29/04/2012 Sunday Politics West

David Cameron puts his Culture In the West: It's been a week of

resignations the Lib Dem leader of Bristol City Council stands down

just days before the crucial referendum on a city Mayor. Join me

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1683 seconds

Hello. Coming up in the West: There is to be another change at the top

of Bristol City Council. The shock resignation of Liberal Democrat --

Barbara Janke means they are searching for her yet another

leader. Welcome to a local election special. There is under one week of

campaigning to go and tell polling day. Then there is a meal

referendum in Bristol. -- Mayoral. I am joined by the politicians. The

Chief Constable of Gloucestershire has quit the saying he is unhappy

with changes in the police. Not least the plans for elected

commissioners will stop to leave on a point of principle is extremely

rare for such a senior officer. Joining as his a former Chief

Constable of Gloucestershire who is now considering standing for one of

the elected police chiefs in November. What do you make of this

resignation? It is unusual, as you say. I think he realises it will be

a very difficult time over the next few years. We have not seen the end

of the cuts yet. There are more to come. Whoever gets elected in the

autumn is likely to be representing a political party and they will be

under pressure to bring in local cut to policing as well. It is

going to be a very difficult time for whomever is Chief Constable.

Our other chief constables across the region are likely to follow

suit? I doubt that is going to happen. There are some vacancies

coming up already but I expect most people will be able to see it

through four or a year or two. He knew these things were in the

offing. They have been party policy since 2005 but parties have to get

elected. He certainly has known for at least seven months. If you had

been him would you have quit? over this issue, no. Where does

this leave your policy on elected commissioners? As you have just

mentioned this has been a party policy for seven years. In 2010 I

stood on a platform of elected police commissioners. I think it is

vitally important that the police can be held accountable to their

local communities. It has worked in New York and crime fell

dramatically. You do not seem to have won the argument with the

police themselves. I am not sure there are many people on the

streets walking up and demanding this change. The air is a case for

change. Where we have seen these elected police commissioners in

other countries the change has been fantastic. It will be the result

that the police commissioners actually deliver which will prove

their success. You are against this. If you are elected at the next

General Election would use grab it? It is difficult when you inherit a

situation to try to turn the clock back. Inflicting organisational

change on big public services is a difficult thing and it is a

question of priorities. You are right in saying we did opposed the

bill. My main fear as a Bristol MP is that someone who is elected for

the whole of Avon and Somerset will not have the interests of the city

at heart. There is a danger that an elected police commissioner could

very easily appealed to a populist vote. Unfree area as to claim that

Bristol gets all the police. Bristol probably has a very good

claim on policing. I think you have to see it as an overall package of

political reforms which are designed to put more power in the

hands of the people. We are collecting police commissioners and

giving people a choice of having apnoea it here in Bristol. We are

giving people reforms of the House of Lords as well. There is a whole

package of measures to empower people. That is not what is going

to happen with the police commissioner. This is nothing like

the New York model. These jobs are going to be principally filled by

party politicians. That is what is going to happen across the country.

It is not about more power to the people but more power to party

politicians. It is not just the chief constable who is packing it

in. The chief of the council is off to. She is against an elected mayor

but her resignation has given a boost to the Yes campaign. They

have said that after seven leaders in 10 years it makes their point

that the city needs a strong boss who will stay the course. Is this a

final political mistake from the reader in Bristol? I do not see it

like that at all. People have been given a chance here to vote on

whether they want a mayor or not. There is a strong case for having

the sort of dynamic political leadership that is provided by a

mayor. I think we can see that in London for example. The concerns

from the No campaigners is whether that takes too much power away from

the councillors. That is our great debate to be had. They are not

being imposed on anybody but people in Bristol will have a choice next

week. It is a worthy idea and the hope is that an array of talented

political leaders will come forward but the fear is that there will be

to get politicians, political celebrities and random chances

coming forward. We are giving people a say over how the city will

be done. But do you accept that is the case? That is why we are having

a referendum. If people believe what you say they can always bought

know. But if they want to revitalise their city and create a

bit of stability maybe they might want to have a charismatic figure

which is not a bad thing if they can go and bid for funding and put

Bristol on the map. I think there is always a danger that you will

get the popular characters. I would not want the kind of situation in

Doncaster or B Monkey they have in elsewhere. I think we meet

stability and continuity. I think the fact we have elections every

year so there is always a churn of councillors. I spent my preference

would have been to go for all-out elections for councillors to every

four years. I think that still needs to happen. I think an elected

mayor would be a shot in the arm but it depends on who we get for

the mayor. It is something we do not know until later. In Bristol

since the 70s we have had a succession of Labour

administrations up until recent times. We have seen Bristol fall

behind other major cities. I do not think Bristol punches its weight.

In cities such as Manchester there always seems to be massive change

and regeneration, a sense of dynamism. You should be singing

about Bristol at Westminster, shouldn't you? The Bristol City

stadium was a cross-party approach. We stood outside in College Green.

