0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome back. Wales is burning because of the cuts,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07according to one prominent councillor.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10The future of our local services, and more, tonight on Y Sgwrs.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24It's nice to have your company this evening for the first edition of Y Sgwrs.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Every Wednesday night after Newyddion Naw,
0:00:27 > 0:00:32we will be discussing some of the big issues of the day, the week and even sometimes the age.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Our Welsh Affairs Editor, Vaughan Roderick,
0:00:35 > 0:00:40will be here with me every week to put the world to rights, along with our guests.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Tonight, we are joined by the actress, Sharon Morgan,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Huw Thomas, a Labour member from Cardiff Council
0:00:46 > 0:00:49and from our studio in Swansea, the Conservative Harri Lloyd Davies,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53who's also a member of the South Wales Chamber of Commerce.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Welcome to you all. Vaughan, a new programme that an old theme.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Money is scarce and things are going to get worse.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Yes and tonight we will be looking at what's going to happen
0:01:03 > 0:01:06as a result of the Government's budget,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09especially what's going to happen to local councils in Wales.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12They are going to lose something like 9% in real terms
0:01:12 > 0:01:14over the next two years. Where will the cuts be?
0:01:14 > 0:01:16I will be talking to Carwyn Jones.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21I spoke with him earlier today to see where he expects councils to cut back.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24That is yet to come, but talking about money
0:01:24 > 0:01:26we start with the economy tonight.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Do you see light at the end of this dark tunnel of cuts?
0:01:30 > 0:01:33The Chancellor thinks we are turning the corner
0:01:33 > 0:01:38and the IMF believes the British economy will grow more than expected.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41But do you feel that things are improving?
0:01:41 > 0:01:45James Williams has been to hear the views of some people in West Wales.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05RADIO: To do more for hard-working people.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08..because we have got to tackle the cost of living crisis.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11..from the biggest economic crisis in living memory.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21There is a long journey before we reach the next general election in 2015.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23However, it's pretty obvious that it will be a battle
0:02:23 > 0:02:25over the state of the economy.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30David Cameron's Conservatives argue that they are getting to grips with the economic problems.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35But according to Labour, most people in places like Carmarthen are not seeing any improvement
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and increasingly feel that there is less money in their pocket.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42On average, people's salaries have dropped
0:02:42 > 0:02:47and Britain has seen one of the largest reductions in the European Union.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51But what are the experiences of these families here in Carmarthen?
0:02:51 > 0:02:55The price of fuel has gone up terribly,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58which means that running a car is much more expensive.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Food prices are very expensive
0:03:00 > 0:03:04and of course childcare is very expensive.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08I have seen a change, especially in the last few years.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11The majority of people who bring children here are grandparents
0:03:11 > 0:03:13because the parents have to go out and work.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15They have been finding it hard.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Many salaries have remained frozen and the increase in price for things
0:03:24 > 0:03:28like petrol, food and energy bills has had an affect on many.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32During the political conferences over the last few weeks,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34there were announcements to try and ease the pain.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39We will also see a similar policy announced by Plaid Cymru this weekend as they congregate in Aberystwyth.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44The politicians all say they are fighting for the average person.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49The boy brings the oil, he puts it in here.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54In Nantgaredig, some of the residents are doing their best to reduce their energy bills.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57By buying oil jointly, the group makes savings.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Of course we see that people are finding it hard.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06I'm fortunate. I was brought up as the son of a miner.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09We didn't have much money when I was a child.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12So you learn to save money and keep it safe.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15If you can't afford it, you don't buy it.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So you adapt to that way have life.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21When you do have money, you can't change your way of life.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25You still tend to be, I wouldn't say mean,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27but you are careful with your money.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Another symptom of the cuts is the increasing gap between those
0:04:35 > 0:04:37who own a house and those who want to.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40The housing market in the Cardigan area, for example,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43has found it tough over the last few years.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45I think in this area, what we have seen,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50is that parents have helped a lot of first-time buyers
