:12:30. > :12:41.Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all so much for that
:12:42. > :12:45.amazing welcome. But I have to say, it's something that both Jeremy and
:12:46. > :12:48.the whole team have been getting across the country, and we are so
:12:49. > :12:52.grateful for that. Thank you all very much. Good morning and welcome,
:12:53. > :12:56.I would love to say to a sunny Yorkshire but good morning and
:12:57. > :13:02.welcome to Yorkshire and to this fantastic space. My name is Sarah
:13:03. > :13:15.Champion. I am proud to be a member of Labour's Shadow Cabinet.
:13:16. > :13:21.Firstly, I want to thank everyone from Bradford University involved in
:13:22. > :13:24.organising this event, and also, thank you to all of you for coming.
:13:25. > :13:37.APPLAUSE APPLAUSE today, you will hear in
:13:38. > :13:45.detail about Labour's programme for Government. A government for the
:13:46. > :13:48.many, not the few shortly you will be hearing from the leader the
:13:49. > :13:53.Labour Party and Britain's next Prime Minister.
:13:54. > :14:04.APPLAUSE APPLAUSE
:14:05. > :14:08.But first, I think it is only right that we hear from two local
:14:09. > :14:14.residents, who are going to share with us their personal stories,
:14:15. > :14:18.about why they need a Labour Government elected on the 8th June.
:14:19. > :14:22.So firstly, please give a warm welcome to Martin.
:14:23. > :14:37.APPLAUSE My name is Martin Kilcullen. I was
:14:38. > :14:43.born in Bradford Royal Infirmary in 1973. I am the father of five
:14:44. > :14:48.children and the managing director of a planning business employing 40
:14:49. > :14:51.people. My eldest son has asthma and has been admitted to hospital eight
:14:52. > :14:55.times in the last three months. In the past, he has suffered from
:14:56. > :15:02.respiratory arrest. Each time we visit hospital, we with mayhem. The
:15:03. > :15:04.A departments are understaffed, ambulances are queueing up and
:15:05. > :15:09.doctors don't have time to explain what is going on. Two of my younger
:15:10. > :15:14.sons have been diagnosed at the severe end of the autistic spectrum.
:15:15. > :15:20.Both are unable to speak. We use from an early age that he was
:15:21. > :15:25.different, and asked for help. After much toing and froing, we were
:15:26. > :15:32.referred to a paediatrician, who put him on an autism waiting lists. At
:15:33. > :15:36.the time, that was three years long. We tried to make our case to the NHS
:15:37. > :15:41.about the waiting list, but were met with the same apologies, there is no
:15:42. > :15:48.money for this. In 2011, Freddie was born. By 2013, he was showing signs
:15:49. > :15:52.of autism. Again, after a battle, we were added to another three-year
:15:53. > :15:56.waiting list. Thanks to the intervention of the late Jo Cox,
:15:57. > :16:01.Freddie received his diagnosis in 2013. During this time, I would work
:16:02. > :16:05.until 7pm or 8pm and, arriving home, the first thing I would do is open a
:16:06. > :16:09.bottle of red wine. To a lot of people, a bottle of red wine each
:16:10. > :16:13.night is not a lot. But I knew this was not for me and sought help from
:16:14. > :16:25.eye local doctor. There was no support for
:16:26. > :16:29.this, I was not an alcoholic. One Sunday night in 2014, things finally
:16:30. > :16:32.got to me and I took a walk on the hard shoulder of the 62. I don't
:16:33. > :16:35.know how I managed to get there, but the intended outcome was to end my
:16:36. > :16:37.own life. Fortunately, I didn't. With intervention, I gave up
:16:38. > :16:39.drinking. I spoke at great length with my wife and we realised we were
:16:40. > :16:46.both suffering from severe depression. We set up a support
:16:47. > :16:50.group for parents of autistic children in October 20 14. This has
:16:51. > :16:54.now become a charity called The Whole Autism Family and last week
:16:55. > :16:57.received an award from the Duke of York. It was set up because we
:16:58. > :17:02.didn't want parents to go through the same issues we had with no
:17:03. > :17:05.support available. We are now in the process of moving our children back
:17:06. > :17:08.to a special needs school. The local school they attend say they cannot
:17:09. > :17:12.meet their needs. We had a meeting with a special school last week and
:17:13. > :17:15.have been told they can not go there because the school is full. The team
:17:16. > :17:19.in charge at the council have informed us that the other special
:17:20. > :17:26.schools are all over numbers. We are currently paying towards one-to-one
:17:27. > :17:32.care to make sure that our children are kept safe at school. In every
:17:33. > :17:35.meeting with the special needs team, they tell me they don't have the
:17:36. > :17:41.finances to do anything different. On Sundays, both boys attend a
:17:42. > :17:45.respite centre, and there was recently consultation to close it
:17:46. > :17:48.down in an attempt to save ?500,000 per year. The service is safe for
:17:49. > :17:54.now only because there is nothing to replace it. I spoke on Sunday to the
:17:55. > :17:58.manager. She is running on zero budget and being asked to make
:17:59. > :18:02.further savings. We met with other parents at the support group. Most
:18:03. > :18:08.had to give up work, due to their child's needs. I regularly see grown
:18:09. > :18:11.men and women cry. Dealing with a disability and special needs is hard
:18:12. > :18:15.enough and does not need to be made harder by the reduction of vital
:18:16. > :18:18.services. Something has to change. A Labour government will fully fund
