24/04/2017 BBC Wales Today


24/04/2017

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Welcome to Wales Today - our headlines tonight:

:00:00.:00:00.

A new election, some old faces - former Plaid Cymru

:00:00.:00:08.

leader Ieuan Wyn Jones - the latest to throw his hat into

:00:09.:00:11.

With just weeks to go, tonight the race to find candidates.

:00:12.:00:22.

They are not expected to be finding candidates for some time, some

:00:23.:00:30.

years. Now they have to do it in a matter of days.

:00:31.:00:40.

Tonight's other headlines - teenager Ethan Williams,

:00:41.:00:41.

waiting two and a half years for a kidney operation.

:00:42.:00:51.

really impacting on my life. It shouldn't have taken this long. It's

:00:52.:00:58.

just unacceptable. Astronomers flock from

:00:59.:01:00.

all over the country to enjoy our dark skies

:01:01.:01:02.

but could that be about to change? Why nature lovers

:01:03.:01:05.

want to buy 300 acres And in tonight's sport:

:01:06.:01:07.

He started the London Marathon as an amateur

:01:08.:01:13.

but finished booking himself Josh Griffiths from Ammanford stuns

:01:14.:01:15.

the athletics world. He used to be a big name

:01:16.:01:25.

in politics, the Plaid Cymru MP Now Ieuan Wyn Jones

:01:26.:01:30.

wants to make a comeback and stand once again

:01:31.:01:37.

in his old constituency of Ynys Mon This comes as all parties

:01:38.:01:41.

are working frantically behind the scenes to chose candidates

:01:42.:01:45.

after last week's surprise Here's our political

:01:46.:01:47.

editor Nick Servini. He's one of the big

:01:48.:01:56.

beasts of Welsh politics. Ieuan Wyn Jones has been

:01:57.:01:59.

on the scene for many years. Not only is the former MP

:02:00.:02:03.

and assembly member that Anglesey, but as the Welsh government's forma

:02:04.:02:06.

Deputy First Minister. It's been confirmed that he'll

:02:07.:02:12.

try to become Plaid's candidate in June but he'll have to win

:02:13.:02:17.

the nomination is against a number of others within

:02:18.:02:21.

the party on Wednesday. In these exceptional circumstances

:02:22.:02:23.

and they are exceptional circumstances, I believe we need

:02:24.:02:25.

people of experience, people who know the political system,

:02:26.:02:27.

you know how to campaign who have got experience both in parliament

:02:28.:02:30.

and the assembly, the Welsh All that experience

:02:31.:02:33.

should be put to use. If he wins, he'll be up

:02:34.:02:38.

against the current Labour MP, Albert Owen, whose confirmed

:02:39.:02:41.

he is seeking re-election. He was in the seat two years ago

:02:42.:02:45.

with a majority of just 229. There is also likely to be a strong

:02:46.:02:50.

Conservative challenge. After all, this was a Tory

:02:51.:02:53.

seat in the 1980s when The BBC will publish

:02:54.:02:57.

a full list of candidates Big name or not, there's always

:02:58.:03:02.

the debate about whether people vote for parties or personalities

:03:03.:03:06.

in general elections. It's the parties behind their

:03:07.:03:10.

policies and what they represent and what they have to offer instead

:03:11.:03:13.

of just a name. It is going to be both but it

:03:14.:03:19.

depends on the strength I'm still thinking about it but it's

:03:20.:03:23.

probably going to be the party. The announcement by the Plaid's

:03:24.:03:37.

forma leader comes as the current leader, Leanne Wood,

:03:38.:03:39.

said she would not be leader, Leanne Wood, said

:03:40.:03:48.

she would not be fighting her seat Today the Liberal Democrats

:03:49.:03:50.

announced the former assembly member, Lynette Parrott,

:03:51.:03:53.

will stand in Cardiff Central against the current

:03:54.:03:55.

