28/04/2013 Sunday Politics Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Doncaster as a fortress in the town four Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the

North Midlands. It is election time again. They are under starter's

orders in Doncaster as voters prepare to choose their next May. --

Mayor. You the political number crunchers will be looking closely at

Thursday's results in our part of the world. Len Tingle is here with a

reminder of where this weeks battleground will be. County Hall in

Northallerton, the council is largely blue. In 2009, Horden Brown

was Prime Minister, Labour was not what in opinion polls and the

Conservatives took full advantage. Let's take a look at what happened.

The 72 seats, the Conservatives took 46 seats. The Liberal Democrats

finished with just nine and labour just one seat. There were 14

Independence as the second-largest group. Never having won a single

council seat in any Yorkshire Council, UKIP is putting up 49

candidates. The policies about immigration do have a knock-on

effect with legal. It affects hospitals, housing, we are very

short of housing. It will affect our schools. They will pick up some

votes, there is no doubt about that. They have no history in local

government and they appear to have very few local policies. When I did

it interview a couple weeks ago with Nigel Farage, he kept talking about

immigration in Europe which are to issues that have no relevance of

local services in the county council. Labour has been noticing

that national political polls are different from 2009. The current

government is popularity is plummeting so Labour believes they

can win back some of the seats at lost last time. The Liberal

Democrats are putting on a brave face. For the first time, Labour are

fielding a fool 72 candidates and we are the only party to do that.

results we are getting from canvassing are much more positive

this year than they have been in the last couple of years. But North

Yorkshire is not the only county where the Tories make big gains. In

Lincolnshire, the Conservatives took 62 of the 77 seats leaving the rest

were just a handful. UKIP leader Nigel Farage has already been

highlighting the growing number of Eastern European workers coming to

the counties of the party fancies his chances. UKIP houses largest

campaign ever. Is there room for anyone else? Shire counties have a

tradition of independent counties and the Greens are also making a big

effort. Each independent, and I think there are 32 is standing, are

driven first and foremost by the desire to stand up and be counted

for the local community. We have gone up from ten to 25 candidates

and we are putting up much more effort where these candidates are

standing. It is not something that eagle in North Lincolnshire have

seen -- and not long -- North Yorkshire had seen before. We are

finding that the three main parties are not what they want and they are

turning to us and also to the independents. So it is back to the

old argument, will be local or national arguments that give people

the edge in these elections? guests today are Kris Hopkins, the

Conservative MP for Keighley and Ilkley, Rosie Winterton and Godfrey

Bloom. For the Liberal Democrats we have Edward McMillan-Scott, also an

NEP for the Yorkshire and Humber region. You did very well in the

elections in 2009, those heady days of opposition but surely you are

basing yourself a heavy losses? were in opposition at the time and

now we have to take these difficult decisions in government. We have a

lot of hard-working councils who are interested in local issues, schools,

getting your bins emptied, looking after all the people, the real

issues. How important are these elections for Ed Miliband? The

majority of workers -- people do not trust him as much as the current

government. Instead of having a millionaires tax cut, we would put

money into getting people back to work through restoring the tax

credits. We will be saying that instead of having a rather curious

Conservatory plan in order to lose the construction industry, we would

be wanting to see a cut in VAT for one year in order to build 100,000

affordable homes. These are the kind of choices that we are seeing the

country needs to look at in these elections. Labour is one nation

approach is to say that the division and unfairness that exists at the

moment is a direct result of these coalition politics. Godfrey, what do

you make of that comment of the Conservative group leader in

Yorkshire? He says that you kept banging on about Europe and

immigration but these are not the kind of issues you control and

County Hall. That has not been my experience. Stephanie Todd did not

talk about Europe at all there. This is about local issues and that is

right. UKIP have a very good idea. We have a very eclectic mix of

people, the picture, the baker, the candlestick maker. There is an awful

lot of us with commercial experience which is sadly lacking in the town

hall. So we're hoping to do quite well. Something else that is

exciting is that we do not have a whipping. We do not have a whipping

system. So we are not beholden to any sort of party dogma, we can do

what is best for the local community. I think it is quite

exciting. Edward McMillan-Scott, pretty dismal elections for the

Liberal Democrats recently, what makes you think this will be

different? I think there has been a different approach to the Lib Dem

appeal than there was this time last year. Things are looking much

better. We have some new policies, for example no libraries have closed

in a Liberal led administration across the country. There are not

many of those in Yorkshire. Thank heavens there are still enough and

we will try to keep them there. It is a Tory led administration and

needs to change. It is UKIP that the Tories fear. There is a real chance

that UKIP will take some seats are few in some of these counties.

