Browse content similar to 13/10/2013. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Morning, welcome to the veritable pot pourri that is this morning's | :00:38. | :00:47. | |
Sunday Politics. We have Alastair Charmichael. We'll ask him what he | :00:47. | :00:52. | |
has that his predecessor Michael Moore hadn't. Ken Clarke just keeps | :00:53. | :00:57. | |
going on and on and on. He'll bang his drum for Europe. | :00:57. | :01:04. | |
Free of the shackles of Government, former Energy Secretary Chris Huhne | :01:04. | :01:07. | |
will be with us. We'll ask him for the inside scoop. | :01:07. | :01:08. | |
in the Midlands: We could work Diane | :01:08. | :01:17. | |
in the Midlands: We could work harder and we want to work harder. | :01:17. | :01:21. | |
says we've misunderstood the problem of human trafficking and that men | :01:21. | :01:25. | |
are the forgotten victims. of human trafficking and that men | :01:25. | :01:36. | |
pundits who we try to shuffle out of a job but failed miserably, Mick | :01:36. | :01:41. | |
watt, Miranda Green Andijan an Ganesh. They'll Tweet like mad as if | :01:41. | :01:50. | |
Is Ed Miliband's Labour Party moving chid owe Cabinet reshuffle was seen | :01:50. | :01:59. | |
a a shift to the lot of. Two have announced policy changes which could | :02:00. | :02:08. | |
Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves says Labour will be tougher on the | :02:08. | :02:13. | |
Tories. While Tristram Hunt says Labour loves Tory-style free schools | :02:13. | :02:16. | |
after all. Here he is on the BBC viewers. If you are a group of | :02:17. | :02:25. | |
parents, social entrepreneurs, teachers, interested in setting | :02:25. | :02:29. | |
parents, social entrepreneurs, school in areas where you need new | :02:29. | :02:32. | |
school place, the Labour Government will be on your side. That's free | :02:32. | :02:34. | |
enterprise and innovation. It will will be on your side. That's free | :02:34. | :02:41. | |
be in areas of need. We have a school places crisis going on. It | :02:41. | :02:46. | |
teachers in these schools. And accountability. What is going on | :02:46. | :03:00. | |
with the Al Madina school is because of terrible mistakes with Michael | :03:00. | :03:07. | |
changed, the change of tone is I'm not sure if the policies have | :03:07. | :03:11. | |
changed, the change of tone is remarkable, both on welfare and | :03:11. | :03:13. | |
changed, the change of tone is schools. A significant change of | :03:13. | :03:17. | |
reshuffle on the Labour frontbench last week was init wered as a purge | :03:17. | :03:24. | |
of Blair rights. It seemed to be a purge of anti-reform thinking. | :03:24. | :03:31. | |
Rachel Reeves was not saying anythi different on substance but saying | :03:31. | :03:35. | |
Labour will be tough than the Tories on welfare. You've seen that clip | :03:35. | :03:42. | |
from Tristram, free schools will be allowed to be set up in areas of | :03:42. | :03:48. | |
need. Greater oversight. But a completely different change of tone, | :03:48. | :03:52. | |
we are on the side of parents and social entrepreneurs who want to set | :03:52. | :03:58. | |
these up. A different change. Why are they doing this? On education, | :03:58. | :04:06. | |
polarised. You've had the Michael department. This weekend, we've | :04:06. | :04:12. | |
polarised. You've had the Michael leaked memos from one of Michael | :04:12. | :04:14. | |
Gove's advisers which are extreme views about the state of education. | :04:14. | :04:19. | |
And on the other side teaching unions. It hasn't led to a healthy | :04:19. | :04:25. | |
debate which represents what parents want out of schools or employers. | :04:25. | :04:30. | |
This is a huge move from the Labour Party to sound more reasonable. | :04:30. | :04:33. | |
This is a huge move from the Labour have been silent on education which | :04:33. | :04:38. | |
is a huge policy area on the left. Is this a focus group-driven change? | :04:38. | :04:46. | |
They've seen the polls. Welfare reforms are hugery popular and free | :04:46. | :04:52. | |
only apiece the focus groups by changing the policy substantially. I | :04:52. | :04:58. | |
always thought a test for this Labour reshuffle was not whether Ed | :04:58. | :05:02. | |
Miliband would promote Blair rights, it is clear he did, it is whether | :05:02. | :05:06. | |
they would be allowed to be Blair rights. When Stephen Twigg carried | :05:06. | :05:12. | |
the education portfolio it was clear his own views were closer to the | :05:12. | :05:16. | |
Government than he was allowed to let on. He was constrained. There is | :05:16. | :05:21. | |
no point of giving Tristram Hunt this job if he is not allowed to say | :05:21. | :05:25. | |
what he thinks. I wouldn't mind betting privately he thinks free | :05:25. | :05:29. | |
schools should be available beyond just areas of need. He hasn't yet | :05:29. | :05:35. | |
defined need. It could be, we've run schools are so bad we need schools. | :05:35. | :05:44. | |
If that is it, it is the same Asics itsing Government policy. In they | :05:44. | :05:56. | |
unsatisfactory that's no different. He wanted to say he was in favour of | :05:56. | :06:00. | |
higher educational standards and rigour, he had to tell the audience | :06:00. | :06:06. | |
he has a Cambridge PhD to attack Michael Gove. That was difficult for | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
Tristram Hunt he had to mention that. Is that worth something, a PhD | :06:09. | :06:18. | |
from Cambridge? Obviously to him it is. He said they would demand proper | :06:18. | :06:24. | |
teaching qualifications. That could teaching? Independent schools do not | :06:24. | :06:34. | |
have to have teachers with formal teaching qualifications. I've never | :06:34. | :06:39. | |
been to one? What about you? That decision by Michael Gove to allow | :06:39. | :06:48. | |
free schools to employ nonunionised and non-trained people, so he has to | :06:48. | :06:54. | |
Watch this space. The dust settled after the party resufficients. Do | :06:54. | :06:58. | |
the Tories look a bit more like Britain. Do the Tories look more | :06:58. | :07:11. | |
#4 With reshuffles, you're never really certain. There's whispers, | :07:11. | :07:16. | |
rumours, guesses. But the only way to know it is underway is keeping | :07:16. | :07:22. | |
beady eyes on a front door. Up until now, the only way we knew who was in | :07:22. | :07:28. | |
and who was out was who came walking down this bit of Downing Street | :07:28. | :07:31. | |
and who was out was who came walking a smile on their face after going to | :07:31. | :07:34. | |
see the boss. The once who are to be sacked, they usually go round the | :07:34. | :07:39. | |
back. Not this time. No, something new alerted us all. The-PM started | :07:39. | :07:47. | |
can't remember a triple decker reshuffle where you've three parties | :07:47. | :07:51. | |
changing ministerial teams at the resufficient happened on Twitter. | :07:51. | :07:57. | |
Not that the press stopped watching the door as well. News was a bit | :07:57. | :08:05. | |
Charmichael replaced Michael Moore, the first to be pounced on. I'm | :08:05. | :08:10. | |
disappointed to be leaving office now but pleased at what I've been | :08:10. | :08:15. | |
able to achieve in the last couple of years. Not as pleased as one | :08:15. | :08:19. | |
imagines as the man receiving the welcome that went on, and on and | :08:19. | :08:35. | |
simultaneously having Jeremy Browne, in a sense seen off the premises of | :08:35. | :08:42. | |
the Home Office in conspiracy to let # Blowing hi Jude through a traffic | :08:43. | :08:58. | |
Democrats. We tend to think they are herbivorous. Sacking a Cabinet | :08:58. | :09:02. | |
Minister, another minister, Jeremy Browne. By lunch time, the Tory | :09:02. | :09:05. | |
ranks were shifting too. The PM Browne. By lunch time, the Tory | :09:05. | :09:10. | |
to boost the numbers of telegenic women walking into Government and | :09:10. | :09:12. | |
turning perceptions around. He tipped a so-called flatcap to men | :09:12. | :09:21. | |
backgrounds with room for some which fitted neither label but are friends | :09:21. | :09:24. | |
