18/02/2012

:00:15. > :00:18.Good afternoon. It is election year in Wales. Come to think of it, when

:00:18. > :00:22.is it not? In less than three months' time the Welsh public will

:00:22. > :00:26.be going to the polls in the local elections. Before then, the

:00:26. > :00:30.political parties will be making their pitch to the Welsh public,

:00:30. > :00:36.beginning with Labour at the home of Glamorgan cricket club in

:00:36. > :00:41.Cardiff. Over the next two hours we will be talking to Labour's big

:00:41. > :00:45.hitters, Ed Miliband, First Minister Carwyn Jones as well as an

:00:45. > :00:49.array of Assembly Members, members of parliament and grassroots

:00:49. > :00:56.members, a constant presence throughout the programme will be

:00:56. > :01:01.for Roderick. An important year for Labour bearing in mind what

:01:01. > :01:05.happened to them in 2008? It if you look back four years, historically

:01:05. > :01:10.they were the worst results for Labour at a local level in Wales in

:01:10. > :01:16.the whole of the party's history. They lost dozens of seats, they

:01:16. > :01:24.lost control of councils, they only managed to hold on in two. They

:01:24. > :01:29.were reduced to nothing in Cardiff, Swansea, even some of the Bali

:01:29. > :01:32.councils that they lost to a very disparate group of opponents.

:01:32. > :01:37.Labour are desperate to get at least some of their territory back.

:01:37. > :01:40.I don't think it thinks it can get back to the sort of dominance it

:01:40. > :01:50.had in Welsh local government, at least not in one jump. But they

:01:50. > :01:50.

:01:50. > :01:53.seem to be wanting to make standard Gauging reaction to the keynote

:01:53. > :01:58.speeches and taking the pulse of the conference faithful this

:01:58. > :02:01.afternoon is James Williams. Thank you. As you can see, the

:02:01. > :02:06.seats behind me may be empty. The weather is not really sure what it

:02:06. > :02:13.is doing. Don't worry, it is not cricket season, it is conference

:02:13. > :02:17.season. The hall in front of me are packed full of Teen Labour members

:02:17. > :02:20.eagerly awaiting the leader's speech. I will be getting the

:02:20. > :02:24.party's pulls the head of the big test in the local elections.

:02:24. > :02:33.No conference would be complete without a voice to guide us through

:02:33. > :02:37.proceedings in the main hall. This Yes, welcome to the conference hall.

:02:37. > :02:41.They are gearing up, they are out there with their lunches. This

:02:41. > :02:48.morning we had Ed Miliband addressing the conference. The eyes

:02:48. > :02:51.are very firmly on the impending local elections, hoping to make

:02:52. > :02:56.advances on people like the Lib Dems. This morning was very much

:02:56. > :03:01.about the successes they have had in the referendum election, the

:03:01. > :03:11.referendum vote or widening Assembly powers. The success that

:03:11. > :03:11.

:03:11. > :03:17.beat elections for Assembly Members was itself. Eyes are very firmly on

:03:17. > :03:22.the local elections. Those local elections will form part of a

:03:22. > :03:27.session chaired by the shadow Welsh secretary. Before that, we have a

:03:27. > :03:35.speech that many people will be here to hear, from the leader of

:03:35. > :03:40.Welsh Labour, the First Minister That is the team. The action is not

:03:40. > :03:44.far off commencing. I am seen pictures from the main hall at the

:03:44. > :03:48.moment, where party members are very slowly taking their seats

:03:48. > :03:51.ahead of the speech from Carwyn Jones. That gives us more time to

:03:52. > :03:56.talk about how Labour is going to retain this territory that they

:03:56. > :04:00.lost in 2008, losing control of Five councils. You have said they

:04:00. > :04:05.do not expect to get back to the level of 2008 this year. How close

:04:05. > :04:09.do you think they will be to that level? I think that is very

:04:09. > :04:14.difficult to read. There are two problems for Labour. The first one

:04:14. > :04:19.is simply this, they are not as far ahead, perhaps, as they feel they

:04:19. > :04:23.should be in the UK wide opinion polls. Labour and the Conservatives

:04:23. > :04:27.are roughly neck-and-neck, Labour slightly ahead, maybe. They would

:04:27. > :04:32.have thought in this economic and political climate they would have

:04:32. > :04:35.been further ahead. And they can't just rely of the unpopularity of

:04:35. > :04:39.the Conservative and Lib Dem government in Westminster. There is

:04:39. > :04:42.a Labour government as well, in Cardiff Bay. They have to convince

:04:42. > :04:46.the electorate in those council elections that cuts in services

:04:46. > :04:51.they are seeing are the fault of Westminster and not the fault of

:04:51. > :04:56.Cardiff Bay. Two difficulties that make it not a simple mid-term

:04:56. > :05:00.election for Labour. Which leads to the question, will they be fighting

:05:01. > :05:05.this election on the messages we are hearing from Ed Miliband? Let's

:05:05. > :05:09.have a bank a bonus tax, let's bash News Corporation? Will they be

:05:09. > :05:15.fighting this election on Welsh issues? First and foremost they

:05:15. > :05:18.will be fighting on local issues. Local issues are always the key

:05:18. > :05:26.factor in elections. But you have to think that things like the row

:05:26. > :05:36.we have seen in palace help ward is bound to impact on the elections. -

:05:36. > :05:40.They will be trying to get some mood music that makes Conservatives

:05:40. > :05:45.and popular. By and large it is going to be fought on local and

:05:45. > :05:52.Welsh issues. Success in local elections often depends on the

:05:52. > :05:56.health of the party machine. How respect? It's nothing compared to

:05:56. > :06:00.what it used to be. This is what the Conservatives discovered in the

:06:00. > :06:05.1990s. These days, most parties do not have Ward by ward organisations,

:06:05. > :06:09.they just have constituency level organisations. You are very

:06:09. > :06:13.dependent on councillors. Their networks, family networks, the

:06:13. > :06:18.networks of friends, to come out and do the work. Once you lose a

:06:18. > :06:22.council seat it can be difficult to get it back. Someone else has been

:06:22. > :06:26.in there, working award, when you haven't had the local organisation

:06:26. > :06:31.to challenge that person. What I think Labour will be looking to do

:06:31. > :06:35.is to regain state control of some of the Bali councils. Quite frankly,

:06:35. > :06:38.we were amazed when they lost some of those places. There will be

:06:38. > :06:42.looking for state control and hoping to get back into a position

:06:42. > :06:47.in places like Cardiff, for instance, where they might be the

:06:47. > :06:51.largest party and might be able to do deals with other parties. There

:06:52. > :06:54.was a time not that long ago when Labour controlled or of the really

:06:55. > :07:00.big councils in Wales. They controlled Cardiff, Swansea,

:07:00. > :07:05.Newport, Wrexham. I don't think that the Labour tide will advance

:07:05. > :07:12.far enough for them to take outright control in those sorts of

:07:12. > :07:16.the authorities, with maybe one exception. In case you think you

:07:16. > :07:22.are missing something, you are not. Housekeeping is going on at the

:07:22. > :07:32.moment and Carwyn Jones's speech is rather delayed. I wonder how much

:07:32. > :07:33.

:07:33. > :07:39.momentum is building behind Labour. We have seen Carwyn Jones securing

:07:39. > :07:44.that power referendum. We have seen Labour agonisingly close to a clear

:07:44. > :07:53.majority in the assembly. As the tide turned in their favour? If you

:07:53. > :07:58.look at that, they only got up 10% on the previous elections. Because

:07:58. > :08:02.of the assembly set-up it brought them about half the seats, just

:08:02. > :08:07.about enough to form a government. If they only got 39% in local

:08:07. > :08:10.elections, I don't think it would take them very far. It depends

:08:10. > :08:15.where those votes were, how they were scattered throughout Wales. I

:08:15. > :08:19.think they would be to get more than that 39%. I don't really see

:08:19. > :08:23.any great Sime now that Labour are more popular than they were at the

:08:23. > :08:27.time of the assembly elections. That 39% is roughly the percentage

:08:27. > :08:32.at which they are pony nationally at the moment. That does lead one

:08:32. > :08:36.to believe that they might not further their cause in these local

:08:36. > :08:41.elections compared to what they did back in May? I think that is right.

:08:41. > :08:46.If they did as well as last May, that would bring them gains. That

:08:46. > :08:52.percentage was well up on what they got in the local elections. That is

:08:52. > :08:57.the pattern that we are looking at. Labour are deliberately trying to

:08:57. > :09:02.manage expectations. They don't want an expectation to arise, where

:09:02. > :09:06.to fail to take Cardiff, for instance, would be seen as a

:09:06. > :09:10.failure. They will want to. Bogota solid progress. They are looking to

:09:10. > :09:13.rebuild the local party machines, make a bit of progress, getting to

:09:13. > :09:17.control in a few council chambers. They will be happy with that but it

:09:17. > :09:21.will not be easy. This conference is as much about inspiring the

:09:21. > :09:25.workers here to go back and do the work on the ground as it is about

:09:25. > :09:30.portraying the wider message to the wider electorate. One local issues,

:09:30. > :09:35.we know that councils are facing very tight financial settlements at

:09:35. > :09:39.the moment. There will be services and many councils that will be cut.

:09:39. > :09:45.Some of them are regarding health. There is severe backlash from

:09:45. > :09:49.voters when health services are cut. Will that play a bit part in this

:09:49. > :09:52.campaign? That's very interesting. Health is something that is run by

:09:52. > :09:56.the Welsh government. The Welsh government will carry the can for

:09:56. > :10:01.that to an extent. They will blame the amount of money coming down the

:10:01. > :10:05.M4 from Westminster. What is more interesting is the services that

:10:05. > :10:09.are run by councils that are being cut. Who is going to get the blame

:10:10. > :10:14.for that? Say your local library is going to close, do you blame the

:10:14. > :10:18.local council, that might be controlled by independents, or the

:10:18. > :10:21.Labour government in Cardiff Bay or the Westminster government, which

:10:21. > :10:26.involves the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats? An awful lot of

:10:26. > :10:31.campaigning is going to be precise Iran that question. Parties

:10:31. > :10:34.planning -- precisely around that question, parties pinning the blame

:10:34. > :10:39.one thing is they don't control. If you are in control of the Council,

:10:39. > :10:44.you will blame Cardiff Bay. If you are in control of Cardiff Bay, you

:10:44. > :10:53.might blame the council or Westminster. We will cross over now,

:10:53. > :10:58.Shortly we are going to hear from the First Minister and the Labour

:10:58. > :11:03.leader in Wales Carwyn Jones. In the meantime, we will hand over to

:11:03. > :11:08.John Stephenson. As you say, Carwyn Jones will be on

:11:08. > :11:13.the platform addressing the Labour conference. We have just seen a

:11:13. > :11:18.number of awards being given to outstanding campaigning and

:11:18. > :11:25.outstanding fund-raising. These are the sort of thing this are the meat

:11:25. > :11:28.of any party, the work done by activists Land Party supporters at

:11:28. > :11:36.grassroots level. Without them, in many ways, there would not be any

:11:36. > :11:42.political party. The person on the podium at the moment is the chair

:11:42. > :11:48.of the Swansea Labour students' group. She is also an election

:11:48. > :11:51.candidate in the impending elections. Real people that roll up

:11:51. > :11:55.their sleeves and get out on the doorstep with us. We are not

:11:55. > :11:58.separated by a television screen and they did not live in ivory

:11:58. > :12:01.towers. There is nothing more inspiring than hearing

:12:01. > :12:05.representatives speak to people on the street and being reminded why

:12:06. > :12:12.you did not mind canvassing in the rain, delivering those last 500

:12:12. > :12:17.leaflets in the freezing cold. People like this, people who are

:12:17. > :12:24.there to stuff envelopes, march up and down the streets. We do it

:12:24. > :12:27.because we want a Labour government. And we have done it. As the only

:12:27. > :12:31.Labour administration in the United Kingdom, Welsh Labour have become a

:12:31. > :12:37.beacon of hope for our party. We have seen how David Cameron has

:12:37. > :12:41.tried to deflect attention on to Wales as his own disastrous health

:12:41. > :12:46.reforms have unravelled. But the Tories are wrought on the NHS, just

:12:46. > :12:50.like they were wrong on tuition fees, EMA, just like they were

:12:50. > :12:55.wrong on scrapping the future jobs fund. When I was asked to speak

:12:55. > :12:59.today and did not know where to start. But I knew I wanted to say

:12:59. > :13:03.thank you. Thank you for keeping our NHS intact so that young people

:13:03. > :13:09.can still have access to an excellent health service that

:13:09. > :13:13.provides them with the help, guidance that they need, and, of

:13:13. > :13:17.course, free prescriptions. Plenty for addressing the serious issues

:13:17. > :13:20.surrounding youth unemployment, the Welsh jobs fund is helping our

:13:20. > :13:27.young people, regardless of whether they are students or graduates, to

:13:28. > :13:31.gain new skills through experience and print ships. And thank you, we

:13:31. > :13:35.were right on tuition fees and EMA. Thank you for allowing Welsh

:13:35. > :13:40.students to study where they choose, regardless of potential financial

:13:40. > :13:46.restrictions. That before realising that education is not a privilege,

:13:46. > :13:50.it is a choice that should be made regardless of gender, race or class.

:13:50. > :13:54.We know you work hard and we just ask that you never stop listening

:13:54. > :14:02.to people like me. Thank you for giving us a few minutes of your

:14:02. > :14:08.time at an hour Welsh Labour youth and student conference in January.

