12/06/2011 The Politics Show North East and Cumbria

Coming up: Communities Secretary Eric Pickles looms large over the

North's town halls - but are his cuts really fair?

And this could be the site of the first new free school in the North

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2226 seconds

East. But a teacher warns it could Ali Noor's councils been unfairly

treated? And I am finding out why parents are planning to build a

Eric Pickles has accused Labour running councils in the past of

making cuts to services just to make a political point. But now

there are claims that the North is being unfairly targeted by his

government. Some of his critics put their 0.2 Eric Pickles. -- put

their point to. These days their grander buildings are still here

but it seems that over councils are all about cuts. Cabinet minister

Eric Pickles looms over it all. He believes councils should become

more efficient and stop moaning. But does the North have any points

for Ham? The leader of Cumbria council, headache Martin, has just

pushed through �44 million worth of cuts. But he has few good words for

Eric Pickles. And he is a Conservative.

I thought I was up against a steam roller. A monumental wall in front

of me which I could not get to the other side of. It is the lack of

empathy which frustrates me. It makes you feel impotent when you

are attempting to get a message across.

The last thing which we get from central government is a

psychological Hogg. And I have 10,000 incredibly talented staff.

They feel bruised and battered. A few months ago this diversity

officer on Hartlepool council lost her job. Was she not a perfect

example of Eric Pickles's biggest gripe, the council none the job?

I do not understand what he means by that. A non-job? I believe we

build the infrastructure to go into these communities but now it has

completely crumble. So I wonder how the big society can be established.

And this a union leader questions the fairness of the cuts.

Councils like South Tyneside have been asked to make cuts in the

region of 9%. N Eric Pickles's own constituency in Essex cuts are only

been made of 1.3 %. And then that there are people like

Steve has a local leisure centre is threatened with closure as the

council attempts to save �125 million.

I do not know what kids will do if this place is closed. What worries

people as that Eric Pickles has a dismissive attitude and is not

willing to listen. He is the manner many an hour town

halls will love to hate. -- the man many of our town halls love to hate.

I asked Eric Pickles what he thought of it a marked him's

criticism. -- Eddie Martin. My a job was to deliver something

for the public. We knew the cuts were on the way it because Alastair

Darling told us all about it and sensible local authorities were

already preparing for the process. But at the same time I am

delivering local authorities more freedom, responsibility, and power.

I confess I am in a hurry. But perhaps I should be given a little

bit more luck at the future. We talked to one Hartlepool council

worker who claimed that her job was a vital part of the bed society.

That is a decision for the local council. I take no pleasure in

seeing some body be made unemployed. But the cuts were necessary to

protect even more people from being unemployed and facing the kind of

consequences that local authority workers face in Greece, Portugal,

and Ireland. So this was about saving jobs, not pushing them out.

I hope that person gets another job. Council leaders in the North East a

critical. They believe the region has been unfairly picked out whilst

relatively wealthy southern councils are having been made to

ensure fewer cuts than, for example, South Tyneside.

The level of the quarter through this region is a much smaller. We

have actually ensured that the wealthy areas pay a bigger cut.

Sorry, is that true? Newcastle get something like �600

per head of population. Down south it is �170. So the money is already

been moved across. I have made the system more progressive by giving

more weight to relative need rather than per head of population. And I

have introduced transitional relief which would not have been available

under Labour. So I have gone out of my way to help this region.

That is not the perception of council leaders. They are certainly

not saying that. The in the private some of them

have a recognised this. -- in private. I am here to work with

them on the regional growth fund. To look at the possibilities for

ambitious programmes coming up with regard to enterprise. So I am here

to be as helpful to this a rare which at one time was the engine

room of the United Kingdom and the engine room of the world.

The Government is giving parents, teachers and charities the chance

to set up their own schools outside a local authority control but so

far none have been approved in the North East. That seems certain to

change however. In at least eight parts of the region that the

Politics Show has learnt there in the pipeline. But that has meant

warnings from some teachers that it could force the closure of existing

schools. The morning routine at this household. Mum has something

on her to do list. She and other parents want to set up their own

secondary school. Showing me around the site earmarked for the school

she explains why. Existing schools are just not bad enough.

-- big enough. The children miss out on after-

school activities and time with their friends. It is important for

us that children develop a sense of community spirit.

With the best will in the world, you are a parent. Are you qualified

for setting up and running a school?

No. And qualify for setting up the school but we are in partnership

with many others. This has won the backing of the man

behind the idea for three schools. Michael Gove has been to Teesside

it to meet campaigners and give them encouragement. But other

schools are far less supportive. One of those unhappy neighbours as

this school which has some of the best results in the North East but

300 of its pupils currently come from Ingleby Barwick. If they go

elsewhere of the Head Master worries about the consequences. --

headmistress. This will have an impact right

across Stockton and the school along with possibly even to others

will be forced to close because there simply will not be enough to

fill the schools. -- two other schools. So there is not a

financial argument to set these schools up.

