25/03/2012 Sunday Politics Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

And coming up in half in hour - from Big Brother to the Budget - we

question the candidates ahead of Thursday's Bradford West by-

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1829 seconds

Good afternoon, you're watching the Sunday Politics for Yorkshire and

Lincolnshire. Today, we have a special programme looking ahead to

Thursday's Bradford West by- election.

We've been following the main candidates on the campaign trail,

in what will be the first test of public opinion at the ballot box

since the Chancellor's Budget. The by-election was triggered by

the resignation of Marsha Singh on health grounds and six other

candidates hoping to replace them are in the studio with us today.

There had been various events in the City, but this is the first

time they have all appeared on the same platform. Let's see how they

intend to win over the voters, not surprisingly, in the week of the

Budget, the main talking point has been the economy and the need to

create jobs. Urging the unemployed to find a job

30 years ago was something the Conservatives would probably rather

forget, but today, this small workshop making them here is proof

that government policies are working had will paddle them past

Labour in Bradford West for the first time in 40 years. I Am Jackie

Whiteley and I am standing for the Conservatives in Bradford West.

Businesses in the UK are predominantly small and this is an

example of a thriving small business. It has been years 65

years, but I want to highlight the hope that is available to small

businesses because we need to grow the economy and they can deliver

the jobs. A long have you been here? Three months. Labour, sitting

on a comfortable 6,000 majority from the general election took us

to the small business to highlight the reverse of what the

Conservatives are saying. They blame government cutbacks for

preventing small companies from taking on new workers and

apprentices. In areas like Bradford West, it is absolutely key that we

have more employment opportunities in particular for young people. The

latest job figures suggest that since last year, there has been an

increase of 1293 further people on jobseeker's allowance. That is not

right and but is not fair and not what the people want. The inner-

city areas a Bradford West have a majority Asian population and are

mugs the poorest in the north. Education is low and youth

unemployment is up 4% a year. It is no coincidence that David Cameron

shows one of his free schools to do is campaigning this weekend it is

no coincidence that you write 24 hours after the Budget bearing

gifts. We are investing in the future of Bradford and there are

more people in work and employment has grown in the last quarter.

We're putting �70 million into the city centre and Updating be

Bradford to Manchester Railway. That is important investment that

is going in. They will also have super-fast broadband.

surprisingly, Ed Miliband highlighted what he sees as the

failure of the Budget and the Government. He was drinking tea

with pensioners in the constituency that will be hit by a freeze on

personal tax allowances for next year. This is what people are

calling the granny tax. The focus of this campaign from the 15,000

people that Labour has spoken to on the doorstep is about the bread and

butter issues of what is happening in their lives and an unfair budget.

It has raised taxes on millions of people in this country including

people here in Bradford and cut taxes for millionaires. The Liberal

Democrats took us to the edge of the city centre where the

constituency starts. This is the biggest issue for Bradford.

Whatever happens in Bradford unless this is sorted out, the rest is

just froth. This is the old cinema behind us. This illustrates the

problem. Three NASA projects are stalled in this city or falling

apart. -- massive projects. They had no direction and they need to

get a grip of that. If Bradford is to be successful, they need to get

a grip of it. Nick Clegg has no plans to Campania, the President of

the party will be in Bradford next week.

Why should voters give you another chance? We made significant

progress while in government. I remember times when I attended a

surgery in Bradford West that was a back-to-back terrace house. We now

have NHS facilities and new schools, so there has been progress and that

was all under a Labour government. Jackie Whiteley, of what a week it

has been, we have had the budgets, he will be taxing pensioners more,

fuel prices go up, we pay more for drink, not a great backdrop to

fight a by-election? I don't agree with you, I think it is an amazing

budget for this has said we need more jobs in this area. Cutting

corporation tax, the chance for cheaper finance for companies that

need cheap finance guaranteed by the Government, super-fast

broadband and improved rail links, all good news. Jeanette Sunderland,

a Bible Nick Clegg not come to Bradford West so that voters can

give feedback? It is news to me that he is not coming. He would be

very proud to come to Bradford. We have 17,500 people had of income

tax altogether, another 175,000 people will get tax cuts this year.

Lib Dems have done more for a poorer people than a Labour did in

13 years. George Galloway, you were a Labour candidates, you're also a

Respect MP, you're not from Bradford, is this political

opportunism? Why ask me a nasty question when you have asked nobody

else in nasty question? This is what expat from the BBC. There is

no blood tests, everybody you came from somewhere, and I am entitled

to put my hat in the ring, and it is very firmly in the ring. The

Liberal Democrats are 80-1. The lowest prospect for a Liberal

Democrat in political history, so wide you give them time as a major

party in this by-election? Labour presided over the 13 richest years

in British history would record Parliamentary majorities and

everyone watching this who is from Bradford can see results. There is

a hole in a city centre, the Odeon is falling down, we are 145th out

of 100 and 55 in the school's league table. Bradford City's not

doing well in football, but in education, we are doing worse.

in McAnally, you represent UK band got to present at the last election,

you cannot have high hopes, can you? Yes, we can. We can do a lot

for Bradford West. There are issues that need addressing entry will try

and address these issues and not make empty promises. We need to get

on with what we have to do, that is what is important. The Green Party,

can you afford green policies in the current climate? Yes, we can,

because with the renewed deal we are the only party that has a fully

costed answer to the current problems that does not involve

punitive cuts and cutbacks in public services. It is a complete

the course did plan that will provide thousands of new jobs in

areas like a real energy and renewables. It will have new

entrepreneurs aged 18 to 25 to get some of the brilliant Bradford West

young people that you can't be consigned to the scrappy by the

coalition, instead to get them great ideas to fund projects and

get them off the ground. We have heard from be made three parties

about their policies on the economy, lets hear from some of the other

parties and find out how their candidates are hoping to win over

Bradford West. We start with George Galloway.

A I am targeting every vote, whether they are white or Asian

warm Muslim or non-Muslim, every vote has the same value. Everyone

has an interest in Bradford and has a concern about the problems in the

city. The City is slowly sinking. The Financial Times declared this

morning that Bradford was the most at risk city centre in the entire

country. The shop in Bradford city centre is more likely to close than

in any other part of the country. That is a very deep concern to

everybody. The doorstep reaction is very positive, the people are

pleased to see me. And I am pleased to see them because they're the

people I will represent. There are questions that need answering MPs'

questions affect me also. I am the person that is driving over the

potholes, I am the person penalised by hire-car insurance. These are

the local issues that need addressing. There are currently 1

million empty residential properties across the UK and

thousands of them are here in the City of Bradford. By putting them

back into use, we could solve the housing crisis at a stroke. These

could make excellent starter homes, but this is in a tragic state.

will pay for the empty homes you want to refurbish? The Green new

deal is one of the areas for we would renew the way that we look at

taxation. We would make the people that are the polluters of society

pay for more. We think that the people batter furthest removed from

the credit crunch, people on benefits, people in low-paid jobs,

the vulnerable and disabled, these are the people that absolutely

nothing to do with causing a financial crisis. But these are the

people that are being asked to pay for it by the coalition government

and that is just wrong. Sonia McAnally, up until earlier this

year, you were in the Green Party, now you're with you Kip, that is

100 degree return? Yes, I have been with the Green Party furlongs time

and I looked at UKIP, and what they had to offer was better. I believe

that, that is why I would not have changed. George Galloway, you talk

about bringing for the troops home from Afghanistan, in a week when we

have seen six soldiers from the North of England, their bodies

flown back from that country, is this the right time to be talking

about that subject? They have come when, in a box, and I were the rest

to come home before they come home in boxes. I do not want anybody

else buried as a result of a war that Labour's started and the

Liberals and Conservatives support. Tonight because of the were shot,

most people in the country agree with me. -- do not look as if you

are shocked. If you speak to the family is, they want the boys to

stay there and finish the job. is not true. It is true, how many

families have you spoken to? Maney, and I am the President of the Stop

the War Coalition command they would not have gone there if they

had listened to me. I can tell you many people that will tell you the

exact opposite. The idea of shedding more blood because of the

blood that we have already shed is ridiculous. That is the mentality

of the First World War in the trenches. There will be a worried

that those soldiers that came home, that they have died in vain?!

have died in vain! They should not have been sent there! They were

sent to their death by Tony Blair and George W Bush and the Tories

and the Liberals are keeping them there and it is time to leave

Afghanistan. We do not have the blood off the treasurer to waste in

other countries thousands of miles away. Bradford West has a large

Muslim population, is this problem for you, a war started by Labour

are which is still supported by your party? Can I say, my thoughts

and prayers are with the family is of the soldiers from the area that

were killed. I'd not think that soldiers are to blame in any of

this, because they do not make decisions, they are carrying out

there job and it is important to remember that. I believe that the

soldiers need to come back down to -- need to come back, and I

maintain that. We cannot have extremists across the world. Do you

support the war of Afghanistan? support getting rid of extremism,

whatever that may be. Which is a bored young Muslim men joining the

British Army from your constituency? -- would you support

young Muslim men? A everyone has to make a choice what career they want

to make, and if that is their career choice, I wish them the best.

Put that on DVD and distributed around the doors, I can tell you,

what Imran Hussain has just said was committing political suicide.

Do you agree? I think that ordinary Muslims in Bradford would agree

with what I said and they are peace-loving and do not support

extremism and are very against this. Blair and Bush were the extremis,

the terrorists. Ordinary Muslims throughout this country and the

most peace-loving people that do not support extremists wherever

that is. I can provide a strong voice because we need that voice.

The case is, the war in Afghanistan has created home-grown terrorists.

We are meant to prevent terrorism happening, but the 7/7 bombings

happened as a result of our involvement in Iran and Afghanistan,

so how do you square that? This is not about Bradford West and I am

really concerned that we keep following an agenda that is about

Stop The War and the right end legitimate agenda to fight, but

this is an election about what happens in Bradford West to the

lives of the young people that our bare. This is their Parliamentary

election, you can send councillors to Parliament, or you can send a

parliamentarian to Parliament, that is what people took do. -- choose

to do. We are withdrawing troops by 2014 and that is dependent on

Afghanistan looking after its own security. Let's come back to

Bradford and the economy which will dominate the rest of the campaign.

David Cameron came here the other day and every big announcements in

the budget for the City, the rail line electrification, super-fast

broadband, does this have a whiff of pork-barrel politics? No, these

were all planned events. We inherited a massive amount of debt

and we have to look at the way we can manage it. The actions we are

taking are all positive things, bringing these people, 24 million

people, they will be better off, paying less tax with 2 million

people out of taxation. We would do very positive things to bring

people back to employment. Young people will get the chance of

apprenticeships, work-experience and jobs and real incentives,

financial incentives for employers to encourage them to take on young

people and I think we can do a lot in Bradford West and I hope I get

the chance to move this forward. Jeanette Sunderland, you to a think

you can't see will be scarred by the coalition government? -- you

can do so see will be scarred. Their eyes are fixed on sorting out

the economy, this is what happens here in Bradford West, and to his

fighting put them in Parliament. I do not think the Budget delivered

sufficiently for Bradford West End it is not sufficient for Bradford,

and we need to campaign on those issues. George Galloway, who would

you represent, the Muslim population would be white working-

class? -- or the white working- class? This is completely false,

you're making issues about this. Have quite a few posters up in

white working-class areas. My supporters put their own posters up.

People decide whether to put up the posters and to they will support.

It is untrue that I am targeting any specific ethnic see or religion

for votes. -- ethnicity. Every voter in Bradford West is the each

word of the other.... The equal. He should not be embarrassed for

wanting certain people to vote for you. I rejected this and so do they.

What are people saying on the streets about what is important to

them? The biggest problem is youth unemployment. That happened under

Labour, it is not a new phenomenon. Since last year, long-term youth

unemployment has triples and that is massive. Talking to young people

that once that first step on the ladder, I think we are the only

party that can deliver this. The Labour six-month job guarantee for

all young people, long-term unemployed, that is not promises,

that is not anything else, that his real work experience for those

young people and in places like Bradford West, it is difficult

enough. I have grown up in the streets of Bradford West, it is

difficult for young people that lack aspiration and the first place.

UKIP want to prejudice, Technical College, to give the young people

the chance for employment. We have to bring this debate to a close.