The important things we have in this country that safeguards peoples rights and freedoms i dont want to see it reduced. You have been watching Prime Ministers questions. Question time airs live every wednesday at 7 40 a. M. Eastern. Watch anytime at www. Cspan. Org where you can find video of past Prime Ministers questions and Public Affairs programs. The Political Landscape has changed. Not only are there 43 new republicans and 15 new democrats in the house, there are 108 women in congress including the first africanamerican republican in the house. Keep track at www. Cspan. Org. The congressional chronicle page has useful information including the voting records. Best access on cspan cspan2 cspan radio and www. Cspan. Org. Coming up on cspan, a conversation with the mayor of london. Remarks by rand paul at the American Spectator gala. And then q a. Boris johnson was in washington d. C. , a guest at the politico business series. He discussed a number of topics including british politics and terrorism. This is just under an hour. Good morning. Rickity chair. It will be all right. [laughter] you told me you did not arrive by bicycle today which is your usual. You have a wonderful system here which i think you may have borrowed from another city. [laughter] it works low. Works well works well. In london, you arrive on a bike . It is one of the easiest ways to get along. The average traffic speeds have only increased from 9. 329. 4 miles an hour 9. 3 to 9. 4 miles an hour. I love cycling. You will rise an irritatingly optimistic state of mind arrive in and irritatingly optimistic state of mind. I go at the pace of an elderly french onion seller. [laughter] you will not work up much of a sweat in london because the climate is so temperate and beautiful. [laughter] you do not have snow. Your embassy in the u. S. , tell us what that was like . The reason that i am here, full disclosure, the commercial relationship between london and america is the most important and we cannot take it for granted. This is the commercial. Its important to get this in. Whats this guy doing here . What im trying to remind american investors is that ours is the city where they really need to focus if they want to what a bridgehead want a bridgehead in the european market. Well come to that later on. It is the in spite of everything, we have more people in Financial Services in london, even than new york, according to one statistic. We have more american banks established in london. I cant quite believe that one but anyway. We have a massive, massive new tech center growing up by half a Million People employed in sin tech, biotech, med tech, green tech, tech aztec. The whole thing. That is taking off at an extraordinary rate. So we have been talking to investors in boston, in new york about how they see london. And its very exciting. Lots of companies are coming over. So its about building up that transatlantic flow of investment. Because in the end people could always say they want to go to berlin. And that would be obviously a mistake. But i have to ive got to help them to avoid that mistake. Thats my without any prejudice towards berlin. The smithsonian is looking at coming to london. How is that going . What are the hopes for that project . This is a fantastic project. We cannot count our chickens. By the way, on the subject of chickens, did you know, 18 of the genetic material of every chicken in the world was developed in london . Can that possibly be true . [laughter] if you are attempting to count your chickens, they almost certainly are from london. If you are attempting to check your facts. We are not quite there yet. What happened was the board of regents of the smithsonian, none one of the greatest cultural institutions in the world. 19 incredible museums. They decided in january at a historic vote they were going to explore, to have discussions with us about making their first outpost overseas in our city. And that is fantastic news for london, obviously. Because i think the smithsonians i used to go there as a kid. I think it is the most wonderful, wonderful place. The people of east london will have it will be part of a complex of incredible institutions on the stratford side where we held the olympics. In an area of postindustrial an area thats been derelict for a long time but now going gangbusters. If this thing comes off, well put the smithsonian in with a new victoria and Albert Museum east, v and a east will have a new ucl, big London University big new u. C. L. Campus there. The smithsonian will be an anchor tenant in a new cultural hub. What i am calling an olympiccropolis in a word nobody else uses. We are very, very excited by it. I think from americas point of view this is a no american taxpayers money deal. Very important point to get across to you sharp minded political journalists here. No american taxpayers moneys is going to be compromised by this. I hope it will give america a window on the world in the worlds most visited city, which is what london is. We had more tourists last year than any other International Tourists than any other city. And at the risk of being pompous and i dont see why i should not be as be pompous since i am mayor of london, it will symbolize represent what i , think is the most important relationship, between our two countries. That is the values that we have in common. Which are freedom and democracy and pluralism and all those things. Which are shared by britain and america. And which by no means are trivial in the modern world. They are not uncontested around the world. And they are not universal. And it would be a fine thing to have them incarnated in east london. One of the reasons you have those International Tours is our politicians running for president all seem to want to go there. You just hosted governor Chris Christie last week. The governor of wisconsin, scott walker was there this week. Why is there this trend of its not just u. S. Politicians. Everybody lots of americans want to come to london. Quite right, too. Oscar wilde said where do bad americans go . Vertigo many go to paris. They go where do good americans go . London. I may have adjusted