:00:35. > :00:38.It's Sunday Morning, and this is the Sunday Politics.
:00:39. > :00:41.Theresa May says she has no plans to increase tax levels,
:00:42. > :00:45.but refuses to repeat David Cameron's 2015 manifesto
:00:46. > :00:52.promise ruling out hikes in VAT, national insurance and income tax.
:00:53. > :00:55.The leaders of the EU's 27 member states unanimously
:00:56. > :00:59.agree their negotiating strategy for the upcoming Brexit talks, but
:01:00. > :01:09.And in the last of our series of interviews ahead of Thursday's
:01:10. > :01:12.local elections, I'll be talking to the leader of Plaid Cymru Leanne
:01:13. > :01:14.On the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire:
:01:15. > :01:17.The row over Nestle's decision to shift jobs to Poland.
:01:18. > :01:20.It's reopened the debate about whether more more firms
:01:21. > :01:47.They hit an all-time low after coalition government,
:01:48. > :01:47.but are the Lib Dems poised to bounce back,
:01:48. > :01:53.And with me to analyse the week's politics,
:01:54. > :01:54.Isabel Oakeshott, Steve Richards, Tom Newton-Dunn.
:01:55. > :01:56.They'll be tweeting using the hashtag #bbcsp.
:01:57. > :01:59.So when Theresa May was interviewed just over an hour ago
:02:00. > :02:02.on The Andrew Marr Show, the Prime Minister was asked
:02:03. > :02:03.to confirm that she would repeat David Cameron's 2015 election
:02:04. > :02:06.promise not to raise VAT, national insurance and income tax
:02:07. > :02:10.We have absolutely no plans to increase the level of tax,
:02:11. > :02:14.but I'm also very clear that I don't want to make specific proposals
:02:15. > :02:16.on taxes unless I'm absolutely sure that I can deliver on those.
:02:17. > :02:19.But it is, would be my intention as a Conservative Government
:02:20. > :02:21.and a Conservative Prime Minister, to reduce the taxes
:02:22. > :02:31.The Tories like to have a clear tax message in elections, are they
:02:32. > :02:34.getting into a bit of a mess? That method wasn't clear, but does it
:02:35. > :02:39.mean, saying they have no plans to increase the level of tax? We are
:02:40. > :02:44.clear there will not be a rise in VAT, a lot of commentators will get
:02:45. > :02:49.overexcited about that, but there was no great expectations there
:02:50. > :02:54.would be a rise in VAT. Tempting as it is, because even one percentage
:02:55. > :02:58.point on VAT rate is 4.5 billion for the exchequer so it is tempting but
:02:59. > :03:05.there has been no speculation that would happen. We can see that she
:03:06. > :03:08.clearly wants to reiterate the language about hard-working families
:03:09. > :03:14.but I don't think we are that much the wiser. Even if she does not put
:03:15. > :03:18.up rates, according to projections the overall tax burden, as a
:03:19. > :03:23.percentage of GDP, is rising, will rise in the years ahead. That is why
:03:24. > :03:28.it was an odd phrase, I know she is doing it to be evasive but to say
:03:29. > :03:32.they have no plans to raise the general level of taxation, they do
:03:33. > :03:36.have. We also know they have specific plans because it was in the
:03:37. > :03:43.last budget, they had a tax rise which they had to revise, National
:03:44. > :03:51.Insurance rises, so very wisely in my view they are keeping options
:03:52. > :03:55.open, the 2015 tax-and-spend debate was a fantasy world, totally
:03:56. > :04:00.unrelated to the demands that would follow. They now have the
:04:01. > :04:03.flexibility, one of the arguments you had heard last time was Philip
:04:04. > :04:09.Hammond saying to her, we have to break away from the 2015 manifesto
:04:10. > :04:13.commitment and we can only do it this way, that is one of the better
:04:14. > :04:17.arguments. The Tories like to talk about tax cuts in elections, whether
:04:18. > :04:24.they do it is another matter, but they are not being allowed to talk
:04:25. > :04:28.about tax cuts, they are now on the defensive over whether they will
:04:29. > :04:31.raise taxes. That is not a healthy position for the campaign to be in.
:04:32. > :04:36.If you look at the numbers, quite frankly, if you will not do this at
:04:37. > :04:40.this election with eight 20 point lead over Labour, then when will you
:04:41. > :04:45.take these tough decisions? Reading between the lines of what Theresa
:04:46. > :04:48.May has said all over different broadcasters this morning, income
:04:49. > :04:52.tax will go down for low-income families, such as the threshold rise
:04:53. > :04:59.that microbes that was already factored in. She has had to commit
:05:00. > :05:03.to it again. VAT will be fat, national insurance contributions
:05:04. > :05:08.will go up. Do you think they will go up? I think so, she had plenty of
:05:09. > :05:15.opportunity to rule it out and she didn't. There was a terrible mess
:05:16. > :05:18.with the budget, it is a good tax argument but not a good electoral
:05:19. > :05:23.argument that you are eroding the base so heavily with people moving
:05:24. > :05:26.into self-employment that as you raise national insurance
:05:27. > :05:29.contributions for everybody but the self-employed, it is something the
:05:30. > :05:33.Treasury will have to look at. The other triple lock on pensions, we
:05:34. > :05:38.don't know if they will keep to that either? If they are sensible they
:05:39. > :05:42.will find a form of words to give them flexibility in that area as
:05:43. > :05:47.well. I would say there is no question over that, that has gone.
:05:48. > :05:50.As Mrs May would say, you will have to wait for the manifesto. That is
:05:51. > :05:55.what all the party leaders tell me! Labour have spent the weekend
:05:56. > :05:56.pushing their messages Speaking at a camapign rally
:05:57. > :05:59.in London yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn promised a Labour
:06:00. > :06:07.government would fix what he called People are fed up, fed up with not
:06:08. > :06:12.being able to get somewhere to live, fed up waiting for hospital
:06:13. > :06:17.appointments, fed up with 0-hours contracts, fed up with low pay, fed
:06:18. > :06:21.up with debt, fed up with not being able to get on in their lives
:06:22. > :06:25.because we have a system that is rigged against so many.
:06:26. > :06:27.I've been joined from Newcastle by Labour's elections
:06:28. > :06:28.and campaigns co-ordinator, Ian Lavery.
:06:29. > :06:39.Good morning. To deal with this rigged economy, as Mr Corbyn calls
:06:40. > :06:43.it, the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has a 20 point plan for
:06:44. > :06:47.workers out today. When you add up everything he plans to do to help
:06:48. > :06:52.workers, how much will it cost? The full costings, one thing I need to
:06:53. > :06:58.say at the very beginning, the costings of any policy which we have
:06:59. > :07:02.already ruled out and any policy we will be ruling out in the next few
:07:03. > :07:08.days and weeks will be fully costed in the manifesto and in addition to
:07:09. > :07:12.the fact that it will be fully costed, we will see it in the
:07:13. > :07:17.manifesto how indeed it has been funded, so we are very clear,
:07:18. > :07:20.anything we have seen already, and there are some exciting policy
:07:21. > :07:24.releases and there will be more in the future, anything we are going to
:07:25. > :07:28.do will be fully costed and in the manifesto. You announced a 20 point
:07:29. > :07:33.plan but cannot tell me what the costs will be this morning so at the
:07:34. > :07:37.moment it is a menu without prices? It is not a menu without prices, it
:07:38. > :07:42.is a fantastic opportunity. This 20 point plan is something which will
:07:43. > :07:47.transform the lives of millions of millions of people in the
:07:48. > :07:52.workplace... But what is the cost? It will be welcomed by many people
:07:53. > :07:56.across the UK. The fact the costings have not been released, you will
:07:57. > :08:01.have to be patient, it will be released very clearly, it will
:08:02. > :08:05.identify that in the manifesto. Let me come down to one of the points,
:08:06. > :08:11.the end of the public sector pay freeze. Can you give us any idea how
:08:12. > :08:13.much that will cost? The end of the public sector pay freeze, so
:08:14. > :08:21.important to the future of the Labour Party, it is an massive
:08:22. > :08:26.policy decision. Let me say at this stage, Theresa May, the Prime
:08:27. > :08:29.Minister, this morning, on The Andrew Marr Show, did not have the
:08:30. > :08:35.common decency, courtesy all respect to condone the fact that nurses, the
:08:36. > :08:40.heroes of the NHS, have had a reduction of nearly 14% in their
:08:41. > :08:45.wages since 2010 and are using food banks to feed themselves! Does that
:08:46. > :08:51.not say everything that is wrong with today's society? So can you
:08:52. > :08:56.tell me what it will cost, which is what my question was? What I will
:08:57. > :08:59.say is everything the Labour Party pledges, everything that we come out
:09:00. > :09:04.with, what we will roll out between now and the 8th of June, will be
:09:05. > :09:07.fully costed, people will be very much aware of how much the costings
:09:08. > :09:12.will be, where the funding will come from, when the manifesto is
:09:13. > :09:17.published. What about doubling paternity leave, nu minimum wage,
:09:18. > :09:28.four new bank holidays, any idea what it will
:09:29. > :09:31.cost? These are exciting new proposals and of course today cost
:09:32. > :09:34.money but we are the sixth richest economy in the world. It is about
:09:35. > :09:37.redistribution of the wealth we create. We are seeing growth in the
:09:38. > :09:40.economy, it is how we utilise the finances in the best way we possibly
:09:41. > :09:46.can for a fairer society for the many and not the few. You just can't
:09:47. > :09:51.tell me how much it will cost? That is why I will repeat again that you
:09:52. > :09:55.need to be very patient. Do you know the cost yourself? You are the head
:09:56. > :09:59.of the campaign, do you know the cost of these things yourself? I am
:10:00. > :10:03.very much aware of how much the costings are likely to be, they have
:10:04. > :10:09.been identified, they will be published in the manifesto. You
:10:10. > :10:13.really do understand I would not be releasing today, live on your show,
:10:14. > :10:18.any costings or predictions with regards the manifesto. Why not? You
:10:19. > :10:24.have released the policy, why not the cost? Because there is a fine
:10:25. > :10:27.detail and we will identify it to the general public in the manifesto.
