0:00:00 > 0:00:03in the Senedd. Opposition parties keep up the pressure on the Welsh
0:00:03 > 0:00:13Government over AWEMA. And do Tory AMs have confidence in their
0:00:13 > 0:00:38
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Good evening. First of all, I am going to talk to
0:00:44 > 0:00:49our political editor about the leadership question. We are going
0:00:49 > 0:00:55to be hearing from the three candidates next week. Give us a
0:00:55 > 0:01:03taster of what you might expect to hear. The differences have become
0:01:04 > 0:01:07clear. The party is thinking, good, this is a proper choice. On 16th
0:01:07 > 0:01:12March and, whoever wins, their other two will be happy to serve
0:01:12 > 0:01:17under them. The debate has been around the economy, jobs, job
0:01:17 > 0:01:22creation, but also tied in to that his constitutional change, its
0:01:22 > 0:01:27relevance, what is real independence, what does it all
0:01:27 > 0:01:34mean? I think they feel they have set out their stall in hustings,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37but we haven't been there of course, that is only for party members.
0:01:37 > 0:01:47independence question is interesting, not just because of
0:01:47 > 0:01:47
0:01:47 > 0:01:55what is going on in Scotland at the moment. Yes, one candidate is
0:01:55 > 0:01:59saying that the other two have just got it completely wrong. He says
0:01:59 > 0:02:02this is about not missing an opportunity if things start to move
0:02:02 > 0:02:06in Scotland. The other two have a clear message around independence
0:02:06 > 0:02:12and they want to make it clear that they are relating it to everyday
0:02:12 > 0:02:20life. It is the two women who are eyeing each other. Those two camps
0:02:20 > 0:02:25looking at each other. The one from the Leanne Wood camps saying that
0:02:25 > 0:02:30not much could change the things have to change. Somebody else
0:02:30 > 0:02:36saying that if Leanne Wood makes it, it looks very tasty but where is
0:02:36 > 0:02:41the beef? That she would be exposed as a leader. Still some tasty
0:02:41 > 0:02:47rhetoric around this. In terms of the contest itself, the nature of
0:02:47 > 0:02:52the voting process does mean that surprises can happen along the way.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Is it possible to say he is in front? So prices can happen in this
0:02:56 > 0:03:00and that is why nobody is bidding go ahead on the block. I think that
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Leanne Wood camp are looking less happy than they were a few weeks
0:03:05 > 0:03:10ago. The Elin Jones camp are looking more relaxed and optimistic.
0:03:10 > 0:03:17I still say that if you go to hustings in a posh hotel in Cardiff,
0:03:17 > 0:03:24as it did this week, Thomas looks flippant, not really trying. The
0:03:24 > 0:03:28bulk of the membership is in the west and north-west. In the north-
0:03:28 > 0:03:33east, that is where he has spent some time. You mark my words are
0:03:33 > 0:03:36many people are members there and are likely to vote, he said. I
0:03:36 > 0:03:41don't think it is possible to be clear about who will win this, but
0:03:41 > 0:03:46the second preference will be key. When that is key, he can go
0:03:46 > 0:03:51anywhere. We did start off with four candidates and Simon Thomas
0:03:51 > 0:03:56dropped out and endorsed Elin Jones. How much significance to that have?
