06/12/2013 BBC Points West

the oppression of one by another. The sun shall never set on so

glorious Good evening and welcome to BBC

Points West. Our headlines tonight: United in respect for Nelson Mandela

` a vigil in Bristol tonight for a man who changed the world.

The Christmas temptation of a payday loan ` but what about the financial

hangover? Meet the NatWest banker jailed in

the States for fraud, but now back home and unrepentant. Look, I'm not

embarrassed about this. As far as I'm concerned, I didn't do anything

wrong. And a film about Beckham and his

friends ` we talk to the Bristol footballer who was in the same

class, back in '92. Good evening. Nelson Mandela is

being remembered here in the West tonight. All day, tributes have been

paid, flags have been flying at half`mast and tonight in the centre

of Bristol, people have gathered for a vigil. They're meeting on the same

spot as 23 years ago, when he was released from prison. Sabet

Choudhury is there now. In 1990, many of these people

gathered here to celebrate Nelson Mandela making that long walk to

Freedom. Tonight, many of them have returned, to remember the life of

the great man. One who inspired so many people here to fight for change

and equality. They need to look at what one man faced and endured, it

was like walking through fire. No shortage of tributes today. Nelson

Mandela had the massive effect on Bristol's community, prompting

people to work for change. It wanted us to get involved and work to stop

injustice for everyone, because Nelson Mandela has been an icon for

people in Bristol and across the world in terms of fighting for

justice. It only 50 years ago that black people weren't allowed to

drive this Bristol's bosses. But Mandela's example gave hope to those

fighting for equality. It made me wonder what the colour of my skin

had to do with my rights. I realised that, as a people, we can't struggle

just with violence. We have to put our case forward in a humane way and

bring about change. Much has changed, and many still follow

Mandela's example, pushing for greater equality. There's plenty of

work to be done. We have an unequal city in many ways. It's less on

colour, and more on well. We have to balance those inequalities in this

great city of ours. We also need people to get involved, and care.

Today, the West remembered a towering figure who fought for

change and freedom. A man who lived many thousands of miles away, but

touched so many close to home. Well, no doubt they will be

gathering like this all over the world tonight. But what lasting

legacy will Nelson Mandela leave here in the West? The man who

organised the schedule and was here in 1990 is here. Why did a man

struggle so many e`mails a week means so much to you here? He was an

icon. He showed that you could defeat even the most evil regime if

you put your mind to something. His compassion, hence resoluteness,

showed what you could do, and I think for many people, the struggle

against apartheid also affected people's ability to fight racism

here in Britain. Also with me as a former Sheriff of Britain.

Mandela's legacy has a lasting impact, but how far do we need to

call? We still have a way to go, but if we embody the principles that he

taught us, it's always to think about the future. Finally the future

battle is about economic rights. We have civil rights, but we need to

make sure that people can be on the board of companies, that we have

private and public sector services, whether that is education or health

and leisure. These are the key areas where we can still change and still

do better. Bristol can lead the way. Thank you very much indeed. As one

person said to be denied, the greatest respect of the West can pay

to Nelson Mandela is to make sure that future generations remember his

legacy. Thanks, Sabet. And we'll have more

reaction, including from the Deputy Prime Minister in Cheltenham, a

little later. More news first, though, and a Royal

Marine from Taunton who was convicted of murdering a captured

insurgent in Afghanistan has been sentenced to life in prison.

Sergeant Alexander Blackman was first named publicly yesterday after

being described as Marine A during his trial. The killing was captured

on a camera mounted to the helmet of another serviceman. Sergeant

Blackman has also been dismissed from the armed forces with disgrace.

The jury in the trial of a Bristol mother accused of killing her baby

has been directed by the judge to find her not guilty of manslaughter.

3`month`old Paris Vince`Stephens died of catastrophic head injuries

after being taken to the Bristol Children's Hospital in January.

Teenager Danah Vince and her partner William Stephens have both denied

allegations of manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a

child. The trial continues. There was a sharp warning for

Christmas shoppers in Bristol today ` don't take out loans you can't

afford. Charities are worried that people who are struggling to meet

the cost of Christmas will turn to so`called payday lenders. And one

former manager in the industry has told our business correspondent Dave

Harvey that people were 'routinely' lent more than they could afford.

The whole idea was, whatever someone came in to get, we were trying sell

them the maximum. For six years, Andrew Smith was a manager for high

street payday loan company. Today, the companies insist they are just

meeting demand. But Mr Smith told me the inside story was all about

pushing loans as high as possible. Why did we do that, because we

needed to sell them the maximum, and the chances of them be paying it was

low. Therefore, we would make money and interest. Isn't there something

about making sure the person can be paid the debt? No, there was no real

check on whether they could afford to repay, or whether they had

another run. It was all about making sure that every person who walked in

the door and we could sell money to, we did. In recent months, this

industry has gone from the back streets to the political limelight.

