Clearing him of breaking any laws in ukraine and calls forjoe biden to testify. Plus, from cancel culture to climate strike which one has been crowned 2019s word of the year . Hello and welcome. Im Christian Fraser in leeds. Michelle fleury is in washington. This may be the most divisive election for a long time, and the starkest choice. But today, for one day at least, the main parties have much in common. They have both decided to spend more on infrastructure, and to dedicate a big chunk of that to the north of england which, by the way, is where youll find many of the contested seats. Today was definitely the day for people to leave westminister and go north. Borisjohnson was visiting a tea factory in stockton, wearing a blue boiler suit and talking to workers about, well, teabags. Amongst other things. Chancellor savid javid was in manchester, and John Mcdonnell was in liverpool with labours plan. The beady eyed amongst you may have noticed that i wasnt on the programme last night. Thats because i too joined the exodus out of london, beyond the bubble. Alex sobel is the former labour mp for Leeds North West and their current candidate. At the last election, he had a 4,000 vote majority over the lib dems and the constituency is now one of their target seats. Hes in our Central Leeds studio. The one thing i noticed, when you are switching from your constituency in leeds northwest to the one in pudsey as you are switching opponents. You are tailoring your message between each. Is there not a danger there was blue i dont think so. Danger there was blue i dont think so. My message is consistent. Its about infrastructure, its about Public Services commits about Climate Change for some i have not seen the literature in pudsey, but i would be surprised if they are not pushing the same messages as i am. |j have been speaking to students today. I was really struck with the difference in tone. I remember back in 2017, they were falling out of trees when Jeremy Corbyn in 2017, they were falling out of trees whenJeremy Corbyn came to leeds. Would you be happy to see him camping your constituency . What i would say in 2017 is, actually, we saw the big moving when the manifesto was published. We dont have a manifesto yet. And people will see that upsurge in support one the manifesto, once our pledges are nailed down, but we are getting a very good response from students. And im sure students would like to see Jeremy Corbyn, John Mcdonnell, angela rayner, a whole host of people to come to leeds. And i invite them again to come during the constituency. Alex, i to invite them again to come during the constituency. Alex, ito you invite them again to come during the constituency. Alex, i to you about the start of the campaign, things not going to plan. You have ian austin, a former labour mp, basically coming out and urging people not to vote for our party stop loop ian was very kind to me as a new jewish mp. Stop loop ian was very kind to me as a newjewish mp. It is stop loop ian was very kind to me as a new jewish mp. It is said to me stop loop ian was very kind to me as a newjewish mp. It is said to me he could advocate for boris johnson, after eight years of cuts. It does deeply saddened me to him and i hope that ian does think about what is best for all of us, like me, you must get people coming into his surgeries who have been deprived of the benefits they are eligible for, have to win them back because the syste m have to win them back because the system is stacked against them. Im sure ian is trying to help those people, like me, and is concerned the government a stacking system against them. The message he came back today was really stark, wasnt it . He is talking about the labour party being poisoned by anti semitism. And then you have John Mcdonnell saying hes working for the conservative party for some he is not and John Mcdonnell know he is not and John Mcdonnell know he is not working for the concerta party i dont know what john said. All i saw, in a headline on the bbc, was that ian is advocating to vote for borisjohnson. And im arguing about why you should not do, and i know that ian is an independent mp now, standing down from parliament, so now, standing down from parliament, sol now, standing down from parliament, so i wishing well and what hes going to do but i dont know what his role is or what he is planning to do. Alex sobel, good of us to join this evening. 0ne one of things that really struck me last night is is really difficult, different, campaigning in a winter campaign. In the summer, people are outside, walking the dog, washing the car. You can engage with people. This night, people are turning in early, the lights are off, they dont want to engage on the doorstep. Is good be very difficult for these teams are out and about in leeds and will be out and about for the next five weeks. Its going to be very difficult. With winter coats, brollies and sensible shoes, the volunteers are mustering. Here in the West Yorkshire drizzle, the ground war is under way. Leeds north west is one of the key labour marginals. They face a sizeable challenge here from the lib dems, so no room for any complacency. Labour is pouring in the resources. Its a big team, bolstered by young faces. This constituency has one of the biggest student populations in the country. Hang on, weve got to 40, ground floor, that is. No other party really matches labours ground game, set times every day, 11am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm. Regimental. Just committed, just enthusiastic. Any student orformer student from leeds knows about the notorious pub crawl the so called 0tley run 16 pubs into the city centre. And you know what, its