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Her team think that is a good move. Her campaign seemed to get more
0:04:00 > 0:04:10impetus behind it after that. On the other hand it is easy to point
0:04:10 > 0:04:14the finger and say to AMs to get their. It had its dangers.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Generally I think they fill the tactic has paid off. It is a cliche
0:04:19 > 0:04:24to say that a leadership contest is about people discussing the soul of
0:04:24 > 0:04:30a party and what they wanted to go and philosophical things like that.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34In the case of Plaid Cymru it is true with bells on. We just had a
0:04:34 > 0:04:39report about may be why they didn't do so well in the last Assembly
0:04:39 > 0:04:43elections and suggestions about changing the structure of the party.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46What is the philosophical context of all this for them? I think some
0:04:46 > 0:04:49people thought there would be more differences and three candidates
0:04:49 > 0:04:54would come out with more planned changes that they felt needed to be
0:04:54 > 0:05:00made now to how the party should be run and how they connect with the
0:05:00 > 0:05:05grass root members. He doesn't feel as if they have gone so far from
0:05:05 > 0:05:11The Script. Leanne Wood on paper and, if you look at your economic
0:05:11 > 0:05:14plans, those feel more different. The concern of those who will not
0:05:14 > 0:05:20go for her is that it sounds fine in to you delve deeper and then
0:05:20 > 0:05:25they would be exposed. I think all in all Plaid Cymru feel they have
0:05:25 > 0:05:29gone for it just about enough but as the party centrally they would
0:05:29 > 0:05:32not want them to go any harder after it. Perhaps they haven't
0:05:32 > 0:05:36hustings when we have not been able to look in. I think the hustings
0:05:36 > 0:05:41were we have been allowed to film have probably been very different
0:05:41 > 0:05:46in moods than the ones were we have not with more heckling and
0:05:46 > 0:05:53disagreements. In terms of the timetable for all of this, it is
0:05:53 > 0:05:58starting to draw to a close. It is, as a sort of hope! The hustings are
0:05:58 > 0:06:08over so they have had their stay -- have their say. Ballot papers have
0:06:08 > 0:06:18
0:06:18 > 0:06:22gone out today and they have made day -- until midday on 15th March.
0:06:22 > 0:06:32Questions persist about why ministers fail to act on warnings
0:06:32 > 0:06:39about AWEMA and financial impropriety. The chief executive
0:06:39 > 0:06:43and finance director have both been sacked. An inquiry has been set up
0:06:43 > 0:06:47to look at the trustees to have a responsibility to look at how the
0:06:47 > 0:06:50money is being sent. The chair of the public accounts committee has
0:06:50 > 0:07:00received other allegations -- allegations on how money is being
0:07:00 > 0:07:10
0:07:11 > 0:07:19spent another charity organisations. Good morning. And it is a very good
0:07:19 > 0:07:24morning in Wales. We have all seen it a thousand times before, but one
0:07:24 > 0:07:29of the reasons it was meant to be such a good morning for Wales was
0:07:29 > 0:07:33that's the assembly would usher in a new year in was political life,
0:07:33 > 0:07:38not just assembly members that a civil society, the charities who
0:07:38 > 0:07:42are not quite government but not quite citizens. One of the things
0:07:42 > 0:07:47that the AWEMA scandal has-1 up as to what extent has that been
0:07:47 > 0:07:51happening. There is still a lot of anger and some surprise of war went
0:07:51 > 0:07:55on at the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association. We know there are
0:07:55 > 0:07:59investigations by the Charity Commission, the Audit Office and
0:07:59 > 0:08:06perhaps at some point even the police, but my fingers are being
0:08:06 > 0:08:12pointed elsewhere as to why the chief-executive of AWEMA was not
0:08:12 > 0:08:17rained in much sooner after several government inquiries. And Tuesday
0:08:17 > 0:08:21the leader of the opposition bit his views abundantly clear. For him,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26this was little short of cronyism. There is a real perception that if
0:08:26 > 0:08:34you want to have a Public appointments in Wales you need to
0:08:35 > 0:08:39carry and Labour Party cards. If you look at l e h b appointments
0:08:39 > 0:08:49recently Maria battle was appointed as chair, former Labour candidate.
