is our correspondence. This region is at the sharp end of a
:49:18. > :49:26.soul. The locals seem happy enough. It is quite a good proposal. The
:49:26. > :49:33.largest is being planned at a quarterly in Burton on Trent. 62,500
:49:33. > :49:43.solar panels. In Shropshire there are 35,000 panels planned. When
:49:43. > :49:54.built and if the sun is shining, for schemes will provide about half of
:49:54. > :50:06.shoes breathe's energy needs. Panel costs are dropping. —— Shrewsbury.
:50:06. > :50:12.We have had to respond to the supply chain with rapidly falling costs.
:50:12. > :50:16.They are having to rapidly incorporate opportunities for solar
:50:16. > :50:22.energy into the plans for a diverse renewable energy economy. As solar
:50:22. > :50:33.makes a surprising return to our energy mix, some say declared just
:50:33. > :50:46.cannot take it. There was a big connection issue. Only 7000 houses
:50:46. > :50:50.worth of electricity could be taken. There is concern and something has
:50:50. > :50:56.to be done. At a solar conference in Birmingham this week, the minister
:50:56. > :51:03.insisted we can call with the change. As we roll out more solar
:51:03. > :51:08.across the country we will see a greater level of investment in the
:51:08. > :51:14.grade. That is a rolling investment programme. We do not have to put it
:51:14. > :51:21.in right now. As solar grows, the group will react. Worries about the
:51:21. > :51:30.great make long—term planning a tricky prospect. —— they did. You
:51:30. > :51:38.can see why ministers are pushing so hard on renewables. You within one
:51:38. > :51:44.of our big farming area is, can you see the fields surrounding your
:51:44. > :51:51.community being carpeted by solar panels soon? Honestly, I do not.
:51:51. > :51:57.They can go on roofs and I think more can be done the. I think it is
:51:57. > :52:03.worth around 500 pounds per home over a year. That is very
:52:03. > :52:08.worthwhile. I do not want to see good farmland covered in panels, I
:52:08. > :52:13.want to see it going good. Local parishes are now getting the power
:52:13. > :52:20.of planning. It is up to them to make sure they have what they want
:52:20. > :52:25.in the fields. It is helped that the price of solar panels has fallen so
:52:25. > :52:31.sharply. Your charms in the European Union have intervened to protect the
:52:31. > :52:38.market for German and Italian solar panels so they are more expensive
:52:38. > :52:41.than they would be. The German companies complained to the
:52:41. > :52:48.commission that China was dumping panels. In fact, there is a great
:52:48. > :52:56.debate going on. The tariff is under review. My personal view is that we
:52:56. > :53:00.should welcome imports. It is only through importing that we will have
:53:00. > :53:09.enough to provide the 20 gigawatts that the government is aiming at. It
:53:09. > :53:14.is the Plex Inc that the great —— it is Perspex —— it is a perplexing
:53:14. > :53:20.challenge that the grid should have enough capacity to take it up. There
:53:20. > :53:27.is no government commitment to solar energy. One of the first act was to
:53:27. > :53:40.cut the subsidy for tariffs. That caused chaos. The revised guidance
:53:40. > :53:45.is actually to make it harder. As we heard on your film, they are having
:53:45. > :53:55.to react because the market is changing but there is no commitment
:53:55. > :54:03.in any way. I think that is wrong. But they cut it. The cut in
:54:03. > :54:08.subsidies. Exactly, that was a blow to the businesses. They have given
:54:08. > :54:13.more incentive to the individual over the long term which is a better
:54:13. > :54:19.way of doing it. IQ there is panic in Whitehall because these CO2
:54:19. > :54:24.reduction object tips do not stand a chance. It is a real anxiety about
:54:24. > :54:31.how successive governments will react to them. Is that your view? I
:54:31. > :54:38.think there are problems. I think that is recognised by our government
:54:38. > :54:43.and our group in Europe. There's a problem but I we will persevere and
:54:43. > :54:49.I think the public except of the solar panels is so much higher than
:54:49. > :54:57.wind farms and other methods, we have really got to pursue this. Are
:54:57. > :55:02.the objectives achievable? Everybody has to be signed up to the same
:55:02. > :55:06.target so that every business knows what it is working on. It is the
:55:06. > :55:18.chopping and changing that is creating chaos. Now our round—up of
:55:18. > :55:23.the political week in 60 seconds. UKIP has picked its regional
:55:23. > :55:30.candidates for the European elections. Jill Seymour came top,
:55:30. > :55:40.she is a chairman in Shropshire. Members of the Treasury committee C
:55:40. > :55:52.Davies CDs shortcomings in HS two. —— say the last serious shortcomings
:55:52. > :55:59.for the new railway. And that jurors moving the goalposts? It is a wild
:55:59. > :56:04.apple. They are some great to the nation is on the web around breeding
:56:04. > :56:18.patterns. —— badgers are wild animal. And a Lib Dem MP from a
:56:18. > :56:24.heated debate over the bedroom tax. He advises those struggling to pay
:56:24. > :56:32.the rent to take in a lodger. Just a bit of fun at the expense of forward
:56:32. > :56:43.in Paterson. The Green party warned that gassing badgers would be cool.
