29/10/2017 Sunday Politics West Midlands

Morning, everyone.

I'm Sarah Smith, and welcome

to The Sunday Politics,

where we always bring you everything

you need to know to understand

what's going on in politics.

Coming up on today's programme...

The Government says

the international trade minister

Mark Garnier will be investigated

following newspaper allegations

of inappropriate behaviour

towards a female staff member.

We'll have the latest.

The Prime Minister says she can

agree a deal with the EU and plenty

of time for Parliament to vote on it

before we leave in 2018. Well

Parliament play ball? New evidence

cast out on the economic

And

cast out on the economic

And in

cast out on the economic

And in the

cast out on the economic

And in the Midlands...

cast out on the economic

And in the Midlands... We

cast out on the economic

And in the Midlands... We will

cast out on the economic

And in the Midlands... We will have

cast out on the economic

And in the Midlands... We will have

the results of our own Brexit

survey. Positive or negative?

on from the abortion act white MPs

are lobbying the Home Secretary to

stop the alleged harassment of women

attending abortion clinics.

All that coming up in the programme.

And with me today to help make sense

of all the big stories,

Julia Hartley-Brewer,

Steve Richards and Anne McElvoy.

Some breaking news this morning.

The Government has announced

that it will investigate

whether the International Trade

Minister Mark Garnier broke

the Ministerial Code

following allegations

of inappropriate behaviour.

It comes after reports in the Mail

on Sunday which has spoken to one

of Mr Garnier's former employees.

News of the investigation

was announced by the Health

Secretary Jeremy Hunt

on the Andrew Marr show earlier.

The stories, if they are true,

are totally unacceptable

and the Cabinet Office will be

conducting an investigation

as to whether there has been

a breach of the ministerial code

in this particular case.

But as you know the

facts are disputed.

This is something that covers

behaviour by MPs of all parties

and that is why the other thing

that is going to happen

is that today Theresa May

is going to write to John Bercow,

the Speaker of the House of Commons,

to ask for his advice as to how

we change that culture.

That was Jeremy Hunt a little

earlier. I want to turn to the panel

to make sense of this news. This is

the government taking these

allegations quite seriously.

What

has changed in this story is they

used to be a bit of delay while

people work out what they should say

about it, how seriously to take it.

As you see now a senior cabinet

member out there, Jeremy Hunt, with

an instant response. He does have

the worry of whether the facts are

disputed, but what they want to be

seen doing is to do something very

quickly. In the past they would say

it was all part of the rough and

tumble of Westminster.

Mark Garnier

does not deny these stories, which

is that he asked an employee to buy

sex toys, but he said it was just

high jinks and it was taken out of

context. Is this the sort of thing

that a few years ago in a different

environment would be investigated?

Not necessarily quite the frenzy

that it is nowadays. The combination

of social media, all the Sunday

political programmes were ministers

have to go on armed with a response

means that you get these we have to

be seen to be doing something. That

means there is this Cabinet Office

investigation. You pointed out to us

before the programme that he was not

a minister before this happened. It

does not matter whether he says yes,

know I did this or did not,

something has to be seen to be done.

Clearly ministers today are being

armed with that bit of information

and that Theresa May will ask John

Bercow the speaker to look into the

whole culture of Parliament in this

context. That is the response to

this kind of frenzy.

If we do live

in an environment where something

has to be seen to be done, does that

always mean the right thing gets

done?

Absolutely not. We are in

witch hunt territory. All of us work

in the Commons over many years and

anyone would think it was a scene

out of Benny Hill or a carry on

film. Sadly it is not that much fun

and it is rather dull and dreary.

Yes, there are sex pests, yes, there

is sexual harassment, but the idea

this is going on on a huge scale is

nonsense.

Doesn't matter whether it

is a huge scale or not? Or just a

few instances?

Any workplace where

you have the mixing of work and

social so intertwined and you throw

a huge amount of alcohol and late

night and people living away from

home you will have this happen.

That

does not make it OK.

It makes sexual

harassment not OK as it is not

anywhere. This happens to men as

well and if they have an issue into

it there are employment tribunal 's

and they can contact lawyers. I do

not think this should be a matter of

the speaker, it should be someone

completely independent of any party.

People think MPs are employees of

the party or the Commons, they are

not.

Because they are self-employed

to whom do you go if you are a

researcher?

That has to be

clarified. I agree you need a much

clearer line of reporting. It was a

bit like the situation when we came

into the media many years ago, the

Punic wars in my case! You were not

quite sure who to go to. If you work

worried that it might impede your

career, and you had to talk to

people who work next to you, that is

just one example, but in the Commons

people do not know who they should

go to. Where Theresa May might be

making a mistake, it is the same

mistake when it was decided to

investigate through Levinson the

culture of the media which was like

nailing jelly to a wall. Look at the

culture of anybody's job and the

environment they are in and there is

usually a lot wrong with it. When

you try and make it general, they

are not trying to blame individuals,

or it say they need a better line on

reporting of sexual harassment,

which I support, the Commons is a

funny place and it is a rough old

trade and you are never going to

iron out the human foibles of that.

Diane Abbott was talking about this

earlier.

When I first went into Parliament so

many of those men had been to all

boys boarding schools and had really

difficult attitudes towards women.

The world has moved on and

middle-aged women are less likely

than middle-aged men to believe that

young research are irresistibly

attracted to them. We have seen the

issues and we have seen one of our

colleagues been suspended for quite

unacceptable language.

That is a point, Jarrod O'Mara, a

Labour MP who has had the whip

suspended, this goes across all

parties.

The idea that there is a

left or right divide over this is

absurd. This is a cultural issue. In

the media and in a lot of other

institutions if this is going to

develop politically, the frenzy will

carry on for a bit and other names

will come out over the next few

days, not just the two we have

mentioned so far in politics. But it

also raises questions about how

candidates are selected for example.

There has been a huge pressure for

the centre to keep out of things. I

bet from now on there will be much

greater scrutiny of all candidates

and tweets will have to be looked at

and all the rest of it.

Selecting

candidates is interesting. Miriam

Gonzalez, Nick Clegg's wife, says

that during that election they knew

about Jarrod O'Mara and the Lib Dems

knew about it, so it is difficult to

suggest the Labour Party did not as

well.