of George Osborne. And, all the while, those new Tory ministers | :09:24. | :09:30. | |
of George Osborne. And, all the learning of Labour's changes. Labour | :09:30. | :09:33. | |
too knows the value of new young blood striding into the limelight. | :09:33. | :09:37. | |
Again some with TV experience of that. Tristram Hunt and Gloria de | :09:37. | :09:43. | |
peer row would be hard to describe as hard left. But Blairbrushing | :09:43. | :09:47. | |
peer row would be hard to describe past out of the picture seemed to be | :09:47. | :09:52. | |
the name of the day. Liam Byrne With Diane Abbott also gone, was | :09:52. | :09:58. | |
this really a Blair right cull? It depends what you mean. Blair right | :09:58. | :10:00. | |
used to mean someone who wanted depends what you mean. Blair right | :10:00. | :10:04. | |
Blair to be leader of the Labour Party. Somebody who worked closely | :10:04. | :10:07. | |
with him. Now it means sometimes people who believe in a certain | :10:07. | :10:11. | |
with him. Now it means sometimes of ideologyies or ideas. There are | :10:11. | :10:14. | |
still very much those kind of Blair rights within the party. But we | :10:14. | :10:18. | |
still very much those kind of Blair seeing the group around Tony Blair | :10:18. | :10:21. | |
are not long assassin flew enjoys as they once were. By evening, it was | :10:21. | :10:27. | |
over. New bees were sharing the ministers quietly thanked commits | :10:27. | :10:32. | |
raters. Or -- commiserators. Or ministers quietly thanked commits | :10:32. | :10:46. | |
disified. How much much someone standing here might want it to be | :10:46. | :10:51. | |
the case, you are unlikely to get someone coming out of that do going | :10:51. | :10:59. | |
"how could." And running off crying! And the brand, spanking new Scottish | :10:59. | :11:04. | |
Secretary Alastair Charmichael joins us from Orkney on a line that hasn't | :11:04. | :11:12. | |
been used since the fleet was used in the outbreak of World War I! I | :11:12. | :11:17. | |
wasn't around at the time. I'm hearing you loud and clear. Why | :11:17. | :11:21. | |
wasn't around at the time. I'm you agreed to run a department? | :11:21. | :11:26. | |
wasn't around at the time. I'm you wanted to abolish six years | :11:26. | :11:30. | |
wasn't around at the time. I'm Hello? Maybe our connections are not | :11:30. | :11:31. | |
Charmichael. Can you hear me? I Hello? Maybe our connections are not | :11:31. | :11:37. | |
hear you now. There was a nasty second there where you disappeared. | :11:37. | :11:42. | |
Let me try the question again. Why have you agreed to run a department | :11:42. | :11:44. | |
you wanted to abolish six years have you agreed to run a department | :11:44. | :11:50. | |
Because this is the, probably one of the most important jobs in British | :11:50. | :11:54. | |
politics at the moment. To ensure that Scotland remains part of the | :11:54. | :12:00. | |
UK. Even when I was talking about the reconfiguration of rep sen Taigs | :12:00. | :12:06. | |
of Scotland -- representation of Scotland within Whitehall, there was | :12:06. | :12:10. | |
always a job to be done. That is true in spades now. I will focus on | :12:10. | :12:14. | |
making sure the UK Government has a real voice in that debate. What | :12:14. | :12:18. | |
making sure the UK Government has a you that Michael Moore didn't have? | :12:18. | :12:19. | |
Look, I think Michael Moore did you that Michael Moore didn't have? | :12:19. | :12:24. | |
excellent job. The work he did delivering the Edinburgh agreement | :12:24. | :12:32. | |
clear legal and decisive referendum, the work delivering extra powers to | :12:32. | :12:40. | |
substantial piece of work. I'm not friend of mine. I will say that | :12:40. | :12:47. | |
substantial piece of work. I'm not we go forward into this, this is now | :12:47. | :12:48. | |
about the actual debate itself. we go forward into this, this is now | :12:48. | :12:52. | |
will be putting the case, with some passion, I hope, for Scotland to | :12:52. | :13:02. | |
just some abstract debate about nationhood, sovereignty, this is a | :13:02. | :13:09. | |
their livelihoods, the cost of their mortgage. That and an awful lot | :13:09. | :13:16. | |
challenge. I understand that. But if you're being put in there to save | :13:16. | :13:25. | |
the union, every pole has the no -- poll has the no campaign margin | :13:25. | :13:30. | |
alley ahead. Mr Moore was doing pretty well to save the union. I | :13:30. | :13:35. | |
suspect you've been given the job to Scotland? And lieu, you misread | :13:35. | :13:42. | |
suspect you've been given the job to situation if you -- Andrew, you | :13:42. | :13:45. | |
misread the situation new think anybody is going to be the person | :13:45. | :13:48. | |
who will save the union. The people who will save the union are the | :13:48. | :13:50. | |
people of Scotland if they turn who will save the union are the | :13:50. | :13:54. | |
next year and vote to save the union. We have to put the case for | :13:54. | :13:59. | |
that. That is what I will be doing. Look at the position of your own | :13:59. | :14:05. | |
party. You came fourth in the last Scottish parentry elections. You | :14:05. | :14:12. | |
were even behind the Conservatives. The latest poll has you still in | :14:12. | :14:18. | |
fourth. Are you there because you're a bruiser and you will pep up the | :14:18. | :14:22. | |
Liberal Democrats opportunity in Scotland. If I had a pound for | :14:22. | :14:25. | |
everybody to referred to me as being Scotland. If I had a pound for | :14:25. | :14:30. | |
a bruiser, I wouldn't need to be sitting here this morning. I could | :14:30. | :14:34. | |
have retired by now. The truth of this, if I can address it once and | :14:34. | :14:39. | |
for all, I have done probably one of the most complex and subtle jobs in | :14:39. | :14:45. | |
three-and-a-half years, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in a Coalition | :14:45. | :14:51. | |
survived in that job a week, let alone three-and-a-half years, if I | :14:51. | :14:54. | |
was the sort of person who went around picking unnecessary fights. | :14:54. | :14:59. | |
So, can we just please forget about this business about being a bruiser. | :14:59. | :15:04. | |
As far as the position of the party in the polls, this is true also | :15:04. | :15:08. | |
As far as the position of the party the referendum vote, opinion polls | :15:08. | :15:11. | |
are a snapshot. They are not a prediction of what will happen in | :15:11. | :15:14. | |
the future. I will be out there putting the case. Neither the next | :15:14. | :15:20. | |
election nor the referendum is one or lost yet. One of the things I | :15:20. | :15:25. | |
really want to be guarding against because we are a good margin ahead | :15:25. | :15:32. | |
today, 12 months out from the actual polling day, that it is in the bag. | :15:32. | :15:40. | |
Believe me, Andrew, it is not. As you know, wasn't for the Liberal | :15:40. | :15:43. | |
Democrats. Not just talking about the polls. You came fourth in the | :15:43. | :15:52. | |
You said you were happy to facial ex-Salmond in a TV debade. Should | :15:52. | :16:03. | |
David Cameron face him? I am happy debate. Should David Cameron face | :16:03. | :16:15. | |
him? No, because that allows Alex Nationalists to portray this as | :16:15. | :16:19. | |
him? No, because that allows Alex sort of contest or choice between a | :16:19. | :16:23. | |
vision of Scottish social democracy and English conservativism, which it | :16:23. | :16:25. | |
is not. This is a debate that has to is not. This is a debate that has to | :16:25. | :16:30. | |
be held in Scotland about the future of Scotland amongst Scots. David | :16:30. | :16:38. | |
Cameron has a very important part in Scotland's public life, but he is | :16:38. | :16:43. | |
not Scottish and I think he will accept Commies edit himself in fact, | :16:43. | :16:47. | |
the person who should be debating Darling. He has got a Scottish name | :16:47. | :16:57. | |
wealthiest of Scotland at some stage in the past. Anyway, you described | :16:57. | :17:04. | |
