:00:41. > :00:51.Later in the programme we'll be looking into the future - farming,
:00:51. > :00:51.
:00:51. > :37:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2222 seconds
:37:54. > :37:58.newspapers and the leader of Plaid Welcome to the Politics Show in
:37:58. > :38:01.Wales. In a few minutes we'll be looking at the future for
:38:01. > :38:03.newspapers and the farming industry, but, first, what lies ahead for
:38:03. > :38:07.Plaid Cymru's leader Ieuan Wyn Jones?
:38:07. > :38:10.He has been under fire this week for being on holiday in France. He
:38:10. > :38:12.missed the Queen opening the new session of the Senedd and the rest
:38:12. > :38:15.of the Assembly's business including First Minister's
:38:15. > :38:17.Questions. Earlier, I spoke to our North Wales political correspondent,
:38:17. > :38:26.John Stevenson, in our Bangor newsroom. I asked him about the
:38:26. > :38:30.damage this episode has caused to the party.
:38:31. > :38:35.It is an old political truism going back to the days of medieval
:38:35. > :38:41.warfare that every land the ticking, every Army needed general. What we
:38:41. > :38:46.have seen since this announcement that Lyon when Jones was standing
:38:46. > :38:50.down some time in the next two-and- a-half years, we have not seen that
:38:50. > :38:59.in this party. It seems to be lurching from one problem to the
:38:59. > :39:04.next. Ieuan Wyn Jones was on holidays in France, missing the
:39:04. > :39:08.State Opening of the assembly. He missed the first important session
:39:08. > :39:12.to First Minister's Questions. It is ironic that three months ago the
:39:12. > :39:17.party that was part of the Government that was in charge of
:39:17. > :39:21.Wales could get itself into such a whole. Some senior figures within
:39:21. > :39:26.the party have asked for him to go sooner rather than later. How
:39:26. > :39:30.widespread is that feeling? desire rollick that the party that
:39:30. > :39:36.was in government three months ago should be in this situation. Senior
:39:36. > :39:41.figures in the party, mostly through the press and interviews,
:39:41. > :39:47.suggesting that the period of 2 1/2 years just is not sustainable. We
:39:47. > :39:54.have seen those senior figures. I met with the parliamentary leader
:39:54. > :40:00.of Plaid Cymru and asked him are we seeing the vultures circling?
:40:00. > :40:04.vultures, as you describe them, are the people who were his greatest
:40:04. > :40:08.cheerleaders when he took us in on that momentous day, into government
:40:08. > :40:14.in the first time in our history. He was the man who did that. Let's
:40:14. > :40:19.not forget that he was probably one of the best strategists that Plaid
:40:19. > :40:24.Cymru has ever had. To start rounding on him and this way is
:40:24. > :40:29.unseemly. We have heard what he has said, saying that he would go in
:40:29. > :40:34.his own good time. I don't happen to believe it will be two years,
:40:34. > :40:39.but it is a matter for him. We all have to him to let him do it in his
:40:39. > :40:44.own time. I have no truck with these vultures. They're not doing
:40:44. > :40:50.anybody any good tent at the end of the day they're not doing
:40:50. > :40:58.themselves any good either. We have seen in the Telegraph during the
:40:59. > :41:04.week about the revelations about the final days of that Blair regime
:41:04. > :41:08.and how messy these things tend to become a. Plaid Cymru should have
:41:08. > :41:13.learned from their end days of the Blair government and it seems that
:41:13. > :41:17.they have not done that. John Stevenson talking to me
:41:17. > :41:20.earlier from our Bangor newsroom. The number of local newspapers has
:41:20. > :41:24.been in steady decline in the past few years.
:41:24. > :41:27.Just last month another title, the Herald of Wales, bit the dust. But
:41:27. > :41:30.as the source of local news disappears from the news stand, is
:41:30. > :41:33.the rise in online media plugging the gap? As the latest media
:41:33. > :41:43.barometer suggests not, we sent our reporter Charlotte Dubenskij to
:41:43. > :41:43.
:41:43. > :41:49.investigate. We live in a digital world. No
:41:49. > :41:53.longer are we tied waiting for the latest edition of the newspaper.
