:01:08. > :01:15.Will we hear more about Nick Clegg's wealth tax and? Will it
:01:15. > :01:24.work and would it be good for the economy? Evan Harris and John
:01:24. > :01:31.Redwood go head to head. And time for a fresh crackdown on yobs who
:01:31. > :01:34.attack the police? We will ask the Cabinet's Eric Pickles whether his
:01:34. > :01:37.party colleague should get back on his bike and pedal add to the
:01:37. > :01:40.Cabinet. We are well into conference season
:01:40. > :01:50.and we will hear from Kirsty Williams, the leader of the Welsh
:01:50. > :01:50.
:01:50. > :35:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2007 seconds
:35:17. > :35:20.Hello. On Sunday Politics Wales, we are in conference mode as the
:35:20. > :35:25.Liberal Democrats meet in Brighton. We will hear from Kirsty Williams,
:35:25. > :35:29.their leader in Wales. Nick Clegg has said sorry over student tuition
:35:29. > :35:35.fees - does she think the party needs to make any more apologies?
:35:35. > :35:38.We will also be hearing from Plaid Cymru's leader and UK's group
:35:38. > :35:45.leading voice in Wales. During the two-day, Helen Mary Jones and Jenny
:35:45. > :35:49.Willott. Good morning. -- joining me today. Let's talk about Andrew
:35:49. > :35:55.Mitchell. He is still in the papers today. What do you think of this
:35:55. > :36:02.situation? It has shown a rather nasty underbelly of attitude. Bad
:36:02. > :36:07.language is not acceptable but to use the word he is said to have
:36:07. > :36:11.used his wrong. I have toffs aren't my mother's side of my family but
:36:11. > :36:15.public servants deserve more than that. This is a guy who is supposed
:36:15. > :36:20.to be in charge of disciplining the government. We are always critical
:36:20. > :36:25.of people who are young not treating authority figures with
:36:25. > :36:28.respect. He needs to accept what he has said and apologise. Should he
:36:28. > :36:35.stay in his job? That is not a matter for me but I am glad not
:36:35. > :36:40.have to work with him postop Jenny Willott, he is your boss as he is a
:36:40. > :36:46.government whip. Has he ever shouted at you? Know and I would
:36:46. > :36:49.not expect him to. Why do you make the situation? We don't know who
:36:49. > :36:54.said what and until that is resolved, we will not know one way
:36:54. > :36:59.or the other. But Liberal Democrat autumn
:36:59. > :37:04.conference kicks off in Brighton today. Our correspondent David
:37:04. > :37:07.Cornock has been speaking to the leader of the Welsh Lib Dems.
:37:07. > :37:11.Hello from Brighton, where Liberal Democrat members have their first
:37:11. > :37:15.chance to digest Nick Clegg's apology for making a promise he
:37:15. > :37:19.could not keep. Let's talk about that and more with the leader of
:37:19. > :37:24.the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams. Nick Clegg admits saying
:37:24. > :37:28.sorry is a gamble - do you think it is the right thing to do? Washable
:37:28. > :37:34.Democrats felt that they could not break their pledge and our MPs did
:37:34. > :37:39.not vote for the rise in tuition fees. -- Welsh Liberal Democrats.
:37:39. > :37:44.But I support Nick Clegg in making the apology. If only politicians in
:37:44. > :37:48.the past could have apologised or pins they got wrong. Why stop with
:37:48. > :37:53.tuition fees? Why not apologise for a double-dip recession, an increase
:37:53. > :37:59.in youth employment? The Liberal Democrats in Wales have supported
:37:59. > :38:02.measures on the economy that have led to the state we are in. We are
:38:02. > :38:06.battling with a well-tried recession, made particularly
:38:06. > :38:11.difficult for Britain because of the context of Europe, big trading
:38:11. > :38:15.partners of hours. The government is doing all it can to address the
:38:15. > :38:19.previous government's deficit as well as investing in our future. We
:38:19. > :38:22.have had some good news in Wales which I am pleased to celebrate
:38:22. > :38:32.about investment and delayed publication of the railway lines to
:38:32. > :38:32.