:14:08. > :14:17.Just before Carwyn Jones comes on I would like to introduce a short

:14:17. > :14:23.That's going to be a party political broadcast by the Labour

:14:23. > :14:27.Party. In the meantime, after those elections in 2008, Roger Morgan,

:14:27. > :14:32.the former First Minister, came out and said that Labour took a

:14:32. > :14:38.building. Paul Murphy said that Labour had to redouble its efforts.

:14:38. > :14:42.In what way do you think Labour has made more effort this time round?

:14:42. > :14:45.What happened to Labour last time, if you talk to the candidates that

:14:45. > :14:49.lost, they said they were going from door to door and they were

:14:49. > :14:53.just getting it in the neck about the Labour government in

:14:53. > :15:01.Westminster. That is what happened to them. There was no great mystery

:15:01. > :15:04.about it. It was issues like Iraq that was going on at the time. You

:15:04. > :15:09.had the whole question of politicians in Westminster in

:15:09. > :15:14.particular, with expenses. You know, the climate is better. It's nothing

:15:14. > :15:18.really to do with what the party has done, apart from the fact that

:15:18. > :15:22.they managed to lose the last General Election. We also had a

:15:22. > :15:28.issue about the 10 pence tax rate, the beginning of the banking crisis.

:15:28. > :15:33.So, one could argue that there were legitimate excuses for Labour's

:15:33. > :15:39.failings in 2008. Are we right now to think that it can be a no

:15:39. > :15:42.excuses culture this time? Well, from Labour's point of view, they

:15:42. > :15:47.have an advantage of not being in power in most of those council

:15:47. > :15:52.areas. The local council does not reflect on them. They have not been

:15:52. > :15:57.in power in Westminster. Whether they have yet won the confidence of

:15:57. > :16:01.voters in local elections, I don't know. P will have got long memories.

:16:01. > :16:06.They have also got used to local councils that are a lot more

:16:07. > :16:10.pluralistic. The big story, if you remember, one of the big stories

:16:10. > :16:13.from the last local elections, it was the re-emergence of

:16:14. > :16:17.independence in it and Wales. It had never disappeared in rural

:16:17. > :16:26.Wales, it had always been there. Particularly in the South Wales

:16:26. > :16:30.valleys, we have whole raft of new independent candidates, people like

:16:31. > :16:35.People's Voice, independence in other areas, they made huge gains.

:16:35. > :16:39.I don't see any reason why that phenomena should disappear. It

:16:39. > :16:44.might recede a bit, Labour might take some of the independent wards

:16:44. > :16:50.in places like Merthyr Tydfil, but I cannot see them taking them all.

:16:50. > :16:54.I think the era, and it is not that long ago, when Labour held a 95% of

:16:54. > :17:00.the seats in some councils, it is not going to return. Good timing.

:17:00. > :17:05.Carwyn Jones is getting to his feet. He is now walking to the platform

:17:05. > :17:15.to the ovation of the crowd. We will join the First Minister and

:17:15. > :17:20.

:17:20. > :17:28.leader of Welsh Labour for his Well, chair, conference, thank you

:17:28. > :17:31.very much for that will come. It is great to see so many familiar faces

:17:31. > :17:34.and people back on you to the conference here in Cardiff. It is

:17:34. > :17:39.the first time we have held the conference here in the stadium.

:17:39. > :17:45.It's great to see that we are holding a conference on the verge

:17:45. > :17:49.of another Grand Slam. I had to say, I was in Ireland for the game. I

:17:49. > :17:55.cheered Wales's three tries. I was the only person in that section of

:17:55. > :17:59.the crowd that did, but I did survive to tell the tale. In Ed's

:17:59. > :18:08.fine speech he made reference to the game. I think he was very

:18:08. > :18:12.diplomatic. I am less so, I want Wales to win on Saturday. In

:18:12. > :18:18.welcoming everyone to Cardiff, can I just say that there is a

:18:18. > :18:22.tremendous buzz around the conference this weekend. Since we

:18:22. > :18:26.met last February in Llandudno it has been an extraordinary year.

:18:26. > :18:32.That buzz is understandable. It is there not just for the party but

:18:32. > :18:36.for Wales as a whole. 12 months ago we stood on the verge of holding a

:18:36. > :18:43.referendum to have more war making powers for our assembly. 12 months

:18:43. > :18:47.ago, simultaneously, in fact, we were preparing for the assembly

:18:48. > :18:53.that would follow that referendum. We can be proud of what we achieved

:18:53. > :18:59.in both. Firstly, the referendum. When you think back to 1997 when

:18:59. > :19:02.the "yes" vote squeaked home by a margin of victory that was so small,

:19:02. > :19:06.last March bore no comparison to that previous vote. It showed

:19:06. > :19:09.clearly how far Wales have travelled in 12 relatively short

:19:10. > :19:14.years. From the first faltering steps of the early days of

:19:14. > :19:18.devolution, Wales not only gave a massive thumbs-up to having its own

:19:18. > :19:24.assembly, it also embraced overwhelmingly, across the land,

:19:24. > :19:28.the principle of having our Rome fully fledged legislative -- our

:19:28. > :19:32.own fully-fledged legislative power. Wales said clearly that it wanted

:19:32. > :19:36.an assembly that could make its own laws in the interests of all people

:19:36. > :19:40.in the country. We now have the power to make our own decisions.

:19:40. > :19:43.What a difference in just over a decade. On that day of the

:19:43. > :19:47.referendum result that was the day an old nation came of age. Do you

:19:47. > :19:52.know, as a party, we should not underplay what we achieved last

:19:52. > :19:57.March. This party played a central role in securing that "yes" vote,

:19:57. > :20:02.as did our friends in the Welsh trade union movement. We can all be

:20:02. > :20:10.proud of what we achieved. No sooner had the polls closed last

:20:10. > :20:14.month, were weak straight into the election campaign. It's fair to say

:20:14. > :20:17.that ADS vote gave a huge boost to morale and it was a true

:20:17. > :20:22.springboard for what we would achieve over the coming days and

:20:22. > :20:27.weeks. The elections to the assembly on 5th May last year gave

:20:27. > :20:33.our party the best ever result since devolution in 1999.

:20:33. > :20:35.Colleagues, there can be no greater achievement for a political party

:20:35. > :20:40.than to secured the support and endorsement of the people. There

:20:40. > :20:45.can be no greater honour for this party than to serve the Welsh

:20:45. > :20:50.people. To be entrusted by their hopes, their aspirations and

:20:50. > :20:56.ambitions. The people of Wales put their trust in my colleagues. I

:20:56. > :21:01.pledge again today that we will not let them down. As you know,

:21:01. > :21:04.elections are not just won one words and promises, it takes great

:21:05. > :21:09.organisation and campaigning skills to make the difference. For a start,

:21:09. > :21:14.we have a team of superb candidates who took our vision to the

:21:14. > :21:24.doorsteps of Wales with real gusto. Many of those candidates find

:21:24. > :21:32.

:21:32. > :21:42.themselves as Assembly Members. I would like to say a special thank

:21:42. > :21:51.you to Dave and his team. Well done, all of you. Could I also thank Paul

:21:51. > :21:59.O'Shea for his work as chair, and his contribution to the party and

:21:59. > :22:05.Unison. For all you have done, thank you, Paul. But there was

:22:05. > :22:12.another reason why we won the election last May - our manifesto.

:22:12. > :22:16.Our manifesto was the most comprehensive set of policies put

:22:17. > :22:22.before the people of Wales by any political party. 12 months ago I

:22:22. > :22:27.made promises to you, promises about our principles, about what we

:22:27. > :22:31.stand for as members of this great party of hours. I spoke about how

:22:31. > :22:36.we would not accept another lost generation of young people without

:22:36. > :22:42.work. I spoke of how unlike the Tories in England we would fend for

:22:42. > :22:47.the NHS. I spoke of how we would make our community safer, and I

:22:47. > :22:51.spoke of how we would invest in the future of our children. The awful

:22:51. > :22:56.we made to our people at that conference was, if they placed

:22:56. > :23:01.their trust in us on polling day, we would repay them by standing up

:23:01. > :23:06.for Wales. I am proud to say, that is exactly what we are doing on a

:23:06. > :23:10.daily basis. Conference, we now need to take that momentum and

:23:10. > :23:15.vision into the next fight, the local elections in a couple of

:23:15. > :23:21.months. As we continue to stand up for Wales in both of the assembly

:23:21. > :23:27.and at Westminster, Thursday third May will give us the opportunity to

:23:27. > :23:33.restate that pledge at a local level. On your local council, in

:23:33. > :23:43.your local communities. I know, having met councillors from those

:23:43. > :23:47.local authorities, that there is a real desire to take Welsh Labour to

:23:47. > :23:53.the doorsteps, but we are not complacent. We have to fight for

:23:53. > :23:57.every single vote. The spirit and enthusiasm across Wales is

:23:57. > :24:02.infectious and it is unprecedented in my experience. We have a great

:24:02. > :24:06.chance to do well in May, and today I would like to thank Peter Hain

:24:06. > :24:12.for chairing the strategy group that is the engine room of our

:24:12. > :24:22.campaign. Peter, you are doing a great job. Thank you.

:24:22. > :24:22.

:24:22. > :24:28.Colleagues, we have always prided ourselves on being a compassionate

:24:28. > :24:34.party, so let's collectively dig deep, both financially and

:24:34. > :24:41.emotionally this weekend, and spare a thought for our friends in the

:24:41. > :24:45.Welsh Tory party. As you know, it has been a less than auspicious

:24:45. > :24:55.start in 2012 for the Tories, and especially for their new leader in

:24:55. > :24:59.Wales. Cheryl Gillan, we are told, finds him irritating. Out of the

:24:59. > :25:09.blue, if you pardon the pun, came the news they had cancelled their

:25:09. > :25:11.

:25:11. > :25:15.annual conference due to lack of funding. No -- nothing pulls on my

:25:15. > :25:19.heartstrings more than watching them have to cancel their

:25:19. > :25:25.conference by the seaside. Do you think we should start an appeal to

:25:25. > :25:35.help save the Welsh Tories? Comrades, giving it is easy. Just

:25:35. > :25:35.

:25:35. > :25:44.remember to make your cheques out to Lord Michael Ashcroft.

:25:44. > :25:47.We might laugh, but in reality there is nothing remotely funny

:25:47. > :25:52.about the Tory party. Their approach in dealing with the

:25:52. > :25:58.economic downturn means the UK now has the highest unemployment for 17

:25:58. > :26:04.years. Presumably a price worth paying again. They are decimating

:26:04. > :26:06.the NHS in England, opening it up to profit-making private firms,

:26:06. > :26:12.despite the groundswell of opposition from the very doctors

:26:12. > :26:16.and nurses who work tirelessly to make sure the quality service is

:26:16. > :26:21.free at the point of delivery. Their intent on proposing savage

:26:21. > :26:28.cuts, which will destroy people's services, their jobs and their

:26:29. > :26:34.lives, and now we see the Tories' latest stunt. They want to impose

:26:34. > :26:40.regional pay settlements on Wales. We know where that roamed Leeds -

:26:40. > :26:45.it needs to pay cuts for Welsh workers. I have a message for the

:26:45. > :26:55.Tory Lib Dem coalition. A simple message. In Wales, we will fight

:26:55. > :26:59.

:26:59. > :27:03.your plans to destroy people's livelihoods.

:27:03. > :27:07.But there is one thing you can say about the Tories, they are

:27:07. > :27:13.consistent. Wanting to cut the benefits of cancer sufferers is

:27:13. > :27:17.consistent with the Tory party we remember. Because let's be under no

:27:17. > :27:25.illusion, the nasty party are not back, the nasty party never went

:27:25. > :27:33.away. What of the Conservative leader in the assembly? It hasn't

:27:33. > :27:40.taken long to work out that when Cheryl says "Andrew, John" He says

:27:40. > :27:45.how high? He rolls over and does as he is told. So what about Plaid

:27:45. > :27:51.Cymru? By common consent, they are in a deep trough of the Rome making.

:27:51. > :27:55.Is it any surprise they are now the third party in world politics? In

:27:55. > :27:59.the elections, voters came home to Labour because they identified with

:27:59. > :28:04.our promise to stand up for Wales. Perhaps in the past we have been

:28:04. > :28:09.too reticent in reminding people that Labour is the only true party

:28:09. > :28:14.of Wales. No more, things have changed. Since last year's election,

:28:14. > :28:19.Plaid Cymru has put on the mantle of a protest route. They are in

:28:19. > :28:24.their comfort zone when they are waving placards, but there are

:28:24. > :28:29.voters surely expect and deserve better. During difficult times,

:28:29. > :28:33.they want leadership from their politicians, not protests. You

:28:33. > :28:37.can't negotiate a fair deal for Wales with a placard in your hand.

:28:37. > :28:42.You don't get investment in big projects found with a megaphone,

:28:42. > :28:51.you do it through leadership and persuasion, through making Wales'

:28:51. > :28:56.case robustly and clearly. In their recent internal review, they

:28:56. > :29:00.themselves recognised they have lost ground to us. No other party

:29:00. > :29:10.has a better record on the Welsh language than Labour, and I believe

:29:10. > :29:12.