:10:28. > :10:34.We not only explain how much it will cost but we will explain where the
:10:35. > :10:39.funding comes from. Be patient. Will some of the costs be met by
:10:40. > :10:44.increasing taxes? I would think at this point in time there is not any
:10:45. > :10:50.indication to increase basic taxes and again the taxes and spending of
:10:51. > :10:55.the Labour Government with the proposals of the 20 point plan, the
:10:56. > :11:01.issues we have got, housing, the NHS, crime, education will all be
:11:02. > :11:05.identified with the costings in the publication. Can you tell us this
:11:06. > :11:12.morning, we'll tax for most people rise or not to finance this? We in
:11:13. > :11:19.the Labour Party are looking to a fair tax system which will be
:11:20. > :11:25.clearly identified in the manifesto. Mr McDonnell also wants to ban all
:11:26. > :11:31.0-hours contracts. Would that include those who actually like
:11:32. > :11:34.those contracts? There are nearly 1 million, depending on which figured
:11:35. > :11:38.you'd use, there are nearly 1 million people on zero-hours
:11:39. > :11:42.contract and the vast proportion of those want to be able to live a
:11:43. > :11:49.decent life, a secure life, they want to understand whether they will
:11:50. > :11:52.be at work the next day, they're included hours... I understand a lot
:11:53. > :11:56.of people don't like zero-hours contract and your proposal will
:11:57. > :12:02.address that, but there are those, I saw one survey where 65% of people
:12:03. > :12:06.on zero-hours contract like the flexibility it gives them. Will you
:12:07. > :12:10.force them off zero-hours contract or if they like them will they
:12:11. > :12:14.continue with them? We will discuss it with employee is to make sure
:12:15. > :12:19.individuals in the workplace have the right to negotiate hours in that
:12:20. > :12:27.workplace. Guaranteed hours is very, very important. Zero-hour contracts
:12:28. > :12:31.are an instrument in which employers abuse and exploit mainly young
:12:32. > :12:36.people, mainly female people in the workplace. We would be banning
:12:37. > :12:41.zero-hour contract. But there are those, students for example, who
:12:42. > :12:46.like them, would they be forced off zero-hour contracts in your
:12:47. > :12:50.proposal? Our proposal would be banning zero-hour contract and
:12:51. > :12:55.introducing contracts which have set hours in the workplace. You also say
:12:56. > :12:59.no company will be able to bid for a public contract unless the boss
:13:00. > :13:04.earns no more than 20 times the lowest paid, or the average wage,
:13:05. > :13:07.I'm not quite sure which. What would happen if British Aerospace bids to
:13:08. > :13:13.build more joint strike Fighters and the boss is paid more than 20 times?
:13:14. > :13:20.I understand the point you raise but we have an obscene situation in this
:13:21. > :13:25.country, Andrew, in which the bosses at the very top make an absolute
:13:26. > :13:31.fortune... But what would happen then? Who would build joint strike
:13:32. > :13:35.Fighters... The difference in wages between the top earners in the
:13:36. > :13:41.country and the people in the factories, in the workshops,
:13:42. > :13:46.producing the goods, is vast. I understand that is the reason you
:13:47. > :13:50.want a ratio. What I am saying is, what happens if the ratio is
:13:51. > :13:56.greater? Who gets the contract if not British Aerospace? Who else
:13:57. > :14:02.builds the planes? We are going to introduce a wage rate CEO of one to
:14:03. > :14:06.20. -- wage ratio. We want to close the gap between the people at the
:14:07. > :14:09.very top and people who produce the goods. Let me try one more Time, who
:14:10. > :14:17.would build the joint strike fighter? We would look at the issue
:14:18. > :14:21.as it came along but the policy is clear... Can you name a single
:14:22. > :14:29.defence contractor weather boss' salary is less than 20 times average
:14:30. > :14:35.earnings? We are not reducing, we have rolled that out as part of this
:14:36. > :14:41.fantastic plan to transform society to get rid of discrimination, to try
:14:42. > :14:46.and bring together our communities. We will introduce a pay ratio of one
:14:47. > :14:48.to 20. Fair enough, thank you very much.
:14:49. > :14:52.It's a month after the triggering of Article 50, and EU leaders -
:14:53. > :14:54.with the exception of Britain - met in Brussels this weekend
:14:55. > :14:56.to agree their opening negotiating stance, to get the divorce
:14:57. > :15:13.It is inside this psychedelic chamber where Britain's 'Grexit'
:15:14. > :15:18.future will be decided over the next two years, but there is a vast gulf
:15:19. > :15:28.in rhetoric coming from the UK and the EU. With parallel narratives
:15:29. > :15:31.emerging for both sides. There is broad agreement that an orderly
:15:32. > :15:36.withdrawal is in the interests of both sides. But Theresa May's
:15:37. > :15:39.position is that the terms of our future trade deal should be
:15:40. > :15:43.negotiated alongside the terms of our divorce. Meanwhile the EU says
:15:44. > :15:50.the terms of the UK's exit must be decided before any discussion on a
:15:51. > :15:53.future trade deal can begin. But don't forget that divorce
:15:54. > :15:59.settlement. Don't remind me. In Brussels, many think written should
:16:00. > :16:02.pay even more, while in the UK ministers said the divorce bill
:16:03. > :16:07.should be capped at 3 billion. After you. Thank you.
:16:08. > :16:18.For are you looking forward to it? Isn't that divorce bill a bit high?
:16:19. > :16:23.Isn't this about punishing Britain? We are very united, you all seem so
:16:24. > :16:30.surprised but it's a fact. How soon can we get a deal? We have to wait
:16:31. > :16:36.for the elections. It was the decision of Mrs May. It took over an
:16:37. > :16:39.hour for the leaders to make their entrances but once inside it's just
:16:40. > :16:45.a few minutes to agree the negotiating guidelines. They set out
:16:46. > :16:49.three main areas. The first phase of talks on the divorce settlement will
:16:50. > :16:52.deal with the existing financial commitments to the EU, the Northern
:16:53. > :16:56.Ireland border and the rights of EU citizens in the UK. They said a UK
:16:57. > :17:01.trade agreement can be discussed when the first phase of talks
:17:02. > :17:06.reaches significant progress. And that there must be unity in the
:17:07. > :17:12.negotiations, that individual EU members won't negotiate separately
:17:13. > :17:16.with the UK. They are quite good here at negotiating because they are
:17:17. > :17:20.used to it. They set a maximum and then they have to recede a little
:17:21. > :17:26.bit depending on what the other side is prepared to offer. I think there
:17:27. > :17:30.is room for manoeuvre in some issues, but I don't think some of
:17:31. > :17:35.the baseline things will change that much. For example I don't think the
:17:36. > :17:40.European Union will concede on the rights of citizens who are already
:17:41. > :17:46.in the UK. It will be very difficult for them to accept that they will
:17:47. > :17:50.not be any exit bill, and the question of Northern Ireland is very
:17:51. > :17:53.important as well, the hard order question. The baseline things are
:17:54. > :17:58.not going to move that much, then you have room for manoeuvring
:17:59. > :18:02.between. On security, defence and the fight against terrorism, the
:18:03. > :18:07.guidelines said the EU stands ready to work together. And after lunch,
:18:08. > :18:12.friendly signs from some EU leaders as they gave individual press
:18:13. > :18:15.conferences. Paul and said the talks should open doors to new
:18:16. > :18:22.opportunities and even German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had
:18:23. > :18:24.earlier said some in Britain were deluded about Brexit, softened her
:18:25. > :18:29.tone saying there was no conspiracy against the UK. Unity was the
:18:30. > :18:34.buzzword at this summit and for once everybody seemed to be sticking to
:18:35. > :18:38.the script. That unity is not only amongst the 27 states, it's also
:18:39. > :18:43.among the institutions so many of the divisions we have seen in the
:18:44. > :18:47.past at European level do not exist. That is very important and it's not
:18:48. > :18:51.be unity that is directed somehow against the UK because I think we
:18:52. > :19:04.all want this to be an orderly process and part of that is that the
:19:05. > :19:08.EU side is unified. So although there are no surprises here, what
:19:09. > :19:11.took place in this room was a significant step towards the real
:19:12. > :19:16.Brexit negotiations which will begin soon after the general election in
:19:17. > :19:20.June, said to be the most complex the UK has faced in our lifetimes.
:19:21. > :19:26.Isabel, Steve and Tom are still with me.
