Welsh Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Miles tells us about his key aims
The current Education Minister is hoping to replace Mark Drakeford as First Minister of Wales
There is less than a week until the new leader of Welsh Labour, and therefore First Minister of Wales, is elected.
We sat down with one of the candidates, current Education Minister Jeremy Miles, to find out why he should be the top person for the job.
He is running against Economy Minister Vaughan Gething.
We asked Jeremy about the main issues affecting Wales and how he plans to tackle them.
The 20mph speed limit
One of the most controversial moves from the Welsh Government in recent years, the 20mph default speed limit angered many across Wales. A petition calling for the change to be reversed reached over 400,000 signatures, the biggest petition in Senedd history.
Jeremy Miles says he is keen to launch a review into the rollout of the default speed limit change, but ruled out removing it.
'I said very early in the campaign that what I felt we needed was an early review into the implementation of the policy. The policy is there to protect people, to make people feel safe.
'Most people will feel it is important outside of homes, schools, hospitals but there have obviously been some questions over why some roads changed to the new speed limit'.
Jeremy Miles confirmed that if he became First Minister, 20mph would remain.
'I think a default policy of 20mph is a sensible policy. What I want to do is review how it has been implemented, and see if any adjustments can be made'.
Education
Jeremy Miles is the current Welsh Education Minister.
When the PISA results came out a couple months ago, Wales had the worst performing English, maths and science scores of all four UK nations.
When asked about these results, Miles said 'Pisa told us information that we already knew from our own understanding of performance of schools in Wales.
'Obviously the results were disappointing, Covid plays a part in that.
'I am absolutely reforms we have put in are the right reforms, they're the kind of the reforms which reflect places like Canada and New Zealand, places that do really well in PISA.
'We're on the right track but unfortunately and frustratingly if you're Education Minister, these things do take a while to work through the school system, and that's true in any part of the world'.
We asked him why he thought Wales' results were lower than other UK Nations.
'Right across the UK, we didn't meet the threshold for schools participating in PISA so, the figures are potentially skewed.
'I am absolutely confident that, with the reforms that we have got underway, we'll get back to a place where those results are getting higher and rising into the future'.
The Welsh NHS
With 20,000 patients waiting 2 years for treatment, and ongoing junior doctor strikes, whoever takes over as First Minister will have a tough job on their hands.
First, we wanted to hear how he would tackle waiting lists.
'I have a specific plan about how to resolve the issues within the NHS. It does include more resources, all our public services in Wales need more resources.
'It's also not just about resources, it's about supporting the NHS to adapt to the pressures that it is under today, and the pressures that will be in the future.
'I've got a specific proposal to set up new orthopaedic centres that are for knee and hip surgery and we can do other kinds of surgery as well, and we know that will help us tackle the longest, largest waiting lists'.
Junior doctors across Wales have gone on strike over pay twice this year. The first pickets in January were the first time they ever walked out. The main issue being pay, with junior doctors wanting to see a full pay restoration. The current First Minister Mark Drakeford has previously said there is simply no more money to offer an above inflation pay rise.
'It is important to work together. When we had Covid we were applauding our fantastic healthcare workforce, and it's important to try and work with them to resolve this dispute.
'There are very real challenges in the Welsh Government's budget, it's a perfectly fair expectation for people to be fairly paid for their work, so we will continue to talk with the junior doctors.
'Last year, we had strikes in schools, and I went in as Education Minister where I made a clear offer, but it is also important to listen and see what other ways we can help resolve disputes in their eyes.
'No one takes the decision to strike lightly, so I'll commit to that kind of approach but, I think it is clear to everybody that the pressures on the Welsh Government's budget are very significant'.
The cost of living crisis
Last week, the Bevan Foundation warned that poverty is becoming the 'new normal' for many families in Wales as the cost of living crisis continues to force some to choose between heating and eating.
Whilst the majority of decisions over the cost of living are made in Westminster, the new First Minister will still have the power to make decisions that would ease pressures.
Jeremy Miles spoke about policies he has already introduced as Education Minister that he hopes could help families survive through this cost of living crisis.
'I've increased the education maintenance allowance to help keep young people over 16 in education. We have been told young people are dropping out of education due to the cost of it. I am the only minister in the UK to have increased the allowance'.
He also mentioned schemes to decrease the cost of school uniforms, and free school meals for all primary school children in Wales.
Outside of education though, the leadership candidate did understand a more substantial shift in the Welsh economy as a whole was the key to living families out of poverty, and keeping them out.
'What we need to see is a better economy producing higher skilled jobs in Wales. I have put at the heart of my campaign, the importance of a sustainably growing economy into the future'.
We asked him about the rise of food banks in Wales. One foodbank worker in Aberbargoed has previously told us that a miracle was needed in the most deprived areas of Wales.
When we told Jeremy Miles about that statement, he agreed with it.
'It's an incredibly difficult time. That's why it is incredibly important that we continue as a Welsh Government to make sure that we're putting that money back in people's pockets, despite the pressures on our budget.
'That's why it's even more important to make sure that our economy improves to provide those jobs which mean that people can then afford to raise a family and put a little bit to one side'.
'My focus on making sure that we grow the economy sustainably. The reason I am focusing so much on that is because that is the best way to support the families that we're talking about'.
The first week as First Minister
If Jeremy Miles is elected First Minister of Wales on March 16th, what are the issues he feels need to be dealt with first?
He told us he wants 50% of his cabinet to be women. The current cabinet stands at nine women, and five men, so this might not appear to be as much of a radical change as he imagines.
However, he refused to say who he has in mind to fill in the key roles for education, health or finance.
'Now is not the time for making those decisions, we will have plenty of time to do that in due course' he told us.
Jeremy Miles also refused to say whether his competitor for First Minister, current Economy Minister Vaughan Gething, will be included in the cabinet at all.
'Now is not the time for candidates to be making job offers. My focus is on working hard every single day to win the votes as of many party and union members right across Wales as I can. That is what will elect the next leader of the Welsh Labour party.
In terms of his key priorities he said: 'I will establish the national economic council, start work on the delivery unit I have already talked about. I will start a new round of discussions with the health force in relation to reforms in the NHS.
'I will bring a sense of urgency and pace and focus to the things I am pledging. that is the type of government I will lead. It's about the we not the I, and we will succeed together under my leadership'.
For full fairness and transparency, we have reached out to Vaughan Gething's team on a number of occasions to offer the same opportunity to give his views on the important issues for Wales.
Mr Gething's team told us he was focused on UK Covid 19 inquiry and unavailable for interview.