04/12/2011 The Politics Show West Midlands

In the Midlands, a day of action on our own. Angers as a pensions

adviser tells striking Unionists that they have a very good deal. We

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2019 seconds

after they Worcestershire town that How low from the Midlands. A little

later we will visit the town in Worcestershire which doesn't

particularly want to be lumped in with its heritage her neighbour.

First, what made the bigger impact on the last week, the Chancellor's

Autumn Statement, on the other hand it more austerity measures? As

unions march across our towns over public sector pay we are here to

answer those questions. Alongside me Margot James, the

Conservative MP for Stourbridge, and Jack Dromey, the Labour MP for

Birmingham, and former general secretary of the Unite union.

Let's begin with our reporter he went out to the picket lines in

Staffordshire. The union say it was the bigger

strike for regeneration, the Prime Minister called it a damp squib.

The action closed 5,000 schools in our region, disrupted bin

collections, and disrupted burials. Thousands of people have taken part

in demonstrations like this one in Stoke-on-Trent. We are here today,

taking part in this... Many of us were inconvenience. We

to have private pensions adviser, Richard Jacobs, to meet people on

the picket line. The it is not to do the bankers. They have a

fantastic pension, costing too much money. I'm a little bit angry about

that. It is 4002 Niger pounds per year. That is not a golden pension

at all. It is about �80 a week. have been in pensions for 40 years.

I have a good pension. It is only eight -- �8,000 here. A teacher

retiring now would have �18,000 a year. What we have just heard from

Richard is that things are much worse than the private sector. The

reality is that the government is telling us that these pensions are

not affordable. There is an important point to be made here.

The taxpayer is paying for this already. What will happen in the

public sector is once people cannot afford to pay these increases, they

will opt out of their pensions. I would like to know his views on

that. There is a big problem with public sector pensions. We actually

pay taxes. We are paying by our own pensions. The yard since continued

-- the arguments continued. The unions are accusing the coalition

of lying, and attacking their members. With opinion so divided,

is there really any chance of a compromise? Students at

Staffordshire University were hard at work covering the day's events.

They said the strike was a game changer. The legacy of this strike

is going to have serious repercussions for the relationship

with the government. More seriously for the Labour Party he it is going

to have repercussions for the relationship between the trade

unions, and Ed Miliband. Because his failure to support the trade

unions means they see themselves as isolated. It is going to be a very

difficult year for both the government, the trade unions, and

the Labour Party. Back on the picket line, that difficulty is

evident, as they continue to debate what is fair when it comes to

pensions. Then this, it is claimed by lots of

people. It is an elusive concept. Margot James can you understand the

frustration, the irritation that they felt on those big airlines? --

picket lines. They are not on fantastic incomes. It is not to the

gold-plated pension that has been put about by the myth machine?

sure there are quite a lot of myths in circulation. One of the reasons

that we have tried to protect the lower-paid workers is for that

reason. We recognise that public servants are low-paid. It is not

until they earn 20 per �1,000 here -- �21,000 here that those at --

those effects come in. Shouldn't a baby putting pressure on the

private sector -- shouldn't they be putting pressure on the private

sector? We are asking people to work a little bit longer. Someone

in the 60s is going to we living ten years longer. We have not

caught up with that. We have no choice but to do that. That does

not see me to unreasonable. We are living longer. People in the

private sector are having to do that. A sensible negotiation is

exactly what was happening with our government. An agreement on

flexibility was reached. What is happening now is that the

government is penalising public sector workers. It is not a viable

in the long term. It is everything to do with their visit the suction

-- the deficit reduction. A firefighter in my community is

going to have to pay 20 by isn't -- �20,000 more to receive less. Or it

is wrong, it is unfair. Are you embarrassed by Ed Miliband's buried

unequivocal approach on this. He has failed to come out in support

of the unions. He was very clear on Wednesday. He called for the

government to start negotiating. There are mixed messages coming out.

Francis Maude was coming up with warm words, then a George Osborne

was declaring war. You have Michael Gove branding 2 million workers as

tools of the trade unions. The government needs to focus on an

agreement. Briefly, D feel the pain of responsible people, like

ambience workers, police officers, being bad-mouthed by senior people?

The issue is one of fairness. The average public sector worker would

have to put one third of their salary in. They cannot go on like

that. The tax payer cannot afford it. The average pension in local

government is �3,000 a year for an overwhelmingly part-time female

workforce. These are decent people who deserve security in retirement.

These low-paid women, under �15,000 here, No change. Up to �21,000 a

year, hardly any change. We are being careful to be as fair as

possible. We have a lot to get through thank

you very much. The Chancellor referred to our part

of the country in a three separate sections of his statement. He

talked about more variable speed limits on the M6. And a new bridge

in Evesham. He turned a deaf ear to those at Birmingham Airport in a

cut in taxes. The funding of a runway development is seen as a

role model for our other major projects. Our correspondent gauges

reaction. The IMF support our deficit reduction.

An Autumn Statement, or was it more like a mini budget. -- a mini-

budget? I can to affirm that allowances will try and encourage

businesses in a Sheffield, the Black Country, the Midlands. This

is a business park in Wolverhampton is an enterprise zone, and seemed

to be the home a Jaguar and Rover - - and soon to be the home of Jaguar

Land Rover. The plan to build new infrastructure seen to have been

inspired by the new runway at Birmingham or poor -- airport.

will mean 20 billion in pension fund money. The recession is

continuing to grind many of us down, there was some better news on job

fronts. They were encouraging more small businesses to take people on.

In this Warwick Business Park, employers seemed underwhelmed.

