:00:56. > :01:01.Here in the east, there may be hope for the sounds of thousands of
:01:01. > :01:08.drivers who struggle along the A 14 every day. And our small businesses
:01:08. > :01:18.getting short shrift from the bank who could be offered a lifeline in
:01:18. > :01:18.
:01:18. > :34:46.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2007 seconds
:34:46. > :34:50.Welcome to the part of the programme which is just for us in
:34:50. > :34:55.the east. I am a million Reynolds. It is a critical week for the
:34:55. > :34:59.Government. George Osborne is under considerable pressure to increase
:34:59. > :35:03.growth. And then there is the bigger strike in a generation. The
:35:03. > :35:07.struggling businesses hoping for credit easing help from the
:35:07. > :35:13.Chancellor. I would be interested in looking at it with the banks
:35:13. > :35:18.were not forthcoming in supplying loans. And we will hear from unison
:35:18. > :35:23.as members prepare for their day of action.
:35:23. > :35:28.There is no doubt the economy has weakened since last year, so George
:35:28. > :35:35.Osborne's autumn statement is absolutely key. His challenge - how
:35:35. > :35:40.to challenge -- stimulate the economy. We will look at some ideas
:35:40. > :35:46.that could be a huge benefit to the east. First to the A14. It is a
:35:46. > :35:51.road that strikes fear to many a motorist in this region, dogged by
:35:51. > :35:55.congestion along its 125 mile route, a run from Felixstowe in the east
:35:55. > :36:01.to well past Northampton in the West. A plan to increase the
:36:01. > :36:07.section around Cambridge or -- to six lens was scrapped last year
:36:08. > :36:10.because it was just expensive but we believe it could be at hand. In
:36:10. > :36:17.his Autumn Statement the Chancellor is expected to announce plans that
:36:17. > :36:22.may even include making it a toll road.
:36:22. > :36:27.It is a well-known fact that Chris Rea wrote his classic anthem road
:36:27. > :36:37.to hell while stuck in the traffic jam on the M25. But he could easily
:36:37. > :36:37.
:36:37. > :36:42.have ended on the A14. You listen to the radio and whenever there is
:36:42. > :36:51.a trap for related feature on it. Sometimes you can be sitting on it
:36:51. > :37:01.for an hour without moving. They get so congested. There were plans,
:37:01. > :37:10.quite advanced, to widen it. were disappointed when the scheme
:37:10. > :37:14.was dropped. At one point Wheen realise there was no money for it.
:37:14. > :37:19.We need creative, inventive ways of looking at this. If things are bad
:37:19. > :37:23.now, think how bad things will be once the economy is moving forward
:37:23. > :37:28.quickly again. Now it seems a creative solution has been found,
:37:28. > :37:32.thanks to the private sector. The A14 is likely to be mentioned in
:37:32. > :37:37.the Chancellor's speech on Tuesday as an example of an infrastructure
:37:37. > :37:41.project which can go ahead, creating jobs and ultimately making
:37:41. > :37:46.life easier if there is -- British business. This was the last set of
:37:46. > :37:51.plans. Since they were rejected, there has been a lot of work being
:37:51. > :37:56.done to bring down any cost. With little public money available,
:37:56. > :38:00.involving the private sector seems the best way forward. Are there
:38:00. > :38:05.enough people in the private sector to stump up money for this. There
:38:05. > :38:09.are large parts of private sector resources that are looking for a
:38:09. > :38:13.place where they feel they are confident of getting a return. They
:38:13. > :38:18.are not buying Greek bonds. They might be big buying Government
:38:18. > :38:24.bonds in this country, but they are looking for something that they see
:38:24. > :38:30.as a worthwhile return on their investment. It could be part
:38:30. > :38:33.private part public. It could be in leasing option, like what we
:38:33. > :38:37.currently have between Huntingdon and Peterborough. That piece of
:38:37. > :38:42.road is not on by the state, it is rented by the state. There are many
:38:42. > :38:46.options. The smart money is on a toll road.
:38:46. > :38:51.Open a years ago, it has led to quicker journeys if you are
:38:51. > :38:57.prepared to pay. A recent survey found that 80% of motorists were
:38:57. > :39:01.put off by the prices. Most of the continental countries, there tolls
:39:01. > :39:08.are a third of the price and for the distance travelled. So
:39:08. > :39:13.basically I think they have got to cut it at least by one-and-a-half.
:39:13. > :39:17.The hauliers say they are willing to pay a toll in order to no longer
:39:17. > :39:25.having to pits have an hour or so into their timetables because they
:39:25. > :39:28.expect their 14 to be blocked regularly. -- A14. This will be a
:39:29. > :39:32.controversial project with concerns about the way it is funded and the
:39:32. > :39:39.environmental impact. But supporters are ready for it. They
:39:39. > :39:44.think the A14 time has come. -- A14's time.