There is very clear evidence

the Labour Party did know. But we

are in a situation of how perfect

and well-behaved does everyone have

to be? If you look at past American

presidents, JFK and Bill Clinton,

these men were sex pest

extraordinaire, with totally

inappropriate behaviour on a regular

basis. There are things you are not

allowed to say if you are feminists.

Young women are really attracted to

powerful men. I was busted for the

idea that there are young women in

the House of commons who are

throwing themselves at middle-aged,

potbellied, balding, older men. We

need to focus on the right things.

When it is unwanted, harassing,

inappropriate and criminal,

absolutely, you come down like a

tonne of bricks. It is not just

because there are more women in the

Commons, it is because there are

more men married to women like us.

We have to leave it there.

As attention turns in

Westminster to the hundreds

of amendments put down on the EU

Withdrawal Bill, David Davis has

caused a stir this week by saying

it's possible Parliament won't get

a vote on the Brexit deal

until after March 2019 -

when the clock runs out

and we leave the EU.

Let's take a look at how

the controversy played out.

And which point do you envisage

Parliament having a vote?

As soon as possible thereafter.

This Parliament?

As soon as possible

possible thereafter, yeah.

As soon as possible thereafter.

So, the vote in Parliament...

The other thing...

Could be after March 2019?

It could be, yeah, it could be.

The...

It depends when it concludes.

Mr Barnier, remember,

has said he'd like...

Sorry, the vote of our Parliament,

the UK Parliament, could be

after March 2019?

Yes, it could be.

Could be.

The thing to member...

Which would be...

Well, it can't come

before we have the deal.

You said that it is POSSIBLE that

Parliament night not vote

on the deal until AFTER

the end of March 2019.

I'm summarising correctly

what you said...?

Yeah, that's correct.

In the event we don't do

the deal until then, yeah.

Can the Prime Minister please

explain how it's possible

to have a meaningful vote

on something that's

already taken place?

As the honourable gentleman knows,

we're in negotiations

with the European Union, but I am

confident that the timetable under

the Lisbon Treaty does give time

until March 2019

for the negotiations to take place.

But I'm confident, because it is in

the interests of both sides,

it's not just this Parliament that

wants to have a vote on that deal,

but actually there will be

ratification by other parliaments,

that we will be able to achieve that

agreement and that negotiation

in time for this Parliament

to have a vote that we committed to.

We are working to reach

an agreement on the final deal

in good time before we leave

the European Union in March 2019.

Clearly, we cannot say

for certain at this stage

when this will be agreed.

But as Michel Barnier said,

he hopes to get a draft deal

agreed by October 2018,

and that's our aim is well.

agreed by October 2018,

and that's our aim as well.

I'm joined now by the former

Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary

Benn, who is the chair

of the Commons Brexit Committee,

which David Davis was

giving evidence to.

Good morning.

When you think a

parliamentary vote should take place

in order for it to be meaningful?

It

has to be before we leave the

European Union. Michel Barnier said

at the start of the negotiations

that he wants to wrap them up by

October of next year, so we have

only got 12 months left, the clock

is ticking and there is a huge

amount of ground to cover.

You do

not think there is any point in

having the vote the week before we

leave because you could then not go

and re-negotiate?

That would not be

acceptable. We will not be given a

bit of paper and told to take it or

leave it. But the following day

Steve Baker, also a minister in the

department, told our committee that

the government now accepts that in

order to implement transitional

arrangements that it is seeking, it

will need separate legislation. I

put the question to him if you are

going to need separate legislation

to do that, why don't you have a

separate bill to implement the

withdrawal agreement rather than

seeking to use the powers the

government is proposing to take in

the EU withdrawal bill.

If we stick

to the timing, you have said you do

not think it is possible to

negotiate a trade deal in the next

12 months. You say the only people

who think that is possible British

ministers. If you do not believe we

can get a deal negotiated, how can

we get a vote on it in 12 months'

time?

If things go well, and there

is still a risk of no agreement

which would be disastrous for the

economy and the country, if

things go there will be a deal on

the divorce issues, there will be a

deal on the nature of the

transitional arrangement and the

government is to set out how it

thinks that will work, and then an

agreement between the UK and the 27

member states saying, we will now

negotiate a new trade and market

access arrangement, and new

association agreement between the

two parties, and that will be done

in the transition period. Parliament

will be voting in those

circumstances on a deal which leads

to the door being open.

But we would

be outside the EU at that point, so

how meaningful can vote be where you

take it or leave it if we have

already left the EU? Surely this has

to happen before March 2019 for it

to make a difference?

I do not think

it is possible to negotiate all of

the issues that will need to be

covered in the time available.

Then

it is not possible to have a

meaningful vote on it?

Parliament

will have to have a look at the deal

presented to it. It is likely to be

a mix agreement so the approval

process in the rest of Europe,

unlike the Article 50 agreement,

which will be a majority vote in the

European Parliament and in the

British Parliament, every single

Parliament will have a vote on it,

so it will be a more complex process

anyway, but I do not think that is

the time to get all of that sorted

between now and October next year.

Whether it is before or after we

have left the EU, the government

have said it is a take it or leave

it option and it is the Noel Edmonds

option, deal or no Deal, you say yes

or no to it. You cannot send them

back to re-negotiate.

If it is a separate piece of

legislation, when Parliament has a

chance to shape the nature of that

legislation.

But it can't change

what has been negotiated with the

EU?

Well, you could say to the

government, we're happy with this

but was not happy about that chukka

here's some fresh instructions, go

back in and...

It seems to me what

they want is the maximum access to

the single market for the lowest

possible tariffs, whilst able to

control migration. If they've got to

get the best deal that they can on

that, how on earth is the Labour

Party, saying we want a bit more,

owing to persuade the other 27?

We

certainly don't want the lowest

possible tariffs, we want no tariffs

are taught. My personal view is

that, has made a profound mistake in

deciding that it wants to leave the

customs union. If you want to help

deal with the very serious question

of the border between Northern

Ireland and the Republic of Ireland,

the way you do that is to stay in

the customs union and I hope, will

change its mind.

But the Labour

Party is simply saying in the House

of Commons, we want a better deal

than what, has been able to get?

It

depends how the negotiations unfold.

, has ended up on the transitional

arrangements in the place that Keir

Starmer set out on behalf of the

shadow cabinet in August, when he

said, we will need to stay in the

single market and the customs union

for the duration of the transition,

and I think that is the position,

has now reached. It has not been

helped by differences of view within

the Cabinet, and a lot of time has

passed and there's proved time left

and we have not even got on to the

negotiations. -- there's very little

time left.