the campaign to keep the union together as lacking passion, were | :17:04. | :17:10. | |
you referring to the campaign or referring to Alistair Darling. I | :17:10. | :17:17. | |
think what I was saying is that referring to Alistair Darling. I | :17:17. | :17:24. | |
we move into this new stage, and Alistair Darling said it himself, we | :17:24. | :17:30. | |
are now campaigning for people Alistair Darling said it himself, we | :17:30. | :17:35. | |
hearts because if you look at the range of papers the Government has | :17:35. | :17:41. | |
published, it is pretty clear the arguments lie in relation to the | :17:41. | :17:50. | |
head. I am not giving up the battle for the hearts and Scotland because | :17:50. | :17:56. | |
there is a good strong case, as somebody who is proud to be Scottish | :17:56. | :17:58. | |
and to be British, for Scotland somebody who is proud to be Scottish | :17:58. | :18:03. | |
remain part of the UK. You come somebody who is proud to be Scottish | :18:03. | :18:09. | |
distilleries and I understand you celebratory drink for your new post. | :18:09. | :18:14. | |
Not a drop has touched my lips. celebratory drink for your new post. | :18:14. | :18:22. | |
supporting local business! I will be making up for lost time on the | :18:22. | :18:27. | |
supporting local business! I will be of November, I will be doing it | :18:27. | :18:28. | |
supporting local business! I will be aid of Macmillan Cancer care and if | :18:28. | :18:34. | |
website, they can donate. It is worthwhile. I cannot think of a | :18:34. | :18:39. | |
better cause. One Cabinet minister who many thought might get Reef | :18:39. | :18:50. | |
better cause. One Cabinet minister Clarke. Welcome to Sunday Politics. | :18:50. | :18:54. | |
minorities, where did you fit in? I minorities, where did you fit in? I | :18:54. | :19:03. | |
would describe myself as the elder statesman, to be polite, but it | :19:03. | :19:09. | |
would describe myself as the elder difficult to replace them. I enjoy | :19:09. | :19:11. | |
it. It is a great privilege to have a role in Cabinet and I will carry | :19:11. | :19:13. | |
on as long as David wants me to a role in Cabinet and I will carry | :19:13. | :19:19. | |
I have seen many reshuffles, they are dreadful and I seem to have | :19:19. | :19:24. | |
survived them so far. Did David Cameron talk to you before this | :19:24. | :19:30. | |
reshuffle? No, he didn't. I would have had expected a phone call, | :19:30. | :19:37. | |
asking, how do you think about stepping down, but he didn't and my | :19:37. | :19:47. | |
role is one of giving my wit and wisdom to the Cabinet and meetings | :19:47. | :19:51. | |
of the Security Council so he has got to put up with me a bit longer. | :19:51. | :19:56. | |
You said you are going to stand again at the next election, why | :19:56. | :20:03. | |
You said you are going to stand you keep going? What do you hope to | :20:03. | :20:05. | |
achieve in politics? I am mostly a political anorak, I have been since | :20:05. | :20:11. | |
I was very small, by the process of politics but the older I get I get | :20:11. | :20:17. | |
governance of the country and at the moment the combination of problems | :20:17. | :20:20. | |
is quite appalling. The difficulty of tackling the modern world is | :20:20. | :20:25. | |
is quite appalling. The difficulty difficult and I find it fascinating. | :20:25. | :20:29. | |
The old argument that attracts every decent person into politics, you | :20:29. | :20:30. | |
might be able sometimes to make decent person into politics, you | :20:30. | :20:35. | |
bit of difference, and I try to decent person into politics, you | :20:35. | :20:38. | |
that. I try not to hark back on decent person into politics, you | :20:38. | :20:40. | |
experience but we will have a lot of tough problems which I think the | :20:40. | :20:43. | |
Conservative Government will have to tackle. You opposed referenda on | :20:43. | :20:50. | |
Maastricht, the Lisbon Treaty, you were even against one on Britain | :20:50. | :20:57. | |
adopting the euro. It must follow that you are against the referenda | :20:57. | :21:04. | |
on Britain's membership to the EU? I accountable to the long-term and | :21:04. | :21:13. | |
representatives, but this is a minority now and my colleagues have | :21:13. | :21:19. | |
firmly decided a referendum needs to be held to settle the question of | :21:19. | :21:23. | |
Britain's relationship with the European Union which I think is | :21:23. | :21:28. | |
Britain's relationship with the of the most important things in | :21:28. | :21:32. | |
Britain's place in the modern world politicians are able to look after | :21:32. | :21:38. | |
the living standards, the economy, the safety against terrorism. Last | :21:38. | :21:45. | |
the living standards, the economy, summer you said that only extreme | :21:45. | :21:49. | |
nationalists wanted a silly EU referendum. It follows your party | :21:49. | :21:54. | |
must be full of extremely silly nationalists. The people who are | :21:54. | :22:00. | |
desperate to have a referendum are all the people who actually want to | :22:00. | :22:07. | |
referendum will involve the public and people like me have got to get | :22:07. | :22:12. | |
across to the public, don't just feel angry about the last thing | :22:12. | :22:15. | |
across to the public, don't just read in the newspaper about what the | :22:15. | :22:17. | |
commission is or is not doing, do commission is or is not doing, do | :22:17. | :22:22. | |
bear in mind this is our base in the modern world. We happen to be a | :22:22. | :22:29. | |
leading member, almost as valuable and rich as the Americans, from | :22:29. | :22:36. | |
influence in events. That is not just how the politicians get on | :22:36. | :22:40. | |
influence in events. That is not politicians look after us when we | :22:40. | :22:48. | |
spilling over from the Middle East, or we face public services being | :22:48. | :22:52. | |
threatened. You didn't even turn up to vote for the bill which will | :22:52. | :23:00. | |
threatened. You didn't even turn up engagements on the Friday concerned. | :23:00. | :23:04. | |
It seemed to get through without my participation. You didn't want to be | :23:04. | :23:07. | |
seen voting for something your heart Look, many of your colleagues I | :23:07. | :23:16. | |
seen voting for something your heart interviewed say that if the choice | :23:16. | :23:24. | |
was between the state -- the status quo with the European Union and | :23:24. | :23:29. | |
leaving, they would leave. The truth is that you would vote to stay in | :23:29. | :23:33. | |
even on the status quo, wouldn't supporting the EU to leave now if I | :23:33. | :23:41. | |
got chance. I think our economy supporting the EU to leave now if I | :23:41. | :23:45. | |
investment, as in Washington last been if we were outside the EU. | :23:45. | :23:54. | |
investment, as in Washington last week. We are trying to roll forward | :23:54. | :24:01. | |
the prospect of free trade and I have to reassure Americans that | :24:02. | :24:05. | |
the prospect of free trade and I are not likely to leave the EU to | :24:05. | :24:10. | |
That is true but it also needs reform. The cry for reform, which is | :24:10. | :24:15. | |
particularly Germany, is a good reform. The cry for reform, which is | :24:15. | :24:22. | |
Even if David Cameron came back reform. The cry for reform, which is | :24:22. | :24:25. | |
nothing from Brussels, you would still vote to stay in, correct? | :24:25. | :24:34. | |
one which is dwindling in comparison with others, in the modern world it | :24:34. | :24:39. | |
would be dangerous. I also think the dangers of the Middle East and the | :24:39. | :24:43. | |
dangers of some of the countries disengage. I will take that as a | :24:43. | :24:54. | |
strengthen the case, and of some members of the public don't agree | :24:54. | :25:00. | |
persuaded when David delivers his reforms. The latest poll gives | :25:01. | :25:06. | |
Labour a ten point lead over the Tories and the reason why it has a | :25:06. | :25:10. | |
ten point lead is because UKIP are up there with 18% of the vote and | :25:10. | :25:15. | |
