:00:00. > :00:08.of Tata's UK plants could be supported by workers
:00:09. > :00:14.and steelmaking communities across Wales, if it goes ahead.
:00:15. > :00:17.I think it could be expanded, not only to the workforce but to the
:00:18. > :00:20.communities, to the families, to the retired steelworkers who spent their
:00:21. > :00:24.lives working in the Port Talbot plant.
:00:25. > :00:27.Ian Thomas is back in work after ten years.
:00:28. > :00:28.Unemployment here is now at its lowest rate
:00:29. > :00:37.kidnapped and beat another man and forced him to work
:00:38. > :00:42.And we're in Machynlleth, the third stop
:00:43. > :00:44.on our tour of Wales, ahead of the election
:00:45. > :00:47.We'll be finding out why living in the countryside
:00:48. > :01:10.Unions say plans for a management buyout of Tata Steel,
:01:11. > :01:14.led by the man who runs its site at Port Talbot, could provide
:01:15. > :01:18.It's understood the deal would mean steel production continues in Wales,
:01:19. > :01:31.Our Business Correspondent Brian Meechan has more.
:01:32. > :01:33.Stuart Wilkie has years of experience in the steel industry.
:01:34. > :01:35.He has had senior roles including at
:01:36. > :01:37.Ebbw Vale before then owners Corus closed it in 2002.
:01:38. > :01:39.When Tata Steel bought that, and the company 's
:01:40. > :01:42.other Welsh steel plants, he went on to run Llanwern,
:01:43. > :01:44.part of which was mothballed last year and Port
:01:45. > :01:48.In January, he told us he hoped the 750 job losses at the site
:01:49. > :02:03.We are very confident as owners and a workforce that we believe
:02:04. > :02:07.we actually can turn this industry around.
:02:08. > :02:10.But a Welsh delegation that headed to Mumbai for a crucial board
:02:11. > :02:12.meeting discovered that was not to be under Tata's leadership.
:02:13. > :02:14.Having invested heavily here, Tata Steel finally lost patience.
:02:15. > :02:17.It decided that the high energy costs and business rates in the UK
:02:18. > :02:20.and the cheap Chinese steel imports were problems that were never
:02:21. > :02:24.It took a look at the survival plan put forward by Stuart Wilkie
:02:25. > :02:27.and his team and decided ultimately that the idea of turning this around
:02:28. > :02:37.in 18 months from loss making to profit was just too risky.
:02:38. > :02:39.The government's involvement as a co-investor is going to be
:02:40. > :02:41.vitally important in this and that will give confidence
:02:42. > :02:44.to whether investors who might need to be brought in to provide
:02:45. > :02:52.the funding that the company is going to need.
:02:53. > :02:56.What is different now is that the UK Government is prepared to co-invest
:02:57. > :02:58.with partners and that could include help with energy costs
:02:59. > :03:03.The Welsh Government is also making more than ?60 million available.
:03:04. > :03:06.We have got to think about what this means in terms of Welsh jobs,
:03:07. > :03:10.the Welsh economy and the fact that it is not just the people
:03:11. > :03:11.employed in Port Talbot and Llanwern and Trostre.
:03:12. > :03:22.It is also what it means to the overall economy.
:03:23. > :03:24.A management buyout would mean bosses and workers investing
:03:25. > :03:38.And some say they would be happy to do that.
:03:39. > :03:41.I think it could be expanded, not only to the workforce
:03:42. > :03:43.but to the communities, the families, the retired
:03:44. > :03:45.steelworkers who spent their lives working in the Port Talbot plant.
:03:46. > :03:48.Welcome to 2016, a New Year, a new beginning for all of us
:03:49. > :03:57.The boss of Liberty Steel in Newport, Sanjeev Gupta
:03:58. > :03:59.is the only other potential buyer to publicly declare an interest.
:04:00. > :04:02.That would bring an end to making steel from scratch at Port Talbot.
:04:03. > :04:06.The management buyout plan would see steel-making remain as it is now,
:04:07. > :04:16.I think it would be very difficult and let's be honest about that
:04:17. > :04:19.but that is what should be at the heart of any future
:04:20. > :04:21.for Tata Steel in the UK, so I am delighted.