Labour MP, Jo Stephens. This is a top target

:03:56.:03:57.

seat for the Lib Dems Expect many more names

:03:58.:03:59.

to emerge in the coming days. The parties have set procedures

:04:00.:04:05.

in place to choose candidates but everything has been shunted

:04:06.:04:07.

forward because in a short campaign, Also in a short campaign,

:04:08.:04:10.

there is no time to build up a profile and that's why

:04:11.:04:14.

the parties, if they can will try to select those

:04:15.:04:19.

who are already recognised names. One leading academic says there's

:04:20.:04:22.

a big scramble going on behind the scenes as no one was expecting

:04:23.:04:25.

having to find candidates for a number of years and now it has

:04:26.:04:28.

to be done within a matter of days. Often parties will take weeks,

:04:29.:04:35.

if not months to select a candidate. There will be a whole process

:04:36.:04:39.

involving meetings in different parts of the constituencies

:04:40.:04:42.

and discussions and A lot of it will have to go

:04:43.:04:47.

by the board because parties have to have people in place soon

:04:48.:04:53.

and ready to fight the election and if that means short-circuiting

:04:54.:04:58.

some of the normal mechanisms. There's a growing sense of urgency

:04:59.:05:00.

surrounding the elections. Every day without a candidate

:05:01.:05:03.

will be considered a wasted day Nick - a poll out tonight suggesting

:05:04.:05:06.

voting intentions in Wales - polls do come with a health warning

:05:07.:05:19.

but it is interesting. These are the results. The

:05:20.:05:33.

Conservatives -- conservatives are at 41%, Labour at 30%, Plaid Cymru

:05:34.:05:38.

Bill at 8% and Lib Dems, 6%. Professor Roger, a respected figure,

:05:39.:05:56.

is talking about us being on the brink of an electoral earthquake. If

:05:57.:06:01.

this is projected to the number of seats in Wales in the general

:06:02.:06:06.

election, this poll has predicted the Conservatives, 21. From Labour,

:06:07.:06:11.

15 in Wales. Plaid Cymru, three. Lib Dems, one. This is one pole and we

:06:12.:06:17.

have an entire general election campaign ahead. It is dangerous in a

:06:18.:06:25.

way, this projection. There is all sorts of local factors and

:06:26.:06:29.

personalities to take into account. We should say bees are sensational

:06:30.:06:34.

predictions and as such, they will create a lot of noise and I think we

:06:35.:06:39.

will form a dramatic backdrop to the campaign in Wales over the coming

:06:40.:06:40.

weeks. The parents of a 14-year-old boy

:06:41.:06:43.

from Burry Port have told this programme it's totally

:06:44.:06:45.

unacceptable their son has had to wait two and a half years

:06:46.:06:47.

for a kidney operation. Ethan Matthews was told in 2014

:06:48.:06:51.

he needed to have his left kidney removed

:06:52.:06:53.

because it wasn't working. But he's still waiting

:06:54.:06:58.

for the operation and says without it,

:06:59.:07:00.

he can't live a normal life. The family have been speaking

:07:01.:07:03.

to our reporter Aled Scourfield. Playing his favourite game. Ethan

:07:04.:07:16.

looks like any typical 14-year-old. But he can do the things most of the

:07:17.:07:21.

teenagers do because one of his kidneys isn't working. It has been

:07:22.:07:26.

really hard to cope in doing certain things. I'm limited to doing what I

:07:27.:07:32.

want and what I choose. His problems started when a lump appeared on his

:07:33.:07:36.

left side three years ago. A cheaper to be put into drain it and he was

:07:37.:07:41.

left with a tract that wouldn't heal. He was told his left kidney

:07:42.:07:45.

was known on the functioning and he needed to have it removed. Despite

:07:46.:07:49.

being put on an urgent waiting list com here still waiting to have this

:07:50.:07:53.

operation at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. He has to take

:07:54.:07:59.

antibiotics on a daily basis and have his dressings changed two or

:08:00.:08:03.

three times a week. It shouldn't have taken this long. He was given a

:08:04.:08:08.

date in January but the operation was cancelled after he caught and

:08:09.:08:14.

affection. His parents have failed -- have complained about the delay.

:08:15.:08:18.

They told me it has had a major impact on their son's life. He is

:08:19.:08:26.

restricted in what he can do. We can't go to the local swimming pool

:08:27.:08:31.

because of the risk of infection on his side. Contact sports, is not

:08:32.:08:37.

allowed to perform in. Do you think two and a half years is too long to

:08:38.:08:43.

wait? It is unacceptable for any child. The latest figures show there

:08:44.:08:50.

can be a delay for some. 77% of children start treatment within 26

:08:51.:08:55.

weeks. The Welsh government target is 595% to be treated. 13 per seat

:08:56.:09:07.

