11/05/2017 London News

Tonight on BBC London: In four weeks' time,

these guys will cast their vote along with millions of Londoners,

but this is the tightest seat in the capital,

so we'll be finding out what issues could make a difference here.

Will it be a difficult decision for the people of Croydon Central,

where fewer than 200 votes separate the Tories from Labour?

Definitely want a blue one because stability is absolutely key.

They are working overall for the benefits for all the people

Also on the programme: Rifling through hundreds

The council trying to catch the fly-tippers

And I've come to north London in search of the modern day clown.

Wellcome to box parking Croydon, vibrant cultural quarter. It is

constructed entirely out of shipping containers. There are plenty of

places to eat lots of events. So plenty of choice but what about

choice when it comes to politics because Croydon Central is the most

marginal seat in the capital. The shade you how tight, at the last

election, the Tories won it by just 165 votes, so back-ups it is not

surprising that Jeremy Corbyn chose here to launch his election campaign

a few weeks ago. In a seat where the vote was won

by the Conservatives, beating Labour by just 165 votes,

there's everything to play for. A lot has changed since 2015

with Britain voting to leave the EU, so just what is the political

appetite in Croydon Central? We've got some politically

themed doughnuts here. And tell me why you want

to vote Conservatives. Because because it's the most

important time in our history that we need one party

to go against Europe. Corbyn as leader and actually

the party at working overall for the benefits of all the people

rather than the elite at the top. Definitely want a blue one

because stability is absolutely key. I like Jeremy Corbyn

and I know a lot of people don't actually like him,

but I think his ideas I think the Labour Party is going

to represent younger people. Before long, we were out

of Conservative and Labour Party doughnuts, and it was time to speak

to some of the candidates. Gavin Barwell is confident

of retaining the seat Croydon Central voted

narrowly to leave the EU. He says the key issue

is who can best lead We clearly feel that,

in Theresa May, we've got the right candidate to provide that strong

and stable leadership and that Jeremy Corbyn actually

would represent a real threat to this country as we go

through the Brexit negotiations. That's absolutely an issue

that we will put front and centre, and it's very interesting that,

if you look at my Labour opponent's leaflets,

there's absolutely no mention So we are off now to meet Sarah

Jones, who is Labour's candidate. She was up against Gavin Barwell

last time, losing out She says she really fancies her

chances this time around. She says her focus is on local issues, not

the Labour Party's leader. Two years on, people can see the impact of the

Conservative government and they are starting to understand that Barwell

has broken his promises. People cannot get housing or get the jobs

they want, people are struggling with their education. There supply

teachers coming in because there are not enough staff to teach kids.

People are beginning to question, is this the only way? And what about

Ukip? Ukip needs to be around because we will be there when

Theresa May fails to deliver. I didn't think so. They picked up

nearly 5000 votes in 2015, finishing third and above the Lib Dems and

greens, but things are looking more challenging on this occasion. We

cannot ignore what happened in the local elections last week. Do you

get worried that might affect your vote? It is a unique situation

because we are in the middle of the general election and the Tories have

taken a lot of our policies. We want a good Brexit agreement, but we do

not believe the Tories at all. An hour do not run, there was

indecision. -- on our do not run. And it is those voters the

candidates will need to tempt if they are to win in London's tightest

seat. On that dilemma, let's hit from the

Lib Dems and the Greens. We do want a strong economy,

but we've also got a social conscience so we do the right things

for people that aren't as well I just want to bring

the whole town together, stop it being divided,

bring the whole town together We believe in a vote,

a final vote, on the final Brexit We believe in progress

and positive solutions. We want to see the economy

work for everybody, not You should be able to see a full

list of the candidates standing in Croydon Central on your screen now.

Let's get the view of some of the people who live in the area who have

kindly joint does this evening. You are making yourselves at home. Thank

you very much indeed for being here this evening. I knew already

thinking about the things that matter to you when deciding who to

vote for? I know you founded a campaign to make people aware of the

dangers of knife crime. My crime in Croydon has been in the news

recently and we know it is a huge thing that we need to tackle. I feel

like we need to tackle knife crime but also look at the prevention,

what is causing it, and the prevention of young people getting

kicked out of school, young people with mental health issues, and look

who is supporting and what they can do to benefit young people who have

been kicked out of school or who know not to have great life chances.