:04:22. > :04:24.The two governments, workers and unions seem to be
:04:25. > :04:26.welcoming the proposals for a management buyout.
:04:27. > :04:30.It has certainly added to the options on the table.
:04:31. > :04:37.Brian is in Port Talbot for us tonight.
:04:38. > :04:46.How could this management buyout work? Well, we talk about the
:04:47. > :04:50.survival plan that was rejected ultimately by Tata Steel in Mumbai
:04:51. > :04:53.and that was certainly the case. However, it has been implemented
:04:54. > :04:58.here anyway and they say that they are already seeing ultimately some
:04:59. > :05:02.of the benefits of that. They are seeing better production and they
:05:03. > :05:06.think when it comes down to it, that will make them much better in terms
:05:07. > :05:10.of going to the marketplace and trying to get someone to buy into
:05:11. > :05:15.it. In terms of the management eye out, it has to be treated like any
:05:16. > :05:19.other buyer. There cannot be any of the special privileges for the
:05:20. > :05:22.management buyout teams. But we do know the UK governorate is ready and
:05:23. > :05:25.willing to invest here and we know that the Welsh Government is willing
:05:26. > :05:32.to invest that 60 million that it has talked about and if they can
:05:33. > :05:37.find a way to get money from the workers and put that money together
:05:38. > :05:41.with what the governments are offering, especially on energy costs
:05:42. > :05:44.and dealing with energy costs, they think they would have enough money
:05:45. > :05:48.there to get this place back on a solid footing using that am but of
:05:49. > :05:54.course it is incredibly difficult. This is not going to be easy. And it
:05:55. > :05:58.is not as straightforward as they would like. I do get the sense
:05:59. > :06:01.talking to people today, listening to them talk about this management
:06:02. > :06:03.buyout, there is a sense of optimism and a greater sense of optimism and
:06:04. > :06:07.has been here for a while. Unemployment in Wales has fallen
:06:08. > :06:10.to its lowest rate since the global recession and is now lower
:06:11. > :06:12.than the UK average. The number of people
:06:13. > :06:15.who were unemployed in Wales fell by 5,000 between December
:06:16. > :06:16.and February, while Ian Thomas works on the dairy
:06:17. > :06:24.section of his local But for almost a decade,
:06:25. > :06:27.the 53-year-old was unemployed. He suffered from epilepsy and gained
:06:28. > :06:30.five stone in weight. But with his illness now under
:06:31. > :06:33.control, a scheme run by his local authority helped him back
:06:34. > :06:35.into the labour market I was here for a few months
:06:36. > :06:43.and Tesco kept me on. I put on the weight from not working
:06:44. > :06:46.and working on the dairy section with great colleagues,
:06:47. > :06:49.I lost the weight and my health is a lot better and it meant
:06:50. > :06:52.a lot to me and my family The unemployment figure in Wales
:06:53. > :06:58.now stands at 76,000, that is a fall of 5000
:06:59. > :07:01.between December and February. 5% of our workforce is now
:07:02. > :07:03.unemployed, marginally below the UK On the face of it of course,
:07:04. > :07:14.as a headline figure and a headline It is the first time in a few years
:07:15. > :07:21.that this has been At the same time, I think
:07:22. > :07:24.there are some challenges that the quality of the jobs created
:07:25. > :07:28.are ones which perhaps not as high valued as we would like
:07:29. > :07:31.and we all so have a higher than average for the UK level
:07:32. > :07:42.of economic activity. Today's figures also show that Wales
:07:43. > :07:45.saw a bigger fall in unemployment than any other part of the UK
:07:46. > :07:48.in the last three months. But dark clouds hang over
:07:49. > :07:50.the economic horizon with steel With unemployment so low,
:07:51. > :07:57.it is small wonder that both the UK and the Welsh governments
:07:58. > :08:00.are trying to claim the credit and with the latest figures coming
:08:01. > :08:02.in the middle of an assembly election campaign, where the economy
:08:03. > :08:05.is centrestage, all the political parties are trying to convince
:08:06. > :08:07.the voters that their policies will help when the jobless total
:08:08. > :08:17.down even further. And for more on that story