:18:19. > :18:22.the NHS, giving it the money it needs. They will provide emergency
:18:23. > :18:25.funding to address the social care crisis, as well as develop a fully
:18:26. > :18:30.funded social care model over the longer run. It will stop cuts to
:18:31. > :18:34.school budgets and introduce new schools funding formulas that are
:18:35. > :18:39.truly fair to develop a world-class education for every child. Labour
:18:40. > :18:42.will develop a better, fairer Britain. This is why I am voting
:18:43. > :18:46.Labour what this election. I would like now to welcome Mohamed to the
:18:47. > :19:17.stage. Comrades, sisters, brothers,
:19:18. > :19:28.colleagues. Good morning, peace be with you all. My name is Muhammad, I
:19:29. > :19:32.am a bus driver, I am from Oldham and a former Labour Party
:19:33. > :19:43.councillor. I am also a proud dad, but also a worried dad. Worried
:19:44. > :19:50.about the future. My kids, three of whom have graduated from university,
:19:51. > :19:56.two who are currently in University, what are they going to come out with
:19:57. > :20:03.after university? There are very few jobs they can go into. But they will
:20:04. > :20:07.have a massive debt on their shoulders. Is that the kind of
:20:08. > :20:12.future I envisage for them? Actually, no. I wanted my kids to do
:20:13. > :20:20.better than me. As a bus driver, I have no debt. Yet my kids, who are
:20:21. > :20:24.better educated and should have better opportunities have got
:20:25. > :20:29.massive debts. That is not the kind of future I need for my kids or for
:20:30. > :20:38.anybody else's kids. The Tories have been holding us back and putting a
:20:39. > :20:43.cap on our kids. How will they afford homes of their own? How will
:20:44. > :20:51.they manage their debt? How can they live a richer life? That is why I am
:20:52. > :20:56.proud to be a Labour Party activist, somebody who wants to bring about
:20:57. > :21:00.peace and prosperity, not just for my kids and my neighbourhood, but
:21:01. > :21:08.for the whole world. That is why the Labour Party, and the Jeremy Corbyn,
:21:09. > :21:15.is now proposing a future where there is hope for everybody. No
:21:16. > :21:17.community will be left behind. This is a party that stands for the many,
:21:18. > :21:36.and not a few. You will hear more details and a
:21:37. > :21:42.short while. But I can tell you, for me as a worker and my colleagues in
:21:43. > :21:47.the bus industry, the proposals that have already leaked out have been
:21:48. > :21:56.really enthusiastically accepted. ?10 an hour. How many people is that
:21:57. > :22:02.going to lift out of poverty? That is going to do a huge favour for
:22:03. > :22:06.communities I live in. ?10 an hour. Add to that, and extra four days
:22:07. > :22:11.bank holiday. Bank holidays for those people that want time off to
:22:12. > :22:16.spend their families are needed and we will be able to enjoy that. There
:22:17. > :22:20.are a whole host of other proposals that I am sure, and I don't want to
:22:21. > :22:24.take the thunder from people that will introduce them to you, but I
:22:25. > :22:32.think housing, work, security at work, dignity and a peaceful world
:22:33. > :22:38.is something that we all aspire to. That is why I am out, up and down
:22:39. > :22:42.the country, trying to help my colleagues from the Labour Party to
:22:43. > :22:44.get elected so that we can have, on June the 8th, a Labour Party
:22:45. > :22:47.government that serves the many and not the few.
:22:48. > :23:06.Colleagues, my message today is quite clear. It is short and sweet.
:23:07. > :23:11.We have very little time. The media is not going to do our job. We need
:23:12. > :23:15.to be on the doorstep. We need to be talking to people. Our communities,
:23:16. > :23:19.our colleagues, we need to be telling them how bad the next Tory
:23:20. > :23:26.government will be if they get in. On the other hand, with this Labour
:23:27. > :23:31.Party, the colleagues here, who will form the next government, I am sure
:23:32. > :23:35.they will be able to deliver not just for our communities, not just
:23:36. > :23:39.for me and my kids, but everybody in this room and everybody in this
:23:40. > :23:42.country. That is the kind of future I am looking forward to. That is the
:23:43. > :23:48.kind of future I ask everybody to work towards. We have very little
:23:49. > :23:54.time, we have to get out there and do our work. Colleagues, we know
:23:55. > :24:00.this manifesto is going to deliver for us. Please, take the time out
:24:01. > :24:06.there and do whatever you can. We need a government that will be on
:24:07. > :24:12.our side. I need a Labour government that will get my kids out of the
:24:13. > :24:19.debt, out of the poverty, out of the situation. I worry for their future.
:24:20. > :24:23.I know many more people, up and down the country, worry for the future as
:24:24. > :24:27.well. Let's end the worrying. Let's start looking forward to a brighter
:24:28. > :24:31.future. Let's look forward to a Labour government, on June nine, but
:24:32. > :24:43.we have to do work for that. Colleagues, my message is clear. Let
:24:44. > :24:50.us go for peace and prosperity, and not what the Tories offer, war and
:24:51. > :24:55.austerity. Let's get out there and do our work. Thank you for giving me
:24:56. > :25:01.this opportunity and listening to me. Now I would like to invite
:25:02. > :25:14.Christine to say a few words. Hello, my name is Christine and I
:25:15. > :25:18.live not far from Bradford. I am a busy working mum of two girls. Like
:25:19. > :25:22.all parents, I work hard to make sure they have everything they need.
