WEBVTT - Labour MP Callum Anderson on Starmer's Future

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News. Well, let's turn back

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<v Speaker 1>to the political turmoil in the UK. Now Cabinet members

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<v Speaker 1>of rally to support the Prime Minister, saving off the

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<v Speaker 1>possibility of a leadership challenge for now. But just how

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<v Speaker 1>stable is Keir Starmer's leadership? Joining us now to discuss

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<v Speaker 1>Labor MP Calum Anderson, who represents the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, Calum. Great to have you with us on

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Radio. You've posted on social media your message of

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<v Speaker 1>support for the Prime minister.

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<v Speaker 2>Why well, I believe he is the best person for

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<v Speaker 2>the job. Eighteen months ago, the Labor Party, after fourteen

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<v Speaker 2>years in opposition, was elected to a five year mandate

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<v Speaker 2>to deliver change, change in our economy, change in our

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<v Speaker 2>public services.

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<v Speaker 3>And changing the way that we do politics in this country.

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<v Speaker 2>We've obviously been it's not been a very difficult week

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<v Speaker 2>for the government and it's been a turbulent eighteen months.

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<v Speaker 2>First eighteen months in government. We have inherited an incredibly

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<v Speaker 2>challenging economic and geopolitical picture, which means we haven't been

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<v Speaker 2>able to deliver the change that people who live in

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<v Speaker 2>my constituency want but the time for us now, and

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<v Speaker 2>I think last night when the Prime Minister spoke to Labor,

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<v Speaker 2>MP's and peers, was really cleared his determination, his renewed

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<v Speaker 2>determination okay, to lead from the front, and I think

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<v Speaker 2>we owe it to him to support him in delivering

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<v Speaker 2>on his mandate.

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<v Speaker 4>Coimuny to see Kellum. So, how big an expectation of

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<v Speaker 4>change should we have on all kinds of fronts?

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<v Speaker 3>Is this?

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<v Speaker 4>You know, in terms of the makeup of the cabinet,

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<v Speaker 4>the people are in the room when decisions are taking place,

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<v Speaker 4>the nature of appointments, and how we add transparency to

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<v Speaker 4>all that process. I mean, what kind of big change

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<v Speaker 4>of gender are we talking about next?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I will leave appointments to his number ten team

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<v Speaker 2>to him, ditto the cabinet and the Junior Minister of positions.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it's good.

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<v Speaker 2>It's important that we give them space now over the

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<v Speaker 2>coming weeks and months, giving that we have a new

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<v Speaker 2>parliamentary session. I anticipate later in the spring early summer

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<v Speaker 2>to deliver on that. But what I think the Prime

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<v Speaker 2>Minister recognizes, and I think what I recognize, is that

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<v Speaker 2>if we are to realize the full potential of the

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<v Speaker 2>manifest that we were elected on. We do need to

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<v Speaker 2>integrate and include the views of the whole parliamentary Labor Party,

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<v Speaker 2>all Labor MPs and peers. I don't think we want

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<v Speaker 2>in a you know, we don't want a situation where

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<v Speaker 2>decisions regarding economic policy or social policy are excessively to

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<v Speaker 2>a small type group.

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<v Speaker 4>When you say, all, are you talking about the gender

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<v Speaker 4>in the cabinet or are you talking about the left

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<v Speaker 4>or right spectrum in the cabinet?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, what I would say, you know, it was around

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<v Speaker 2>four hundred Labor members of Parliament. There is a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of experience, a lot of expertise from all intakes. Obviously

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<v Speaker 2>I'm most most familiar with my own. We've had people

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<v Speaker 2>who run their own businesses, worked in finance, worked in

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<v Speaker 2>all kinds of fields, and I think it's important that

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<v Speaker 2>we leveraged that levered expertise because we've got huge economic construction,

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<v Speaker 2>economic and social challenges before us.

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<v Speaker 1>But how do you do that without worrying the markets.

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<v Speaker 1>We've seen the wibbles over the past few days when

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<v Speaker 1>there were questions about whether an artcare starmer would lead

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<v Speaker 1>the party. Going from here, if you want a broader

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<v Speaker 1>share of opinions in policy development. How do you do

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<v Speaker 1>that and not spoke your former colleagues in the City

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<v Speaker 1>of London.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I don't believe that it is mutually exclusive. That

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<v Speaker 2>we can both be inclusive on our policy making, ensure

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<v Speaker 2>that we're bringing the whole Parliamentary party with us, but

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<v Speaker 2>also not be entirely sticking to our fiscal rules and

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<v Speaker 2>the concept of being economically responsible. That's something certainly something

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<v Speaker 2>that's a non negotiable from my personal perspective. As you said,

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<v Speaker 2>I've worked for best part of a decade ten fifty

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<v Speaker 2>minutes away from the studio, so I know absolutely that

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<v Speaker 2>if we are to ensure that we have economic stability,

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<v Speaker 2>something that we didn't have really for the last decade,

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<v Speaker 2>that we need to stick to those principles of economic

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<v Speaker 2>fiscal probity. That also means we need to recommit to

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<v Speaker 2>our growth agenda so that we could be that on infrastructure,

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<v Speaker 2>that on unlocking domestic pension capital, that we're of really

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<v Speaker 2>supporting those high growth industries, yes, or higher growth companies

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<v Speaker 2>in the industries.

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<v Speaker 3>Of tomorrow where we know that the UK will have advantage.