don't think it will just be the Conservative Party who will be

looking to see how effective that UKIP campaigners. They have become

the party of protest. As Godfrey says, the advent wept, the arrant

series about this. The other gimmicks party. -- they art of the

gimmicks party. The Liberal Democrats were the protest party,

they are now taking some responsibility in government.

are a gimmick, Godfrey Bloom. of people have moved over from the

Conservative Party because they want to do a better job and to be

associated with a rather better organisation and this appalling

coalition government we have at the moment. They are bringing a lot of

expertise forward and I think that is something that has been sadly

lacking in the traditional parties. One of the most hotly contested

elections will be in Doncaster were ten candidates are vying to become

the . The man who won as an English Democrat four years ago to the

surprise of many, Peter Davis, is standing as an independent this

time. Whoever gets the job will face a big challenge. Three years ago a

government hit squad was sent to run the council and now there is a

possibility that Doncaster lose control of its children's services

department. James Vincent reports. They are counting the votes here at

Doncaster racecourse. Insert your first past the post pun here. Of

course it is not first past the post, it is the system that saw

Peter Davies get elected for the English Democrats in 2009. They have

had this system for 11 years now. But it is still a pity -- pretty

grim time to be and local elections in Doncaster. All decisions are

scrutinised and reported back to the government. What does this tell us

about Doncaster? Doncaster has been recorded as a failing council and it

does need changing. We're still in a mess and the government is

threatening to take over services from us so for this reason, I feel

it is time for change in Doncaster. We have got people in from outside

who come in for a few months at a time, take fortunes in wages and

achieve nothing. People need to see that the council is being run fairly

and in a professional manner for the people, rather than for the people

with interests who work in the council. This is something that

matters sometimes been the case. projects have been finished, like

the council buildings. It has been suggested that has forgotten about

the bread-and-butter of keeping people safe. It is the first in the

country to have a department taking away from it. The accusation from

the government is that it is not looking after children well enough

ill stop everybody is concerned about children's services. The fact

is, things have progressed. Lord Carlile says it is better than 2009

and we are working to make sure it gets better. Michael G is bringing

in a fourth commissioner all about children's services. It is about us

doing what we can for Doncaster. There should be direct

responsibility for that department and people should be held

responsible. But I'll still believe in this stab his confidence has been

shot to pieces. Investment is required urgently. It is a job that

seems to get cover every election. Whoever Doncaster backs will be

saddled with the job of restoring the council's reputation.