20 schools so far have provisional approval from the government but

monarch from the North East Cumbria. However, eight separate groups in

the area are making plans. In Northumberland, parents and

teachers have drawn up plans for a new primary school in Cramlington

and in the penny well area of Sunderland and existing private

school also wants to join the state system as a free school. Staff here

at a Sunderland school claimed that the idea has struck a chord because

it means they can stop charging fees and raised in numbers. Parents

are also supportive. It would open at the school to

people with in this region of Sunderland who would not normally

have access to this type of educational provision. No fees, and

no other barriers to entry, such as an entrance exam.

Is this a victory for Parent Power or a rash experiment with public

money. Many are unconvinced? Schools are that desperately needed

refurbishing and needed their buildings renewed and refreshed and

even in new schools to replace those crumbling ones, all those

schools will suffer through something which is untried and

untested. Ministers insist no free school bad

will get the go-ahead without showing local support and a

dedication to quality. But proving that this step will support the

wider school population could be a tougher goal.

We will now talk to one Labour MP and one Conservative MP. This is

about giving more parents more power and more choice. Is that not

a good thing? My Government did not just talk

about it we actually delivered. I would certainly not want to play it

down the importance of parent power or failed to harness what we see

coming through but there are important questions which need to

be answered. What will freeze schools do for the level of

achievement? There is a? Against that. It is very important that we

ask bit serious questions. The three school you are in favour

of in your constituency means that there might be an impact on other

schools, catastrophic, isn't it? Let me be clear. I passionately

support the work towards a new free school and that community. But on

the other hand I would not support what is happening in Ingleby baric

if I thought there was any realistic chance of other schools

been closed. So why are neighbouring schools

concerned? You showed a clip their with their

head teacher who so far as I am aware has never given a public

interview in which she has supported a Conservative Party

policy and is a well-known supporter of the Labour Party. You

presented that as an independent... Know, she is the head teacher of

that school. You presented her as an independent

there party. She is the Head Mistress of that

school. There are already too many children

in some of these schools which are struggling because they are not bad

enough. I understand what you are saying,

she may be a member of Labour, I do not know. But the point is that

there are plenty concerned about this. We heard from others claiming

that the danger of frieze schools as they will make other schools

unstable. -- free schools. You cannot have your cake and eat

it. They council cannot claim that they were upgrades to schools but

they will not allow another school to enter.

If a school is good enough, surely it will survive?

During the Queen's Speech there was a lot of scepticism towards three

schools. And they were not all Labour apparatchiks like James is

suggesting. If parents want this, what is wrong

with that? Well you need to provide the

evidence. We have taken a lead from Sweden but the actual evidence

there is that three schools in that country to have not succeeded. We

do not want policy based on the dinner-party tables of west London.

They are taking advantage of a situation. It is the only way some

parents feel they can get a decent school in the region but if some of

the other schools had been given funding through building schools

for the future, for example, perhaps that capacity would already

have there been there. Building as schools for the future

could not deliver in Angle Bay. They looked at every option.

But the point is that the money will come into new schools instead

of existing schools which could benefit students.

There is a rigorous process which parents must go through it to show

there is the demand and that there will not be a negative impact.

Dozens of schools whose buildings are falling apart, will be a

benefit? That is on related.

But is that public money being sucked away.

It as a different pot of money. Building schools for the future was

incredibly wasteful and it failed to deliver.

Building schools for the future did not deliver what was required so at

least this gives the appearance a chance at a new school.

I have not had a single parent saying to me they would like to set

up a school. What they have said is that they are worried that their

child cannot attend university because of tuition fees, they're

worried about coalition cuts, and they wish they had building schools

for the future because they wanted the best schools for their children.

Instead that money has been put into three schools. We have

mentioned a number which might open but let's face it, most of them are

in the better areas of the south and that is where the money will go

to school. We have got to see what happens and

judge it on the outcome but if selective schools are believed they

can access taxpayers' money in order to bring a selection into

pale local a and then... Well, let's just see what happens. Of all

the projects that the Secretary of State is minded to support, only

two of them are in the 10% of most deprived areas.

The allegation is pushy middle- class parents will succeed but

areas which really need a new schools will be overlooked.

This election is not based on wealth or academic ability.

But let see it well that gets with the Secretary of State.

I think the parents of Ingleby would resent being called pushy

middle-class. It is wealthier than other parts of

the country. Nobody is saying they are pushy

middle-class but what about parents in other regions? You must make a

judgement about the choice available in other areas.

There is no reason to suggest this would reduce choice for parents and

other areas at all. Next week we will be looking at