Regulator says party does not have sufficient support to qualify for ‘major party status’, but Ukip may have
Nick Clegg’s LBC phone-in - Summary
Lunchtime summary
Afternoon summary
3.32pm GMT
Nigel Farage "seeking to divide us" with 'fifth column' #CharlieHebdo remarks - Ed Miliband
Zero hours contracts have spread like an "epidemic" across British workplaces, Miliband says. Promises to stop if elected.
Man in audience asking about zero hour contracts - says people turn up for work and still don't know how long they'll be there for.
Miliband says zero hour contracts have become "epidemic across workplace" and sometimes "Victorian working conditions in 21st century"
Question from former Lab voter now Green - wants to know when Lab will stop being stuck in centre ground and become party of the left
Miliband says he believes in tackling inequality but it's got to be practical not pie in the sky.
Miliband rebuffs Green Party's "pie in the sky" policies and rejects suggestion Labour has abandoned its socialist roots.
We are open to look at further powers but we are not obsessed by this issue of stacking up more powers. I think what we need to do is to prove that we can operate on the powers that we presently have.
2.55pm GMT
Here’s a short afternoon reading list.
The closing chapter of the election story has begun but with four months until we reach the denouement, most of the audience is already transfixed with boredom. It is like a cycle pursuit race where the competitors go round and round zigzagging the track to little effect, looking nervously over their shoulders, while most of us take little or no interest until the final dash for the line
Yet in Monday’s entirely predictable, largely pointless, activities there were reasons to think things might have to change. It is unlikely media and public opinion will tolerate another 13 weeks of dodgy dossiers, glib posters, crude caricatures and windy rhetoric. Like a pair of middle aged DJs, the Parties on Monday tried out their favourite hits and instead of being greeted by a jostling dance floor of excited journalists, their tunes were drowned out by a collective public groan. We want to hear fewer golden oldies and more new material.
Labour has not seemed quite sure how to respond. “We agree on a number of positions,” says Purna Sen, Labour’s candidate in Brighton Pavilion. The difference? “We have to not just protest, which is what Caroline Lucas does, but to govern.” Privately the Miliband aide says, “We’ve found the best line of attack is to attack the Greens as an upper-middle class lifestyle choice.” But, if this a reason why the Greens have failed to make any inroads in Labour’s northern heartlands, the line lacks traction with many Green supporters further south. Here, Labour is trying to flatter the party and its voters instead. Sadiq Khan recently praised Lucas, saying they “agree on a great many things.” But he warned: “every vote for the Green Party only makes it one vote easier for the Conservatives to win.” In Britain’s messy multi-party politics, ‘Vote Green, Get Tory’ is the new ‘Vote Ukip, Get Labour’.
2.46pm GMT
The Green party has said that it is going to consult lawyers about the legal options it has to challenge the Ofcom decision about it not being a major party. It is also going to provide a full response to the Ofcom consultation.
In a note to journalists, the party set out some reasons why it thought the decision was wrong.
In a recent survey, the Green party polled at 24% amongst students, marking the first time the Greens have polled as the second party. The Green party is consistently polling at its highest levels ahead of a General Election since 1989 and ahead of the Liberal Democrats. Membership for the party rose by over 100% in 2014 and continues to surge. The party will be standing candidates at least 75% of constituencies in May 2015, which will allow 50% more people the opportunity to vote Green than were able to do so in 2010.
2.01pm GMT
Ed Miliband is holding his first People’s Question Time event in Nottingham. Unfortunately, I’m in London, and there’s no live feed, so we’re going to have to rely on the magic of Twitter etc to bring you the highlights.
Ed Miliband begins his first People's Question Time in Hucknall, near Nottingham. Four policemen in the front row. pic.twitter.com/IhPrJGbxpX
As many as 20,000 pieces of direct mail have been sent out for each event inviting locals to the meetings and the aim is to ensure an audience of up to 200 asks difficult questions. Miliband wants to be challenged from the left at these events and by traditional working-class voters. If the challenge from the floor is as much about immigration as Trident, his officials will be happy.
These sessions are envisaged as a version of Tony Blair’s “masochism strategy” in the 2005 election, when the then prime minister exposed himself to angry challenges on the most difficult issues, especially the invasion of Iraq.
1.39pm GMT
The intelligence does not suggest there is any change in the threat level here but on a precautionary basis we have tightened up border security, particularly at our juxtaposed controls. For example at ports people going through them will see increased car and truck searches, a bit more scanning of freight. They will also see an increased visible presence, for example at our juxtaposed control at Gare du Nord in Paris.