0:08:49 > 0:08:49
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Win Griffiths, and others. All Labour members. Can you assure the
0:08:53 > 0:08:56chamber and the people of Wales that to get a senior public
0:08:56 > 0:09:02appointment in Wales you do not need to have a Labour Party
0:09:02 > 0:09:08membership card? He is unaware of the Nolan principle and the fact
0:09:08 > 0:09:12that many appointments are made openly, unlike the 1990s when
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Tories to could not get elected ended up in quangos. It is to avoid
0:09:17 > 0:09:20such accusations that there are now call sport could be an
0:09:21 > 0:09:25unprecedented transparency from our top civil society bosses making
0:09:25 > 0:09:30them tell us which party they support. We need to realise about
0:09:30 > 0:09:34the civil society is that it is delivering a lot of services that
0:09:34 > 0:09:38people who work in its our political activists themselves so
0:09:38 > 0:09:45there needs to be greater transparency about the relationship
0:09:45 > 0:09:50between the third sector hands the Welsh government. I'm advocating a
0:09:50 > 0:09:53list whereby those senior officials or directors of any civil society
0:09:53 > 0:10:00organisations that are receiving money directly from the government,
0:10:00 > 0:10:05that their political affiliation is made known. For these societies it
0:10:05 > 0:10:09can be a tricky thing because they want to be close to government, but
0:10:09 > 0:10:14they need to be independent, sometimes even critical and they
0:10:14 > 0:10:17can be a difficult balance. Wales what we have seen is that the
0:10:17 > 0:10:23weaknesses of civil society have created a greater sense of
0:10:23 > 0:10:29dependence on the Government. It has had to select the organisations
0:10:29 > 0:10:34that it funds. It is score funded some organisations, etc. There has
0:10:34 > 0:10:37been a tendency organisations to be less willing to criticise
0:10:37 > 0:10:42government would be a bit more careful about how they engage or
0:10:42 > 0:10:51what they say about the government. Devolution brought new
0:10:51 > 0:10:57opportunities. There is AWEMA's chief executive cheering on the
0:10:57 > 0:11:01right of the screen. If there was a systematic weaknesses in the way in
0:11:01 > 0:11:07which the government in Wales actually distributes money, public
0:11:07 > 0:11:10money, to various organisations in Wales, but you have learnt those
0:11:10 > 0:11:14lessons and that you have implemented measures to ensure that
0:11:14 > 0:11:18those weaknesses have been addressed. At would be grateful if
0:11:18 > 0:11:21the minister can confirm that the Welsh government will continue to
0:11:21 > 0:11:25engage with the sector to ensure that their voices heard and not
0:11:25 > 0:11:32marginalised because of the manifest Government's feelings of
0:11:32 > 0:11:36one particular body. When allegations were received about
0:11:36 > 0:11:41irregularities at AWEMA, the Welsh government reacted quickly to the
0:11:41 > 0:11:46allegations made and a halt was placed on funding the next day. The
0:11:46 > 0:11:52big lottery froze its funding. There have been no answers.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Ministers have passed over their responsibilities. Where is the
0:11:56 > 0:12:03accountability, transparency and the new year of Welsh democracy,
0:12:03 > 0:12:10where has it disappeared to? the question to be answered is was
0:12:10 > 0:12:14AWEMA a one off? The answer, possibly not. As a result of the
0:12:14 > 0:12:17media attention that the situation at AWEMA has had, I have had
0:12:17 > 0:12:21letters from people connected with other organisations raising
0:12:21 > 0:12:26concerns about the way in which funds have been managed and the
0:12:26 > 0:12:33failure to monitor by the Welsh government and other charities and
0:12:33 > 0:12:36organisations. Wills deserves a voice, says the slogan back in 1997,
0:12:36 > 0:12:42but the accusation now is that too many people stayed too quiet for
0:12:42 > 0:12:47too long about AWEMA. Two instrumental characters in the
0:12:47 > 0:12:52assembly, Ron Davies and Rhodri Morgan might now be questioned by
0:12:52 > 0:12:55the Audit Office during their inquiries about the relationship
0:12:55 > 0:13:05between the government and the charity. It all seems a long way
0:13:05 > 0:13:08
0:13:08 > 0:13:11from the optimism of the new year end was politics. -- New Era. We
0:13:11 > 0:13:14did ask to speak to the Equalities Minister, Jane Hutt, but we were
0:13:14 > 0:13:17told it wouldn't be appropriate for her to comment while the Wales
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Audit Office inquiry is in progress. With me now are Eluned Parrott of
0:13:20 > 0:13:23the Liberal Democrats and Labour's Vaughan Gething. Mr Gething didn't