0:04:50 > 0:04:52to get into the market.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54That pattern continues.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58If they try and do it on their own, it is difficult.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03But when parents put a deposit down or something like that,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05they have the opportunity to buy.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07But without that help, it's almost impossible?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Without that help, it is much more difficult.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15So although it seems that the engine of the economy has been started and is starting to rumble,
0:05:15 > 0:05:20there are still big questions about who will be on the journey and who will be left behind.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Vaughan, it's obvious from the conferences and since then
0:05:25 > 0:05:28that this will be the battleground during the next election.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Yes. The middle ground.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33If you look at who has suffered during this recession,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36many of people on benefits have suffered,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39many people on low salaries have suffered.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41But they tend to support the Labour Party anyway.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44The important ones in the next election will be the people
0:05:44 > 0:05:48in the middle, the "squeezed middle", as Ed Miliband calls them.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53They have seen their salaries frozen and have seen inflation continue.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57The question is, will David Cameron's government be able
0:05:57 > 0:06:01to persuade those people that the price was worth paying
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and that it will be beneficial in the near future?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06That's the question.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Harri Lloyd Davies, how will they do that?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12We see George Osborne, a millionaire, David Cameron, a millionaire,
0:06:12 > 0:06:17saying we are turning the corner, but people don't feel that.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21No, I don't think they'll see a huge improvement for years, if I'm honest.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24What David Cameron and George Osborne are doing
0:06:24 > 0:06:27is something for the long-term, not the short-term.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32We have cut the deficit by a third but we still have two-thirds to go
0:06:32 > 0:06:37and we will continue to have difficult times for maybe another five years.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40We have to be honest.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42We have seen the economy start to turn the corner
0:06:42 > 0:06:46but it will still be difficult for everyone for maybe another five years.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Sharon Morgan, can you see things improving?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Are these cuts working? That's the point.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55We might see a small improvement in London and the south-east
0:06:55 > 0:06:58but there is no evidence that it's having any effect
0:06:58 > 0:07:00anywhere else in the country.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03The point is, is it a sensible policy in the first place?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Shouldn't we be trying to strengthen the economy
0:07:06 > 0:07:11by investing and creating jobs?
0:07:11 > 0:07:17The majority of people who support the Tories are wealthy anyway.
0:07:17 > 0:07:24But many of those people are suffering in the recession.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28The people who run the Tory party
0:07:28 > 0:07:33certainly have no idea of what reality is like for most people.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36They are millionaires in that cabinet
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and this is how they think society should be.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45They are not in the business of protecting the man in the street.
0:07:45 > 0:07:52But the IMF say things are improving.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54They say the British economy could grow
0:07:54 > 0:07:57more than any other economy in the world.
0:07:57 > 0:08:04What George Osborne said is that we will cut the structural deficit
0:08:04 > 0:08:08by 2015 and he has failed.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11We will discuss the budget in Wales in a moment
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and the reason that budget is so difficult to organise
0:08:14 > 0:08:20is because we have to deal with austerity.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25Is that the case, or have they not worked as quickly
0:08:25 > 0:08:28as George Osborne was hoping?
0:08:28 > 0:08:33If we look at the cost of living and wages,
0:08:33 > 0:08:38the cost of living has increased by more than wages
0:08:38 > 0:08:42for 38 of the 39 months David Cameron has been Prime Minister.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47That must tell you everything about their priorities in Westminster.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52Ed Miliband has said we need to keep energy prices down.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57You said he was intervening in the market.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Is that what David Cameron is doing in the housing market?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02I don't think so.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06The economy needs to improve for everyone,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09not just one sector of society.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14It is true that things are taking longer to improve,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16but things are improving.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It is going to be a very difficult time.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22We want to invest, but where is the money going to come from?
0:09:22 > 0:09:25It would mean more tax or more debt.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Neither option would be right at the moment.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32At the conference, Ed Miliband described policies
0:09:32 > 0:09:36that would improve the standard of living
0:09:36 > 0:09:39by getting money from the banks.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44We could provide childcare,
0:09:44 > 0:09:51provide 25 hours of free childcare for working families.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54We will discuss the budget in a moment,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56but Labour have said they would
0:09:56 > 0:09:59stick to the government spending policies.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04The five years of pain is going to come, whoever is in government.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07But we need to look at things differently.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10For example, freezing fuel prices would help.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14What is wrong with taxing these wealthy people?
