18/04/2017 BBC Wales Today


18/04/2017

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So how might the Prime Minister's decision change the political

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We'll have reaction from across the country.

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The cavity wall insulation causing rot, damp and heartache.

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The Prime Minister said she made the "reluctant" decision to call

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an election while walking in Snowdonia last week.

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Tonight politicians representing Wales have been reacting

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Speaking from Downing Street, Theresa May said a general election

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is the only way to guarantee certainty and stability

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From Westminster, our parliamentary correspondent David Cornock.

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It was on this break in Snowdonia last week that the Prime Minister

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changed her mind and decided to call a snap general election.

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It was with reluctance that I decided that the country needs

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this election but it is with strong conviction that I say

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it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership we need

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The announcement caught everybody here at Westminster by surprise.

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The pundits, even the bookmakers and the politicians too.

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The First Minister Carwyn Jones said the timing was odd.

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But tomorrow, most Labour, Plaid Cymru and Conservative

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MPs will vote to hold a early general election.

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The Tories are using the means of a no-confidence vote

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This is what is going to happen whether we are in

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Labour see it as a chance to regain power in Westminster.

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We've released policies in the last few weeks we are proud of,

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such as raising the minimum wage to ?10 by 2020.

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We have put them into a manifesto and we are ready to go.

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We are totally behind Jeremy and we will be out there fighting

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for a Labour victory on the 8th of June.

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The Welsh Secretary was among Cabinet ministers briefed by Mrs May

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This will strengthen the government's hand to get

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the right deal for Wales and for the UK to also deliver

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on that plan for Britain which is so important.

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It's not just about Brexit but improving standards of education

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and health care and delivering for a country

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Voters in Wales will send 40 MPs to Westminster.

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The proposed boundary changes which would have cut it to 29

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That may come as a relief to Labour, who feared losing seats.

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Ukip will hope to build on their breakthrough in last

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It is pure opportunism on Theresa May's part

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It's an opportunity to clear out a bit of dross.

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If the election occurs, I've got to stand in it, haven't I?

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It remains to be seen whether my branch wants me

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The Lib Dems, reduced to one Welsh MP last time,

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hope their opposition to Brexit will fire a political comeback.

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The Labour Party, there is no positive strong opposition,

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so at this coming election, we Liberal Democrats will have

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It's a long way to go but we have already done it in local

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But Theresa May says that after last year's vote to leave the EU,

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The Prime Minister said Britain needed certainty,

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stability and strong leadership following the EU referendum.

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Wales, of course, voted to leave the EU.

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So what's at stake here in a general election?

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Let's see how the political map in Wales currently looks.

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The party with most of Wales' 40 seats is Labour, with 25,

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followed by the Conservatives with 11, Plaid Cymru with three, and

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One of the closest run constituencies in the 2015

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general election was Bridgend, where Labour beat the Conservatives

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British politics is proving to be quite the ride.

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The latest twist, the unexpected announcement of June's snap

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election, has thrown Westminster into another spin.

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The announcement was quite a turnaround from Theresa May.

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She denied there would be a snap general election.

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These things are normally held on the same issues which come

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around time and again, the economy and taxes,

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but she has made it clear there will only be one issue

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This is going to be very tricky for Labour at this general election

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because they are going to be talking about a Brexit that they did not

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want but their traditional voters in the Valleys backed.

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For the other parties, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats,

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this may be an opportunity to pick up seats across Wales but that

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Westminster might be back from its break,

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but the holidays continued here in Porthcawl.

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Fairgoers were seeking thrills of another kind and many

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There is going to be a general election on June the 8th.

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It was a massive surprise but I can see her reason for it.

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I think fair play to her, strong women.

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If it was me, I would want to be voted in and not just given the job.

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There is a lot of confusion with Brexit and what is going

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If I thought the Brexit would change, I would change

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But I do not think that will be the case.

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Brexit is done now and we need to move on and focus on issues that

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This will be one of the constituencies to keep an eye on.

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It has been a safe Labour seat for decades but at the last general

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election, Labour only had around a 2000-vote majority

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over the Conservatives, and in June it voted for Brexit.

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What way will it turn in this unprecedented general election?

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There aren't any obvious seats that the Conservatives

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are close in contention for, but as the couple of years

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in politics have shown us, anything can happen.

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The Conservatives will hope they can wrestle Bridgend and other

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pro-Brexit seats like Wrexham and Newport West off Labour

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if their current lead in the polls hold up.