You think you're charges are extortionate? No, we don't accept

that. When they came before MPs, they insisted the only lend

responsibly. These are short`term loans. So maybe Andrew Smith is out

of date? Perhaps the payday lenders have cleaned up their act and stop

encouraging people to take out bigger loans than they can afford.

Well, people who do get into trouble with this kind of lending often end

up here, and the Citizen 's advice bureau. Inside, and is helping a

woman with a stack of payday loans. She has asked us not to show her

face. What started as a sheep under pounds has spiralled into over

?1000. Each loan was taken to pay off the last. They suggested to me

that I should take out a different loan with another company to pay

that one back. And then, when I will be second company, I went back to

the first company to get a loan from them to pay the second company.

Today, staff were out in festive spirit amongst the Christmas

shoppers. Their message, enjoy the fun, but the Wear of the easy money.

94% of clients said no one checked if they could repay the loan. We

don't believe that they are playing by their own rules and protecting

people who borrow from them. In Bridgwater, Andrew Smith is working

for a debt advice charity, helping victims of the interest industry he

still believes are living people into debt. Some people have racked

up enormous debts and a thousands and thousands of pounds. That cannot

be right. Well, Russell Hamblin Boone speaks

for the industry, and earlier I asked him if lenders are pushing

people to take out bigger loans than they should. Now, we're not. For

over a year, we have had restrictions on the number of times

loans can be extended. But people need to have the option to pay off

part of the loan and carry`over other parts of it to pay at a later

time. We heard for someone who was desperate and went to her lender who

told her to go to another lender to pay that back. There are standards

in place to make sure assessments are done, and if a lender find out

someone has an outstanding loan, they must make judgement. You

mentioned affordability assessments, but citizens advice told us that

your members are feeling to ask customers nine times out of ten if

they can afford to pay that back. Our own assessment says we are doing

that. It is not always obvious to someone sat in front of a computer

screen, but those checks are going on behind`the`scenes with a whole

range of different information, because we don't want to lend to

people who can't afford to pay them back. Finally, do you accept the

people coming to you are often desperate, and sometimes in very

vulnerable situations? They are not reading through a lot of small

print, the desperate for the money, so shouldn't your members have more

responsibility? You have to have a regular and disposable income in

order to have alone in first place, and the used by a whole variety of

people, people who are in financial difficulty will get help from the

lender, and we won't be encouraging people to take out short`term loans

that will lead to long`term debt. Many thanks indeed for joining us.

An amateur footballer has been jailed for six months for causing a

crash on the M5 in Somerset that killed his friend and seriously

injured another man. 25`year`old Tom Pilling had already pleaded guilty

to causing death by careless driving and driving without insurance. He

was also disqualified from driving for two years at Taunton Crown

Court. One of the bankers known as the

NatWest Three, who were jailed in America for their part in the Enron

financial scandal, is tonight back behind bars in Gloucestershire.

Giles Darby's serving drinks this time, though, rebuilding his life as

a pub entrepreneur. In his first ever TV interview, he told Scott

Ellis why he feels like a pantomime villain, why Leyhill Prison was a

low point, and why his bar is cash only. I'm not embarrassed about

anything that has happened to me. As far as I'm concerned, I didn't do

anything wrong. Giles Darby ` one of the NatWest

Three. In the US in 2007, they were jailed for conspiring with former

Enron staff to defraud NatWest, pocketing millions. I change of

plea, they have fully accepted responsibility of the significant

lapse in judgement that led to the filing of these charges. Giles Darby

says they pleaded guilty in the US to get shorter jail terms, and

overall were victims caught up in the much larger Enron scandal.

George Bush just wanted to run a mile from any connection with Enron,

and set a task force in motion to put many `` as many people in prison

as possible. We were some of them. I didn't do anything knowingly

illegal. For years in the UK, the trio had fought extradition to the

US, winning support against a treaty drawn up to counter terrorism. We

were unfortunate victims of an unfair treaty. At the time, the head

of the Serious Fraud Office said they would have been extradited

under the old act. Ultimately, Giles Darby served 18 months in US jails

and at Leyhill. I'm not going to say I regret anything, because I don't.