:25:23. > :25:28.As a single parent and carer for my girl's grandmother, sometimes I have
:25:29. > :25:31.additional challenges. Work needs to fit around looking after the girls
:25:32. > :25:35.and their grandmother, so I used to work all kinds of shift patterns at
:25:36. > :25:39.a bookies. Now they are older, I have started working nights at a
:25:40. > :25:42.hotel. Even though I work hard, after paying for food, rent and
:25:43. > :25:48.bills, there is not much left. Sometimes there is not even enough,
:25:49. > :25:51.full stop. I know I'm not the only person who has to deal with these
:25:52. > :25:55.challenges and look after their family, and I don't think I am the
:25:56. > :26:00.only one that feels it should not be this hard. The Tories are taking the
:26:01. > :26:04.country backwards. But I want better opportunities for me and my family.
:26:05. > :26:09.I want my girls to have more opportunities and not fewer. I want
:26:10. > :26:12.a party in government that stands up for people. I want a government that
:26:13. > :26:15.works for the many, not the few. This general election is a clear
:26:16. > :26:19.choice between the Labour Party, who will stand up for working people,
:26:20. > :26:24.and the Tory party, who are failing us. I will be voting Labour on June
:26:25. > :26:33.the 8th for the good of my family and I hope you will too. I would
:26:34. > :26:34.like to introduce the leader of the Labour Party and our next Prime
:26:35. > :27:17.Minister, Jeremy Corbyn. Can I say first of all, thank you so
:27:18. > :27:20.much for everyone coming here today, thank you to Bradford University for
:27:21. > :27:28.giving us this space this morning, and the lovely conversation with
:27:29. > :27:31.Professor Brian Cantor, the vice Chancellor of the University. I
:27:32. > :27:34.think this university is a great place, going great places. Thank you
:27:35. > :27:41.very much for giving us the space this morning.
:27:42. > :27:49.Thank you to everyone in Bradford, and all across Yorkshire,
:27:50. > :27:52.campaigning over the last few days. What a fantastic welcome we have
:27:53. > :28:04.had, what fantastic support we have received. So many people tell me so
:28:05. > :28:09.much about the hopes they have in our manifesto, in our plans, in all
:28:10. > :28:16.of us. We intend to deliver on those hopes and on those plans.
:28:17. > :28:24.Thank you to Brian, Mohammed and Christine for what they have just
:28:25. > :28:30.said, and the bravery with which you spoke about your own problems and
:28:31. > :28:35.Demons. I am determined that we will deal with, address and confront the
:28:36. > :28:39.issues of the mental health crisis facing this country, so people don't
:28:40. > :28:43.face it and suffer alone. Thank you for what you said this morning.
:28:44. > :28:58.I also wanted to say a big thank you to all of those that contributed to
:28:59. > :29:03.our manifesto. Those in our teams at the Labour Party had office, in my
:29:04. > :29:07.team, who put such amazing amounts of work in producing a very good
:29:08. > :29:13.manifesto in a very short space of time. Well done to all of them. And
:29:14. > :29:16.thank you to all of the different society groups, civil society
:29:17. > :29:21.organisations, so many others, that sent in really good ideas to us,
:29:22. > :29:24.which have helped to frame our thinking and ideas. And, of course,
:29:25. > :29:29.the members and affiliated trade unions of the Labour Party. I also
:29:30. > :29:34.wanted to say thank you to the party's National executive for the
:29:35. > :29:36.huge work they put in on this, and a very deep appreciation to all of my
:29:37. > :29:43.colleagues who are here today, in our Shadow Cabinet. They have put in
:29:44. > :29:47.an enormous amount of work into upholding their briefs, into getting
:29:48. > :29:54.a message across, into contributing to our manifesto. If you look at our
:29:55. > :30:00.Shadow Cabinet, you see experience, diversity, you see a drainage, you
:30:01. > :30:03.see people whose life experience -- and age range, you see people whose
:30:04. > :30:05.life experience is rooted in real life experience, he will never
:30:06. > :30:10.forget that when they are holding great offices of state, to deliver
:30:11. > :30:11.for the people that put them there. Thank you to all of my colleagues in
:30:12. > :30:25.the Shadow Cabinet. And, of course, it is a pleasure to
:30:26. > :30:30.be here in Bradford to launch this manifesto, for the many, notes the
:30:31. > :30:35.few. Because Bradford University had a Chancellor for a long time, and a
:30:36. > :30:36.great Chancellor he was, he was Harold Wilson, a former Labour Prime
:30:37. > :30:50.Minister. Who while not born in Bradford saw
:30:51. > :30:56.the strength and the values of this fantastic city, and Harold, as Prime
:30:57. > :31:01.Minister, did so much to expand university education, and make it
:31:02. > :31:05.accessible for all, and, his greatest legacy I believe, is the
:31:06. > :31:09.Open University, and the access that gives to everybody, to go into
:31:10. > :31:16.higher education, if that is what they wish to do at any stage in
:31:17. > :31:20.their lives. So I think today we are setting out a manifesto to transform
:31:21. > :31:25.the 21st century in the same way that Harold Wilson in the 196 0s
:31:26. > :31:29.sought to transform the 20th century and it is a pleasure to be here
:31:30. > :31:36.today. This manifesto is a draft for a
:31:37. > :31:43.better future, for our country. It's a blueprint of what Britain could
:31:44. > :31:46.be, and a pledge of the difference a Labour Government can, and will
:31:47. > :31:50.make. Like thousands of other Labour Party members, I have been making
:31:51. > :31:56.the case to people across the country, over the last few weeks.