a bit like the election campaign. Its long, it requires great stamina, and no one really knows where its going to end. At least i didnt. But theres a serious point here. Student turnout, the final thursday of term in the run up to christmas youd better get them early. This is waterloo mount were on now. In neighbouring pudsey, turnout is also important for the conservatives. Theyre defending a majority from labour of just 331. Whats the brexit message . The brexit message is we are here to get brexit done. Its not been the perfect start to the tory campaign. In pudsey, theyjust hope its the Prime Ministers message, and not the remarks ofjacob rees moggs, that is cutting through. Does it make you angry, when you need every one of these votes . Yeah, of course, its very frustrating, but those things dont matter to people here in pudsey. Ive never voted conservative. Are you a labour supporter, of old . Of old, yeah, but theyre just fools, arent they . And its brexit that you will be voting on . Yeah, definitely. Ive been saying, its a toss up between conservatives and brexit party. Which is why, back here in Leeds North West, the mood in the lib dem camp is as bright as their high vis jackets. Over the last year, its been incredible seeing the change on the doorstep. People are now saying, i voted labour in the past but im disillusioned withJeremy Corbyn. Im coming to you instead because of your stop brexit position. Do you know all aboutjo swinson . No, not at all. Hmm. They have five weeks to inform and change minds. Its humbling for the candidates. Careers depend on these volunteers and in the depths of a yorkshire winter, the early enthusiasm will be sorely tested. And its going to get colder. And guess what there is rain forecast for the next seven days. Pity those campaigners out in the field. I think the two main parties here in leeds would be very happy to hold onto what they have. Status quo would be good for them. Lets just ta ke would be good for them. Lets just take a lit how it stands in leeds. There are eight constituencies here. Five of them are in the hands of labour and three of them are currently under the control of the conservatives. Now, were in leeds central, which has been held by the labour mp hilary benn since 1999, but the two neighbouring seats of pudsey and morley 0utwood, they are key battle grounds between the tories and labour. In fact, that one morley 0utwood was the one that Andrea Jenkins picked up from ed balls, do you remember, back in 2015, one of the shock results of the 2015 election . Now, one other key fact for you is that in the 2016 eu referendum, the city of leeds delivered a near 50 50 split. Itjust went towards remain, itjust shaded towards remain by 50. 3 . It really an island, an oasis, here in the north. All other parts of West Yorkshire followed the National Trend and backed brexit. Leeds really maroon, if you will, in a leave area. We have already talked about this policy labour have set out today may shift to the north of the country, and there are a lot of people who would welcome that. Certainly the business owners. Let me show you the front page of the Yorkshire Post. Today, all of the papers across the northern then look a bit like this. There publishing details of a five point and a festa published by Business Leaders here in the north. They are asking the treasury to rebalance the economy, they are asking for a relocation of they are asking for a relocation of the transport budget for the north. Tackling the comic crisis. It really does echo some of the things labour might have been saying in their economic lunch thatJohn Mcdonnell was setting out. Im joined now from hull by graham stuart, who is now campaining to retain his seat as the conservative mp for beverley and holderness. It is good to have you with us. Here we have Business Leaders across the north saying, this government, or the next government, they have to spend much more money here in the north. Why are you getting a message like that five years after the Northern Powerhouse was launched . think they are building on the progress that has already been made. As we already know, at the end of the last Labour Government, we had to live within our means. And after nine years, we have got record implement across the north of england. You look at cities like leeds, hull, after it was the city of culture. Real opportunities opening up. And there is ambition in the north of england. I would dispute that the manifesto for the north accords with labours and costed an unrealistic approach, but actually entirely fits with boris johnson. As you remember them as sooii johnson. As you remember them as 50011 as johnson. As you remember them as soon as he, his first speech in downing street, making sure we have high quality broadband across the north of england, unleashing the potential. That is what we are about. We want to get brexit done and then unleash the potential in the north of england and across the re st of the north of england and across the rest of the united kingdom. Because we are on rest of the united kingdom. Because we are on the verge of being. Come on. Iam we are on the verge of being. Come on. I am not a speeding or has been more progress, but how can you say to those commuters in the arts tonight in the north denied timothy frost in the winter on the inside of the windows, yet to refix your feelings when you get home. They are a disgrace, these trains. If they were in the south of england, there would be an outcry. That is why theyre being replaced. It takes time, vertically when, just like everything a Labour Government in history, the left one left us with announcing the money had gone, an implement