0:13:23 > 0:13:26want to take part in a discussion, so Eluned Parrott first.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31Do you think that the AWEMA episode doors open wider questions about
0:13:31 > 0:13:35the strength of civil society and governments in Wales? Possibly.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40Before we look at that, we need to make it clear that the third sector
0:13:40 > 0:13:47in Wales perform a very valuable role. Their morale at the moment is
0:13:47 > 0:13:54at rock bottom because of this fiasco at AWEMA. I think we need to
0:13:54 > 0:13:57be slow to judge in this instance. We need to see if there are any
0:13:57 > 0:14:02sub-standard allegations before we assume that the whole barrel has
0:14:02 > 0:14:06been tainted by one bad apple. you support the committee looking
0:14:06 > 0:14:16into that to save their its substance? I think it would be
0:14:16 > 0:14:16
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Let's talk about the political reaction. Are we on the road of
0:14:19 > 0:14:25getting answers about the ways successive governments have dealt
0:14:25 > 0:14:29with it? I only wish we were. Four weeks after you first requested the
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Government to come and talk to you, here we are again. The minister
0:14:33 > 0:14:38responsible is not standing up to public scrutiny. She said it would
0:14:38 > 0:14:41not be appropriate because there is a Wales Audit Office investigation.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45There is an existing investigation which has been concluded and a
0:14:45 > 0:14:49report we could scrutinise the minister on, but she refuses to
0:14:49 > 0:14:53answer questions on that. We do not want questions answered which would
0:14:53 > 0:14:56prejudice a criminal investigation, or impact on the charity
0:14:56 > 0:15:00commission's investigation. It is not the internal workings of AWEMA
0:15:00 > 0:15:04that we are concerned with. It is about the Welsh government's
0:15:04 > 0:15:08response to the reports in 2004 and in 2012 which demonstrated there
0:15:08 > 0:15:11were problems. We want to know why the Welsh government did not act
0:15:11 > 0:15:16and why the Welsh government will not stand in front of our assembly
0:15:16 > 0:15:20and tell us what went on. It isn't that precisely what the Welsh Audit
0:15:20 > 0:15:25Office is looking at? If Jane Hutt had anything to hide, she would not
0:15:25 > 0:15:30have asked the Wales' office to look into it. On the contrary. You
0:15:30 > 0:15:32might say, if you were cynically minded, that starting another
0:15:32 > 0:15:36investigation after first investigation looking at this
0:15:36 > 0:15:41particular issue, is another tactic to delay and delay. We have heard,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46cannot comment because the original investigation is ongoing, cannot,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50because another investigation has been set up. And when are the Welsh
0:15:50 > 0:15:53government going to respect the National Assembly for Wales, the
0:15:53 > 0:15:58people's representatives in Wales, and stand up and be scrutinised on
0:15:58 > 0:16:02this very serious issue? Thank you for talking to last. Vaughan
0:16:02 > 0:16:07Gething, if I can turn to you, our ministers hiding behind successive
0:16:07 > 0:16:11reviews to avoid answering awkward questions? The point about the
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Wales Audit Office investigation, which I welcome, and the charity
0:16:14 > 0:16:18commission's investigation, is that they will be a complete picture to
0:16:18 > 0:16:22be scrutinised on. I look forward to having those reports presented
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and published some ministers can answer questions. The public park -
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- the Public Accounts Committee will certainly not spare time or
0:16:28 > 0:16:31energy going through those reports and dealing with questions raised.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35If there are questions for government, they will be held
0:16:35 > 0:16:38accountable at that time in an informed and a mature way. Some of
0:16:38 > 0:16:42the comments are going over the top, making suggestions where there is
0:16:42 > 0:16:45no evidence to back them up. February 9th, when the Welsh
0:16:45 > 0:16:50government review was published, that was the perfect window for
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Jane Hutt to submit herself to some scrutiny, either on this programme
0:16:53 > 0:16:57or another programme, because the Welsh government's review had been
0:16:57 > 0:17:03concluded and the Wales Audit Office's review had not started.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07And yet she turns down our request for an interview and simply gave a