:31:57. > :32:01.This is a manifesto for all generations. We are providing hope,
:32:02. > :32:06.and genuine opportunity for everybody. I say to our children,
:32:07. > :32:13.what ever the postcode you are born in, we will make sure you have the
:32:14. > :32:23.APPLAUSE APPLAUSE
:32:24. > :32:29.And I have to say, as the days turn into weeks as this campaign's
:32:30. > :32:32.continued, opinion is changing, and it is moving towards Labour.
:32:33. > :32:47.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE And actually there is no secret as
:32:48. > :32:55.to the reason for that, because people want a country run for the
:32:56. > :33:00.benefit of the many, not the few. That is because, for the last seven
:33:01. > :33:06.years, our people have lived through the opposite. A Britain for the
:33:07. > :33:11.rich, and the elite, and the vested interests, they have benefitted from
:33:12. > :33:17.tax cuts, bumper salaries, and millions of struggled at the same
:33:18. > :33:19.time. Whatever your age or situation, people are under
:33:20. > :33:26.pressure, struggling to make ends meet. Our manifesto is for you.
:33:27. > :33:30.Parents worrying about the prospects of their children, and anxious about
:33:31. > :33:36.the growing needs of their elderly parents. Young people, struggling to
:33:37. > :33:44.find a secure job, and despairing of ever getting a home of their own.
:33:45. > :33:49.Children growing up in poverty. Students, leaving college, burdened
:33:50. > :33:54.with debt. Workers, who have gone years without a real pay rise, and
:33:55. > :34:00.stretching family budgets just to survive. Labour's mission over the
:34:01. > :34:07.next five years is to change all of that. Our manifesto sets out how.
:34:08. > :34:12.With a programme that is radical, and responsible. A programme that
:34:13. > :34:18.will reverse our national priorities and put the interests of the many
:34:19. > :34:23.first. We will change our country, while managing within our means.
:34:24. > :34:29.And will lead us through Brexit while putting the preservation of
:34:30. > :34:34.jobs first. Let me highlight just a few of our key pledges. And believe
:34:35. > :34:45.it or not, you may have read them already. If you are a reader of
:34:46. > :34:52.newspapers. We are ruling out rises in VAT and National Insurance. And
:34:53. > :34:58.on income tax, for all be 5% of the highest earners. Labour will boost
:34:59. > :35:02.the wages of 5.7 million people earning less than the living wage to
:35:03. > :35:18.?10 an hour by 2020. APPLAUSE
:35:19. > :35:22.Labour will end the cuts in the National Health Service and deliver
:35:23. > :35:32.safe staffing levels, and reduce waiting lists.
:35:33. > :35:40.Labour will scrap tuition fees, lifting the debt...
:35:41. > :35:59.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE And that will lift the debt cloud
:36:00. > :36:05.from hundreds of thousands of young people. Labour be move towards
:36:06. > :36:08.universal childcare, expanding free provision, for two, three and
:36:09. > :36:14.four-year-olds in the next Parliament. Labour is guaranteeing
:36:15. > :36:16.the triple lock to protect pensioners incomes.
:36:17. > :36:33.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE And we will build over one million
:36:34. > :36:46.new home, at least half of them for social rent.
:36:47. > :36:52.APPLAUSE Labour makes no apology for offering
:36:53. > :36:57.no protections to people at work, including ending the scandal of zero
:36:58. > :37:05.hours contracts. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:37:06. > :37:13.And we make no apology for finding the resources, to hire 10,000 new
:37:14. > :37:21.police officers is and 3,000 new firefighters.
:37:22. > :37:26.APPLAUSE And we will do the smaller things
:37:27. > :37:34.that can make a real difference, like ending hospital car parking
:37:35. > :37:39.charges, or introducing four extra... Four extra public holidays
:37:40. > :37:46.every year. APPLAUSE
:37:47. > :37:50.But we in the Labour Party recognise that dealing with and solving these
:37:51. > :37:57.problems requires a thriving economy. One that gets our economy
:37:58. > :38:02.working again. And rises to the challenges of Brexit on jobs, and
:38:03. > :38:07.investment, for seven years, the Conservatives have been holding
:38:08. > :38:14.Britain back. Low investment, low wages, low growth. Labour will move
:38:15. > :38:20.Britain forward with ambitious plans to unlock this country's potential.
:38:21. > :38:23.We will set up a national investment bank and Regional Development banks
:38:24. > :38:26.to finance growth and good jobs for all par parts of the United Kingdom.
:38:27. > :38:41.APPLAUSE APPLAUSE Through the funding of
:38:42. > :38:47.major capital projects. Labour will also invest in our young people,
:38:48. > :38:53.through a national education service, focussed on childcare,
:38:54. > :39:00.schools and skills, giving them the capacity to make a productive
:39:01. > :39:09.contribution to tomorrow's economy. APPLAUSE
:39:10. > :39:19.And Labour will take our railways back in to public ownership and put
:39:20. > :39:28.passengers first. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:39:29. > :39:41.We will take back control of our country's water, by bringing them
:39:42. > :39:48.into regional public ownership. And we take a public stake in the
:39:49. > :39:54.energy sector, to keep fuel prices down, and ensure a balanced and
:39:55. > :40:08.APPLAUSE APPLAUSE The Tories now want to
:40:09. > :40:16.scare us, into accepting more of the same. Only Labour has a plan
:40:17. > :40:22.ambitious enough to unleash this country's potential. And only Labour
:40:23. > :40:27.has the plan to make Brexit work for ordinary people. We are clear, there
:40:28. > :40:31.is no now a choice, Labour Brexit that puts jobs first or a Tory
:40:32. > :40:37.Brexit that will be geared towards the interests of the City of London,
:40:38. > :40:46.and risk making Britain a low wage tax haven.