:38:32. > :38:35.Swansea and the valleys. -- electrification. We need the Welsh
:38:35. > :38:39.government to be doing more around improving the skills levels of
:38:39. > :38:42.young people. That is why we supported the introduction of the
:38:42. > :38:46.pupil premium so we can make sure that our young people have the
:38:46. > :38:50.policies they need to succeed of stock we have put more money into
:38:51. > :38:55.apprenticeships and that is what Nick Clegg has been doing. We are
:38:55. > :38:58.determined to carry on investing in young people and infrastructure so
:38:58. > :39:04.we can get ourselves into the terrible mess the previous
:39:04. > :39:08.government left us with. You have a Liberal Democrat voice in the world
:39:08. > :39:16.government now. She is unelected and unpaid. What does that say
:39:16. > :39:19.about the be the Liberal Democrats take in Westminster of Wales?
:39:19. > :39:24.are never happy. Now we have a Liberal Democrat in the Welsh
:39:24. > :39:27.Office, you are still not satisfied. Having a Welsh Liberal Democrat
:39:27. > :39:34.voice in the office who has ministerial experience of Cardiff
:39:34. > :39:38.is going to be really important. Her role is to ensure that Cardiff
:39:38. > :39:42.and London get together and co- operate on education. Given the
:39:42. > :39:47.GCSE row, how do you think that is going? It is an inevitable
:39:47. > :39:52.consequence of devolution but we will see divergence in policy areas
:39:52. > :39:57.where responsibility now lies in Cardiff. But it is also important
:39:57. > :40:02.that while students are not disenfranchise to. We need to know
:40:02. > :40:06.what both governments are doing and it worked together. Things like
:40:06. > :40:10.higher education are still very much linked severing that link is
:40:10. > :40:12.going to be very important to ensure that while students are not
:40:12. > :40:20.disadvantaged by developments in England that we cannot keep pace of
:40:20. > :40:25.in Wales. The conference slogan is "fairer tax in hard times". What
:40:25. > :40:29.was there about putting up VAT? know the Lib Dems in Westminster
:40:29. > :40:33.have done more than any party ever to try to make the tax system of
:40:33. > :40:37.this country ever. We have lifted tens of thousands of people in
:40:37. > :40:42.Wales out of paying income tax altogether. We are a stone's throw
:40:42. > :40:45.away from achieving our manifesto commitment of an Eddie paying tax
:40:45. > :40:49.on their first �10,000 of income. We are also taking huge steps to
:40:49. > :40:54.tackle issues around capital-gains, stamp duty and making sure those at
:40:54. > :40:58.the Top End pay more to help this country. No party has done more
:40:58. > :41:05.than we have to address the taxation situation. Why are you
:41:05. > :41:09.giving people of �150,000 per year attacks cut? While income tax may
:41:09. > :41:13.be coming down, those people on the highest levels will be paying more.
:41:13. > :41:17.Stamp duty on big property purchases in London, cracking down
:41:17. > :41:23.on tax avoiders, increases in capital gains - that is what is
:41:23. > :41:25.really making a difference. We need to make sure we do not kill of
:41:26. > :41:31.entrepreneurial spirit but tax those people who can afford to make
:41:31. > :41:34.a bigger burden. I know you enjoy the conference. Your Scottish
:41:34. > :41:41.counterpart has got a platform role here but you have been airbrushed
:41:41. > :41:44.out. David, David, as you know... You don't know because you missed
:41:44. > :41:49.it but I spoke at the spring conference and the previous two
:41:49. > :41:51.autumn conferences. Sometimes you have to share the speeches around
:41:51. > :41:57.and I am looking forward to hearing what my Scottish colleagues have to
:41:57. > :42:00.say. Thank you very much. Let's see what our guests think.
:42:00. > :42:03.Jenny Willott, you are heading over to Brighton later. You are not
:42:03. > :42:08.speaking on the main conference stage either so Kirsty Williams
:42:08. > :42:16.will not be left out. Nick legs apology - you have to get elected
:42:16. > :42:21.or re-elected in a couple of weeks -- years' time. Does a leadership
:42:21. > :42:25.apology help you? A we very rarely get apologies. I think people
:42:25. > :42:29.appreciate when politicians hold their hands up and say, we made a
:42:29. > :42:34.mistake. You don't hear Tony Blair apologising for the illegal war in
:42:34. > :42:36.Iraq or Gordon Brown for the financial mess he left. I think it
:42:36. > :42:41.is important sometimes that leaders stand up and say they made a
:42:41. > :42:45.mistake and does sorry. It is a brave move on Nick's Park. You took
:42:45. > :42:48.a stand. You did not want to go ahead with a U-turn on tuition fees
:42:48. > :42:53.but resigned from government and made a stand. He is not apologising
:42:53. > :42:57.on your behalf, is he? He was apologising for the fact that as a
:42:57. > :43:00.party we made a pledge before the election. I did not vote for the
:43:00. > :43:03.rise but there are plenty of my colleagues who felt they were in an
:43:03. > :43:08.extremely difficult position as a result of having committed to a
:43:08. > :43:12.pledge which they then fell we could not deliver in government. I
:43:12. > :43:16.think Nick is recognising it was a difficult time for a lot of MPs.
:43:16. > :43:21.am sure you have spoken to colleagues - are you all supportive
:43:21. > :43:25.of his decision to apologise? Did you know he was going to do it?
:43:25. > :43:28.I did and I am completely supportive. It shows a side of him
:43:28. > :43:32.that people often don't see unless they know him well. He was sincere
:43:32. > :43:38.and honest and education is something he feels extremely
:43:38. > :43:45.passionate about. I think that came across him what he said. Lady Dacre,
:43:45. > :43:51.you were part of Plaid Cymru in government. -- Helen Mary Jones.
:43:51. > :43:55.Why no apology from Ieuan Wyn Jones? Politics is all about
:43:55. > :43:59.compromise. We had to compromise on that but still left well students
:43:59. > :44:03.in a much better position of paying �6,000 a year less these because we
:44:03. > :44:07.were in a position to stop it. We delivered more than half hour
:44:07. > :44:11.manifesto promises. It is a difficult situation and I don't you
:44:11. > :44:15.should always criticise people who apologise. For me, the issue was
:44:15. > :44:19.that he was not apologising for breaking his promise but for making
:44:19. > :44:25.the promise in the first place. I think that deadlock - with all
:44:25. > :44:29.respect to Jenny - a bit insincere. It either look insincere or that
:44:29. > :44:33.they did not know what they were doing. I would say boat that he has
:44:33. > :44:38.done the right thing in allowing the joke video to be sold on I
:44:38. > :44:43.tunes. And I think I will go to a good cause. Some politicians would
:44:43. > :44:50.not have done that. A parody it is in the charts! Watch out for the
:44:50. > :44:55.top 40 busy bin. I am out of Radio 1's group demographic. Do you think
:44:55. > :44:59.there was a calculation by Nick Clegg that it would take the sting
:45:00. > :45:03.out of a backlash that conference? I am sure it must be difficult for
:45:03. > :45:06.rank-and-file Lib Dems who thought they were signing up to something
:45:06. > :45:12.and ended up with a government that was very different from the one
:45:12. > :45:16.that many of them wanted to be part of. Has it been successful? I don't
:45:16. > :45:20.know. From the outside, it does not look as if it has been but Jenny is
:45:21. > :45:25.off to conference and will be able to tell you when she comes back.
:45:25. > :45:28.But it is Helen's job to tell you where it has gone wrong. We have
:45:28. > :45:32.delivered it huge number of our manifesto commitments, including
:45:32. > :45:37.all the key pledges on our front page. The but people will remember
:45:37. > :45:43.the apology - what you have not done. Our hope they will remember a
:45:43. > :45:47.lot. Taking lots of people out of paying income tax has a much wider
:45:47. > :45:50.impact on people's lives and will make a real difference,
:45:50. > :45:56.particularly from April, when people get far more money in their
:45:56. > :45:59.take-home pay. Just favourite week ago, the new
:45:59. > :46:04.company that group leader Leanne Wood made her first speech as a
:46:04. > :46:07.party's new boss. Elected leader six months ago, she promised that a
:46:07. > :46:12.Plaid Cymru government would induce a green deal to benefit the what
:46:12. > :46:17.economy. I put it to Leanne Wood that her policy might make a good
:46:17. > :46:20.headline, but what would people actually get if they voted for a?
:46:20. > :46:25.have asked the economic Commission which has been set up to look at
:46:25. > :46:29.Plaid Cymru's government and especially plants around the
:46:29. > :46:34.economy to work out the detail of how many jobs that will create, how
:46:34. > :46:38.we will be funded and how much renewable energy we can expect to
:46:38. > :46:43.be generated from such a proposal. There were a raft of ideas in my
:46:43. > :46:47.speech at the conference. All of them were geared at transforming
:46:47. > :46:51.our economy. We all know that we have got a very weak economic
:46:51. > :46:55.position at the moment and it is imperative we do everything we can
:46:55. > :46:59.now to turn around Wales's economic performance. A you talk about how
:46:59. > :47:03.many jobs renewable energy could create. There is an option of
:47:03. > :47:08.hundreds of jobs on Anglesey to develop aside for nuclear power.
:47:08. > :47:12.What do you think about those ideas? Back is a matter that the
:47:12. > :47:16.Westminster government will make a determination on. Our determination
:47:16. > :47:21.as a party has been cleared. We want to do as much as we can to
:47:21. > :47:29.create jobs in Anglesey. It has a very weak economy there but
:47:29. > :47:32.obviously other parts of Wales have weak economies, too. There are they
:47:32. > :47:38.cannot any -- there are other opportunities that should be
:47:38. > :47:43.explored bed. Next May, Anglesey council has an election. Will you
:47:43. > :47:49.be Tarin Plaid Cymru candidates to oppose the development of nuclear?
:47:49. > :47:53.I will be telling them to make sure they communicate Plaid Cymru's
:47:53. > :47:57.clear message, which is about to run everything we can at local
:47:57. > :48:01.government level, working with the assembly and a Westminster level to
:48:01. > :48:06.create as many jobs as possible on that island. Will you tell them to
:48:06. > :48:11.oppose the development of nuclear? People on Anglesey have a different
:48:11. > :48:14.position. They are a range of perspectives. Our position is clear
:48:14. > :48:19.and we favour renewable technologies and all efforts to be
:48:19. > :48:24.put into the creation of renewable jobs. If the Westminster government
:48:24. > :48:27.decides to go ahead with their new nuclear power station at Anglesey,
:48:27. > :48:31.our local power representatives will work with the authorities
:48:31. > :48:34.locally to ensure those jobs that are created they go to local people
:48:34. > :48:41.and that local people there have the skills to be able to do those
:48:42. > :48:47.jobs. But renewable technology is my priority. It is not a very
:48:47. > :48:51.consistent message from a leader - you pose something but if you go
:48:51. > :48:56.ahead -- if it goes ahead, you will support it. We have no say over new
:48:56. > :48:59.nuclear power stations in Wales. I would like that to change. I would
:48:59. > :49:03.like us to have controllable all energy production in Wales but that
:49:03. > :49:09.is not the case. That does not mean we. Arguing for that but at the
:49:09. > :49:12.moment, that is her Westminster decision and is out of Athens.
:49:12. > :49:16.assembly starts a new turn this week. You have spent a week with
:49:16. > :49:23.your group working out what time -- type of things you will be talking
:49:23. > :49:26.about. How will you try and Carwyn Jones? We are working to put
:49:26. > :49:30.together a programme that will be comprehensive and meet the needs of
:49:30. > :49:34.people in Wales. They have money worries and are concerned about the
:49:34. > :49:38.future. Our plan is to put together that programme. We have a long time
:49:38. > :49:42.to build that but all our efforts and focus will go into building a
:49:42. > :49:45.positive programme of government but to the people of Wales and 2016.