:56:43. > :56:48.—— cruel. Did is not a question of gassing badgers but we want to
:56:48. > :56:56.extend the current pilot by two or three weeks to cull the number that
:56:56. > :56:59.were targeted. We have to wait and see what the independent panel says
:56:59. > :57:06.about the safety, the humaneness, the effect business. Dealers no
:57:06. > :57:10.doubt have to do something because that the moment we are slaughtering
:57:10. > :57:17.20,000 cattle and nobody thinks about the cattle. We have to reduce
:57:17. > :57:24.the budget population and the cull is a very good way by having a
:57:25. > :57:34.scheme to see what works. Doesn't this make you relieved that you are
:57:34. > :57:41.a Tony and not in government? Last year the cull was delayed because
:57:41. > :57:48.they were too many badgers, no they are saying they have not killed
:57:48. > :57:56.enough to cause they are too few! We must leave it here. My thanks to you
:57:56. > :58:02.both. I work now about our programme tomorrow evening. Following the
:58:02. > :58:06.recent horse meat scandal we have even on patrol with food inspectors.
:58:06. > :58:10.Find out some of the surprising discoveries that have made. That
:58:10. > :58:12.Find out some of the surprising That is all we have time for. Back
:58:12. > :58:23.to Andrew. That is all we have time for. Back
:58:23. > :58:27.ministerial team this week with That is all we have time for. Back
:58:27. > :58:31.commentators calling it the purge of the Blairites, but one poor lamb who
:58:31. > :58:37.fell victim to this perch was Diane Abbott, not somebody who worshipped
:58:37. > :58:41.at the altar of Tony Blair. Life on the backbenches means she can pursue
:58:41. > :58:48.other interests such as attending the Cheltenham literary Festival,
:58:48. > :58:52.and where she joins us now. Welcome. Why did Ed Miliband fire you? He
:58:52. > :58:59.think the thing that did it for Why did Ed Miliband fire you? He
:58:59. > :59:05.was me coming out on Syria. This was Why did Ed Miliband fire you? He
:59:05. > :59:10.a purge of the Blairites, how did you become collateral damage? I
:59:10. > :59:12.a purge of the Blairites, how did no idea but the fact that I was
:59:12. > :59:15.a purge of the Blairites, how did one member of the front bench to go
:59:15. > :59:21.public about my concerns on Syria probably tipped my enemies in the
:59:21. > :59:26.party machinery over the edge. But he went your way on Syria, in the
:59:26. > :59:33.end he agreed with your line on Syria so why would that be for
:59:33. > :59:37.dismissal? I agree with you - you're fired. Because I actually spoke
:59:37. > :59:39.dismissal? I agree with you - you're and it was the fact that I spoke up,
:59:39. > :59:49.which was like a pebble falling and it was the fact that I spoke up,
:59:49. > :59:56.forest or something. I am glad I spoke up on Syria. He doesn't like
:59:56. > :00:12.people around them than who are outspoken, who speak their minds? I
:00:12. > :00:15.think he's convinced he needs people who read from the scripts. People
:00:15. > :00:21.increasingly upset that even though who read from the scripts. People
:00:21. > :00:27.I was speaking party policy, I was reading from the script. Since Mr
:00:27. > :00:34.Miliband bid you farewell, you've said he's doing his best. Is his
:00:34. > :00:38.best good enough? I am sure it will be. I've always said the Labour
:00:38. > :00:44.Party chose the right Miliband. be. I've always said the Labour
:00:44. > :00:50.will remain loyal to him on the backbenches. You're going to be
:00:50. > :00:55.loyal? However, I want to join in the debate. You're going to be
:00:55. > :00:59.loyal? Absolutely. I was loyal both in public and private when others
:00:59. > :01:05.were bitching about him behind the from the backbenches, I hope to