:19:27. > :19:34.Isabel, doesn't the British media have to be a bit careful here? We
:19:35. > :19:39.would never take at face value anything a British politician tells
:19:40. > :19:42.us. We would question it, put it in context and wonder if they are
:19:43. > :19:47.bluffing, but we seem to take at face value anything a European
:19:48. > :19:51.politician says about these negotiations. You only have to look
:19:52. > :19:56.at the front page of the Sunday Times today to see that. They quoted
:19:57. > :20:00.at length Juncker, who didn't like the food at the reception and this
:20:01. > :20:05.and that, and I think the mood is very optimistic. The key thing is
:20:06. > :20:10.the EU trade Commissioner has said we will get a free trade deal and a
:20:11. > :20:13.lot of people seem to be wilfully ignoring that incredibly big
:20:14. > :20:19.concession. That is what will happen in their view. Everything that is
:20:20. > :20:24.said at the moment needs a slight rerun over. They are all in
:20:25. > :20:27.negotiating positions, plus we seem to be completely unaware that they
:20:28. > :20:33.all have their own domestic constituencies as well. Angela
:20:34. > :20:36.Merkel has an important election coming up in September,
:20:37. > :20:40.Euroscepticism is quite different from Britain of course, but there's
:20:41. > :20:45.a different kind of euro scepticism in Germany, she has got to deal with
:20:46. > :20:49.that. Of course she has, which is why you are right, nothing should be
:20:50. > :20:54.taken too seriously out of the mouths of British politicians or
:20:55. > :20:59.European politicians until October this year. We have got to wait for
:21:00. > :21:03.the French elections, then German elections, and if you look through
:21:04. > :21:08.this you can see a way forward. There's no trade talks until pay up,
:21:09. > :21:13.but what was actually written was no trade talks until we make
:21:14. > :21:16.significant progress on the money. You can define significant progress
:21:17. > :21:22.in a lot of ways but come December, fireworks over the summer, we all
:21:23. > :21:26.get very excited about it, in these chairs I'm sure, come December
:21:27. > :21:31.things will look a lot smoother. The German elections are at the end of
:21:32. > :21:33.September but I've seen reports in German press, depending how it goes
:21:34. > :21:40.it could take until Christmas before a new coalition government is put
:21:41. > :21:43.together. The Brussels long-standing negotiating tactic of nothing is
:21:44. > :21:48.agreed until everything is agreed, then I guess the British could say
:21:49. > :21:53.we agree a certain sum of money if that's what it takes but that
:21:54. > :21:58.depends on them, what good trade deal we get. If we don't get that,
:21:59. > :22:04.the sum of money is off the table. In that sense, the two are going
:22:05. > :22:08.parallel. However, I wouldn't entirely dismiss what people are
:22:09. > :22:14.saying in their pre-election periods to their own electorates because
:22:15. > :22:17.they have to some extent to deliver subsequently. Of course Angela
:22:18. > :22:22.Merkel is campaigning and electioneering, who wouldn't, she
:22:23. > :22:25.has a tough election to fight, but she is measured and thoughtful and
:22:26. > :22:30.when she says things like some of the British are delusional, that is
:22:31. > :22:37.unusually strong language for her. What was she referring to? I don't
:22:38. > :22:41.know, it wasn't specific. Have the cake and eat it perhaps the
:22:42. > :22:44.sequencing the British don't want. When they thought the British
:22:45. > :22:47.government was going to effectively demand membership of the single
:22:48. > :22:55.market, that's not going to happen now. Unless you sign up to the four
:22:56. > :23:01.pillars, that's the cake and eat it proposition, which they are right in
:23:02. > :23:05.saying Theresa May has made. But everybody has access, even with no
:23:06. > :23:15.deal you have access. The other side of it is I think there will be a
:23:16. > :23:21.united position from them. And so, as somebody pointed out in that
:23:22. > :23:28.report, they are experienced, tough negotiators, so I don't think it
:23:29. > :23:35.will be quite as easy as some think. I spoke to one of those who drew up
:23:36. > :23:38.Article 50 and they said to me they deliberately put this two year
:23:39. > :23:45.timetable in to make it impossible for anybody to think about leaving.
:23:46. > :23:48.This is really tight, this negotiation. Easy, it isn't.
:23:49. > :23:50.This coming Thursday, voters up and down the country
:23:51. > :23:53.will be going to the polls in this year's local elections.
:23:54. > :23:55.Over the past few weeks I've interviewed representatives
:23:56. > :23:56.of the Conservative Party, Labour, the Liberal Democrats,
:23:57. > :24:00.Today it's the turn of Plaid Cymru and the SNP.
:24:01. > :24:02.A little earlier I spoke Alex Salmond, who until 2014
:24:03. > :24:07.I started by asking him why Scots should vote SNP in local elections
:24:08. > :24:09.when the Scottish Government had just cut central Government funding
:24:10. > :24:25.It's actually a funding increase going into Scottish councils this
:24:26. > :24:29.year, and if you look at the funding position for example between
:24:30. > :24:32.Scottish councils and those in England, which are obviously
:24:33. > :24:36.directly related through the Barnett formula, the funding in Scotland has
:24:37. > :24:47.been incomparably better than that in England so there's a whole range
:24:48. > :24:50.of the -- of reasons... What's happening south of the border
:24:51. > :24:54.indicates the protection the Scottish Parliament has been able to
:24:55. > :24:58.put in that helps vital services in Scotland. But there hasn't been a
:24:59. > :25:02.funding increase, the block grant from Westminster to Edinburgh was
:25:03. > :25:10.increased by 1.5% in real terms but the grant to councils was cut by
:25:11. > :25:14.2.6%. It was going to be a cut of 330 million, the Greens got you to
:25:15. > :25:25.reduce it to 170 million but it is still a cut of 2.6%. Your own
:25:26. > :25:29.Aberdeenshire Council has had a cut to 391 million. You have cut the
:25:30. > :25:33.money to councils. Yes, but councils have available to them more
:25:34. > :25:38.resources this year, and as you say the budget increased that further
:25:39. > :25:41.which is why we put forward an excellent local government budget in
:25:42. > :25:47.Aberdeenshire and resisted a Tory attempts to knock ?3 million off...
:25:48. > :25:52.You asked me about Aberdeenshire, and Aberdeenshire has put forward a
:25:53. > :25:57.budget for investment expansion and resisted a Tory attempts to knock ?3
:25:58. > :26:00.million off the education budget, and I'm very grateful you have given
:26:01. > :26:06.me the opportunity to make that point. The Government in Edinburgh
:26:07. > :26:13.has cut the money to Aberdeenshire by ?11 million. It is a cut. But
:26:14. > :26:16.there is an investment budget in Aberdeenshire that has been made
:26:17. > :26:22.available by the ability to increase the council tax by 2.5% after a
:26:23. > :26:25.nine-year freeze in Scotland, and that has brought more resources into
:26:26. > :26:29.local government and that's why the butchered in Aberdeenshire has been
:26:30. > :26:34.an investment budget including protection of the education budget
:26:35. > :26:38.in the face of a Tory and liberal attempt to cut bit. You have to
:26:39. > :26:41.compare what is happening in Scotland and England, and there's no
:26:42. > :26:48.doubt Scottish local authorities have been much better funded than
:26:49. > :26:50.those in England over the last few years and that's been the ability of
:26:51. > :26:56.the Scottish Government to protect the services at local level. A good
:26:57. > :27:02.reason for voting SNP. If they have been so well funded, why after a
:27:03. > :27:09.decade of SNP rule do one in five Scottish pupils leave primary school
:27:10. > :27:14.functionally illiterate? You have got to take these things... Nicola
:27:15. > :27:19.Sturgeon has made it a top priority to address these challenges but
:27:20. > :27:22.let's take another statistic. 93% of Scottish kids are now emerging from
:27:23. > :27:30.school to positive destinations, that means to further education,
:27:31. > :27:36.apprenticeships or work. Why are one in five functionally illiterate? You
:27:37. > :27:40.argue one statistic, I'm arguing Scottish education is putting in
:27:41. > :27:45.some substantially good performances like the 93% going on to positive
:27:46. > :27:50.destinations. You can't have a failing education system if you have
:27:51. > :27:54.got that 93%, and incidentally a record low youth unemployment in
:27:55. > :27:59.Scotland without the second lowest unemployment rate in Europe. These
:28:00. > :28:03.pupils are being prepared by the Scottish education system. Let's
:28:04. > :28:08.take the figures in the round on education. It's so important. Under
:28:09. > :28:13.your watch, under your government, the Scottish schools in the most
:28:14. > :28:23.important global comparison have fallen from tenth to 19th in
:28:24. > :28:31.science, and 11 to 24th in maths, that is a record of decline and
:28:32. > :28:36.failure. That is by the OECD and first questions about that, but the
:28:37. > :28:40.OECD has also described Scotland is one of the best educated societies
:28:41. > :28:46.in the world. That was from the school system in previous years gone
:28:47. > :28:52.by. For those who are currently in Scottish schools, you have fallen
:28:53. > :28:55.from 11th to 24th in mathematics. The OECD was commenting on
:28:56. > :28:59.introduction of the new curriculum for excellence in which they have