:29:12. > :29:18.it is time to remind people of that. Whilst Plaid Cymru wrestle with the

:29:18. > :29:22.notion of creating an English name for themselves, we have established

:29:23. > :29:26.Wales' first ever Welsh-language commissioner, and next month a new

:29:26. > :29:31.Welsh language strategy will be launched. Bolder than anything that

:29:31. > :29:38.has come before. It will recognise that, for many families, Welsh is

:29:38. > :29:43.no longer simply the language of the hearth, but of the social

:29:43. > :29:47.network as well. Labour, standing up for our language and communities

:29:47. > :29:51.the length and breadth of the country. Today, I say this to

:29:51. > :29:56.people who are not card-carrying members of Plaid Cymru but who have

:29:56. > :30:00.supported them in the past. If you believe in Wales, if you believe

:30:00. > :30:06.there can build a stronger nation, we can forge a better path best

:30:06. > :30:11.suited to our people, then Welsh Labour is your party. If you voted

:30:11. > :30:15.Plaid Cymru, believing them when they said they would speak up for

:30:15. > :30:20.Wales, only finding them to rule out a coalition deal with the

:30:20. > :30:26.Tories, then Welsh Labour is your party. If you believe that quality

:30:26. > :30:30.Welsh jobs, good education in Welsh schools, and making sure we have

:30:30. > :30:34.vibrant communities in Wales are more important than constitutional

:30:34. > :30:40.navel-gazing, then Welsh Labour is your party. If you voted Plaid

:30:40. > :30:48.Cymru, but you know as I do that independence is bad for Wales, then

:30:48. > :30:53.Welsh Labour is your party. TRANSLATION: If you believe in

:30:53. > :30:59.Wales, in working together, that we can build a stronger nation, take

:30:59. > :31:03.decisions together and a creative path to the future for our people,

:31:03. > :31:06.Welsh Labour is your party. If you supported Plaid Cymru after

:31:06. > :31:10.believing when they said they would stand up for the corner of Wales,

:31:10. > :31:15.only then to say they were willing to work with the Tories, then Welsh

:31:15. > :31:20.Labour is your party. If you believe that good quality jobs,

:31:20. > :31:23.good education in the schools of Wales, and making sure there are

:31:23. > :31:29.vibrant communities in Wales are more important than talking about

:31:29. > :31:33.the constitution, was Labour is your party. If you support to Plaid

:31:33. > :31:38.Cymru but you know full well like I do that independence would be bad

:31:38. > :31:43.for Wales, then Welsh Labour is your party.

:31:43. > :31:48.What about the Lib Dems? What about them? It is interesting to see them

:31:48. > :31:54.scurrying about, jumping on every passing bandwagon at the moment,

:31:54. > :31:58.acting holier than thou. They are desperately trying to detoxify

:31:58. > :32:03.themselves ahead of the elections in May. If you listen hard, you can

:32:03. > :32:07.hear the fear filling the corridors of Cardiff City Hall, but it is too

:32:07. > :32:11.late for them to reverse the damage of the last two years. The

:32:11. > :32:19.political reality is that lay have propped up the nasty party am they

:32:19. > :32:29.are about to suffer the consequences of the local level.

:32:29. > :32:30.

:32:30. > :32:36.Despite their attempts to distance themselves from the Tories, Welsh

:32:36. > :32:40.people are far too savvy to be conned by the leaflet that drops

:32:40. > :32:44.through their letterbox. The Lib Dems are as guilty and responsible

:32:44. > :32:49.as the Tories for wanting to cut the benefits of the most honourable

:32:49. > :32:53.people in Wales. They are as guilty and responsible as the Tories for

:32:53. > :32:59.the closure of the Newport Passport Office. The Lib Dems are as guilty

:32:59. > :33:03.and responsible for the closure of the Swansea coastguard station. The

:33:03. > :33:08.Lib Dems are as guilty and responsible as the Tories for not

:33:08. > :33:13.already having delivered on rail electrification to Swansea. The

:33:13. > :33:23.fact is that both the Tories and Lib Dems have let Wales down, and

:33:23. > :33:29.

:33:29. > :33:34.in May they will both get their Last May, we won fourth term

:33:34. > :33:39.because we showed people that we have the ideas, the vision and

:33:39. > :33:43.drive to create a better Wales for our people and their families. We

:33:43. > :33:53.pledged we would show them as an alternative to the destructive path

:33:53. > :33:57.being followed by the coalition over the order. We showed Welsh

:33:57. > :34:02.people would stand up for the services they depend on. This was

:34:02. > :34:09.not just rhetoric, we can show there is another way. Let's take

:34:09. > :34:14.the examples of the health service and the economy. We all know and we

:34:14. > :34:18.cherish the bond between this party and the NHS. The fact is that no

:34:18. > :34:23.other political party will have had the vision nor the will to create

:34:23. > :34:28.it. Over the course of the last 66 years, the NHS has seen many

:34:28. > :34:34.changes. One of its strengths has been its ability to adapt and

:34:34. > :34:39.modernise. Satisfaction levels for the NHS are so high because it

:34:39. > :34:42.delivers for the here and now, not for 20 years ago, and that is one

:34:42. > :34:47.reason why it holds such a unique place in the hearts of people

:34:47. > :34:51.everywhere. But staying relevant and modern is only one part of the

:34:51. > :34:55.equation when it comes to explaining the longevity of our

:34:55. > :35:00.health service. There was another part of the equation that is

:35:00. > :35:08.equally important, yet too often overlooked. I am talking about the

:35:08. > :35:12.NHS staff, the dedication of the porters, nurses, cleaners, and the

:35:12. > :35:17.other professions, all playing their part in making sure the best

:35:17. > :35:22.care is possible for the patients. It is there care that makes the NHS

:35:22. > :35:32.happen, it is them that keeps the NHS going, and that is why we

:35:32. > :35:36.

:35:36. > :35:40.salute them today. And yet, in the face of the efforts of these

:35:40. > :35:46.dedicated staff, in the face of massive public concern, in the face

:35:46. > :35:50.of rumblings of discontent within the UK cabinet even, the coalition

:35:50. > :35:56.are relentlessly bulldozing ahead with their plans for NHS reforms in

:35:56. > :36:01.England. Let me state, for the avoidance of doubt, that I strongly

:36:01. > :36:09.believe inaccessible, high quality, Citizen cent of services for

:36:09. > :36:19.everyone, not choice for the few. Publicly funded, publicly provided

:36:19. > :36:20.

:36:20. > :36:25.and freed at the point of delivery. -- free. We want to see good GP

:36:25. > :36:29.services across Wales with improved access for working people. We are

:36:29. > :36:33.making sure there is better care for people in their communities. We

:36:33. > :36:40.want world-class centres of excellence for specialised services

:36:40. > :36:44.such as cancer, strokes, or heart attacks. We are putting improving

:36:45. > :36:49.the health and preventing illness at the heart of what we do. We

:36:49. > :36:55.insist that the elderly are treated with dignity. Conference, unlike

:36:55. > :36:59.the Tories, we will not dismantle the NHS. We will not privatise the

:36:59. > :37:09.NHS. We make the pledge that the people of Wales, the forces of

:37:09. > :37:13.

:37:13. > :37:23.market -- privatisation of the NHS will stop at the border.

:37:23. > :37:24.

:37:24. > :37:30.But let's be clear, we know we have challenges of our own in Wales when

:37:30. > :37:34.it comes to health. If the NHS in Wales is to continue receiving the

:37:34. > :37:39.support of patients and public, it has to continue changing and

:37:39. > :37:44.improving. But that change must be informed by our NHS professionals,

:37:44. > :37:48.the people who know how to deliver a safe high quality treatment as

:37:48. > :37:52.close to where people live as possible. They are the people

:37:52. > :37:57.making life and death decisions, the ones who carry the can

:37:57. > :38:00.professionally when things go awry. It is those people that we have to

:38:00. > :38:08.listen to when it comes to delivering safe and improved health

:38:08. > :38:12.care across Wales. TRANSLATION: In order to keep public confidence,

:38:12. > :38:18.the NHS has to continue to change. These changes should be led by the

:38:18. > :38:23.professionals who make those extremely critical decisions in

:38:23. > :38:27.relation to people's care from day today. I want to see excellent

:38:27. > :38:37.services that are as close to people as possible.

:38:37. > :38:40.

:38:40. > :38:45.We hear the shame we -- shameless opportunism, when no decisions have

:38:45. > :38:48.been made. But if ever we need proof we are taking the NHS in the

:38:48. > :38:53.right direction in Wales, we only have to look at what is happening

:38:53. > :38:57.in England. If that is not enough, take the word of eight out of 10

:38:57. > :39:07.Welsh GPs, who say they would much rather be working in Wales than

:39:07. > :39:12.

:39:12. > :39:17.England, according to the BMA. The reason is that 82% of doctors that

:39:17. > :39:20.responded. I think the chairman of BMA Wales was right when he said

:39:20. > :39:25.doctors in Wales remain loyal to the principles set out for the NHS

:39:25. > :39:28.by Nye Bevan. He went on saying consecutive governments have

:39:28. > :39:34.diminished the role of the private sector from the NHS and the

:39:34. > :39:39.purchase of providers no longer offered. This was the right

:39:39. > :39:45.decision for doctors and patients. What the Tories and their Lib Dem

:39:45. > :39:49.accomplices are doing to the NHS in Wales is ideologically driven. Why

:39:49. > :39:55.can't they find it in themselves to have the humility to say we got it

:39:55. > :39:59.wrong. The more I read about their wretched health and social care

:39:59. > :40:04.bill, the more it reminds me of the Dead Parrot sketch from Monty

:40:05. > :40:12.Python. Any day now, I half expect Andrew Lansley to declare this bill

:40:12. > :40:16.is not dead, it is just pining for the fjords! We can be proud, we are

:40:16. > :40:20.showing them is an alternative to what they are offering when it

:40:20. > :40:30.comes to health. The NHS was made by Labour and it is safe with

:40:30. > :40:36.

:40:36. > :40:41.Labour. When it comes to the economy and the jobs market, we

:40:41. > :40:45.know people are facing tough times on so many different levels. In

:40:45. > :40:52.Wales we don't possess all the economic levers that control our

:40:52. > :40:58.economy, but since reformed the Welsh government last May, we have

:40:58. > :41:01.taken steps to shore up the economy from the downturn. We have been

:41:01. > :41:05.seeing what project can be brought forward to support the Welsh

:41:05. > :41:10.economy at this crucial juncture. I am proud to say the action we have

:41:10. > :41:14.taken is not just about the here and now, but in many instances the

:41:14. > :41:23.initiatives we have set will help Wales in years to come as well.

:41:23. > :41:26.Actions like our �55 million package, vital in creating

:41:26. > :41:30.opportunities for entrepreneurs. Our �30 million scheme that will

:41:30. > :41:34.support the creation of 3000 jobs and make sure the businesses and

:41:34. > :41:39.workers of Wales who are best placed to grow the economy will get

:41:39. > :41:44.the support they need. Our �32 million package to stimulate the

:41:44. > :41:48.economy, giving resources to the young recruit programme, as well as

:41:48. > :41:51.investment in schools and social housing, in addition to bringing

:41:51. > :41:59.forward �90 million of capital funding for projects across the

:41:59. > :42:03.country, along with �170 million of investment in road improvements

:42:03. > :42:11.over the next three-year us. Why have we acted so quickly to develop

:42:11. > :42:15.new programmes? I will tell you why. It is because of the membership

:42:15. > :42:21.cards in your pocket. It is because we are Labour and remained true to

:42:21. > :42:25.Labour values. Our values demand that, when faced with the big

:42:25. > :42:30.challenge is in society, we meet those challenges head-on.

:42:30. > :42:37.Conference, in the whole history of British politics, there has never

:42:37. > :42:41.been a Labour government that has looked upon inequality and

:42:41. > :42:47.injustice and at the broken lives of the worst off and thought "let

:42:47. > :42:50.the market sort it out" And that remains the Great dividing line in

:42:50. > :42:54.British politics. That is the dividing line in the assembly as

:42:54. > :42:58.well. The choice between the Welsh Labour government on the side of

:42:58. > :43:03.the people and the opposition parties making plenty of noise, but

:43:03. > :43:06.with no ideas of their own. We won't be derailed by their attacks

:43:06. > :43:16.because they are hollow, and listening to them would have been a

:43:16. > :43:26.replication of the hand-wringing we Conference, where we see wrongs in

:43:26. > :43:31.

:43:31. > :43:34.our society, we will intervene to Where the economy is weak or

:43:34. > :43:39.stumbles, we will support businesses and workers to stimulate

:43:39. > :43:45.growth. We do these things without apology. Unlike the Conservatives,

:43:45. > :43:50.who believe that politics is a game of chance, we believe in government

:43:50. > :43:54.as a force of good. We promised last May to stand up for the people

:43:54. > :44:00.of Wales against the worst excesses of this Tory government. And that

:44:00. > :44:04.is just what we're doing. Welsh Labour, standing up for Wales.

:44:04. > :44:08.Conference, when I spoke to you in Llandudno last year and told you we

:44:08. > :44:13.would take action to prevent another lost generation of young

:44:14. > :44:19.people, I meant it. Since devolution, fewer young people

:44:19. > :44:22.leave school without of occasions. More go on into third and higher

:44:22. > :44:29.education. More young people are fulfilling their potential. Few are

:44:29. > :44:35.being told, you cannot do this, aim lower. But we know there is more to

:44:35. > :44:38.do. That is why I became the debt and made education a priority,

:44:38. > :44:48.promising them that we would deliver millions more for our

:44:48. > :44:50.

