Live Theresa May Speech Election 2017

Ladies and gentlemen, I am inspired by having all of you here. Some of

you I've known for 50 years, some for 40 years, most of you for 30

years, and you are altogether, here. I am a bit overcome, but that is not

what I was going to say. Here is the Prime Minister Theresa May. Thank

you very much. Thank you very much indeed and can I say how pleased I

am to be here with you all today and I'm excited that I spent the day in

the south-west. I've been talking to people about the choice in this

really important election that is coming up next week and it is an

important election because our future prosperity, family security

depends on the simple joys that is going to be made. You can vote

Conservative to support me and to help me to deliver the best deal for

Brexit, or and to deliver a Britain that will be strong and independent

and even more prosperous in the future. Or you can vote for any

other party and risk Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister in just nine

days' time, and the Prime Minister with a chaotic hung parliament. Now

this morning I started off at Plymouth fisheries talking to

fishermen and others about the huge opportunities ahead for them in the

industry. Then I went to the Royal Bath and West show and saw some of

the fantastic food and drink produce that makes this part of England

world-renowned. Here I am now at Cross Manufacturing, playing an

important role, particularly in the aviation sector as well as the

automotive sector. The aviation sector has been a great success here

in the South West. These snapshots of the huge potential here in the

south-west. Voters here in the south-west are vitally important for

this election in just eight days' time. In 2015 at the last election

your votes gave my party 15 more seats. If I lose just six of those,

I risk losing the... The government loses its majority and the country

risks Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister. There are three clear

questions for voters here in the south-west and elsewhere. As I have

said, voters in the south-west are vital. First of all, there is a

simple choice. Who do you trust to have the strong and stable

leadership to get on with that job of getting the best deal for Britain

from Brexit? Brexit really matters. It matters for our future

prosperity, it matters for our place in the world, prospects for our

children, our standard of living, how public services. If we get it

wrong, if we don't get Brexit right, it makes everything else we want to

do much harder to achieve. I think there is a simple question:

who has the plan and the will to get on with the job and deliver Brexit?

That's important, because those negotiations for Brexit will start

in just 11 days after the election next week. There will not be any

hanging around, no opportunity to put it forestall. The Europeans are

ready and we have to be ready as well, to enter into those

negotiations. The third question is a question of a simple reality,

which I have just referred to, which is if I lose just six seats, then my

government loses its majority. Jeremy Corbyn could be in number

ten, John McDonnell in the Treasury, Diane Abbott in the Home Office and

SNP pulling the strings. Every vote for me and my local Conservative

candidates is a boat to help stop that happen and they vote to

strengthen my and deliberate hand in those crucial Brexit negotiations.

Every boat is a vote for the strong and stable leadership I believe this

country needs. You only get that strong and stable leadership with

the Conservatives. When I became a minister immediately after the

referendum, people were saying that, possibly predicting a major

financial crash. They were predicting economic danger. What we

have actually seen is record numbers of jobs and growth beyond

expectations. Again, when I became Prime Minister, what the country

needed was a clear vision and strong government. To get on with the job

of delivering Brexit, and that's exactly what we did. That's what a

strong government can give you. The security of strong government. It's

what leadership looks like. I believe we really can make a success

of Brexit. But my plan for a stronger Britain is about more than

that, it's about the future for this country beyond Brexit as well. It's

about getting the right deal abroad and a better deal for ordinary

working families here at home. So yes, we want to get that best deal

on Brexit as we take control of our money, our laws, and our borders. I

also want to see new trade agreements with new friends and old

allies around the world as well. I want to back people who work hard,

helping businesses to create more higher paid jobs. But also with new

rights and protections for workers. I want to ensure that we see more

people able to earn their own home by building more affordable homes. I

want to help people with the cost of living. By stopping the rip-off

energy tariffs that we see, and keeping taxes low. I want to ensure

youngsters all get a really good start in life. That's about putting

more funding into schools, it's also about ensuring we have a really good

technical education for young people for the first time in this country.

But in more funding into the NHS, so people have the confidence of

knowing that they will have the security of that bus class NHS there

to care for them. And also caring and protecting our elderly. Of

course, protecting our national security and defence by acting

against terrorism, by defeating terrorism, and by acting against

extremism. That is my plan for a stronger Britain in the future. It

is a plan which is about, as I say, a better deal here at home for

ordinary working families. That's who I'm in the sport. And that's

what I'm aiming to achieve. -- that's who I am in this form. It's

all those who just want to get on in life and do the best by their

children, and look to the government to give them that little bit of

help. The government I need is back on you. We are on your side. I think

we should all worry about the alternative. The alternative, as I

say, is the possibility of Jeremy Corbyn being Prime Minister, John

McDonnell it being in charge of our economic future, Diane Abbott in

charge of our national security. All-time the strings being pulled by

the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Nationalists. If you do not

want to see Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister, if you do not think is