David Cameron talks about the increase in A&E attendances as if it’s nothing to do with him, but these figures show he should take responsibility for driving people to A&E. He’s made it harder to get a GP appointment and it’s getting even worse, contributing to the current crisis in A&E.
At the last minute an offer was made. I had discounted it on the basis of the people who had made the offer - Cameron, Clegg and Miliband - had no credibility. An offer without credibility isn’t worth much at all.
The problem was Gordon Brown, I didn’t anticipate him coming in. I didn’t think he would take over the campaign. And for one reason or another, and a reason I’ve not been able to quite understand, Gordon has credibility. Therefore a vow from Gordon was more influential.
1.08pm GMT
Suzanne Evans, Ukip’s deputy leader, has defended Nigel Farage’s comments about multiculturalism. (See 10.08am.)
Nigel Farage is 100% right on multiculturalism, which is very different to multi-ethnicity, with which I have absolutely no problem at all.
For me, the worst aspect of multiculturalism is the way it has legitimised discrimination against women in ethnic minority communities.
12.49pm GMT
Theresa May, the home secretary, has joined those criticising Nigel Farage for his comments about “gross multiculturalism” and a “fifth column”. (See 10.08am.) This is what she told BBC News when she was asked if she agreed with the Ukip leader.
I think it is irresponsible to talk about a fifth column. We should all be working across society to ensure that we deal with and eradicate extremism wherever it exists.
12.45pm GMT
For the record, here are today’s YouGov GB polling figures.
Labour: 33% (no change from YouGov yesterday)
@AndrewSparrow YouGov’s latest numbers for under 40 voters are interesting. We’re in third place - http://t.co/3Foj0DnoIm
12.41pm GMT
The best way to defend Britain’s democratic values it to “repeat our faith” in them, David Cameron said at his speech in Manchester today.
The prime minister told business leaders his thoughts were with the French people following yesterday’s “appalling” killings at Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris.
Everyone’s thoughts will be with the French people and will be thinking about the appalling events that happened yesterday in Paris. These are a challenge to our security because we have to fight this terrorism with everything we have.
But they are also a challenge to our values and ... when it comes to security we must use every part or vigilance and security we have.
David Cameron reveals he had a joint briefing with Angela Merkel on #CharlieHebdo attacks from MI5 and MI6. Says plot not like those in UK
David Cameron hits back at Nigel Farage: "this is not the time for politics... we stand foursquare with the people of France" #CharlieHebdo
David Cameron criticises Nigel Farage for marking 'political arguments' while the "appalling" shootings are 'so fresh in people's minds'
David Cameron: Britain has a 'vibrant, exciting, passionate, disputatious and sometimes infuriating press but 'long may that be the case'
As countries in Europe, we share certain values, values we don’t think are incidental to our success but that are a key part of our success as a free and open society. These values include freedom of speech, the right to disagree... the right to have a government under the rule of law.
Cameron on UK security: "in a free society you cannot protect against every threat" - we mustn't let terrorists disrupt life #CharieHebdo
The #longtermecononicplan for the #North West consists of 6 points. They are...
1. Raising the #NorthWest's growth rate to at least that of the UK means an £18bn real terms increase in size of NW economy by 2030
2. Raising employment rate to UK average. That's 100,000 more people in jobs in #NorthWest in next parliament, by backing business
3. Deliver largest ever transport investment in NW = new trains, new urban transport & major upgrade of roads & rail lines + High Speed Rail
4. Make #NorthWest global centre of scientific innovation, especially material science, biomedicine, supercomputing and energy
5. Raise quality of life with 25,000 new homes, nurturing rural environment, & ensuring over 75,000 more pupils attend outstanding schools
6. Give greater power & voice to the great cities & counties of #NorthWest incl delivering new directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester
CX @George_Osborne sets out new commitments to invest in Centres of excellence in Biomedicine, Graphene, Informatics #InnovationEconomy
PM+CX set out powerful commitment to unlock #NorthernPowerhouse as global cluster of #LifeScience+ #InnovationEconomy pic.twitter.com/BuQLN8QmLh
CX announces #HealthNorth: world class cluster in health informatics, e-health and digital healthcare w @The_NHSA to unlock #NHS innovation
Blurring of party + govt lines at PM northern powerhouse event. Tory 'long term economic plan' slogan on walls + lecterns. But HMG paying
Expecited to be tweeted soon from all the Tory accounts: the longest, most non-viral hashtag of all time. pic.twitter.com/kJwGEVKwSg
12.09pm GMT
I’ve just come back from Westminster Hall, in the House of Commons, where MPs, peers and other working on the parliamentary estate observed a minute’s silence in honour of the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack. AS
Hundreds of parliamentarians and staff rallying in Westminster Hall in solidarity with France #JeSuisCharlie pic.twitter.com/8QYMuIqlIk
11.52am GMT
Here’s some reaction to the Ofcom ruling from journalists and commentators on Twitter.