On phase two, the labour

Party have set out six clear tests,

and two of them are crucial. You say

you want the exact same benefits we

currently have in the customs union

but you also want to be able to

ensure the fair migration to control

immigration, basically, which does

sound a bit like having your cake

and eating it. You say that you will

vote against any deal that doesn't

give you all of that, the exact same

benefits of the single market, and

allowing you to control migration.

But you say no deal would be

catastrophic if so it seems to me

you're unlikely to get the deal that

you could vote for but you don't

want to vote for no deal?

We

absolutely don't want a no deal.

Businesses have sent a letter to the

Prime Minister saying that a

transition is essential because the

possibility of a no deal and no

transitional would be very damaging

for the economy. We fought the

general election on a policy of

seeking to retain the benefits of

the single market and the customs

union. Keir Starmer said on behalf

of the shadow government that as far

as the longer term arrangements are

concerned, that should leave all

options on the table, because it is

the end that you're trying to

achieve and you then find the means

to support it. So we're setting out

very clearly those tests.

If you

were to vote down an agreement

because it did not meet your tests,

and there was time to send, back to

the EU to get a better deal, then

you would have significantly

weakened their negotiating hand

chukka that doesn't help them?

I

don't think, has deployed its

negotiating hand very strongly thus

far. Because we had a general

election which meant that we lost

time that we would have used for

negotiating. We still don't know

what kind of long-term trade and

market access deal, wants. The Prime

Minister says, I don't want a deal

like Canada and I don't want a deal

like the European Economic Area. But

we still don't know what kind of

deal they want. With about 12 months

to go, the other thing, needs to do

is to set out very clearly above all

for the benefit of the other 27

European countries, what kind of

deal it wants. When I travel to

Europe and talk to those involved in

the negotiations, you see other

leaders saying, we don't actually

know what Britain wants. With a year

to go it is about time we made that

clear.

One related question on the

European Union - you spoke in your

famous speech in Syria about the

international brigades in Spain, and

I wonder if your solidarity with

them leads you to think that the UK

Government should be recognising

Catalonia is an independent state?

No, I don't think so. It is a very

difficult and potentially dangerous

situation in Catalonia at the

moment. Direct rule from Madrid is

not a long-term solution. There

needs to be a negotiation, and

elections will give Catalonia the

chance to take that decision, but I

am not clear what the declaration of

independence actually means. Are

they going to be borders, is they're

going to be an army? There will have

to be some agreement. Catalonia has

already had a high degree of

autonomy. It may like some more, and

it seems to me if you look at the

experience here in the United

Kingdom, that is the way to go, not

a constitutional stand-off. And I

really hope nobody is charged with

rebellion, because actually that

would make matters worse.

Now, the Government has this

week reopened the public

consultation on plans for a third

runway at Heathrow.

While ministers are clear

the £18 billion project

is still the preferred option,

new data raises further questions

about the environmental

impact of expansion,

and offers an improved

economic case for a second

runway at Gatwick instead.

So, with opponents on all sides

of the Commons, does the Government

still have the votes to get

the plans off the ground?

Here's Elizabeth Glinka.

The debate over the expansion

of Heathrow has been

going on for decades.

Plans for a third runway

were first introduced

by the Labour government in 2003.

Then, after spending millions

of pounds, finally, in 2015,

the airport commission recommended

that those plans go ahead,

and the government position

appeared to be fixed.

But, of course, since then,

we've had a general election.

The Government have lost

their Commons majority.

And with opposition on both front

benches, the Parliamentary

arithmetic looks a little bit up

in the air.

A lot has changed since the airport

commission produced its report,

and that don't forget

was the bedrock for the Government's

decision, that's why the government

supposedly made the decision

that it made.

But most of the assumptions

made in that report have

been undermined since,

by data on passenger numbers,

on economic benefits, and more

than anything, on pollution.

There's demand from international

carriers to get into Heathrow.

More and more people want to fly.

And after the referendum,

connectivity post-Brexit

is going to be absolutely critical

to the UK economy, so if anything,

I think the case is stronger

for expansion at Heathrow.

A vote on expansion had been due

to take place this summer.

But with Westminster somewhat

distracted, that didn't happen.

Now, fresh data means

the Government has had to reopen

the public consultation.

But it maintains the case

for Heathrow is as strong as ever,

delivering benefits of up

to £74 billion to the wider economy.

And in any case, the Government

says, action must be taken,

as all five of London's airports

will be completely

full by the mid-2030s.

Still, the new research does cast

an alternative expansion at Gatwick

in a more favourable economic light,

while showing Heathrow

is now less likely to meet

its environmental targets.

Campaigners like these in Hounslow

sense the wind is shifting.

We're feeling encouraged,

because we see all kinds

of weaknesses in the argument.

Certainly, quite a few MPs,

I think certainly Labour MPs,

are beginning to think perhaps it's

not such a great idea

to have a third runway.

Their MP is convinced colleagues

can now be persuaded

to see things their way.

The Labour Party quite

rightly set four key tests

for a third runway at Heathrow.

And in my view,

Heathrow is not able...

The Heathrow option is not able

to pass any of those.

So, I see a lot of colleagues

in the Labour Party around

the country beginning

to think twice.

And if you look at the cross-party

MPs supportin this anti-Heathrow

And if you look at the cross-party

MPs supporting this anti-Heathrow

protest this week, you will see

some familiar faces.

You know my position -

as the constituency MP,

I'm totally opposed.

I think this is another indication

of just the difficulties

the Government have got off

of implementing this policy.

I don't think it's going to happen,

I just don't think

it's going to happen.

So, if some on the Labour

front bench are, shall

we say, not supportive,

what about the other side?

In a free vote, we could have had up

to 60 Conservative MPs

voting against expansion,

that's the number that is normally

used and I think it's right.

In the circumstances where it

requires an active rebellion,

the numbers would be fewer.

I can't tell you what that

number is, but I can tell

you that there are people right

the way through the party,

from the backbenches

to the heart of the government,

who will vote against

Heathrow expansion.

And yet the SNP, whose Commons

votes could prove vital,

are behind the Heathrow plan,

which promises more

connecting flights.

And other supporters are convinced

they have the numbers.