:44:50. > :44:54.schools in Wales. And we have done We promised that we would fill the

:44:54. > :45:01.void left behind by the Tory decision to break their promise and

:45:01. > :45:05.axe the future jobs fund. We have done that, with the creation of the

:45:06. > :45:10.jobs growth Wales programme, �75 million a year to give 4000 young

:45:10. > :45:14.people a chance to succeed, an out- and-out Welsh Labour designed made

:45:14. > :45:19.in Wales submission to the mess that the Tories left behind.

:45:20. > :45:26.Conference, never forget that means 4000 young people who are the

:45:26. > :45:30.Tories would have abandoned that will now get our help. Too often,

:45:30. > :45:34.sometimes, we hear the phrase sustainable development and we

:45:34. > :45:39.think of the environmental agenda. Important as that is, I tell you

:45:39. > :45:41.now that it is time to unlearn that way of thinking. These are the

:45:41. > :45:46.watchwords that will underpin all of the decisions that this

:45:46. > :45:49.government makes an office. The economy is central to that. That

:45:49. > :45:53.means our economic approach will not just be about weathering the

:45:53. > :45:56.current storm, although that remains a priority, but our daily

:45:56. > :46:02.decisions will be made in line with delivering a sustainable economy

:46:02. > :46:07.that delivers for our children a legacy that will outlive us all.

:46:07. > :46:12.That is what I mean by ambition. Not just to govern for today, but

:46:12. > :46:17.for tomorrow as well. That is why we have a renewed focus on

:46:17. > :46:21.education in schools. That is why we are not interested in the siren

:46:21. > :46:28.calls of regional pay, low corporation tax and the race to the

:46:28. > :46:32.bottom that would involve. No, it means instead a stronger focus on

:46:32. > :46:36.supporting the skills base of those in work and seeking work.

:46:36. > :46:40.Supporting indigenous small businesses, infrastructure and

:46:40. > :46:43.anchor companies. These are the building blocks of a sustainable

:46:43. > :46:50.Welsh economy. This is where the Welsh Labour government will target

:46:50. > :46:55.our efforts. Standing up for the people of Wales is important.

:46:55. > :46:59.Showing that there is another way to protect our people doing these

:46:59. > :47:04.difficult -- during these difficult times. We have to accept that

:47:04. > :47:10.Labour in Wales is in a unique position. We are able to show

:47:10. > :47:14.colleagues in other parts of the UK that with ideas, vision and to a

:47:14. > :47:17.determination to protect our most vulnerable, Labour can win. We are

:47:17. > :47:21.able to prove to the public in other parts of the UK that Labour

:47:21. > :47:27.is still fighting for their man still defending them. Labour is of

:47:27. > :47:32.their side. Because of devolution, we can let people compare the Welsh

:47:32. > :47:36.Labour way or fairness, social justice. A more progressive way to

:47:36. > :47:41.that approach taken by the Tories and Lib Dems in Westminster. As I

:47:41. > :47:46.say to you, we cannot squander this moment. We have to seize it for it

:47:46. > :47:50.is worth. Because of Welsh Labour in government must not just be

:47:50. > :47:53.about managing the country. It has to be about offering an alternative

:47:54. > :47:59.vision for ordinary people. Those people who lie awake at night

:47:59. > :48:04.worrying about their jobs. Not about independence. Those people

:48:04. > :48:07.who want a better health service to care for their families. They don't

:48:07. > :48:10.want a privately run free for all. Those people who want a better

:48:10. > :48:17.education for their children, not an obsession with so-called Free

:48:17. > :48:24.Schools. Conference, every week in to Senedd we hear the Welsh Tory

:48:24. > :48:29.obsession with what is happening in England. Every week in the Senedd

:48:29. > :48:32.we hear the Plaid Cymru obsession with what is happening in Scotland.

:48:32. > :48:41.Well, conference, I am going to let you into a little secret. You know

:48:41. > :48:51.what I am obsessed about? Wales and there are people of Wales. -- and

:48:51. > :48:53.

:48:53. > :49:00.So, colleagues, let's take that message to the doorstep in the

:49:00. > :49:05.coming weeks. Our promise is that this party will offer inspiration,

:49:05. > :49:11.dedication and perspiration to protect our people. Colleagues,

:49:11. > :49:21.let's go out and win for Wales, win for Britain and deliver a fair,

:49:21. > :49:26.

:49:26. > :49:33.prosperous future for our children. Carwyn Jones, getting a standing

:49:33. > :49:42.ovation from delegates here at the Elena Dementieva conference in the

:49:42. > :49:45.SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff. -- at the Labour part the conference. He

:49:45. > :49:52.said that Labour is a party that makes promises, and, more

:49:52. > :49:58.importantly, a party that keeps its promises. Drawing attention to the

:49:58. > :50:07.future jobs fund, the Labour answer to that in Wales. Fighting the cuts,

:50:07. > :50:13.imposed from the Conservatives in Westminster, from a Labour point of

:50:13. > :50:21.view, what the coalition parties have done. Not unsurprisingly, as

:50:21. > :50:31.in any party conference, a pop at the opposition. It guaranteed to

:50:31. > :50:31.

:50:31. > :50:38.energise party supporters. He says they Aine hole and still digging.

:50:38. > :50:42.He says that Labour is the Welsh party, Plaid Cymru is seen as the

:50:42. > :50:50.Welsh-speaking party. An appeal to people who have supported Plaid

:50:50. > :50:56.Cymru in the past, people that have not been happy with what Plaid

:50:56. > :51:03.Cymru had been doing in the past. A pop at the Welsh Conservatives, and

:51:03. > :51:07.their coalition partners in de Lib Dems, saying that they can feel the

:51:08. > :51:12.fear gripping town halls. Back to you. I don't think there

:51:12. > :51:16.was a hand that was not shaken on his departure from the hall. A

:51:16. > :51:19.speech claiming there was a more progressive way compared to the

:51:19. > :51:23.route being taken by the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition

:51:23. > :51:27.government in Westminster. I am joined by Alan Jones and the

:51:28. > :51:34.minister for housing and regeneration. It was a speech

:51:34. > :51:37.heavily focused on attacking the opposition, pointing out that there

:51:37. > :51:41.were different priorities in Wales. Is that going to be the strategy,

:51:41. > :51:47.bearing in mind we are in our election year? I think we have

:51:47. > :51:51.shown we can do things differently in Wales. There is a real buzz that

:51:51. > :51:55.we need to go out there and tell people the things we have been

:51:56. > :51:59.doing over the years and the things we in tendering to protect them. I

:51:59. > :52:02.think his speech was very measured on where we are going to be between

:52:03. > :52:06.now and May 3rd. We're going to tell people what we are doing and

:52:06. > :52:10.what we want to do. That is standard for Wales. That's what we

:52:10. > :52:14.try to do every day as Assembly Members, but also as unelected

:52:14. > :52:17.representatives around the team, we are all going to be sitting from

:52:17. > :52:21.the sea -- same hymn sheet. Devolution has made a difference

:52:21. > :52:24.for Wales and we will continue to make that difference. She was

:52:24. > :52:27.mentioning what you have done over the years. People know what you did

:52:27. > :52:31.a few years back, free prescriptions, free breakfasts.

:52:31. > :52:36.People asking what you're doing at the moment, 12 months on since

:52:36. > :52:40.extra powers came into being. How have they been used? You were

:52:40. > :52:44.crying out for the tools to do the job. Some people say you have the

:52:44. > :52:49.tools but you're not doing the job. I think you heard it all in his

:52:49. > :52:53.speech. It was a speech shot through with Labour values about...

:52:53. > :52:58.Values, but not actions. He was talking about a wholly different

:52:58. > :53:07.way of approaching a full service, a different way of approaching

:53:07. > :53:11.schools and the school's policy. A completely different way of

:53:11. > :53:15.approaching the economy as well. The divergence between the Labour

:53:15. > :53:21.values and the liberal and conservative values coming out of

:53:21. > :53:24.Westminster is stark. It's always a very difficult didn't do in a

:53:24. > :53:28.leader's speech, to rally the troops, if you like, to speak to

:53:28. > :53:34.the party, but also to reach beyond it. His speech was all about what

:53:34. > :53:38.comes next. How things are going to work out in Wales through Labour

:53:38. > :53:41.values to be very different to that which is going on over the border.

:53:41. > :53:46.You are talking about values, people want action, they want to

:53:46. > :53:51.know what you have done since March of last year. Just one piece of

:53:51. > :53:55.legislation that the Welsh Labour government has actually put into

:53:55. > :54:00.motion so far. You were asking for the tools to do the job. People are

:54:00. > :54:04.saying, well, that's not really doing the job? Legislation is part

:54:04. > :54:07.of what you do in government. It's not the whole of it. Policy

:54:07. > :54:10.implementation is just as important. The implementation of that

:54:10. > :54:13.fantastic manifesto that he was talking about, the most

:54:13. > :54:17.comprehensive manifesto that has ever been put before the people of

:54:17. > :54:23.Wales. Implementing that is not just about law-making. Law-making

:54:23. > :54:27.does take time. We have a five-year term in the assembly. To make good

:54:27. > :54:33.law takes time. We will see that raft of legislation building as the

:54:33. > :54:37.Assembly term moves on. There were two main focus is for Carwyn Jones.

:54:37. > :54:41.One of them was health and the other was education. He said he had

:54:41. > :54:45.delivered on his promise to put millions extra into the school's

:54:45. > :54:50.budget. That is even though we see educational standards in Wales very

:54:50. > :54:53.low compared to other European countries. Also talking about not

:54:53. > :54:56.having the private sector involvement in the NHS in Wales,

:54:56. > :55:03.even though we still have people waiting longer than they should,

:55:03. > :55:07.according to the Welsh government, on waiting lists. Has Labour got

:55:07. > :55:11.this right in every respect? education, I think Labour has got

:55:11. > :55:14.it right. I think what we have done, what the Labour ministers have done,

:55:14. > :55:18.is that we have seen it is a need to invest and we made that

:55:19. > :55:23.investment. We may become difficult turns, turns where the Tory

:55:23. > :55:28.government in Westminster slashed capital budgets and yet Labour were

:55:28. > :55:31.able to put capital investment in. At my own constituency I have seen

:55:31. > :55:36.investment come into my own constituency in education,

:55:36. > :55:41.hopefully with a new school in the second largest town in North Wales,

:55:41. > :55:47.a new build. They have got those opportunities to learn. They have

:55:47. > :55:51.opportunities to get that started life. Not to embarrass the minister

:55:51. > :55:54.sitting onside me, we have seen money coming along for housing and

:55:54. > :56:01.regeneration. So we can do some clearing of housing to take down

:56:01. > :56:06.density of housing and give people a better standing of life. It's not

:56:06. > :56:11.just about legislation, we can make policies and enforce them. We will

:56:11. > :56:15.be looking at legislation about pensioners' fuel bills. Yes, we do

:56:15. > :56:20.have had some legislation but we can do other things as well. People

:56:20. > :56:23.are seeing the benefit, certainly in my constituency, from Labour's

:56:23. > :56:30.policies and for us standing up for Wales. That is the way we go

:56:30. > :56:35.forward. The Health Minister on Thursday announced a �90 million

:56:36. > :56:41.investment for a new accident and emergency ward. But if services are

:56:41. > :56:45.being cut, if services are being centralised, do you feel a backlash

:56:45. > :56:50.in the May election? Well, we are not saying that, we are not seen

:56:50. > :56:54.services cut. We are continuing to roll out investment. We are seeing

:56:54. > :56:58.protests across Wales from patient groups. I'm sorry to cut across,

:56:58. > :57:04.but we even saw a member of your own party campaigning to keep

:57:04. > :57:10.services at her local hospital because she fears that services

:57:10. > :57:15.will be taken away, Nia Griffith. People obviously guard their local

:57:15. > :57:20.health services and that is understandable. But the world of

:57:20. > :57:25.medicine and the world of health care is changing. The NHS has to

:57:25. > :57:30.continually evolve to meet those new challenges. Now, that can be

:57:30. > :57:40.tough. There can be tough decisions that have to be made in that regard.

:57:40. > :57:43.People should be under no allusions here. We are essentially

:57:43. > :57:49.safeguarding the vision of the NHS in Wales. Whatever happens at the

:57:49. > :57:53.end of the Assembly term, we will have taken through difficult times

:57:53. > :57:57.the NHS through this five-year period and kept it intact. Over the

:57:57. > :58:03.bordering England, that will not happen. The NHS will be

:58:03. > :58:07.progressively privatised. Can I ask you, looking back to 2008, a

:58:07. > :58:12.bruising election night for Labour at the local elections would you

:58:12. > :58:21.have lost control five councils, Paul Murphy said at that point that

:58:21. > :58:24.the party need to to redouble its efforts. In what ways do you think

:58:24. > :58:29.the party has gone further to try and make sure the ground lost will

:58:29. > :58:37.be regained this year? For me, the 2000 assembly elections I got a

:58:37. > :58:40.narrow majority. From then on, I think team Labour worked. I came

:58:41. > :58:44.back to the assembly with a 4000 majority. That's from hard work,

:58:44. > :58:49.connecting with voters. That is what we are telling local councils

:58:49. > :58:53.to do and local council camp -- candidates. Paul Murphy was right

:58:53. > :58:57.to say that we needed to redouble our efforts. We did lose touch with

:58:57. > :59:00.some of the electorates. I think he has appealed to people today to

:59:00. > :59:04.think about where their natural home is and who will support them.

:59:04. > :59:08.That is what we have been doing. Day-in, day-out, it is not a matter

:59:08. > :59:15.of turning up at elections. Those days have gone and I think we have

:59:15. > :59:19.very galvanised ourselves that every quarter. We are determined to

:59:19. > :59:23.see Labour representatives at every stage of government. Finally, we

:59:23. > :59:28.will hear from the leader of the Labour party, Ed Miliband, shortly.