ten point lead is because UKIP are the Tory vote has slumped in the | :25:15. | :25:20. | |
Paul to 27%. How would you see off UKIP? By saying you need a strong | :25:20. | :25:26. | |
Paul to 27%. How would you see off and effective Government. We faced | :25:26. | :25:31. | |
terrible problems. Every Government I have been in has been behind in | :25:31. | :25:36. | |
the polls. This Government is not as popular as the previous Government I | :25:36. | :25:40. | |
have served in under the three previous prime ministers. When you | :25:40. | :25:42. | |
get an election, people have to previous prime ministers. When you | :25:42. | :25:46. | |
themselves who do we want to decide the issues of war and peace in this | :25:46. | :25:53. | |
country? Who do we want to get us out of our economic problems. I | :25:53. | :25:59. | |
don't think Ed Miliband is up to it. That generalised stuff will not | :25:59. | :26:03. | |
don't think Ed Miliband is up to it. off UKIP. People will not listen to | :26:03. | :26:08. | |
that. When people answer an opinion poll, they tell you how annoyed | :26:08. | :26:11. | |
that. When people answer an opinion are by something that has recently | :26:11. | :26:16. | |
upset them, but people are more sensible than this. Every Government | :26:16. | :26:20. | |
I have served in has been behind in the polls. At a general election you | :26:20. | :26:28. | |
have to mobilise the public to start thinking, who do we want to govern | :26:28. | :26:36. | |
us? They did take over a calamitous important problems to be decided | :26:36. | :26:45. | |
going forward. UKIP represents anti-immigration, anti-foreigners, | :26:45. | :26:49. | |
anti-Europe, anti-politics but I don't think it will get 18% of the | :26:49. | :26:52. | |
Thank you. Once upon a time, a politician whose career ended in | :26:52. | :27:25. | |
disgrace might choose to lie low for a while, perhaps to spend a bit | :27:25. | :27:29. | |
disgrace might choose to lie low for time tending the tulips and doing | :27:29. | :27:31. | |
the odd bit of charity work. Not Chris Huhne. He walked free from | :27:31. | :27:32. | |
prison only five months ago but Chris Huhne. He walked free from | :27:32. | :27:35. | |
former Energy Secretary is already back in the public eye - a column in | :27:35. | :27:39. | |
the Guardian, a job with a renewable interview. So is he working on a | :27:39. | :27:43. | |
political rehabilitation? Chris Politics. The answer to that is | :27:43. | :27:47. | |
clearly know, and thank you for inviting me back. You have set your | :27:47. | :27:50. | |
career in politics is over so what does the future hold for you? I | :27:50. | :27:55. | |
career in politics is over so what happy doing what I am doing, I am | :27:55. | :27:57. | |
passionate about green energy and climate change, so I am doing things | :27:57. | :28:03. | |
on that front in terms of business non-governmental organisations, | :28:03. | :28:09. | |
on that front in terms of business I am doing a column for the Guardian | :28:09. | :28:09. | |
on Mondays. You obviously get a I am doing a column for the Guardian | :28:09. | :28:14. | |
of material from the Sunday Politics to write about. Have you embarked on | :28:14. | :28:20. | |
political rehabilitation? It was clear from the point of view of | :28:20. | :28:24. | |
political rehabilitation? It was George when I was sentenced, he | :28:24. | :28:29. | |
rehabilitating you, because I had not offended for ten years, it was | :28:29. | :28:33. | |
actually about stopping people like you, Andrew, Ron doing the same | :28:33. | :28:39. | |
thing. It was a deterrent effect for the public. That is I think why | :28:39. | :28:44. | |
thing. It was a deterrent effect for prosecution was brought. I had not | :28:45. | :28:47. | |
offended for ten years on this, rehabilitate yourself in the public? | :28:47. | :29:17. | |
coalition to the bitter end? Or should they re-establish their own | :29:17. | :29:23. | |
Coalition agreement is for the whole Parliament, and the Lib Dems are | :29:23. | :29:30. | |
going to stay, and should stay. What would be a good result for the Lib | :29:30. | :29:33. | |
Dems in 2015? The loss of ten, would be a good result for the Lib | :29:33. | :29:41. | |
interesting election because I think you will have essentially three | :29:41. | :29:46. | |
party leaders, all of whom are negative ratings so it will be a | :29:46. | :29:54. | |
battle between the walking wounded. In those circumstances, in my view, | :29:55. | :30:01. | |
the Lib Dems can come out very well. But you will lose seats, won't | :30:01. | :30:10. | |
you? It is far too early to say. If the Liberal Democrats do badly in | :30:10. | :30:15. | |
next year's European elections, you could come fourth on fifth behind | :30:15. | :30:20. | |
the Greens. Will Nick Clegg's leadership be in jeopardy? I've been | :30:20. | :30:26. | |
in countless cycles where we've had very low poll ratings. The normal | :30:26. | :30:32. | |
pickup to the subsequent general election on average has been 10 | :30:32. | :30:37. | |
percentage points. So he's not in jeopardy? I think Nick will be there | :30:38. | :30:41. | |
at the next general election. I think he'll lead the party into the | :30:41. | :30:45. | |
next general election. I expect we'll do much better than most | :30:45. | :30:52. | |
people think. If we are heading for another hung Parliament, which is | :30:52. | :30:54. | |
what the Liberal Democrats want. Let's be honest, you'd rather be in | :30:54. | :30:59. | |
coalition with the Labour Party than have a repeat of the Conservatives? | :30:59. | :31:03. | |
One of the key things I sawed to colleagues, whatever your personal | :31:03. | :31:08. | |
preference, I used to be a Labour Party member, you can derive from | :31:08. | :31:12. | |
that I'm on the left of centre of the party. I always said to my | :31:12. | :31:19. | |
colleagues in the party, it is absolutely | :31:19. | :31:19. | |
colleagues in the party, it is the we are in politics because we | :31:19. | :31:22. | |
are Liberal Democrats, not because we are either Conservatives or | :31:22. | :31:26. | |
second best Labour. If you don't take that view, you don't have any | :31:26. | :31:32. | |
bargaining position when it comes to coalition. You have to be able, | :31:32. | :31:35. | |
genuinely, to do a coalition with either of the other parties. I | :31:35. | :31:39. | |
understand that, but you'd prefer Labour? Your personal preference | :31:39. | :31:44. | |
really should not come into this. It is about making sure you get the | :31:44. | :31:47. | |
best possible deal for the things that your voters have voted for. If | :31:47. | :31:53. | |
you get that with one party rather than another, that's fine. You stand | :31:53. | :31:58. | |
up for Liberal Democrat values, not for Conservative or Labour second | :31:58. | :32:02. | |
best values. You said you're keeping up your interest in energy matters. | :32:02. | :32:08. | |
Is Ed Miliband right to promise a temporary price freeze? There's been | :32:08. | :32:14. | |
pop ewe louse posturing. It is not a sensible policy. It was tried in | :32:14. | :32:20. | |
California in 2,000 and 2001 which led to blackouts. We had the Prime | :32:20. | :32:26. | |
Minister promising we should sift everybody automatically to the | :32:26. | :32:30. | |
lowest possible tariff. So unfortunately we're at the stage in | :32:30. | :32:35. | |
the political cycle where we are getting clap trap. You're against | :32:35. | :32:41. | |
the freeze? It is a bad idea when we are trying to encourage investment. | :32:41. | :32:45. | |
When the market can give us some of the lowest gas and electricity | :32:45. | :32:48. | |
prices in Europe. Britain has son-in-law of the lowest? Not our | :32:48. | :32:53. | |
base price? The other European Ian prices are only higher because they | :32:53. | :32:57. | |
put a lot more taxes on to it? Our base energy prices are among the | :32:57. | :33:02. | |
highest in Europe? No, if you look at EU comparisons in what goes out | :33:02. | :33:06. | |
to people's households. That's after all the taxes have been put on them? | :33:06. | :33:10. | |