There is a majority of members

of Parliament that support Heathrow

expansion, and when that is put

to the test, whenever that will be,

I think that will be

clearly demonstrated.

Any vote on this issue

won't come until next summer.

For both sides, yet more time

to argue about weather

the plans should take off

or be permanently grounded.

Elizabeth Glinka there.

And I'm joined now by the former

Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers,

who oversaw aviation policy

as a transport minister

under David Cameron.

Thanks for coming in. You have made

your opposition to a third runway at

Heathrow consistently clear. , have

reopened this consultation but it is

still clearly their preferred

option?

It is but what I have always

asked is, why try to build a new

runway at Heathrow when you can

build one at Gatwick in half the

time, for half the cost and with a

tiny fraction of the environment

will cost average is that true,

though? Private finance is already

to go at Heathrow, because that's

where people want to do it and

that's where the private backers

want to put it. It would take much

longer to get the private finance

for Gatwick? Part of that private

finance is passengers of the future,

but also, the costs of the surface

transport needed to expand Heathrow

is phenomenal. I mean, TfL estimates

vary between £10 billion and £15

billion. And there's no suggestion

that those private backers are going

to meet those costs. So, this is a

hugely expensive project as well as

one which will create very

significant damage.

Heathrow is

ultimately where passengers and

airlines want to go to, isn't it?

Every slot is practically full.

Every time a new one comes up, it is

up immediately, it's a very popular

airport. Gatwick is not where they

want to go?

There are many airlines

and passengers who do want to fly

from Gatwick, and all the forecasts

indicate that a new runway there

would be full of planes very

rapidly. But I think the key thing

is that successive elements have

said, technology will deliver a way

to resolve the around noise and air

quality. I don't have any confidence

that science has demonstrated that

technology will deliver those

solutions to these very serious

environmental limbs which have

stopped Heathrow expansion for

decades.

Jim Fitzpatrick in the film

was mentioning that people think

there is a need for even more

collectivity in Britain post-Brexit.

We know that business has been

crying out for more routes, they

really think it hurts business

expansion that we don't get on with

this. More consultation is just

going to lead to more delay, isn't

it?

This is a hugely controversial

decision. There is a reason why

people have been talking about

expanding Heathrow for 50 years and

it is never happened, it's because

it's a bad idea. So, inevitably the

legal processes are very complex.

One of my anxieties about, pursuing

this option is that potentially it

means another lost decade for

airport expansion. Because the

problems with Heathrow expansion are

so serious, I believe that's one of

the reasons why I advocated, anyone

who wants a new runway in the

south-east should be backing Gatwick

is a much more deliverable option.

Let me move on to Brexit. We were

talking with Hilary Benn about a

meaningful vote being given to the

House of Commons chukka how

important do you think that is?

Of

course the Commons will vote on

this. The Commons is going to vote

on this many, many times. We have

also had a hugely important vote not

only in the referendum on the 23rd

of June but also on Article 50.

But

will that vote allow any changes to

it? Hilary Benn seemed to think that

the Commons would be able to shape

the deal with the vote. But actually

is it going to be, saying, take it

or leave it at all what we have

negotiated?

Our Prime Minister

negotiates on our behalf

internationally. It's

well-established precedent that

after an agreement is reached

overseas, then it is considered in

the House of Commons.

What if it was

voted down in the House of Commons?

Well, the legal effect of that would

be that we left the European Union

without any kind of deal, because

the key decision was on the voting

of Article 50 as an irreversible

decision.

Is it irreversible,

though? We understand, may have had

legal advice saying that Yukon

stopped the clock on Article 50.

Would it not be possible if the

Commons voted against to ask the

European Union for a little bit more

time to try and renegotiate?

There

is a debate about the reversibility

of Article 50. But the key point is

that we are all working for a good

deal for the United Kingdom and the

I'm concerned that some of the

amendments to the legislation are

not about the nature of the deal at

the end of the process, they're just

about frustrating the process. I

think that would be wrong. I think

we should respect the result of the

referendum.

Will it be by next

summer, so there is time for

Parliament and for other

parliaments?

I certainly hope that

we get that agreement between the

two sides, and the recent European

summit seemed to indicate a

willingness from the European side

to be constructive. But one point

where I think Hilary Benn has a

point, if we do secure agreement on

a transitional deal, that does

potentially give us more time to

work on the details of a trade

agreement. I hope we get as much as

possible in place before exit day.

But filling out some of that detail

is made easier if we can secure that

two-year transitional deal.

That is interesting because a lot of

Brexiteers what the deal to be done

by the inflammation period, it is

not a time for that.

I fully

recognise we need compromise, I am

keen to work with people across my

party in terms of spectrum of

opinion, and with other parties as

well to ensure we get the best

outcome.

Let me ask you briefly

before you go about the possible

culture of sexual harassment in the

House of commons and Theresa May

will write to the Speaker of the

House of Commons to make sure there

is a better way that people can

report sexual harassment in the

House of commons. Is that necessary?

A better procedure is needed. It is

sad it has taken this controversy to

push this forward. But there is a

problem with MPs who are individual

employers. If you work for an MP and

have a complaint against them,

essentially they are overseeing

their own complaints process. I

think a role for the House of

commons authorities in ensuring that

those complaints are properly dealt

with I think would be very helpful,

so I think the Prime Minister's

letter was a sensible move.

So you

think there is a culture of sexual

harassment in the House of commons?

I have not been subjected to it or

seen evidence of it, but obviously

there is anxiety and allegations

have made their way into the papers

and they should be treated

appropriately and properly

investigated.

Thank you for talking

to us.

Thank you for talking to us.

Next week the Lord Speaker's

committee publishes its final report

into reducing the size

of the House of Lords.

With over 800 members the upper

house is the second largest

legislative chamber in the world

after the National People's

Congress of China.

The report is expected to recommend

that new peerages should be

time-limited to 15 years and that

in the future political peerage

appointments will also be tied

to a party's election performance.

The government has been under

pressure to take action to cut

members of the unelected chamber,

where they are entitled

to claim an attendance

allowance of £300 a day.

And once again these expenses

have been in the news.

The Electoral Reform Society

discovered that 16 peers had claimed

around £400,000 without speaking

in any debates or submitting any

questions for an entire year.

One of the Lords to be

criticised was Digby Jones,

the crossbencher and former trade

minister, he hasn't spoken

in the Lords since April 2016

and has voted only seven times

during 2016 and 2017.