:59:28. > :59:32.Do you believe he will be a help or hindrance when it comes to

:59:32. > :59:38.campaigning in the May elections? Well, I think people will judge for

:59:38. > :59:43.themselves. But I think Ed Miliband, in his speech this morning, made an

:59:43. > :59:48.enormous impact on the conference here in Cardiff. A speech delivered

:59:48. > :59:55.from the heart with sincerity. Again, like Carwyn Jones's speech,

:59:55. > :59:59.shot through with Labour values. Gauging reaction to that speech

:59:59. > :00:05.from the First Minister and the lead role of Welsh Labour was James

:00:05. > :00:10.Williams. Thank you. Gauging reaction, I have gathered a few

:00:10. > :00:15.Labour members. Two Assembly Members, Julie Morgan, for Cardiff

:00:15. > :00:23.North, Councillor Chris Elmore from the Vale of Glamorgan. I'll begin

:00:23. > :00:26.with you. Carwyn Jones mentioned that Welsh Labour were offering a

:00:26. > :00:30.progressive alternative. Much was made of this throughout the

:00:30. > :00:36.conference. Do you think he really showed the progressive nature in

:00:36. > :00:39.his speech? Absolutely. He showed a clear dividing line between Welsh

:00:39. > :00:42.Labour and what is happening in Westminster. The big emphasis on

:00:42. > :00:46.the health service and the absolute commitment that there will be no

:00:46. > :00:49.market as Asian, no privatisation of the health service. That is

:00:49. > :00:53.something the people of Wales are looking for. People are wanting us

:00:53. > :00:57.to stick to progressive policies and not be influenced by the

:00:57. > :01:02.shambles happening over the border. You mentioned the NHS, not

:01:02. > :01:06.privatising. But there are other problems with the NHS in Wales. He

:01:06. > :01:10.mentioned them. It is not all rosy this side of the border? Absolutely

:01:10. > :01:14.not. An essential part of his speech is that there are challenges

:01:14. > :01:17.within the NHS. There are challenges everywhere across the UK.

:01:17. > :01:24.But we're not going to tackle those challenges by privatising of

:01:24. > :01:28.bringing in market forces. We are trying to improve the NHS and that

:01:28. > :01:31.was crucial to his speech today. He acknowledged that not everything

:01:31. > :01:34.was rosy but we have to tackle those issues. It's becoming a bit

:01:34. > :01:41.of a battleground between Cardiff and Westminster. Carwyn Jones

:01:41. > :01:46.referring to it bare. It's going to get heated question at absolutely.

:01:46. > :01:51.It shows two completely different philosophies. That is all the

:01:51. > :01:55.progressive force is in Welsh politics. We are not interested in

:01:55. > :01:58.the ideological market forces. We are interested in communities, we

:01:58. > :02:05.absolutely committed to doing the best for people. I think what

:02:05. > :02:08.Carlin said illustrated the unique position that Welsh Labour is in

:02:08. > :02:17.him standing up for the people of Wales. I think it's been a great

:02:17. > :02:22.speech. Talking about Labour values, he made much of that. Trade unions

:02:22. > :02:28.are a major part of Labour's history and present. Ed Miliband

:02:28. > :02:31.decided not to mention it. Carwyn Jones mentioned it directly. Will

:02:31. > :02:36.that become an issue for you? don't think so. I think we are

:02:36. > :02:39.clear where we stand as part of a Labour and trade union movement. Ed

:02:39. > :02:44.Miliband did talk about the history of our party in his contribution,

:02:44. > :02:47.where we come from. We're talking about the history of our party

:02:47. > :02:52.across all of the nations in the island of Britain and how we will

:02:52. > :02:56.come together as part of the Labour family today. We are clear about

:02:56. > :03:00.our relationship with trade unions, not just as part of the movement

:03:00. > :03:03.but also as friends as well. We hear from them when they are

:03:03. > :03:07.unhappy as well as getting praise when they think we are doing things

:03:07. > :03:12.right. I think it is a healthy relationship. There wasn't much

:03:12. > :03:15.praise for the other parties. He made a plea for Plaid Cymru voters.

:03:16. > :03:21.That is obviously the tactic, and he was very damaging about the

:03:21. > :03:24.Tories and Lib Dems? Debate dividing line is between Labour

:03:24. > :03:29.values and Conservative values. It is what we fought the election on

:03:29. > :03:33.just under a year ago. It's still the dividing line going forward.

:03:33. > :03:37.The Lib Dems Rooney have sold out on a UK level. That will affect

:03:37. > :03:41.them going through to next May. Plaid Cymru have real questions to

:03:41. > :03:46.answer after such an assault on people here in Wales. How is it

:03:46. > :03:50.that they became the third party in Wales behind even the Tories? Plaid

:03:50. > :03:54.Cymru members that are really progressives and want to see those

:03:54. > :03:58.values in Wales, a lot of their voters do not believe in full

:03:58. > :04:00.independence, there could be a place for them here. It's going to

:04:00. > :04:04.be interesting, a few of their candidates for the leadership

:04:04. > :04:09.election have mentioned winning round of yourselves is where they

:04:09. > :04:13.need to go forward. You are making a plea for their voters, they are

:04:13. > :04:17.making a plea for yours, who is going to win? I think we are in the

:04:17. > :04:20.much stronger position. Their election strategy is always

:04:20. > :04:25.disastrous, not least because they refused to rule out a deal with the

:04:25. > :04:30.Tories, but they never rule out their values, had they want to use

:04:30. > :04:37.the powers and policies. They could never do that. That refusal is

:04:37. > :04:39.still there. Going back into the really dangerous. Most people don't

:04:39. > :04:42.think about independence. They think about their family, their job

:04:42. > :04:50.and their future. That is where we are and that is where our

:04:50. > :04:54.priorities are. Carwyn Jones also mentioned momentum, having the best

:04:54. > :05:04.victory in the assembly elections last year. That is going to help

:05:04. > :05:06.

:05:06. > :05:10.you and other candidates going into Yes, I was elected in 2008, and

:05:10. > :05:15.Plaid Cymru have a lot to answer for. Supposedly the party of Wales,

:05:15. > :05:20.but not going very far at all. We have got momentum, we have got a

:05:20. > :05:30.clear message to get out to people in Paris, where I represent, and

:05:30. > :05:35.

:05:35. > :05:38.right across Wales. -- in Barry. They resent more of an emphasis in

:05:38. > :05:43.your message about what is happening in Westminster rather

:05:43. > :05:47.than what is happening in Wales? There is a mixture. The local

:05:47. > :05:51.council has a three per and �7 million overspend in social

:05:51. > :06:00.services, and that matters to people. They don't understand it

:06:00. > :06:05.when they are paying more council tax. We have got a good local

:06:05. > :06:08.message, a very positive manifesto locally. We have a good Welsh

:06:08. > :06:13.Assembly government running in Wales, then you have the problems

:06:14. > :06:17.happening in Westminster, so there is a positive message for us and

:06:17. > :06:21.the negative message of what is happening over the border in

:06:21. > :06:28.England. Thank you for now. Back to you.

:06:28. > :06:33.I am joined again to get an editor's spin on the speech. He was

:06:33. > :06:42.obviously trying to portray the party as being compassionate on the

:06:42. > :06:46.side of Welsh workers. I suppose the luxury is that he can now line

:06:46. > :06:52.the cuts in Westminster without having to provide an alternative.

:06:52. > :06:57.It was a good speech, will deliver it, he got applause, which wasn't

:06:57. > :07:02.always the case with Ed Miliband this morning, but it was a speech

:07:02. > :07:07.that didn't contain much about the future. There was a round of

:07:07. > :07:11.bashing the other parties. His approach to Plaid Cymru supporters

:07:11. > :07:15.was quite interesting, a different tone to the normal party bashing

:07:15. > :07:24.you get. Then we had the defence of what the government in Wales has

:07:24. > :07:32.done already, but there was no great explanation of what will be

:07:32. > :07:38.done over coming years. Am sure Carwyn Jones would say that will be

:07:38. > :07:43.in the manifesto, you can't expect me to start pulling a rabbit out of

:07:43. > :07:50.a hat, but it seemed to be a speech in the comfort zone of labour of

:07:50. > :07:54.bashing the other parties, pride in what they feel they have achieved,

:07:55. > :07:59.but no new great vision for the future, just the restatement of

:07:59. > :08:02.what he called Labour values. there has been a cloud over this

:08:02. > :08:06.Labour government, it has been the accusation that nothing has really

:08:06. > :08:11.happened over the last 12 months, it has been vacuous in bringing

:08:11. > :08:17.forward legislation for example. Will this speech deflect attention

:08:17. > :08:21.away from that? Our I'm sure it will do nothing to stop the

:08:21. > :08:29.opposition parties from throwing that accusation. I thought what

:08:29. > :08:34.Carwyn Jones said in response was interesting. He said Labour was the

:08:34. > :08:39.true party of Wales, and the implication of that is that Labour

:08:39. > :08:49.somehow is the grown-up party, the party in power, its job is to

:08:49. > :08:53.deliver, and these are just noises that the opposition parties are

:08:53. > :08:58.making. We are getting on with the business of the people, the

:08:58. > :09:03.business of government, that is the way he deflected. If you like,

:09:03. > :09:07.trying to rise above it. That is a different way to the way he

:09:07. > :09:13.approached it sometimes a few miles south from here in Cardiff Bay. At

:09:13. > :09:18.times it has obviously got to him, and at times he has been visibly

:09:18. > :09:23.annoyed by it, whereas here he was trying to say "nonsense, doesn't

:09:23. > :09:27.affect me". The there has been another Labour leader in the City

:09:27. > :09:32.today, a man often criticised and seen as under pressure but today

:09:32. > :09:38.finding a safe house amongst the party faithful. He is Ed Miliband,

:09:38. > :09:48.and this was his conference speech a little earlier.

:09:48. > :09:49.

:09:49. > :09:54.Friends, thank you so much for that incredibly kind reception, and can

:09:54. > :10:03.I say that it is great to be here in Wales. It is great to be at

:10:03. > :10:07.Wales a' Test match cricket ground. An English man along a whole group

:10:07. > :10:13.of people from Wales at a sports ground. I thought it was better to

:10:13. > :10:20.do it this Saturday than next Saturday at Twickenham, and may the

:10:20. > :10:24.best team win! You know who that is, and I think I know who it might be.

:10:24. > :10:30.It is great to be in labour Wales, Labour governing in its own right

:10:30. > :10:36.once again. Let's pay tribute to everyone involved in those

:10:36. > :10:41.fantastic election results in May. It wasn't by chance that this

:10:41. > :10:44.happened, it was because of your hard work. It was because of the

:10:44. > :10:50.hundreds of thousands of conversations you had on the

:10:50. > :10:55.doorsteps with the people of Wales. We learnt a lesson also, it is

:10:55. > :11:04.because you showed you had a vision for the future of Wales. Not for

:11:04. > :11:10.yourselves, booked for the people you came into politics to serve.

:11:10. > :11:15.You had someone in that election, leading that fight, who walls and

:11:15. > :11:19.is the best man to stand up for Wales, the leader Carwyn Jones, and

:11:19. > :11:29.let's pay tribute to the fantastic work he did.

:11:29. > :11:29.

:11:29. > :11:34.And let's also paid tribute to all of the members of the Welsh

:11:34. > :11:44.Assembly for their fantastic result, and in particular are duly Morgan

:11:44. > :11:48.

:11:48. > :11:53.for that famous result here in Cardiff. -- Julie Morgan. I also

:11:53. > :11:57.want to thank somebody who stood alongside Carwyn Jones in those

:11:57. > :12:02.elections, someone who is a fantastic asset to our movement in

:12:02. > :12:12.Wales and throughout the UK, my good friend Peter Hain. Thank you

:12:12. > :12:17.for the service you provide to our party. You know, we saw not just

:12:17. > :12:24.Peter's humanity, but the role he plays as a local MP when we saw the

:12:24. > :12:28.terrible tragedy with the four Welsh miners in his constituency.

:12:28. > :12:33.Today we pay tribute to them and their families, and they are very

:12:33. > :12:40.much in our thoughts. There may also take this opportunity to thank

:12:41. > :12:45.MPs, trade union friends, councillors for the work you do. To

:12:45. > :12:53.local councillors in particular, I know that you are having to make

:12:53. > :13:00.decisions that you didn't come into politics to make, faced with tight

:13:00. > :13:04.budgets from Westminster. You are choosing sometimes between a local

:13:04. > :13:09.library or other services that are valued, but you know it is always

:13:09. > :13:15.better to have a Labour council in power, making decisions on the

:13:15. > :13:21.basis of Labour values. That is why the elections in May are so

:13:21. > :13:27.important to us, to our party, and indeed to the people of Wales. What

:13:27. > :13:32.is it about Welsh Labour that is so important, and so important at this

:13:32. > :13:41.time? It is the values of Welsh Labour. It is the very values that

:13:41. > :13:46.were founded in the pit communities, felt in the Valleys, the values of

:13:46. > :13:50.the sense of common good. They are the values I see in this government,

:13:50. > :13:56.in the council's we run, and hopefully a lot more after the

:13:56. > :14:01.elections. But you know something else, this Labour government in

:14:01. > :14:08.Wales means a Labour government in Westminster, and that is what I

:14:08. > :14:14.want to talk to you about today. What has been a mission of our

:14:14. > :14:18.party through the ages is to make it work for the whole country and

:14:18. > :14:26.not just a few, and that is more important than ever today in our

:14:26. > :14:31.economy. An economy not just working for a few at the top, but

:14:31. > :14:37.working for every working person in our country. I call it responsible

:14:37. > :14:43.capitalism. I think my dad would not have thought that was possible.