:01:05. > :01:07.were bitching about him behind the involved in the debate particularly
:01:07. > :01:12.around nick policy. Et's see how loyal you are. You must be happy
:01:12. > :01:20.with all this new tough talk on welfare and free schools? Well,
:01:20. > :01:24.with all this new tough talk on think both Rachel and Tristram are
:01:24. > :01:28.very talented. We're going to have to see how this all plays out. The
:01:28. > :01:32.issue of free schools, they are to see how this all plays out. The
:01:32. > :01:34.thing. But diminishing the role to see how this all plays out. The
:01:34. > :01:42.local authorities is another. There need strong local authorities. I'm
:01:43. > :01:45.local authorities is another. There sure Tristram will be aware of that.
:01:45. > :01:50.As for welfare, I'm sure Rachel knows some of the cuts the Tories
:01:50. > :01:56.have made have been counter prod ublingtive in -- productive in terms
:01:56. > :01:58.of spending. You wouldn't call that your full-hearted endorsement, would
:01:58. > :02:05.you? What are you on, and lieu? your full-hearted endorsement, would
:02:05. > :02:10.haven't seen the detail of Rachel's new position. You have to wait and
:02:10. > :02:15.see the detail. It is in the papers. You haven't stopped reading the
:02:15. > :02:21.papers. It was the Observer. When will you announce you're running for
:02:21. > :02:25.Mayor of London? I have no plans to announce that I'm running for Mayor
:02:25. > :02:26.Mayor of London? I have no plans to of London. No plans. That's what
:02:26. > :02:30.Michael his I will Tyne used to of London. No plans. That's what
:02:30. > :02:35.me. He had no plans to run against Margaret Thatcher. Are these the
:02:35. > :02:42.same kind of plans you have? I know. No, no. I have no plans. You know
:02:42. > :02:52.going for it. Everybody knows you're going for it. Just fess up to your
:02:52. > :02:58.old mate! ! I have no plans to run. If you did run, who would be, what
:02:58. > :03:07.would be your biggest threat other than yourself? I think there's a lot
:03:07. > :03:16.of very talented candidates, David They are all talented. I would have
:03:16. > :03:20.to weigh up the field. What do you think your chances would be of
:03:20. > :03:28.getting the taxi drivers' vote? Well, you know, Andrew, some of
:03:28. > :03:32.getting the taxi drivers' vote? most loyal viewers of This Week
:03:32. > :03:34.getting the taxi drivers' vote? were taxi drivers and their wives.
:03:34. > :03:39.I'm not frightened of reaching out to middle England. You will find if
:03:39. > :03:46.you walk around London sub usual ya, they all know me and they all love
:03:46. > :03:50.This Week. Love This Week. I thought you were going to say they all love
:03:50. > :03:55.you. One person who loves you, is Michael Portillo. He wasn't a happy
:03:55. > :04:00.chappie on Thursday night. You can't see it but you can hear. This is
:04:01. > :04:07.what he said. I was disappointed for her. She had decided to leave this
:04:07. > :04:11.something else in politics. She wanted to do something serious.
:04:11. > :04:14.something else in politics. She had taken what appeared to be a
:04:14. > :04:15.something else in politics. She position but taken it extremely
:04:15. > :04:23.serious and was committed to the issues. I'm quite disappointed for
:04:23. > :04:29.her. Why would Ed Miliband do such a thing. You just mentioned about
:04:29. > :04:37.London mayor, did Diane not ask thing. You just mentioned about
:04:37. > :04:40.Someone who's an eminent person thing. You just mentioned about
:04:40. > :04:44.this programme, I don't know how he could do that. I think Michael's
:04:44. > :04:50.missing you. Are you free this Thursday night? Make him a happy
:04:50. > :04:55.man, come back to the fold. I think I may be free this Thursday night.