-- percent... This doctor is retired with 30 years experience and says

:09:08.:09:12.

the delay in even's treatment is unacceptable. This is very bad and

:09:13.:09:17.

if the University Hospital of Wales cannot deliver the service, then

:09:18.:09:20.

they should look for the service somewhere else. The money from

:09:21.:09:28.

carrying out this procedure should come out of the University Hospital

:09:29.:09:32.

of Wales' bank account. A spokesperson said...

:09:33.:09:46.

For Ethan come his operation can't come soon enough so he can get on

:09:47.:09:50.

with the rest of his life. A patient with a serious

:09:51.:09:52.

mental health condition and complex medical needs,

:09:53.:09:54.

has been waiting to be discharged from hospital

:09:55.:09:58.

in the Hywel Dda Health Board area The patient is expected to leave

:09:59.:10:00.

hospital in around six months, after arrangements were made

:10:01.:10:04.

for their care. The Welsh Government says

:10:05.:10:06.

delayed transfers of care are at their lowest level

:10:07.:10:09.

for 12 years. Long-haul flights from Cardiff

:10:10.:10:13.

to the Middle East have been Planes will start flying to Doha,

:10:14.:10:16.

Quatar's capital, from 2018. Cardiff airport saw a 16% increase

:10:17.:10:22.

in passenger numbers last year. The sky above the Brecon Beacons

:10:23.:10:28.

National Park is considered some of the darkest in the UK,

:10:29.:10:31.

but there are concerns that new streetlights are too bright

:10:32.:10:34.

and damaging its reputation The international body which granted

:10:35.:10:37.

the area the prestigious dark-sky status in 2013,

:10:38.:10:43.

says it's investigating after the lights were put

:10:44.:10:44.

in by the Welsh Government. Whether it views of the Milky Way,

:10:45.:11:02.

the major consolations or even meteor showers. The sky brew of the

:11:03.:11:06.

Brecon Beacons is considered one of the best. It is one of a handful of

:11:07.:11:10.

dark sky reserves in the world, which means extra effort should be

:11:11.:11:15.

made to prevent like pollution so there are distant galaxies can be

:11:16.:11:22.

seen. Here we are in Wales and viewing the night sky from a place

:11:23.:11:26.

like this is different from doing it in a town centre. The Brecon Beacons

:11:27.:11:32.

has become a tourist destination for experts as well as amateurs. These

:11:33.:11:36.

are not the bright lights they are hoping to find. A row of

:11:37.:11:42.

streetlights next to a dedicated cam for astronomy enthusiasts were twice

:11:43.:11:47.

a year, 120 people come to enjoy the dark skies. This year has been a

:11:48.:11:53.

disappointment. It is like daylight down there. We can see our shadows

:11:54.:11:58.

whereas before we had to move around the camp with torches. It is more

:11:59.:12:03.

widespread. We discovered last night that the sky is glowing. We can see

:12:04.:12:11.

several places. Brecon Beacons is glowing under the sky. The Welsh

:12:12.:12:18.

government installed the lights as part of another great. To the

:12:19.:12:22.

surprise of the National Park authority. The Welsh Goodman says

:12:23.:12:26.

the streetlights or for road safety. It says they are greener than the

:12:27.:12:32.

old streetlights. These are LED lights and said it never wanted to

:12:33.:12:36.

affect the environment but will consider dimming the lights if there

:12:37.:12:41.

is no impact on safety. The International Dark Skies Association

:12:42.:12:45.

which gave the pocket special status says it is concerned about these

:12:46.:12:49.

developments. It says the lights are not consistent with the Brecon

:12:50.:12:55.

Beacons' commitment to preservation or the organisation's guidelines. It

:12:56.:13:00.

is too early to see if their status is in jeopardy. It seems everyone

:13:01.:13:04.

wants to work together to find a solution but the camp may not be

:13:05.:13:09.

back and will -- and will now keep it I on the situation as close -- as

:13:10.:13:12.

well as the sky. Much more to come

:13:13.:13:14.

before seven o'clock. It's quite a climb -

:13:15.:13:15.

why conservationists want to buy this 300 acres of windswept

:13:16.:13:18.