:40:47. > :40:51.APPLAUSE As believe the EU, because that is
:40:52. > :40:57.what the people have voted for, only Labour will negotiate a deal, that
:40:58. > :41:01.preserves jobs, access the single market and preserves rights and
:41:02. > :41:11.access not plunge our country into a race to the bottom.
:41:12. > :41:16.APPLAUSE All this is costed as the documents
:41:17. > :41:23.accompanying the manifesto make very very clear. Our revenue raising
:41:24. > :41:26.plans ensure we can embark on this ambitious programme, without
:41:27. > :41:32.jeopardising our national a finances. We are asking the better
:41:33. > :41:39.off and the big corporations, to pay a little bit more. And of course, to
:41:40. > :41:40.stop dodging their tax obligationses in the first place.
:41:41. > :41:59.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE And in the longer term, we look to a
:42:00. > :42:03.faster rate of growth, driven by increased private and public
:42:04. > :42:10.investment, to keep our accounts in shape. This is a programme of hope.
:42:11. > :42:19.APPLAUSE built on one word. Fear.
:42:20. > :42:22.APPLAUSE What would another five years of
:42:23. > :42:34.Conservative Government mean for Britain? Just... Just look back at
:42:35. > :42:44.the last seven. More children living in poverty. Fewer young people able
:42:45. > :42:50.to buy their first home. More people queueing at food banks. Fewer police
:42:51. > :42:57.on the beet. Fewer firefighters too. More people are in work but they are
:42:58. > :43:04.not getting the pay, or o hours to make ends meet. More young people in
:43:05. > :43:11.debt. Will the Tories change their spots? Don't bank on it.
:43:12. > :43:15.Their record says they won't. The Prime Minister will disagree, of
:43:16. > :43:21.course, so I say to her today, in the most polite and friendly way
:43:22. > :43:24.possible, come out of hiding, and let's have a debate.
:43:25. > :43:42.APPLAUSE APPLAUSE
:43:43. > :43:49.Let's have a polite respectful debate on television, so millions of
:43:50. > :43:55.people can make up their own minds about which party offers bet hoper
:43:56. > :44:01.for Britain. -- better hope.
:44:02. > :44:06.APPLAUSE Let's debate, let's debate our two
:44:07. > :44:12.manifestos. Have the discussion. I am confident that once the people of
:44:13. > :44:17.this country get the chance to study the issue, look at the promises,
:44:18. > :44:22.they will decide that Britain has indeed been held back by the
:44:23. > :44:30.Conservative Government. They have prevailed over the many, for far too
:44:31. > :44:32.long. And, that they will decide it's now time for Labour.
:44:33. > :44:50.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Our country will only work for the
:44:51. > :44:58.many, not the few, if opportunity is in the hands of the many. So our
:44:59. > :45:02.manifesto is a plan for everyone. Have a fair chance to get on in
:45:03. > :45:08.life, and our country will only succeed when everyone succeeds. This
:45:09. > :45:16.message is for everyone in this country, the gay young, middle-aged
:45:17. > :45:21.or older. -- be they young, middle-aged or older. As I said at
:45:22. > :45:28.the start of my speech, we are determined that a child's future is
:45:29. > :45:32.not decided by the Place of birth, a child's future is not decided by the
:45:33. > :45:37.underfunding of their primary School. That a child's future is not
:45:38. > :45:43.decided by the poverty of their community. A government that invests
:45:44. > :45:48.for all. A government with a vision to ensure that the brilliance and
:45:49. > :45:52.imagination of every child can be fulfilled during their lifetime. Our
:45:53. > :46:03.proposal is a government for the many, not the few. Our proposal or
:46:04. > :46:08.hope for the many across the country. I am proud to present our
:46:09. > :46:56.APPLAUSE Thank you very much!
:46:57. > :47:18.Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. We now have
:47:19. > :47:25.an opportunity for questions. Jeremy Lomas answering questions! -- Jeremy
:47:26. > :47:30.Lomas answering questions. I will take them in groups of three. Bear
:47:31. > :47:35.with me, because there are a of people in the room. I thought the
:47:36. > :47:41.lady the pink, the gentleman, Ben Rohrer.
:47:42. > :47:53.It is wonderful to hear, I have been waiting 30 years to hear something
:47:54. > :47:57.like this, that I could believe in and fight for. The question is, we
:47:58. > :48:02.have a huge issue in our area, which is fracking. We are delighted to see
:48:03. > :48:10.it in the manifesto and we would love to hear you say it as well.
:48:11. > :48:21.Gentleman behind you, with the tide? Channel five news. I know you do not
:48:22. > :48:25.want to set a target for immigration, sorry... That is more
:48:26. > :48:28.like it. I know you don't want to set a target number for immigration,
:48:29. > :48:33.but can you simply say if you think it would be good for the country if
:48:34. > :48:42.the immigration level was reduced, if immigration came down?
:48:43. > :48:48.Lets have respect for everyone that once to ask a question, including
:48:49. > :48:55.members of the media. By the way, I am a member of the NUJ.
:48:56. > :49:04.Laura Kuenssberg. To be crystal clear for viewers, for good or for
:49:05. > :49:07.ill, you think it is time to pay for your ideas, to tax more, to spend
:49:08. > :49:18.more, and to borrow more? Thank you very much, the manifesto
:49:19. > :49:21.is absolutely clear, we believe that fracking is very damaging to the
:49:22. > :49:26.environment, and therefore we have made the statement on that. I am
:49:27. > :49:29.sure you understand and accept them. I thank Barry for the work he has
:49:30. > :49:36.done. He is nodding in agreement, it must be done.