:29:00. > :29:04.given a resounding thumbs up to it, and that's the same source as the
:29:05. > :29:08.rankings which you are comparing. Nicola Sturgeon has said there are
:29:09. > :29:11.challenges on Scottish education, particularly the access through the
:29:12. > :29:16.education system and the attainment gap but don't tell me it's failing
:29:17. > :29:19.when 55% of our pupils have gone on to higher education. That's one of
:29:20. > :29:26.the most impressive figures in the world. Why have you cut 4000
:29:27. > :29:30.teachers? The pupil numbers in Scotland have been falling over
:29:31. > :29:33.recent years as well and now of course we are increasing the number
:29:34. > :29:38.of people going through teachers training so we can make sure that
:29:39. > :29:43.number increases, but listen, the Scottish Government and Scottish
:29:44. > :29:47.Parliament, as you very well know, are subject to real terms spending
:29:48. > :29:51.cuts over the last few years and all public services have been under
:29:52. > :29:54.pressure. The main reason in terms of teacher numbers has been an
:29:55. > :29:59.attempt on the Scottish Government to protect the teacher pupil ratio,
:30:00. > :30:07.and that will now be enhanced by a further taker -- intake. You
:30:08. > :30:12.promised you would reduce primary class sizes to 18 and instead they
:30:13. > :30:19.are now 23.5 and rising. You broke that promise. You didn't mention
:30:20. > :30:23.where we started from. We have kept the teacher pupil ratio very solid
:30:24. > :30:27.in Scotland and that's been against a range of public expenditure cuts
:30:28. > :30:29.but the new intake of teachers into the new teacher training in Scotland
:30:30. > :30:40.I think will enhance the system. You have spent in the pasty in
:30:41. > :30:44.Hollywood 43 hours on Government time debating independence. How many
:30:45. > :30:50.hours have you debated education on Government time? I don't have that
:30:51. > :30:53.they get a hand... The answer is zero, you have spent zero-hours
:30:54. > :30:59.debating education on Government time. Isn't it time the SNP got back
:31:00. > :31:04.to concentrating on the day job? Andrew, as you very well know Nicola
:31:05. > :31:07.Sturgeon has identified a key priority, closing the attainment gap
:31:08. > :31:12.in Scottish education. That is exactly what she has done. Let me
:31:13. > :31:18.answer the question, it is difficult to be in a remote location, if you
:31:19. > :31:24.talk before I answer the question then the view was will not be able
:31:25. > :31:29.to listen. I let you answer that without saying a word. Is this
:31:30. > :31:33.general election about independence, as you say it is, or not about
:31:34. > :31:39.independence, as Mrs Sturgeon says it is? No, I have said exactly the
:31:40. > :31:43.same as Nicola Sturgeon on that. The issue what independence will be
:31:44. > :31:48.decided in a national referendum of the Scottish people. The mandate for
:31:49. > :31:52.that referendum was gained in last year's Scottish elections. What this
:31:53. > :31:55.election is about is backing the right of the Scottish parliament to
:31:56. > :31:58.exercise that mandate and also providing real opposition to this
:31:59. > :32:03.Tory Government and allowing the Scottish Parliament to reverse
:32:04. > :32:07.austerity and some of the public expenditure cutbacks you have been
:32:08. > :32:08.talking about, that is what this is about, backing our Scottish
:32:09. > :32:10.Parliament. Alex Salmond, speaking
:32:11. > :32:12.to me earlier. I'm now joined by the leader
:32:13. > :32:19.of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood. You accuse the Government of wanting
:32:20. > :32:23.an extreme Brexit, those are your words. What is the difference
:32:24. > :32:27.between hard Brexit and extreme Brexit? My concern is the way in
:32:28. > :32:32.which we leave the European Union could be very damaging to Wales if,
:32:33. > :32:36.for example, there are tariffs introduced then that would have a
:32:37. > :32:42.real impact in terms of Welsh jobs, and I want to make sure that we have
:32:43. > :32:46.a Brexit that doesn't cause the damage to Wales that could be
:32:47. > :32:52.caused. But what is the difference between extreme and hard? Anything
:32:53. > :32:55.that puts Welsh jobs at risk is either extreme or hard and
:32:56. > :32:59.unacceptable to Plaid Cymru, and we will do what we can to protect those
:33:00. > :33:03.jobs. You want Wales to remain a member of the single market even if
:33:04. > :33:08.the UK isn't, which would mean Wales having to accept the free movement
:33:09. > :33:19.of people, still being under the jurisdiction of the European Court,
:33:20. > :33:22.and you also want to stay in the customs union which means you could
:33:23. > :33:25.not do your own free trade deals. What is the difference between that
:33:26. > :33:27.and being a member of the European Union? We would be like Norway,
:33:28. > :33:29.outside the European Union and inside the single market. The key
:33:30. > :33:34.question is the issue of jobs and the ability to continue to trade.
:33:35. > :33:38.Wales exports, we are the biggest exporter in the whole of the UK, so
:33:39. > :33:46.there are many jobs reliant upon those goods being able to be sold to
:33:47. > :33:52.the single market. Is it central to the UK? Out of the four countries
:33:53. > :34:00.that make up the UK... Proportionally, yes. If you remain
:34:01. > :34:04.in the single market, it is hard to see how Wales could stay in the
:34:05. > :34:08.single market if the UK -- when the rest of the UK was not, you cite
:34:09. > :34:13.Norway, that has free movement, it has to be said, it effectively have
:34:14. > :34:17.to accept the jurisdiction of the European Court, it is not in the
:34:18. > :34:26.customs union so it can do some of its own free trade deals, but the
:34:27. > :34:30.Welsh people voted to leave. We have to accept the principle of free
:34:31. > :34:33.movement if there is not going to be a hard border between the north and
:34:34. > :34:38.south of Ireland. There is going to be free movement within Ireland and
:34:39. > :34:43.therefore freedom of movement, as we said in the referendum campaign,
:34:44. > :34:49.would be very, very difficult to rule out. You lost that campaign, as
:34:50. > :34:55.you know, Wales voted to leave, 17 Council areas voted to leave, only
:34:56. > :34:59.five voted to remain. Doesn't it explain why your party is going
:35:00. > :35:05.nowhere? A majority in Wales voted to leave but you effectively want to
:35:06. > :35:10.support that and de facto remain in the EU? I don't accept that, we
:35:11. > :35:15.accepted the result but Plaid Cymru now is about defending Wales. There
:35:16. > :35:19.are so many risks facing our people from the jobs perspective, the
:35:20. > :35:23.privatisation perspective, the cuts perspective, and from the fact that
:35:24. > :35:28.the Tories would like to grab power was back from our National Assembly,
:35:29. > :35:32.so the key point... If you look at the Wales bill that went through
:35:33. > :35:35.recently, the list of reserved powers there suggests there are some
:35:36. > :35:42.powers currently within the Welsh Assembly jurisdiction that would be
:35:43. > :35:47.dragged back. Which power was will Westminster take back? They could
:35:48. > :35:54.take powers back over the NHS, for example. There is no indication they
:35:55. > :36:03.want to do that. The Tories have attacked the Welsh NHS. That is my
:36:04. > :36:06.point! Quite viciously. If they increase their mandate, I wouldn't
:36:07. > :36:11.put it past them to try to take power was back over the NHS and then
:36:12. > :36:16.of course we risk our NHS being privatised though this election is
:36:17. > :36:19.all about defending Wales, protecting Welsh people from further
:36:20. > :36:24.privatisation and cuts and a power grab from the Tories. Why is there
:36:25. > :36:28.never a breakthrough for your party, Plaid Cymru? Labour dominated in
:36:29. > :36:32.Wales for years, the Tories do quite well, Ukip had a surge for a while,
:36:33. > :36:37.it looks like the Tories will have another surge, never you, always the
:36:38. > :36:41.bridesmaid, never the bride. Wait until Thursday and I think you will
:36:42. > :36:45.see that in many parts of Wales we will increase our representation at
:36:46. > :36:51.a local council level. In the Rhondda, where I am assembly member,
:36:52. > :36:59.we are looking to increase our representation... You are only 13%
:37:00. > :37:03.in the polls will stop which is half of even the Tories in Wales! If you
:37:04. > :37:10.don't breakthrough in the selection, if the real problem is going
:37:11. > :37:15.nowhere, do you think you will pack it in? Robert Green not, I have a
:37:16. > :37:20.job to do, a vision of Wales which is about building up our nation and
:37:21. > :37:23.standing on our own two feet and my job is not done yet. Thank you for
:37:24. > :37:27.being with us as part of your job, we will see how it goes on Thursday.
:37:28. > :37:29.It's just gone 11.35, you're watching the Sunday Politics.
:37:30. > :37:32.We say goodbye to viewers in Scotland who leave us now
:37:33. > :37:40.You're watching the Sunday Politics for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
:37:41. > :37:44.Why many are seeing red over Nestle's decision to move production
:37:45. > :37:46.of the Blue Riband chocolate bar to Poland.
:37:47. > :37:48.It's reopened the debate about whether more more firms
:37:49. > :37:52.could move jobs abroad because of Brexit.
:37:53. > :38:02.And with local elections taking place on Thursday,
:38:03. > :38:09.who will the people of Doncaster choose as their Mayor?
