Sunday Politics on IPlayer: Trump, Brexit, Copeland by-election, Darlington NHS+ Sunderland City of Culture

You can find the video of the episode here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08c3mqf/sunday-politics-north-east-and-cumbria-05022017

President Trump is clearly a polarising person; you do not have to like him, but you have to work with him. He is the democratically elected president of the United States, and it is clearly in our national interest to maintain a strong and positive relationship with the USA, both before and after Brexit.

The Article 50 vote was a resounding confirmation of the democratic will of the British people. I make no secret about campaigning strongly for the UK to remain in the European Union, but accept fully the result of the referendum. You do not get to pick and choose which bits of democracy you agree with. The government has rightly set-out a detailed 77 page White Paper on our position and aims in the Brexit negotiations, that will rightly be debated in Parliament. We are leaving the EU, and there is much cause for optimism and positivity, as we do so. 

Anyone that has not done so already, I strongly encourage to come out and meet our outstanding candidate Trudy Harrison, who is standing as the Conservative candidate in the Copeland by-election. She is absolutely clear that Sellafield is vital to local jobs and livelihoods, and only a Conservative government and local MP can ensure that nuclear remains a key part of our national energy mix. Having been to Copeland eight times already, I can say with a good deal of certainty that the reaction on the doorstep to Jeremy Corbyn's North London anti-nuclear credentials is extremely poor. Rightly, local residents want to see the survival of and investment in our national nuclear energy, and see that with a Conservative MP, Sellafield will continue to be a vital part of our national energy infrastructure. The NHS is getting more funds, and is undergoing real, transformational localisation of services. Local residents, doctors, and clinical experts are informing the decision on the ground that matter to local people; about service distribution and the right plan for local NHS provision moving forward. On the issue of Sunderland I am 100% behind the city of culture campaign

Busy weekend in Tynedale - but make sure you support Hexham Market + Corbridge point to point

Today I am on the BBC recording the Sunday Politics in the North East - it is broadcast at 11.30 on Sunday. I also have surgeries and various other meetings today and tomorrow. Saturday I would urge you to support the Hexham Farmers Market. Sunday I will be in Wylam in the morning but thereafter I will be meeting friends, farmers, and racing folk 2 miles north of Corbridge on the Aydon Road at the Tynedale Point to Point - first race is 12.30. Come along.

My debut as a Children in Need presenter on the Sunday Politics

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03gf5qk/Sunday_Politics_North_East_and_Cumbria_10_11_2013/

From 58min20sec into the programme you can see my short interview of the BBCs Richard Moss, Children in Need style....

Westminster this week

Four days in Westminster this week, then heading north on Friday to open the Trinity Court Housing Project of ISOS, and appear on the Sunday Politics in the North East on BBC1. The Westminster week features a private meeting with the Business Minister Michael Fallon today, Justice Questions on the issue of prison reform tomorrow plus further debate on the Lobbying Bill this week. I also have meetings with Richard Benyon, the Agriculture Minister and the key officers of the APG on Arch Cru are having a meeting with Hugh Aldous, the man charged with the task of recovering as many of the losers money as is possible in this sorry saga. I will try and get called at PMQs on Wednesday.
On the issue of the Lobbying Bill it is still being revised and I welcome all the emails I have received. On this occasion I have not gone through all the 38 Degrees legal advice or responded piecemeal as the Bill is constantly changing in Committee and debate, which is what happens on all Bills - a fact that seems to pass by the 38 degrees organisation. We spend days responding to the 38 degrees campaigns, and will send out the full response at the conclusion of the Bill process, but the key point is this:
The registration and spending limits apply to all third parties that incur controlled expenditure. Charities and any other third parties, will only be required to register and then comply with the spending limits, if they are undertaking activities that can reasonably be regarded as intended to promote or procure the electoral success of a party or candidate.
The Bill, put simply, requires those who want to influence the outcome at a General Election to be transparent in doing so, while preserving the freedom to speak out on issues which Civil Society has always enjoyed in this country.

Bear in mind my campaign budget in Hexham at the last election was around £10,000 - the figure is restricted by law, and the expenditure very tightly controlled and fully transparent. A similar rule applies for county council elections. Any third party charity or campaign group can outspend the
candidate by many times. I do not consider such very limited regulation of third party, charities, and campaign groups to be wrong.
Making this process more transparent is a good thing in my view. As I say, I read all the emails and will happily respond to individual voters and the actual 38 Degrees team - who now will interestingly not reply to my letters - but it is my intention to vote for the Bill.