Welsh mountain. And he hasn't even got a coach -

:13:19.:13:19.

the amateur runner who's taken the athletics world by storm

:13:20.:13:22.

recording the fastest British time With the political agenda dominated

:13:23.:13:25.

by the General Election, you'd be forgiven for forgetting

:13:26.:13:36.

that in ten days, we will be voting for who represents us

:13:37.:13:39.

on councils across Wales. There are 22 local authorities

:13:40.:13:44.

in Wales with more than 1,200 The areas in which they have

:13:45.:13:46.

responsibility include schools, social care, refuse and recycling

:13:47.:13:50.

and setting council tax rates. They also include some

:13:51.:13:59.

services for young people. Tonight, there's a call

:14:00.:14:02.

for more help to be given to Voluntary Youth Services,

:14:03.:14:04.

with a warning that almost a third of the providers

:14:05.:14:06.

are worried they survive Earlier this year there are youth

:14:07.:14:33.

club sessions here which stopped. The youth workers came out here.

:14:34.:14:41.

Even if it is a bigger family. If there is nothing fun to do, they go

:14:42.:14:45.

to mountains and do fires and get in trouble with the police. The company

:14:46.:14:50.

providing the youth workers said it didn't cut its budget but in the

:14:51.:14:54.

long term, it felt it simply couldn't provide a quality service

:14:55.:14:57.

by only being open a few hours a week. It is not doing what it was

:14:58.:15:03.

meant to do. Youth workers more than a few activities to distract young

:15:04.:15:07.

people. It is about engaging with young people and dealing with

:15:08.:15:12.

complex issues that they have. The council says it is working to

:15:13.:15:15.

deliver services here and the Welsh government is working on a new

:15:16.:15:19.

national plan. There is concern that many good voluntary youth services

:15:20.:15:25.

will be lost in the meantime. Dozens of these organisations would be

:15:26.:15:30.

around. That could be the case. They will be struggling and some won't

:15:31.:15:34.

survive at all. Committee development projects are being

:15:35.:15:37.

constructed and there are ways we can work with the private sector in

:15:38.:15:41.

relation to collaborating with them to see the benefits in the

:15:42.:15:47.

communities. Open doors at this centre for young people. Weekdays,

:15:48.:15:57.

12 till four. They can come in, play snooker, look for jobs. I was a very

:15:58.:16:02.

annoying young person and everyone helped me and I progressed.

:16:03.:16:08.

Providing practical, vocational courses here brings in money from

:16:09.:16:12.

employment and education budgets. It means they are in a good position to

:16:13.:16:17.

provide other important services. The most important thing is when you

:16:18.:16:20.

see them getting a job. They didn't think they were worth it. Why would

:16:21.:16:28.

they pick me over anyone else? Could this work everywhere? It would be

:16:29.:16:34.

difficult for smaller places because of resources. It can be done but it

:16:35.:16:39.

takes a lot of driven people. Councils don't have to provide youth

:16:40.:16:44.

services. Very little of this centre's budget comes from council

:16:45.:16:49.

grants but they are expanding here providing continuity where other

:16:50.:16:51.

services are shrinking. How many others are in a position to do

:16:52.:16:53.

something similar? Tomorrow we're looking at the impact

:16:54.:16:55.

of funding cuts on leisure services. And for more information on the

:16:56.:16:59.

Council Elections where you live - Two environmental charities have

:17:00.:17:02.

joined forces to try and buy a windswept Welsh mountain and turn

:17:03.:17:07.

it into a haven for rare wildlife. 300 acres, formerly used to graze

:17:08.:17:10.

sheep, is up for sale The charities say it's

:17:11.:17:19.

an unique opportunity to experiment with a different

:17:20.:17:22.

approach to conservation. Our Environment Correspondent

:17:23.:17:24.

Steffan Messenger reports. Rugged and remote. If you want to

:17:25.:17:36.

get away from it all, there is no better place to head to damn mid

:17:37.:17:42.