to people's households. That's after . The Conservatives are claiming | :33:10. | :33:10. | |
there are —— are. Congratulations to Steve | :33:10. | :37:14. | |
McCabe recently appointed children's minister. It is a job I look forward | :37:14. | :37:23. | |
to doing. It is quite a lot of work involved. Elizabeth job on child | :37:23. | :37:33. | |
protection? Yes, I think we have to go back to fundamentals on that. —— | :37:33. | :37:39. | |
there is an big job on child protection. Yes, we need to | :37:40. | :37:48. | |
concentrate on the task. Liam Byrne moves out of the Shadow Cabinet, | :37:48. | :37:53. | |
there is no place on the opposition front bench for someone is widely it | :37:53. | :38:00. | |
as Pat Macfadyen, isn't this a terrible waste of talent? I am not | :38:00. | :38:10. | |
sure that is true. I think Liam has got a big job to do in higher | :38:10. | :38:16. | |
education. I was talking to him recently. He is quite committed. It | :38:16. | :38:22. | |
is fanciful to think there has been up urge. I think it is we in just in | :38:22. | :38:32. | |
of people. —— it is fancy double think there has been up purge. It is | :38:33. | :38:42. | |
a readjustment of the ball. Do you fancy moving up to the leadership? I | :38:42. | :38:52. | |
am quite happy doing the job I am doing but I am happy to see women | :38:52. | :38:55. | |
getting promoted in the House of Commons. I am really light Karen | :38:55. | :39:03. | |
Bradley has had promotion. The economic secretary has moved up to | :39:03. | :39:07. | |
the financial Secretary and I think we will see a great deal of him | :39:07. | :39:15. | |
doing very well. Politics does seem to be male dominated? Women are | :39:15. | :39:21. | |
coming in and more women are standing as MPs. It is all good | :39:21. | :39:28. | |
stuff. For the moment, find you both. Now coming up: In the drive | :39:28. | :39:35. | |
for renewable energy is our countryside about to be carpeted | :39:35. | :39:38. | |
wall—to—wall with solar panels? More on this later. There will be | :39:39. | :39:45. | |
political buzzwords of our times. Cost of living crisis. Hard—working | :39:45. | :39:52. | |
people. Many Midlanders with the only too happy to work harder at all | :39:52. | :39:57. | |
they can find is part—time work or no work at all. We have discovered | :39:57. | :40:01. | |
the hidden casualties of the downturn, those who are | :40:01. | :40:13. | |
underemployed. We will see if the political slogans have any real | :40:13. | :40:16. | |
meaning or if they are just empty words. What is in a word? If that | :40:16. | :40:24. | |
word is work, it depends where you put this word. Both the government | :40:25. | :40:31. | |
and the opposition are spelling out how much they are on the side of | :40:31. | :40:36. | |
working people. What if you are somebody who is working hard but | :40:36. | :40:40. | |
cannot get the work? People like this man who is an electrician and a | :40:40. | :40:46. | |
dad of four. He would like to work more hours if he had the chance. All | :40:46. | :40:51. | |
he can get is temporary work. Several jobs have aimed from one | :40:51. | :40:56. | |
week to the next. I never know where I am. It is at the drop of a hat. I | :40:56. | :41:05. | |
might be one of 20 lads sub contracting and that is how it is. | :41:06. | :41:15. | |
Time for another word. David Cameron told us there were 27,000 more | :41:15. | :41:18. | |
people employed now than four years ago. What if you are one of the | :41:18. | :41:23. | |
people considered to be underemployed? They are the people | :41:23. | :41:29. | |
currently in part time or temporary jobs who cannot find full—time work. | :41:29. | :41:36. | |
In our 167,000 of them in the West Midlands according to the latest | :41:36. | :41:42. | |
figures. That is on top of the 267,000 people here who are | :41:42. | :41:47. | |
unemployed in the region. This 21—year—old sees himself as another | :41:47. | :41:52. | |
of the underemployed. He is showing me around his friend's flat. This is | :41:52. | :41:57. | |
where he has been staying because he cannot afford a place of his own on | :41:57. | :42:07. | |
just 22 hours per week. You just seem to be like a text that says you | :42:07. | :42:10. | |
have got a job but there is no thought into how many hours and they | :42:10. | :42:20. | |
pay. —— had been kicked. It is no consideration for somebody who has | :42:20. | :42:29. | |
got a part—time job. —— a green tick. Should the focus we were | :42:29. | :42:37. | |
taking this word off the table and replacing it with this one? I am | :42:37. | :42:44. | |
joined by a Human Resource Manager from the University business School. | :42:44. | :42:49. | |
He has worked as an adviser to public and private sector to | :42:49. | :42:54. | |
companies and the reconciliation service. There is evidence that they | :42:54. | :43:01. | |
are covering is startling. On the evidence before us here they are | :43:01. | :43:04. | |
hundreds of thousands of Midlanders that we are not seeing the benefits | :43:04. | :43:12. | |
for. We have several million people across the country who are willing | :43:12. | :43:16. | |
to work hard, you do have skills. The Libra Park it —— the labour | :43:16. | :43:21. | |
market is truly inefficient in this country. What you need is a clear | :43:21. | :43:27. | |
land investment over the next few years. You cannot just allow the | :43:27. | :43:32. | |
market to do what it wants because that leads to chaos. You need to | :43:32. | :43:36. | |
invest in skills and infrastructure. It needs to be | :43:36. | :43:40. | |
quarter dated regionally and nationally. —— coordinated. As long | :43:40. | :43:51. | |
as you have low wages, you will continue to have the cycle of | :43:51. | :43:59. | |
decline. This government and future governments will have to bear down | :43:59. | :44:05. | |
on the debt and deficit. Of course you can borrow some money at this | :44:05. | :44:09. | |
time, at any time, to get out of recession. The alternative is that | :44:09. | :44:16. | |
it just gets deeper and deeper. You have to break the cycle of | :44:16. | :44:21. | |
deprivation. You have to give people hope and the security in the job | :44:21. | :44:27. | |
market. I wonder if what you are seeing is, —— saying levels of | :44:27. | :44:42. | |
employment are sluggish, should you be a separate economic policy for | :44:42. | :44:47. | |
the West Midlands? There should the regional differences. It is not | :44:47. | :44:52. | |
sluggish computer parts of the country in the North but it is | :44:52. | :44:56. | |
sluggish computer the south—east. What we need is some deep | :44:56. | :45:04. | |
investment. —— compute to the south—east. —— compared. What would | :45:04. | :45:19. | |
you saying to the professor who says we need major investment? I would | :45:19. | :45:27. | |
say we are seeing a cycle of growth. We saw Jaguar Land Rover. We have | :45:28. | :45:33. | |
seen just today accompanying Warwickshire with 350 new jobs. | :45:33. | :45:41. | |
There are some people that would like to have full—time job and only | :45:41. | :45:46. | |
have part—time jobs that we should not be tried part—time jobs. I have | :45:46. | :45:52. | |
them avoid people on a park time basis because that suits them, the | :45:52. | :45:56. | |
picture lonely mothers with young children. There are nevertheless | :45:56. | :46:01. | |
many people who want to work full—time who cannot? Say | :46:01. | :46:09. | |
absolutely. There are 37,000 new job in the region which are full—time | :46:09. | :46:16. | |
jobs. When I talk to small companies that want to grow and are gradually | :46:16. | :46:20. | |
taking on more people, I think that is very encouraging. This a jobless | :46:20. | :46:26. | |
density is going to persist into the next Parliament, a future Libra | :46:26. | :46:31. | |
condiment would not be able to weave a checkup this problem. —— Libra | :46:31. | :46:37. | |
government could not weave check out this problem. One in ten working | :46:37. | :46:46. | |
people report themselves as not having enough hours to make ends | :46:46. | :46:54. | |
meet. These are 1 million people on 01 contracts, not all voluntary. | :46:54. | :46:59. | |