:08:18. > :08:20.and what the political parties have to say on a variety of issues before
:08:21. > :08:23.the Assembly Election, including The body of a man from Wrexham,
:08:24. > :08:37.who'd been missing in Harry Greaves disappeared
:08:38. > :08:40.earlier this month, after setting off on a solo hike,
:08:41. > :08:51.two days before his 29th birthday. A jury has been hearing from a man
:08:52. > :08:54.who claims he was bought, Michael Hughes told
:08:55. > :08:58.Cardiff Crown Court that prison was like a holiday camp compared
:08:59. > :09:00.with the life he had Mr Connors and three other men
:09:01. > :09:17.are accused of forced labour. Patrick Joseph Connor arriving for
:09:18. > :09:19.the start of the trial. Today he was accused of buying a man and forcing
:09:20. > :09:24.him to work against his will. The court heard from Michael Hughes,
:09:25. > :09:29.originally from Scotland, who came to Wales looking for work. It told
:09:30. > :09:33.the court how often accept and work tarmac in, he believes he was sold
:09:34. > :09:38.by one man to Patrick Joseph Connors. But at that time, he said
:09:39. > :09:43.he believed his luck was about to change, that he would get regular
:09:44. > :09:46.work and a place to live. In fact what followed he said was hard
:09:47. > :09:52.labour with little or no pay. He said he spent two years living in a
:09:53. > :09:56.wooden shed just big enough to lie down in. Until it rotted. He worked
:09:57. > :10:01.seven days a week and was beaten if his work was not up to standard. At
:10:02. > :10:05.one point, he said he ran away to Scotland but within days, but it
:10:06. > :10:10.Joseph Connors had tracked him down. As he went to the dole office in
:10:11. > :10:14.Aberdeen, you was kidnapped and bundled into the boot of a car and
:10:15. > :10:20.driven back to Cardiff. Once back, he was beaten. When police phoned Mr
:10:21. > :10:23.Connah's Quay said he was ordered to say it was all a joke. When
:10:24. > :10:27.interviewed by police, Patrick Joseph Connors denied any
:10:28. > :10:32.wrongdoing. He has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of assault,
:10:33. > :10:36.four of kidnap, one of conspiracy to kidnap. All four defendants are
:10:37. > :10:37.charged with forced labour and all four deny all the charges against
:10:38. > :10:42.them. The case continues. Our tour around Wales,
:10:43. > :10:44.ahead of the Assembly election, No better place to talk
:10:45. > :10:50.power and politics, though don't mention Cardiff Bay
:10:51. > :10:53.in these parts because in this town theyll tell you the first welsh
:10:54. > :10:55.parliament met right here. This is a market town
:10:56. > :10:57.serving a huge area. On a day like today,
:10:58. > :11:00.tourists come from far and wide But two weeks off from the election,
:11:01. > :11:04.what about the political landscape? One of the most historic
:11:05. > :11:20.towns in Wales. Machynlleth, the most Westerly town
:11:21. > :11:21.in the constituency of Montgomeryshire,
:11:22. > :11:23.in the heart of the Mid These are all hand decorated in
:11:24. > :11:38.Wales. It currently has a Conservative
:11:39. > :11:40.Assembly Member and MP, but the past has been
:11:41. > :11:42.rooted in Liberalism. The Lib Dems will be fighting hard
:11:43. > :11:45.to sell their wares and overturn In the last Assembly election,
:11:46. > :11:55.turnout across Mid and West Wales Here in Montgomeryshire nearly
:11:56. > :12:03.half voted. In neighbouring Ceredigion,
:12:04. > :12:05.the Liberals are also hoping There, Plaid's majority is one
:12:06. > :12:08.of the smallest in Wales, are pounding the pavements
:12:09. > :12:20.across this region. Labour, Conservative,
:12:21. > :12:21.Plaid Cymru, Lib Dems, Ukip and the Green Party see this
:12:22. > :12:24.part of Wales as their chance This is the Owain Glyndwr Centre,
:12:25. > :12:35.considered to be the site where the first Welsh parliament met
:12:36. > :12:38.to discuss the future of Wales. It's the recent past that's grabbed
:12:39. > :12:40.the headlines today, As you heard earlier,
:12:41. > :12:44.unemployment in Wales has fallen to below the UK rate for the first
:12:45. > :12:46.time in years. But in this area
:12:47. > :12:48.wages are still low. Our economics correspondent
