:00:34. > :00:46.Ladies and gentlemen, I am inspired by having all of you here. Some of
:00:47. > :00:51.you I've known for 50 years, some for 40 years, most of you for 30
:00:52. > :01:04.years, and you are altogether, here. I am a bit overcome, but that is not
:01:05. > :01:11.what I was going to say. Here is the Prime Minister Theresa May. Thank
:01:12. > :01:15.you very much. Thank you very much indeed and can I say how pleased I
:01:16. > :01:22.am to be here with you all today and I'm excited that I spent the day in
:01:23. > :01:25.the south-west. I've been talking to people about the choice in this
:01:26. > :01:31.really important election that is coming up next week and it is an
:01:32. > :01:35.important election because our future prosperity, family security
:01:36. > :01:40.depends on the simple joys that is going to be made. You can vote
:01:41. > :01:46.Conservative to support me and to help me to deliver the best deal for
:01:47. > :01:50.Brexit, or and to deliver a Britain that will be strong and independent
:01:51. > :01:56.and even more prosperous in the future. Or you can vote for any
:01:57. > :02:01.other party and risk Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister in just nine
:02:02. > :02:06.days' time, and the Prime Minister with a chaotic hung parliament. Now
:02:07. > :02:10.this morning I started off at Plymouth fisheries talking to
:02:11. > :02:14.fishermen and others about the huge opportunities ahead for them in the
:02:15. > :02:18.industry. Then I went to the Royal Bath and West show and saw some of
:02:19. > :02:24.the fantastic food and drink produce that makes this part of England
:02:25. > :02:26.world-renowned. Here I am now at Cross Manufacturing, playing an
:02:27. > :02:33.important role, particularly in the aviation sector as well as the
:02:34. > :02:40.automotive sector. The aviation sector has been a great success here
:02:41. > :02:46.in the South West. These snapshots of the huge potential here in the
:02:47. > :02:50.south-west. Voters here in the south-west are vitally important for
:02:51. > :02:56.this election in just eight days' time. In 2015 at the last election
:02:57. > :03:03.your votes gave my party 15 more seats. If I lose just six of those,
:03:04. > :03:09.I risk losing the... The government loses its majority and the country
:03:10. > :03:13.risks Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister. There are three clear
:03:14. > :03:18.questions for voters here in the south-west and elsewhere. As I have
:03:19. > :03:23.said, voters in the south-west are vital. First of all, there is a
:03:24. > :03:27.simple choice. Who do you trust to have the strong and stable
:03:28. > :03:35.leadership to get on with that job of getting the best deal for Britain
:03:36. > :03:39.from Brexit? Brexit really matters. It matters for our future
:03:40. > :03:44.prosperity, it matters for our place in the world, prospects for our
:03:45. > :03:48.children, our standard of living, how public services. If we get it
:03:49. > :03:50.wrong, if we don't get Brexit right, it makes everything else we want to
:03:51. > :03:59.do much harder to achieve. I think there is a simple question:
:04:00. > :04:04.who has the plan and the will to get on with the job and deliver Brexit?
:04:05. > :04:07.That's important, because those negotiations for Brexit will start
:04:08. > :04:14.in just 11 days after the election next week. There will not be any
:04:15. > :04:18.hanging around, no opportunity to put it forestall. The Europeans are
:04:19. > :04:22.ready and we have to be ready as well, to enter into those
:04:23. > :04:27.negotiations. The third question is a question of a simple reality,
:04:28. > :04:31.which I have just referred to, which is if I lose just six seats, then my
:04:32. > :04:35.government loses its majority. Jeremy Corbyn could be in number
:04:36. > :04:41.ten, John McDonnell in the Treasury, Diane Abbott in the Home Office and
:04:42. > :04:44.SNP pulling the strings. Every vote for me and my local Conservative
:04:45. > :04:52.candidates is a boat to help stop that happen and they vote to
:04:53. > :04:55.strengthen my and deliberate hand in those crucial Brexit negotiations.