Wales' Cumbrian Mountains. It is not every day a 300 acre patch of land

:17:43.:17:50.

comes at the sale here. This is Cefn Coch south of Machynlleth. A slice

:17:51.:17:55.

of mountain side up for grabs and a unique opportunity for a partnership

:17:56.:18:00.

of conservation charities. It has been a few years since this land has

:18:01.:18:04.

been grazed. We can see that in terms of these little birch trees

:18:05.:18:10.

here and there is Willows around as well. The plan is to plant 5000

:18:11.:18:14.

native trees at the top of the rich and then let nature take its course.

:18:15.:18:19.

It is a different approach to what the Woodland Trust might have done

:18:20.:18:25.

in the past. To use natural processes to recreate, to restore

:18:26.:18:30.

landscape. We hope to do something special here. The project is the

:18:31.:18:34.

first part of the plan to establish a network of wild woodland across

:18:35.:18:38.

the Cumbrian Mountains. But the idea of re-wilding our landscapes is

:18:39.:18:43.

controversial with some worried about the impact it could have on

:18:44.:18:48.

them. We facing Brexit and there is the future of Welsh farming. Are not

:18:49.:18:54.

suggesting the approaches something we imagine the whole of the Welsh

:18:55.:19:00.

uplands being detained. This is one area we can try out something

:19:01.:19:05.

different. An anonymous donor has pledged ?200,000 to help the charity

:19:06.:19:10.

by the site. They need to raise a further. Why does it matter? It is

:19:11.:19:18.

an issue hotly debated by a host of different environmental

:19:19.:19:25.

organisations. Lots of why don't -- biodiversity. The natural world

:19:26.:19:30.

around us. It is happening at an alarming rate, so protecting

:19:31.:19:32.

landscapes like these should be a priority. Over time, the hope is

:19:33.:19:40.

Kevin's Wildwood land could attract rare animals and birds. The public

:19:41.:19:48.

would also be welcome to walk and cycle. A boost to the local economy,

:19:49.:19:52.

the charity says. They have until the end of May to raise enough cash

:19:53.:19:57.

to turn their dream of a wildlife haven on this remote mountainside

:19:58.:19:58.

into a reality. Let's get tonight's Sport

:19:59.:19:59.

now, here's Claire. It's been a weekend one running club

:20:00.:20:01.

in Swansea won't forget. Two members of the Swansea Harriers

:20:02.:20:05.

grabbed all the headlines Matthew Rees, has been praised

:20:06.:20:07.

for helping a struggling His club has tonight offered

:20:08.:20:18.

to pay Matthew's expenses for next years marathon

:20:19.:20:21.

and Josh Griffiths stunned the athletics world

:20:22.:20:23.

by finishing as the fastest Brit. As Tomos Dafydd reports,

:20:24.:20:25.

he's now secured a place The moment Josh Griffiths realised

:20:26.:20:39.

what he had achieved. Without a job, coach or any experience of running

:20:40.:20:42.

marathons, Josh produced the unexpected. Back home tonight, the

:20:43.:20:48.

23-year-old reflected with his father on an unforgettable 24 hours.

:20:49.:20:53.

It is crazy and still hasn't sunk in. My phone is buzzing nonstop.

:20:54.:20:59.

Can't reply to everyone yet. It has gone crazy. One proud dad. Nick, you

:21:00.:21:05.

are following his progress every step of the way. By the time he got

:21:06.:21:12.

to my late team, he pulled away and looked full of running. I was

:21:13.:21:17.

getting quite excited. It was a mad -- to get two mile 25 but when I got

:21:18.:21:22.

there, I didn't expect him to be as far ahead as he was. You have made

:21:23.:21:27.

it to the World Championships in August. You haven't got a coach at

:21:28.:21:33.

the moment. I think I will be doing what I have been doing because it

:21:34.:21:39.

has worked so far. He was 13th overall and beat many of the elite

:21:40.:21:44.

field. He finished the race within the World Championship qualifying

:21:45.:21:48.

time. He wasn't the only one from the Swansea Harriers that shone

:21:49.:21:52.

yesterday. At 26 miles and with the finishing line in sight, Matthew

:21:53.:21:56.