:14:43. > :14:49.But let's be honest, in our country today we see too much irresponsible

:14:49. > :14:55.capitalism. Take the issue of the Royal Bank of Scotland bonuses that

:14:55. > :14:59.Peter mentioned. Why was there such public anger about those bonuses?

:14:59. > :15:05.Because it was about seven-figure sums that seemed to be just for

:15:05. > :15:09.doing your job. Because the banks are still letting down the small

:15:09. > :15:16.businesses of our country, and because of something else, because

:15:16. > :15:20.people's sense of fairness and justice. Because the sense that, if

:15:20. > :15:25.the banks caused the financial crisis, and if people's living

:15:25. > :15:32.standards were being squeezed, how is it possible that banks are

:15:32. > :15:38.carrying on with bonuses as usual? That is why people were so angry.

:15:38. > :15:45.No, it is not about one man's bonus or one man's knighthood, it is

:15:45. > :15:52.about the kind of country we are, and the kind of country we want to

:15:52. > :15:56.be. It is about the values of Welsh Labour, and about how we lived

:15:56. > :16:01.together as a con trick. I had another experience a few days ago,

:16:01. > :16:07.last Wednesday, at a youth centre in London five miles down the road

:16:07. > :16:17.from the city of London where those bonuses are handed out. I met some

:16:17. > :16:24.young people looking for work. One girl had filled in and sent off 137

:16:24. > :16:34.CVs and not had a reply to any of them. She have found two months

:16:34. > :16:35.

:16:35. > :16:40.working at a fish and chip shop but they have paid cash-in-hand. They

:16:40. > :16:44.raised the issue of bonuses at this youth centre, and they said how was

:16:44. > :16:48.it possible that they are carrying on as they are, and we are paying

:16:48. > :16:53.the price? In that moment I thought the best thing one of those bankers

:16:53. > :16:58.could do is come and meet those young girls at the youth centre

:16:58. > :17:03.looking for work, and they would see the truth. It is not about the

:17:03. > :17:10.politics of envy, it is about the culture of responsibility, and a

:17:10. > :17:17.lesson that too many parts of our country have forgotten. We succeed

:17:17. > :17:21.or fail together, that is what it is all about. It is not a lesson

:17:21. > :17:26.that Carwyn Jones' government has forgotten. When you are on the

:17:26. > :17:30.doorsteps between now and May, talk about Jobs Growth Wales Fund, 4000

:17:30. > :17:38.young people put to work as a result of what Carwyn Jones is

:17:38. > :17:48.doing. 4000 people who know the difference between being thrown on

:17:48. > :17:49.

:17:49. > :17:55.the scrapheap, under government that invest in the next generation.

:17:55. > :18:05.-- and a government that invests. Think of what we could do together.

:18:05. > :18:10.

:18:10. > :18:18.That is why we say tax the bankers' bonuses, and invest it. Then

:18:18. > :18:23.100,000 people would know. It is about jobs for young people, but

:18:23. > :18:29.not just about that. It is about creating good jobs and good wages.

:18:29. > :18:32.At the same time as we talk about irresponsible capitalism, we should

:18:32. > :18:38.talk about responsible capitalism and the good businesses doing the

:18:38. > :18:43.right thing. Take Ford at Bridgend, I have the privilege of going there

:18:43. > :18:47.are few months ago, seeing high quality jobs being created.

:18:47. > :18:51.Remember why it is possible, because of the partnership with the

:18:51. > :18:56.Labour government in Westminster during the recession in the tough

:18:56. > :19:00.times. But it also needs the partnership of government now. That

:19:00. > :19:06.is why this government is helping create 1000 apprenticeships, but

:19:06. > :19:13.think how much more we could do together. That is why I say one of

:19:13. > :19:22.the first acts of the next Labour government is going to be to say,

:19:22. > :19:32.if you want a major contract, you must by law provide apprenticeships

:19:32. > :19:35.

:19:35. > :19:39.for the next generation. But to create those good jobs

:19:39. > :19:46.coming need a banking system that serves industry, not industry that

:19:46. > :19:53.serves the banks. No, it is not anti-business to say we need to

:19:53. > :19:57.reform the way banks work. In fact, it is bold thinking to say it is

:19:57. > :20:07.anti-business. It is called establishment thinking, thinking we

:20:07. > :20:13.must sweep away. Wing need entrepreneurs, small businesses,

:20:13. > :20:20.creating profits, creating wealth, creating jobs in our country. Go to

:20:20. > :20:25.any high street in Wales, and I bet you anything you will find a small

:20:25. > :20:30.business, many small businesses, that can't get the loan they need

:20:30. > :20:34.to expand because they don't have banks serving business properly. We

:20:34. > :20:38.have got to change that, and we have got to change it partly

:20:38. > :20:45.through better competition in the banking system, but also

:20:45. > :20:48.recognising the role of government. That is why I say the next Labour

:20:49. > :20:55.government should create an Investment Guide for Small

:20:55. > :21:05.businesses because that is the way we will create industrial-strength

:21:05. > :21:07.

:21:07. > :21:12.for our country. I have a very simple do, which is this. As part

:21:12. > :21:19.of the reforms, they should be another very employee on every one

:21:19. > :21:29.of those top pay committees that set salaries and bonuses. If you

:21:29. > :21:32.

:21:33. > :21:39.can't look an ordinary worker in the the -- the eye and justify the

:21:39. > :21:44.bonuses, you should not be having them. On official forecasts in

:21:44. > :21:52.three years' time the average worker will be earning the same

:21:52. > :21:58.amount as they were 10 years ago. And, at the same time as people's

:21:58. > :22:03.wages are stuck, cost are going up. You know that as well as I do. The

:22:03. > :22:08.weekly food shop, the costs are going up. It costs more to heat

:22:08. > :22:14.your home, energy bills are costing a lot more. It costs more to take

:22:14. > :22:18.the train, and those hidden charges the company is imposed, like

:22:18. > :22:23.overdraft charges from the banks, we have got to change that. At the

:22:23. > :22:28.moment, we have a government that doesn't think it's job is to stand

:22:28. > :22:34.up to those vested interests, they just think it is their job to stand

:22:34. > :22:38.by and let it happen. Take the issue of energy bills. I say that

:22:38. > :22:44.energy bills will rise over time as a result of climate change, and

:22:44. > :22:48.even if we didn't tackle climate change, they would rise anyway, but

:22:48. > :22:52.that makes it all the more important that we do everything we

:22:52. > :22:57.can to protect consumers, to protect people. Why is it in our

:22:57. > :23:04.country that those who can least afford it seemed to pay the most

:23:04. > :23:10.for their energy? That is not your idea of fairness, not my idea of

:23:11. > :23:17.fairness, and we have got to change it. Why is it that the pensioner,

:23:17. > :23:22.old, vulnerable, frail, what is the advice to them? Shop around, go

:23:22. > :23:26.online and get the best deal, I say that is not good enough. The next

:23:26. > :23:33.Labour Government will legislate so that, for every pensioner over the

:23:33. > :23:36.age of 75, 260,000 pensioners in Wales, they will by law get the

:23:37. > :23:42.lowest tariff available. That is a country that works for working

:23:42. > :23:47.people, a government that would stand up to vested interests. Take

:23:47. > :23:51.the issue of train fares - why is it that it seems when the train

:23:51. > :23:57.companies make losses, it falls back on the taxpayer to foot the

:23:57. > :24:01.bill? But when they make profits, the companies seem to be laughing

:24:01. > :24:07.all the way to the bank. It is wrong, we have got to change it.

:24:07. > :24:11.The government said "don't worry because train fares will only go up

:24:12. > :24:19.by 1% above the rate of inflation" So why is it that they seem to be

:24:19. > :24:23.going up much more than that? From Chester to Crewe, a 10% rise just

:24:23. > :24:27.this year. The reason is because the government has given the

:24:27. > :24:32.company's a loophole to allow them to do it. It is wrong and the next

:24:32. > :24:37.Labour government would change it. That is what I mean by an economy

:24:37. > :24:41.that works for working people. We would also tackle the banks and

:24:41. > :24:46.their overdraft charges so they can't impose unfair charges on

:24:46. > :24:53.people. We need an economy that works for working people, and we

:24:53. > :24:58.need public services as well. Since David Cameron became Prime Minister,

:24:58. > :25:05.we have seen 4000 frontline police officers lost across the United

:25:05. > :25:14.Kingdom. But Carwyn Jones here in Wales, because he understands the

:25:14. > :25:22.importance of tackling crime and police on the beat, he has added

:25:22. > :25:26.another 500 officers. When it comes to tuition fees, 9000 tuition fees

:25:26. > :25:31.for students in England, but Carwyn Jones has taken the right decision

:25:31. > :25:35.to protect the next generation and I say it is a cruel betrayal of the

:25:35. > :25:41.next generation, what David Cameron is doing with tuition fees. Then

:25:41. > :25:45.take the issue of the NHS. David Cameron is keen to give you advice

:25:45. > :25:48.about the Welsh Health Service. I don't think he is in a very good

:25:48. > :25:56.position to give people advice about how to run a health service,

:25:56. > :26:03.but I give you this one piece of advice. Don't have a free market

:26:03. > :26:13.free-for-all in your NHS, don't put profits before patients.

:26:13. > :26:14.

:26:14. > :26:19.Profits before patients, creeping privatisation of the NHS, they are

:26:19. > :26:25.not the values of the people of Wales or the people of the UK it

:26:25. > :26:32.either, and that is why we will fight every step of the way against

:26:32. > :26:37.this NHS Bill in England. I say this to you also, friends. We know

:26:37. > :26:44.the government in Westminster is making a terrible mess of things in

:26:44. > :26:49.the economy. Growth down, business failures up, unemployment up, the

:26:49. > :26:54.cost of unemployment up. That means for the next Labour government, it

:26:54. > :27:01.will mean tough decisions, harder decisions than those we would like

:27:01. > :27:04.to make, but the different choices, the different priorities are, as

:27:04. > :27:08.the last government prioritised jobs over pay, we said we would do

:27:08. > :27:14.the same if we were in power in this Parliament, but we would never

:27:14. > :27:19.go down the Tory route. Cutting taxes for the banks at the same

:27:19. > :27:25.time as they are raising VAT for ordinary families, cutting tax

:27:25. > :27:35.credit. That will mean �580 for the average family with children this

:27:35. > :27:37.

:27:37. > :27:41.Squeezing the middle even harder is the Government's approach on

:27:41. > :27:46.business. And what does the Business Secretary do about it? I

:27:46. > :27:53.want to give her some credit today. Because she is banging his fist on

:27:53. > :27:58.the table, fighting for hundreds of millions of pounds of resources.

:27:58. > :28:02.Unfortunately, it is not for the unemployed of Cardiff. It's not for

:28:03. > :28:07.the small businesses of Swansea or the young people of Anglesey. No,

:28:07. > :28:14.it is for her constituents in Buckinghamshire. It is because of

:28:14. > :28:24.high speed rail. What is the lasting memorial she is seeking?

:28:24. > :28:27.She is not Wales's woman in the Cabinet. She is Buckinghamshire's

:28:27. > :28:30.woman in Wales. That is the Welsh Tories for you. It is no wonder

:28:30. > :28:35.they had to cancel their conference because they couldn't find that

:28:35. > :28:45.people to come to it. It is only Welsh Labour that can stand up for

:28:45. > :28:50.

:28:50. > :28:55.the people of Wales. That's the reality. Today, friends, I want to

:28:55. > :29:01.state a simple truth. Devolution has worked. Devolution has worked

:29:01. > :29:05.for the people of Wales. Frankly, if we don't say it, nobody else is

:29:05. > :29:09.going to. Let's say that devolution has worked. Not just for the people

:29:09. > :29:13.of Wales, but, as Douglas said earlier, for the people of Scotland

:29:13. > :29:17.and the people of the United Kingdom. And it is the duty of all

:29:17. > :29:20.of us to fight for the United Kingdom. It is an issue for the

:29:20. > :29:26.people of Wales as well as for the rest of the United Kingdom, this

:29:26. > :29:32.debate about the future of the Union. Now, why do I say that?

:29:32. > :29:39.Because, economically, we are stronger together. But also for a

:29:39. > :29:46.deeper reason. The deeper reason is this. That we are bound by a common

:29:46. > :29:51.history, by family ties, by shared bonds. You know, the history of our

:29:51. > :29:58.island is a history we built together. It was Clement Attlee, an

:29:58. > :30:01.Englishman, who led that 1945 government. It was a Welshman who

:30:01. > :30:06.was responsible for its greatest achievement, the National Health

:30:06. > :30:11.Service. And it was Keir Hardie, a man born in Scotland but who served

:30:11. > :30:14.Wales, without whom none of it would be possible without the

:30:14. > :30:19.formation of the day the party. The history we have built is a history

:30:20. > :30:25.we have woven together. It's not just our history, it is our present

:30:25. > :30:28.as well. I'll tell you why the nationalists are most wrong.

:30:28. > :30:31.Because they want to tell you that people in Wales only care about

:30:31. > :30:36.people in Wales and people in Scotland only care about people in

:30:36. > :30:39.Scotland. I say that is wrong. The family in Wales cares about the

:30:39. > :30:44.young kids born into poverty in London. They care about the

:30:44. > :30:49.pensioner living in poverty in Scotland. That is the Labour way.

