11/09/2013 Midlands Today

Hello, welcome to Midlands Today with Joanne Malin and Nick Owen. The

headlines tonight: Shock for the staff at Wolverhampton City Council

— a thousand jobs must go. I am extremely angry we are in this

position and I know the workforce shows that anger and sadness. On the

day the latest jobless figures are released, we'll be assessing if

growth is returning to the West Midlands. Also tonight: A six figure

pay—out for a Stafford Hospital patient — after a botched caesarean

left her with permanent injuries. I remembered the nurse asking the

Doctor, what shall I do? He said, just give her a shot. She gave me a

shot of morphine and that stopped me screaming. Remembering the glider

pilots of World War II — as their bravery's finally recognised.

Razor blades in their peaked caps — the story behind the Peaky Blinders

— a new TV drama set in Birmingham. And if days like today are on the

up, then you'd better be prepared. Keep in touch with the forecast

later. Good evening, a thousand jobs are to be lost at Wolverhampton City

council in the next 18 months. It's part of a range of measures to try

to save nearly 89 million pounds. Workers were called to a series of

special meetings today to hear the news. The announcement was made on

the same day that new figures show that unemployment in the West

Midlands is still higher than the national average. We'll have more on

that later, but first BBC WM's Political Reporter Susana Mendonca,

has the latest on the Wolverhampton job cuts.

They piled into this building severance times today to find out

how many of them the City Council plans to axe. The figure, 1000 jobs

to go by 2015. How do you feel as somebody who might lose your job? It

is gutting but we will have to wait and see. We did not realise it was

so many. It is part of the way the government want things to go. The

council are between a rock and hard place. For the people leading this

meeting it was the news they did not want to hear but councils are facing

difficult times. The man at the helm of that decision says his hands are

tied because the City Council has to find £89 million in savings by 2019

because of cuts in central government funding. We are talking

about potentially 50 families in every ward in the city losing

income. We have spent a lot of time in the last two or three years

working with colleagues in Staffordshire to secure the inward

investment of Jaguar Land Rover with 1400 new jobs. What we had to do

here could negate that. But the local Conservative group says it is

the Labour run council and not the government that is to blame. We were

the first to freeze council tax without cutting anything and we have

done that and saved money. Labour are back up to what they are good at

doing, spending the money but not looking to see what the consequences

are. The argument over spending versus cuts has seen protests across

the Midlands. But unions have criticised the way Wolverhampton has

dealt this blow. There has been no consultation on this at the council

at all and the first the unions knew about this was from telephone calls

from the council yesterday. There was more uncertainty ahead as staff

still have a long way to find out which of them will go.

So a worrying time for public sector workers, but a different story in

some areas of the private sector, especially at companies in the

automotive industry. But they're facing their own challenges, as they

struggle to find enough skilled engineers to fill their job

vacancies. Joanne Writtle reports. Specialised work to supply parts for

the motor industry requires skilled engineers and therein lies the

problem. There are not enough of them. Doug started this firm nearly

30 years ago. The last six months he has had vacancies for three

engineers and JLR announced yesterday they would create 1700

jobs. It keeps us on our toes because we do not want to lose

people to J L. We have to hang on to what we have got in way of labour.

Fair is a skilled problem. As the economy recovers we need to make

sure that it is not throttled via the lack of skilled people. This

training company specialises in engineering. The number of

apprentices they to cheer in Coventry and Redding —— Redditch has

been rising to 90 annually. Buses here say the shortage is a national

problem even though a maintenance engineer is paid around £40,000 a

year and senior engineers up to 60,000. The skilled shortage is

significant and growing. Not only is our industry having a real issue, it

is ourselves having difficulty in recruiting young engineers. Rachel

is rare then. Not only a woman engineer in a male world but now a

trainer. Finding this job, I had my hand in the engineering environment

as well as improving my skills. Drew decided against university opting

for a four—year engineering apprenticeship. With employers

looking to push and invest in more engineers, hopefully I can make a

better career for myself. While some engineers may be lowered to small

and firms, some in the industry say it could work in the opposite way

also. Well, joining us now is our Business

correspondent Peter Plisner. Let's start with the skills gap, Peter.