0:17:07 > 0:17:12statement to media outlets. That is not the action, surely, of a
0:17:12 > 0:17:15minister who is unwillingly embracing transparency over this.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Except, of course, that once you have the Wales audit investigation
0:17:19 > 0:17:24and it is published, that is the most transparent way. The
0:17:24 > 0:17:28government cannot control have that investigation is done. It cannot
0:17:28 > 0:17:32control the conclusions or the release of information. It is a
0:17:32 > 0:17:36wholly independent process and I think that is the right thing to do.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Any minister involved, the whole relationship with AWEMA, can be
0:17:40 > 0:17:43properly held to account and scrutinised. Many of the questions
0:17:43 > 0:17:47have not just spoken about recent events but have spoken about the
0:17:47 > 0:17:51history. Looking at the history in one independent, authoritative
0:17:51 > 0:17:55investigation, I think is the right thing to do. The permanent
0:17:55 > 0:17:59secretary has acknowledged mistakes were made, saying the organisation
0:17:59 > 0:18:04should have been regarded as high risk. Have those comments prejudice
0:18:04 > 0:18:07the inquiry? No. That is the permanent secretaries beating, a
0:18:07 > 0:18:12civil servant. I think it is important they have all of the
0:18:12 > 0:18:16comments made, taken account, looking at the documents, how AWEMA
0:18:16 > 0:18:20changed, how the government changed in its reaction, and then to ensure
0:18:20 > 0:18:24that ministers at the end have a full set of what has taken place
0:18:24 > 0:18:30and are held to account on that basis. I think that is a
0:18:30 > 0:18:34transparent way of going about it. There have been allegations of
0:18:34 > 0:18:37cronyism as a potential explanation for why there were apparent
0:18:37 > 0:18:42failings to pick up on warnings. Was it Labour looking after its
0:18:42 > 0:18:46own? No, this is one of those allegations which really is about
0:18:46 > 0:18:50fairly shabby point scoring on a partisan basis and not really about
0:18:50 > 0:18:54getting to the heart of the matter. There is no evidence that this was
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Labour looking after its own. In fact, if you consider the report
0:18:58 > 0:19:02that bust the dam on these matters, the Paul Dunn report, was actually
0:19:02 > 0:19:06written by somebody who is a long- standing member of the Labour Party
0:19:06 > 0:19:10and was a former UNISON regional secretary in the south-west. If
0:19:10 > 0:19:15this is about cronyism, that report would not have reached a conclusion
0:19:15 > 0:19:19as it did in the way that it did. It was very clear and up front.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22me challenge you on your point scoring statement. We have
0:19:22 > 0:19:26repeatedly asked for representatives of the Labour Party
0:19:26 > 0:19:30to come on and it grip -- address allegations of cronyism. Four weeks
0:19:30 > 0:19:34later, you're the first person to take us up on that. Can you blame
0:19:34 > 0:19:37the opposition parties for casting around looking for explanations for
0:19:37 > 0:19:43what happened when Labour representatives will not come on to
0:19:43 > 0:19:46the media and actually discuss this? The point is, casting around
0:19:46 > 0:19:51for explanations. Should you reach for an explanation with no evidence
0:19:51 > 0:19:57and no basis to support it? We know there have been catastrophic
0:19:57 > 0:20:00failures of government. Are you referring to AWEMA? Yes.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Catastrophic failures of governments. Up but have they not
0:20:04 > 0:20:08been failures by the Welsh government. Is that not the point
0:20:08 > 0:20:12of the report? It is to Isaac -- to identify if they happened and where
0:20:12 > 0:20:16they have happened. You have to have a robust, independent process
0:20:16 > 0:20:21that lays matters there and is not controlled by the government. That
0:20:21 > 0:20:23is the right thing to do. It enhances the scrutiny available. At
0:20:24 > 0:20:28the start of this piece we were talking about the impact this has
0:20:28 > 0:20:32had. I am concerned about the way this is being opened into wider
0:20:32 > 0:20:36attack on the sector. Surely the chairman of the Public Accounts
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Committee should investigate if people come to him with concerns.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43legitimate concerns should be investigated, but the comments that
0:20:43 > 0:20:47the Welsh Tory leader has made it about �8 million of money being
0:20:47 > 0:20:51wasted, that is not true and that language does damage that is wholly