Yet he has claimed around

£15,000 in this period.

When asked what he does

in the House he said,

"I go in and I will invite for lunch

or meet with inward

investors into the country.

I fly the flag for Britain."

Well, we can speak now

to Lord Jones who joins us

from Stratford Upon Avon.

Thank you very much for talking to

us. You provide value for money in

the House of Lords do you think?

Definitely. I am, by the way, very

keen on reform. I want to see that

15 year tide. I would like to see a

time limit, an age limit of 75 or

80. I would like attendants

definitely define so the whole

public understood what people are

paying for and why. The £300, as a

crossbencher I get no support, and

nor do I want any, speech writing,

secretarial assistance, none of

that, and the £300 goes towards

that.

Whilst you are in there

because we will talk about the

reform of the Lords in general, but

in terms of you yourself, you say

you invite people in for lunch, is

it not possible for you to take part

in debates and votes and ask

questions at the same time?

Have you

ever listened to a debate in the

laws? Yes, many times.

Yes, many

times. You have to put your name

down in advance and you have to be

there for the whole debate.

You have

to be around when the vote is called

and you do not know when the book is

called, you have no idea when the

boat is going to be called.

This is

part of being a member of the House

of Lords and what it means. If you

are not prepared to wait or take

part in debates, why do you want to

be a member? It is possible to

resign from the House of Lords.

There are many things members of the

Lords do that does not relate to

parrot fashion following somebody

else, which I refuse to do, about

speaking to an empty chamber, or

indeed hanging on sometimes for

hours to vote. There are many other

things that you do. You quote me as

saying I will entertain at lunchtime

or show people around the House,

everything from schoolchildren to

inward investors. I will meet

ministers about big business issues

or educational issues, and at the

same time I will meet other members

of the Lords to get things moving.

None of that relates to going into

the House and getting on your hind

legs, although I do go in and sit

there and learn and listen to

others, which, if more people would

receive and not transmit, we might

get a better informed society. At

the same time many times I will go

after I have listened and I am

leaving and if I have not heard the

debate, I will not vote.

Voting is

an essential part of being part of a

legislative chamber. This is not

just an executive committee, it is a

legislature, surpassing that law is

essential, is it not?

Do you really

believe that an MP or a member of

the Lords who has not heard a moment

of the debate, who is then listening

to the Bell, walks in and does not

know which lobby, the whips tell

him, they have not heard the debate

and they do not know what they are

voting on and they go and do it?

That is your democracy? Voting seems

to be an essential part of this

chamber, and you have your ideas

about reforming the chamber. It

sounds as though you would reform

yourself out of it. You say people

who are not voting and who are not

taking part in debate should no

longer be members of the House.

I

did not say that. I said we ought to

redefine what attendance means and

then if you do not attend on the new

criteria, you do not have to come

ever again, we will give you your

wish. I agree attendance might mean

unless you speak, you are going.

Fair enough, if that is what is

agreed, yes. Sometimes I would speak

and sometimes I would not. If I did

not, then off I go. Similarly after

15 years, off you go. If you reach

75 or 80, off you go. Why do we have

92 members who are only there

because of daddy.

You are talking

about hereditary peers. You would

like to reduce the House to what

kind of number?

I would get it down

to 400.

You would get rid of half

the peers there at the moment? You

think you are active enough to

remain as one of the 400?

No, I said

that might well include me. Let's

get a set of criteria, let's push it

through, because the laws is losing

respect in the whole of the country

because there are too many and all

these things about what people pay

for. I bet most people think the

money you get is paid. It is not, it

is re-funding for all the things you

have to pay for yourself. But I

understand how respect has been lost

in society. Let's change it now.

Let's get it through and then, yes,

if you do not meet the criteria, you

have got to go and that includes me.

Lloyd Jones, thank you for talking

to us.

Lloyd Jones, thank

you for talking to us.

It's coming up to 11.40,

you're watching the Sunday Politics.

Coming up on the programme,

we'll be talking to the former

business minister and Conservative

MP Anna Soubry about the Brexit

negotiations and claims of sexual

harassment in Parliament.

Hello, welcome to the Sunday

Politics in the Midlands.

From the heartlands of British

industry, we have the results

of our own Brexit survey.

Positive or negative -

which camp are our local

business leaders in?

We've asked nearly 700

of them as the clock ticks

down towards Brexit day.

It's political uncertanty they hate

the most, so I'll be talking to two

of the politicians at the sharp end

of all this - Khalid Mahmood,

Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr

and Shadow Minister for Europe.

And Mark Garnier, Conservative MP

for Wyre Forest, the globe-trotting

International Trade Minister who's

drumming up business for Britain

around the soon-to-be

post-Brexit World.

Good to have you both with us today.

But we begin with a call

for a Government whip to resign

or be sacked for writing a letter

condemned by university

leaders as "McCarthyism".

Vice chancellors, including the head

of Worcester University, received

the letter from the Conservative

arch-Brexiteer Chris

Heaton-Harris, MP for Daventry.

He asked the university chiefs

to explain what they are teaching

their students about Brexit,

to detail the content

of their lectures and to list

the names of their teachers.

When I read this letter,

a chill went down my spine

because I realised immediately

that this was a sinister letter

aimed at compromising academic

freedom and the liberties

of the British people.

I am absolutely certain

that the purpose of this list,

if he could compile one,

would be to publish the guilty

people who are responsible in some

way or another for influencing young

people to think in a way which he

himself does not approve of.

The Vice Chancellor of your local

university in Worcester, Mark. He

wants Mr Heaton-Harris to go. What

would you say to him?

I have known

David for a long time. Chris and

David. Chris Heaton-Harris is a

friend. I have worked hard with him

on projects previously. If he was a

swivel-eyed, lunatic Brexiteer, I

would think there was something

menacing about this. But he is very

pragmatic and I like him very much.

There is no question of McCarthyism.

You just try to get an idea of what

is going on.

You would see why

people feel that it smacks of

McCarthyism. There is an implication

that listing names looks

uncomfortably like compiling a

dossier of names.

I agree. It does

not look good. Having read the

letter, it looks like just a rather

sort of sloppily crafted letter,

rather than something which is

creating a list...

Should Mr

Heaton-Harris go?

He should consider

what he has written.

He should go?