:38:10. > :38:16.We are joined live this Sunday morning by Rachel Reeves, Labour MP
:38:17. > :38:21.for Leeds West and by Stuart Andrew, Conservative MP for Pudsey. Hello,
:38:22. > :38:25.both. What you make of the campaign so far? Who is winning the war of
:38:26. > :38:29.words? There is a disconnect between what is being spoken about
:38:30. > :38:32.nationally and what people are saying to us on the doorsteps. The
:38:33. > :38:38.Prime Minister wants to make this election all about Brexit. And yet
:38:39. > :38:49.on the doorsteps, people are talking about their insecurity at work.
:38:50. > :38:51.About cuts to the NHS and their local schools. And also about the
:38:52. > :38:54.cost of living. Many people, particularly in the public sector
:38:55. > :38:56.weather has been a pay freeze for seven years, but also in the private
:38:57. > :38:59.sector, where people feel insecure in work. They want to know what the
:39:00. > :39:04.parties are going to do on that, and I think some of Labour's messages on
:39:05. > :39:08.wages, contract and public sector pay are cutting through. Can you sum
:39:09. > :39:12.up the campaign so far without using the word is strong and stable
:39:13. > :39:15.leadership? I have to say that the message is getting through, because
:39:16. > :39:18.I had a conversation with people yesterday and they repeated that
:39:19. > :39:22.message to me. But they couldn't actually repeat what the Labour
:39:23. > :39:27.messages. I think people are concerned about who is going to our
:39:28. > :39:30.Prime Minister, because we are about to embark on an incredibly important
:39:31. > :39:33.negotiations and they want to know that they have confidence in the
:39:34. > :39:38.Prime Minister who is going to do that. At the moment what I'm picking
:39:39. > :39:42.up is that Theresa May is certainly the favourite. Well, the news that
:39:43. > :39:47.confectionery giant Nestle is planning to cut almost 300 jobs by
:39:48. > :39:52.shifting production of its Blue Riband chocolate to Poland sparked a
:39:53. > :39:55.war of words in the first week of campaigning.
:39:56. > :39:58.The company said the move was not directly linked to Brexit,
:39:59. > :40:01.but some point out it isn't the first and won't be the last firm
:40:02. > :40:07.Sarah Urwin reports from Nestle's factory in York.
:40:08. > :40:10.# I got those, can't get enough of those Blue Riband Blues #
:40:11. > :40:21.Blue Riband's the wafer biscuit I always choose.#
:40:22. > :40:23.Nestle saysit is cutting 275 jobs in the UK
:40:24. > :40:27.of its Blue Riband biscuit to Poland.
:40:28. > :40:30.It was on Tuesday that the Nestle job losses were announced.
:40:31. > :40:32.The company denies that Brexit had any impact on the decision.
:40:33. > :40:34.But the local MP needs some convincing.
:40:35. > :40:36.Devastating for workers, their families and the community.
:40:37. > :40:38.Jobs, not products, being exported to the EU.
:40:39. > :40:40.And as ever, York's skilled jobs are replaced
:40:41. > :40:44.In the light of the special deal at Nissan in Sunderland,
:40:45. > :40:46.will the Prime Minister meet with me, trade unions
:40:47. > :40:48.and the company to strike a special deal to save these jobs?
:40:49. > :40:52.We don't actually know what the Nissan deal was.
:40:53. > :40:56.But the Japanese car company said it had been given support
:40:57. > :41:02.Rachael Maskell says all companies are looking for leadership
:41:03. > :41:08.Business decisions are being made now, and that's why when we see jobs
:41:09. > :41:14.going from Nestle to Poland, they're early warning signs
:41:15. > :41:18.And I can assure her, we're already in contact with the company
:41:19. > :41:25.to understand our plans and the next steps.
:41:26. > :41:32.DWP of course stands ready to put in place that rapid response service
:41:33. > :41:33.to support any workers made redundant, by helping them
:41:34. > :41:35.back into employment as quickly as possible.
:41:36. > :41:38.Nestle say the plans for job losses are just a proposal at the moment,
:41:39. > :41:40.and are consulting with workers and trade unions.
:41:41. > :41:42.In a statement, they say these changes would be necessary
:41:43. > :41:45.irrespective of the UK's decision to leave the EU.
:41:46. > :41:48.But Gulcin Ozkan reckons there will be more job
:41:49. > :41:54.A company like Nestle, when operating in Poland,
:41:55. > :41:57.would benefit from cheap and skilled labour.
:41:58. > :42:02.The possibility of operating without tariffs as well as a huge
:42:03. > :42:09.A number of other companies such as Microsoft, HSBC, Goldman Sachs,
:42:10. > :42:15.So if you think about it from an economic point of view,
:42:16. > :42:18.it does make sense, although it's very difficult from
:42:19. > :42:23.the view of the families who are involved, clearly.
:42:24. > :42:25.So are people in York actually worried about job
:42:26. > :42:30.We don't know what's going to happen, it's no
:42:31. > :42:36.I think people are concerned, just generally about
:42:37. > :42:45.And I can't see a reason why we shouldn't be all right.
:42:46. > :42:48.As long as Mr Corbyn don't get in, I think we'll be all right.
:42:49. > :42:53.The one thing that is certain is uncertainty in the economy.
:42:54. > :42:56.With one union claiming millions of pounds worth of investment
:42:57. > :42:59.in Yorkshire companies are on hold, as firms wait to see
:43:00. > :43:15.Were joined in the studio by the regional secretary for the GMB
:43:16. > :43:20.union. Let me ask Stuart Andrew first of all, how does this fit into
:43:21. > :43:23.a Theresa May's narrative of creating a strong and stable economy
:43:24. > :43:27.when hundreds of jobs are being exported to Poland? The first thing,
:43:28. > :43:33.this is incredibly disappointing. And it will be a big worry for those
:43:34. > :43:37.people who work there. But what has already happened is that Greg Clark,
:43:38. > :43:40.the Business Secretary, has already been in touch with the company and
:43:41. > :43:44.is making sure that the government is there ready to listen. I
:43:45. > :43:48.understand from the company as well, they've made it clear that this
:43:49. > :43:53.isn't about Brexit, it's about external pressures in this industry.
:43:54. > :43:57.Of course it's not. What have got to do is make sure we have a strategy
:43:58. > :44:00.in place, so we're investing in things like the York city centre
:44:01. > :44:06.enterprise zone to helping courage those jobs. I spoke to Andrew Percy,
:44:07. > :44:10.Northern Power has minister, there's an enormous amount of work going on
:44:11. > :44:14.to ensure we have investment to bring about enterprise and jobs to
:44:15. > :44:18.the north of England. Rachel Reeves, how do you prevent big companies
:44:19. > :44:22.moving jobs abroad, when clearly production costs are cheaper
:44:23. > :44:27.overseas, and labour costs are cheaper? I think what Stuart Andrew
:44:28. > :44:31.has said and what the government are saying is incredibly complacent, and
:44:32. > :44:35.it will make workers at Nestle pretty angry. They do want to see
:44:36. > :44:39.regeneration of York city centre, but they want to see their jobs
:44:40. > :44:44.protected. These are good quality, high paid and high skilled jobs that
:44:45. > :44:49.shouldn't be going overseas. And the problem is that the type of Brexit,
:44:50. > :44:54.the extreme Brexit that Theresa May and her government are pursuing, is
:44:55. > :44:59.putting jobs at risk. Because businesses want to know and want the
:45:00. > :45:03.assurances that Nissan has had that there will be able to trade without
:45:04. > :45:06.additional barriers, whether terrorist or other rules and
:45:07. > :45:12.regulations that are going to be put in place that will make those trade
:45:13. > :45:17.deals much harder to do -- whether tariffs or other rules and
:45:18. > :45:21.regulations. The risk at this general election is that Theresa May
:45:22. > :45:25.is going to be given a blank cheque to pursue the type of Brexit she
:45:26. > :45:28.wants, and the reality is she has to be held to account. Because these
:45:29. > :45:33.jobs have got to remain in this country. We need jobs and
:45:34. > :45:37.investment. We don't want the export of jobs overseas. Neil Derrick from
:45:38. > :45:41.the GMB union, why is your company saying Nestle job losses are the tip
:45:42. > :45:46.of the Brexit iceberg when the company says this move is not about
:45:47. > :45:50.Brexit? Firstly, we do not concede any job losses at York or Halifax,
:45:51. > :45:59.or indeed across the Nestle estate, 300 jobs. Morris 45 days'
:46:00. > :46:03.consultation enough to deal with this. It'll take as long as it takes
:46:04. > :46:10.in order to secure the future of these and their families. If it's
:46:11. > :46:15.not about Brexit, that's a surprise to us. This business, who we work
:46:16. > :46:18.well with on a UK and European level, has not shared this
:46:19. > :46:23.information with us, has not discussed or made this disclosure
:46:24. > :46:27.until after the Brexit trigger. You would have expected them to have
:46:28. > :46:31.shared these plans if there are long-term plans, before with the GMB
:46:32. > :46:38.and other trade unions. We know for a fact that after the fall in the
:46:39. > :46:42.value of the pound, it has cost Nestle up to ?100 million extra to
:46:43. > :46:48.import their raw materials, sugar, cocoa, palm oil and that type of
:46:49. > :46:54.thing. Whether they are prepared to say publicly it's about Brexit or
:46:55. > :46:59.not, it's a factor. What I'm picking up across the Yorkshire economy from
:47:00. > :47:02.other businesses, the lady on the package said we should wait and see.