Companies wanting to employ people, people looking for jobs.Surely

people can be retrained or more young people encouraged down the

engineering route with the lure of a good job? They can and lots of

people are but less explain what the skills gap is. There are lots of

older workers but they are not being replaced by younger people to learn

those same skills. More young people are becoming engineers, there is no

doubt about that, but it takes three or four years to train an apprentice

and that is the time when we want have a skills gap. It is not always

attractive to young people either. Things are improving but they are

improving slowly. We still have one of the highest unemployment figures

in the country. Is it as bad as it seems? 9.8% of the population out of

work. It may be levelling off because the official figures suggest

it is rising 7000 in the last quarter, but this data is gathered

by a survey, there is a margin for error. The claimant count, the

number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance, that felt

this month. There are jobs being created but not everyone is skilled

enough to take those jobs. We heard about the thousand jobs going at

Wolverhampton council. Can the private sector take up the slack? It

can but we are still seeing lots of jobs lost in the public sector.

Yesterday, Jaguar Land Rover created 1700 jobs. But service sector is

growing quite fast and that is a good area where some of these public

sector workers could go. And the Sunday Politics will be discussing

the skills gap and the job losses at Wolverhampton City Council with two

of the city's MPs this coming Sunday.

Coming up later in the programme The collapse of a re—cycling firm after

a series of fires. A mother who was permanently harmed

by Stafford Hospital in 2008 when the hospital was at its worst, has

received a six figure payment for her injuries. Candi Kaya suffered

major complications following a caesarean section. Staff failed to

notice her bladder had been damaged by the operation. Here's our health

correspondent, Michele Paduano. Since her injury in 2008, Candi Kaya

has suffered severe depression. The trauma led to the break—up of her

marriage. I am not the same person. I do not want to go out. Not just

practically, it is like you cannot, my freedom has gone. During a

Caesarian, Candy's bladder was ruptured. Her ongoing treatment has

been tough on her family. Staff failed to notice the UN leaking.

Twice she had part of her bowel removed and twice suffered blood

clots. She was always tired and always needing the toilet and she

was never the same. You miss your baby's babyhood. Stabbing pain

one—minute, then it would be burning, then it would feel like

there was a bomb going off inside my stomach. Stafford Hospital has

admitted failure by solicitors say the hospital was slow to accept the

extent of the issues. We were having to fight for issues that we felt

were evident. The quality of care in the maternity unit at Stafford

Hospital has never really been an issue and today its figures are as

good as anywhere in the West Midlands. The Trust has apologised

saying that following this case... Candy is trying to get her life

back. She recognises the staff shortages and staff attitudes

experienced why others at Stafford. Campaigners fighting the cull of

badgers in Gloucestershire have accused the police of harassing

them. Four arrests were made on Monday night and some protestors say

they are being stopped for no reason, claiming officers are being

heavy handed. But Gloucestershire police say they've received no

formal complaints and say protestors should speak to liaison officers

based in the cull zone. A Birmingham singer has been

nominated for the Mercury music award. She is one of 12 finalists

and has been nominated for her debut album, but she is up against tough

competition included David Bowie. A Worcestershire —based recycling

business has gone into administration. The administrators

KPMG have confirmed Lawrence Skip hire is no longer trading. Linseed

oil is that the company site. What has happened today? Today it has

been confirmed that the administrators were called in last

week. This long established company has dealt with waste from both the

commercial and residential sector for many years but two fires in six

months have meant they had become insolvent. KPMG have said they have

had to make 24 employees redundant, H will be kept on in the

short—term. They will also now deal with the sale of the site and are

calling for enquiries. How did the company get into this situation?