He should consider his position

because it does smell of that. If

the Education Department was this

the lecturers need to look at what

they are delivering and how they do

that, that is different. How balance

the reading and teaching is. To name

people is a huge problem. The right

that sort of document to academics

is unforgivable.

Maybe he also has

an mind that according to a YouGov

survey, something like 80% of

lecturers in universities voted to

remain in the EU. Maybe there is a

point, giving universities take a

lot of public money.

They get over

60% from Europe. I do not think

their integrity would be challenged

in this way. Most of these people

spend their life... They respect the

freedom they have and that is what

universities are about.

Thank you.

Perhaps the sincerest commentary

on the pros and cons of Brexit comes

from the people with skin

in the game - the thousands

of companies here in Britain's

industrial heartlands.

We're told business hates

uncertainty, but it hates

uncertainty about Brexit most

of all, according to our own

Sunday Politics survey

of nearly 700 local firms.

Our Hereford and Worcester political

reporter, James Pearson,

has been asking those company bosses

why they responded as they did.

Steeling themselves

for a surge in sales.

While these handmade,

high-spec caravans are British

built, many are destined

for foreign fields.

Since last year's referendum,

Worcestershire?based manufacturers

Rocket Caravans have

seen their exports take off.

Since Brexit, turnover has increased

I would say between 20 and 25%.

As a direct result of the value

of the pound dropping.

We have seen this particularly

with our Australian distributor,

who has taken about six units

a year from us.

In the last 12 months,

they have taken 15 from us.

So, that has made a massive

difference to that market.

Rocket Caravans are feeling

upbeat about Brexit.

But it seems they

are in the minority.

In our survey, only 16%

of manufacturers here

in Herefordshire and Worcestershire

say Brexit has had a positive

impact on their business.

Nearly half say that the effect has

been neutral so far,

while more than a third say that it

has had a negative impact.

Outdoors outfitters Olpro

fall into that camp.

Owner Dan Walton was in the Remain

tent during the referendum.

Conversations with customers

since have left him worried

at being left in the cold by clients

on the continent.

Our main export market is Germany

and our main wholesaler there has

already delayed making decisions

on whether they will do new lines

from us or whether they go

to European suppliers instead.

So already for us,

it is having an effect.

It's a picture repeated

across the region.

In the survey we carried out

in association with local

Chambers of Commerce,

of the 689 businesses that took

part, 26% reported a negative impact

since the Brexit vote,

with just 11% reporting

a positive one.

By far the largest number ? 63% -

said that so far the effect

on their business had been

a neutral one.

Food for thought for one

of those ministers involved

in getting a Brexit deal.

We are entering these negotiations

with a constructive approach,

looking to achieve a comprehensive

deal between the UK and

the European Union on these fronts,

and we think that's something that

should be in the interest

of all sides.

It is in the interest of UK

businesses but also to the European

supply chains and European

businesses with whom

we're interacting.

With talks on the UK's future

relationship with the EU

still months away from starting,

those representing businesses say

many can't wait long for certainty.

Businesses are trying to remain

positive and they do not like to be

frightened off by any particular

terms, like saying businesses

are going to ruin their chances

because they are very positive

about their future and growth.

But businesses are definitely

being affected by Brexit

and we will be seeing more and more

of that as we get

closer to spring 2019.

With Brexit talks bogged down

on that all-important Brexit Bill,

businesses may have to wait months

longer for the politicians to hammer

out a future trade deal.

James Pearson compiled that survey

with the help of the Chambers

of Commerce in Herefordshire

and Worcestershire,

Coventry and Warwickshire,

the Black Country and Shropshire.

And we're also joined here today

by the Ukip MEP, Jim Carver.

Until recently, he was his party's

Foreign and Commonwealth spokesman.

Now he's their Assistant

Deputy Leader.

Jim, much more negativity than

positivity out there apparently.

What would you say to them?

It

depends who you ask. I get a lot of

positivity. Yesterday, the

Worcestershire Grove barometer

released figures showing the top 50

medium-sized companies in

Worcestershire have seen an amazing

growth. 2.4 billion in extra revenue

now asked three-year. In Wyre

Forest, when I have my constituency,

we have seen a 50% increase in

employment in those companies.

What

would you say to Daniel Walton, the

camping equipment supplier, who says

that his customers in Germany and

elsewhere in Europe quite logically,

they would look to suppliers

elsewhere in the EU rather than to

him, to cut out the uncertainty

altogether?

With the pound dropping,

it is finding a true value. It was

completely overvalued and it has

come down in price, better for

exporters. I do business overseas. I

heard it is great for export. What

you have to look at is

competitiveness for your product.

Rocket Caravans have, with a bespoke

product that has become far more

attractive.

Let me suggest to you

that it is the increasing

possibility of the no deal outcome

that is really splitting them. I

have seems figures from the London

School of Economics which suggests

Birmingham's economy could suffer by

£7 billion a year with a dual

outcome and the economy of the city

could be hit down by 5.5 billion a

year.

I don't buy that. As an MEP,

what we here in the European

Parliament, I am having discussions

with MEPs, people in the commission,

European Commission also --

officials. We have a huge trade

deficit with the European Union. And

the elephant in the room is not even

been discussed. When we leave the

European Union in 2019, what you

will find, Patrick, is that when we

go to the WTO, if we do not have a

deal, a figure of around 80%...

No-one is discussed this at

Westminster at all. No-one has

discussed the fact that 80% of the

Tavis that could be introduced under

WTO rules will have to be paid by

the member states directly to the

commission. It is actually

commission's interest to go away and

have an ordeal.

Is Jim Wright?

Bearing in mind that there have been

also some reasons from David Davis

and Theresa May is a -- in last few

days that this uncertainty could

last a lot longer beyond March 2019.

Potentially, yes. But as was said in

that piece, what we're trying to

achieve something that businesses

essentially feels very similar to

what we have at the moment. A carrot

in the EU. Customs free as well.

Going back to the tent seller. What

is interesting is if the customers

in Germany and looking round, what

they are actually doing is paying

15% more for the product than they

would otherwise be paying if they

continue to buy from him. The

question which comes back to this...

This is where we need to unravel the

knot, because sterling is down 50%

and is probably where it should be,

I am not sure what the tariffs are

on Kent but the trade weight tariff

for the whole of the UK trade with

the EU in 2015 was 2.9%. For the

economy as a whole, it is actually

now seeing a 13%... We are now 13%

cheaper for the European Union and

before -- than before.