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And Labour is likely to face tough fight

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in Cardiff Central and Ynys Mon, where the Liberal Democrats

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and Plaid Cymru are looking to cash in on the

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Ukip will hope they can too, after success at

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Theresa May has taken the gamble of her poltical career.

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Polls suggest she is odds-on favourite to win, but with seven

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weeks until the election and the current unpredictability

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of politics, even she must know anything can happen.

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Some of the views of people from Bridgend.

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But how might this election change the wider political

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Let's talk to our political editor Nick Servini in Cardiff Bay.

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A central question that we will return to again and again is the

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fundamental strength of labour. They are likely to come under real

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pressure in places like Bridgend and north-east Wales, so why expect them

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to run a defensive damage limitation campaign and even if they neutralise

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any issues in relation to Brexit, they still have questions over the

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leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. In an assembly campaign may be Labour

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could insulated themselves against that but it will be difficult in a

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general election. The Conservatives will campaign on the basis that

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people have made up their minds and to reason may should get the mandate

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to continue, Ukip will look to recreate the passions of the

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referendum campaign and a sense of optimism today from the Lib Dems and

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Plaid Cymru. Leanne Wood tweeted that she felt it was game on but

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there is a real degree of unpredictability, the parties will

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not have had time to prepare for this so those who can think on the

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hoof will be most effective and it is all down to the public mood, who

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have been affected by all sorts of elections in recent years, will they

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feel the debate especially in relation to Brexit has moved on to

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another or are we simply running the referendum campaign again and

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reopening old wounds? It's supposed to make homes

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more energy efficient, but thousands of properties

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across Wales could be at risk of developing rot,

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damp and structural problems because of cavity wall installation

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that's been incorrectly injected. The MP for Arfon, Hywel Williams,

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is calling on He says it's quickly

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developing into a scandal. I want the Government

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to take some responsibility for this dreadful mess,

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something that's quickly developing There seems to be no information

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about the number of cases of cavity wall insulation that

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have gone wrong. People who are suffering are not

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being helped to come forward. The UK Government says it's

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committed to ensuring consumers are protected when choosing cavity

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walls insulation. Dyfed-Powys Police are searching

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for a woman who has gone missing 32-year-old Rebecca was last seen

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on Saturday carrying a baby in a back harness

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and pushing a trolley. A police spokesperson said

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they were very concerned about her, and an urgent appeal has been

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launched to find her. The jury in the trial

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of a psychiatrist accused of sexually abusing some

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of his patients in South Wales will continue deliberating

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its verdicts tomorrow. 77-year-old Dr Brian Harris

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is standing trial He denies 13 counts of sexual abuse,

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including rape, against five men The Welsh theatre director

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Michael Bogdanov has died. He was 78 and had a heart

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attack on Easter Sunday. He was best known for directing

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Shakespeare, but his pioneering style meant he courted controversy

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too. Very passionate about Wales,

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very passionate about the arts and very knowledgeable

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about the arts He could be cantankerous and funny

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and witty and challenging, but you could always guarantee

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having a great time with him. It's looking largely dry unsettled

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over the next few days with some patchy rain at times and it will be

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warmer by day but also quite chilly by night.

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Overnight some cloud, but largely clear skies

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Light winds allowing a frost to form in sheltered rural spots.

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Lows of 3-7 Celsius in towns and cities

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High pressure in charge tomorrow keeping things settled but this weak

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cold front slowly edges closer to the north and west of Wales.

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Tomorrow some early rural frost, a chilly, bright start

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And across the UK, the Midlands and the south of England holding on

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to the brightness for longest, but as that front edges

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closer, cloud will thicken across Northwest Scotland,

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Northern Ireland and northern England in the afternoon.

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Some patchy rain and drizzle here and highs of 11-15

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in south-east England in the sunshine.

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For Wales later, turning increasingly cloudy.

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Could be the odd spot of drizzle but staying dry for most.

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Highs of 11 Celsius in Swansea, 13 in Conwy.

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Thursday - some early drizzle but most places will stay dry,

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more cloud around but some sunny spells too.

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Light westerly winds and feeling pleasant in any

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For the end of the week, a cold front will move

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A dry start but patchy light rain or drizzle later on and behind that

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Winds turn more northerly so a chillier start to next weekend.

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But we will see some sunny spells at times as well.

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We're back tomorrow at 6:25am with more news and sport.

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From all of us on the programme, good evening.

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