:30:49. > :30:53.Those are the Labour values. We don't just want to improve one part

:30:53. > :31:00.of the United Kingdom, we want an equal and trust United Kingdom for

:31:00. > :31:05.every one that lives in it. Let's make that case to people. All of us

:31:05. > :31:12.have our different reasons for being here today. What brought us

:31:12. > :31:20.into politics. Here is mine. I am the son of two refugees, refugees

:31:20. > :31:26.from the Nazis. They sort out of the darkness of the Second World

:31:26. > :31:29.War a new world built. The world of the welfare state. The world of the

:31:29. > :31:34.National Health Service. And they taught me one very simple truth, a

:31:34. > :31:37.simple truth that we must remember today and in the years ahead. There

:31:37. > :31:42.is no point are just getting angry about injustice. You've got to do

:31:42. > :31:47.something about it. That is why we are in politics. That is why we are

:31:47. > :31:53.Labour. And what is our task in this generation? Our task is to

:31:53. > :32:01.seek that newer world again, to build that new will world again. To

:32:01. > :32:03.build on our ideas. -- that newer world. To replace the irresponsible

:32:03. > :32:07.capitalism we have with the responsible capitalism we believe

:32:07. > :32:11.in. To replace the economy that works just for the few at the top

:32:11. > :32:14.with one that works for all of our working people. To end the

:32:14. > :32:19.situation where the promise that the next generation does better

:32:19. > :32:22.than the last is being betrayed and replace it with a promise of

:32:22. > :32:26.Britain where the next generation does better than the last. To

:32:26. > :32:30.remember our values, the values of Welsh Labour. Solidarity,

:32:30. > :32:34.responsibility, a belief in the common good and in community. Those

:32:34. > :32:39.are the values that will serve us in the years ahead. That is why I

:32:39. > :32:44.am here. That is why I am Labour. That is who I am. In the weeks

:32:44. > :32:47.ahead, its campaign on those values in the run-up to the May elections,

:32:47. > :32:52.the council elections in May. Let's campaign on those values for the

:32:52. > :32:54.next General Election. That is the way we will win back trust. That is

:32:54. > :33:04.the way we will win the next General Election. Thank you very

:33:04. > :33:11.

:33:11. > :33:18.Ed Miliband, talking about the beating heart, as he put it, of

:33:18. > :33:28.Welsh Labour's solidarity community for the common good. We can discuss

:33:28. > :33:30.

:33:30. > :33:33.that with Paul Murphy. Also, Nia Griffith. It was highly

:33:33. > :33:36.concentrated on the word values, but this man has taken an absolute

:33:36. > :33:42.caning from the unions who do not particularly like his values when

:33:42. > :33:46.it comes to standing up to workers. How would you like -- counter that?

:33:46. > :33:52.He has stood up to Rupert Murdoch, he stood up to the banks to say,

:33:52. > :33:55.let's have the bonus cut from the RBS bank. It's very difficult for a

:33:55. > :33:59.leader of opposition to get that to happen. We are talking about a

:33:59. > :34:03.leader in opposition. What did Cameron achieve in opposition?

:34:03. > :34:07.Getting the message is coming through. I think he is forcing the

:34:07. > :34:10.current Prime Minister to rethink some of what he is doing. He's

:34:10. > :34:15.moving the ground, shifting the discourse on to what we are doing

:34:15. > :34:18.about banker bonuses, what are we doing about responsible capitalism.

:34:18. > :34:21.When you first mentioned that in September, people didn't take it

:34:22. > :34:25.seriously. Now they are saying, yes, that is resonating with people out

:34:25. > :34:30.there. I think we are really seeing a shift in the whole politics

:34:30. > :34:33.because of what he is saying. has been talking about a pay cap

:34:33. > :34:39.and so on. The GMB have been announcing they are looking again

:34:39. > :34:43.at their relationship between themselves and Labour. I think that

:34:43. > :34:47.is the whole point about being a broad political party. We have

:34:47. > :34:50.debates continually. But we are honest about those debates. It is

:34:50. > :34:54.part of making our policy for the next five years. We did not once

:34:54. > :34:57.have been dictated by the top. We want something where we have

:34:57. > :35:03.disagreement and discussion. Now is the time to have that discussion.

:35:03. > :35:08.Then we will have a clear manifesto for a General Election.

:35:08. > :35:11.mentioned responsible capitalism. Some would argue that we have had

:35:11. > :35:17.been responsible capitalism because we did not have a properly

:35:17. > :35:21.regulated banking system. Neither did most of the world. I think with

:35:21. > :35:26.hindsight, of course, things could have been different. But I was in

:35:26. > :35:31.the Cabinet when Ed's predecessor was taking very firm action in how

:35:31. > :35:35.to deal with the banks. There is no question of my mind that Ed has

:35:35. > :35:39.followed in Gordon's example and even gone further. You talked

:35:39. > :35:43.earlier about how trade unions and other people and the Labour Party

:35:43. > :35:46.feel about the issue of pay, for example. I'm sure any trade union

:35:46. > :35:53.member will listen to what was effectively a dazzling performance

:35:53. > :35:56.today, I have been coming to these conferences for 40 years and I have

:35:57. > :36:01.never seen anything quite like that. There is nothing that Ed Miliband

:36:01. > :36:05.said today that would not have moved a trade unionist or Labour

:36:05. > :36:08.party support in Wales or the United Kingdom not to want to vote

:36:08. > :36:13.Labour at the next General Election. Something else that featured more

:36:13. > :36:17.than once was the word injustice. Some will think back to 2008. There

:36:17. > :36:22.was that big hoo-hah regarding the 10 pence tax issue that counted

:36:22. > :36:25.against you in the 2008 local elections. You were one of the

:36:25. > :36:29.first Labour voices to raise concerns about that. Some people

:36:29. > :36:33.might have long memories when it comes to injustice. Indeed, Ed

:36:33. > :36:37.Miliband mentioned that has one of the things that Labour needed to

:36:37. > :36:40.apologise for and move on from. We do make mistakes. Nobody is

:36:40. > :36:44.absolutely perfect. What people now will be doing is looking to the

:36:44. > :36:49.future. They will be saying, what are you offering as for the future?

:36:49. > :36:53.What are the Tories and Lib Dems offering? What is Plaid Cymru

:36:53. > :36:57.offering? They will see a Labour government in Cardiff forging ahead

:36:57. > :37:00.with offering jobs to young people, offering grants and loans to

:37:00. > :37:03.industry and business to help get the economy back on its feet. They

:37:03. > :37:07.will see a complete contrast between what is happening there and

:37:07. > :37:12.what is happening with the UK government, led by the Lib-Dems and

:37:12. > :37:14.the Tories, determined to suck the life blood out of Wales, to take �6

:37:14. > :37:18.billion worth of cuts from the economy in the next three years.

:37:18. > :37:24.They will see that contrast and make their choice, I am sure, based

:37:24. > :37:28.on what they know Labour can do for people locally. We know what Ed

:37:28. > :37:34.Miliband does not envisage happening, there would be no higher

:37:34. > :37:39.VAT, no cuts to tax credit, there would be no �580 a year costs for

:37:39. > :37:44.the average family with children from April. What he doesn't say is

:37:44. > :37:47.where the money would come from. I don't think you can write a

:37:47. > :37:50.budget three years before a General Election. We are in the process of

:37:50. > :37:57.saying exactly what the policy is likely to be. But it is going to

:37:57. > :38:01.take time. But if it is based on credibility, where is that? It is a

:38:01. > :38:04.question of how we deal with the economy in a very different way

:38:04. > :38:08.from how the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are. Our view is

:38:08. > :38:12.that we are kidding far too deeply, we are cutting across a whole range

:38:12. > :38:16.of services that will affect productivity and growth in our

:38:16. > :38:19.country. It does not take an economic genius to work out that if

:38:19. > :38:23.there are more people unemployed, they are not paying taxes, we are

:38:23. > :38:27.paying out benefits to them and they are not buying things. You say

:38:28. > :38:32.cutting too far, too fast. That seemed to be the message in January.

:38:32. > :38:38.This month we have seen Ed Balls say that we are going to have to

:38:38. > :38:42.keep all of the cuts. What he is saying is that, like we did at the

:38:42. > :38:46.beginning of 1997, when we took over government, you don't

:38:46. > :38:49.immediately because you cannot immediately change things. At the

:38:49. > :38:53.same time we will have by then policies in place which I hope will

:38:53. > :38:55.mean that we are going to shift the way in which our country looks at

:38:56. > :39:00.how to deal with the recession, in a way that is totally different

:39:00. > :39:04.from the austerity based policies of George Osborne and David Cameron.

:39:04. > :39:07.It is a very different approach that we have got. An approach, by

:39:07. > :39:11.the way, that he said we were trying to do within the powers of a

:39:11. > :39:15.Welsh government. I think the theme that has come through this, look at

:39:15. > :39:19.what is happening in Wales. It can happen in the United Kingdom. Let's

:39:19. > :39:22.get that example of a Welsh government looking after its people,

:39:22. > :39:26.insuring that we do have productivity and growth instead of

:39:26. > :39:30.unemployment. We can do that in the United Kingdom and we can do that

:39:30. > :39:34.here. We have unprecedented levels of unemployment. We have the

:39:34. > :39:38.economy on the brink. You have a new leader who, even though the

:39:38. > :39:42.country is in such dire straits and we have unpopular cuts from the

:39:42. > :39:45.Westminster coalition government, cannot poke the Labour nose ahead

:39:45. > :39:49.of the Conservative one when it comes to opinion polls. What is

:39:49. > :39:52.going on with his leadership? think we need to have patients. We

:39:52. > :39:55.need to see that things are changing and people are seeing what

:39:55. > :40:00.Ed Miliband stands for and the way he is leading us forwards. It's

:40:00. > :40:03.right to get his principles right at the beginning. I think people

:40:03. > :40:07.get to a lot a honeymoon to Tory and Lib Dems? But you are willing

:40:07. > :40:11.to give him a long honeymoon? willing to say that what we are

:40:11. > :40:15.seeing is the foundation of a sound policy basis. We are seeing an

:40:15. > :40:18.emphasis on fairness, an emphasis on redistribution. We are a very

:40:18. > :40:22.rich country. I'm ashamed that people are having to go to food

:40:22. > :40:25.banks. We are a part of redistribution, we want to see more

:40:25. > :40:29.even redistribution of wealth. That's an important principle for

:40:29. > :40:32.us. For a party that wants to be a party of government, you say you

:40:33. > :40:37.have patients. But there must be a to them point at which the party

:40:37. > :40:41.says, well, if we are not moving ahead in the polls and winning back

:40:41. > :40:44.the losses, it is time to take another cause? I think we are

:40:44. > :40:48.beginning to win that battle. If you look at the election results in

:40:48. > :40:51.Wales, if you look at the number of councils elected in England last

:40:51. > :40:55.year, if you look at the wider membership has got that, we are

:40:55. > :41:01.moving forward. It is not easy, it does take a while but we are moving

:41:01. > :41:04.forward. Nia Griffith and Paul Murphy, thank you very much. We

:41:04. > :41:09.will have more reaction now from James.

:41:09. > :41:16.Well, joining me now to discuss Ed Miliband's speech I have Christine

:41:16. > :41:19.Chapman. Ed Miliband's message was solidarity, community,

:41:19. > :41:24.responsibility and belief in the common good. Are they are used you

:41:24. > :41:29.shared? Yes, I supported Ed for the leadership and I thought he did a

:41:29. > :41:34.terrific speech today. It was very inspiring. He works very close with

:41:34. > :41:39.us in Wales and with Carwyn. I think it is a strong partnership,

:41:39. > :41:43.delivering for the people of Wales when it is a difficult time. I was

:41:43. > :41:47.so impressed with him today. The conference has been brilliant.

:41:47. > :41:54.There are so many new people here today. There are more young people,

:41:54. > :41:57.more women. I am very optimistic. He was terrific. Do you think that

:41:57. > :42:01.spoke to double traditional wing of the party, the values he was

:42:01. > :42:06.talking about? -- to the more traditional wing. I did. He

:42:06. > :42:13.delivered the speech extremely well. We are in very difficult times. He

:42:13. > :42:16.is obviously somebody who understands what working people are

:42:16. > :42:22.going through. And the more vulnerable people that are at risk

:42:22. > :42:26.of having benefits cut. He really knows what is happening and they

:42:26. > :42:29.are working very hard for the people of Wales. Do you think it is

:42:29. > :42:34.an issue that over a year in his leadership he is still talking

:42:34. > :42:37.about his mission and his values, his background? We should know this

:42:37. > :42:42.message by now, he should be talking about other things, surely?

:42:42. > :42:46.I think you've got to keep reminding people of this. It's

:42:46. > :42:49.about delivery. The assembly of this term is about delivery. I

:42:49. > :42:53.think it's really important to hear that. We get that at times but I

:42:53. > :42:56.think it is important to hear what we stand up for and what we as a

:42:56. > :43:01.party stand up for. I think he was reaching out to people who possibly

:43:01. > :43:04.felt a bit cynical about the Labour Party. Equally, people who may have

:43:05. > :43:10.decided to vote for other parties. I think it's really important that

:43:10. > :43:18.both values are at the heart of what we do here. Moving on to Ken

:43:18. > :43:24.Skates, the AM for Clwyd South. A lot was made about Welsh Labour

:43:24. > :43:30.showing an alternative to the UK government. Do you think that is

:43:30. > :43:33.what the Government in Cardiff Bay is showing? Absolutely. A raft of

:43:33. > :43:38.measures that have been introduced showed that here there is an

:43:38. > :43:41.alternative. We can draw really clear differences between what the

:43:41. > :43:45.UK coalition government is doing and what we are doing. Take

:43:45. > :43:51.apprenticeships, take jobs for young people, protecting and

:43:51. > :43:59.increasing spending on schools, making sure that hospitals improve.