:49:37. > :49:41.On the issue of immigration, there is immigration from all parts of the
:49:42. > :49:46.world. Those that have migrated to this country have made an immense,
:49:47. > :50:02.enormous and fantastical division to our society. -- fantastic
:50:03. > :50:05.contribution to our society. Those nurses that came from Jamaica, the
:50:06. > :50:09.doctors that came from India, the specialists that come from Germany,
:50:10. > :50:14.those that work in all aspects of our National Health Service,
:50:15. > :50:16.education service, industry, transport and so much else have
:50:17. > :50:20.helped to give us the living standards that we all have. I think
:50:21. > :50:22.we should recognise that our country owes them a great deal of debt and
:50:23. > :50:38.thanks for what they have done. We have also made it clear that
:50:39. > :50:42.people should not be brought into this country to work in poor
:50:43. > :50:45.conditions on low wages, deliberately to undercut the people
:50:46. > :50:56.that are already here in work on agreed conditions. And that the free
:50:57. > :50:59.movement that currently exists within the European Union, obviously
:51:00. > :51:04.at the time that leaves the European Union, that free movement does not
:51:05. > :51:07.continue. We will negotiate a trade agreement with the European Union
:51:08. > :51:12.that will insure tariff free access to the European Union and future
:51:13. > :51:15.migration will be based on a fair migration policy, fairness towards
:51:16. > :51:18.our economy and the needs of our people, and an end to the
:51:19. > :51:25.undercutting and exploitation that goes with it. I believe that a Home
:51:26. > :51:29.Office led by Diane Abbott would be fair, decent and reasonable in the
:51:30. > :51:34.way that it runs it. Bear in mind, if there had not been people coming
:51:35. > :51:38.here to work in our NHS, all of us would be in far worse health than we
:51:39. > :51:49.are at the present time. Let's remember that.
:51:50. > :51:56.Laura, thank you very much for your question, thanks for the way you put
:51:57. > :52:01.it. What we are proposing here is rebalancing of the economy, a
:52:02. > :52:06.rebalancing so that there is proper levels of investment in
:52:07. > :52:09.infrastructure, fairly across the whole of the UK, not totally in
:52:10. > :52:18.London and the south-east, but in every region of the country. I think
:52:19. > :52:24.that is extremely important. And a national investment bank that will
:52:25. > :52:29.ensure that fairness is taken all the way through it. We will also be,
:52:30. > :52:36.yes, increasing wages through the Living Wage. That will actually lead
:52:37. > :52:41.to economic growth and higher spending in the economy. It will
:52:42. > :52:46.also be a slight reduction in work benefits, because of higher wages.
:52:47. > :52:55.It will also help to rebalance our society. From a government that has
:52:56. > :53:00.borrowed more than every Labour government in history over the past
:53:01. > :53:08.seven years, we really don't need lectures, we really don't need
:53:09. > :53:14.lectures from the Tories on this. We are there to invest for the future
:53:15. > :53:16.and invest for the good of all, and ensure there is fairness across
:53:17. > :53:22.communities and across the regions of Britain. You know what, every
:53:23. > :53:26.other country in the world says, why does Britain invests so little and
:53:27. > :53:29.pay itself so little, while it allows such grotesque levels of
:53:30. > :53:41.inequality to get worse? Let's turn it around and do it the other way.
:53:42. > :53:50.I have a lady on the back row, the gentleman with the most splendid
:53:51. > :53:59.moustache I have ever seen... What is wrong with mine!? Second most...
:54:00. > :54:08.Are there any provisions to fix the failing academies that we already
:54:09. > :54:09.have? My son is 18 and came out with no GCSEs because the schools fail
:54:10. > :54:23.him. Peter Lazenby, Morning Star. Can
:54:24. > :54:26.anything be done about the shockingly biased media?
:54:27. > :54:46.One problem that people face is economic isolation. We see the High
:54:47. > :54:50.Street banks that are closing down. Do you think it would be a good idea
:54:51. > :54:53.if there were a network of banks on the High Street, maybe utilising
:54:54. > :55:01.post offices to provide banks for the people? Scarlets, thank you for
:55:02. > :55:04.your question. We don't want to close schools, we want to see there
:55:05. > :55:10.is proper investment in schools right across the country. Under
:55:11. > :55:13.Labour, headteachers will not be asked to take collections at the
:55:14. > :55:16.school gates in order to pay for teacher salaries and teaching
:55:17. > :55:22.Assistant salaries. We will ensure there is decent and fair funding of
:55:23. > :55:26.all schools across Britain, not what is happening now, which is funding
:55:27. > :55:34.per pupil is being cut in the vast majority of schools, and the schools
:55:35. > :55:37.are paying the price with super-sized classes, insufficient
:55:38. > :55:40.teachers, and insufficiency of teaching assistants and staff in the
:55:41. > :55:50.schools. We would ensure that schools are properly funded. Where
:55:51. > :55:54.there are schools that are failing, I believe, and I am sure Angela
:55:55. > :56:01.would agree, there has to be an effective and strong education
:56:02. > :56:09.authority that can step in to make sure schools are properly funded.
:56:10. > :56:15.We're not convinced of the idea that every school should be accountable
:56:16. > :56:19.only to the Department for Education. We want a much stronger
:56:20. > :56:25.local community and family of schools and education. We want to
:56:26. > :56:38.bring free and academies within that mutually supportive environment. At
:56:39. > :56:42.its best, if one school recognises it has a problem in achievement in
:56:43. > :56:44.say English or maths, a school down the road might be doing well in
:56:45. > :56:50.those areas. You learn from each other. If you create competition
:56:51. > :56:54.between schools, you reduce the ability to learn from each other.
