11/12/2011 The Politics Show West

In the West: Are we better off in or out of

Europe as the crisis deepens? We're one of the most Euro-sceptic areas

in the country so have we had enough of our EU neighbours? And

we'll bring you a Christmas message from the tory eccentric Jacob Rees-

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1815 seconds

Hello from a festive West Country. We've got the mince pies out for

the last programme before Christmas but it looks like Santa's sack may

be a bit lighter this year as our politicians struggle to manage the

budget deficit. It's not just this German Christmas market binding us

to Europe, the eurozone crisis is effecting all of us. So is it time

to rethink our relationship with the EU?

Plus, with 13 shopping days left until Christmas we'll be finding

out if the tills are ringing on the high streets this year.

And we'll be opening our Christmas cracker. Inside we have some

festive highlights from Tory eccentric Jacob Rees-Mogg. All it

remains to say is, Ho, ho, ho! And merry Christmas!

That's about it when it comes to Christmas cheer, I am afraid.

Joining me to pull a festive, austerity cracker and share a stale

BBC mince pie are three politicians who'd all love to give you a

present, if only the country had some money. I'm talking about the

Conservative MEP for the South West Ashley Fox, Labour's Dawn Primarolo,

MP for Bristol South; and the Lib Dem councillor for North Somerset,

Mike Bell. First this afternoon, we are talking about Europe. We live

in a part of the country where there are many Euro-sceptics and

UKIP do well in the elections. So should we be celebrating our

isolation in the EU or is it going to be chilly here on the margins of

Europe? Paul Barltrop has been taking opinion down at the

Christmas Market in Bristol. I have not gone to Germany, the

Germans have come here. This market is in the centre of Bristol until

Christmas. This shows how closely linked our economies are. If they

eurozone goes down, we are all in Are you worried? I am in a way. I'm

not sure whether he's made the right decision or not. We are going

to panic if we are right in the cold. It might cost too much.

markets everywhere, business is not booming, especially for expensive

things. �75 for a chess set? Am not sure I can afford that. Public

bodies have been cutting their budgets everywhere. That is except

for the European Union, which next she will get an extra 2 billion

Even if your money is looking dodgy, Christmas is a time for giving to

your nearest and dearest. It varies when it comes to friends. David

Cameron might not feel like being too generous with his European

leaders for his parliamentary colleagues but as far our big

political marriage, so far all is going pretty well within that the

coalition. What would make a good present for a cabinet minister?

Do you think your leader did well or has he landed us in an isolated

position? The Prime Minister made the right decision because Britain

does not want to participate in a fiscal union... What advantages

does it give us? It stops our tax and spending being controlled by

Brussels. What influence as it give you on the top table of Europe now?

You ask what benefits they lot of Britain. Pit stops our tax and

spending being controlled by the European Commission. It stops. It

means no transfers of sovereignty. What influence does this give you?

We will retain more control over financial sector in London. And our

influence? If your constituent comes and brings you a problem, you

cannot go to Europe... Things remain exactly the same. We are not

involved in the fiscal compact because we don't want to be

involved in it. Not much influence there. Not on the fiscal compact

because that is a matter for eurozone countries and those

countries that want to join the euro. Mike Bell, you are from the

party which has missed friendly towards Europe. What do you feel?

