02/06/2014 BBC Wales Today

Good evening. Who is the best curtain to represent the Carron

Valley in Parliament? A man or a woman? -- best candidate. Labour

Party leaders say that all-female short lists are the best way to get

more women into politics. The Canon Valley has had a female MP for 30

years. The question is, should there be another one? The veteran Labour

MP is retiring, the say the party's candidate at the general election

should come from an all women short list. Others want the freedom to

choose what they believe will be the best candidate regardless of gender.

The fact that we have had a woman MP for 30 years and the woman Assembly

member for 15 and can see that they can do the job is enough for us to

say we should not apply an all women short list. Kier Hardie was a former

MP, the founding member of the Labour Party. That loyalty is

feeling some of the anger of party members because they feel they are

being taken for granted. All women short lists can fuel resentment. In

another seat Peter Law stood as an independent as a result. This woman

has run a local clothes shop for almost as long as they have had

their current MP. I think it should come from a choice of men and

women. It is not fair on the mend. Why would they think a woman would

do a better job than a man? Labour say there have only been 13 women

representing Wales in Parliament for over 100 years. We have always

fought as a party to make sure the elected bodies we have in Britain

reflect what the country looks like as the call. As a whole. The Labour

MP who was selected from an all women short list says they are

needed because women face greater hurdles. What is happening here is

we have seen the last six selections in the Labour heartlands in Wales

all go to men. We are very keen to have all women short lists in these

seats because we have not managed to get women through any other way. It

is unclear exactly which direction they will go. The manager of a

Swansea Valley coal mine where four men drowned has told a court he

inspected the area where they were due to work three times to make sure

there was not a large amount of water there. The men died when the

mine flooded three years ago. The manager of the mine who managed to

escape was giving evidence. He denies four counts of manslaughter

through gross negligence. This was the scene at the mine after four

colliers lost their lives. They all drowned after 650,000 gallons of

water filled the area where they were working. This man was the mine

manager that day and as the defence opened its case this afternoon it

was his turn to give evidence. Before he stepped into the witness

box the jury heard he still suffers from severe post rheumatic stress

disorder as a result of what happened. His barrister said his

condition might hamper his ability to answer questions. It is the

prosecution case that he failed to take proper steps to release the

body of water before starting to work. Giving evidence, he insisted

he had inspected the proposed point of contact with workings on three

separate occasions and there was no substantial body of water there. He

was asked repeatedly if he was sure of that and his reply every time was

yes, am sure. He was then asked if he was lying and he said no, I am

not lying. He was then asked Mikey have been mistaken about where he

was and he replied no, he was not mistaken. Earlier he had sat in

court alongside his wife as the jury were reminded of his reputation as a

mine manager who did everything by the book. She also told them they

must not be swayed by the sensitive nature of the case. The mine

operators also deny four counts of corporate manslaughter. 13 police

community support officers have been sacked and one has quit after an

allegation that they cheated in their final exam. PCS says cannot

arrest people but they can tackle anti-social behaviour. A former

worker at the North Wales children's home has been charged

with instances of indecent assault against a nine-year old boy in the

1980s. An outdoor pursuits instructor at the wall was released

on provisional bail and is due in court later this month. Greece are

appealing for four witnesses after their research into a road accident

continues after a pile-up on a back road. Joe Allen will captain Wales

for the first time on Wednesday night. The Liverpool midfielder has

been given the responsibility in the absence of others who will miss the

World Cup warm up match in Amsterdam. In cricket, rain affected

play. The weather forecast now. The start of June is the start of

meteorological summer but it will feel more springlike this week,

cloudy with rain and bright spells. Tonight is largely cloudy with mist

and outbreaks of rain. Very mild with temperatures in double figures.

Tomorrow will be a mixed day with a lot of cloud around in the morning.

Showers will turn heavy at times. It will turn dryer from the West.

Generally not so warm as the last few days. The south-east of England

hanging on to temperatures in the high teens. Showers easing, more in

the way of sunshine today although it won't be quite so warm. Tomorrow

night and into Wheddon stay, low pressure over the UK will allow

these fronts to push in from the south. Generally much wetter further

east. Mo Sharif further west with a better chance of drier spells. Then

the local years forward and a brief ridge of high pressure starts to

build on Thursday. Probably the best day of the week. Drier and brighter

with decent sunny spells and the small risk of a shower. More rain

moving north-east roads across Wales on Friday then something warmer

although not necessarily more settled into next week. Crimewatch

update from BBC Wales next tonight, we are back at breakfast from six

tomorrow morning. Good night.