What we have to do is concentrate on pushing the living wage with | :46:59. | :47:03. | |
companies that will do that. We have a better targeted programme for | :47:03. | :47:10. | |
young people and the bias towards apprenticeships for young people. We | :47:10. | :47:14. | |
have to stop the scandals of people preventing for from working or | :47:14. | :47:20. | |
deliberately undercutting hours. That is not acceptable. Isn't there | :47:20. | :47:26. | |
a danger that when the level of output increases the lawyers | :47:26. | :47:30. | |
wilderness warned by simply adding to the hours of people who are | :47:30. | :47:34. | |
working part—time at the moment rather than taking people in off the | :47:34. | :47:44. | |
unemployment queue. —— employers would simply add to the hours. I | :47:44. | :47:52. | |
think those hours will increase as we get more and more growth. Better | :47:52. | :48:05. | |
job like that than no job? As you score by you have lost the time, the | :48:05. | :48:11. | |
hard work and the expedients. —— as years go by. —— the expedients. | :48:11. | :48:18. | |
Jaguar Land Rover and other multinationals will need even more | :48:18. | :48:23. | |
jobs when they are convinced there is stable growth in the area with | :48:23. | :48:39. | |
better and skilled workers. Could a giant solar farm be coming to a | :48:39. | :48:44. | |
field near you? The government wants a tenfold increase in the amount of | :48:44. | :48:49. | |
power generated you from the sun within the next decade. With solar | :48:49. | :48:59. | |
power already blamed for pushing up energy bills, how great is the | :48:59. | :49:09. | |
outlook? Here is our correspondence. This region is at the sharp end of a | :49:09. | :49:18. | |
soul. The locals seem happy enough. It is quite a good proposal. The | :49:18. | :49:26. | |
largest is being planned at a quarterly in Burton on Trent. 62,500 | :49:26. | :49:33. | |
solar panels. In Shropshire there are 35,000 panels planned. When | :49:33. | :49:43. | |
built and if the sun is shining, for schemes will provide about half of | :49:43. | :49:54. | |
shoes breathe's energy needs. Panel costs are dropping. —— Shrewsbury. | :49:54. | :50:06. | |
We have had to respond to the supply chain with rapidly falling costs. | :50:06. | :50:12. | |
They are having to rapidly incorporate opportunities for solar | :50:12. | :50:16. | |
energy into the plans for a diverse renewable energy economy. As solar | :50:16. | :50:22. | |
makes a surprising return to our energy mix, some say declared just | :50:22. | :50:33. | |
cannot take it. There was a big connection issue. Only 7000 houses | :50:33. | :50:46. | |
worth of electricity could be taken. There is concern and something has | :50:46. | :50:50. | |
to be done. At a solar conference in Birmingham this week, the minister | :50:50. | :50:56. | |
insisted we can call with the change. As we roll out more solar | :50:56. | :51:03. | |
across the country we will see a greater level of investment in the | :51:03. | :51:08. | |
grade. That is a rolling investment programme. We do not have to put it | :51:08. | :51:14. | |
in right now. As solar grows, the group will react. Worries about the | :51:14. | :51:21. | |
great make long—term planning a tricky prospect. —— they did. You | :51:21. | :51:30. | |
can see why ministers are pushing so hard on renewables. You within one | :51:30. | :51:38. | |
of our big farming area is, can you see the fields surrounding your | :51:38. | :51:44. | |
community being carpeted by solar panels soon? Honestly, I do not. | :51:44. | :51:51. | |
They can go on roofs and I think more can be done the. I think it is | :51:51. | :51:57. | |
worth around 500 pounds per home over a year. That is very | :51:57. | :52:03. | |
worthwhile. I do not want to see good farmland covered in panels, I | :52:03. | :52:08. | |
want to see it going good. Local parishes are now getting the power | :52:08. | :52:13. | |
of planning. It is up to them to make sure they have what they want | :52:13. | :52:20. | |
in the fields. It is helped that the price of solar panels has fallen so | :52:20. | :52:25. | |
sharply. Your charms in the European Union have intervened to protect the | :52:25. | :52:31. | |
market for German and Italian solar panels so they are more expensive | :52:31. | :52:38. | |
than they would be. The German companies complained to the | :52:38. | :52:41. | |
commission that China was dumping panels. In fact, there is a great | :52:41. | :52:48. | |
debate going on. The tariff is under review. My personal view is that we | :52:48. | :52:56. | |
should welcome imports. It is only through importing that we will have | :52:56. | :53:00. | |
enough to provide the 20 gigawatts that the government is aiming at. It | :53:00. | :53:09. | |
is the Plex Inc that the great —— it is Perspex —— it is a perplexing | :53:09. | :53:14. | |
challenge that the grid should have enough capacity to take it up. There | :53:14. | :53:20. | |
is no government commitment to solar energy. One of the first act was to | :53:20. | :53:27. | |
cut the subsidy for tariffs. That caused chaos. The revised guidance | :53:27. | :53:40. | |
is actually to make it harder. As we heard on your film, they are having | :53:40. | :53:45. | |
to react because the market is changing but there is no commitment | :53:45. | :53:55. | |
in any way. I think that is wrong. But they cut it. The cut in | :53:55. | :54:03. | |
subsidies. Exactly, that was a blow to the businesses. They have given | :54:03. | :54:08. | |
more incentive to the individual over the long term which is a better | :54:08. | :54:13. | |
way of doing it. IQ there is panic in Whitehall because these CO2 | :54:13. | :54:19. | |
reduction object tips do not stand a chance. It is a real anxiety about | :54:19. | :54:24. | |
how successive governments will react to them. Is that your view? I | :54:24. | :54:31. | |
think there are problems. I think that is recognised by our government | :54:31. | :54:38. | |
and our group in Europe. There's a problem but I we will persevere and | :54:38. | :54:43. | |
I think the public except of the solar panels is so much higher than | :54:43. | :54:49. | |
wind farms and other methods, we have really got to pursue this. Are | :54:49. | :54:57. | |
the objectives achievable? Everybody has to be signed up to the same | :54:57. | :55:02. | |
target so that every business knows what it is working on. It is the | :55:02. | :55:06. | |
chopping and changing that is creating chaos. Now our round—up of | :55:06. | :55:18. | |
the political week in 60 seconds. UKIP has picked its regional | :55:18. | :55:23. | |
candidates for the European elections. Jill Seymour came top, | :55:23. | :55:30. | |
she is a chairman in Shropshire. Members of the Treasury committee C | :55:30. | :55:40. | |
Davies CDs shortcomings in HS two. —— say the last serious shortcomings | :55:40. | :55:52. | |
for the new railway. And that jurors moving the goalposts? It is a wild | :55:52. | :55:59. | |
apple. They are some great to the nation is on the web around breeding | :55:59. | :56:04. | |
patterns. —— badgers are wild animal. And a Lib Dem MP from a | :56:04. | :56:18. | |
heated debate over the bedroom tax. He advises those struggling to pay | :56:18. | :56:24. | |
the rent to take in a lodger. Just a bit of fun at the expense of forward | :56:24. | :56:32. | |
in Paterson. The Green party warned that gassing badgers would be cool. | :56:32. | :56:43. | |
—— cruel. Did is not a question of gassing badgers but we want to | :56:43. | :56:48. | |
extend the current pilot by two or three weeks to cull the number that | :56:48. | :56:56. | |
were targeted. We have to wait and see what the independent panel says | :56:56. | :56:59. | |
about the safety, the humaneness, the effect business. Dealers no | :56:59. | :57:06. | |
doubt have to do something because that the moment we are slaughtering | :57:06. | :57:10. | |
20,000 cattle and nobody thinks about the cattle. We have to reduce | :57:10. | :57:17. | |
the budget population and the cull is a very good way by having a | :57:17. | :57:24. | |