:56:55. > :57:03.Children need to grow up knowing the whole community is working for them.
:57:04. > :57:14.It takes a village to raise a child, not just the parents immediately
:57:15. > :57:18.with them. Since you kindly took up the issue of education, Tom Watson
:57:19. > :57:23.has been discussing on our wonderful campaign bus how exciting it is
:57:24. > :57:27.going to be when we introduce the Pupil Arts Premium, so every child
:57:28. > :57:42.gets an opportunity to learn an instrument in school.
:57:43. > :57:46.Thank you for your question. You have noticed the media is slightly
:57:47. > :57:53.biased against the Labour Party. This is sometimes said to be the
:57:54. > :57:56.case. We are very serious about ensuring there is freedom of
:57:57. > :57:59.information and a right to know in society. It was Labour that
:58:00. > :58:03.introduced the Freedom of Information Act. We also recognise
:58:04. > :58:06.in many societies around the world that very brave journalists lose
:58:07. > :58:10.their lives or are assassinated because they have uncovered the
:58:11. > :58:14.truth about a brutal regimes and abuses of human rights. Journalists
:58:15. > :58:19.and journalism, and free journalism, free press, are intrinsic to a
:58:20. > :58:22.democracy and free society. I fully understand that.
:58:23. > :58:37.It is also important to ensure that there is responsible journalism,
:58:38. > :58:40.that there is a multiplicity of ownership, that there is a right of
:58:41. > :58:47.reply, and there isn't an abuse of monopoly power within it. So, we
:58:48. > :58:52.would develop Leveson, and Tom Watson is very clear on this, we
:58:53. > :58:56.will protect the diversity of our free press and we will ensure there
:58:57. > :59:00.is diversity of all of our media outlets in this country. So that
:59:01. > :59:09.everybody can take an informed opinion.
:59:10. > :59:19.The point that Tony raised about economic isolation, John McDonnell
:59:20. > :59:22.has put forward a very clear view that a high-street bank is something
:59:23. > :59:27.that is quite important, part of our community. If you think about it,
:59:28. > :59:32.there are too many small towns, even medium-sized towns, where the town
:59:33. > :59:38.centre has been hollowed out, where various shops go, the banks go, you
:59:39. > :59:42.get to a whole process of decline and ended with a town centre that is
:59:43. > :59:48.payday loan shops, bookies and fast-food outlets, and very little
:59:49. > :59:52.else. It is quite complicated, but, with intelligent planning and good
:59:53. > :59:53.support, you can end up with a much more vibrant and effective town
:59:54. > :00:05.centre all across the country. And so, John's proposal is that
:00:06. > :00:09.banks shouldn't be allowed willy-nilly to close all their
:00:10. > :00:14.branches and leave some towns with to bank whatsoever. There is also
:00:15. > :00:17.the question of the promotion of other banks as well, credit credit
:00:18. > :00:21.union I don't knows have grown a great deal. I am a member of one
:00:22. > :00:25.myself because I think they are a great way of helping people
:00:26. > :00:28.financially manage and helping them to get credit if they need it and
:00:29. > :00:33.loans if they need it. I think those things are very important. There is
:00:34. > :00:36.also the role of the Post Office in this, as an alternative source of
:00:37. > :00:40.banking and it was a Labour Government of Harold Wilson that
:00:41. > :00:45.introduced the Giro account system in those days and so we would be
:00:46. > :00:49.looking in a, alongside the question of public ownership of Royal Mail of
:00:50. > :00:53.the role that the Post Office will play in assisting people to get good
:00:54. > :00:56.banking, that means you have to keep Post Offices on the high streets of
:00:57. > :01:07.all our towns and cities in Britain. APPLAUSE
:01:08. > :01:13.Thank you. The next three I am just going to go to journalists to prove
:01:14. > :01:24.how unbiased they are, I have Robert, Jack, sorry I am gaing for
:01:25. > :01:34.Jack instead. Robert is first. Hello. Couple of things. Most
:01:35. > :01:37.forecasters say that the main reason why the living standards of those on
:01:38. > :01:41.lower pay is set to fall over the next few years is because of the
:01:42. > :01:44.freeze on benefits and I am struck that you haven't promised to end the
:01:45. > :01:52.benefits freeze, why didn't you choose to do that in your programme?
:01:53. > :01:59.And secondly, you have set out plans to spend about ?50 billion a year
:02:00. > :02:04.more and tax companies and the rich by round ?50 billion a year more,
:02:05. > :02:09.you have also got an ambitious programme of investment and an
:02:10. > :02:13.extension of public ownership of energy, the Royal Mail and water,
:02:14. > :02:26.how much do you intend to borrow additionally every year? Mr Corbyn,
:02:27. > :02:33.so, you have described the manifesto as radical. The Institute for Fiscal
:02:34. > :02:37.Studies has said this is the biggest involvement of a government in the
:02:38. > :02:42.state since the '70s. At the last election two million more voters
:02:43. > :02:46.felt that the Labour Party was too radical, why outside of this hall,
:02:47. > :02:49.and the swing voters who will determine the election, why should
:02:50. > :02:58.they trust you to set their water rates, gas bills and train fares? Mr
:02:59. > :03:03.Corbyn, when the manifesto leaked last week, a lot of these policies
:03:04. > :03:07.is were put to an opinion poll and they proved to be wildly popular,
:03:08. > :03:14.the vast majority of people really really like, what they didn't like
:03:15. > :03:21.was you as leader, why do you think that is? OK. Thanks for your
:03:22. > :03:25.question Jack. All right, it's all right. It's not
:03:26. > :03:34.the cult of personality, don't worry about it.