Rees sacrificed his own race to help a stranger. When someone is in need,

:21:57.:22:02.

you want to help them out and it was important he had got to the finish

:22:03.:22:10.

line with 200 metres left. I was shouting in his ear saying, "Come

:22:11.:22:16.

on, come on, you can do this. I will stay with you." Maybe I was

:22:17.:22:22.

overzealous with his support. The man who helped pay tribute to the

:22:23.:22:27.

spirit and generosity which he says is typical of the running community.

:22:28.:22:33.

Matthew was clear in knowing that if he leaves me, they will whisk me

:22:34.:22:40.

off. That is so nice Andy is -- he is such a gentleman for doing that.

:22:41.:22:45.

Matthew Ed Davey say they will race together. It is a friendship forged

:22:46.:22:49.

in front of millions. One of the enduring images of this year's

:22:50.:22:50.

marathon. Football and Swansea City have

:22:51.:22:53.

just four games left Head Coach Paul Clement

:22:54.:22:55.

says their 2-0 win over Stoke at the weekend shows they still have

:22:56.:22:59.

plenty of fight in them, as they prepare for their next match

:23:00.:23:02.

against Manchester United. Rivals Hull also won and remain two

:23:03.:23:04.

points above them in the table. If they had won and we hadn't earned

:23:05.:23:16.

it had gone to five points with four games left. It would have been

:23:17.:23:22.

difficult for us. The big test is at Manchester United. We have our

:23:23.:23:26.

confidence back. We have won the game. The nature of the way we won

:23:27.:23:32.

the game also. Ebook County's remarkable revival continues. A 1-0

:23:33.:23:40.

win over Accrington saw them climb out of the drop zone. If they can

:23:41.:23:45.

beat Carlisle this weekend and Hartlepool lose, their football

:23:46.:23:49.

league status will be secured. Sheffield United set to release --

:23:50.:23:53.

re-signed Chad Evans from Chesterfield. He last played in 2012

:23:54.:23:59.

before a rape conviction saw him serve two and half years in prison.

:24:00.:24:05.

That conviction was quashed and at a retrial, he was found not guilty. At

:24:06.:24:10.

cricket, Glamorgan have drawn their latest match away to Leicestershire.

:24:11.:24:16.

The home side declared on 360-6 and set the Welsh county an unlikely

:24:17.:24:22.

target of 355 the victory. Glamorgan managed to hold out finishing 144-4.

:24:23.:24:27.

It was turning colder for the first part of this week with wintry

:24:28.:24:41.

showers the sum and sunny spells. We have a cold front sinking

:24:42.:24:45.

southwards. Winds turn more northerly introducing arctic air.

:24:46.:24:50.

Tonight will be called with clear spells and a widespread frost

:24:51.:24:59.

forming. Potential for snow in the hills. Overnight temperatures

:25:00.:25:03.

hovering above freezing for most of Wales. Tomorrow, a frosty stop the

:25:04.:25:07.

sun. Plenty of sunshine and it is a mix of sunny spells and scattered

:25:08.:25:14.

wintry shower. It is unstable so a risk of Halo and thunder. The

:25:15.:25:21.

showers will be hit and miss. Tim -- temperatures around nine Celsius up

:25:22.:25:27.

to 11 Celsius. Tomorrow night, the showers Peter out but we keep the

:25:28.:25:34.

arctic air. A frosty is likely. On Wednesday, some early frost and

:25:35.:25:38.

feeling chilly with some sunshine and further showers. It could be

:25:39.:25:42.

wintry in the hills and fresh northerly winds. Highs of eight to

:25:43.:25:49.

11 Celsius. By the end of the week we have milder air. On Thursday and

:25:50.:25:57.

Friday, less cold and fewer showers. Some bright spells and for the bank

:25:58.:26:01.

holiday weekends, it should start largely dry but likely to be some

:26:02.:26:06.

rain over the weekend. A called a feel of the next few days. Snow is

:26:07.:26:11.

likely to be confined to the hills. It is not unusual at this time of

:26:12.:26:17.

year. This picture was taken in April 19 81. If you would like to

:26:18.:26:20.

become a weather watcher, you can sign up and up late -- upload

:26:21.:26:31.

pictures on this website. That is it from all of us on the

:26:32.:26:32.

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