0:20:51 > 0:20:57unwarranted. He is not on the programme, although we did ask for
0:20:57 > 0:21:00him as well as Jane Hutt. Thank you for coming on to talk to us.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Speaking of Andrew RT Davies, cancelled party conference,
0:21:03 > 0:21:08negative briefings, rumours of serious splits in the assembly team.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Not exactly fertile ground for the bows Conservatives to run a council
0:21:11 > 0:21:15election campaign and it has left some to question whether the
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Conservatives are heading in the right direction under Mr Davies,
0:21:19 > 0:21:29who has been in the job for less than a year. In a moment I will be
0:21:29 > 0:21:33
0:21:34 > 0:21:37talking to Suzy Davies, but first, The Welsh Conservatives are now the
0:21:37 > 0:21:41second biggest party in the Senate and they have eight MPs, quite an
0:21:41 > 0:21:45achievement for a party white of the political map of Wales years
0:21:45 > 0:21:50ago. The leader of the Conservative Assembly group is facing his first
0:21:50 > 0:21:55Test in the role he took over in July, when voters go to the polls
0:21:55 > 0:22:00in council elections. We made notable gains last time round in
0:22:00 > 0:22:032008. But I imagine the Tories will be on the defensive this time round,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06relieved if they can hold on to flagship local authorities of
0:22:06 > 0:22:12Monmouthshire and the Vale of Glamorgan and consolidate those
0:22:12 > 0:22:15pockets of support in Mid and West Wales in particular. In 2008, Aled
0:22:15 > 0:22:21Davies was one of nine Tory councillors elected in Powys. He is
0:22:21 > 0:22:24now leading the efforts in the area to win more seats this time. It has
0:22:24 > 0:22:27been a few good years in Montgomeryshire. Through the
0:22:27 > 0:22:32general election, assembly elections and the council. The
0:22:32 > 0:22:36council elections was the start, really. He says they are fully
0:22:36 > 0:22:40behind the Assembly leader. He has been doing a wonderful job. He
0:22:40 > 0:22:45leads from the front, says it how it is, and he will lead the troops
0:22:45 > 0:22:47into battle. He is doing a fantastic job. But a former Tory
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Cabinet Assembly member has resigned from the party, saying
0:22:51 > 0:22:55there needs to be better communication between leaders and
0:22:55 > 0:22:59members. Publicly, Welsh Conservatives say they are united
0:22:59 > 0:23:03and moving forward towards the council elections in May. But
0:23:03 > 0:23:08privately, the mood appears to be altogether different here in
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Cardiff Bay, with some extremely critical of Andrew RT Davies. Both
0:23:12 > 0:23:16in terms of the style and the substance of his leadership. There
0:23:16 > 0:23:21is a lot of frustration coming to the fore at Andrew RT Davies'
0:23:21 > 0:23:26leadership. They fall into two camps. There are people who simply
0:23:26 > 0:23:30do not think he is up to the job and worry about his strategy. They
0:23:30 > 0:23:34do not think he has won. And they think he has made mistakes in his
0:23:34 > 0:23:38dealings with the party. supporters say there are no
0:23:38 > 0:23:40divisions inside the Assembly group, but there are those Tories who say
0:23:40 > 0:23:44the fact that the Welsh Conservatives had to cancel their
0:23:44 > 0:23:49annual conference this month shows a party that is drifting and
0:23:49 > 0:23:55without direction. It is a PR disaster for any party not to
0:23:55 > 0:23:58organise a national conference. And the aay ems macro in particular
0:23:58 > 0:24:01felt bad about that, thought it was handled badly. They thought the
0:24:01 > 0:24:04relationship between the voluntary board in the party and the
0:24:04 > 0:24:07leadership had broken down somewhere along the line. It has
0:24:07 > 0:24:11been key to a lot of the frustrations we are hearing.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14cancellation of the Welsh party gathering at such short notice was
0:24:14 > 0:24:18a huge embarrassment for the Conservative Party and a huge
0:24:18 > 0:24:22disappointment to the rank and file as it approached these vitally
0:24:22 > 0:24:27important local elections. Despite the adverse press, Andrew RT Davies
0:24:27 > 0:24:30will be anxious to reassert his leadership and authority over the
0:24:30 > 0:24:33party. Andrew Davies publicly floated the idea of the Welsh
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Conservatives having a leader for the whole party rather than just
0:24:37 > 0:24:42the Assembly group. The Welsh Secretary, Cheryl Gillan, dismissed
0:24:42 > 0:24:46the suggestion as a distraction. get this every week, we hear about