Talking of young people, I know you are the co-founder of the

not-for-profit organisation championing an inspiring tech

business. Are you hearing noises that make you think young people

will be looked after? You are hearing noises that the government

is saying the right words. Morgan definitely be done. There is a lot

more that can be done to get the skills relevant to the future,

getting people into the tech industry. There is a lot more that

can be done. You set up Croydon Citizen, Britain by local people for

local people. Do you think politicians are engaged enough with

young people? There could be more that could be done but the reality

is, while young people are only able to vote from 18 onwards, they are

not likely to be listened to as much. The other people that will win

you an election. They are trying, but they would try harder if more

young people were engaged in that way. You see local concerns from

people. Do you feel politicians are engaged enough with local issues or

is it a bigger picture? Right now, the challenges Brexit because you

have this huge issue that will affect everything. Nobody knows what

will happen. Everyone is focused on that. The local issues about

housing, it is a big question in Crowden where prices have shot up so

much. It is difficult to afford to live here. Do you guys agree that

Brexit is overshadowing local issues? You are a pub landlady. You

must hear a lot of people's concerns. There are a lot of

concerns around Brexit, but also localised concerns around air

quality, the state of our education, but how housing developments and

wider regeneration will affect local people. And also around the NHS and

our local hospital. The manifesto is not out yet. We have had a leaked

draft of Labour's but what are some of the key things you want to see

and do they make a difference to how you vote when you see those

manifestos? I feel like Croydon, there is a lot of growth in

investment and a lot of that is in terms of property. Prices are going

up and local people are faced with the challenge of, how can you afford

to stay in your local area? A lot of the things I will be looking for our

investments in the skills where people can compete and future job

markets and all the other things which enable people to not be pushed

out of the homes they live in. What we are looking at is young people

leaving school without any GCSEs who cannot even go to college. We are

looking at the people investing in Croydon to take on apprenticeships

and build their skill set and help young people out and make sure they

have a job and a future career starting from when they leave

school. Thank you so much, guys. Stay put for now because I did

mention that leak of Labour's draft manifesto. I will get pearls of

wisdom from someone who has been looking at it in more detail. This

leaked manifesto from Labour, tell us your take on it. Leaked

overnight. Labour's ruling body have met this afternoon and they have

agreed what will be a few amendments and have agreed what it will be. A

lot of stuff about transport in London. First commitment, they will

pay for HS2, that north to south link, and Crossrail. Then this might

prick up the is a people in these parts. They have said that they will

end the practice of driver only operated trains. Labour is saying,

we will put the guards back on the trains, and that was at the centre

that dispute. Another thing they have said is something the mayor has

been pushing for, they will hand over commuter rail services to the

mayor and the transport for London. But what is not in it, you look

through this document and what you do not see is the word Heathrow. Why

might that be? The mayor is opposed to it. We also know that John

McDonnell is against Heathrow. But we also know that the big unions

want Heathrow and so do a lot of northern MPs so he not mentioned by

name. Besides transport, a couple of other issues? Let's look at tax.

Labour is saying they would tax people who are over ?80,000. The

will pay for improvements of the NHS and things like that. That will hit

more Londoners than anywhere else in the country, double the rate of

people earn over ?80,000 in London. And then helped one. Lots of

reorganisation is planned in London. Labour saying they will stop those

and get local boards to look at plans again. Let's get the reaction

of our guests to some of that stuff that has appeared so far in that

leaked manifesto. I know it is very noisy, it is a very vibrant evening

here. Karl mentioned something that is an issue down here, which is the

long-running dispute of Southern rail and one of the things that has

come out that manifesto is ending driver only trains, devolving

commuter lines back to the hell, does any of that float your boat?

There needs to be something happening the Southern rail. Because

it has been such an issue to people to such a long time. We are in the

middle of the public storm. We have got issues with bites of unions,

huge capacity problems, more people travelling by railways than the

1990s, and there needs to be more capacity. The one thing I have not

seen in most proposals is, what we invest in increased capacity? There

is a hard limit. Do you think things like this could make a difference to

how you or people you would boat? Train lines and specifically

anti-Southern feelings will play a part in manifestos. It is very nice

but something in manifestos but it is not clear what difference it

would make if it was taken over by the government. More would be needs

to be done to explain to us the difference. What about that proposal

of taxing people earning over ?80,000 in London? It would

disproportionately hit people here in London? You could easily classify

the tech industry as something that would suffer from taxes on higher

salaries. I think they probably would be resistance to that. People

do not want to be taxed more. But at the same time, there is an element

of Venice to it, especially the tech industry, which is younger, they

would be more accepting of it, if we knew what they would do for those

taxes. We are waiting for those manifestos to come out. Do you

believe what is in them? Does it make a difference to you? Or we are

saying more young people need to vote, we are also looking at what we

are voting for. We have the right to vote as well as the right not to

vote, and I think we need to know that these people will put these

things in place before we actually vote for someone to be there and to

make all promises. Very briefly, if there was one thing you want the

government to address that would make a difference to you and people

living here in Croydon, what would it be? This is just my personal

opinion, but housing has to be addressed. The NHS and social and

health care. Investing in skills for the future. More support for young

offenders, people with mental health issues in school before they remove

the men kick them out. Thank you all very much indeed. That is all from

us here in Croydon but now back to you in the studio.

Staying with the general election and BBC London has learned that Ukip

is not fielding candidates in at least a quarter

The party suffered badly in the local elections

but its London chairman has told this programme the decision

to withdraw is to ensure pro-Brexit candidates win.

Our political editor, Tim Donovan, reports.

The man now known as the Brexit secretary was deployed today in a

place which certainly wants it. 70% of people here boated Leave last

year. With that job done, will Ukip support for the way he? What we are

seeing is a large number of Ukip voters coming over to us. They voted

Ukip because they wanted Brexit and now, you can deliver on Brexit? They

all want a good deal. Ukip are standing in Thurrock and have made

back in and rain Mbeki target. The leader visited yesterday. But in at

least 18 seats, maybe as many as 25, they are not standing. The party's

London chairman told me it was to protect pro Brexit former MPs. You

could have decided not to stand against both remain as in place, the

challenger is a strong Brexiteer, or levers in place, the position may be

not as strong as they might like it to be. But surely those bad local

election results for ominous? Do you think it is all over for the party?