am one of those rare beasts in that I'm a Euro-sceptic Lib-Dem. I

rather think that the Prime Minister... Is that because most

people in the West Country vote for Euro-sceptic parties? I think that

is fair. I was born and raised in this area. Some of our natural

scepticism has rubbed off on me, I guess. I think the Prime Minister

really had a poisoned chalice to start with. He was destined to go

in there and banged the table for Britain. In the end, what came out

of it was an agreement that City dealers and countries and to be

honest, that was the purpose of the summit. Has he planed -- has he

played a blinder? I don't see that. The Chancellor says in order for

our economy to grow and create jobs, they eurozone needs to get out of

this crisis. As they grow, we will grow. So how casting us into

isolation, not being at the top table to be involved in this

discussions about economic growth, coming out of the recession and

creating jobs for our constituents... Labour would have

agreed to that at almost any price? There, I'm not saying that and you

are casting it in two extremes. David Cameron, with his Euro-

sceptics and with everything he has said over the last few years, has

talked Britain into isolation. We are not taken seriously. There are

very difficult challenges. When we were in power, the European Union

proposed the savings tax to control for a City of London. We fought it

all away from the inside. Successfully, what he has done is

remove dust from the table. That's got to be a problem. A lot of

people will say it is time for a referendum. Would you support that

and in... It is not the time for that. Speaking as a conservative,

and not with a coalition had on, I would like to see repatriation of

powers to the Vatican to me. I want to stay in the EU but I would like

to say... I would like things changed. I do not see how you can

change your relationship with the European Union by moving into

isolation. In or out? We have to be in a productive partnership with

our European partners because there is so much trade there. If we're

going to have an export-led recovery, as of the steep recession,

that means we have to be part of the discussions. You've gone a bit

wobbly on Europe but you are still presumably in? And certainly of the

mind that on balance we are better in. I support a referendum. The

problem we've had is because the European debate has been stifled by

these ridiculous points of rhetoric when in reality we've not had a

proper, intelligent debate about Europe for decades. That is what we

need. Help yourself to women's by while be going to our next film.

For There are 13 shopping days left until Christmas, plenty of time to

fill those stockings hanging on the end of your bed. But after all the

talk of cuts and pay freezes do we have any money left? We sent Ruth

Bradley out to the shops in Taunton to see if the cash tills have been

ringing. A Taunton has the highest

percentage of public sector workers in the West. In his Yeovil, the

defence sector has been hit. With all of this gloom, it is it going

to be an austerity Christmas for people in Somerset? I just want to

cut back but I'm not succeeding very well at the moment. We have to

support the traders, we have to keep buying, otherwise they shut

down. The farmers' market in Taunton sets up shop every week and

local people think people are watching their pennies. Is this

Christmas going as well as last? Better. Why is that? Because we

have a unique product. Some of the shops in Taunton he can find

anywhere but the iconic County stores has been here for years. It

has seen Christmases and recessions come and go. How has this year

compared? The fear for next year is January and February and the worry

is about people having their bills to pay. We have got to keep trading.

Fortunately, everybody has a birthday. It seems to be a mixed

picture in Taunton with one shop saying he has seen worse but it is

not going to be the best Christmas. Some shoppers are saying they're

watching their pennies but Christmas only comes once a year.

High-end producers are doing quite well. Meanwhile, some shops have

not even made it this far so will we see more of these in 2012?

A snapshot from the streets of Taunton. Still with me are the

South West Conservative MEP Ashley Fox, the Labour MP for Bristol

South Dawn Primarolo, and North Somerset Lib Dem councillor Mike

Bell. Are people spending money in Bristol South? It will be a very

difficult Christmas. People are fearful of losing their jobs, their

income has dropped 6% on average over the last year. What my

constituents will be doing well be doing the best for their children

on a considerably reduced income and worrying about whether they

will be able to pay the bills and the future. The austerity drive his

ongoing now. It could not have been done without the backing of the Lib

Dems. Any regrets? No, not at all. Certainly, every morning I look

myself in the mirror and wonder why we are in coalition with a

Conservatives because it doesn't sit comfortably. But I think that

overall, we are right to try and sort out the economy and rebalance

things. There is no doubt at all that what we need to be as honest

with people, that we are in a very difficult situation and it is going

to go on for some time to come. Let's be honest, is it working? Can

you give us any sign a tour that the austerity measures and the

cards are having a result? Yes. A cut the rate at which Britain can

borrow money, 2%, the same as Germany. -- will cut the rate. If

we had not introduced the austerity measures 18 months ago, if we only

half the deficit over the parliament, we could very easily be

facing a crisis situation like Greece or Portugal. In terms of

jobs and growth, there is nothing. That is a difficult but the reason

for that is the appalling inheritance we had from the Labour

Party who spent far too much money, borrowed too much money and put us

in this mess. Of people saying that to you on the streets of Bristol

South? -- are people. They are not saying that. What people are saying

is that government are cutting and it is not working. They advance

ridiculous arguments like for instance the test on interest rates.