that quote in some way. We have 55,000 American Students in london which is more American Students than in any city in the world outside america. We obviously have a lot of American Students. If i am a marginally known heartland politician running for president of the United States what do i get from going to london . I hope very much that you have a good time. [laughter] you have you will find, i think, i might say, 240 superb museums as against 80 in new york. Youll find more michlin starred restaurants in london than there are in paris. Another statistic i havent checked recently. [laughter] the almost truth is on his truth is honest truth is that was true. What happened was that was true in 2004. We did have more starred restaurants in london than paris. The french got wind of this and basically michland the guide was told to go around in a north korean way shelling out stars to restaurants until they overtook london. But, you know, it is we are up there. The food what im trying to say the food is great, theater scene is great. The cultural life is great. There are more live music venues than anywhere else on earth. Theyll have a great time. They will meet they dont have a great time. Our politicians seem to have a habit of saying dumb things when they are in london. It happened to romney. It happened to Chris Christie. Its not just american politicians. [laughter] its not a skill reserved exclusively to american politicians. We all have a go at that one. But why do you think our politicians get in trouble when they go there . Im not convinced they all do. Do me chapter and verse year might. Just me chapter and verse year, mike. Give me chapter and verse here mike. Well move on. Down from new york. You met with all the powers in new york. Hillary clinton, the police commissioner, and anna winter. Yes. Is that in descending order of influence. What was hillary like . I thought she was i was very impressed. I thought she was absolutely brilliant. Brilliant mastery of Foreign Policy which is mainly what we talked about. She was extremely compelling on a large number of subjects. But one thing in particular she really wanted to get across, and that was that she thought the europeans were being too wimpy in dealing with putin. Did she use that word . No, im summarizing that. Sorry. Im sorry. She did not use that word. She used some much more elegant circumlocution. I cant remember it. We in britain should be less dependent on russian hydrocarbons. And you thought we should she thought we should get on with seek alternative sources from america, for instance. Her general anxiety was that putin is unchallenged and unchecked would continue to expand his influence in the perimeter of what was the soviet union. And she spoke of alarm in the baltic states. And so on. I was very, very struck by that. She was also supportive of what the president is doing in a respectful respect allof isis and isil. She feels like me that theres more we should all be doing to support the kurdish peshmerga. Those guys, i dont know whether you have been following, those are the only guys out there who are really taking it to the isis, isil. Youre just back from a trip to kurdistan, 40 kilometers from the frontlines. I dont exaggerate how close i was. Youre geting in you get in trouble over here. [laughter] i was nearish to the frontline. I wouldnt say bullets were wanging over my head. But i did talk to the peshmerga. And it was very, very inspiring. Kurdistan, that northern chunk of iraq, which was basically created by us. If you think about it, it was the nofly zones that we created in 1991 that have carved out this area, this oasis of comparative stability and reasonableness. Its the one of the few areas of the middle east where both the population and the ruling elites, as it were, are prowest, proamerica, and probritain. And i think they need our support. They are definitely being very effective in dealing with the terrorists. With isis. The difficulty is what do you do about mosul and how you clear that out. And then there will be big problems about the boundaries of kurdistan and what the final vocation of the kurds is. Are they to have the state thats been denied them for a century or more . Those are not easy questions. What was the most surprising thing that secretary clinton said to you . I think i think that i think i was struck by the firmness with which she wanted us in britain to take it to putin. Take it to. Tp putin. Did she use that phrase . Im so sorry your it you have to forgive me. This is a brutal summary of what she said. What was she like an attempt to represent the word. Not a transcript. Do not rely on it. What was she like as a person . Incredibly gracious. And charming. Particularly when you consider that there was unfortunate quotation they managed to excavate from some of my heir my articles from many years ago which could have been construed as being she was so nice and so kind she even in that article she found something to agree with. And so cost which which was what . Modesty forbids me from [laughter] you had a very serious conversation with nypd commissioner bill bratton about the citys security, which is one of your most Important Missions while you were there. Yes. Absolutely. Before i get one other thing that Hillary Clinton and i discussed, on the Foreign Affairs side of things, is this whole european issue and where we are going with all that. I think it is very important to remember that there is going to be a referendum on the e. U. In britain. There hasnt been one for since 1975. 