scheme to see what works. Doesn't this make you relieved that you are | :57:25. | :57:34. | |
a Tony and not in government? Last year the cull was delayed because | :57:34. | :57:41. | |
they were too many badgers, no they are saying they have not killed | :57:41. | :57:48. | |
enough to cause they are too few! We must leave it here. My thanks to you | :57:48. | :57:56. | |
both. I work now about our programme tomorrow evening. Following the | :57:56. | :58:02. | |
recent horse meat scandal we have even on patrol with food inspectors. | :58:02. | :58:06. | |
Find out some of the surprising discoveries that have made. That | :58:06. | :58:10. | |
Find out some of the surprising That is all we have time for. Back | :58:10. | :58:12. | |
to Andrew. That is all we have time for. Back | :58:12. | :58:23. | |
ministerial team this week with That is all we have time for. Back | :58:23. | :58:27. | |
commentators calling it the purge of the Blairites, but one poor lamb who | :58:27. | :58:31. | |
fell victim to this perch was Diane Abbott, not somebody who worshipped | :58:31. | :58:37. | |
at the altar of Tony Blair. Life on the backbenches means she can pursue | :58:37. | :58:41. | |
other interests such as attending the Cheltenham literary Festival, | :58:41. | :58:48. | |
and where she joins us now. Welcome. Why did Ed Miliband fire you? He | :58:48. | :58:52. | |
think the thing that did it for Why did Ed Miliband fire you? He | :58:52. | :58:59. | |
was me coming out on Syria. This was Why did Ed Miliband fire you? He | :58:59. | :59:05. | |
a purge of the Blairites, how did you become collateral damage? I | :59:05. | :59:10. | |
a purge of the Blairites, how did no idea but the fact that I was | :59:10. | :59:12. | |
a purge of the Blairites, how did one member of the front bench to go | :59:12. | :59:15. | |
public about my concerns on Syria probably tipped my enemies in the | :59:15. | :59:21. | |
party machinery over the edge. But he went your way on Syria, in the | :59:21. | :59:26. | |
end he agreed with your line on Syria so why would that be for | :59:26. | :59:33. | |
dismissal? I agree with you - you're fired. Because I actually spoke | :59:33. | :59:37. | |
dismissal? I agree with you - you're and it was the fact that I spoke up, | :59:37. | :59:39. | |
which was like a pebble falling and it was the fact that I spoke up, | :59:39. | :59:49. | |
forest or something. I am glad I spoke up on Syria. He doesn't like | :59:49. | :59:56. | |
people around them than who are outspoken, who speak their minds? I | :59:56. | :00:12. | |
think he's convinced he needs people who read from the scripts. People | :00:12. | :00:15. | |
increasingly upset that even though who read from the scripts. People | :00:15. | :00:21. | |
I was speaking party policy, I was reading from the script. Since Mr | :00:21. | :00:27. | |
Miliband bid you farewell, you've said he's doing his best. Is his | :00:27. | :00:34. | |
best good enough? I am sure it will be. I've always said the Labour | :00:34. | :00:38. | |
Party chose the right Miliband. be. I've always said the Labour | :00:38. | :00:44. | |
will remain loyal to him on the backbenches. You're going to be | :00:44. | :00:50. | |
loyal? However, I want to join in the debate. You're going to be | :00:50. | :00:55. | |
loyal? Absolutely. I was loyal both in public and private when others | :00:55. | :00:59. | |
were bitching about him behind the from the backbenches, I hope to | :00:59. | :01:05. | |
were bitching about him behind the involved in the debate particularly | :01:05. | :01:07. | |
around nick policy. Et's see how loyal you are. You must be happy | :01:07. | :01:12. | |
with all this new tough talk on welfare and free schools? Well, | :01:12. | :01:20. | |
with all this new tough talk on think both Rachel and Tristram are | :01:20. | :01:24. | |
very talented. We're going to have to see how this all plays out. The | :01:24. | :01:28. | |
issue of free schools, they are to see how this all plays out. The | :01:28. | :01:32. | |
thing. But diminishing the role to see how this all plays out. The | :01:32. | :01:34. | |
local authorities is another. There need strong local authorities. I'm | :01:34. | :01:42. | |
local authorities is another. There sure Tristram will be aware of that. | :01:43. | :01:45. | |
As for welfare, I'm sure Rachel knows some of the cuts the Tories | :01:45. | :01:50. | |
have made have been counter prod ublingtive in -- productive in terms | :01:50. | :01:56. | |
of spending. You wouldn't call that your full-hearted endorsement, would | :01:56. | :01:58. | |
you? What are you on, and lieu? your full-hearted endorsement, would | :01:58. | :02:05. | |
haven't seen the detail of Rachel's new position. You have to wait and | :02:05. | :02:10. | |
see the detail. It is in the papers. You haven't stopped reading the | :02:10. | :02:15. | |
papers. It was the Observer. When will you announce you're running for | :02:15. | :02:21. | |
Mayor of London? I have no plans to announce that I'm running for Mayor | :02:21. | :02:25. | |
Mayor of London? I have no plans to of London. No plans. That's what | :02:25. | :02:26. | |
Michael his I will Tyne used to of London. No plans. That's what | :02:26. | :02:30. | |
me. He had no plans to run against Margaret Thatcher. Are these the | :02:30. | :02:35. | |
same kind of plans you have? I know. No, no. I have no plans. You know | :02:35. | :02:42. | |
going for it. Everybody knows you're going for it. Just fess up to your | :02:42. | :02:52. | |
old mate! ! I have no plans to run. If you did run, who would be, what | :02:52. | :02:58. | |
would be your biggest threat other than yourself? I think there's a lot | :02:58. | :03:07. | |
of very talented candidates, David They are all talented. I would have | :03:07. | :03:16. | |
to weigh up the field. What do you think your chances would be of | :03:16. | :03:20. | |
getting the taxi drivers' vote? Well, you know, Andrew, some of | :03:20. | :03:28. | |
getting the taxi drivers' vote? most loyal viewers of This Week | :03:28. | :03:32. | |
getting the taxi drivers' vote? were taxi drivers and their wives. | :03:32. | :03:34. | |
I'm not frightened of reaching out to middle England. You will find if | :03:34. | :03:39. | |
you walk around London sub usual ya, they all know me and they all love | :03:39. | :03:46. | |
This Week. Love This Week. I thought you were going to say they all love | :03:46. | :03:50. | |
you. One person who loves you, is Michael Portillo. He wasn't a happy | :03:50. | :03:55. | |
chappie on Thursday night. You can't see it but you can hear. This is | :03:55. | :04:00. | |
what he said. I was disappointed for her. She had decided to leave this | :04:01. | :04:07. | |
something else in politics. She wanted to do something serious. | :04:07. | :04:11. | |
something else in politics. She had taken what appeared to be a | :04:11. | :04:14. | |
something else in politics. She position but taken it extremely | :04:14. | :04:15. | |
serious and was committed to the issues. I'm quite disappointed for | :04:15. | :04:23. | |
her. Why would Ed Miliband do such a thing. You just mentioned about | :04:23. | :04:29. | |
London mayor, did Diane not ask thing. You just mentioned about | :04:29. | :04:37. | |
Someone who's an eminent person thing. You just mentioned about | :04:37. | :04:40. | |
this programme, I don't know how he could do that. I think Michael's | :04:40. | :04:44. | |
missing you. Are you free this Thursday night? Make him a happy | :04:44. | :04:50. | |
man, come back to the fold. I think I may be free this Thursday night. | :04:50. | :04:55. | |
So, if he'll have me, I'll be there. My people will speak to your people. | :04:55. | :05:00. | |
We'll get it sorted out. Diane, watch that big vase behind you, | :05:00. | :05:04. | |
you're not insured for. That thanks Does she have a chance of being | :05:04. | :05:11. | |
Mayor of London? She's very well known as Michael pointed out. That | :05:11. | :05:13. | |
is important. People who are outside known as Michael pointed out. That | :05:13. | :05:19. | |
the party fold have traditionally done well in the mayoral election. | :05:19. | :05:21. | |