But, would I do something differently? I would at that point

cooperate with the FBI early on, which would not have led to the

years and years of stress afterwards. Ironically perhaps, if

you pop in here for a pint, it is cash only. He does not do credit. I

simply refuse to pay the bank charges for having a credit card

machine. I think they are outrageous. I'm not prepared to pay

them. He has gone from being a highly

flying banker to being a publican. Next, he hopes to set up a chain of

pubs. Sport now, and Alistair Durden's

here. Ali ` tributes to Nelson Mandela from the sporting world too?

Yes, and that will continue over the weekend with all Football League

matches holding a minute's applause before kick`off. There is, of

course, a strong South African influence in our local rugby sides,

not least Bath's Director of Rugby Gary Gold. He met Nelson Mandela on

a couple of occasions when he was assistant coach of the Springboks.

He grew up under apartheid and remembers the impact Mandela's

release from prison had on the country as a whole.

There was an incredible period in our time, and obviously, the fairy

tale continued with the 1995 Rugby World Cup, where he was instrumental

in bringing the nation together. Just an incredible human being, and

one that I don't think we understand the magnitude of. We want and tell

years to come, when the true value of the mandible, out. `` value of

their man will come out. Gary takes his Bath side to Italy

this weekend as they play Mogliano in the European Challenge Cup. In

the Heineken Cup, Gloucester face a trip to Edinburgh on Sunday. Bristol

also face Scottish opposition on the same day as they host Gala in the

British and Irish Cup. In football, Bristol Academy manager

Mark Sampson has been appointed head coach of the England women's team on

a four`year contract. Mark had been at the club for five years, leading

them to two FA Cup finals and Champions League qualification. This

season, they came second in the Women's Super League, their

highest`ever placed finish. Swindon Town's new owner and

chairman says he's in it for the long`haul, and wants to deliver top

flight football. 41`year`old Lee Power is the club's third chairman

this calendar year, having taken control earlier this week. He's now

the sole investor at the League One club. But who is Lee Power, and what

is he promising for Swindon fans? No scarf being held up in the stand

today ` Lee Power says he wants to be a low profile chairman. He's a

former player ` his clubs included Norwich Bradford. Since retiring,

he's been a businessman and a football agent. Something he

believes gives him an advantage. Football is a bit of the jungle. I

think I navigate it quite well, and have a lot of friends and contacts.

I'm well versed in football and now every eventuality. I think that's

what stands me in good stead and gives me an edge over the others. So

you shouldn't be ripped off by agents? I think I need `` when they

turn up here, they will understand that! That's the benefit that I

have, that experience. Power was brought to the club in April by

former chairman Jed McCrory. He says he's invested over ?1 million since,

now buying out other shareholders to take control. That prompted McCrory

to step down this week. He'd bought the club for ?1 in January, saving

it from administration. It leaves just two people on the club's board

` Chairman Lee Power and director Sangita Shah who has been overseeing

the club's finances. A third director will be appointed but they

won't be investing. Lee Power has reassured fans he he's here for the

long`term, and believes the club can challenge for promotion and be run

as a profit`making business. There have been a lot better business

people coming into football, and I'm confident in my ability. I want to

get the team to the championship, and then it will make money. That's

why I'm here, and the only way that I can achieve success is on that

green pitch out there. He's a Swiss resident so can only spend 90 days

in England a year. But he says this will be his main focus and he tries

to give the club some much`needed stability.

You can see more of that interview on our Facebook page and the BBC

Sport Website. Swindon Town aren't in action this weekend, having been

beaten in the last round of the FA Cup. But it's the first game for

Bristol City's new manager Steve Cotterill on Sunday. City take on

non`League side Tamworth, hoping to make it into the draw for the third

round, where the Premier league sides enter the competition. Bristol

Rovers will be hoping for the same as they host Crawley at the Memorial

Stadium tomorrow. In the Championship, Yeovil Town are

looking for their third win in a row, as Charlton are the visitors to

Huish Park. In League Two, Cheltenham travel to Morecambe.

Well, stay with us Ali, as our next guest played a part in a real`life

footballing fairy tale that's now been made into a film. Some of

Manchester United's youth team of 1992 have gone onto to some pretty

big things ` we're talking about the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs

and the Neville brothers, to name a few. And alongside them two decades

ago was Bristol's Raphael Burke, and they've been reunited for the film.