Tavis can be

negotiated.

They are heading down.

Labour's position is constructive

ambiguity. You have one eye on the

Remains aborting younger voters and

your other eye on the other people

who voted to leave the EU.

We are

committed to exiting the European

Union. We want good terms for the

transition deal. With Xbox we're

doing at the moment, we have to

remember the pound is low. We still

have the agreements with Europe

under current Tavis. -- tariffs. But

there is ambiguity at the moment for

the company is, particularly

financial pharmaceuticals, and some

of the big research and development

companies moving to Europe to seek

stability. Unless we provide

stability post Brexit, they cannot

plan.

That is precisely why I

argued... The very next day I was in

parliament after the referendum, I

argued that we should be actually

instigating Article 50 immediately.

Waiting a year has created so much

uncertainty.

I was hoping to tell

you how important carmaking industry

is in this part of the world. The

boss of JL are is worried about

access to the European Union. We

know that car manufacturers are

going to be seeing Theresa May next

week about their anxieties over

this. Guess what, we can see

year-on-year decreases in castles

for the first month running. What

would you say to them?

I would say

that we are buying far more

personal, citron, Renault etc from

the European Union... Sorry, if I

can finish. We are buying these

great quality cars from Germany

because we like them and as consumer

lead. But a lot of the components

are made in the UK because of

British quality.

We are producing 2

million cars, probably more than at

any other time. A lot of components

from those cars are coming from

Europe. That is the problem at the

moment. They have to balance how

they deal with that. The trade

tariffs on that do not increase

value.

We have a lot of the supply

chain in the automotive industry in

the UK. Panesar 10% on the auto

sector. That is significant. # trade

tariffs are 10%. Sometimes we need

to remember that the likes of five

series BMWs are made in America...

I

would love to go on with this but we

must call a halt. Particular franks

to you, Jim Carver, for being with

us today. -- thanks.

Coming soon to a town

near you, Universal Credit.

It's supposed to simplify things

by rolling six benefits into one

payment and to make work pay

because people won't be penalised

for doing extra hours.

The principle behind it is even

supported by the Opposition.

So what's not to like?

Plenty, apparently.

A succession of local MPs took part

in an emergency Commons debate,

and as Kathryn Stanczyszyn explains,

Labour want the roll-out

put on hold.

Universal Credit will arrive at job

centres in six areas of the Midlands

in the run-up to Christmas,

including parts of

Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

But one Labour MP pleaded

with the Government to put

those plans on hold.

Mr Speaker, disaster looms for tens

of thousands of Birmingham citizens.

Come and listen to some

of the heartbreaking cases.

People in tears in our constituency

offices, saying, what are we going

to do over Christmas? Hear

first-hand the real-life experience

of the consequences of your actions.

Have you no heart? Pause Universal

Credit and then get it right.

Labour supports the principal

of Univeral Credit but say the way

it's being implemented is causing

financial hardship, including a rise

in referrals to food banks.

These six-week waiting period is

wishing claimants further into debt.

-- pushing. With some facing further

delays. If they have gone blockaded

circumstances, this forces claimants

to borrow money, rely on food banks

and face eviction whilst waiting for

their first payment.

Conservative backbenchers rallied

to the Government cause,

saying Universal Credit had replaced

a dyfunctional system and,

where it's operating, it is working.

Evidence shows that Universal Credit

is helping people into work faster

and helping them into work and

staying there longer.

With Herefordshire, Shropshire,

Walsall and Coventry all due to get

Universal Credit in the early part

of next year, it's a policy

the Government must get

right if it isn't to risk

a backlash from voters.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn reporting.

And the all-party Work

and Pensions Select Committee has

supported those calls for a pause

in the roll-out of Universal Credit.

They say the six-week wait before

claimants receive their first

payments are causing

"acute financial difficulty".

Mark Garnier, how much pressure does

it take before your Government does

actually concede the point of

pausing this, having a heart?

That

is up to the Work and Pensions

Secretary. But what was missing in

this piece was the fact that there

are loans available to people. 50%

in the first month. It is VP of over

a nine-month period. The question we

have to ask is, talking to the

Citizens Advice bureau in Wyre

Forest, we have been dragged to find

out what is going on and we have not

seen the overwhelming numbers of

people coming through at having

troubles over this.

But a quarter

having delays of even more than six

weeks. It seems worse.

Look, I

agree. I would not want to shock

that point at all. What we are

trying to do is mimic with this

employment. People are employed on a

monthly basis. We want to copy that

as much as we can. If it does not

work like that, there is a

legitimate argument against this.

The way it has been ruled out, it

has not been compiling all doubt

until 2022, but that will iron out

these problems so we can deal with

them.

And the key point, as was

mentioned, is getting people into

work more quickly. That has to be a

central argument.

It is. Firstly,

the Government has conceded only 55p

phone lines and frankly have --

thankfully have listened. But we

want a pause because of people in

circumstances, especially with

private landlords, who are serving

notices on them. It is very

difficult for them. But what we are

asking for is, let's have a pause,

sees the policies have succeeded,

and what better to support the

people. Iain Duncan Smith says we

should look at it as well.

We saw a

roll-out of this in areas where

there was an increase in

homelessness and use of food banks.

That suggests genuine hardship.

There is. We saw some crazy numbers

coming out in Gloucester. It turned

out that there were eight people

instead of 600 people that were

suggested being made homeless by

this. But I do concede this is not

without fault. We need to make sure

the system is at fault of the

limitation of the system. It is to

separate elements.

A sensible

approach. We want to look at it,

that is what we want to do.

Let's catch up with the rest

of the political developments making

the news here over the past week.

Our round-up in 60 seconds is

brought to us today by Sarah Bishop.

Hereford is to get a university.

The Government is giving £15 million

to the new institution.

Lack of security cameras

inside Birmingham Prison meant

last December's riots

spread more quickly.

That's the conclusion of a report

by the Independent Monitoring Board.

At PMQs, a Warwickshire MP led

the praise of the emergency services

after a peaceful end to an alleged

firearms incident last

Sunday in Nuneaton.

Will she join me and the honourable

member for Nuneaton

in praising the excellent work

of Warwickshire Police

and West Midlands Ambulance Services

in ensuring the situation

was brought to a swift conclusion

without any casualties?