:47:03. > :47:06.That is not good enough for businesses. Businesses are saying
:47:07. > :47:10.now that they can't afford to wait and see. They are making decisions
:47:11. > :47:12.about stopping investment, stopping investment in skills and plant
:47:13. > :47:17.machinery because they don't know what's going to happen. Stuart
:47:18. > :47:21.Andrew, what do you make to that point that the companies are putting
:47:22. > :47:24.investment on hold because of the uncertainty over Brexit? Were about
:47:25. > :47:29.to embark on these negotiations, and I hope we can start to really make a
:47:30. > :47:33.good progress on those quite rapidly. We are of course in a
:47:34. > :47:38.period of uncertainty. The nation has spoken, we had this referendum.
:47:39. > :47:42.We've now got to get the very best deal for Britain and our economy.
:47:43. > :47:47.But also that's good for the EU, too. That is what Theresa May has
:47:48. > :47:52.said all along. She's determined to go in there and make that case, and
:47:53. > :47:56.ensure she get the best deal for British workers. Theresa May was
:47:57. > :48:02.asked by the York MP whether there was any concrete plans or proposals
:48:03. > :48:05.to help the workers in York. The response was tantamount to saying go
:48:06. > :48:10.to the job centre, get on your bike and look for work response,
:48:11. > :48:14.Jobcentre plus is available. The government needs to have the
:48:15. > :48:18.that they can share with businesses that they can share with businesses
:48:19. > :48:22.and trade unions, and listen to them about their concerns and put into
:48:23. > :48:26.plan sector by sector, which identifies what the problems will be
:48:27. > :48:31.for each sect in our economy. It's not just wait and see. It's not fair
:48:32. > :48:36.to say the watch is saying is go to the job centre. She has asked Greg
:48:37. > :48:39.Clark, the Business Secretary, to speak to the company, to listen to
:48:40. > :48:44.what they are saying. The whole ministerial team are involved in it,
:48:45. > :48:48.too. Local MPs from across the political divide are also working
:48:49. > :48:52.hard on this issue. To say she is dismissing it is wrong and unfair.
:48:53. > :48:56.You can talk about uncertainty and confusion over Brexit or Stuart
:48:57. > :49:01.Andrew. Uncertainty and confusion over Labour's Brexit policy. If we
:49:02. > :49:06.move on from Nestle to the bigger picture, it is clear that people
:49:07. > :49:09.voted to leave the European Union. Labour accepts the result of that
:49:10. > :49:12.referendum, and MPs including myself referendum, and MPs including myself
:49:13. > :49:16.and the Labour leadership voted to allow the government to trigger
:49:17. > :49:21.Article 50. That was the right thing to do. What is now in debate is what
:49:22. > :49:26.It is clear that people in my It is clear that people in my
:49:27. > :49:30.constituency and across the country want tougher rules on immigration,
:49:31. > :49:34.fairer rules on immigration. But they don't want to see jobs and
:49:35. > :49:37.investment go overseas. And that means keeping very close trading
:49:38. > :49:42.relationships and partnerships with European countries. I would like us
:49:43. > :49:45.to stay in the single market and have those close trading
:49:46. > :49:48.relationships, because they are key to jobs, particularly in
:49:49. > :49:50.manufacturing in our region. I'm manufacturing in our region. I'm
:49:51. > :49:52.throwing the baby out with the bath throwing the baby out with the
:49:53. > :49:57.water in all of this. Who do you water in all of this. Who do you
:49:58. > :50:01.think the vast majority of your members would like to see leading
:50:02. > :50:06.the negotiations, Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May? Jeremy Corbyn. Theresa
:50:07. > :50:09.May visited a Leeds workplace this week. The only people she didn't
:50:10. > :50:17.beat whether workers in that workplace. Jeremy Corbyn would have
:50:18. > :50:19.responded to Rachael Maskell's request with practical assistance.
:50:20. > :50:21.Will mention that later, but thank Will mention that later, but thank
:50:22. > :50:24.you for your thoughts today. Now, there have been
:50:25. > :50:25.some interesting The Ukip leader Paul Nuttall has
:50:26. > :50:29.confirmed he will be standing in the Boston and Skegness
:50:30. > :50:30.constituency at That part of Lincolnshire
:50:31. > :50:33.saw the highest vote Ukip came second to Conservatives
:50:34. > :50:40.in the 2015 election. That is a constituency. We'll be
:50:41. > :50:44.keeping an eye on it. And now with the rest
:50:45. > :50:47.of the week's election news in our part of the world,
:50:48. > :50:49.David Rhodes has our Theresa May made her first campaign
:50:50. > :50:55.visit to Yorkshire and chose the Labour stronghold
:50:56. > :50:58.of Harehills in Leeds. To make this appeal
:50:59. > :51:00.to Northern voters. Every vote cast for me through local
:51:01. > :51:09.Conservative candidates in cities like Leeds and up and down
:51:10. > :51:12.the country will strengthen my hand. But speaking in Morley,
:51:13. > :51:14.Labour's shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, accused
:51:15. > :51:17.the Prime Minister of creating Loss of businesses are saying to me,
:51:18. > :51:21."We need greater clarity So I think the uncertainty
:51:22. > :51:25.is what is the primary concern of businesses across the country,
:51:26. > :51:29.including here in Yorkshire. The former Bradford East MP
:51:30. > :51:31.David Ward was sacked as a Liberal Democrat candidate
:51:32. > :51:35.by the party's leader, Tim Farron, over comments he described as deeply
:51:36. > :51:39.offensive and anti-Semitic. We will have to have absolutely no
:51:40. > :51:42.tolerance, zero tolerance, And the Green party launched
:51:43. > :51:46.its election campaign in Sheffield, which is clearly aimed at securing
:51:47. > :52:06.the student vote, with a pledge It's all starting to hot up. Rachel
:52:07. > :52:09.Reeves, you're Labour, the Conservatives say there are no no go
:52:10. > :52:13.areas when it comes to the prospect of them winning seats in the North
:52:14. > :52:19.of England. Do you fear you're heading for a brutal defeat? Opinion
:52:20. > :52:23.polls suggest that Theresa May will have a large majority at the
:52:24. > :52:27.election. But we are out there in the constituency is fighting for
:52:28. > :52:31.every vote, taking nothing for granted. But Labour MPs in Yorkshire
:52:32. > :52:38.and across the country are also fighting on their records in Leeds
:52:39. > :52:40.West, my record of getting investment at Kirkstall Forge,
:52:41. > :52:47.keeping Branly baths open, helping when we had the floods in 2015.
:52:48. > :52:50.Every Labour MP in the region will be standing on their track records,
:52:51. > :52:53.because it is our names on the ballot paper. And people have to
:52:54. > :52:58.choose who they want to be their local MP to stand up and championed
:52:59. > :53:02.their area. In my error, the Tories are not there, they don't listen to
:53:03. > :53:06.the concerns of people in my patch. And people decide who they want to
:53:07. > :53:13.stand up for them locally. Stuart Andrew, you are Theresa May's wanted
:53:14. > :53:22.him to lead, to Harehills. Not what you would call natural territory. --
:53:23. > :53:26.natural territory for Tories. Why isn't she meeting people. She is.
:53:27. > :53:30.There were Tory activists, she wasn't on the streets. It was a
:53:31. > :53:33.party rally. At the last general election, the leader of the Labour
:53:34. > :53:37.Party came to my constituency goodness knows how many times and
:53:38. > :53:40.held private rallies in every part of the constituency. It doesn't mean
:53:41. > :53:44.he didn't then go off and meet members of the public, and it's the
:53:45. > :53:50.same for Theresa May. If you look, even recently, she was out on the
:53:51. > :53:54.doorstep with our candidate in the West Midlands. She goes out
:53:55. > :53:57.campaigning. It's a bit of campaigning she really enjoys. This
:53:58. > :54:01.nonsense that she is not interested... It all seems very
:54:02. > :54:05.stage-managed. You're talking about the rallies. There's the other side
:54:06. > :54:10.of the election, and we're only in week one. Let's wait and see. You
:54:11. > :54:13.will see has begin to the public. That is not the way election
:54:14. > :54:25.campaigns are usually conducted. Come on! You're telling me that Tony
:54:26. > :54:27.Blair and Ed Miliband didn't have... At the last election, I went with Ed
:54:28. > :54:29.Miliband to workplaces in Yorkshire, and the workers were there and asked
:54:30. > :54:33.him questions. They won't always easy questions, but he took people
:54:34. > :54:38.on. And have a debate with people. Theresa May kicked the workers out
:54:39. > :54:42.of the building. That's not true. Why have an event in the workplace
:54:43. > :54:48.and not invite the workers? It was a party rally. A very different events
:54:49. > :54:51.than what you're talking about. It seems a long time since John Major
:54:52. > :54:56.and his soapbox. We won't see scenes like that again. As at the
:54:57. > :55:00.Conservative councillors conference, and one thing she said there is "I
:55:01. > :55:04.look forward to all of you being on the doorstep, because I'll be with
:55:05. > :55:08.you." She goes on to the doorstep, goes campaigning, knocking on doors.
:55:09. > :55:11.Wait and see. She has been Prime Minister for nine months. This is
:55:12. > :55:14.the first time she's come to Yorkshire in those nine months. She
:55:15. > :55:18.comes up here and does her rally, the Yorkshire people are not full.