Thanks for joining us. First of all, let's take a look of some of the

pictures when you were in the Class of 92. It must have been quite a

class. What was it like playing with them? At the time, you don't realise

what opportunity you have, but in that team, there are four national

captains, 4000 Premier league appearances, and they are just a

fantastic team so I always say to people it's been a privilege to be

part of that. I was 18. You have seen a lot of those guys go on to

amazing careers. Do you have any regrets? People have asked me that,

but I never have regrets. I just think that you need to do is brush

yourself off, start again, and that's why I have gone into

coaching, to put right what didn't happen then. I have been coaching

for 12 years, and that he's been brilliant to work with the young

players. I want to ask you about the film. I'm a frustrated actors at

heart! What was like being part a major film? It was fantastic. It has

been a whirlwind. If I'm honest, the best part for me was getting on the

pitch again with those players. To play with David Beckham again, Ryan

Giggs, Paul Scholes, it was just brilliant. The fun we had on the day

was fantastic. Widely why did not think you made it like they did? I

think, if you're talented, which people say that I was, you really

need to apply yourself. I was a teenager, I didn't understand that,

with the young players I work with, I just want to say that I say this

to them, talent plus hard work equals good results. Talent by

itself produces nothing. I told the young players but no matter how

skilful they are, they have to apply themselves. Train hard, and keep

pushing yourself. That's what I try to say to the young players. That is

very inspirational. And even if you have about 5% talent, you think you

can make it? I think so, because if you apply yourself, you will make

it. Hope for us all yet! Now let's go back to the big story

here in the West and around the world tonight ` the tributes and

legacy left by Nelson Mandela. Well, it was on the mind of the Deputy

Prime Minister when he toured Cheltenham and Bristol today. Nick

Clegg talked of how the former ANC leader had inspired him ` and he met

a new generation moved by Mandela. Paul Barltrop reports.

It was not politics as usual today. The visit of the Deputy Prime

Minister to two vital Lib Dem`held constituencies felt a little muted.

Instead of scoring points against political foes, Nick Clegg joined

cross`party praise for the departed statesman. Obviously, he had a huge

impression on everyone, but global leaders in British politics today,

all of us were youngsters and teenagers at the time when Nelson

Mandela was exercising such a huge positive influence not only in his

own country, but across the world. Even as the visitor answered

questions from pupils at this Cheltenham school, the man who

united black and white looked on. On Monday, MPs will gather at

Parliament to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela. What do you know about

Mandela? Today, though, at Balcarras and countless other schools,

teachers held special sessions with pupils. Mandela said, no, we have to

have one South Africa. We cannot have two. When these sixth formers

were born, Nelson Mandela was already South Africa's President.

But they all know something of the decades of struggle that went

before. This morning, my dad woke me up by saying, we have had some sad

news. My mum goes to South Africa quite a bit, so it was big news.

It's such a topic that all generation knows about it. It is

hard to take for granted, when he fought for his whole lifetime. The

world will not be the same because of this. Nick Clegg left for his

next visit. The flag at half`mast remainder that politics has lost one

of its greatest. Let's take a look at the weather.

It is fairly chilly, it has to be said, but more will characterise the

weather as we go through the weekend, will be a less cold story.

I think they will be nuanced differences, when you talk about it

being mild or less cold, but temperatures will certainly be on

the rise. The part, a good deal of dry weather through the weekend, but

that said, there will be some shares in western parts. Equally, it will

be a competition of cloud cover and some sunshine, with the best of the

sunshine on Sunday afternoon. Winds later on Saturday. Without somebody

in mind, it's worth noting if I run this sequence right through, the one

common thread through to next week is this bit of pressure to the

south`east. The pressure will always be from a southerly quarter, which

means that it will not be desperately cold. We will see

chillier pictures, but not desperately cold. It looks like

it'll at least next weekend and in the run`up of Christmas, we will be

stuck in a similar pattern. No snow for the foreseeable future. Tonight,

when a two lecturers around, particularly across western areas,

and then clear skies around with". As we get through towards daybreak,

temperatures between two and four Celsius for the majority of us.

Tomorrow, we will need to cater for some showers of the Bristol Channel,

and a availability in the flow as we go through the afternoon. Sharers

initially through the central part of Somerset will become much of

wider at the Northern areas. A filament of cloud around with some

brighter spells in temperatures by the latter stages of mid`afternoon

should be up to in about eight or 10 Celsius. So op on today.

Temperatures may be higher still on Sunday. As we look beyond that into

the start of next week, expect some fog on Sunday night into Monday, and

will remain for a few days, but temperatures fairly healthy for the

time of year. Thank you very much indeed. And just before we leave you

` time to open our sixth window on our advent calendar. And tonight's

picture has been sent by John Hesledon and it's taken in

Marlborough in Wiltshire. Thank you. I'm not sure if any of that white

stuff is on the way this weekend. Let's hope not! I'm sure the shops

are going to be delightful this weekend! Be with you over the

weekend. Sunday Politics is also on this weekend, the last in the

series. Have a lovely weekend. Goodbye.