:39:44. > :39:50.From large-scale schemes to help for the high street. In the past 12
:39:50. > :39:57.months, the UK economy has only grown by 0.5%. The Bank of England
:39:57. > :40:04.has cut its 2011 and 2012 growth forecasts to about 1%. And real
:40:04. > :40:09.incomes in the UK have fallen by 1.6% over the past three years. All
:40:09. > :40:17.of this spells bad news for small businesses, which make up 99% of
:40:17. > :40:27.the East's economy. Saw, what are they want? The bans -- the banks to
:40:27. > :40:28.
:40:28. > :40:32.lend. When do they want it? Now. Christmas shopping in Ipswich. If
:40:33. > :40:42.ever businesses needed our Christmas cash, it is now. But the
:40:42. > :40:48.Santa effect has seems -- seems to have gone west. I got cuts -- I got
:40:48. > :40:52.made redundant in August. I am not spending as much this year.
:40:52. > :40:55.Everyone is being careful, stretching and about more. Bad news
:40:55. > :40:59.for the Chancellor because the economic forecast in the Autumn
:40:59. > :41:05.Statement are expected to deepen the gloom. The Government says the
:41:05. > :41:09.meltdown in Europe is not helping. Be honest, it is hard to get your
:41:09. > :41:13.head around it. The figures are so huge it could almost be Monopoly
:41:13. > :41:21.money. To our economic leaders really know what the future holds
:41:21. > :41:25.or are they just taking a chance? Photograph bankers and their
:41:25. > :41:30.natural habitat. The banks are not helping matters. Small businesses
:41:30. > :41:35.are the bedrock of the East's economy but some say the banks are
:41:35. > :41:38.holding them back. The frustrating is for small businesses because
:41:38. > :41:45.banks have been so tight with their cash, the small businesses cannot
:41:45. > :41:50.get loans. They cannot get past goal. Like this man. He showed me
:41:50. > :41:57.how his taxi company had done so well in the first two years. He
:41:57. > :42:01.wanted and a -- a loan to buy another vehicle. We approached sand
:42:01. > :42:06.and there, we approached NatWest. We even approached one of the
:42:06. > :42:16.independents. It was a flannel. could not believe it. If the banks
:42:16. > :42:26.are not prepared to support it and back businesses, then what has -
:42:26. > :42:32.Michael has anyone else got? George Osborne announces a credit easing
:42:32. > :42:36.scheme. Basically banks will make loans to small businesses which
:42:36. > :42:41.they are not giving at the moment. That will be packaged into a bond
:42:41. > :42:47.so there could be a bond for East Anglia, and that Government for by
:42:47. > :42:52.that bond. Their British taxpayer will be supporting all of the
:42:52. > :42:59.lending that is given to small businesses. Essentially, the
:42:59. > :43:03.taxpayer is, writing a .(TRM), back in Ipswich, this woman is getting
:43:03. > :43:08.her homeware shop ready for the Christmas rush. She says small
:43:08. > :43:13.businesses that cannot get loans, should necessarily blame the banks.
:43:13. > :43:21.Some people think making going and get a loan. It is not that easy.
:43:21. > :43:26.Unita have a sound business plan from the get a goal. Do not give up.
:43:26. > :43:31.If one says no, go somewhere else. If you are going to be in business,
:43:31. > :43:39.and a small business like this, you have to have so much energy. If you
:43:39. > :43:44.getting not back, you have got to pick yourself up and get on with it.
:43:44. > :43:47.This woman is one of the shop's suppliers. She is thinking of
:43:48. > :43:53.approaching a bank for a loan to help her jewellery business growth.
:43:53. > :43:58.She likes the idea of so-called Reddick -- credit easing. It sounds
:43:58. > :44:01.good. But we need to find out all the details first to see exactly
:44:01. > :44:09.how they are going to set it up. I would be interested in looking at
:44:09. > :44:14.it if the banks were not very forthcoming in supplying a loan.
:44:14. > :44:17.The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce would welcome credit easing but
:44:17. > :44:22.says the policy needs to make a difference right now if it is to
:44:22. > :44:27.have any impact. Meanwhile, being Chancellor of the economy in the
:44:27. > :44:33.state it is in, must be is about as much fun as playing Monopoly on
:44:34. > :44:39.your own. Gareth George was not get out of jail card. Joining me is the
:44:39. > :44:48.Labour MP for Luton South who is also a shadow death-camp Minister.