:41:53. > :41:59.Instead a few taps on my phone and I can find a what is happening in
:41:59. > :42:04.the world were ever I am. Yet according to the latest survey I am
:42:04. > :42:11.not in the majority. 70 per cent of those questioned in will said there
:42:11. > :42:15.were more likely to be a fair and newspaper to online media. Despite
:42:15. > :42:20.that approval for the printed press, newspaper's circulation across the
:42:20. > :42:24.country is dwindling. But the end of the last century are only
:42:24. > :42:30.national newspaper had a circulation of 55,000. 11 years
:42:30. > :42:35.later in 2010 the paper's circulation dipped below 30,000. So
:42:35. > :42:40.if national newspapers are struggling, how our local paper
:42:40. > :42:45.surviving? I think the city newspapers, they have the big
:42:45. > :42:49.stories, the murders and the scandals, that sort of thing, which
:42:49. > :42:56.you can get easily on the Internet. With the weekly newspaper we offer
:42:56. > :43:02.things you can get so easily on the Internet. For example a community
:43:02. > :43:12.newspapers - community news pages are probably our most popular pages.
:43:12. > :43:12.
:43:12. > :43:16.We say what if - what is going on. This paper relies on its local
:43:16. > :43:21.following and in return they expect content that is unique to the area.
:43:21. > :43:28.High is that information reported when a local paper like this shut
:43:28. > :43:35.up shop? For more than 80 years the Guardian served its local area, but
:43:35. > :43:38.in 2009 the editions were scrapped. Media will says that's as part of
:43:38. > :43:44.its review a close the loss-making week lease to streamline its
:43:44. > :43:49.multimedia news operation. Rachel has been studying the effect that
:43:49. > :43:53.has had on the people of Port Talbot. The people say that they
:43:53. > :43:56.missed it and it is much harder to publicise things. They are grateful
:43:56. > :44:02.to have things online because something is better than nothing,
:44:02. > :44:12.but it is not doing the job used to do and it is not appealing the
:44:12. > :44:20.people it used to attract. There is still a significant element of
:44:20. > :44:24.people who are left out of this picture. 2009 was the worst year
:44:24. > :44:29.for closures with the 60 titles across the UK going to the press
:44:29. > :44:34.for the last time, five per cent of the overall number. Since then even
:44:34. > :44:38.more have become defunct, though it says this has been balanced out by
:44:38. > :44:45.new lunchers. Concern is being raised over the future of media in
:44:45. > :44:50.Wilts. Local papers are vital. It is the way that local people can
:44:50. > :44:58.hold their local council accountable and also to be able to
:44:58. > :45:04.talk to each other about local issues. When it is put in the wider
:45:04. > :45:10.picture of that decline of the print media generally and the
:45:10. > :45:14.tightening budgets and restrictions around the BBC and ITV you have a
:45:14. > :45:20.serious situation facing the media in Wales. These are difficult times
:45:20. > :45:25.for many newspapers, so what does this solution? When newspapers were
:45:25. > :45:30.really locally owned and not owned by one of the Big Four News
:45:30. > :45:34.conglomerates, the profits were consistently quite high, but big
:45:34. > :45:39.part of those problems were reinvested back into the news
:45:39. > :45:45.product. It was a more sustainable news model. We also have to look at
:45:45. > :45:50.other business models. We should be looking at not-for-profit models,
:45:50. > :45:54.even looking at different ways of publicly subsidising the news.
:45:54. > :45:59.future of local newspapers is by no means certain, but whether we like
:45:59. > :46:04.it or not the availability of online media is there to plug the
:46:04. > :46:07.gaps any closures leave behind. Just how important is the Welsh
:46:07. > :46:10.farming industry? And what are the key challenges it faces? In a
:46:10. > :46:13.moment I'll be talking to the outgoing President of the Farmers'
:46:14. > :46:16.Union of Wales and the new Deputy Minister for Agriculture. But first,
:46:17. > :46:24.here's our correspondent, Iolo ap Dafydd, with his take on the state
:46:24. > :46:28.of farming in Wales. During the past few years the
:46:28. > :46:35.farming sector has not been hit as badly as other industries. There
:46:35. > :46:40.are concerns, the dry spring, lack of rainfall, escalating fuel prices,
:46:40. > :46:44.securing a fair price for produce, and diseases like bovine
:46:44. > :46:47.tuberculosis. The new Welsh government run by Labour says that
:46:47. > :46:53.many of the rural policies from the previous government will be carried
:46:53. > :46:57.on, but the rural affairs the pub has disappeared with no ministerial
:46:57. > :47:02.post solely in charge of agriculture. Labour would now argue
:47:02. > :47:06.it has to ministers overseeing farming, the Environment Minister
:47:06. > :47:13.will be in charge of many aspects of rural Wales and animal health.