We can see for instance in Japan, they had lower interest rates and

stayed in a depression and a session for a very long time. What

people want to know is how are we going to get growth in our economy

and how are we going to get the jobs that were promised. We were

told that if it wasn't for the euro crisis, we would have a growth now

because we would be able to exports to them. What the Prime Minister

has now done is remove dust from the discussions of the future of

Europe which is where that joke -- growth can come from. The

proposition for most people is more gloom into the future. We were

part... You are saying cut the deficit and what you also say is

you are not prepared to an acidic - - negotiate to get a better deal

than the one that was on the table. So you would have a signed up to

the Compact? He were not even prepared to negotiate with our

European partners. We vetoed a deal that wasn't good for Britain.

should have negotiated a better deal.

Just for a moment lets pretend our politicians are Santa, with the

responsibility for giving us all something nice this Christmas.

That's pretty hard to do when there's no money to buy things. We

sent Robin Markwell out to see if there's anything for us to look

Peace and goodwill have been in short supply this year. Rioters on

the rampage. Striking on the streets. An economy as stagnant as

last year's Christmas leftovers. And now the winter of discontent at

this the largest protest camp outside London. As the Occupy

Bristol protestors will tell you, while those in work have seen their

pay frozen, boardroom pay has gone up by 50%. So what gifts could our

politicians bring us to raise some festive cheer? Better checks on how

they run things seed and get problems like the expenses scandal.

More broad mind as this, not being in a pocket of big business. Stop

taking money from lobby groups. Have your funding paid for by

public money. David Cameron, give me some waterproof socks, if you

are watching this. The government has made this happen a sex but even

happier this Christmas. He has tried to quantify how we feel.

There is a fairly strong national tendency to be optimistic and that

is a very good thing, as long as you don't lose sight of the

challengers. That's not the English way. We are grumpy and get on with

things. Maybe that is just being a reporter for too long!

There is no secret that the political weather for the new year

is going to be stormy but there are still a few goodies in the politics

back. For starters, we are going to be asking who might be wearing the

chains of office for an elected mayor although the Lib-Dems and

Greens have already said they are against that. We also have in

November elections on a possible Police Commissioner but if you look

at the surveyors, three-quarters of the public still know nothing about

that particular election. So all in all, it seems that 2012 may follow

the same pattern as 2011, with plenty of instability. I might just

cling to the sides for now. We're drawing near to the end of our last

ever Politics Show. But have no fear, I will be back in the new

year with our new programme - The Sunday Politics in the West. We

wanted to end this Christmas with something to make you smile. We've

had some of Gordon Brown's finest speech writers working on some

jokes for you but they all fell a bit flat. So, we've turned to one

of our newest MPs Jacob Rees Mogg, the Tory toff from North East

Somerset, to provide some Christmas I said that they should wear a

bowler hat. There might be a few words going spare because I believe

the Supreme Court has given them up and certainly the House of Commons

have given up wearing wigs as well. I think you should have some

sympathy for Mr Sarkozy. He is probably not getting a lot of sick.

He is a little bit tired and irritable. They are bonkers to vote

We want to have a glamourous monarchy that befits the status of

our nation. I urge the Chancellor, even if in this time of austerity,

one I know we are all in it together and I know the opposition

spent all the money and it marks out the credit card and all of that,

but I think we should look after her Majesty. What class are you?

am a man of Somerset. That is where you're from. I would say, and this

will probably heard you, I would say upper-middle, rather than

upper-class. I am not part of the aristocracy, that's definitely true.

Will we settle for upper-middle? I'm a man of the people. It is for

as backbenchers to say to her Majesty's Government, stiffen the

sinews, summon up the blood, and imitate the action of a tiger. That

is how you should behave towards our European partners, not like bad

press. -- like Bagpuss.That's all This show has been a very enjoyable

to be on. This show has always mixed tough political questioning

with a sense of the West Country. We've had a fascinating political

year. It got crisis in the euro, difficult economic circumstances

but ultimately, we've got three broad sunlit uplands to look

forward to next year as Andrew Neil takes on a new programme. So, all

that remains to save his merry Christmas. -- remains to say his

merry Christmas. Just time for one last wish for the

new year. Some economic growth and good political luck. Jobs for my

constituents, they desperately need them. Replacing squabbling

politicians like these two with the worst falls so we can get some West