:04:55. > :05:00.So, if he'll have me, I'll be there. My people will speak to your people.
:05:00. > :05:04.We'll get it sorted out. Diane, watch that big vase behind you,
:05:04. > :05:11.you're not insured for. That thanks Does she have a chance of being
:05:11. > :05:13.Mayor of London? She's very well known as Michael pointed out. That
:05:13. > :05:19.is important. People who are outside known as Michael pointed out. That
:05:19. > :05:21.the party fold have traditionally done well in the mayoral election.
:05:21. > :05:26.The job of being a London mayor done well in the mayoral election.
:05:26. > :05:31.running an economy the size of a nation. It is a very serious job.
:05:31. > :05:39.There may be problems with her running? That was a transparent
:05:39. > :05:43.There may be problems with her for it. She's potentially a very
:05:43. > :05:52.compelling Coll ticks. People have left-winger but she's quite tough
:05:52. > :05:59.and conservative. Michael Gove said he had fallen in love with Diane
:05:59. > :06:07.which That's one vote he has. What do you think? I thing about Diane
:06:07. > :06:10.Abbott is she has a fantastic way of connecting. She has a really good
:06:10. > :06:17.way of connecting wi people. She would be a very strong candidate in
:06:17. > :06:23.candidate. It will probably be a Labour win next time. Depends, if
:06:23. > :06:29.Labour wins the 2015 election it may be more difficult. There's a danger
:06:29. > :06:31.for Labour that Diane is the big personality liked by the party
:06:31. > :06:37.primary but isn't necessarily a personality liked by the party
:06:37. > :06:43.in come the London general election? That's true. London is traditionally
:06:43. > :06:48.a Labour city. But Boris managed to win as an outsider. There are big
:06:48. > :06:53.dangers for Labour with that. I think, as I said before, somebody
:06:53. > :07:00.who seems a bit independent from their own party machinery tend to do
:07:00. > :07:06.We've only had mayors so far that were independent? Indeed. And how
:07:06. > :07:10.Not that far behind bar Is Johnson. well Ken Livingstone did last time.
:07:10. > :07:11.Not that far behind bar Is Johnson. He was and is much more left-wing
:07:11. > :07:21.than Diane Abbott. Diane didn't He was and is much more left-wing
:07:21. > :07:29.stray on Syria, it was immigration. Why was Jeremy brown replaced by
:07:29. > :07:34.This is very much to do with Clegg deciding he has to go back to those
:07:34. > :07:37.people who abandoned the Liberal Democrats the day they went into
:07:38. > :07:43.coalition with the Conservatives really, and convince them there
:07:43. > :07:46.coalition with the Conservatives some holy areas of policy, sacred
:07:46. > :07:49.areas which they will defend. That includes civil liberties. In the
:07:49. > :07:52.Home Office, that incident with includes civil liberties. In the
:07:52. > :07:58.immigration vans went down very badly across the whole nation. Went
:07:58. > :08:03.down particularly badly with Liberal Democrats and voters. In the Home
:08:03. > :08:13.somebody there to put a shield on purpose behind it. And Nick Clegg
:08:13. > :08:18.has won the argument against the left, Vince Cable on the economy,
:08:18. > :08:22.away day in July, briefings say DrCable's been put in his box. He's
:08:22. > :08:26.won the argument on economic policy against the left. When it comes
:08:26. > :08:28.won the argument on economic policy the touchstone issue in the Home
:08:28. > :08:32.Office, he wants to shore up that vote on the left. And please The
:08:32. > :08:39.Guardian. This is important for something else going on which is
:08:39. > :08:43.that Nick Clegg has to keep his parliamentary party happy. That
:08:43. > :08:48.involves giving them ministerial jobs. A lot of Liberal Democrats
:08:48. > :08:59.losing their jobs, Michael Moore, because vacancies have to be created
:08:59. > :09:07.for number people to come in. By Liberal Democrat MPs will have been
:09:07. > :09:13.on the payroll. It is effective party management. I want to move on