:55:19. > :55:22.They know she has come here to ask for votes rather than a lure for
:55:23. > :55:32.local people. She should have gone to a Nestle factory. You'll see her
:55:33. > :55:38.come to Yorkshire on more than just this one occasion. You will see her
:55:39. > :55:42.meeting people from right across the county. That's what she likes doing.
:55:43. > :55:46.Let me ask you briefly, there is one issue some suggest could derail the
:55:47. > :55:49.Conservative election campaign, that is the battle bus expenses
:55:50. > :55:57.investigation. I expecting an update on that during the pen came --
:55:58. > :56:00.during the campaign? Is not a lot I can say about this, other than to
:56:01. > :56:04.make very clear that the battle bus was part of the national spend and
:56:05. > :56:08.was returned as such. All parties had those buses. You don't put them
:56:09. > :56:13.in your local returns. I didn't do that, the Labour Party didn't do
:56:14. > :56:17.that, I wouldn't expect them to. We followed very absolute guidance from
:56:18. > :56:19.our party that said it would be a national spend, and that's what we
:56:20. > :56:24.did. You're confident you won't end up in court? I followed the right
:56:25. > :56:27.rules, that's what I was told to do and I did it.
:56:28. > :56:30.A significant test of the way the political wind is blowing
:56:31. > :56:32.will come on Thursday in the local elections.
:56:33. > :56:33.Voters in Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Derbyshire
:56:34. > :56:35.and Nottinghamshire will decide who runs their county councils.
:56:36. > :56:37.There are no council elections taking place in most
:56:38. > :56:39.parts of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Humberside,
:56:40. > :56:42.but the people of Doncaster will choose an elected mayor.
:56:43. > :56:45.And it seems the debate in Doncaster has been dominated by the question
:56:46. > :56:48.of whether the town should be ruled by a mayor covering the wider
:56:49. > :56:57.James Vincent has been speaking to the candidates.
:56:58. > :56:59.Doncaster is getting ready to pick a mayor,
:57:00. > :57:01.but getting people interested in that when there's a general
:57:02. > :57:04.election on as well is like trying to entice people into your shop
:57:05. > :57:11.on as a full on military parade going past outside.
:57:12. > :57:13.The Kings Own Light Infantry have their museum in Doncaster.
:57:14. > :57:15.People seemed much more interested in the parade
:57:16. > :57:20.Doncaster should have been having three elections, actually this year.
:57:21. > :57:27.They should have been helping choose a city mayor
:57:28. > :57:29.for the Sheffield City Region, much like Birmingham
:57:30. > :57:38.But some of the candidates in this election aren't sure Doncaster
:57:39. > :57:40.should be getting friendly with the neighbours down the road.
:57:41. > :57:42.No drawbridge mentality here, we work with everyone who's
:57:43. > :57:44.going to help Doncaster go forward and thrive.
:57:45. > :57:47.And therefore, we sit at the table and actually make sure
:57:48. > :57:49.we get our fair share of money that's coming in through
:57:50. > :57:55.I've already told them I don't want anything to do with Sheffield.
:57:56. > :58:00.And I want to get Doncaster airport called Doncaster
:58:01. > :58:04.International Airport, and Doncaster station
:58:05. > :58:12.It's a thing we've got to work with, with this Sheffield City Region.
:58:13. > :58:14.Which is, like, just been knocked back.
:58:15. > :58:18.I'll work with it if there's something in it for Doncaster.
:58:19. > :58:22.I don't want to go down the avenue of having a begging bowl.
:58:23. > :58:24.As for the Sheffield City Region, I'm opposed to that.
:58:25. > :58:27.Quite simply, Doncaster is not a suburb of Sheffield to be tacked on.
:58:28. > :58:31.We've got our own identity, and we're proud of that.
:58:32. > :58:33.The impression I get is that it's been forced on people.
:58:34. > :58:35.I'm not sure there's been any consultation there.
:58:36. > :58:38.I think, you know, people around Doncaster and the rest
:58:39. > :58:41.of South Yorkshire, should have a proper say on whether or not
:58:42. > :58:45.we should have that level of local government.
:58:46. > :58:47.The Conservative candidate George Jabbour says with increased
:58:48. > :58:54.devolution, it's important that the mayor has the right skills.
:58:55. > :58:57.People in Doncaster have a full deck of polling cards.
:58:58. > :59:00.They'll elect a mayor and new councillors next week.
:59:01. > :59:10.Then five weeks later, they'll help elect a new government.
:59:11. > :59:17.No sign of any cross-party concerns in Doncaster, it looks like. Rachel
:59:18. > :59:19.Reeves, on Thursday voters in Manchester, Liverpool the West
:59:20. > :59:26.Midlands will vote for these new metro mayor bro. Do you think there
:59:27. > :59:33.is appetite for devolution on the side of the Pennines? I think with
:59:34. > :59:38.all the good wheel in the world, the ministers and civil servants in
:59:39. > :59:41.Westminster and Whitehall don't know our regions and cities and towns as
:59:42. > :59:46.well as local people do. I would like to see more powers being given
:59:47. > :59:49.to Leeds and Yorkshire more widely. I think that would make sense. I
:59:50. > :59:53.would like to see some sort of devolution to the whole of
:59:54. > :59:57.Yorkshire. That would work well for our region, and there is strong
:59:58. > :00:01.Yorkshire identity. We are seeing on the streets right now with the
:00:02. > :00:05.Twitter Yorkshire, people lining the streets. They are being let down by
:00:06. > :00:07.politicians who don't want to work with other politicians in
:00:08. > :00:12.neighbouring boroughs. I think you're right. Devolution offers a
:00:13. > :00:16.real opportunity, and I'm concerned we'll see other parts of the country
:00:17. > :00:19.having these deals and we are left behind. It's important to come up
:00:20. > :00:24.with the right deal. South Yorkshire is being dealt with, let's get on
:00:25. > :00:27.with West, North and East. Will see how that pans out. Thank you both
:00:28. > :00:33.for your thoughts, and enjoy the rest of the campaign. It has just
:00:34. > :00:39.gone 12 noon, back to Andrew we will take the mandate that we
:00:40. > :00:51.want. To all three of you, thank you. Andrew, back to you.
:00:52. > :00:53.So, how will Thursday's local election results affect
:00:54. > :00:55.Who's winning the election ground war?
:00:56. > :00:58.And as he celebrates 100 days in the White House,
:00:59. > :01:14.We have the local elections, Metro elections in Liverpool, greater
:01:15. > :01:19.Birmingham, West Midlands, how will they play into the general election?
:01:20. > :01:25.Significantly, it is very unusual. People keep comparing this with the
:01:26. > :01:28.election in 83, not! Margaret Thatcher was nervous and to wait
:01:29. > :01:32.until after the local elections to call the election to see the result.
:01:33. > :01:38.We are getting these result in the middle of an election campaign so it
:01:39. > :01:42.will be important, whoever does badly will suffer a dent in
:01:43. > :01:46.confidence in terms of how they approach the election and we are
:01:47. > :01:50.also going to have mayoral figures as a reminder of another big
:01:51. > :01:54.difference with the 80s that however big, say, the Conservatives win in
:01:55. > :01:57.Westminster, there are now sectors of power in other parts of the
:01:58. > :02:04.United Kingdom which were not there in the 80s. One of the reasons
:02:05. > :02:08.niches that are rated in 83 was memories were still alive in
:02:09. > :02:12.political circles of 1970, Wilson saw the local election results and
:02:13. > :02:17.thought, I can win, he was told he would win by the Economist magazine,
:02:18. > :02:23.who had done the analysis, and of course he lost, so that is why she
:02:24. > :02:28.waited, Mrs May does not need to wait for that at all now, and on the
:02:29. > :02:32.Metro elections, the one she will be looking at is the West Midlands,
:02:33. > :02:36.that is the one that is a competition. I think she can really
:02:37. > :02:39.lose on Thursday in the local elections, governing parties are
:02:40. > :02:45.supposed to take effect again, losing lots of council seats. She is
:02:46. > :02:50.projected to put on 100 or so seats, Labour projected to lose around 200,
:02:51. > :02:54.the first time the main opposition party has shed seats since something
:02:55. > :02:57.like 83 so clearly the local elections give Mrs May great
:02:58. > :03:01.momentum going into the general election campaign but there is a
:03:02. > :03:04.downside in that, which is what we have already heard fighting about
:03:05. > :03:09.this morning, if it looks like it is going too well for the Tories, it
:03:10. > :03:13.says to voters, why bother turning up? Sushi comes up with totally
:03:14. > :03:16.unbelievable sound bites this morning that this is the most
:03:17. > :03:25.important general election in her lifetime. Really?! For her it is! It
:03:26. > :03:30.always is until the next one! I wonder if voter turnout is a
:03:31. > :03:35.problem? Tory voters are more likely to vote than Labour voters. If there
:03:36. > :03:40.is a sense that it is all over bar the shouting, the overall turnout
:03:41. > :03:44.will be low that Tory voters are still likely to turn out more than
:03:45. > :03:49.Labour voters so she would still win some. I don't think she needs to be
:03:50. > :03:52.too worried, I think there will be a significantly low turnout, even I am
:03:53. > :04:00.finding it hard to be that excited about this general election. Really,
:04:01. > :04:04.the policies, we have spent a lot of time talking about them today and we
:04:05. > :04:08.have to examine them, but all this is about is, do you want Theresa May
:04:09. > :04:13.or Jeremy Corbyn in Number Ten? Those are the only question is,
:04:14. > :04:17.apart from possibly how strong do you feel about Brexit, that will be
:04:18. > :04:21.on the voters' minds. You may say that but I will not be put off from
:04:22. > :04:27.going through a list of policies that we have already had in the last
:04:28. > :04:36.24 hours. On the Conservatives, more powers to stop company bosses under
:04:37. > :04:41.pensions, of course Philip Green was in mind there. Labour has come up
:04:42. > :04:44.with quite a few policies, actually, give all work of equal rights,
:04:45. > :04:54.whether part-time or full-time, temporary or permanent. Ukip, scrap
:04:55. > :04:59.VAT or takeaway -- on takeaway food and end the BBC licence fee. The
:05:00. > :05:07.Liberal Democrats have come out posed to the runway at Heathrow. I
:05:08. > :05:14.thought I knew that already? Will any of these policies make a
:05:15. > :05:18.difference? They are all nice handy things that people quite liked but
:05:19. > :05:22.probably not, is the answer. They are an awful way away from polling
:05:23. > :05:27.day now for people to remember and latch onto. I don't think you make
:05:28. > :05:31.your mind up on small issues like Heathrow, unless you live in
:05:32. > :05:35.Richmond-upon-Thames, maybe, but the problem Labour have got with
:05:36. > :05:39.unfailing a lot of these retail type policies which, in themselves, are
:05:40. > :05:43.very popular, is no one will listen to them until they get over the
:05:44. > :05:47.leadership credibility issue. Jeremy Corbyn could the world on a stick,
:05:48. > :05:51.but if no one believes he can deliver it then he will not be
:05:52. > :05:54.listened to and he has not done much apart from a speech yesterday in
:05:55. > :05:58.which is claim to fame was getting arrested, I don't see how that would
:05:59. > :06:06.work for him getting to Number Ten. They are not making progress on it.