:49:45. > :49:50.Lastly, we learn to had taken an oath to republicanism - do you
:49:50. > :49:53.stand by that? Back was a piece of political theatre designed to
:49:53. > :49:56.highlight some antiquated legislation around the law of
:49:56. > :50:02.treason. I have learned my lesson and will not be performing
:50:02. > :50:08.political theatre again. Helen Mary Jones, she outlined what she
:50:08. > :50:15.thought the green a deal would be. It does not really exist at the
:50:15. > :50:19.moment. Leanne has established the economic policy commission so we
:50:19. > :50:23.all working out the detail of ideas. This is about creating a company
:50:23. > :50:28.limited by guarantee because the assembly government cannot borrow
:50:28. > :50:32.at the moment. We want to be able to borrow, to invest in a massive
:50:32. > :50:36.programme of renewable energy but also of fitting homes and
:50:36. > :50:41.businesses in Wales. The amount of money we waste and energy that we
:50:41. > :50:43.do not need to use, we need to put it right. It is right for the
:50:43. > :50:47.environment and could create hundreds of new jobs and
:50:47. > :50:53.communities across Wales back need them really badly. It is an
:50:53. > :51:02.exciting idea jobseeker's allowance it is an idea, not a policy. It is
:51:02. > :51:07.the bare bones. You would not expect me to talk about the entire
:51:07. > :51:15.contents of our manifesto in 2016. But Leanne is right to make the
:51:15. > :51:19.economy be a priority. People are in difficult situations. The issue
:51:19. > :51:22.of jobs for young people is coming upon the doorsteps everywhere. It
:51:22. > :51:25.is disappointing that the Welsh government has not used to the
:51:25. > :51:29.levers at its availability to make the differences. We know that
:51:29. > :51:34.things are tough but it is not enough to blame the government. The
:51:34. > :51:38.worst government has got to use the powers it has got. Other parties
:51:38. > :51:45.are standing on that by-election you mentioned and you can see them
:51:45. > :51:47.on our website. What do you make of the green New Deal idea? A sound
:51:47. > :51:53.similar to the policies the Westminster government is putting
:51:53. > :51:59.in place. They have stolen your ideas? I would not say that but
:51:59. > :52:02.they are copying us what is the sincerest form of flattery. One of
:52:02. > :52:06.the big priorities of the Westminster government is to try to
:52:06. > :52:16.create highly skilled jobs in the renewable sector. It is an area
:52:16. > :52:19.
:52:19. > :52:23.where the UK is behind the rest of Europe. We'll be levering in many
:52:23. > :52:28.both from public and private sources in order to do the things
:52:28. > :52:33.that Helen Mary has mentioned. has been a priority for two years.
:52:33. > :52:37.The not a single penny has been spent on it. If there are levels of
:52:37. > :52:41.corporation that can be delivered work with Westminster government,
:52:41. > :52:45.great, but we believe the but government need some of the leaders
:52:45. > :52:49.in our control. The Welsh Assembly government has done very little to
:52:49. > :52:53.help the Welsh economy and should have done more. It is disingenuous
:52:53. > :52:58.to say that after two years, we have not spent any money. It takes
:52:58. > :53:01.time to set things up. If Plaid expect to put their policy in place
:53:01. > :53:06.immediately, they would be disappointed. The Welsh Assembly
:53:06. > :53:09.needs to put more of them economic priority on things. They are
:53:09. > :53:12.complaining about Westminster rather than doing what they can to
:53:12. > :53:16.make a difference. They have a huge number of leaders in their power
:53:16. > :53:19.and there is more they could be doing. We have nobody from the
:53:19. > :53:25.worst government but I am sure they might take issue with what Jenny is
:53:25. > :53:29.saying. I agree that the levers that are needed are not in the
:53:29. > :53:33.hands of the Welsh government yet. We haven't dealt with the issue on
:53:33. > :53:37.tax-raising powers. But there are leaders that were effectively used
:53:37. > :53:41.when Ieuan Wyn Jones was the minister. We have to end it there.