:12:49. > :12:50.Sarah Dickins now on the challenges of finding well paid
:12:51. > :13:00.work in rural wales. Amid the beautiful rolling hills,
:13:01. > :13:02.manufacturing has long been an important part of mid Wales
:13:03. > :13:04.but the types of Here in Newtown, the big employer
:13:05. > :13:08.has left and this old factory site In Powys, 90% of firms have fewer
:13:09. > :13:20.than nine workers. Laundry for hotels,
:13:21. > :13:22.holiday lets and families, after eight years there are now
:13:23. > :13:24.five women working here This type of business
:13:25. > :13:28.is typical of rural Wales. Behind all the doors,
:13:29. > :13:31.you will find a different And some are small and some
:13:32. > :13:37.are large, it is hard to tell until you open the door
:13:38. > :13:40.and have a look inside. It sounds like a lot
:13:41. > :13:42.of the work in this area then Yes, there is and really much scope
:13:43. > :13:49.for anything more. Before Bea Jones moved into town,
:13:50. > :13:57.she struggled to get to work in Newtown by bus from her home
:13:58. > :14:01.five miles away. Sometimes, they don't turn up
:14:02. > :14:04.at all, so it can be difficult. It is quite a walk to take
:14:05. > :14:06.along the main roads, so you have to walk along the canal
:14:07. > :14:09.and that is about an There are a lot of people working
:14:10. > :14:17.in Powys, in fact unemployment here is half the rate
:14:18. > :14:20.that it is for Wales as a whole. Those people working are likely
:14:21. > :14:22.to be taking home less pay. On average, wages here are ?60
:14:23. > :14:25.a week less than the And they are twice as likely to be
:14:26. > :14:32.self-employed and what that means is that they won't have the benefits
:14:33. > :14:35.of holiday pay and sick pay. Just outside Welshpool,
:14:36. > :14:37.a Welsh owned company In 18 years, this firm has gone
:14:38. > :14:42.from three local men in a shared to a firm employing 170 people
:14:43. > :14:45.and a turnover of ?24 million. Their electronic drives make motors
:14:46. > :14:48.that are energy-efficient and can be found in a host of
:14:49. > :14:50.different industries. So how do we help more Welsh
:14:51. > :14:52.firms develop into big I am the son of a Welsh farmer
:14:53. > :15:03.and now we run a electronics, It is confidence to look out
:15:04. > :15:08.and using the skills of our local people, then mixed with confidence,
:15:09. > :15:11.how good-looking, there is no reason why others cannot follow
:15:12. > :15:22.what we have done. And the advantage to the Welsh
:15:23. > :15:25.economy of firms like this is they tend to pay higher wages
:15:26. > :15:28.that get spent locally. So if most people who can
:15:29. > :15:36.are working, what is needed? That would keep younger people
:15:37. > :15:38.in the area. That is what we need
:15:39. > :15:41.is to have the younger folk It is a shame because rural
:15:42. > :15:44.areas are just getting lost, all the old people
:15:45. > :15:49.are buying the houses. And that is the challenge,
:15:50. > :15:51.the more better paid workers there are in a community,
:15:52. > :15:53.the more high spenders, the better it is for a range
:15:54. > :15:56.of local businesses and the economy So what are the parties offering
:15:57. > :16:17.when it comes to supporting economy Nine out of ten businesses in this
:16:18. > :16:20.area into a fewer than ten people and so there are some economic
:16:21. > :16:24.policies that really do make a difference for those smaller kinds
:16:25. > :16:27.of businesses. One of them is business rates and all of the
:16:28. > :16:30.parties really agree that business rates for small businesses should be
:16:31. > :16:34.cut. They just vary on the amounts that they would. And then there is
:16:35. > :16:39.other incentives that can help, for instance on activity. Superfast Lord
:16:40. > :16:45.Barnett and good mobile coverage. The Conservatives are offering more
:16:46. > :16:49.promising if you like to have universal everyone having good
:16:50. > :16:55.broadband and good mobile signal by 2019. Labour is saying 96% of
:16:56. > :16:58.properties by 2017. And bubble that as well, there are things like what
:16:59. > :17:04.Plaid Cymru are calling re-localisation. Spending more money
:17:05. > :17:08.on the local committee. The Lib Dems want specific rule apprenticeships.