People have long memories in Doncaster, they remember the

problems caused under tedious Labour administrations. Why should they

trust you again? What we have in Peter Davies is someone who sat in

this studio and said, I was a conservative for 22 years and I

still believe in their policies. So he has not been standing up for

Doncaster. He has been focusing on things like cutting down trees on

the racecourse, attempting to shut the libraries. He has not been

thinking about it proper vision for Doncaster and he hasn't been doing

things of like sorting out children's services. If you contrast

that with Ros Jones, who is talking about bringing apprentices and,

stimulating affordable housing, as a real vision. It is about leadership

and Peter Davies has not shown that leadership. He has been a popular

figurehead for the town, hasn't he? I don't think he has. When you look

at what he has focused on, cutting trees down on the racecourse, not

sorting out children's services, somebody who has said, I am a

conservative at heart and is therefore not able to take on the

conservative coalition government. He has been seeing, this is why

Doncaster has been badly hit by the cuts. He is not been a near guarding

with the government because basically he agrees with the

Conservative approach. How would you rate the Lib Dems chances? I hope

John Browne does it a lot better than you are making out. He will not

have spent �20 million on council headquarters because it is clear

going around canvassing, people recognise that in a Lib Dem, you

have somebody who will do things between elections and not just send

you a leaflet about going to talk to you. It has been refreshing to see

the responses from people. People are concerned about their local

services and in Doncaster they have a real choice, in fact they have

more than one choice on the ballot paper. Stick to John Brown and you

will be picking the right man. is no UKIP candidate, who are you

backing? No particular candidate on this occasion because we felt we

didn't have the right person and we feel this was an aborted job for the

right person. We know there is nothing wrong with the people so

something must be going wrong with the system. The problem is endemic,

when you have a town that has had a built-in majority for a decade after

decade, you get incompetence and corruption. There are plenty of

conservative towns where this is more sophisticated. But that has

been run by Peter Davies for the last four years. You haven't cleaned

up the mess he left since the war. He has been criticised by the audit

commission for not focusing enough on children's services. This is my

point. He has slightly peculiar eccentric policies that focus on

certain issues but not dealing with the leadership that Doncaster

needs. We need to get jobs and investment. Children's services in

Rotherham is an absolute disaster and that is another Labour barony.

We need to get away from this we are a label thing in local government.

Eagles should say, I believe in this and this is what I will do. It is

endemic. You put in your manifesto in the UKIP that you stand on. For

example, I noticed in one of your recent manifesto is that we need to

build more prisons. Labour in Doncaster but for an airport to be

built, not a prison. It is these kind of things that you will be

judged on. If you talk about removing the European investment

from somewhere like Doncaster, that... �50 million we give to the

European Union. There would be plenty of money if we do send all

that money to the European Union. Businesses would be horrified by the

approach that you take because it would mean higher and employment in

Doncaster, less opportunity for jobs. Let me bring in Kris Hopkins

because we forget that had voters supported the plans in a

referendum, we would be having me all elections in Leeds and

Sheffield. The US we were having elections for a Mayor written Mark?

-- if we were having. Godfrey is living in cloud cuckoo land if he

thinks he can put 30 or 40 people into a council unequipped. You end

up with chaos. Labour has a reputation in Doncaster, the

independents also do. This failed leadership has led to vulnerable

children not having support. The people of Doncaster deserve better

than what they have been given. will get more of their week 's

political news now. Louise Martin has a round-up in 60 seconds.

The Battle of Fulford took place in 1066. The site where the English and

Danes fought with axes and swords is now heading for another

confrontation. York City council has he acted for a development. Could

the homes destroyed our heritage? And more history has been

challenged. Farmworkers pay has been set by the board for 60 years but

the government says it wants farmers to negotiate with his workers from

nylon and the board will be abolished. Wheatfield MP Mary

Creagh, MP disagrees. Even Mrs Thatcher did not abolish it. It has

been revealed George Galloway has had a private chat with it at -- Ed

Miliband. On Twitter, Miller band said Ed Miliband has the backbone of

an amoeba. What on earth was Ed Miliband doing

meeting George Galloway? It was a bone boundary changes -- it was

about boundary changes. What the conservative and Lib Dem government

were proposing initially was, in a sense, gerrymandering the next

election. What we did, we said that we wanted to reverse that change and

leave the boundary changes as they were and that is what Ed Miliband

was meeting George Galloway about. He is not any secret pact to join

the Conservative Party? No.Godfrey Bloom, the Battle of Fulford, should

housing be built on the site? course not, it is eight is grace. I

do not understand the new way forward of trying to build on

greenfield sites all the time. We need to conserve our greenbelt and

conserve our wonderful heritage. I think it is an act of appalling

vandalism to suggest we should build on it. Would you like to defend the

coalition government planning policies? I think it is a bad

decision by York. This was the sight of a battle. English Heritage must

define it as a battle site because this will stop it from happening.

The coalition government planning policies, I am not happy about some

elements of them to be honest. I have always been very much in favour

of conservation. I think there are risks in the rather free for all

approach at the are being reviewed. The idea that you can extend your

house without consulting your neighbours, I believe that is gone

now. I am surprised that you would be at all in favour of the abolition

of the agricultural wages bill. -- the agricultural wages board. There

are thousands of workers in North Yorkshire who will be affected by

this and the Conservative and Lib Dem MPs who voted for it to be

abolished, that is exactly the kind of unfair... Added abolished the

common agricultural policy. Is it going to drive down wages and bring

more foreign workers into the countryside? The reality is, a

Labour lead counsel in York is going to concrete over a great piece of

cheese heritage. -- British heritage. We need to protect the

greenbelt and I will be campaigning in that direction. Here is a famous

battle site. As far as the agricultural wages, Labour put in a

minimum wage which we support. will have to leave it there for this