Weird decision by Ofcom not to list the Greens, represented in the Commons since 2010, as a major party will only benefit them.
@IsabelHardman ...though I think Ofcom is wrong on this and also that an all-male line up again will be infuriating.
Tories will be disappointed Greens haven't been listed as a "major party" by Ofcom. They want them in the TV debates to split the left.
Will be amazed if Ofcom don't perform a screeching u-turn on strange decision to exclude Greens from TV debates but include Ukip
I know Ofcom has to draw line somewhere, but if decision based on polling LD's don't qualify, if based on MPs neither UKIP or Greens qualify
11.38am GMT
And here’s the statement Natalie Bennett, the Green party leader, has issued about the Ofcom decision.
The Green party is deeply disappointed by this draft Ofcom ruling, not only for itself, but for the damage it risks doing to British democracy.
It is notable how the Ofcom draft focuses heavily on “past electoral support”. The media regulator has failed to grasp the fast-moving, fluid state of British politics today, and the fact that voters are seeking out the choice of real change.
11.32am GMT
Here’s Natalie Bennett, the Green party leader, on the Ofcom ruling.
Deeply disappointed by Ofcom draft: stuck in past, fails to grasp politics changing fast &ignoring views young voters http://t.co/RtxckmEo4B
11.27am GMT
Ofcom’s decision may increase the chances of the Conservatives deciding not to take part in televised debates, my colleague Patrick Wintour points out in his story about the Ofcom decision. Here’s an extract.
The decision makes the Green party case to be included in the TV leader election debates much harder to prosecute successfully, although the Greens have until early February to make their case prior to a final decision in early March. It is also harder to mount a successful legal challenge to the broadcasters if they persist in excluding the Greens.
Ofcom stressed that it is for the broadcasters to decide the identity of the participants in the TV leader debates, but this ruling will give broadcasters cover to stick to their position that the Green should be excluded.
I’ve said many times I do favour the idea in principle, and that’s why we had debates at the last election. I will have a look at this proposal. I think there are some questions over it.
Why have all the debates inside the election campaign, rather than spreading them out over a longer period? And also, why include some parties and not other parties?If you have one person [Nigel Farage], then the Greens have an MP as well, so you have to think these things through.
11.11am GMT
In a victory for free speech, the Twitter ban in Manchester has been lifted.
Here’s my colleague Nicholas Watt 12 minutes ago.
'We do not want social media tweeting during formalities of PM speech' at northern powerhouse event. Oh dear
Fastest U turn in the west. No 10: please ignore tweeting ban. Jobs-worth master of ceremonies to be told event being taken live
11.09am GMT
Good to see someone in Manchester is ignoring the Twitter ban.
Business leaders in Manchester wait to hear David Cameron's plan for the Northern economy. @pavideo have the latest pic.twitter.com/MNTNcH3Pg9
11.08am GMT
David Cameron is about to speak in Manchester. But I can’t find a live feed, and the broadcasters aren’t covering it, so I won’t be able to do a minute by minute report.
Normally, in these circumstances, you can rely on Twitter to help out. But not today. These are from a Press Association reporter who is there. AS
In Manchester for Cameron and Osborne -'long-term economic plan' on both lecturns and the back wall.
Just been told we are not allowed to tweet from the @David_Cameron gig.
10.59am GMT
The Ofcom decision does not directly relate to whether or not the Greens are included in television debates. But if Ofcom were to categorise the Greens as a major party, in practice they would have to be included. And ruling that they are not a major party makes it easier for the broadcasters to justify keeping them out.
This is what the Ofcom report says about how election rules apply to major parties.
During election campaigns, any Ofcom licensed service that broadcasts election- related programming must comply with the special rules laid out in Section Six93 of the Code. The following rules apply to the coverage of the major parties:
Rule 6.2: “Due weight must be given to the coverage of major parties during the election period. Broadcasters must also consider giving appropriate coverage to other parties and independent candidates with significant views and perspectives”.
Ofcom’s published Guidance to Section Six makes clear that: “The concept of giving ‘due weight’ to the major parties, as required by Rule 6.2, is flexible. Its application depends on the electoral context”. Rule 6.2, therefore does not require broadcasters necessarily to give equal coverage to all the major parties in any given election campaign.
10.44am GMT
The Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith has also condemned the decision.
. @tnewtondunn @TheGreenParty If confirmed, it's a disgraceful, indefensible decision by Ofcom.