:04:56. > :05:00.Every boat is a vote for the strong and stable leadership I believe this
:05:01. > :05:04.country needs. You only get that strong and stable leadership with
:05:05. > :05:09.the Conservatives. When I became a minister immediately after the
:05:10. > :05:13.referendum, people were saying that, possibly predicting a major
:05:14. > :05:17.financial crash. They were predicting economic danger. What we
:05:18. > :05:21.have actually seen is record numbers of jobs and growth beyond
:05:22. > :05:26.expectations. Again, when I became Prime Minister, what the country
:05:27. > :05:29.needed was a clear vision and strong government. To get on with the job
:05:30. > :05:35.of delivering Brexit, and that's exactly what we did. That's what a
:05:36. > :05:39.strong government can give you. The security of strong government. It's
:05:40. > :05:44.what leadership looks like. I believe we really can make a success
:05:45. > :05:48.of Brexit. But my plan for a stronger Britain is about more than
:05:49. > :05:53.that, it's about the future for this country beyond Brexit as well. It's
:05:54. > :05:57.about getting the right deal abroad and a better deal for ordinary
:05:58. > :06:01.working families here at home. So yes, we want to get that best deal
:06:02. > :06:06.on Brexit as we take control of our money, our laws, and our borders. I
:06:07. > :06:10.also want to see new trade agreements with new friends and old
:06:11. > :06:15.allies around the world as well. I want to back people who work hard,
:06:16. > :06:19.helping businesses to create more higher paid jobs. But also with new
:06:20. > :06:24.rights and protections for workers. I want to ensure that we see more
:06:25. > :06:30.people able to earn their own home by building more affordable homes. I
:06:31. > :06:36.want to help people with the cost of living. By stopping the rip-off
:06:37. > :06:40.energy tariffs that we see, and keeping taxes low. I want to ensure
:06:41. > :06:44.youngsters all get a really good start in life. That's about putting
:06:45. > :06:47.more funding into schools, it's also about ensuring we have a really good
:06:48. > :06:53.technical education for young people for the first time in this country.
:06:54. > :06:56.But in more funding into the NHS, so people have the confidence of
:06:57. > :07:00.knowing that they will have the security of that bus class NHS there
:07:01. > :07:06.to care for them. And also caring and protecting our elderly. Of
:07:07. > :07:10.course, protecting our national security and defence by acting
:07:11. > :07:15.against terrorism, by defeating terrorism, and by acting against
:07:16. > :07:20.extremism. That is my plan for a stronger Britain in the future. It
:07:21. > :07:24.is a plan which is about, as I say, a better deal here at home for
:07:25. > :07:29.ordinary working families. That's who I'm in the sport. And that's
:07:30. > :07:33.what I'm aiming to achieve. -- that's who I am in this form. It's
:07:34. > :07:36.all those who just want to get on in life and do the best by their
:07:37. > :07:41.children, and look to the government to give them that little bit of
:07:42. > :07:46.help. The government I need is back on you. We are on your side. I think
:07:47. > :07:50.we should all worry about the alternative. The alternative, as I
:07:51. > :07:55.say, is the possibility of Jeremy Corbyn being Prime Minister, John
:07:56. > :08:01.McDonnell it being in charge of our economic future, Diane Abbott in
:08:02. > :08:04.charge of our national security. All-time the strings being pulled by
:08:05. > :08:07.the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Nationalists. If you do not
:08:08. > :08:11.want to see Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister, if you do not think is
:08:12. > :08:14.equipped to negotiate Brexit or protect our economic security or
:08:15. > :08:19.keep our nation secure, then vote for your local Conservative
:08:20. > :08:24.candidate. I think that if he were to be there, we would see chaos and
:08:25. > :08:29.confusion. What would happen is he would be sitting around that table
:08:30. > :08:33.11 days after the election date, with the Chancellor Merkel,
:08:34. > :08:36.President Macron, all the presidents and prime ministers and chancellors
:08:37. > :08:39.of Europe at the same time, he would be trying to put a government
:08:40. > :08:45.together here in the UK. I think we would see chaos, and that would have
:08:46. > :08:52.dark consequences for our country. I'm offering a better future and a
:08:53. > :08:56.different way forward. I want to build this stronger, more prosperous
:08:57. > :08:59.Britain. It is about ensuring we get Brexit right and getting the best
:09:00. > :09:04.deal for Brexit, but it is also about doing so much more to ensure
:09:05. > :09:07.that we can become the country that is even more prosperous, taking our
:09:08. > :09:13.place in the world and standing tall in the world. Offering opportunities
:09:14. > :09:18.to young people here in the UK. That is what my plan for a stronger
:09:19. > :09:22.Britain is about. What I offer you is the resolute determination to get
:09:23. > :09:27.on with the job, to deliver Brexit and make a success of it. Optimism
:09:28. > :09:32.that we can get a deal that will work for all. And confident, but I
:09:33. > :09:36.have the vision and the plan and the will to get on with the job and
:09:37. > :09:41.deliver a better Britain for the future. I believe that can be done,
:09:42. > :09:45.because I believe in Britain, and I believe in the British people. I am
:09:46. > :09:50.offering myself as your premise there. I am asking you to back me.