The Chief Constables of West

Midlands and Staffordshire Police

told the Home Affairs Committee that

a rise in crime, combined

with frozen budgets,

has left their forces struggling

to tackle crime.

And Channel 4 boss David Abraham has

condemned a Tory manifesto pledge

to move Channel 4 out of London.

He told MPs on the Culture Committee

it was "irresponsible".

Mr Abraham was particularly unhappy

public money had been spent

by cities vying for Channel 4.

The West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

has hosted a Westminster reception

in support of Birmingham's campaign.

Stoke also wants

to host the channel.

Obviously, Mr Abraham feels this is

another Tory manifesto commitment

that is not worth the paper it is

printed on. It is going to be

junked, like so much else.

Moving

Channel 4 at a London? I hope not.

It would be fantastic to go to

Birmingham. Good on Andy Street

forgetting up there. Right behind

it.

I think Mr Abraham needs to get

out of central London, look around

the country and see...

Coventry has

also expressed an interest as well.

It is not a formal process. It is

not like one of these conventional

beauty contests, in a way. It is a

bit of an open-ended piece of

string, isn't it?

Potentially, yes.

But I think we would be happy to

work on a cross-party basis to get

it to Birmingham or the West

Midlands.

What would it bring to the

West Midlands as a region?

A huge

amount of resources. Therefore trade

for hotels, restaurants and things

like that. Allowing people in those

industries to join in Birmingham.

Absolutely. It was on this show a

few years ago, we were talking about

empty floors on this building. Now

the BBC has recognised the errors of

its ways and put more people you.

But Channel 4 do not want to leave

London...

We will drag him up here.

Screaming!

We will watch with

interest. My thanks to our guests.

Finally from me, it's

the "tug of war" that's

lasted four years already,

and still no sign of a result.

Should Acute Hospital services be

concentrated in Telford,

Shrewsbury, or both?

Next week, the Chief Executive

of the Shrewsbury and Telford

Hospital Trust will be

in the hot seat.

Simon Wright joins Jim Hawkins

on BBC Radio Shropshire from ten

o'clock on Thursday morning.

I'm not sure we

With that, it's back to Sarah.

Now, the much anticipated

EU Withdrawal Bill,

which will transfer EU law into UK

law in preparation for Brexit,

is expected to be debated

by MPs later next month.

Critics have called it a "power

grab" as it introduces so-called

Henry VIII powers for Whitehall

to amend some laws without

consulting parliament,

and it faces fierce resistance

from opposition parties

as well as many on the government's

own backbenches, with 300 amendments

and 54 new clauses tabled on it.

We're joined now by the Conservative

MP Anna Soubry who has been a strong

critic of the legislation.

Thank you very much for joining us.

Before we talk about the withdrawal

bill, I would like to bring up with

you that the Prime Minister has just

sent a letter to the Commons Speaker

John Bercow asking for an

independent body to be established

to investigate claims of sexual

harassment in Parliament. What are

your thoughts on that?

A very good

idea, sounds like a great deal of

common sense. I had already this

morning sent a request to the

speaker asking for an urgent

statement from the Leader of the

House as to what could now be done

to make sure that any complaints

actually against anybody working in

Parliament, to extend the

protections that workers throughout

the rest of businesses and in other

workplaces have, they should now be

extended into Parliament and asking

for an urgent statement from the

leader. Clearly the PM is well onto

this and it is a good idea. We have

to make sure everybody who works in

Parliament enjoys exactly the same

protections as other workers, so I

welcome this.

This should maybe have

happened a long time ago. We hear

stories of harassment that has been

going on for decades, but until now

it has been difficult to work out

who you could complain to about it.

It is my understanding that my Chief

Whip and the previous deputy Chief

Whip, and Milton, shared that view

and have shared that view for some

time but found it difficult to get

all the agreement necessary. Anyway,

we are where we are and we are

making that progress, but

my Chief Whip and the previous

deputy Chief Whip wanted this done

some time ago.

That is an

interesting point. Let's move on to

the much anticipated EU withdrawal

bill which will finally be debated.

You have put your name to an

amendment which is calling for a

vote on the final agreement in

essence, do you really believe that

that will be a meaningful both

offered to the Commons?

Yes, if you

look at the terms of the amendment,

it would deliver exactly that. It

would give members of Parliament the

opportunity to debated and voted on

it. It would be an effective piece

of legislation and would go through

both houses and should be done. One

of the problems with this process is

that Parliament has been excluded

from the sort of debate and

decisions that would have enabled

the government to move forward in

progress and form a consensus so we

get the very best Brexit deal.

We

have been excluded, that has been

wrong in my view, but by the end we

should not be excluded. The

government have made it clear that

whilst there may well be a boat if

you win on this amendment, it will

be a take it or leave it vote. This

is a deal you should accept, or

there will be no deal.

If you look

at the amendment we put forward

there will be other alternatives.

This is all hypothetical because we

want a good deal and it is difficult

to see that the government would not

bring a good deal to the House in

any event. But this is hypothetical,

it would mean Parliament would say

to government, go back and seek an

extension as we know it is there in

Article 50. It is perfectly possible

with the agreement of the other

members of the EU to seek an

extension so we continue the

negotiations and we get a deal that

is good for our country. It keeps

all options open and that is the

most important thing.

How many

Conservative MPs really would take

that option in those circumstances?

It is only if you get enough votes

that you would be able to ask the

government to go back and

re-negotiate.

Have you for that?

For give me, but

you are jumping way down the line. I

am talking about an amendment that

keeps the options open. I am not

speculating as to what would happen,

I am not going there, it is far too

speculative. Let's get this bill in

good shape. The principle of this

bill is right and we need to put

into British domestic law existing

EU laws and regulations into our

substantive law. We all agree that

must happen. It is the means by

which we do it that causes problems

and we have this argument and debate

about what we call the endgame.

I am

sure we will talk about this many

more times before we get to that

vote. I will turn to our panel of

political experts. Listening to the

tone of what the remainders are

trying to achieve with the EU

withdrawal bill, will be achieved?

You can hear that tussled there,

they want the maximum space and room

for Parliament to have a say. But

they have to be careful. The reason

is that clock is ticking and if you

have a situation which may seem to

be more interested in finding

different things to object to and

saying no to, it is not getting a

good deal and it does not look good

for the remainders in this argument

and they will have to come through

with their proposals. I do not mind

Parliament saying it should have a

big say, but what do you do if