40 years or whatever it is. There needs to be a referendum. The people of britain have never been consulted on the issue. I really hope the people in america will recognize that this is a positive development. And i think overwhelmingly the chances are the british people will vote in favor of staying inside a reformed e. U. But this is now the chance for the british and lots of supporters around the table in brussels to get change and get improvements in the way the e. U. Is managed. For the benefit not just of europe but also of investors in europe. And im conscious there is a sort of bit of fluttering in the skirts about this e. U. Referendum and whats it going to mean . And business fades any kind of business hates any kind of uncertainty. The message i would want to get over i think it is overwhelmingly likely that there will be a successful outcome in the negotiations will be successful. But it is much more important to go into that referendum go into that renegotiation and achieve change than to just continue staggering along as we are. Because at the moment the eurozone and European Union generally are a microclimate of economic gloom that is Holding Back Progress across the world. And it needs its not just the euro, it needs reform of the supply side. It needs to be much more competitive. And we in britain can lead that argument. The worry, of course, about a referendum is it could lead to britain leaving the e. U. , what is the percentage chance of a brexit . Vanishingly small provided we get the change that we need. And thats how i see it. And Prime Minister cameron has a lot of support and increasing support now around the table in brussels for the kinds ever kinds of sensible reforms that he wants to see. Employment law in europe is the general burden of regulation in europe is hostile to job creation, hostile to business growth, and in the end bad news for businesses around the world. We need to change that and do better. Prime minister cameron said he will call for a referendum. In 2017 if he wins. You said it should be sooner. Why . I was agreing with what the Prime Minister said. There was a story in the paper saying that he wanted to try to go early and to try to knock this thing on the head and do it in 2016 if he possibly could and i was invited to comment on that and i said it seems like a very good idea, get it done. Get the change. You dont need to spend months and months and months, years super masticating these things we have been over them before, we know what its all about, get the deal and put it to the british people. That was all i was saying. If the referendum were held today, the margin to stay in would be what . I think you can theres blocks of evidence about that. I think that its i think about 60 in favor of staying. I was talking to a pollster the other day who said the numbers had moved quite significantly away from an exit and in favor of staying in. But, you know, we shouldnt try just to stay in on any terms mike. We should be trying to get a better e. U. In the interest of everybody. Is that also your sense, what the pollster said . Yeah, the interesting thing about the European Union, its not an experiment replicated anywhere else in the world. Theres no other group of countries that share sovereignty in quite that way with a single judicial system, as it were. With laws enforced by a single court of justice. Its not something america would dream of accepting. With other countries. Dont do it in asea. They dont do it any other countries, theres no other group or constellation of countries that has that tight, federal structure it is a relic of the war and the cold war. It doesnt have to be that way. I do want to be, you know, i want my country to be a lead for the europe. But if we cant get the change we want, then yes, of course weve got to be prepared to walk away. You cant go into a negotiation like this without being reconciled to finding an alternative if that is really necessary. But i think when it comes to it, i think that the germans, all our allies and supporters in europe, will want to see britain there and thought of losing one of the biggest economies in the world if the European Union would be horrendous for that group. So i think its just chances are very, very, very small. Mr. Mayor, we were talking back stage about the coming launch of politico europe in the spring, led by matt kaminski, a you know. A big staff in brussels, correspondents in london and elsewhere. What are your worries about the current direction of the e. U. , and to remind our audience youre a former correspondent, covering the eu for the telegraph. The general tendency and the untamed desire of the e. U. To regulate. I mean, i read the other day in the dayily telegraph and if you cant believe the daily telegraph, what can you believe . The e. U. Commission wanted to regulate the power of british vacuum cleaners, they thought that some british vacuum cleaners were too powerful and , you know, im perfectly prepared to accept that a vacuum cleaner what do you call a vacuum cleaner in america . A vacuum cleaner. [laughter] a rare everybody looked blank. Im perfectly prepared to say a vacuum cleaner, improperly handled could inhale your buggy ddgie or suck your hamster up. You know what a budgie is . A small, chirpie bird. Im sure people have done themselves all sorts of injury with vacuum cleaner abuse but this should be a matter for britain, and theres no reason why we need brussels to tell us how long or how arduously to be vacuuming our carpets or whatever. Thats the kind of thing that is we have a Great Company called dyson, fantastic machines. The guy thinks its unnecessary for his business. Why is he being told by the e. U. How to make his its total nonsense. Its unnecessary restraint on trade. I want a selfdenying ordinance from brussels. Good luck. [laughter] you say that but theres a lot of support for that kind of approach now around it. The dutch in particular, the scandinavian countries, theyre with us. And the germans. Youve been a brussels correspondent, what would your advice be to someone starting a publication covering whats it going to be called . Politico . Politico europe. I think its great, you should go for it. Its a great opportunity. The art is always, always to tell the news through people. Its brussels is very political, very die thatsic. D it is veryynastic. There are lots of its a fascinating story, brussels. Basically, the characters are the countries. So the drama is in the interaction between these sort of, i dont know if you ever saw a show called allo, allo. The drama is in the interaction between these slightly stereotypical characters who generally conform to type but
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