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Is spending more the answer?
0:10:18 > 0:10:23We need to raise taxes in order to invest in the economy.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25On whom would you raise the taxes?
0:10:25 > 0:10:29On people who don't pay them now. Extremely wealthy people.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32There aren't many of those in Wales.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Maybe not in Wales.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39But across the UK, there are.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Unfortunately, we don't have tax-varying powers in Wales,
0:10:42 > 0:10:49therefore, we're forced to discuss this in regards to the UK.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53We are dependent upon the situation there.
0:10:53 > 0:11:00What is the message you are seeing on the doorstep?
0:11:00 > 0:11:05We have to be honest that it is going to take time,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08but things are improving.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12The important message is that we have been spending more than
0:11:12 > 0:11:17we have made in tax for many years and that has to change.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19We have to start living within our means,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23or things will continue to escalate.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27We are dealing with the problem, but we need to finish this job.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30We have to ask what sort of society we want to live in.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35What about the people who are claiming benefits?
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Or those on incredibly low wages?
0:11:38 > 0:11:41It is almost impossible. People are going to food banks.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43You can't just say this is the policy
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and everyone has to suffer in the meantime.
0:11:46 > 0:11:52The bonuses of bankers have increased 82%
0:11:52 > 0:11:55since 2010 under this government.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57That shows me the Tories' priorities.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03We have discussed the value of the pound in your pocket,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06but what about the quality of your local services?
0:12:06 > 0:12:12The councils face endless cuts over the next few years
0:12:12 > 0:12:16and, according to one prominent councillor,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18it means some will go bust.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Vaughan spoke to the First Minister Carwyn Jones.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Wales is in hot water and no-one in Westminster cares,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29according to Russell Goodway.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Local councils are certainly feeling the heat.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37With real-term cuts of 9% over the next few years.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42The councils say there is no choice but to cut services.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47There is no telling which services will be thrown on the bonfire.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52Services like road maintenance,
0:12:52 > 0:12:58rubbish collection and leisure facilities.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03According to some councillors, some councils in Wales could go bust.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07But does the First Minister believe those predictions?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09It's extremely difficult for local councils
0:13:09 > 0:13:12as a result of the cuts they face.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15We have tried to help local councils,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18although we understand it is very difficult.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22We have given them a warning about what is going to happen.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Local councils have had relatively
0:13:24 > 0:13:26good settlements over the last few years.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29So, warnings of bankruptcy are going too far?
0:13:29 > 0:13:33It is important that they assess their situations.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36They have to take difficult decisions.
0:13:36 > 0:13:42But we can only spend the money we get from Westminster.
0:13:42 > 0:13:48Do the people of Wales just have to accept
0:13:48 > 0:13:51that some of their services will deteriorate?
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Services like leisure centres and libraries.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58It is up to local councils to make decisions in their own areas.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02But if there is less money,
0:14:02 > 0:14:09there is a danger that things will not improve in the future.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14There are ways to make sure services can be delivered in different ways.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18But you can't sustain the same level of service with these cuts.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23No matter how good a council is, it will have to cut back somewhere.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I said it was going to be difficult.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29We can't spend money we don't have.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32It is true to say that the local authorities
0:14:32 > 0:14:34won't be able to promise
0:14:34 > 0:14:37the same level of service that they would like.
0:14:37 > 0:14:43But as we have been forced to do as a government,
0:14:43 > 0:14:50local authorities are going through a system of prioritisation.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Does a bonfire lie ahead?
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Huw, you work alongside Russell Goodway.
0:14:56 > 0:15:02Will some services be cut as a result of this?
0:15:02 > 0:15:04To be honest, I'm not sure.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07We will see the details next week.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13But it has been a very difficult situation for local councils.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18We have got to look at how many local authorities
0:15:18 > 0:15:21we can support in Wales.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24John Davies suggested there may be seven.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26I'm not going to give you a number,
0:15:26 > 0:15:32but local councils need to make savings now for the next year.