:43:59. > :44:01.These are issues we are committed that we have been very, very honest

:44:01. > :44:05.and upfront with them about what our policies are compared to the UK

:44:05. > :44:08.government, who seems to be backtracking and carrying out

:44:08. > :44:13.various U-turns. Actually, people are generally feeling pretty

:44:13. > :44:18.dismayed about what is happening. Thank you very much. We have to

:44:18. > :44:22.move on now. Councilor Kronenbourg, you are seeking re-election in the

:44:22. > :44:27.Vale of Glamorgan. Did that give you confidence, going into a

:44:28. > :44:31.campaign so close to an election? Absolutely. I found his speech very

:44:31. > :44:33.motivational, passionate. It was actually reaching out to the people

:44:34. > :44:39.in Wales. I felt he actually understood the problems and issues

:44:39. > :44:45.we have got in Wales. His knowledge of Wales, he actually mentioned

:44:45. > :44:54.Barry Island, where I am from. That was great for me. Definitely very

:44:54. > :44:57.inspired for the campaign. Three I'm sure for most of the conference

:44:57. > :45:02.delegates this afternoon the highlight has been the speech by

:45:02. > :45:10.the leader of Welsh Labour. The first Mr Carwyn Jones, who joins me

:45:10. > :45:13.Your Speech today was heavily critical of the other three main

:45:13. > :45:17.political parties. Is that a deliberate strategy and ploy ahead

:45:17. > :45:21.of the May elections? Partly. The speech was not entirely about that.

:45:21. > :45:25.We outlined a vision for Wales and reminded people what we had done. I

:45:25. > :45:33.think it is fair game in politics to point out what you see I your

:45:33. > :45:37.You highlighted a lot of things you said you had done. People will

:45:37. > :45:41.remember a lot of things you did a long time ago as part of the one

:45:41. > :45:46.Wales government, free breakfasts, or free prescriptions. People will

:45:46. > :45:49.be asking what you have done since March. Let's look at the jobs

:45:49. > :45:52.growth for Wales scheme. 4000 people will have the opportunity

:45:52. > :45:57.for training or an apprenticeship. We have increased education

:45:57. > :46:00.spending. We did that, as we said we would. We are increasing the

:46:00. > :46:05.number of Community Support Officers that helped the police.

:46:05. > :46:09.That is three things already we have done. We are not a year into

:46:09. > :46:13.the life of this government now. Very good progress has been made.

:46:13. > :46:17.We want to deliver all of our manifesto over five years. I know

:46:17. > :46:22.he will say it is not all about legislation, politics and the

:46:22. > :46:26.workings of government. But after running such a strong campaign

:46:26. > :46:31.asking for the tools to do the job, why only bring one piece of

:46:31. > :46:34.legislation in so far? A number of bills have begun their life in the

:46:34. > :46:38.sense that a White Paper has been produced. That has been consulted

:46:38. > :46:42.on and it will inform the bill when it is presented. Opposition parties

:46:42. > :46:47.have been critical, but they are the ones that want a better be full

:46:47. > :46:50.consultation on the White Papers. In other words, the consultation

:46:50. > :46:54.documents that the two bills. Then they wanted consultation and then

:46:54. > :46:58.have it introduced. It is perhaps a double slower than anticipated.

:46:58. > :47:02.That is because we have tried to be as open as possible to ideas as we

:47:02. > :47:08.go forwards. Legislative rules lethargy is the cloud that is

:47:08. > :47:13.rightly or wrongly hanging over you. Does that annoy you? It part of

:47:13. > :47:16.politics, you have to accept these things. Let's contrast ourselves

:47:16. > :47:24.with Plaid Cymru, they didn't come forward with one policy for

:47:24. > :47:27.legislation. That surprises me. We fought together as policies

:47:27. > :47:30.campaigners, and for them not to come forward with anything is a

:47:30. > :47:37.surprise. You highlighted the things you have done as a

:47:37. > :47:41.government, which seems to lead to some people thinking he didn't will

:47:41. > :47:45.you? You have to keep reminding people what you have done and what

:47:45. > :47:49.you are going to do. When you knock on doors in the elections people

:47:49. > :47:52.will say, you have done that, what are you doing next? You have to

:47:52. > :47:55.keep reminding people what you have done, what you're going to do, and

:47:55. > :48:00.then make a judgment on how well you have done. What you will do

:48:00. > :48:03.depends on how much money you have. You have made education a priority

:48:03. > :48:08.over health in terms of the money that you are allocating towards

:48:08. > :48:12.them, not in terms of the total but in the way that you are protecting

:48:12. > :48:17.those particular budgets. Millions of extra pounds for schools is what

:48:17. > :48:20.you said in your speech today. Even though the education minister said

:48:20. > :48:24.that educational attainment and outcomes in Wales is not dependent

:48:24. > :48:28.on money. Why prioritise education the head of health? We knew that

:48:28. > :48:32.there was a gap in spending for pupils between England and Wales.

:48:32. > :48:36.We want to bridge that gap. If you look at health, it takes up

:48:36. > :48:39.something like 45% of our budget. What we have been able to do with

:48:39. > :48:43.the cuts we have had imposed on us is to keep the health budget

:48:43. > :48:47.steadier over the next few years. It's not a case of anything been

:48:47. > :48:51.taken out of the health budget, it's difficult to protect the

:48:51. > :48:53.budget in terms of increasing it every year, because it is so big.

:48:53. > :48:57.The Conservative Party said they would increase health spending.

:48:57. > :49:00.They also said they would cut school spending by 20% and they are

:49:00. > :49:05.also cutting local government spending, sending council tax

:49:05. > :49:08.through the roof. We did not think that was the right approach. We

:49:09. > :49:14.wanted to see more money available to us so we can put in more money

:49:14. > :49:19.to help. Even though you are ploughing more money into education,

:49:19. > :49:23.results are still low compared to other European countries. The tests

:49:23. > :49:28.are being revisited by the minister. We have banding being criticised.

:49:28. > :49:32.You take the nut's money, but you are criticising it in your own

:49:32. > :49:36.brochure. Banding will hit education. Governors are being

:49:36. > :49:44.sacked. Even though you are ploughing millions of extra money

:49:44. > :49:50.I am a parent, I want to know how schools are doing, most parents

:49:50. > :49:56.want to know that, and league tables are not the right way. It is

:49:56. > :50:01.right that parents want to see how schools are doing. We're not saying

:50:01. > :50:06.they can't be improvement in areas of education, they can, but from

:50:07. > :50:12.our point of view we want to see an improvement in results, even though

:50:12. > :50:15.they are only a small part in education, and we want to make sure

:50:15. > :50:23.there is a higher percentage of Welsh school children getting good

:50:23. > :50:28.GCSEs. On health, it is a toxic is you. There have been spat about two

:50:28. > :50:33.weeks ago over this. Do you feel the backlash in May if local health

:50:34. > :50:38.boards decide to cut services? Health is difficult for a number of

:50:38. > :50:45.reasons. It is becoming more difficult to attract senior

:50:45. > :50:53.consultants in Wales. The problem has been exacerbated because the

:50:53. > :51:00.immigration rules have changed, and historically further west we have

:51:00. > :51:04.relied on doctors from outside the UK, also of the rules have changed.

:51:04. > :51:14.The trainees tend to want to go somewhere there are several

:51:14. > :51:22.consultants. Because of those changes, it is a challenge to

:51:22. > :51:30.provide services west of Swansea come but we want to do that. I

:51:30. > :51:38.understand people's concerns, but you can't all consultants out of a

:51:38. > :51:45.hat. You are giving the impression it is lot about money. The it is

:51:45. > :51:48.all about money. The money is there, but they can't attract people to

:51:48. > :51:54.fill those posts. The first question is what are we doing about

:51:55. > :51:59.it? We have launched a recruitment campaign to say to senior medical

:51:59. > :52:03.staff come to Wales because you will be supported as consultants in

:52:03. > :52:09.what you're doing, and we have to start doing that now, otherwise the

:52:09. > :52:14.problem will get worse. 50 is not about money, how come health boards

:52:14. > :52:18.have historically overspent? More tour of them have, to be fair. One

:52:18. > :52:24.has overspent over a number of years and it shows the scale of the

:52:24. > :52:28.challenge we have. You can't just produce consultants, there are a

:52:28. > :52:34.very limited number of them, and trying to provide a service bearing

:52:34. > :52:38.that in mind is tricky but we are working as hard as we can to make

:52:38. > :52:43.sure all people, regardless of where they live in Wales, have the

:52:43. > :52:48.service that is safe and excellent. The Health Minister has front

:52:48. > :52:54.loaded the money to health boards this time around, and said there

:52:54. > :53:00.won't be any more money should they require a bail-out, is that's no

:53:01. > :53:06.guarantee? What will the sanctions before overspending? We expect them

:53:06. > :53:10.to stay within their budget. In years gone by there was extra money

:53:10. > :53:20.available, but because of the settlement we have had that money

:53:20. > :53:20.

:53:20. > :53:26.is just not there anymore. We can't produce the money from a hat.

:53:26. > :53:30.Miliband, in an interview earlier today, said there are lessons that

:53:30. > :53:36.Labour, or UK-based is, can learn from Welsh Labour - what do you

:53:36. > :53:40.think the lessons are that you can transfer? First of all,

:53:40. > :53:45.intervention in the economy. I listed the things we have done in

:53:45. > :53:50.the last few months to put money into the economy to create jobs, to

:53:50. > :53:54.keep people on board, and that has been done to make sure people stay

:53:54. > :53:59.in jobs. We know that the unemployment figures in Wales in

:53:59. > :54:04.the last two months have gone down, even as there figures in the rest

:54:04. > :54:09.of the UK have gone up. There is clearly an effect being felt. There

:54:09. > :54:14.was a long way to go yet, and I am not suggesting everything will be

:54:14. > :54:21.rosy after two months, but it is clear unemployment is going down in

:54:21. > :54:24.Wales. Unfortunately it is rising elsewhere but I hope this helps.

:54:25. > :54:29.You are the most senior elected politician as President - do you

:54:29. > :54:34.believe, bearing in mind the electoral success you have had

:54:34. > :54:42.recently, that you can help Ed Miliband in any way? Our experience

:54:42. > :54:47.in Wales is different, we Taylor the election campaign to

:54:47. > :54:51.circumstances in Wales. We wanted to make sure we had the right

:54:51. > :54:56.powers for the Assembly and the referendum for us did become a

:54:56. > :55:02.springboard for the election in May. That is what happened, and we

:55:02. > :55:06.wanted to show the people of Wales that we are a strong devolutionist

:55:06. > :55:11.outward-looking Welsh party, determined to use the powers we

:55:12. > :55:16.have to better the lives of people in Wales. The you have asked for a

:55:16. > :55:20.constitutional convention, and that might be seen as a talking shop,

:55:20. > :55:26.while we see things gathering pace in Scotland, you know, things might

:55:26. > :55:30.have flown by way ahead of this convention. With tea is an idea.

:55:30. > :55:36.The issue here at is you can't decide the future of the rest of

:55:36. > :55:41.the UK based on what is happening in Scotland. You can't look at the

:55:41. > :55:51.West Lothian question in isolation. That is the question that arises

:55:51. > :55:51.

:55:51. > :55:55.when Scottish and Welsh MPs vote on what only happens in the English

:55:56. > :56:00.Parliament. The UK Secretary for State for Agriculture will go to

:56:00. > :56:06.bushels to cast a vote on behalf of the whole of the UK in the European

:56:06. > :56:10.Council, but in fact they are only acting on behalf of England, so

:56:10. > :56:14.that is the West Lothian question in reverse. I believe the best

:56:14. > :56:19.approach is to look at all of these at once and make sure we have a

:56:19. > :56:25.sustainable structure for the UK. What is the best approach in terms

:56:25. > :56:29.of devolving powers? Income tax we think is not something that will

:56:29. > :56:36.benefit the people of Wales. The Barnett Formula, yes, borrowing

:56:36. > :56:40.powers, yes, stamp duty, air passenger duty, we believe there

:56:40. > :56:47.are taxes they exist in areas that are already devolved that would

:56:47. > :56:51.make a difference to the people in Wales. In the council elections,

:56:51. > :56:59.you lost control of five councils in 2008, what hope of regaining

:56:59. > :57:05.them? We are confident but not complacent. 2008 was not a good

:57:05. > :57:09.year for us, but we will be working hard, as we did last May, to get as

:57:09. > :57:14.many Labour the councillors elected as possible. When you are out

:57:14. > :57:20.campaigning, do you think Ed Miliband will be an asset or a

:57:20. > :57:26.liability? I think an asset. People like him. When they meet him, they

:57:26. > :57:32.like him. He has an easy manner with people and that is a great

:57:32. > :57:37.asset for a politician. That is the end of our coverage here at the

:57:37. > :57:42.SWALEC Stadium. That is the Liberal Democrats conference next door on

:57:42. > :57:45.the conference trail in about two weeks' time. Join me tomorrow

:57:45. > :57:48.lunchtime on the Sunday politics when we will have a special