Would you employ young people to take a job? I don't upping that is

a good idea -- I don't think that is a good idea. Escaping the

recession is a top priority for the government. Opposition MPs still

maintain the cuts are too deep. This is a reckless policy, that the

government has stuck to. It is having a devastating impact on

families around the country. Something needs to work, and having

revise their spending plans, the government is hoping for it has

done enough to get the UK, and the Midlands back on track.

You can go to my blog for more on George Osborne's plan to cut

traffic. There has been a lot of talk about

gloom in the statement. Does enterprise zones, and

infrastructure projects, a lot of that can be seen to be straight out

of the Labour textbook. You have to look at the fact. The government

cut a lot of investment in new homes. House building has collapsed.

It has gone down 99%. That came between the gap between the

previous government and this one. It is this government's cards. We

have a budget that was a monumental admission of failure. Unemployment

is rising, boring is rising, and living standards are falling. The

consequences will be felt a to rout the Midlands. There will be 100,000

more children in child poverty, unemployment will reach 3 million.

Young people are out of work. Those policies are hurting, they are not

working. The government is saying, full steam ahead. We heard in that

report that it was devastating, it was not having an effect. She has a

very high rate to unemployment in her constituency. I know how hard

it is, there is a lot of unemployment in my constituency. I

can be absolutely certain, that if there was not for our policies, it

would be even harder. If we had stuck to Labour's proposals, the

country would be even more in debt. It could only be worse by following

their approach. The other problem about this Budget is that the

impact falls upon the poorest in society, and for the great majority

it is going to be seven years of austerity. They raised an

alternative, why not repeat the bank is bonus tax, �200 billion.

Build a more affordable homes. This was a Bollington budget. I refute

that. We are trying to put young people back to work. I saw that

clip, I did not agree with him. Most young people want to work,

there are some who don't. I see no reason why he should be concerned,

most people want to work. We are giving an incentive to employers to

take young people on. They are looking poor work. -- they are

looking to work. What to make about the idea of making public sector

pay more responsive to regional variations in the private sector

around the country? Is this a way of getting a good deal of the tax

payer, or driving down public sector pay? I used to be a

negotiator for public servants. What this will mean is that the

people of the West Midlands will lose out to those found in the

south-east. It is more than that, what they are proposing, is to have

privatisations, you could have pay cut, sick pay cut, it is a dark day.

We are looking at what is affordable. We are borrowing too

much in this country. We have a eurozone crisis. There is a threat

of another recession. We have to cut our cloth accordingly. We

cannot go on spending so much more than we are collecting in tax

revenues. Thank you very much for the moment.

Pay attention, this is a question. Are you absolutely sure you know

where you live? Is Newcastle under Lyme in stone. Could Malvern really

be said to be along with Herefordshire. These are the

questions that the Boundary Commission have been asking in the

last three months. They are redrawing our constituency

boundaries to cut the number MPs by five. We have been investigating an

interesting recommendation. Formed from some of the oldest

rocks in England, the glorious now than hills, they act as a natural

boundary between Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Look at what is on the horizon. With apologies to Elgar, and Julie

Andrews, these hills are not allied with the Sound of Music, the

discord. There are plans to renew a man made a boundary. -- a new man-

made boundaries. In efforts to make our parliamentary boundaries more

democratic. They are planning to split boundaries here. We have

concerns about our sense of identity. Not only would it

disenfranchise the Botha, I think it would lose that sense of

community. We would have to deal with two district councils. For the

SNP, it was see her constituency disappear. -- this MP. I have

written to the Independent barry constituency or -- the Independent

Boundary Commission are saying that our constituency would like to

remain there were houses -- remain how it is. The government wants all

constituencies to remain roughly the same size. In practice that

means the West Midlands and Gloucestershire will lose five

constituencies. From 63 to 58. When the commissioner's roadshow turned

up in the West Midlands, there was a protest. The Boundary Commission

have got this wrong. They have split a historic town into four

different parts. In his defence, the Boundary Commission is doing

the job they were told by an Act of Parliament. Previously the

commission would have been able to give a much greater weight to

existing local identity. They cannot do that, they have to

deliver the numbers. What happens when you start mixing things up?

The apple is the symbol of Herefordshire, while for

Worcestershire it is the pear. We could end up with a fresh fruit

salad, or a dog's breakfast. think it is disgusting. I do not

see the point in any of this messing about whatsoever. It is

probably better. You will have more punch? I would have thought. Just

this week, and in harmonious row was reported between the Tories and

Labour between the boundary of lead-free. -- Ledbury. Whatever the

boundaries, they will be used for the first time in the 2015 election.

Margot James, if you look at the constituencies in your area,

Stalbridge, and Lyme Regis, you along with two other MPs are

chasing two seat between a three. agree. We suggest that they respect

communities. Of will have to see what they decide. You would it gain

a bit of Caroline Spelman's area. How is that going down with you?

Like a lead balloon. Sutton was coming to Erdington. Both

communities are unanimous in their opposition. He does not make any

sense. -- it does not make. There are 100 more members in the House

of Lords. Does it harm the Tories less than other parties? Jack does

ignore the fact that it takes more votes to elect a Conservative

government than a Labour government. That cannot be fair. A more even a

constituency base is more fair. commission are hell-bent on getting

that numerical number right. That Malvern example, the part of the

community, they are 32 miles from Evesham. What do they do with that?

They have only just reported. There will be a consultation. When they

come back to look at it. They will iron out some of those numbers. It

does not seem to make sense, that one in Worcestershire. I'm sure

they will listen, and trying get things better than they were.

have Labour MPs sitting on, in effect a rotten boroughs, they have

to be something done? -- there has to be something done. Yes. We need

to get more people registered. We need to get people registered to

vote. What we should not be doing is going down the path of their

party political motivated a exercise -- go down the path of a

party political, motivated exercise. I'm going to challenge might go to

a very brief response. -- Margot. It cannot be right can it.