Why do we need a Mayor then? Aside from MPs at Westminster, we

represent our parties and a mayor will ensure that for a certain

period of time we will have a figurehead who, regardless of party

politics, will be able to stand there for Bristol. We will look

forward to it. Now on Thursday we will be having elections held

against the backdrop of the first double-dip recession in many years.

Our reporter has more. The bleak weather it suited the news on

Wednesday that we were officially back in recession. For the

opposition parties that is ammunition. Cutting too far too

fast has made a difficult situation worse. Jacques Stron knows the

national picture matters in local elections. This shows that the

Government's's economic policy is failing. They said it was a plan to

bring Britain back to a growing economy. It has not happened. One

major reason is the fall in construction. Here in Swindon we

can see exactly why this has happened. In Gloucester the Prime

Minister visited and tried to look on the bright side. This lens maker

is doing well but there is not enough of this success. He went on

to see another prospering West Country farm. I want to rebalance

this economy and have more of what we have right here, less reliance

on financial services and less reliance on one corner of the

country. The Government is engaged not only on a rescue mission but

balancing our economy to create worthwhile jobs for the future.

There was a similar approach by his coalition partner. He visited and

Engineering firm that is faring well. I'm very much hope that it is

recognised as a sincere but difficult attempt to clear up the

mess inherited by Labour. I hope people recognise that what Liberal

Democrats have been doing in Cheltenham, tirelessly now for over

two decades, is serving dead people of Cheltenham. Stroud is the best

place in the West for the Greens. The environment is a big issue here.

There is no visit yet from the party leader who is thinly

stretched trying to hold on to seats. We are certainly hoping to

make some increases. It is about consolidation as well. There are

some challenges ahead but we are doing really well, I great response

on the doorstep. I think people are genuinely disillusioned by the

other parties. In Swindon there are local important issues insists the

UK Independence Party. Visiting the site of a controversial new school

is their only councillor. Their cause is Europe which they see

matters at this level. People do not realise that the EU is in every

one of our lives today and especially in local Government.

it is not mentioned at the street politics at the town centre. With a

steady drizzle coming down it is impossible to escape the economic

climate. Let's talk about the economy. You are a clever guy, how

long will it take you to work out that the Government growth plan is

not working? I think you will find that if you look at the situation

we are in it has been two years since the General Election. At that

time we had a budget deficit of 12.5 %, bigger than Greece. We are

working on growth but even if you look historically, it took Margaret

Thatcher four years to achieve growth. Plan B two would be

bankruptcy. We had a situation where �1 in every four was borrowed.

It is all your fault I guess. The Prime Minister said this week that

Labour's answer to the debt crisis is more debt? As the result of

George Osborne's failed economic policies the Government is having

to borrow more than it originally thought. That is a direct result of

the failure of growth. George Osborne said himself before he took

office that you cannot cut spending during a downturn. That is exactly

what they have been doing. This approach to public spending is what

has caused the economy to go into the second wave of the recession.

Many people want to lock you in with the Conservatives in

Government and there is nothing between you so if people do not

want to support the Government this Thursday they can or only vote for

Labour or one of the smaller parties. Labour says that the

Government is borrowing too much but at the same time that the

Government should be borrowing more. The fact of the matter is that we

inherited an economic catastrophe. A complete disaster. We are still

borrowing �300 million every single day. It is a long haul to get us

out of this mess. If you want political parties that cannot apply

themselves for more than a few weeks before the lose their nerve

you have got to vote for Labour. I think people should respect our

Government because it is important that our country has a functioning

economy. There are all kinds of concerns related to international

politics. When will it work? It is going to be a long haul. If you are

massively in debt. We hope that the economy will grow as fast and as

soon as possible but we cannot go on borrowing more and more money

and spending what we have indefinitely. We have now cut

corporation tax to the lowest level in the Western world. It takes a

while to bring in business. The Bristol Bath signs park is bringing

in companies internationally but it is the low tax that will bring them

in and bring new jobs to this country. Stick with us because it

is time to take a race but through this week's political highlights in

just 60 seconds. Gloucester council has launched a pilot scheme this

week to repair potholes around the city. Bristol city council has

applied for a court order to remove squatters from the former Bristol

North Poole sighed. Some say they are acting illegally while the

squatters claim they are providing free security for the development.

A youngster from Portishead has launched a bid for a judicial

review into the decision to cut youth service spending which the

local authority insists is necessary. The case is being built

around the idea of the council breaking be a quality act. Ofsted

inspectors have found the early stages of Wiltshire child services

to be inadequate. The council and police say they are working to make

improvements. That Was the Week. How it flashes by. Just 60 seconds

left to talk with you three. Your predictions for the thirsty

elections, what do you reckon, how well or badly will Labour do?

Expect us to make some decent gains in some of the local elections

across the country. My fear for Bristol is that there will be a low

turnout. Are you expecting a Lib Dem way out? We know, I am not. I

think people will support as in the local elections in Thursday and

that we will do better than last year. I think Labour will make some

gains. I hope in places like Swindon be Tories will nick it.

accept that Labour is going to do quite well? Mid term governments

always do get a hammering. It will be a crucial test of Ed Miliband's