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<v Speaker 4>So calm, do we need to think about a new

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<v Speaker 4>Chancellor I mean, on the one hand, she has stuck

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<v Speaker 4>to the fiscal rules. On the other, candid conversations, it

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<v Speaker 4>seems between Where Streeting and Peter Mandelson suggests that there's

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of conversation about whether she or whether the

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<v Speaker 4>top team at number ten and eleven has enough of

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<v Speaker 4>a focus on the growth agenda. Are we thinking about

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<v Speaker 4>a new chancellor here, new finance team?

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<v Speaker 3>Certainly not from my perspective.

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<v Speaker 2>Rachel Reeves has my full support and I think has

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<v Speaker 2>the support of the Parliamentary Labor Party, and changing the

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<v Speaker 2>chances that certainly wouldn't be something that I would be considering.

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<v Speaker 2>I haven't read all of the the WhatsApp exchanges between

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<v Speaker 2>west Street and Peter Manderson, but I would say is

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<v Speaker 2>that it is important that we do have a grave strategy.

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<v Speaker 3>That's why I think it's really good that we have.

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<v Speaker 2>We're already advancing pension reform through the House of Commons.

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<v Speaker 3>We have an industrial strategy.

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<v Speaker 2>Which is, as I say, trying to support those industries

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<v Speaker 2>be it digital, artificial intellience, defense, financial services that we

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<v Speaker 2>know Britain has excelled at. And we have a French

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<v Speaker 2>infrastruture strategy. In my neck of the words. In Buckinghamshire and

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<v Speaker 2>Milton Keynes. We have East West Rail set to open soon,

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<v Speaker 2>there's Northern Powerhouse Rail, there's size well and when it

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<v Speaker 2>comes to energy and for structures, so there's all these

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<v Speaker 2>you know, there's all these ingredients for a growth strategy.

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<v Speaker 3>But I recognize that we need to go even for

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<v Speaker 3>in the years ahead.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm sure you're going to be out on the

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<v Speaker 1>doorsteps campaigning in the run for local elections as well

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<v Speaker 1>as many of your colleagues will be too. How do

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<v Speaker 1>you have those conversations with voters when people are going

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<v Speaker 1>to mostly want to know who's going to be Prime

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<v Speaker 1>minister after the elections.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I was knocking doors in my constituency on Sunday

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<v Speaker 2>morning and people aren't talking about leadership. People aren't people

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<v Speaker 2>that isn't fore front of their minds. It's not forefront

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<v Speaker 2>of my mind and my colleague's minds either. It is

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<v Speaker 2>about the cost of living. It is about their nhs,

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<v Speaker 2>their schools and making sure that we have an economy

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<v Speaker 2>that works for everyone.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's what I as an.

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<v Speaker 2>Individual member of Parliament, but also my colleagues holding government

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<v Speaker 2>positions are focusing.

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<v Speaker 4>On team do you think, when do you think we're

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<v Speaker 4>going to have you heard, when we're going to get

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<v Speaker 4>further information about the appointment of Peter Mandelsohn and all

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<v Speaker 4>of the background story that's you know, to be published,

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<v Speaker 4>but of course the Metropolitan Police has said certain bits

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<v Speaker 4>can't be or won't be for a while. Any any

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<v Speaker 4>updates on the timing of all of.

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<v Speaker 2>That, I don't have any insight beyond what I think

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<v Speaker 2>we would have seen in the media previously.

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<v Speaker 3>That obviously the Cabinet Office.

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<v Speaker 2>Will be will be processing those documents and they'll be

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<v Speaker 2>published as soon as possible, And I think that's really

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<v Speaker 2>important and.

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<v Speaker 1>A good thing given the majority Labor has in Parliament.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you surprised how difficult it's been to try and

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<v Speaker 1>keep the conversation on policy over the past eighteen months,

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I.

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<v Speaker 2>Kind of refer to my point earlier about that the

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<v Speaker 2>real grave economic inherence do mean that we that we

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<v Speaker 2>inherited in twenty twenty four, be it on growth, flow, investment,

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<v Speaker 2>living standards stagnant. I thought, I personally thought it would

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<v Speaker 2>always going to be turbulent, regardless of you know, who's

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<v Speaker 2>in what positions and you know whatever, because it's not

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<v Speaker 2>easy to turn around the big ship that is the

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<v Speaker 2>United Kingdom economy.

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<v Speaker 3>That's that's why I think and I totally recognize that

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<v Speaker 3>in my.

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<v Speaker 2>Constituents, people you know, your listeners and people across the

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<v Speaker 2>country are really really keen and really eager for change

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<v Speaker 2>and change today, changed, yesterday and tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 3>Unfortunately a lot of the challenges.

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<v Speaker 2>That we face are have no quick fixes, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>why it's so so important that all in government, all

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<v Speaker 2>of us on the back benches, unite behind the Prime Minister,

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<v Speaker 2>the cabin that and I just relentlessly focused on how

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<v Speaker 2>we go our economy, how we get living standards upcast

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<v Speaker 2>the living down, wages up, fixing our public services, reforming

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<v Speaker 2>our public service that they actually are suited for not

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<v Speaker 2>just twenty twenty six, but the next decade and a

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<v Speaker 2>decade after that.

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<v Speaker 3>So that's what we need to be focusing on.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, Callum, thank you so much for joining us calum

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<v Speaker 1>Anders in their labor MP for Buckinghamshire and Bletchley appreciate

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<v Speaker 1>your time on the program. This more.

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<v Speaker 4>Nang