:09:13. > :09:15.to press regulation. Brian Leveson's famous report, appeared before the
:09:15. > :09:20.parliamentary select committee. famous report, appeared before the
:09:20. > :09:31.will run you a clip from Connor politicians got involved in this. We
:09:31. > :09:37.moved away from the press 300 years ago. The centr commitment is Lord
:09:37. > :09:45.Leveson wanted a system the press self-regulation. This is state
:09:45. > :09:51.involvement which I worry about profoundly. He sits on the media
:09:51. > :09:56.interviews and investigations into the media. Chris Huhne said earlier
:09:56. > :10:00.he thought all the newspapers would sign up to the Government-backed
:10:00. > :10:07.Royal Charter. I think he's totally should. But he did say they would. I
:10:07. > :10:12.think he's wrong. They won't sign up. All the mood music when that
:10:12. > :10:19.Royal Charter was agreed on Friday was they would not sign up. It is
:10:19. > :10:21.Maria Miller, is essentially saying to the press industry, if you don't
:10:21. > :10:25.sign up, the Royal charter will to the press industry, if you don't
:10:25. > :10:30.ahead. I cannot control the Labour to the press industry, if you don't
:10:30. > :10:32.industry is wind the clock back to the press industry, if you don't
:10:32. > :10:40.what they are calling the Puttnam stage. That was earlier this year,
:10:40. > :10:45.Lord Puttnam was tack amendments which would introduce statutory
:10:45. > :10:54.regulation. Maria Miller says you statutory legislation but if you
:10:54. > :11:02.don't sign up to this, it will be a lot worse. Will that work? Playing
:11:02. > :11:06.the good cop, bad cop routine? Will that pressurise everyone to sign up.
:11:06. > :11:11.Lots of people are saying this will be a club with no members. It won't
:11:11. > :11:16.work. As Nick and I broke the story last week that the Government was
:11:16. > :11:21.going to reject the newspaper-backed one, I'm certain that the newspapers
:11:21. > :11:28.now, most of them maybe, not all, but most, will go the legal route
:11:28. > :11:33.and to judicial review on what the Government's proposing and will
:11:33. > :11:33.and to judicial review on what the it to strains Bowring where freedom
:11:33. > :11:42.of the press is enshrined. They it to strains Bowring where freedom
:11:42. > :11:45.fight this? There is enough fury amongst Fleet Street to result in
:11:45. > :11:49.that. The big political question going forward is which of the party
:11:49. > :11:53.leaders does the press blame the most for the emergence of press
:11:53. > :11:59.regulation? The Tories are very confident they'll blame Ed Miliband
:11:59. > :12:03.the most. They'll target him before 2015. David Cameron gave us Brian
:12:03. > :12:11.Leveson. You appoint a judge who shouldn't be surprised with what you
:12:11. > :12:15.got in the Leveson report? I big chunk of press will look at David
:12:16. > :12:29.Cameron saying, you were the guy who intended what will happen. If he had
:12:29. > :12:32.have appointed Brian Leveson. If they face more punitive fines over
:12:32. > :12:37.Labour ale cases they take that they face more punitive fines over
:12:37. > :12:45.Europe. The Daily Mail and the tallest presumably will have to
:12:45. > :12:51.suspend their campaign of Britain to leave the European Convention of
:12:51. > :13:00.suspend that. We must never come out Churchill was behind it. He was
:13:00. > :13:01.indeed. But it is actually a major constitutional issue whether you
:13:01. > :13:06.regulate the press or not. There was constitutional issue whether you
:13:06. > :13:11.a lot of ill feeling that this Marie ya miller statement was snubbing out
:13:11. > :13:16.on Friday afternoon. Somebody said freedom of the press too important
:13:17. > :13:21.to sneak out on afully afternoon. The whole subject should be treated
:13:21. > :13:27.with respect. We've run out of time. I'll be back next Sunday with the
:13:27. > :13:37.Communities Secretary Eric Pickles at our usual time of 11.00am. If