:47:13. > :47:17.He will announce if the existing policy on bovine tuberculosis will
:47:17. > :47:25.continue or change. He and the First Minister voted for a badger
:47:25. > :47:28.cull in the past. According to last week's opinion poll it is unpopular
:47:28. > :47:38.with two-thirds of the public. Responsibility for other divisive
:47:38. > :47:48.
:47:48. > :47:55.topics in farming will sit with Alan Davies - Alun Davies. So an
:47:55. > :48:03.industry... farmers and their two vocal unions favour food production
:48:03. > :48:07.has been their primary duty. The tide with in that the European
:48:07. > :48:13.Union is to pursue an increasingly environment agenda with climate
:48:13. > :48:19.change is seen to be crucial. Alan Davies will represent Wales in
:48:19. > :48:28.Brussels as long as he is allowed to because it is to UK not wills
:48:28. > :48:32.that is a member state. The CAP is being discussed - discussed now.
:48:32. > :48:37.The impact of those talks will impact many thousands of farms
:48:37. > :48:40.across Wales. How will farms cope with having less support and more
:48:40. > :48:43.regulation? Gareth Vaughan stands down as the
:48:43. > :48:50.President of the Farmers' Union of Wales at their Annual General
:48:50. > :48:53.Meeting next Friday, this morning he's in our Aberystwyth studio. As
:48:53. > :48:58.you prepare to hand over the reins, what would you say are the main
:48:58. > :49:08.challenges facing the farming sector? They have been outlined
:49:08. > :49:09.
:49:09. > :49:15.very well there. The CAP reform is that the greatest concern. We are
:49:15. > :49:19.or a little concerned about what we hear that are 1300 amendments
:49:19. > :49:25.tabled, someone who has got to spend a lot of time sifting through
:49:25. > :49:29.these amendments, we are concerned about comments made by the
:49:29. > :49:36.government in Westminster. paint a worrying picture of the
:49:36. > :49:42.payments that could come down to Welsh farmers. How could that
:49:42. > :49:48.adversely affect her the lives of farmers in Wales? It is our income.
:49:48. > :49:53.It is a payment made to farmers for producing food. If the payments go,
:49:53. > :49:59.a housewife will have to make up that deficit because farmers can
:49:59. > :50:07.produce for less. We have a very high cost base in this country and
:50:07. > :50:11.we must meet those costs in order to produce food. Our duty is to
:50:11. > :50:20.produce food primarily. Hand in hand with looking after the
:50:21. > :50:26.environment, which is what we have done. I think our priority must be
:50:26. > :50:30.to encourage to be just farmers to produce food. It is said to one of
:50:30. > :50:34.the possibilities for the future will be payments will be more
:50:34. > :50:39.directed toward those who care for the environment rather than produce
:50:39. > :50:47.food. Surely that is the right thing when climate change is such a
:50:47. > :50:51.major concern worldwide. I except that it is vitally important. My
:50:51. > :50:57.argument would be if you look at the environment through your window
:50:57. > :51:02.today in Wales, it is doing very well. I think farmers have cared
:51:02. > :51:07.very well for the Environment, hand in hand with producing food. That
:51:07. > :51:11.is the emphasis we must have going forward. You must continue to
:51:11. > :51:19.produce food. We have an increasing population throughout the world,
:51:19. > :51:24.large areas of the world drying out. We have got to produce food in
:51:24. > :51:31.Wales in the wetter west and we - where we have adequate rainfall and
:51:31. > :51:36.we can produce a very well. Let's talk about the proposed badger cull.
:51:36. > :51:42.There is a new government now, a Labour administration. What would
:51:42. > :51:47.your message be to them in terms of dealing with tuberculosis? We would
:51:47. > :51:51.hope that we can deal with it wisely. We are aware that trials in
:51:51. > :51:56.the past where badgers have been culled have had a dramatic effect
:51:57. > :52:02.on tuberculosis in those areas. We think it is vital that the cull
:52:02. > :52:10.goes forward, for the benefit of the cattle and the remaining badger
:52:10. > :52:15.population. There are large areas of Wales that have no tuberculosis.