:06:07. > :06:09.Labour has rolled out a number of policies which, taken individually,
:06:10. > :06:15.would have certain traction in normal times, quite interesting
:06:16. > :06:18.ideas, this sense of unfairness, a feeling that ordinary workers have
:06:19. > :06:24.not done well out of the recovery, those who caused the crash have, 20
:06:25. > :06:27.points, I went through some of them earlier, putting aside they are not
:06:28. > :06:33.costed, we are assured they will be. The problem I suggest is not the
:06:34. > :06:38.costing but the cut through? Every election has a context which is
:06:39. > :06:41.determined by opinion polls, however sceptical we are these days, and if
:06:42. > :06:47.one party is way ahead it is difficult for the other party to
:06:48. > :06:51.appear relevant, because if people assume they are not going to win,
:06:52. > :06:58.even some of its own MPs are saying, we are not going to win this, so you
:06:59. > :07:02.can vote for us, it is very hard to get attention and relevance. Where I
:07:03. > :07:05.think all the parties are bad with their current leaders is framing
:07:06. > :07:11.arguments, so those policies you have highlighted makes sense. The
:07:12. > :07:16.best leaders are brilliant framers of an argument and neither Theresa
:07:17. > :07:22.Maynor Jeremy Corbyn R. They have been campaigning, their manifestos
:07:23. > :07:26.are not out yet, both sides have been telling us we have to wait for
:07:27. > :07:29.costings, but it has not stopped them campaigning. Let's remind you
:07:30. > :07:35.of where they have been and what they have been doing so far.
:07:36. > :07:39.Let's start with Jeremy Corbyn, his first official visit was in the
:07:40. > :07:45.ultra-marginal Conservative seat of Croydon Central where the MP Gavin
:07:46. > :07:50.Barwell has a lead of just 165. That is not the only Conservative seat he
:07:51. > :07:53.has visited, along the way he popped in on Bristol North West, a
:07:54. > :08:00.Conservative majority of nearly 5000. The Tory seat of Cardiff
:08:01. > :08:08.North, a lead of just over 2000, Warrington South, just over 2700,
:08:09. > :08:12.and Crewe and Nantwich, Tory majority of three and a half
:08:13. > :08:19.thousand. Yesterday he visited Bethnal greed and Bob, a Labour lead
:08:20. > :08:22.of 20 4000. Theresa May kicked off her campaign in Bolton, Labour
:08:23. > :08:27.majority of over 4000. On her way round the UK she had a comfy stop in
:08:28. > :08:32.her own maidenhead seat, where she is defending a majority of nearly
:08:33. > :08:36.30,000, before travelling to other Labour marginals including Dudley
:08:37. > :08:42.North, a Labour lead of 4000. Bridgend, a lead of just under 2004
:08:43. > :08:56.Labour, before becoming ambitious and visiting shadow minister Richard
:08:57. > :09:00.Bergen's Leeds East seat, which he won by over 12,500 votes. Yesterday
:09:01. > :09:02.she went north of the border to Aberdeenshire, where amongst other
:09:03. > :09:04.places she visited the SNP seat of West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine,
:09:05. > :09:05.where the Tories would have to gain over 7000 votes to unseat the NP.
:09:06. > :09:13.What do you make of it all so far? It is remarkable she is doing these
:09:14. > :09:18.visits in Scotland. Past but even five years and the idea of a Tory
:09:19. > :09:22.Prime Minister going round Scotland would be utterly counter-productive,
:09:23. > :09:26.and actually they are ambitious for Scotland now under with Davidson, a
:09:27. > :09:29.prospect of multiple seats, and that would be a real genuine shift in
:09:30. > :09:39.Scottish politics, the likes of which we have not seen for 15 or 20
:09:40. > :09:43.years. If she gets that, that helps towards 100 seats, because if she
:09:44. > :09:48.wins ten in Scotland, it is effectively 20, the SNP lose ten,
:09:49. > :09:53.she gains ten, she wants to do that in the Midlands with Labour, and the
:09:54. > :09:57.North. To get the 100 majority, other than Scotland, she has to win
:09:58. > :10:03.Labour seats, that is all that is there. And clearly she has been
:10:04. > :10:06.told, it is obvious, that she has a chance of doing so, otherwise you
:10:07. > :10:11.don't go to these parts of the country in the first few days of the
:10:12. > :10:16.campaign. All logic points to her being able to pull it off as well.
:10:17. > :10:20.The opinion polls, the state of the Labour Party. The only qualification
:10:21. > :10:24.I have in this is that politics is so wild and free Braille at the
:10:25. > :10:33.moment, it doesn't feel like landslide to rain. That is true, it
:10:34. > :10:37.doesn't. It is early days, we haven't yet had the manifestos, the
:10:38. > :10:42.campaign is yet to gather momentum. It doesn't feel like landslide
:10:43. > :10:49.territory. I disagree, look at every single poll, the Tory lead is 10% in
:10:50. > :10:54.Wales, you can see her picking up 20 seat there. Put this together, I am
:10:55. > :11:00.told by the way she is going into traditional Labour heartland again
:11:01. > :11:06.tomorrow, the key is the Ukip vote. That will implode... Crumble towards
:11:07. > :11:21.Tories? If she can hoover that up and retain the Tory vote, she will
:11:22. > :11:22.have a majority of 150. I cannot let you go without
:11:23. > :11:23.reminding you that it is Donald Trump's 100 days. He's not making a
:11:24. > :11:25.lot of it now, this is what he said last night.
:11:26. > :11:28.We are just beginning in our fight to make America great again.
:11:29. > :11:37.Now, before we talk about my first 100 days, which has been very
:11:38. > :11:42.exciting and very productive, let's rate the media's 100 days.
:11:43. > :11:57.Because, as you know, they are a disgrace.
:11:58. > :12:03.There you go, still bashing the media, that was at a rally in
:12:04. > :12:09.Virginia, the 100 days was last night. He seems happier campaigning
:12:10. > :12:13.than running the country. You each have 20 seconds to give me your
:12:14. > :12:20.board on the first 100 days. Remarkable, he will not stop
:12:21. > :12:25.slagging off the media but America first has not meant America first in
:12:26. > :12:31.terms of national policy, he has reneges on what he said about Nato
:12:32. > :12:34.being obsolete. He is moving from the old right to the centre because
:12:35. > :12:42.that is where you get things done, he is a pragmatist, also is about's
:12:43. > :12:48.friend Nigel Parrott is no longer welcome, we read this morning!
:12:49. > :12:52.Allegedly! He loves campaigning but finds governing much more difficult.
:12:53. > :12:57.Who would have thought being president of the United States was a
:12:58. > :13:02.difficult job?! He loves rallies but being president and politics is a
:13:03. > :13:06.very difficult thing indeed. Thank you, there we go, Mr Trump's 100
:13:07. > :13:09.days, we will see what the next 100 brings.
:13:10. > :13:12.The Daily Politics is back on BBC Two after the bank holiday
:13:13. > :13:14.on Tuesday at midday, with all the latest
:13:15. > :13:17.And I'll be back here on BBC One next Sunday
:13:18. > :14:23.Remember - if it's Sunday, it's the Sunday Politics.
:14:24. > :14:26.The East End girl who became the nation's favourite.
:14:27. > :14:31.We don't know what it is, but she definitely has... Something.
:14:32. > :14:41.From stage to screen and into our hearts.
:14:42. > :14:44.Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ooh, in't she wonderful?