equipped to negotiate Brexit or protect our economic security or

keep our nation secure, then vote for your local Conservative

candidate. I think that if he were to be there, we would see chaos and

confusion. What would happen is he would be sitting around that table

11 days after the election date, with the Chancellor Merkel,

President Macron, all the presidents and prime ministers and chancellors

of Europe at the same time, he would be trying to put a government

together here in the UK. I think we would see chaos, and that would have

dark consequences for our country. I'm offering a better future and a

different way forward. I want to build this stronger, more prosperous

Britain. It is about ensuring we get Brexit right and getting the best

deal for Brexit, but it is also about doing so much more to ensure

that we can become the country that is even more prosperous, taking our

place in the world and standing tall in the world. Offering opportunities

to young people here in the UK. That is what my plan for a stronger

Britain is about. What I offer you is the resolute determination to get

on with the job, to deliver Brexit and make a success of it. Optimism

that we can get a deal that will work for all. And confident, but I

have the vision and the plan and the will to get on with the job and

deliver a better Britain for the future. I believe that can be done,

because I believe in Britain, and I believe in the British people. I am

offering myself as your premise there. I am asking you to back me.

-- I am offering myself as your Prime Minister. It is only used the

people who can give me the mandate. So give me the backing to lead

Britain, give me the authority to speak for Britain. Strengthen my

hand as I fight for Britain. Give me your backing and I will deliver for

Britain. Thank you. Does anybody have any questions?

There's no doubt in my mind is at all, but as Churchill was needed in

the time of the Second World War, you are needed at this time to do

what is necessary with Europe. But there is one thing that worries me.

You give me a dilemma, and that is your set to take away many of the

traditional things that we have, accustomed to enjoying in this

country in our rights and freedoms, our freedom of expression, freedom

of... Faith, all these things. Through your policy with regard to.

I forgotten the name of it now. British values. We have British

values that we fought for over generations through the war, and

they are being turned upside down by the government of the day, bringing

out what they think is wrong. You are going to bring a lot of people

into the British values problem that was not there before. They are miles

away from terrorism yet they will be involved, perhaps even being

investigated. That's a problem for me. I hope I have a microphone. It's

OK. I hope... That what ICQ will reassure you. We don't want to sweep

away the traditions that have underpinned our society for years.

Freedom of expression and faith, these are crucial to our society.

And crucial to our democracy. It is important that we stand up and talk

about those. And allow people that freedom of expression and freedom of

faith. What we do need to do, of course, is ensure that those who are

trying to divide us as a society, that those who are preaching hate in

order to try and divide us, but we do act in relation to those

individuals. And yes, one of the things I want to do is set up a

commission to look at countering extremism, because extremism can

lead to radicalisation. This is not about doing away with traditional

values that have underpinned our society. What I want to do is

reinforce those values and ensure that across the whole of the UK, the

whole of Britain, we all recognise the things that unite us and bring

us together. As one country. Those are our British values. It is about

freedom of expression and speech, freedom of faith, our belief in the

rule of law and order, our belief in our democracy. These are all things

that actually underpinned what being British is about. I want to

strengthen those, I want to go out there and lord knows and say to

everybody, let's get together and say, this is what being British is

about. I think there was one here. Thank

you Brian Lister. -- thank you, Prime Minister. We know Brexit is

happening and I make no apologies, I am a firm believer that the U:K.'s

success, the United Kingdom 's success is based outside the EU. I

make no apologies for that. On that level, I am pleased that you are the

Prime Minister and you acting on their behalf of us in that way. I

also know this country has an enormous amount of social problems,

and social welfare is something that will be with us long after Brexit. I

am particularly concerned, what will your government do about social

welfare? In particular, the rising tide of homelessness on our streets.

Homelessness and food banks. I will local MP who was standing just

behind you, when he was canvassing at the last election, we had some

canvases at the door. I asked them what will you do about homelessness?

What will you do about the people living on our streets? They did not

give me a satisfactory answer. I now look to you to give me some kind of

answer to that question. First of all, can I comment on what you said

about Brexit, because I believe it is absolutely right that we respect

the will of the people in the vote that took place last year and that

the government gets on and delivers Brexit. But you are right, there are

issues Rossouw time we need to be dealing with. On the one of

homelessness, we announced earlier this year that we are pushing over

?5 million into trying to do with homelessness. But, you need to deal

with it on a number of different ways. On one end, there is the issue

of making sure there are more affordable homes for people. We will

build those. It's also about trying to prevent people becoming homeless

in the first place. There are a variety of reasons which lead to

people becoming homeless. For some people, there are issues with mental

health problems. There are a variety of things that one could list that

lead to that homelessness. One of the things we are doing, and again

we put some more money at the turn of the year into working with a

number of groups around the country, looking at a number of projects

about trying to identify when people might be at risk of homelessness,

and actually being able to intervene before they get on the streets. But

they become homeless. We have also, the particular, another particular

concern is rough sleeping. We are looking around the world at some

very good practice that takes place elsewhere in the world. And saying,

will that work here in the UK and how can we doubt that here? You are

absolutely right to be concerned about homelessness, and rough

sleeping. We are trying to tackle it in a number of different ways. But

we have got a number of projects on and we are putting more money into

do it. Anybody else? Anybody from the workforce, before

the media? My local Conservative MP in Chippenham has been very vocal on

the subject of fairer funding formula for schools. Yet despite

that, the headmaster of the local school has written to all parents

explaining the impact of the cuts, over the next couple of years. Can

you reassure me as to what you will do over the next five years to maybe

reverse or address those funding cuts for state secondary schools?