:03:35. > :03:38.APPLAUSE Robert, thank you for your question.
:03:39. > :03:42.Yes, increasing benefits is important, and clear we are not
:03:43. > :03:48.going to freeze benefit, that is very clear, we are looking at the
:03:49. > :03:50.perverse effects of the benefit cap on people and their housing
:03:51. > :03:55.accommodation, particularly in London, and the centre of our big
:03:56. > :04:00.city, you will be hearing more about that in the very near feature. --
:04:01. > :04:04.future. Secly on borrowing and investment. I have made it very
:04:05. > :04:08.clear that this Government has borrowed because it hasn't invested,
:04:09. > :04:12.and it has borrowed more and more because it invested less and less
:04:13. > :04:15.and we end up with a process of almost managed economic decline,
:04:16. > :04:20.relative to what we could achieve as a result of that and so, we are
:04:21. > :04:24.going to make it very very clear, that this Government will invest for
:04:25. > :04:31.the future in all parts of the country. We have a grossly
:04:32. > :04:36.imbalanced where it goes to London and the south-east. One of our key
:04:37. > :04:37.commitments is a Crossrail for the north, from Manchester across to
:04:38. > :04:51.Newcastle. Your questions are the mirror images
:04:52. > :04:56.of each other, did you get together to decide who was going to ask
:04:57. > :05:02.which? That is a joke, don't worry about it! When people talk about the
:05:03. > :05:07.'70s, and our manifesto doing that, I simply say that the other major
:05:08. > :05:13.party contesting this election, is really really forward looking, they
:05:14. > :05:17.are going to bring back fox hunting, and grammar school, that sounds
:05:18. > :05:30.APPLAUSE APPLAUSE And so, yes, I have made it
:05:31. > :05:34.very clear and John McDonnell will set out this in great detail
:05:35. > :05:38.tomorrow, every one of our commitments is costed and funded,
:05:39. > :05:42.all of our borrowing commitments are there, out there in the open of what
:05:43. > :05:47.we would do. And you say the manifesto was leaked last week, yes,
:05:48. > :05:56.many people got an advance copy of it, well, they read it any way, and
:05:57. > :05:59.the opinion polls that have tested the policies individually have found
:06:00. > :06:06.them all to be very very popular indeed. I just say this. I am very
:06:07. > :06:12.very proud to lead this party. I was elected by a very large number of
:06:13. > :06:17.members and supporter, ordinary people, all over this country. In
:06:18. > :06:22.trade union, Labour supporterers, Labour Party member, and I am very
:06:23. > :06:26.proud we have a party that is diverse, inclusive, that is
:06:27. > :06:34.pluralistic, and this manifesto, this manifesto is a product of that
:06:35. > :06:40.process. I see leadership as not dictating but leadership is also
:06:41. > :06:45.about listening. Listening to what people say, understanding the stress
:06:46. > :06:51.the pressures and the tensions in their lives, and ensuring that our
:06:52. > :06:57.party's policies, our Government's approach to things reflects the
:06:58. > :07:02.reality of people's lives. I am very proud to represent an inner city
:07:03. > :07:06.community in London, and I love the community and I listen very
:07:07. > :07:14.carefully to what they all say, as I do on all the travelling round the
:07:15. > :07:20.country. The function of leadership is to understand the stresses that
:07:21. > :07:25.people face, in their daily lives, the frustrations, the thwarted
:07:26. > :07:31.ambition, the anger that they face. And try to produce policies that
:07:32. > :07:35.make that different. Being strong and standing up doesn't necessarily
:07:36. > :07:39.mean shouting dictating and instructing, it is how you put your
:07:40. > :07:48.case. APPLAUSE
:07:49. > :07:56.So as you well know, I do not indulge in personal abuse, I think
:07:57. > :08:02.it is appalling, the abuse that is thrown at individual colleagues in
:08:03. > :08:05.the Shadow Cabinet, in a trade unions, the appalling abuse that is
:08:06. > :08:10.thrown round on social media and the very dark places it drives people
:08:11. > :08:16.into, when that abuse takes place. So I want to set an example. An
:08:17. > :08:21.example that you don't indulge in that, you debate the issues that we
:08:22. > :08:27.all face, and come to solutions that we can all collectively accept and
:08:28. > :08:32.be enthusiastic and excited by. And you know what? This is something
:08:33. > :08:36.that has brought more than 500,000 people into membership of our party
:08:37. > :08:40.because they are excited about what we can do together, for the good of
:08:41. > :08:58.everybody else. APPLAUSE
:08:59. > :09:05.Ladies and gentlemen, on that note, thank you to all of you, thank you
:09:06. > :09:08.to all of the colleagues that have made this amazing document of which
:09:09. > :09:12.we are very proud to stand by and ladies and gentlemen, with your
:09:13. > :09:16.support, your hard work and your dedication, over the next
:09:17. > :09:20.three-and-a-half weeks, please say thank you to your next Prime
:09:21. > :10:34.Minister. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:10:35. > :11:03.The election is upon us, every day BBC Parliament will have the key
:11:04. > :11:09.speeches from the main players in full and uncut. As well as all the
:11:10. > :11:15.big campaign events. Don't miss a single moment on BBC Parliament, and
:11:16. > :11:15.BBC iPlayer. Pure politics, from the UK's only dedicated politics
:11:16. > :11:26.channel.