:09:51. > :09:55.-- I am offering myself as your Prime Minister. It is only used the
:09:56. > :09:59.people who can give me the mandate. So give me the backing to lead
:10:00. > :10:06.Britain, give me the authority to speak for Britain. Strengthen my
:10:07. > :10:09.hand as I fight for Britain. Give me your backing and I will deliver for
:10:10. > :10:30.Britain. Thank you. Does anybody have any questions?
:10:31. > :10:34.There's no doubt in my mind is at all, but as Churchill was needed in
:10:35. > :10:38.the time of the Second World War, you are needed at this time to do
:10:39. > :10:43.what is necessary with Europe. But there is one thing that worries me.
:10:44. > :10:49.You give me a dilemma, and that is your set to take away many of the
:10:50. > :10:54.traditional things that we have, accustomed to enjoying in this
:10:55. > :11:02.country in our rights and freedoms, our freedom of expression, freedom
:11:03. > :11:08.of... Faith, all these things. Through your policy with regard to.
:11:09. > :11:14.I forgotten the name of it now. British values. We have British
:11:15. > :11:17.values that we fought for over generations through the war, and
:11:18. > :11:21.they are being turned upside down by the government of the day, bringing
:11:22. > :11:28.out what they think is wrong. You are going to bring a lot of people
:11:29. > :11:33.into the British values problem that was not there before. They are miles
:11:34. > :11:35.away from terrorism yet they will be involved, perhaps even being
:11:36. > :11:44.investigated. That's a problem for me. I hope I have a microphone. It's
:11:45. > :11:49.OK. I hope... That what ICQ will reassure you. We don't want to sweep
:11:50. > :11:53.away the traditions that have underpinned our society for years.
:11:54. > :11:58.Freedom of expression and faith, these are crucial to our society.
:11:59. > :12:02.And crucial to our democracy. It is important that we stand up and talk
:12:03. > :12:06.about those. And allow people that freedom of expression and freedom of
:12:07. > :12:10.faith. What we do need to do, of course, is ensure that those who are
:12:11. > :12:22.trying to divide us as a society, that those who are preaching hate in
:12:23. > :12:24.order to try and divide us, but we do act in relation to those
:12:25. > :12:27.individuals. And yes, one of the things I want to do is set up a
:12:28. > :12:29.commission to look at countering extremism, because extremism can
:12:30. > :12:31.lead to radicalisation. This is not about doing away with traditional
:12:32. > :12:33.values that have underpinned our society. What I want to do is
:12:34. > :12:38.reinforce those values and ensure that across the whole of the UK, the
:12:39. > :12:44.whole of Britain, we all recognise the things that unite us and bring
:12:45. > :12:49.us together. As one country. Those are our British values. It is about
:12:50. > :12:52.freedom of expression and speech, freedom of faith, our belief in the
:12:53. > :12:56.rule of law and order, our belief in our democracy. These are all things
:12:57. > :12:59.that actually underpinned what being British is about. I want to
:13:00. > :13:03.strengthen those, I want to go out there and lord knows and say to
:13:04. > :13:10.everybody, let's get together and say, this is what being British is
:13:11. > :13:19.about. I think there was one here. Thank
:13:20. > :13:23.you Brian Lister. -- thank you, Prime Minister. We know Brexit is
:13:24. > :13:27.happening and I make no apologies, I am a firm believer that the U:K.'s
:13:28. > :13:32.success, the United Kingdom 's success is based outside the EU. I
:13:33. > :13:35.make no apologies for that. On that level, I am pleased that you are the
:13:36. > :13:39.Prime Minister and you acting on their behalf of us in that way. I
:13:40. > :13:43.also know this country has an enormous amount of social problems,
:13:44. > :13:47.and social welfare is something that will be with us long after Brexit. I
:13:48. > :13:52.am particularly concerned, what will your government do about social
:13:53. > :13:58.welfare? In particular, the rising tide of homelessness on our streets.
:13:59. > :14:02.Homelessness and food banks. I will local MP who was standing just
:14:03. > :14:05.behind you, when he was canvassing at the last election, we had some
:14:06. > :14:10.canvases at the door. I asked them what will you do about homelessness?