0:15:32 > 0:15:38And reorganisation would be expensive, wouldn't it?
0:15:38 > 0:15:45Exactly. We are hoping to set our budget at the same level
0:15:45 > 0:15:52as the health boards over a period of two or three years.
0:15:52 > 0:15:59It would be extremely difficult to make these savings in one year.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01What about services which are dependent on popularity?
0:16:01 > 0:16:05There are services in your portfolio of care
0:16:05 > 0:16:08where you don't have much control over the demand.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13There is increasing demand because people live longer.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17The only thing we can do is make sure
0:16:17 > 0:16:20we have the most efficient service possible
0:16:20 > 0:16:28and that we concentrate on getting people independent again.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Many people say councils will have to employ other people
0:16:32 > 0:16:37to run facilities like libraries and entertainment, for example.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42Has the big society failed?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44We know it will be difficult.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Councils may have to work a little differently to save money
0:16:48 > 0:16:53and to make sure they can provide essential services.
0:16:53 > 0:17:01We might have to start paying for services in the future.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06But the problem we have at the moment
0:17:06 > 0:17:09is that the Labour government in Cardiff
0:17:09 > 0:17:14have decided to cut a lot of money from the health service,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16which has created problems.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19They have now got to move more money back into the health service,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23which will affect local councils.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27The councils don't have any means of borrowing money or raising money.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31The Silk Commission has said this is a cross-party issue.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34The CBI and the Small Businesses Federation
0:17:34 > 0:17:38were promised by the UK government
0:17:38 > 0:17:42that it would look at the Silk Commission,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45but nothing has happened.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48The problem is that the Westminster Government
0:17:48 > 0:17:54is going to cut £1.5 billion of its budget.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Wait a moment.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59There was a period under Rhodri Morgan's leadership
0:17:59 > 0:18:03where there was a real increase in the Welsh budget.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07We're going back to where we were a few years ago.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09And costs have substantially increased.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10If they could raise money,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13we could make a significant difference to the economy.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16That is what is so frustrating.
0:18:16 > 0:18:22The Labour government in Cardiff Bay decided to protect the councils
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and now they are moving to health.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Do you recognise that was a mistake?
0:18:27 > 0:18:29No. I disagree.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31I think we need to acknowledge
0:18:31 > 0:18:33that the situation in England is much worse.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And only by safeguarding that money
0:18:36 > 0:18:41have we been able to have our current local services.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Thank goodness for devolution!
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Thank goodness for a Labour government, I would say.
0:18:47 > 0:18:53Both. Also, the support of Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58All three parties want to protect the community.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03How difficult is it going to get?
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Are we going to see bins overflowing and potholes all over our roads?
0:19:07 > 0:19:09What is it going to be like?
0:19:09 > 0:19:13I don't think it is going to be as bad as people are making out.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16We will find our way through it.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20I know what you are saying about borrowing money,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24but we have received billions of pounds
0:19:24 > 0:19:28over the last ten years from Europe to improve the economy.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30We have failed with that money,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33so I don't think running up more credit is the answer.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Will jobs be lost in local councils?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Russell Goodway predicted 11,000 would be lost.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I don't think any people will go,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45but it will be very difficult on some of them
0:19:45 > 0:19:50and the Welsh Government might have to step in to help some councils.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55I disagree. I think it is inevitable that jobs will be lost.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00That is the only place we can go to make these cuts.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02People losing their job, or jobs not being filled?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04There is a difference.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07We have jobs not being filled at the moment.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09That is one of the strategies being used
0:20:09 > 0:20:11to balance the budget this year.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15I don't think local authorities
0:20:15 > 0:20:19will be able to avoid job cuts, unfortunately.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22What's very sad is the facilities that are being lost,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24like libraries and leisure facilities,
0:20:24 > 0:20:30which would ease spending on health in the long-term.
