01/04/2012 Sunday Politics Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

We'll be live at George Galloway campaign headquarters in Bradford

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2176 seconds

as Yorkshire's newest MP prepares Good afternoon, you are watching

the Sunday -- the Sunday Politics for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. We

are live at George Galloway's headquarters in Bradford. We asked

what lessons the main parties can learn from the biggest by-election

upset for decades. Relief for motorists as toll

charges on the Humber Bridge are reduced for today. -- from today.

The Chancellor tells us it will boost the economy by �250 million.

We will start for the fall-out from the Bradford West by-election. Our

guests are Jason McCartney, Mohammed Shafiq, and in Hull, we

have Labour MP Alan Johnson. You campaigned in Bradford 4th --

Bradford West, what message where voters Senate to Labour? I was

there on Tuesday evening, and it did not feel as if it was going to

be this extraordinary result. It was extraordinary in every sense of

the word. We ought to be magnanimous. George Galloway and

the people around him fought a magnificent campaign. We have to

learn lessons. In terms of what has happened over the past week and the

problems for the government, I do not think this was a seismic change.

It was something which was very peculiar to that one constituency,

and maybe a few others like it across the country. Alan Johnson

says it was not a seismic change. This was once a target seat for the

Conservatives, certainly in 2010, your vote collapsed there. You can

take little comfort. This was at the end of a very bad week for the

government, the Lib Dems lost their deposits -- deposit. This was

supposedly a good week for Ed Miliband, if this is how it ends

for him, a catastrophic loss of a seat for 30 years, I would hate to

see a good week for Ed Miliband. I was there on Saturday, there were a

lot of Labour voters with posters, why did they not vote Labour? There

was an indication that there was some movement towards Respect. This

was a perfect storm. I do not think this will be repeated again. It was

a combination of rhetoric and personality of George Galloway

engaging with people, which he did very well, and dissatisfaction with

the main parties which we have all accepted. Mohammed Shafiq, you have

followed his campaign, what was his success? This was a political

tsunami. Three major political parties to come knocking. George

Galloway connected with young people, I saw young people who have

no interest with politics, they will not interested in voting in X

Factor and Britain's Got Talent, but he inspired these young people.

There was an irritants -- arrogance in the Labour campaign, in round

can't refuse to give access -- come on to the Muslim television channel

i it work for. During the count, at 10:40pm, they were telling us that

Labour had won it. There was an arrogance that they had kept this

for 30 years, and they were given a bloody nose. Let's go to Len Tingle

at Galloway campaign headquarters. This office, a solicitor's office

in the centre of Bradford, thousands of people passed through

the doors in the last few weeks. This was the headquarters of a

successful campaign that was in many respects I did not expect.

With me are some campaigners who have been hearing what has been

said in the studio. What is your reaction? If this is not a seismic

change, I do not know what is. We have replies so many people who are

first-time activists because the main stream candidates were very

week. They did not address the needs of the people, the City has

been failing for a long time. suggestion from Labour was that

this was a one-off. I don't believe that. I think people have come

together and are interested in making a change. There were a lot

of women involved in the campaign, older people and young people. They

all had an agenda, they were all working as one and making plans to

move our agendas forward. A lot of recognition of the Galloway name

among younger people, I notice that. He is also recognised amongst older

people as well. He speaks the truth, and many people do not like the

truth. You have got your MP, thumping great majority, where you

go from here? I think Mr Galloway will do a great deal for this city.

We have needed someone you, someone with a strong voice, someone who

can turn this city around and stop it sinking -- at we needed someone

new. But he is only one MP out of 650, can one man makes such a

different? Maybe there will be more MPs in the future. Maybe we will

have Respect councillors in our council in five weeks. Mr Galloway

has already said that candidates will be fielded in all walks. I

think a change can be made. Local government elections on the way,

what you see more candidates? Definitely. I think Respect is

growing from strength to strength. The media is focusing on our party,

what we stand for is what people want. We must leave it there, I'm

afraid. From here at Gallery headquarters, let's now look --

Galloway headquarters, let's look at what happened on the night.