:14:11. > :14:13.What will you do about the people living on our streets? They did not
:14:14. > :14:18.give me a satisfactory answer. I now look to you to give me some kind of
:14:19. > :14:22.answer to that question. First of all, can I comment on what you said
:14:23. > :14:25.about Brexit, because I believe it is absolutely right that we respect
:14:26. > :14:28.the will of the people in the vote that took place last year and that
:14:29. > :14:32.the government gets on and delivers Brexit. But you are right, there are
:14:33. > :14:35.issues Rossouw time we need to be dealing with. On the one of
:14:36. > :14:43.homelessness, we announced earlier this year that we are pushing over
:14:44. > :14:47.?5 million into trying to do with homelessness. But, you need to deal
:14:48. > :14:51.with it on a number of different ways. On one end, there is the issue
:14:52. > :14:56.of making sure there are more affordable homes for people. We will
:14:57. > :15:01.build those. It's also about trying to prevent people becoming homeless
:15:02. > :15:04.in the first place. There are a variety of reasons which lead to
:15:05. > :15:08.people becoming homeless. For some people, there are issues with mental
:15:09. > :15:12.health problems. There are a variety of things that one could list that
:15:13. > :15:16.lead to that homelessness. One of the things we are doing, and again
:15:17. > :15:21.we put some more money at the turn of the year into working with a
:15:22. > :15:25.number of groups around the country, looking at a number of projects
:15:26. > :15:28.about trying to identify when people might be at risk of homelessness,
:15:29. > :15:34.and actually being able to intervene before they get on the streets. But
:15:35. > :15:37.they become homeless. We have also, the particular, another particular
:15:38. > :15:40.concern is rough sleeping. We are looking around the world at some
:15:41. > :15:45.very good practice that takes place elsewhere in the world. And saying,
:15:46. > :15:49.will that work here in the UK and how can we doubt that here? You are
:15:50. > :15:52.absolutely right to be concerned about homelessness, and rough
:15:53. > :15:56.sleeping. We are trying to tackle it in a number of different ways. But
:15:57. > :16:04.we have got a number of projects on and we are putting more money into
:16:05. > :16:09.do it. Anybody else? Anybody from the workforce, before
:16:10. > :16:12.the media? My local Conservative MP in Chippenham has been very vocal on
:16:13. > :16:16.the subject of fairer funding formula for schools. Yet despite
:16:17. > :16:21.that, the headmaster of the local school has written to all parents
:16:22. > :16:25.explaining the impact of the cuts, over the next couple of years. Can
:16:26. > :16:29.you reassure me as to what you will do over the next five years to maybe
:16:30. > :16:34.reverse or address those funding cuts for state secondary schools?
:16:35. > :16:38.Yes. I know Michelle has been vocal on it because she has asked me a
:16:39. > :16:42.couple of questions in PMQs about it. First of all we will continue to
:16:43. > :16:45.record levels of funding into schools. I think it is right we have
:16:46. > :16:50.a fairer reform men are distributing that school funding. We see at the
:16:51. > :16:53.moment there are some schools in the country do get twice as much funding
:16:54. > :16:59.as others. We need to make it a fairer system. We published a
:17:00. > :17:05.document with a proposed for Miller in it, we got consultation on that
:17:06. > :17:08.and are now having an election. -- proposed formula in it. What we are
:17:09. > :17:13.committed to is that no school will lose out in cash terms as result of
:17:14. > :17:17.a new fairer funding formula coming in. We want to try to get greater
:17:18. > :17:20.fairness in the distribution of that funding. But no school will lose out
:17:21. > :17:28.in cash terms as the result of introducing a new formula.