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Disconnect with members in the group, a disconnect with London,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55very publicly seen through the spat with Cheryl Gillan. Clearly, there
0:24:55 > 0:25:01is a disconnect with the party, which ended with the situation of
0:25:01 > 0:25:04the conference being cancelled. contacted a number of Conservative
0:25:04 > 0:25:07organisations to speak to party members about leadership and the
0:25:07 > 0:25:11local elections, but many never got back to last. Some agreed to
0:25:11 > 0:25:16interviews before pulling out. Opponents see the current situation
0:25:16 > 0:25:18as a gift. We are seeing the Conservatives in all manner of
0:25:18 > 0:25:23trouble. They have a position where they could not generate enough
0:25:23 > 0:25:26support among themselves to hold a conference. That, on the back of
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Labour's most successful conference in history here in Wales. They are
0:25:30 > 0:25:32also in a position where they have let down some of their traditional
0:25:32 > 0:25:36supporters with that, where they cannot communicate with themselves
0:25:36 > 0:25:42and are struggling to communicate with the wider Welsh public. They
0:25:42 > 0:25:46are in disarray. After almost a decade of building on successes in
0:25:46 > 0:25:50the Assembly, Westminster and European local elections, the
0:25:50 > 0:25:53council ballot will be the first real challenge to Andrew RT Davies'
0:25:53 > 0:25:58leadership. A bad result in a difficult battle could give critics
0:25:58 > 0:26:02more ammunition against him. We did ask to speak to Andrew
0:26:02 > 0:26:07Davies on the programme tonight. He was not available but we are joined
0:26:07 > 0:26:12by Suzy Davies. Well, and congratulations on your appointment.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Is the party united behind Andrew RT Davies? Of course. In the
0:26:15 > 0:26:17package before this interview you were not able to speak to a single
0:26:17 > 0:26:23individual member of the was Conservatives prepared to say
0:26:23 > 0:26:26anything to the contrary, relying on journalists. That was not
0:26:26 > 0:26:31exactly making the point. They were not queuing up to, the programme to
0:26:31 > 0:26:34defend him. But they were not coming on to save in bad either.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38One of the things that I noticed is that we have not had a single
0:26:38 > 0:26:40instance in any group meetings, or in any situation where we meet
0:26:40 > 0:26:45together where any of the things you have talked about in the
0:26:45 > 0:26:49package has come up. There have been a series of embarrassments
0:26:49 > 0:26:52recently. You had a former Assembly member resigning on the basis that
0:26:52 > 0:26:55the party is not treating grassroots members the way that she
0:26:56 > 0:26:58thinks it should. The spring conference was cancelled at a
0:26:58 > 0:27:03fortnight's notice, what would have been his first was conference as
0:27:03 > 0:27:06leader. Cheryl current -- Cheryl Gillan has let it be known that she
0:27:06 > 0:27:11was irritated by his call for a Conservative leader in Wales. They
0:27:11 > 0:27:16are not the signs of a happy ship, surely. I think that is a
0:27:16 > 0:27:21misinterpretation of where we are. We were very sad to lose Lisa. She
0:27:21 > 0:27:25did not resign, she simply did not resume -- renew her membership. She
0:27:25 > 0:27:29has made her position clear and I hope we see her comeback at some
0:27:29 > 0:27:34point. Naturally, we are very upset about the conference situation. I
0:27:34 > 0:27:37think that has been aired publicly more than once. And when it comes
0:27:37 > 0:27:41to the situation with our relationship with Westminster, our
0:27:41 > 0:27:46relationship is far stronger, for example, then we have seen with the
0:27:46 > 0:27:51Labour Party and their party. have just seen a love-in with Ed
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Miliband at the recent Labour was conference. They are having fun on
0:27:55 > 0:27:59the back of the failure of us to have a conference. We have seen
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Carwyn Jones assuming the role of Ed Miliband and trying to hole the
0:28:01 > 0:28:06Westminster Community accountable, rather than concentrating on his
0:28:06 > 0:28:10job. You are on television defending Your leader and it is the
0:28:10 > 0:28:15run-up to local elections. Not the best preparation for those. I do
0:28:15 > 0:28:18not feel I am defending him. As you mention, I am new in position as
0:28:18 > 0:28:23policy director, and that means we have a coherent team under way
0:28:23 > 0:28:27forward that will help us to -- that will help us greatly with the