0:20:30 > 0:20:37Because they create a healthier, happier population
0:20:37 > 0:20:41who are also more educated.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45We will be losing integral parts of our community
0:20:45 > 0:20:49by getting rid of services some people think are not important.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52How does this compare with the 1970s?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56The situation was different in the 1970s
0:20:56 > 0:21:00in the sense that a lot more things were achieved
0:21:00 > 0:21:03directly by the government.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Many of the things the government does now, they do a lot less.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10We did keep a script in the 1970s and 1980s
0:21:10 > 0:21:12ready for the day on which they announced
0:21:12 > 0:21:14the local government settlement.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18It was in the drawer and the final two sentences were,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21"According to the councils, these cuts
0:21:21 > 0:21:24"will make a real difference to real services,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27"but the government insist it is hard, but fair."
0:21:27 > 0:21:30The script was exactly the same each year.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Finally this evening, do politicians have to be aggressive to succeed?
0:21:34 > 0:21:37At the start of the week, Michael Moore was sacked
0:21:37 > 0:21:40from the coalition cabinet in Westminster.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Alistair Carmichael replaced him,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47who has a much more aggressive style.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49That is what Downing Street think is needed
0:21:49 > 0:21:53as they go head-to-head with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond
0:21:53 > 0:21:56in the referendum on independence.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Merthyr is doing rather better than most parts of...
0:22:01 > 0:22:02Doesn't that please you?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Doesn't that please you? Doesn't that please you?
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Doesn't it please any of you? Oh, cheer up! Cheer up!
0:22:11 > 0:22:13William Hague is relying on
0:22:13 > 0:22:19his mealy-mouthed mouthpiece in the front bench at the Assembly.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23We spend in Wales, I know it is painful for them,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26but if they listen, they might learn something.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Prescott in Prestatyn.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41I am sure you have never hit anyone,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43but you have to hard in this line of work, don't you?
0:22:43 > 0:22:47I'm not sure. I have been accused of being too nice.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Therefore, I don't really agree.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55I think you have to be determined and thick-skinned,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57but I wouldn't say aggressive.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59You have to persuade people to agree with you after all.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Is Miliband aggressive enough? Is that the answer?
0:23:02 > 0:23:04I don't think he is at all.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08In his speech at the conference,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11he came across as a nice person.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Sharon, have you ever played a politician in a drama?
0:23:15 > 0:23:18No. There isn't much choice of women, unfortunately.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20We're still in the same situation.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25- What is someone asked you to play Mrs T?- No, I don't think so.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30I think a Welsh drama with a female Welsh First Minister.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- That would be very good. - That would be good.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38Is this the image that politicians strive for?
0:23:38 > 0:23:41You need sensible policies and you need to be able to debate.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43When you look at Question Time,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46David Dimbleby doesn't give the quieter guests on the panel
0:23:46 > 0:23:48an opportunity to have their say.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It has become part of a macho culture.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55In the debate on the draft budget,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58we saw Andrew RT Davies attacking,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01but then Leanne Wood and Kirsty Williams
0:24:01 > 0:24:04reached a consensus. Is that the future?
0:24:04 > 0:24:11I just think you have to bring your own personality.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16The important thing is you stick to what you believe in.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21If you do that, it should work.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25At the end of the day, it comes down to what works for you
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and your personality.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31It is clear that they're all afraid of Alex Salmond.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34And he is so successful.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37He regularly gets what he wants.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41He is aggressive, but you have to differentiate
0:24:41 > 0:24:44between being aggressive and losing your temper.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48I think Ed Miliband is at his most effective in the House of Commons
0:24:48 > 0:24:53when David Cameron loses his rag.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59A politician can't afford to do that.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02If you choose to be aggressive,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07you have to do so after thinking clearly about what you're doing.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11In terms of Westminster,
0:25:11 > 0:25:15the Prime Minister's Questions can be very heated.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17It is different in Cardiff Bay.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Yes, it is. It think both styles can be effective.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23It was interested to hear today's PMQs
0:25:23 > 0:25:27with Ed Miliband making David Cameron
0:25:27 > 0:25:29lose his temper again.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34One final question for any future politician,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36what is the price of a loaf of bread? Huw?
0:25:36 > 0:25:38About a pound.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Right. Thank you all very much.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45We will be back at the same time next week.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Thanks for your company this evening.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50From all of us on the team, good night.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd