29/04/2012 Sunday Politics Wales

Later in the programme: In election week, can Labour regain

lost ground and, along with it, the control of councils after what its

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1675 seconds

former leader called a "belting" Hello, I'm Aled ap Dafydd and on

the Sunday Politics Wales, with the council elections just days away,

we finish our look at the four main parties with Labour. After a

drubbing four years ago, is the ground set for a Labour revival?

We'll hear from the Labour minister, Alun Davies. I'm joined for the

next 20 minutes by the Welsh Liberal Democrat, Lord German, and

the Plaid Cymru AM, Bethan Jenkins. David Cameron's insistence that

there was no do with the Murdochs to try and get their support, in

turn that the Government would give their support for their business

interests. Do you believe him? have got to believe what people

tell me. The problem with this issue is that you need to find out

the facts. But you cannot judge them on the basis of one side

presenting an argument. Whatever happens, there will have to be some

form of investigation. Whether it is a longer one or short one is a

matter of debate. We need to find out what the relationships have

been, and more importantly, that the decision which is to be made

eventually about BSkyB, it will be done anyway witches seem to be

above board. The relationships between politicians and the media

has been under the spotlight. Are we likely to see a fundamental

change in that relationship? It is inevitable. Seeing David Cameron on

the Andrew Marcio shows there are difficulties, and there are lots of

questions to be answered. I do not believe the special adviser would

have been mandated to have any communication with Murdoch. I think

the Government needs to be more accountable in terms of what they

ministers are doing. If Jeremy Hunt is in charge of the actions of his

special adviser, why is he still in his job? The Ministerial Code is a

very important issue here. The Prime Minister has to look

carefully at the application of the Ministerial Code to make sure it

has been applied. It has to be seen as the backdrop against people can

be reassured. That is the one thing I want to ensure that the coalition,

but the Ministerial Code is the one which drives forward an

understanding of what is happening here.

So, this time next week, we'll know the results of the local elections.

Wales goes to the polls on Thursday in all but one of the 22 local

authorities. Anglesey's election has been postponed until next year.

Each week, we've been taking a look at the four main parties' prospects.

Today, our reporter, Adrian Browne, turns finally to the Labour Party.

Labour is the largest party in Welsh local government, but it is

worth reminding ourselves how dominant it is to be. In 1996,

Labour-controlled 14 councils, including Cardiff. That dropped to

eight, and was down to two in 2008. In Cardiff, the Liberal Democrats

replaced Labour eight years ago. When Labour did so badly, we were

talking about it as a historic result. Given where they had been,

given the dominance of local government, it was no wonder that

people were saying they were given a belting. We were shocked that

they lost so much ground. We would never have expected to report this.

It was a synonymous for the local government. They could only win two

authorities. It was worse than their own expectations. The only

way is up. As problems stacked up, they took their toll on one Welsh

local election after another. Now, the coalition has experienced its

worst it of crisis yet, culminating in a minister and siege, and

economy sliding back into recession. Double-dip recession. What timing

for Labour. Everything is in their favour. They are starting from a

low base. Every step they make it is in the right direction, but they

lost to just about everybody. That is even harder to regain them when

you have lost to one opponent. would be very surprised if several

authorities like Cardiff or Swansea, if Labour was not making

significant breakthroughs, and ending up running probably close to

six or seven authorities in Wales out right. That would be where my

predictions live. Everything points towards Labour increasing the

number of councils it runs. The only question seems to be, how big

global revival be? Alun Davies, a Labour minister, is

in our Cardiff newsroom. On this programme last week, a colleague of

yours did not seem convinced with the strategy which has been

advocated on making this a referendum on the UK government.

Are you convinced? We are seeing 21 different campaigns being fought in

different areas. When you are talking to people on the doorstep,

they are looking at the shambles taking place in Westminster. They

are feeling the pain. They are talking about everything. We have

seen a two-track campaign - a very local campaign, which is a very

different, but, at the same time, within the context of the

Government but is completely out of control. But this is not a general

election. Should the elections not be fought on local matters? When

you have got to UK government ticking away opportunities,

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creating unemployment, failing to the extent it is, and... -- taking

away opportunities. It equates to a local accent and local fish and.

The campaign has been fought in mind Hove borough. -- local issues.

You are seeing a number of different campaigns. It is a very

different feeling. You are saying that localised campaign. There is

also a context to that. -- fought in my borough. You took a belting

and lost council's. What is the skill of your ambition this time?

We heard a political commentator saying you would win it 6 cancels

out right. Is that how you see it? A -- six councils. I think in

Cardiff, for example, there is a kales. When people look at the lack

of leadership in Swansea, they will react to that. -- chaos. There are

opportunities for the Labour Party to regain the trust of people and

assume responsibility of leadership. But I do not think it is possible

to say we will have seven councils. I will not be so great isn't saying

that. What I am hearing is that people want a leadership, and they

want leadership than the UK government as well. At the moment,

they are seeing local authorities that are failing. We are seeing

failure from the UK government, and people want be political party that

stand up for Wales, stand up for the town, stand at the village and

the family. But there is a question as to whether Labour has stood up

for people in the past. Into 1008, people formed the opinion that

Labour was not with them. -- in 2000 mate. Had you agreed? When you

look back to the Assembly election last year, when you think about how

Wales voted heavily for the Labour Party, people right across the

country demonstrated Labour is the only party that can stand up for

the whole of Wales in boroughs and counties and cities and villages.

At the moment, when I'm talking to people on the doorstep, they

recognise that Labour is on their side. They want us to work with

them to protect services and the communities. Is it easier to fight

a local election when you are not in government in Westminster?

local elections are very different. Imry and borough, it is different

to another borough. -- it in my own borough. That reflects the tapestry

of Al communities. It there but any common threads across Wales, there

is a sense that we need a Labour Party that will stand up for

communities in local authorities in Cardiff and made against the UK

government. It is quite obvious where they are coming from. It is

an attack on the coalition government in Westminster. That is

a tactic used by the other parties. Quite clearly, this is not a local

election, it is a referendum on the UK government. What they should be

telling us is what they would do with local government in Wales.

They want to extract the powers from local government and hold them

at the Centre. So, I would suggest to the people of Wales, the what

they need to be doing is look at their local candidate and council

and taking the message that when you vote Liberal Democrats, you get

lower council tax, a better quality of that service, record Investment

in terms of capital investment. And not to take the word local out of

local government. Is it not a problem when there is a government

in Westminster who are making hard decisions, tough choices, which are

not always popular? And it is not the Labour Party. If that is the

strategy, yes, because there is scaremongering. In my area, for

example, or an across the border, the Labour Party are in government,

and they have been a Reading paying conditions for staff. -- 0 Roding.

Alan Davies cannot just pretend they have no responsibility. We

have been offering apprenticeships and new ideas. We have to go on

what we are good that, and show we are an alternative to the

wranglings that the UK parties will involve themselves in. It is

getting quite personal in Cardiff. We have been here many times before.

We know very well that this is a series of local elections, both in

their local authorities and individual wards, where people are

looking for who can provide the best service. We do not concede

that this time around, local services, although important to

people, I'm not the main thing energising people at the moment? It

is about tax, how much money in their pay packet, where they had

they have got a job -- job or not. It ought to be about when the bins

will be collected. Not the things which are affecting lives. But we

are in different times now. There has always been... People have

always wanted to take a kick at the Government. That has always been

the case. But too blatant plea... But there was not a single word

from Alan Davies on what local government should be like. You know

where the Liberal Democrats is that you get record investment in

capital projects. Let us say the alternative. As we have said, we do

have a local government manifested for Wales, to develop

apprenticeships across the board for young people. We want to it

radically changed the put your mind process so more Welsh companies can

benefit from that area, and we want to develop more social housing.

Councils do have a very important role to play. We have a new, fresh

leader. We need to energise party members to show their support for

that leader. Don't forget, the elections aren't

just about the four main parties. Many small parties are also

standing along with independents, some of whom do control councils.

You can find more information on the elections, including how the

seats currently stack up on your council, by going to the BBC news

website. And there will also be coverage overnight on Thursday on

BBC Cymru Wales online, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru. Time now for a

quick look back in the week in 60 The Welsh Secretary said that are

the winner Harbour should adopt a more mature attitude to working

with MPs. She criticised her refusal to co-operate.

The education minister said it would make it easier for councils

and ministers to intervene. Keith Davies was referred to the

Assembly standards watchdog following allegations about his

behaviour. This debt at a hotel. The caravan Tax was urged to be

Tax Again, creeping up. It seems as though every aspect of society is

being hit by tax rises. This is the reality of where we are. We have

brought down the deficit, but we have not stopped the borrowing. The

problem we face is we will have to have these tough times. People just

have different prescriptions for red. But there is not much choice.

It has been static. The key to it all is to try and get the economy

moving again through jobs and activity in the private sector.

This balance, is it hitting the right note? The people of Wales are

saying that they are not. People are facing massive cuts to their

everyday lives. I was on a rally in Swansea regarding cuts in terms of

pensions. We need to reassess the situation. The UK government are

becoming increasingly out-of-touch with the Welsh population, and I

would urge them to reconnect. powers for councils to intervene in

failing schools. Is that dangerous? We would need to see the detail.