The polls shut at 10pm. The first ballot boxes started arriving at

the count. Even as late as this, Labour was convinced it would

retain a seat it has held for 38 years. Within minutes, the doubts

were beginning to set him. The first indications that we are

hearing is that postal ballots, and there were quite a few here, 10,000

people applied, that 10,000 at -- but postal ballots are fifty-fifty

between Labour and George Galloway. With his loud, high-profile

campaign, George Galloway had been expected to beat Labour, but only

in the inner city areas of the constituency, where his absolute

opposition to the war in Afghanistan struck a chord with the

largely Asian Muslim population. Labour expected to catch up and

overtake when ballot boxes from other areas came in. After an hour

of them arriving, it was clear that the expected Labour vote simply was

not there. By midnight, Liberal Democrats, who finished up losing

their deposit on the night, were also well aware of what was

happening with the current. Not so much an election, more than a

punishment that has been meted out on the Labour Party. The message we

ran with in Bradford East in the last general election was that

Labour has led to down. Clearly that is a strong feeling within the

Bradford West constituency, and they have used George to send a

message to Labour. Glum faced Labour supporters found their 6000

lead from the general-election shattered. Conservatives put it

down to third, shed 10,000 votes. Enter George Galloway. At around

1am, with around two hours before the result was officially declared,

it was so clear he would win, he arrived and was giving victory

interviews. It is a tidal wave, actually. It has swept Labour away,

the other parties away. And the reasons are basic. And I warned

against them. Over and over again, whilst I was a Labour member of

party -- parliament. By 3:30am, George Galloway it was being

hoisted shoulder-high by supporters. Now as the new MP for Bradford West.

With me is Mohammed Ayub, who runs the solicitors' practice. You

really put your money where your mouth was, you backed Georgia

Galloway, why did he do that's but is a very good question and that

has no one asked. We have participated be simply because we

know and believe that George Galloway has a strong voice in

human rights, but is an area we specialise in. You just did not

just back him by giving him your building, you got a mobile

advertising hoarding, and all sorts of stuff for two weeks. That is a

lot for local business 4 yours to do. It was quite easy to do because

we believe in George Galloway's campaign. And quite rightly, we put

our money where our mouth was. George Galloway himself, there is

steam come out of his is when you say to him, you went for the Muslim

vote. What you are saying is, you prime purpose here was because of

his credentials as the man who was the anti-war candidate. Absolutely

right. We believed in these credentials, and also, I felt, he

inspired us after speaking to him at his campaign team. It is pretty

bleak the reason why so many people came together. He has the ability -

- that is principally the reason. He has the ability to inspire.

you surprised? Not at all, I thought we would be miserable

losers or it would be a landslide. That is it from Galloway HQ. Back

to you in the studio. Let me get back to Alan Johnson in

Hull. How much will George Galloway's victory increase the

pressure on Ed Miliband's leadership of your party? I don't

think it had anything to do with Ed Miliband. You heard from the

solicitor, he was the anti-war candidate. It was a one-off. George

Galloway is apparently a devout Muslim, which is news to ask who

were with him in the Labour Party. This is a one-off. They cannot

replicate George Galloway. Just has his victory in Tower Hamlets did

not lead to an increase in Respect MPs, there was a minor increase in

local government and then it faded away when George Galloway left.

This was a one-off, it has nothing to do with Ed Miliband. Ed has said

it is his responsibility, there are lessons to be learnt, but let's

move on to the big issues of the last week, which is, if you set it

to music, it would be called Send In the clowns. Is it time to move

on, Jason McCartney? We are moving on already. Conservative MPs across

the region have been working hard throughout the Easter break already,

I was out and about in my constituency on Friday. Opening a

new house,... You have done a mine of pasta, it is time to move on? --

than your manifesto. It is about finding jobs for young people,

training, transport infrastructure, these other things that we have

been judged on -- we will be judged on in 2015. It seems to me that the

campaign was fought a long the issues of the wars in Afghanistan

and Iraq, which was 10 years ago. Alan's answer -- answer gives you

the arrogance of the Labour Party. They tried to belittle his victory.

This was a political tsunami, and the Labour Party are trying to

belittle George Galloway. I gave him credit. The Labour Party have

do give him respect, Labour was coming up for his victory parade.

All political parties have a duty to respect -- reflect on this

rather than making cheap political points at the end of George

Galloway. This is a real hammer blow to a party, isn't it? We have

to be magnanimous about this. This was an extraordinary victory by

George Galloway. He has tremendous -- tremendous powers of oratory.

Having said all that, is it indicative of a sea-change in

British politics? Of course is is is not. George Galloway came into

politics by beating Roy Jenkins in Glasgow it invited 87, and Roy

Jenkins winning in Glasgow, that was the SDP as their high point in

the early 1980s. George Galloway knows how these things fizzled out

if it is just a one-off by-election result, and this was a one-off.

Will George Galloway be a welcome addition to the House of Commons?