:44:48. > :44:55.And the MP for South -- suffered. Let's start with the A14. Plans
:44:55. > :45:00.were scrapped last week -- last year because of costs. Now there
:45:00. > :45:05.are plans could be reinstated. Are we UN to plan the then?
:45:05. > :45:10.certainly not. This is not necessarily about more Government
:45:11. > :45:13.spending. It is about finding other ways to finance and stretch up --
:45:13. > :45:19.infrastructure projects. One of the things about the economy at the
:45:19. > :45:22.moment is that lots of company, lots of funds, have got cash but
:45:22. > :45:29.they are waiting for the opportunity and the confidence to
:45:29. > :45:33.invest it. So unlocking some of that investment, for example making
:45:33. > :45:41.the A14 wider, is something I would welcome. Getting the private sector
:45:41. > :45:46.is something that is a good idea? Labour did not do anything on the
:45:46. > :45:51.Afor 14 years. I do not except that. We had plans that would have been
:45:51. > :45:55.put in place if we had one. I have no problem with the private sector
:45:55. > :45:59.getting involved. The current business climate is not one where
:45:59. > :46:03.there is confidence from consumers from businesses to put their money
:46:03. > :46:07.where their mouth is. I look forward to the announcement on
:46:07. > :46:10.Tuesday about the A14. I do hope that will ease the congestion
:46:10. > :46:14.problems there. The Government should be doing this across these
:46:14. > :46:19.are not just in one place. Nick Clegg said the Government has
:46:19. > :46:24.levers to pull to stimulate the economy. How well to think the A14
:46:24. > :46:33.plans to do that. Is it just fiscal stimulus, which was Labour's plan,
:46:33. > :46:37.under another name? No, because there are still stimulus involves
:46:38. > :46:43.bonds. The money was not in place to do that scheme. The plan was on
:46:43. > :46:51.the table but there was no money there. While public money be
:46:51. > :46:56.involved? If they find some are how it is financed in the end, we do
:46:56. > :47:00.not know how it will work out in the end. I look forward to the
:47:00. > :47:05.details. This sort of investment can really get the economy moving,
:47:05. > :47:09.for instance, the 11th which is elsewhere in the region in my
:47:09. > :47:13.constituency, the showers around the ground there and there are
:47:13. > :47:19.people employed on site and it will be a big boost to the economy was a
:47:19. > :47:23.gets going. A what will Labour do? All are about releasing finance
:47:23. > :47:26.find out to get this economy growing. We know we have a major
:47:26. > :47:30.problem with the deficit. The only way you can get that down is to
:47:30. > :47:34.have a structure for growth. That is where these guys are lost his
:47:34. > :47:41.seat. There is no competence in terms of getting cross going in the
:47:41. > :47:45.economy. Bank bonuses. If you look get the announcements from Nick
:47:45. > :47:50.Clegg, we are yet to see whether money is going to come from far
:47:50. > :47:53.young people to be released to go back into the labour market. We say
:47:53. > :48:00.that that should be a tax on bankers bonuses to get people back
:48:00. > :48:04.to work. You're going to use that money to pay for that. You want to
:48:04. > :48:10.build 25,000 new homes. You want to be is the regional growth fund.
:48:10. > :48:14.That is a lot of things. And not only that, we want to reduce VAT.
:48:14. > :48:19.We look at small businesses on the rapport there. The Federation of
:48:19. > :48:27.Small businesses are looking for that as well. We recognise that the
:48:27. > :48:30.key issue is to get growth going. Next week the Office for budge a
:48:30. > :48:34.responsibility, is expected to confirm that the country's death as
:48:34. > :48:39.it will not be closed by the end of Government -- Parliament. So you
:48:39. > :48:43.plan is not working. Let's see what they have to say. Everybody knows,
:48:43. > :48:48.everybody watching this knows, that these are very difficult economic
:48:48. > :48:52.times. Most people know that when you are any debt crisis, borrowing
:48:52. > :48:56.more money is not going to get you out of it. And so you need
:48:56. > :49:01.innovative approaches. One of the examples that Gavin was mentioning
:49:01. > :49:06.was a good one. The idea of having more or work experience. In my
:49:06. > :49:11.constituency, they brought in a work experience programme in May.
:49:11. > :49:18.Youth unemployment then was to London 71 young people unemployed.
:49:18. > :49:22.There is now 233 unemployed young people. That is a 50% drop since
:49:22. > :49:27.they brought their stamen. Nick Clegg has announced that that type
:49:27. > :49:32.of scheme is going nationwide. I warmly welcome mat. We have got to
:49:32. > :49:37.be in a fit of, of all, we have to do everything that we can. But the
:49:37. > :49:43.idea of throwing -- throwing more borrowed money at it is not the
:49:43. > :49:48.answer. They would cancel the future jobs front. For 18 months we
:49:48. > :49:51.have had no such project in place. The fundamental problem with this
:49:51. > :49:55.economy is not by Government action to get people at their back into
:49:55. > :50:01.work, the jobs are not there in the first place. If we had not
:50:01. > :50:06.committed to the east austerity matters, we would be paying any
:50:06. > :50:11.worse situation than we are now. The marker one is a pride of ball
:50:11. > :50:14.plan. On Tuesday, the Chancellor does not have a credible plan any
:50:14. > :50:19.more. He will not be able to do what he said. We are borrowing more
:50:19. > :50:23.than getting less worried. I want to introduce another guest. In this
:50:24. > :50:33.key week for the Government, the Chancellor's autumn statement will
:50:34. > :50:35.
:50:35. > :50:39.be followed by a national day of action. Two out of three are
:50:39. > :50:43.expected to close. The strike of a public sector pensions has been
:50:43. > :50:49.described as the biggest trade union globalisation for
:50:49. > :50:54.regeneration. Joining us is the eastern region secretary for Unison.
:50:54. > :50:59.What is this day of action all about? It is about public service
:50:59. > :51:02.workers demonstrating their anger, their dismay, their disappointment
:51:02. > :51:07.at the attacks or been made on their pensions. The message from
:51:07. > :51:14.Downing Street is that there are not going to be any concessions.
:51:14. > :51:17.Why are you bothering? The day before the Unison ballot was
:51:17. > :51:22.announced, the Government came to us finally and said that they were
:51:22. > :51:27.prepared to negotiate. I cannot say that there is no way to be any
:51:27. > :51:31.change at all. We do not take this action lightly. We never take
:51:31. > :51:36.industrial action lightly. We have something that has very important
:51:36. > :51:41.at stake and we want to see a resolution to that. Orly 25% of
:51:41. > :51:45.Unison members voted for the strike. 23% of unite. How much support do
:51:45. > :51:51.you think you're actually going to get? I think we are going to get a
:51:51. > :52:01.lot of support on the day. There are 23 in unions involved in this
:52:01. > :52:02.
:52:02. > :52:07.action. The result that we have had from the ballot is a very good one
:52:07. > :52:11.and we have had a growing level of support as we have been talking to
:52:11. > :52:16.people getting involved with union members, talking to people in
:52:16. > :52:20.communities. There will be a lot of support and the day. When this
:52:20. > :52:26.Government came into power, they had to do something to sort out the
:52:26. > :52:33.country's finances. This strike is just a political statement. I fear
:52:33. > :52:38.the thing that they hope to do it was impose a 3% tax on these pay
:52:38. > :52:41.and conditions. There needs to be a proper and the glossy to settlement.
:52:41. > :52:46.If you are asking me to condemn the people who are fighting for the
:52:46. > :52:51.rights, I will not do it. Matthew Hancock, the Government has tried
:52:51. > :52:55.its feet over negotiations here. If he had done better with the
:52:55. > :52:59.negotiating, we might not be facing the biggest drive for a generation.
:52:59. > :53:03.The Government has been negotiating all along. Gavin just spoke about
:53:03. > :53:07.the need for a credible plan. And every time we talk about anything
:53:07. > :53:14.that you do with dealing with debts that Labour Left, Gavin is against
:53:14. > :53:18.it. People will be appalled at the idea of the strike. Millions of
:53:18. > :53:24.people across this region will not be able to rely on public services,
:53:24. > :53:29.on schools, on hospitals were ill people, next week on Wednesday. The
:53:29. > :53:34.deal on the table is eminently reasonable. People, 10 years from
:53:34. > :53:38.retirement are lies, will be affected. Low pay it public sector
:53:38. > :53:45.workers will get better pensions. So what the union representative or
:53:45. > :53:49.is asking for is a tax on private sector employed people, often with
:53:49. > :53:53.no pensions at all, in order to pay the pensions of the best a public
:53:53. > :53:57.sector workers, who sometimes, those pensions would be bigger than
:53:57. > :54:03.the income of the taxpayers who are paying for them. It is
:54:03. > :54:07.extraordinary. As a some of those famille. I can answer the first one.
:54:07. > :54:10.There is no offer. The day before the result was announced, the
:54:10. > :54:15.Government finally said that they would open the way for serious
:54:15. > :54:19.negotiations. The Government are not the employers, they are not the
:54:19. > :54:24.employers that runs these pension schemes. Unison and the other trade
:54:24. > :54:28.unions have said we will negotiate anytime, anywhere, any place. It is
:54:28. > :54:33.no coincidence the Government said that the day before the ballot