up, youth unemployment. That is what Labour Governments do. They come in at these extravagant promises. And who plays the price . Ordinary people. We have a real plan for the future, to strengthen northern connectivity, from broadband through to tackling Climate Change. You do not have to look far from here to see the transformation taking place in offshore wind. All that has taken place under the conservatives. And i we have got a world leading offshore wind industry, and only the last few days, under my department. Hundreds of millions of pounds of support for uk exports to taiwan, as they exploited the offshore wind. Graham. Boris johnson has they exploited the offshore wind. Graham. Borisjohnson has made a point of saying that brexit can be done under a conservative government but if you strip away brexit, and it becomes an issues, if you are doing popularity poll in the north of england, i suspect he might not be so popular. What do you base that on . That is not my experience from york to leeds to manchester. Boris is popular. More and portly come is not about personalities. Its about policies. What are the policies weve got . Weve either got reckless spending and the threat of ruin underjeremy spending and the threat of ruin under Jeremy Corbyn and John Mcdonnell or we have strengthening an already strong base under the conservatives, with a real vision for the north of england. Weve got transports for the north, devolution for the north, metro mayors. We see a real resurgence. You see the conservative mayor for tees valley. It is phenomenal, what he is doing, and you can see it in the senses six. And you can see it in the senses six. In and you can see it in the senses six. In the statistics. By the end of this year, we will seek wee kly end of this year, we will seek weekly wages reaching the highest ever level. That would not happen underjeremy ever level. That would not happen under Jeremy Corbyn. It ever level. That would not happen underJeremy Corbyn. It will happen underJeremy Corbyn. It will happen under borisjohnson. UnderJeremy Corbyn. It will happen under boris johnson. Weve underJeremy Corbyn. It will happen under borisjohnson. Weve got a really solid base after nine and half years of tackling the last Labour Government. Going forward, the north of england is going to be a top priority as a conservative government. Graham stuart, really grateful for your time, government. Graham stuart, really gratefulfor your time, thank government. Graham stuart, really grateful for your time, thank you for coming on this evening. There youve got it, the conservative point of view. A lot of people on the conservative side saying they are going to break the bank. Talking to the cbi committee are saying it is a good time to borrow. If you keep talking about a cost, youll never do it. They say use that money and you did greater investment. The only subsite is, there has to be that prudence over the economy encase Interest Rates go other way. There certainly does. The choice for voters is that the era of astarte is overcome and i we are into the era of borrowing and spending for some the question is, who is borrowing what and where is it being spent . I think that is going to be the crucial difference. Yeah. Plenty more from here in leeds. Lets take a look going on your side, michelle. Now for the latest in the house impeachment inquiry. Former National Security adviser john bolton was a no show for his deposition behind closed doors today. But a top aide to Vice President mike pence did appear. Jennifer williams is possibly the last witness in the month long impeachment probe before the highly anticipated public hearings begin next week. The Career State Department official heard trumps call with ukraines leader. She was on it. She is also the first person on pences National Security team to appear and could shed light on what he knew and when. But what has been filling the president s twitter account this morning are denials over a story that the attorney general william barr was asked to hold a News Conference of any wrongdoing regarding the ukraine call but mr barr refused to do so. Joining us now to discuss it all isjonathan turley, law professor at the George Washington university. Lets start with that sort of back and forth on william barr. We dont know whether it is true or not, but what does this do for his credibility, for the great ability of the department ofjustice . this story is true and it has been sourced by various media organisations, it would not surprise me in the least. Bill bar really shares dna with the Justice Department. He identify strongly with it. There is not a real close question here. It would have been highly inappropriate for barr to hold that type of press conference. It is sort of like asking a court foran it is sort of like asking a court for an advisory opinion in advance of any conclusions. The courts dont do it. The just at the permit does not do press conference is like that. What is most worrisome, i think, for the white house, that. What is most worrisome, i think, forthe white house, is that. What is most worrisome, i think, for the white house, is the president s continuing to recklessly counter punch. The Justice Department does not do that. He likes to talk of items off as a counter punch her. And he has counterpunch himself into scandal after scandal and he might counterpunch up some into a real impeachment vote. That brings me to Lindsay Graham. You want to talk about counterpunch is. We have seen Lindsay Graham come out with the latest defence of the president , basically questioning whether or not they had the wits about them to actually be able to carry this up. Its a curious defenc