Absolutely not. Whichever party is in power, they hold their feet to

the fire. We are not fooled by Theresa May, she voted Remain. How

many seats the thing would change hands? In London, probably five,

maybe ten. Not standing candidates also removes the potential for a

humiliating vote collapse. This could be pragmatic and places as

well as strategic Ukip's big significance could now be food does

not pick them rather than who does. The former N-Dubz rapper Dappy has

been arrested in Hatfield for allegedly having a knife

and threatening a woman. The one-time Celebrity Big Brother

contestant was held after armed police were called to a residential

street yesterday afternoon. Dappy, whose real name

is Constadinos Contostavlos, over 500 tonnes of rubbish piled up

under the A40 in west London. It's been there for months but,

today, action was finally started to do something about it

as well as trying to find out Hidden away under the and 40, one of

the largest fly-tips London has ever seen. It is Chris's job to sift

through, looking for clues. Names and addresses both from the London

area. It is a huge dirty job. It is impossible to sum up the scale of

this. This rubbish goes all the way through these arches. There are bags

of household waste, building materials, garden waste and massive

items, bookcases, settees, mattresses, there is a bath right

there. Part of the issue is who is responsible. The Highways Agency has

the all this but it is up to the Council to enforce it and bring

prosecutions against those responsible. Fly-tippers can be

fined up to ?400 but is that enough of the deterrent? The prosecutions

do work. They bring down the day-to-day fly-tipping. This is on a

much bigger scale, this is organised crime. Hands lives nearby and

alerted the council to the problem. It is absolutely disgusting. My

biggest issue about this is the removal of the debris. It would be

almost impossible to bring the material back out again because you

would have to close the motorway, at least the slow lane, the move the

material back up the slipway. Fly-tipping is an issue across the

capital. Recent government figures show there were more than 320,000

incidents in the space of a year. Fly-tipping is an epidemic and we

are contributing to the problem. As we try to communicate in our

campaign, people must realise that householders must not give people

the bulky waste. The Highways Agency has blocked the road and is doing

all they can to remove the rubbish. London council says it is working

with an issue that blight communities and can damage the

environment. If you suffer from coulrophobia,

you might want to look away now or keep watching to be cured

of your fear of clowns. Because the London Clown Festival

begins this evening, and it redefines their traditional

image of having big feet With the big red noses and silly

hats, clowns have terrified but mostly entertained us for centuries.

As always, the clowns bring down the house. They provide chaos, comedy

and calamity. That kind of clown was made famous in the 1800s by Joseph

Grimaldi, but what of London's 21st-century clowns? We gather a

little crowd and watch Henry do a bit of the show. The audience gets

on board. Then Neil turns up to improvise unending. Stop a minute.

What was all that about? No idea! What is the essence of the clown? A

clown is everybody's individual idiot, the core fall, the guy or

girl who sings in front of the mirror in the mock bathroom in the

morning, the person you are most honourable at. It is taking your

inner squidgy person and put front inner squidgy person and put front

of lots of other people. How is it different now? I do not think it is

that different. The core is the same, we are silly idiots having fun

and playing. Nowadays, the clown has a bad reputation because of the

scary clown phenomena, yet our clowns are all different shapes and

sizes. There are clowns with no red nose at all. The London clown

festival is on for two weeks and there is not a custard pie or an

oversized pair of shoes inside. No reason to be scared of the modern

clown. There is a bit of rain in the

forecast. Skies were pretty much like this across the capital for

most of the day. The sunshine made a return later on. There are a few

showers early this morning. Largely dry in cloudy. Some of these were

heavy and thundery further west of London. It looks like this evening

and the rest of the night, we will see a band of showery rain spreading

up on the south. There could be the odd heavy burst mixed in but because

of the cloud cover, that humid air will make it a murky night. Tomorrow

is a cloudy day. There will be some showers in the forecast as well. A

murky start, murky as well, showers work their way through the region

during the morning. Into the afternoon, sunshine may well make a

return with the heaviest showers becoming confined to the north of

the region. 19-20d likely in feeling humid. That area of low pressure

continues to spread northwards as we head into towards the weekend. A

south-westerly wind. To the weekend, we lose the humidity and it turns

fresher. In the sunshine, it will feel pleasant. They would tend to

move through an come confined to the north and west of our region. 19 or

20 degrees, it will feel warm in the south-westerly wind. In the Sunday,

similar picture. Most of the showers to the north and west of our region,

staying dry largely with temperatures 19 or 20 degrees.

Before we go tonight, let me just give you a quick recap

A draft manifesto leaked to the BBC says a Labour government

would renationalise Britain's railways, abolish tuition

fees and build thousands of new council homes.

The Conservatives say Labour want to drag

If you can't bear to wait until then, you can go to the BBC

iPlayer and watch this all over again.