:17:09. > :17:12.And Ukip is wanting to give more power to local people to decide
:17:13. > :17:19.things like new supermarkets or solar farms. And good jobs news
:17:20. > :17:22.today but there is a bug. Yes, it is good news because this is the first
:17:23. > :17:26.time for two years that we have lower unemployment in Wales than the
:17:27. > :17:29.UK average and it is the lowest and implement figures that we have had
:17:30. > :17:35.in Wales since the recession in 2008. We do need to remember here in
:17:36. > :17:43.Powys, wage rates are about ?6 per week less than the UK average and
:17:44. > :17:46.the UK is about ?6 per week lower than... Wales is lower than the UK.
:17:47. > :17:51.We have lots of jobs but they are not high value and they're not
:17:52. > :17:54.bringing good wages home. We are fairly low in terms of productivity.
:17:55. > :17:57.That is the challenge really. We have the jobs but it is about making
:17:58. > :18:01.them more valuable to individuals and to the economy.
:18:02. > :18:04.Well, in the days until we all go to the polls, the leaders
:18:05. > :18:06.of the five larger political parties, along with the Greens,
:18:07. > :18:09.will be doing all they can to win your vote.
:18:10. > :18:11.Tonight, for the first time in this campaign,
:18:12. > :18:14.they will all be in the same room for a TV debate.
:18:15. > :18:15.Our political editor Nick Servini is there.
:18:16. > :18:42.That is right. It is the first of two televised debates. Carwyn Jones
:18:43. > :18:45.from Labour has just arrived. He will be up against Andrew RT Davies
:18:46. > :18:50.for the Conservatives, Leanne Wood of the Liberal Democrats, Kirsty
:18:51. > :18:55.Williams, Nathan Geller and Alice August out for the Greens. I am
:18:56. > :19:02.expert in quite a lively affair. Most of those politicians took part
:19:03. > :19:05.in the debates last week and be busy Wells in which they were on their
:19:06. > :19:08.own in front of a studio audience. In that respect, they should be
:19:09. > :19:15.battle hardened, sharp and ready to go. We have already had all the
:19:16. > :19:20.manifestos. Oldman expect anything new on the policy front. This will
:19:21. > :19:27.be about the interaction between the leaders. Order by Sue Green Ritalin
:19:28. > :19:32.a fine. Look of the personal chemistry between them. One final
:19:33. > :19:37.point, as has been a slightly strange; they in the sense that so
:19:38. > :19:40.much of it is been about responding to external events. European
:19:41. > :19:46.referendum, the steel crisis, of course, and tonight, a real
:19:47. > :19:49.opportunity for all the leaders to stick their claim on prime-time
:19:50. > :19:52.television on ITV for two hours and somehow get the assembly campaign
:19:53. > :19:56.etched into the public concerts this. Something I think it has
:19:57. > :20:01.struggled to do a bit so far. We've been asking throughout this
:20:02. > :20:03.campaign - what you want from the next Welsh government
:20:04. > :20:06.as part of My Manifesto 2016. Ian Fowler from Cardiff runs
:20:07. > :20:09.a cocktail lounge and got in touch about issues
:20:10. > :20:17.surrounding independent traders. What you would change
:20:18. > :20:19.is you found yourself in power? Here's what's top of
:20:20. > :20:30.Ian Fowler's wishlist. If I were First Minister,
:20:31. > :20:32.I would make planning decisions fairer for
:20:33. > :20:36.small independent businesses. Up and down the country,
:20:37. > :20:38.independent traders have been feeling the pressure from the big
:20:39. > :20:40.chains, and on Whitchurch High Street, we're
:20:41. > :20:42.hearing the same story. Ian says the food and drinks sector
:20:43. > :20:45.here is a crowded market. Whitchurch High Street was built
:20:46. > :20:47.on the principle of having independent traders bringing jobs
:20:48. > :20:50.and different types of businesses What we have found over
:20:51. > :20:53.the last five to ten years, those independent businesses are
:20:54. > :20:56.being crowded out by the corporates. It started life as a simple coffee
:20:57. > :21:09.shop back in 2005 but to keep afloat It's now a restaurant
:21:10. > :21:12.and cocktail lounge. The increase in competition