Fundamentally it was down to the fires. Two in six months. At the

height of the fire, there were 80 firefighters here. That blaze was

dealt with relatively quickly but a second problem occurred. It

smouldered for weeks and weeks and huge stores of plastics and paper.

Local residents had to keep doors and windows closed during the

heatwave and the damage ran into hundreds and thousands of pounds,

making it untenable for the company to continue, hence the insolvency.

Workers at Wolverhampton City Council told 1000 jobs are to go.

Your detailed weather forecast to come.

They were notorious and violent gang ruling the streets of inner—city

Birmingham 100 years ago. Now they are back on screen. And why it is

Christmas already in one part of the Midlands, we meet the team gearing

up for panto. A Birmingham consultant's beginning a hunger

strike today to draw attention to the plight of the last British

resident to be held in Guantanamo Bay.

Dr David Nicholl says the man — Shaker Aamer — is not a threat to US

or UK security and should be freed immediately. Kevin Reide reports.

911, a day 12 years ago today when the world 's most powerful nation

came under terrifying attack. Hijacked airliners were flown into

high—profile targets. Nearly 3000 people were killed and it led to

America's war on terror. Suspects were arrested all over the world

including British resident Shaker Aamer. He is now at Guant?namo Bay

but has never been charged and is on hunger strike. Now Birmingham

consultant neurologist Dave to David Nicholl is joining him. I have

written to my MP and both the US and UK governments have said for the

last six years he can be released but he is still there. His five—day

fast is purely symbolic and follows other protests like running the

London Marathon dressed in an inmate 's suit. All of us think back on

that day. Those are things Shaker Aamer is not able to do. His son was

born while he was in captive. The protest is been supported by a

former won tonne of Bay detainee Mozambique. He was arrested with a

shocker, but released eight years ago. He has not been released

because there is a belief shack was physically present when British

intelligence agents and the Americans were all complicit and

involved in his physical torture. They are quite concerned about that

hitting the headlines again. Dr Nicholl insists patients will not be

put at risk. He is off work for the last two days of his fast and

hospitals say plans are in place to ensure his safety. The heroism of

the wooden glider pilots of World War Two has been marked at the

National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Hundreds of them took part in a series of operations to liberate

Europe from the Nazis and now their contribution is being formally

recognised. Liz Copper reports. An airborne arrival in tribute for the

men who flew over a mini skies. This service honours the pilots. Among

the congregation, 92—year—old Denzel Cooper. A veteran of D—day and are

known. We loaded and unloaded the gliders after D—day 16 times and we

were getting cheesed off with it. When an opportunity came to do an

opportunity, they were there like a rocket. Worrying about what might

happen just didn't exist. They were special people. Very obstinate and

independent. Go for it. With total self—confidence. Gliders were made

of wood and wire on armed. Often under fire, landings were dangerous

and frequently fatal. Many of the glider pilots were volunteers and in

the early years of the Second World War, some of the craft they flew

were donated. Their mission is required immense bravery and that

bravery was marked at today's ceremony. Nearly half the pilots

died either in the course of training or in action. To put people

down where they are required and then participate in the battle on

the ground makes them a unique bunch of men. Baranowski of than 100 and

70 glider pilots still alive. This tribute to ensure their skills and

valour are still remembered. A brand new BBC drama series based

on the exploits of a Birmingham gang around a hundred years ago starts

tomorrow night. Peaky Blinders was partially filmed in the city and

written by a local man. These are just some of the gang members known

as the peaky blinders, who ruled Birmingham streets in the late 18

hundredths. These details are sat in a museum at spa kill police station

for over 100 years but the story of the mob has been resurrected by the

BBC. The ruthless gang whose violent empire was built on protection

rackets and illegal gambling got their name from sewing razor blades

into the peak of their caps to inflict horrific injuries on their

rivals. The peaky blinders is a chilling story of violence and

terror. With us is the writer of the series, Stephen Knight. A rough old

lot. How did you let your imagination get captured? My parents

who grew up in small Heath told me little snapshots of life in those

days in the 20s and my mum was a bookies run as a kid. It gave me an

insight into a world, because all betting was illegal, so I lot of

money was generated and it gave me an insight into a world where there

was nothing written about it. It felt like a secret history and then

when I research did, it was even more fascinating. My mother was

about nine. They're rather lot of people who lived in poverty and

gambling was a way of relieving the monotony. Those streets were

dangerous places. They were. A gang ran a territory and as long as you

were OK with the gang it was OK. You filmed some of it in Birmingham.