It is often said there are not many characters in politics nowadays.

have got lots of good characters on my side, Alan is coming with a real

life background, he is a good character. I hope he is going to be

a good MP for Bradford. The people of Bradford deserve a good Member

of Parliament. I wonder how many of those who voted for number two on

the ballot paper, not even knowing the name of the candidate, know

that the last time he was in Parliament, he only attended 8% of

the vote. I hope he will be a good voice for Bradford, but I fear may

be not foot. How much can he do for Bradford? In his victory tweet, he

said long-leg -- long live Iraq, long live Palestine. He has got his

eye on bigger issues. Those issues resonate with young Muslims in

Bradford. You look at the legal -- illegal war in Iraq, started well

by Labour and encouraged by Conservatives, and the issue of

Afghanistan. We have seen brave men and women in our army being killed

by the Taliban in Afghanistan, when there is no chance of success and

people want to bring the troops back home. There is the injustice

of Palestine. On all these issues, George Gallery resonate with the

public. He was not a Muslim candidate, he was the Labour

candidate saying, vote for me because I am a Muslim. But George

Galloway was winning in the white areas, I was there looking at the

count in those areas. For many years, drivers to cross to

the Humber have paid the highest bridge tolls in the country but

from today, told charges on the Humber Bridge will be reduced in a

move the government claims will boost the regional economy by �250

million. It was the moment many motorists

have been waiting for. On the stroke of midnight, these bikers

took part in a celebratory crossing of the Humber. For the first time

in the bridge's 31 year history, there is now no charge for

motorcycles. I think it feels quite good. It would be lovely if we were

down hit celebrating that all the polls had gone. I also put H G Bs

across this bridge quite regularly, so it would nice to think that all

the tolls would go eventually. But for bikes it is fantastic. Adding

the cost of going over the bridge to the fuel has been barely

prohibitive for a few people on low wages. It is good news. Drivers

were paying �3 each weight to use the Humber Bridge. That will now be

halved to one pound 50 each way. The high price of bridge tolls on

the Humber are a legacy from the spiralling construction costs of

the 1970s. By the time the bridge opened in 1981, it was heavily in

debt. Last year, the Chancellor agreed to write down almost half of

the remaining debt, which stood at �330 million. In many ways,

reducing Humber Bridge tolls in a gamble for the government. It will

cost �150 million in tax payer's money. But the Chancellor believes

the long-term impact on the regional economy will be huge.

evidence we have got is that the cut in the tolls or actually boost

the local economy but -- by around �250 million. It is really good for

jobs and people looking for work, they will be able to find work on

the other side of the estuary. exclusive poll commissioned by the

BBC asked a sample of 500 people which area would benefit most from

Lower Bridge tolls. 31% said Hull. Far more than north and north-east

Lincolnshire, and the East Riding. A figure that may well boost

visitor numbers to Hull's tourist attractions. I think it'll be great

for both sides of the river. People from the law -- north bank will be

going to Lincolnshire to seek the attractions they have and vice

versa. It can only be good for the whole community. So after three

decades of rising tolls, there is some relief at last on motorists

who have paid a high price for us and the Humber.

Alan Johnson, your constituency covers the whole north bank of the

Humber where the Humber Bridge start or end, depending on your

opinion. The Chancellor says it will boost the economy, do you

except that figure? That is the Buchanan report that we

commissioned up there and that sparked this off. Under the last

government. This government has taken it on, Justine Greening has

done a tremendous job. He was a Treasury minister and then became

transport Secretary of State. They recognise the power of the argument

that it is like a house being divided, the kitchen being cut off

from the sitting room. You cannot get the Humber estuary, realise its

potential, while you have got this very high toll across from one side

to the other. It has been cross- party come across Humber, and it is

a day for celebration. An exclusive poll for the BBC suggests that Hull

will benefit more than northern England should. The you accept

that? I do not in the B Cannon report, the -- the Buchanan report

suggested it would be the other way round. But who cares, it is the

region, you have to think, the Humber, the opportunity in

renewables, it seemed as look as if they are going to move their big

plants in took Alexandra Dock. There is a supply chain coming, and

a cluster of renewable companies, we have to think about the Humber

rather run the north or south bank. A bittersweet day, the white van

man pays more for his pasty but less for his tolls. This is a good

example for -- of politicians working together to make their

lives better for people in our part of the world. The Trans Pennine

route will be electrified, yes you have got a pasty here, I have to

have a pasty from breaks every week, but it is from Greg, my local