:21:13. > :21:14.in the cafe sector Two years ago, a chain opened up
:21:15. > :21:25.down the road, another It makes it extremely difficult
:21:26. > :21:27.because their buying Naomi Gropetis is co-owner
:21:28. > :21:33.of the business and knows the pitfalls of life
:21:34. > :21:34.as an independent. I agree with the minimum wage,
:21:35. > :21:37.I agree with the pensions We are getting absolutely battered
:21:38. > :21:44.from every single angle. So when it comes to planning
:21:45. > :21:47.what are the rules? Well, your local council can't
:21:48. > :21:48.favour an application from an independent
:21:49. > :21:50.business over a chain. The can offer grants to help small
:21:51. > :21:53.businesses compete, for example, What would you change to make
:21:54. > :21:58.life easier for smaller I would insist that planning
:21:59. > :22:05.when they receive an application for a new premises, they actually
:22:06. > :22:08.look at the individual company and make it a 50-50 split
:22:09. > :22:10.between independent retail and corporate and make it fairer
:22:11. > :22:18.for the smaller man. Tough times on the High Street,
:22:19. > :22:21.but Ian hopes he's provided food And you can find out more
:22:22. > :22:34.about what the parties are offering small businesses on the BBC Wales
:22:35. > :22:40.news website. We still want your ideas
:22:41. > :22:42.for My Manifesto. Lucy has been in Beaumaris
:22:43. > :22:45.for a story we'll be bringing The Menai Strait looking beautiful
:22:46. > :22:53.in the sunshine and this area relies heavily on attracting tourists,
:22:54. > :22:55.especially since the closure of Anglesey Aluminium and the wind
:22:56. > :22:58.down of Wylfa Nuclear Power Station. If I were First Minister,
:22:59. > :23:11.I would be wanting to insure that all our young graduates have
:23:12. > :23:14.jobs after university. If I were First Minister,
:23:15. > :23:17.I would educate people to understand that raising taxes is necessary
:23:18. > :23:20.to bring back key services. Tell us what you would do
:23:21. > :23:25.if you were in charge of Wales. And after the votes are counted,
:23:26. > :23:28.I will be passing on your ideas If you live there,
:23:29. > :23:47.we'd love to see you. Rugby and it's been
:23:48. > :24:00.announced tonight that Newport Gwent Dragons Director
:24:01. > :24:03.of Rugby Lyn Jones has left his job. The region say it follows a period
:24:04. > :24:06.away due to illness. Head coach Kingsley Jones
:24:07. > :24:08.will take charge for The Dragons face a European
:24:09. > :24:11.Challenge Cup semifinal In cricket, Glamorgan have
:24:12. > :24:23.lost their opening Championship On the final day at the Swalec
:24:24. > :24:28.Stadium, visitors Leicestershire wrapped up a comfortable 10 wicket
:24:29. > :24:34.win. Time for a look at the
:24:35. > :24:54.weather - Sue's here. It has been the warmest day of the
:24:55. > :25:02.year so far across Wales. 19 Celsius. And we have more of the
:25:03. > :25:05.same tomorrow. But after a very mild day, it will be a chilly night
:25:06. > :25:15.across Wales. Temperatures dropping away under the clear skies. We could
:25:16. > :25:21.see a few frost patches tomorrow morning. Some missed as well and
:25:22. > :25:25.turning into another fine day across Wales. Some low-level cloud
:25:26. > :25:31.developing from the south-west. The sunshine a little hazy at times. It
:25:32. > :25:38.should remain dry. Slightly colder than today but as temperatures
:25:39. > :25:42.remain quite high again. It is tomorrow night that we start to see
:25:43. > :25:45.the change. We have a front that is pushing up from the south which
:25:46. > :25:52.could bring some rain into South Wales. The cloud will hold up the
:25:53. > :25:58.temperatures overnight between five and eight Celsius. On Friday, rain
:25:59. > :26:03.moving up from the south. Drier in the North and it will turn colder
:26:04. > :26:05.for the weekend. We will have the graphics again later.
:26:06. > :26:08.And a reminder of our top story this evening, a union tells us
:26:09. > :26:11.steelworkers in Port Talbot would be prepared to invest their own money
:26:12. > :26:16.I'll have a quick update at 8pm and a full round up
:26:17. > :26:21.From everyone on the programme, thanks for watching.