:53:41. > :53:44.Thank you. We have had a taste of conference
:53:44. > :53:52.season from the Liberal Democrats and beat UK Independence Party.
:53:52. > :53:56.They are meeting this weekend. I caught up with the UK it MEP for
:53:56. > :54:06.Wales just before he headed off to his party's gathering in Birmingham.
:54:06. > :54:06.
:54:06. > :54:11.He was reflecting on the state of the Union speech made by Jose
:54:11. > :54:15.Manuel Barroso. He mimics the American model but this one was
:54:15. > :54:19.different because he came out with the idea that we should have a
:54:19. > :54:24.federation of nation-states. It is the first time he has come out and
:54:24. > :54:28.said this so now we are well on the way to a federal Europe. But there
:54:28. > :54:32.is another very important matter, as well. Jose Manuel Barroso Ricks
:54:32. > :54:41.said it would require a treaty change and brought in the days of
:54:41. > :54:47.2014. On Monday in Warsaw, a group of 11 foreign ministers in the EU
:54:47. > :54:51.met and decided to put forward proposals about their ideas for
:54:51. > :54:55.taking his proposal forward, which will have huge implications for us.
:54:55. > :55:01.Could you spell out for us what you see as the implications? Were once
:55:01. > :55:06.we go down this route, if we don't have a referendum in our country,
:55:06. > :55:10.we will have a European superstate with a European army, a European
:55:10. > :55:16.anthem, a single currency and so forth. They will take more powers
:55:16. > :55:19.from the member states back to the centre. From our point of view, we
:55:19. > :55:27.need David Cameron at his conference to say to the British
:55:27. > :55:32.people, quantum speech we will have eight referendum. That was the UK
:55:32. > :55:42.Independence Party MEP. A up back at some other political
:55:42. > :55:46.stories from the week. -- look back. The Newport West MP Paul Flynn was
:55:46. > :55:49.suspended from the House of Commons for five days after repeatedly
:55:49. > :55:52.refusing to withdraw his claim that UK government ministers were
:55:52. > :55:57.telling lies about the conflict in Afghanistan.
:55:57. > :56:00.More than 2000 Welsh pupils had their English language GCSE grades
:56:00. > :56:09.increased following a regrading ordered by the Education Minister
:56:09. > :56:13.Leighton Andrews. OFQUAL's chair Amanda Speelman said
:56:13. > :56:21.the regrading was politically motivated. She issued an expression
:56:21. > :56:24.of regret over any eggs -- upset caused by her comments.
:56:24. > :56:28.The joint ministerial committee meeting was chaired by David
:56:28. > :56:31.Cameron at 10 Downing Street. Carwyn Jones renewed the case for
:56:31. > :56:34.the last government to be given borrowing powers, suggesting they
:56:34. > :56:44.were the key to funding improvements to the M4.
:56:44. > :56:45.
:56:46. > :56:50.Derek Jones was appointed head of the Civil Service in Wales.
:56:50. > :56:56.A quick final chat with our guests. Jenny, you were in the House of
:56:56. > :57:00.Commons when Paul Flynn was removed. Were you watching on the TV? In the
:57:00. > :57:03.it is a bit naughty. You can't accuse people of lying but Paul did
:57:03. > :57:09.it for effect. He is experienced politician and knows exactly what
:57:09. > :57:13.he was doing. That was a point made. Helen, from the 60 seconds there,
:57:13. > :57:18.it was the GCSEs that jump out at you? I should declare a family
:57:18. > :57:22.interest because my daughter to go GCSEs this year postop she was not
:57:22. > :57:24.affected by the regrading but some of their colleagues were and young
:57:24. > :57:29.people would have lost vital opportunities for further education
:57:29. > :57:33.and apprenticeships. We have to make sure we have an exam system
:57:33. > :57:36.here that is consistent across Wales with young people sitting the
:57:36. > :57:40.same papers so that employers can get -- know what they are getting.
:57:40. > :57:43.We have to make sure this does not happen again because it has been
:57:43. > :57:50.distressing for the young people involved. I am pleased to see a