Yes. I know Michelle has been vocal on it because she has asked me a

couple of questions in PMQs about it. First of all we will continue to

record levels of funding into schools. I think it is right we have

a fairer reform men are distributing that school funding. We see at the

moment there are some schools in the country do get twice as much funding

as others. We need to make it a fairer system. We published a

document with a proposed for Miller in it, we got consultation on that

and are now having an election. -- proposed formula in it. What we are

committed to is that no school will lose out in cash terms as result of

a new fairer funding formula coming in. We want to try to get greater

fairness in the distribution of that funding. But no school will lose out

in cash terms as the result of introducing a new formula.

Over one third of our sales are currently with the EU and we also

purchase items and have customer returns all moving freely. It's

likely that whatever deal is negotiated, the costs associated

with these movements as well as our admin costs will increase. How are

the Conservatives going to ensure that companies like Ross are not

going to be disadvantaged? The first thing is that when we look at our

trading relationship in the future with the EU, with the remaining EU,

we want to negotiate a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. We want a

tariff free trade and frictionless free orders as possible. As part of

that agreement. That's about the negotiations that will start 11 days

after the election. That's what we are working for. If you think about

it, there is an advantage for us in the UK in that we have already been

part of, as you say, part of the EU where we are trading freely with

people at the moment. On similar standards and regulations. I think

that should be easier for us to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement and

for countries that, completely third-party. It is, but it's about

the negotiations. On the border, one of the issues you raised as admin

costs. Of course, depending on how you get the arrangement of trade

across the border, that may well be where you are thinking that admin

costs might come in. We have a very real incentive to make sure we see

that trade across borders being as frictionless as possible, because we

want to ensure we do not see every turn to the borders of the past

between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We are looking

at a whole variety of solutions that could offer that frictionless border

crossing the future. Of course, we then have to sit down with the EU

and negotiate that. That's why I have been saying to people that

every vote for me would strengthen my hand in those negotiations. It

will be about sitting down and making sure we get a good deal. It's

not just about that's deliberate Australian into them, it's the other

way round as well. I think there was a benefit to them about arranging a

deal that is going to be as frictionless and error-free as

possible as well. I'm sure it's possible to achieve it, however the

costs and resources to achieve it, if you are talking about that, I'm

sure it's possible but it's going to be the cost. Achieving frictionless

movement, because at the moment there are no borders. If you want to

achieve frictionless movement, you are going to have to put electronic

suspense into place. -- eligible existence.

They will come at a cost to companies like cross. To achieve the

same sort frictionless movement we experience at the moment. How is the

government going to make sure that not only we know you're going to

negotiate at the Bastille, but how are you going to make sure companies

like cross are not disadvantaged in the process of reaching that point.

First of all we will work as we are doing less, with industry, with

business across the different sectors to see how we can best do

this in a way that will cause least disruption and impact on companies.

We are looking at various solutions, some of which may be electronic. .

The variety of issues we can look at and will be negotiating on. But we

want to take business and industry with us as we are doing that to

ensure we are working with the grain of business and industry to ensure

we truly understand what the impact of any move we make on business and

industry will be. But it is about making sure with that understanding,

we can go into those negotiations with a strong hand. That there is

going to be as little disruption, with least disruption and impact on

businesses, who are trading freely across those borders at the moment.

You mentioned house prizes. -- house prices. They are still priced too

high in Bath, though we are building them at the moment. Many of us here

travel a long way to work everyday. How do you think this could be

addressed in future. White How do you think this could be

addressed in future. there are a number of things. Part

of it is about the supply of housing that is available. There are a

number of things we want to do with that. Not just encouraging more

house-building but also trying to make sure that when planning

permissions are given, actually to builders, they then get on and build

those houses. Often you see that happening and the houses are not

built. We want to see greater diversity in terms of housing

construction. If you look at other countries, there is more self build,

more modular build of houses which will have an impact on the price. We

want to see greater diversity in that. And also help people on the

other side of the equation, who are trying to buy a house with things

like help to buy, shared ownership schemes? Which will enable people to

get that first step onto the ladder, than if they were having to go full

hog into buying a house. It's about helping people on the financial side

with various schemes, and trying to free up the housing market in a way.

That does not see developments just being put down willy-nilly, but

actually making sure when we do get planning permission is given, we see

those houses being built and we get a greater diversity of types of

houses and homes being built.