10.42am GMT
The Green party may be surprised to learn that among those complaining on Twitter about the Ofcom ruling is Tom Newton Dunn, the political editor of the Sun.
Poor Ofcom ruling: @TheGreenParty not given 'major party' status for the election, despite one MP and more popular than Libs. UKIP given it.
10.38am GMT
And this is what the Ofcom report says about why Ukip.
In relation to this party we observed that:
a) UKIP has not demonstrated significant past electoral support in previous General Elections (achieving between 0.7% and 3.5% of the vote in England, Wales and Scotland in 2010 and between 0.4% and 2.5% of the vote in England, Wales and Scotland in 2005 nor ever won a Parliamentary seat at a General Election).
c) The opinion poll data indicates that UKIP currently has significant levels of support in England and Wales to the extent that it has the third highest rating in those polls after the Conservative and Labour parties. Opinion poll data in Scotland shows lower levels of current support.
10.25am GMT
Ofcom has published a consultation paper today containing its draft findings on who should count as “major parties” at the general election (pdf). Their ruling affects party political broadcasts but, more importantly, it could also have an impact on who gets included in any TV debates.
For the first time Ukip should count as a major party, it says. But it says the Green party should not get this status.
This party has not demonstrated significant past electoral support in General Elections. This party has performed better in some elections (such as the 2014 European Parliamentary elections, obtaining 8.0% and 8.1% of the vote in England and Scotland). In terms of evidence of current support, this party’s opinion poll rating has increased in recent months to 5.9% in December 2014 (and was 4.0% on average for 2014) in Great-Britain wide opinion polls. Taking together all the evidence, the criteria suggest that the Green Party (including the Scottish Green Party) has not sufficiently demonstrated evidence of past electoral support and current support to qualify for major party status in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
10.09am GMT
As Nicholas Watt reports in the Guardian, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, declined on Wednesday to endorse David Cameron’s call for a major revision of the EU’s governing treaties to provide a legally watertight basis for British-led reforms before an in-out referendum in 2017.
John Crace sketched their meeting:
Merkel can afford to be gracious ... In her relationship with the prime minister she is very much the dominant figure. The less she gives away, the needier Cameron becomes. “Collaboration … long-term economic plans … single EU market …,” he said, longing for some nod of approval from Mummy while anxious to sound as independently minded as possible for the benefit of the Eurosceptics in his own party.
There’s a real danger in this approach. Mr Cameron’s presentation of himself as a cardboard cut-out Boringsville conservative is meant to reassure floating voters. Its aim is also to win back ex-Tory voters who have defected to Ukip and don’t think Mr Cameron is much of a Tory at all. Not being your usual Tory was once Mr Cameron’s greatest selling point. I’m glad some of the über-modernisation of his early years as Tory leader has gone. The windmill on the roof and the attack on Ukip voters as fruitcakes was always ill-judged. Much of early Cameron was persuasive, even inspirational.
The north-west is very distinct from Yorkshire, and the north-east is different again. “The instant you talk about the north, you show you’re not from there,” says one non-southern Conservative. “That’s the start of our problem.”
Rebalancing our national economy, ensuring that the economic future of the north is as bright, if not brighter, than other parts of the UK, is the ambition we should set ourselves.
My advice to Ed Miliband is to get out of that bubble down there and get amongst the people – whether it’s in middle England or in the working class areas of the north or down south, get out, talk to people. I genuinely believe he’ll be a better PM than he is leader of the opposition.
They think politics is men from a different planet who don’t understand the pressure of balancing work, looking after an elderly relative and grandchildren. They think male politicians are less likely to have a sense of what they are facing.
10.08am GMT
What should have been done is we should have had a controlled immigration policy and made sure we did full checks on everybody who ever came to this country from anywhere - and that applies to everyone else.
But also, the real question is this: we in Britain, and I’ve seen some evidence of this in other countries too, have a really rather gross policy of multi-culturalism.
I’m dismayed, really, that Nigel Farage immediately thinks, on the back of the bloody murders that we saw on the streets of Paris yesterday, that his first reflex is to seek to make political points.
If this does come down to two individuals who have perverted the cause of Islam to their own bloody ends, let’s remember the greatest antidote to the perversion of that great world religion, Islam, are law-abiding British Muslims themselves. And to immediately somehow suggest that many, many British Muslims, who I know feel fervently British but also are very proud of their Muslim faith, are somehow part of the problem, rather than part of the solution, I think is firmly grabbing the wrong end of the stick.