:52:15. > :52:20.The badgers there as well as the cattle must be protected. I think a
:52:20. > :52:27.cull of diseased badgers in infected sets is vital. We will be
:52:27. > :52:32.talking to the deputy minister shortly. He is not a member of the
:52:32. > :52:37.cabinets. Is that this was a disappointment? It is a
:52:37. > :52:41.disappointment. On the other hand, having worked closely with Alan
:52:41. > :52:47.Davies in the past he has shown to have a knowledge of agricultural
:52:47. > :52:50.issues and the countryside. He was chairman of the Rural Committee in
:52:50. > :52:54.the previous assembly and did a very good job and work closely with
:52:54. > :53:00.the industry at that time. We thank him for that and look forward to
:53:00. > :53:02.working with him closely in the future. Thank you very much indeed.
:53:02. > :53:10.Joining me in studio is the new Deputy Minister for Agriculture,
:53:10. > :53:14.Alun Davies. Congratulations on your appointment. Becoming a deputy
:53:14. > :53:20.minister does not what have the same ring to it as becoming a
:53:20. > :53:23.minister. That must be a disappointment to you. I was
:53:23. > :53:33.pleased to be appointed. Agriculture and these matters need
:53:33. > :53:34.
:53:34. > :53:39.to have a voice in government. There are only 11 ministers in the
:53:39. > :53:49.Government's - governments. I'll be in London tomorrow speaking to
:53:49. > :53:54.DEFRA, I'll be in Brussels next week representing the industry,
:53:54. > :53:58.speaking up for the industry. I don't worry about job titles.
:53:58. > :54:02.people in this industry to worry because we have just heard from -
:54:02. > :54:06.heard from the Farmers' Union who has said it is a disappointment
:54:06. > :54:11.that there is no room in the Cabinet to represent their sector.
:54:11. > :54:19.He also set about the agenda facing farmers and the need to insure that
:54:19. > :54:24.we have a strong voice representing Wales were ever decisions are taken.
:54:24. > :54:29.The key issue here is having a minister with the a authority, the
:54:29. > :54:36.ability to stand up for the industry in Wales and so take that
:54:36. > :54:40.message to whenever it needs to be taken. Tomorrow Albion London, next
:54:40. > :54:44.week Brussels. I will fight hard for this industry. The comments
:54:44. > :54:54.that Gareth made about future challenges are central to what I'll
:54:54. > :54:54.
:54:54. > :54:59.be doing in the next few years. Let's talk about CAP payments. Your
:54:59. > :55:05.predecessor in January described the Welsh farming sector as none of
:55:05. > :55:12.viable without CAP payments. Do you share her opinion on the importance
:55:12. > :55:17.of these payments? Absolutely. It is important that we use CAP to
:55:17. > :55:22.create an prosperous industry in Wales. But we used the opportunity
:55:22. > :55:26.we have now a in these negotiations to insure that the payments that
:55:26. > :55:33.are made to farmers helped sustain the industry, helped make the
:55:33. > :55:39.industry profitable and enable us to produce food. I am bewildered
:55:39. > :55:44.sometimes when we hear it this contradiction created between plant
:55:44. > :55:49.management and then food production. I don't see any contradiction there.
:55:49. > :55:59.Farmers have always been custodians of our environment and have done a
:55:59. > :56:03.
:56:03. > :56:07.great job. If the emphasis went from bomb macro the key issue is
:56:07. > :56:17.food production. We need farmers to produce food. Garrett was right
:56:17. > :56:21.about the challenges facing the sector, and the whole world. I can
:56:21. > :56:26.see any reason why we would not want to continue to produce the
:56:26. > :56:30.fabulous figure we produce. They are against a switch in emphasis,
:56:30. > :56:35.you're not? I don't see it contradiction between the two
:56:35. > :56:42.objectives. We produce fabulous food in Wales and I want us to see
:56:42. > :56:48.us continuing doing that. industry is what not 0.5 per cent
:56:48. > :56:52.of GDP to the Welsh economy. It comes under the remit of the Edwina
:56:52. > :56:58.Hart. She is not really going to think that this industry is the
:56:58. > :57:02.make or break for the wealth of the station, is she? Myself and have we
:57:02. > :57:09.met spent most of Friday discussing this issue. It wean there is
:57:09. > :57:16.absolutely committed to the agenda that Gareth outlined earlier. The
:57:16. > :57:20.food industry in Wales underpins rural communities. It underpins an
:57:20. > :57:25.industry that is enormously important, not just simply in terms
:57:25. > :57:29.of wealth generation but as an emblematic industry that is part of
:57:29. > :57:36.our identity as a nation. It is hugely important to us and it won't
:57:36. > :57:39.be let down by this government. Thank you very much indeed. And