Widely due go elsewhere? We use the Black Country Museum but the Second

World War and the planners took away a lot of old Birmingham and we

needed a streetwear of the code really take it over for a period of

time, so we found somewhere in Liverpool. What about the accents in

the film? How difficult were they for the actors to master? It was one

of the things I wanted to get right because historically, the Birmingham

accent is mangled and never done correctly. I took Killian who plays

Tommy, he is the lead gangster. We went to a pub called the Galveston

and we sat around with the people I grew up with and he recorded the

conversation and he's worked and worked and got the hardness and the

speed of the accident. There is almost a feel of a Western in it.

There was an element of the wild West about those days. These men

came back very damaged. There was a lawlessness for at least a decade

after that and the sensibility of a Western is very appropriate. You can

watch the first episode on BBC Two at nine o'clock tomorrow night.

There are just 104 days left until Christmas.I've already started my

shopping, but many of you may not have even thought about it yet. For

some though, the festive season is already in full swing. Costumes need

to be made for Pantomimes up and down the country and our Arts

Reporter Satnam Rana has been to meet one team of busy sewing bees.

It may be September but this Staffordshire costume maker has one

thing on his mind. Christmas panto. Around May, when I have been

designing for a while, I have been known to run round and seeing. Don

is a task with designing 84 costumes for Snow White. This frock, the

wicked Queen has to change into a horrible which so we are having to

develop ways how we can transform her on stage. This is the first part

of it. The second part we have not worked out yet but it will be lots

of magic with silk. From designing costumes to sourcing fabric to

sewing it all up. The work is carried out here in Cheadle. It also

includes a hat for David Hasselhoff. And one for Jimmy wasn't and a cloak

for John Barron men. We have a piece on this design which becomes this

big. It is starting to come together. For ages it has been lots

of little bits. Eventually we will have one big piece. All these

questions will be ready by mid—November so while most of us

robot before Christmas, John and his team will be putting down their

needles until January when it all begins again.

Onto cricket and the weather. It was not very good for the International

at Edgbaston. Let's hope it will get better. That is the rescue one with

one—day international. There is a clearance on the way and it will

still be fairly warm. It was not one today but tonight, it will be warm.

We have a frontal attack from quite a number of fronts over the next few

days. This one clears through tonight then we have another coming

on Thursday. days. This one clears through

tonight then we have This low pressure dominates and by the

weekend, a very intense area of low pressure starting to move in from

off the Atlantic. This will bring in a very intense area of low pressure

starting to move in from off the Atlantic. This will bring in strong

winds. Very active over the next few days. Right now we have this cloud

over us and this is packed with rain which will move south eastwards.

Once it has, it will be much drier towards the tail end of tonight.

Cloud around and a lot of debris from that rain and the moisture and

warmth will mingle to give us hill fog. Temperatures only down on

today. Down to 12 or 13 Celsius. For the morning tomorrow, that resource

should fade away. There will be some affecting eastern parts but

brightness breaking through the middle part of the morning. You can

just start to see the first signs of the next band of rain moving in from

the west. Temperatures will rise to 19 — 21 Celsius. Fairly humid.

Continuing humid through the course of tomorrow night. The rain should

clear and then we have some missed due to the moisture. Let's recap

tonight 's top stories: The latest in the UK is recovering economy. The

number of people out of work nationally falls again. But here

1000 jobs are to go at Wolverhampton council as they try to save £89

million. Thank you for watching. Goodbye.