At the end of the day in a free society people have to be free to offend each other. You cannot have freedom unless people are free to offend. We have no right not to be offended. That fundamental principle, of being free to offend people - I’m not saying that you have somehow a right not to be offended in a democratic, open society such as ours - is exactly what was under threat by these murderous barbarians.
I’m not going to pretend that sitting there and watching my two main rivals, or the two Herberts as from now on they will be known in Lib Dem circles, going at each other hammer and tongs, and I have to sit there on my hands - do I enjoy it, no? Is it part of my front bench role? Yes. Am I going to do it every week? No.
9.36am GMT
Nick Ferrari plays a clip from Nigel Farage, who told LBC earlier that Britain has persued “a rather gross policy of multi-culturalism”. Britain encouraged immigrants to stay within their own cultures.
Clegg says he is dismayed that Farage’s first reaction to this was to make political points.
9.34am GMT
Q: The cartoonists killed yesterday were causing offence.
Clegg says he could not disagree more. There is no right not to be offended. The killers were barbarians. To suggest in any way that such a cold-hearted, cowardly act is justified is wrong.
9.30am GMT
Q: Do you agree governments have failed to control immigration. Enoch Powell’s predictions have come true?
Clegg says it is not racist to complain about immigration. We need to have an open society, but to tackle abuses too, he says.
9.27am GMT
Q: My son has been excluded from school, and sent to a pupil referral unit. But it does not cover the whole day, and my partner and I both work. What are we meant to do?
Clegg says he will look into this.
9.25am GMT
Q: Are you happy? You looked miserable at PMQs yesterday listening to those two Herberts. And it was your birthday.
Clegg says sitting at PMQs listening to those Herberts is not his favourite thing. That’s why he won’t be there all the time. He hopes there will be TV debates, so people can listen to all the Herberts.
9.23am GMT
Q: Why were warnings from the Trimbos Institute about a batch of dangerous ecstasy pills ignored by the government?Theresa May has blood on her hands.
Clegg says he will look into this. He does not know about the status of the Trimbos Institute.
9.19am GMT
Q: Ched Evans has not expressed remorse. Shouldn’t his licence be revoked, so that he can be sent to prison?
Clegg says he has said before that Evans was convicted, that footballers are role models as well as athletes and that is why has has said what he said. (Previously he has said Sheffield United should not take him back.)
9.17am GMT
Q: You were asked recently who had a better temper: you or your wife? You said Miriam is “truly Spanish”. What did you mean by that?
Clegg says the Spanish are a forthright people. They express their feelings.
9.14am GMT
Q: I’m terrified about the NHS. It is being pulled apart by people who have never used it. You’ve never used it.
Of course I have, says Clegg.
9.10am GMT
Q: [From a police officer] Terror meetings are fine. When are you going to give the police more money. The Met wants £50m.
Clegg says he is not sure what money the caller is referring to.
9.07am GMT
Q: There is a Cobra meeting taking place this morning to discuss the attack in Paris. Why did it not take place last night? This is urgent.
Clegg says the threat level was raised recently. Security is maintained at all time.
8.59am GMT
As I mentioned earlier, David Cameron and Ed Miliband look as though they are electioneering today. But the actual elections is months away.
#UKGENERALELECTION2015 119 DAYS TO GO
Next time it could be even messier, because the share of the main parties is declining, we know that. So I think my successor will need to be preparing for all sorts of possible options. I think it’s really important that he doesn’t get into the game of trying to have one forecast. It could be minority government. It could be coalitions with side agreements with other parties. It could be quite messy. And it could take quite a lot longer next time to actually form a government.
8.46am GMT
The main party leaders are all back on the campaign trail today. David Cameron is giving a speech in the north west, Ed Miliband is holding one of his new “People’s Question Time” events in Nottingham and, it being Thursday, of course it’s Call Clegg.
Downing Street have released some of Cameron’s words in advance. He will be promoting the government’s “northern powerhouse” vision.
When it comes to the next generation – to Britain’s long-term future – few things are more important than rebalancing our economy. We can only have a strong British economy if no part of the country is left behind. In the USA they’ve got major centres of industry not just in New York but in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta. That is what we should aspire to in the UK, economic might not just held in one city but spread right across our country.
So we need a strong London, but we need a northern powerhouse too. In the modern world growth is being powered by big cities. The top 600 cities in the world contain just 20 per cent of global population but create 60 per cent of global GDP. When you get that critical mass of people – it amplifies jobs and ideas and businesses. The cities and towns of the North of England can have that critical mass. If we join them together as a team and let them pool their strengths, if we back their scientists and innovators, if we back their thriving cultural life, make them great places to live and give them powerful elected voices, then we can create a northern powerhouse.
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