:17:29. > :17:34.Over one third of our sales are currently with the EU and we also
:17:35. > :17:38.purchase items and have customer returns all moving freely. It's
:17:39. > :17:42.likely that whatever deal is negotiated, the costs associated
:17:43. > :17:46.with these movements as well as our admin costs will increase. How are
:17:47. > :17:50.the Conservatives going to ensure that companies like Ross are not
:17:51. > :17:53.going to be disadvantaged? The first thing is that when we look at our
:17:54. > :17:59.trading relationship in the future with the EU, with the remaining EU,
:18:00. > :18:04.we want to negotiate a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. We want a
:18:05. > :18:08.tariff free trade and frictionless free orders as possible. As part of
:18:09. > :18:14.that agreement. That's about the negotiations that will start 11 days
:18:15. > :18:20.after the election. That's what we are working for. If you think about
:18:21. > :18:25.it, there is an advantage for us in the UK in that we have already been
:18:26. > :18:29.part of, as you say, part of the EU where we are trading freely with
:18:30. > :18:33.people at the moment. On similar standards and regulations. I think
:18:34. > :18:36.that should be easier for us to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement and
:18:37. > :18:44.for countries that, completely third-party. It is, but it's about
:18:45. > :18:48.the negotiations. On the border, one of the issues you raised as admin
:18:49. > :18:52.costs. Of course, depending on how you get the arrangement of trade
:18:53. > :18:56.across the border, that may well be where you are thinking that admin
:18:57. > :19:00.costs might come in. We have a very real incentive to make sure we see
:19:01. > :19:03.that trade across borders being as frictionless as possible, because we
:19:04. > :19:07.want to ensure we do not see every turn to the borders of the past
:19:08. > :19:11.between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We are looking
:19:12. > :19:15.at a whole variety of solutions that could offer that frictionless border
:19:16. > :19:19.crossing the future. Of course, we then have to sit down with the EU
:19:20. > :19:26.and negotiate that. That's why I have been saying to people that
:19:27. > :19:29.every vote for me would strengthen my hand in those negotiations. It
:19:30. > :19:33.will be about sitting down and making sure we get a good deal. It's
:19:34. > :19:36.not just about that's deliberate Australian into them, it's the other
:19:37. > :19:40.way round as well. I think there was a benefit to them about arranging a
:19:41. > :19:43.deal that is going to be as frictionless and error-free as
:19:44. > :19:49.possible as well. I'm sure it's possible to achieve it, however the
:19:50. > :19:55.costs and resources to achieve it, if you are talking about that, I'm
:19:56. > :20:01.sure it's possible but it's going to be the cost. Achieving frictionless
:20:02. > :20:05.movement, because at the moment there are no borders. If you want to
:20:06. > :20:10.achieve frictionless movement, you are going to have to put electronic
:20:11. > :20:15.suspense into place. -- eligible existence.
:20:16. > :20:27.They will come at a cost to companies like cross. To achieve the
:20:28. > :20:30.same sort frictionless movement we experience at the moment. How is the
:20:31. > :20:34.government going to make sure that not only we know you're going to
:20:35. > :20:38.negotiate at the Bastille, but how are you going to make sure companies
:20:39. > :20:43.like cross are not disadvantaged in the process of reaching that point.
:20:44. > :20:46.First of all we will work as we are doing less, with industry, with
:20:47. > :20:55.business across the different sectors to see how we can best do
:20:56. > :20:58.this in a way that will cause least disruption and impact on companies.
:20:59. > :21:04.We are looking at various solutions, some of which may be electronic. .
:21:05. > :21:09.The variety of issues we can look at and will be negotiating on. But we
:21:10. > :21:13.want to take business and industry with us as we are doing that to
:21:14. > :21:15.ensure we are working with the grain of business and industry to ensure
:21:16. > :21:21.we truly understand what the impact of any move we make on business and
:21:22. > :21:24.industry will be. But it is about making sure with that understanding,
:21:25. > :21:32.we can go into those negotiations with a strong hand. That there is
:21:33. > :21:36.going to be as little disruption, with least disruption and impact on
:21:37. > :21:47.businesses, who are trading freely across those borders at the moment.
:21:48. > :21:51.You mentioned house prizes. -- house prices. They are still priced too
:21:52. > :21:55.high in Bath, though we are building them at the moment. Many of us here
:21:56. > :21:56.travel a long way to work everyday. How do you think this could be
:21:57. > :22:00.addressed in future. White How do you think this could be
:22:01. > :22:09.addressed in future. there are a number of things. Part
:22:10. > :22:12.of it is about the supply of housing that is available. There are a
:22:13. > :22:16.number of things we want to do with that. Not just encouraging more
:22:17. > :22:20.house-building but also trying to make sure that when planning
:22:21. > :22:24.permissions are given, actually to builders, they then get on and build
:22:25. > :22:27.those houses. Often you see that happening and the houses are not
:22:28. > :22:33.built. We want to see greater diversity in terms of housing
:22:34. > :22:38.construction. If you look at other countries, there is more self build,
:22:39. > :22:43.more modular build of houses which will have an impact on the price. We
:22:44. > :22:47.want to see greater diversity in that. And also help people on the
:22:48. > :22:51.other side of the equation, who are trying to buy a house with things
:22:52. > :23:01.like help to buy, shared ownership schemes? Which will enable people to
:23:02. > :23:06.get that first step onto the ladder, than if they were having to go full
:23:07. > :23:09.hog into buying a house. It's about helping people on the financial side
:23:10. > :23:14.with various schemes, and trying to free up the housing market in a way.
:23:15. > :23:18.That does not see developments just being put down willy-nilly, but
:23:19. > :23:21.actually making sure when we do get planning permission is given, we see
:23:22. > :23:23.those houses being built and we get a greater diversity of types of
:23:24. > :23:24.houses and homes being built.