The job of being a London mayor done well in the mayoral election. | :05:21. | :05:26. | |
running an economy the size of a nation. It is a very serious job. | :05:26. | :05:31. | |
There may be problems with her running? That was a transparent | :05:31. | :05:39. | |
There may be problems with her for it. She's potentially a very | :05:39. | :05:43. | |
compelling Coll ticks. People have left-winger but she's quite tough | :05:43. | :05:52. | |
and conservative. Michael Gove said he had fallen in love with Diane | :05:52. | :05:59. | |
which That's one vote he has. What do you think? I thing about Diane | :05:59. | :06:07. | |
Abbott is she has a fantastic way of connecting. She has a really good | :06:07. | :06:10. | |
way of connecting wi people. She would be a very strong candidate in | :06:10. | :06:17. | |
candidate. It will probably be a Labour win next time. Depends, if | :06:17. | :06:23. | |
Labour wins the 2015 election it may be more difficult. There's a danger | :06:23. | :06:29. | |
for Labour that Diane is the big personality liked by the party | :06:29. | :06:31. | |
primary but isn't necessarily a personality liked by the party | :06:31. | :06:37. | |
in come the London general election? That's true. London is traditionally | :06:37. | :06:43. | |
a Labour city. But Boris managed to win as an outsider. There are big | :06:43. | :06:48. | |
dangers for Labour with that. I think, as I said before, somebody | :06:48. | :06:53. | |
who seems a bit independent from their own party machinery tend to do | :06:53. | :07:00. | |
We've only had mayors so far that were independent? Indeed. And how | :07:00. | :07:06. | |
Not that far behind bar Is Johnson. well Ken Livingstone did last time. | :07:06. | :07:10. | |
Not that far behind bar Is Johnson. He was and is much more left-wing | :07:10. | :07:11. | |
than Diane Abbott. Diane didn't He was and is much more left-wing | :07:11. | :07:21. | |
stray on Syria, it was immigration. Why was Jeremy brown replaced by | :07:21. | :07:29. | |
This is very much to do with Clegg deciding he has to go back to those | :07:29. | :07:34. | |
people who abandoned the Liberal Democrats the day they went into | :07:34. | :07:37. | |
coalition with the Conservatives really, and convince them there | :07:38. | :07:43. | |
coalition with the Conservatives some holy areas of policy, sacred | :07:43. | :07:46. | |
areas which they will defend. That includes civil liberties. In the | :07:46. | :07:49. | |
Home Office, that incident with includes civil liberties. In the | :07:49. | :07:52. | |
immigration vans went down very badly across the whole nation. Went | :07:52. | :07:58. | |
down particularly badly with Liberal Democrats and voters. In the Home | :07:58. | :08:03. | |
somebody there to put a shield on purpose behind it. And Nick Clegg | :08:03. | :08:13. | |
has won the argument against the left, Vince Cable on the economy, | :08:13. | :08:18. | |
away day in July, briefings say DrCable's been put in his box. He's | :08:18. | :08:22. | |
won the argument on economic policy against the left. When it comes | :08:22. | :08:26. | |
won the argument on economic policy the touchstone issue in the Home | :08:26. | :08:28. | |
Office, he wants to shore up that vote on the left. And please The | :08:28. | :08:32. | |
Guardian. This is important for something else going on which is | :08:32. | :08:39. | |
that Nick Clegg has to keep his parliamentary party happy. That | :08:39. | :08:43. | |
involves giving them ministerial jobs. A lot of Liberal Democrats | :08:43. | :08:48. | |
losing their jobs, Michael Moore, because vacancies have to be created | :08:48. | :08:59. | |
for number people to come in. By Liberal Democrat MPs will have been | :08:59. | :09:07. | |
on the payroll. It is effective party management. I want to move on | :09:07. | :09:13. | |
to press regulation. Brian Leveson's famous report, appeared before the | :09:13. | :09:15. | |
parliamentary select committee. famous report, appeared before the | :09:15. | :09:20. | |
will run you a clip from Connor politicians got involved in this. We | :09:20. | :09:31. | |
moved away from the press 300 years ago. The centr commitment is Lord | :09:31. | :09:37. | |
Leveson wanted a system the press self-regulation. This is state | :09:37. | :09:45. | |
involvement which I worry about profoundly. He sits on the media | :09:45. | :09:51. | |
interviews and investigations into the media. Chris Huhne said earlier | :09:51. | :09:56. | |
he thought all the newspapers would sign up to the Government-backed | :09:56. | :10:00. | |
Royal Charter. I think he's totally should. But he did say they would. I | :10:00. | :10:07. | |
think he's wrong. They won't sign up. All the mood music when that | :10:07. | :10:12. | |
Royal Charter was agreed on Friday was they would not sign up. It is | :10:12. | :10:19. | |
Maria Miller, is essentially saying to the press industry, if you don't | :10:19. | :10:21. | |
sign up, the Royal charter will to the press industry, if you don't | :10:21. | :10:25. | |
ahead. I cannot control the Labour to the press industry, if you don't | :10:25. | :10:30. | |
industry is wind the clock back to the press industry, if you don't | :10:30. | :10:32. | |
what they are calling the Puttnam stage. That was earlier this year, | :10:32. | :10:40. | |
Lord Puttnam was tack amendments which would introduce statutory | :10:40. | :10:45. | |
regulation. Maria Miller says you statutory legislation but if you | :10:45. | :10:54. | |
don't sign up to this, it will be a lot worse. Will that work? Playing | :10:54. | :11:02. | |
the good cop, bad cop routine? Will that pressurise everyone to sign up. | :11:02. | :11:06. | |
Lots of people are saying this will be a club with no members. It won't | :11:06. | :11:11. | |
work. As Nick and I broke the story last week that the Government was | :11:11. | :11:16. | |
going to reject the newspaper-backed one, I'm certain that the newspapers | :11:16. | :11:21. | |
now, most of them maybe, not all, but most, will go the legal route | :11:21. | :11:28. | |
and to judicial review on what the Government's proposing and will | :11:28. | :11:33. | |
and to judicial review on what the it to strains Bowring where freedom | :11:33. | :11:33. | |
of the press is enshrined. They it to strains Bowring where freedom | :11:33. | :11:42. | |
fight this? There is enough fury amongst Fleet Street to result in | :11:42. | :11:45. | |
that. The big political question going forward is which of the party | :11:45. | :11:49. | |
leaders does the press blame the most for the emergence of press | :11:49. | :11:53. | |
regulation? The Tories are very confident they'll blame Ed Miliband | :11:53. | :11:59. | |
the most. They'll target him before 2015. David Cameron gave us Brian | :11:59. | :12:03. | |
Leveson. You appoint a judge who shouldn't be surprised with what you | :12:03. | :12:11. | |
got in the Leveson report? I big chunk of press will look at David | :12:11. | :12:15. | |
Cameron saying, you were the guy who intended what will happen. If he had | :12:16. | :12:29. | |
have appointed Brian Leveson. If they face more punitive fines over | :12:29. | :12:32. | |
Labour ale cases they take that they face more punitive fines over | :12:32. | :12:37. | |
Europe. The Daily Mail and the tallest presumably will have to | :12:37. | :12:45. | |
suspend their campaign of Britain to leave the European Convention of | :12:45. | :12:51. | |
suspend that. We must never come out Churchill was behind it. He was | :12:51. | :13:00. | |
indeed. But it is actually a major constitutional issue whether you | :13:00. | :13:01. | |
regulate the press or not. There was constitutional issue whether you | :13:01. | :13:06. | |
a lot of ill feeling that this Marie ya miller statement was snubbing out | :13:06. | :13:11. | |
on Friday afternoon. Somebody said freedom of the press too important | :13:11. | :13:16. | |
to sneak out on afully afternoon. The whole subject should be treated | :13:17. | :13:21. | |
with respect. We've run out of time. I'll be back next Sunday with the | :13:21. | :13:27. | |
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles at our usual time of 11.00am. If | :13:27. | :13:37. |