Ceredig

The referendum that never was

2008-09-05T12:03:00.003+01:00

Still on the subject of the highly unlikely referendum on further powers, I find myself – somewhat unusually – in agreement to some extent with both Peter Black and Glyn Davies. (Well, there’s a first time for everything - but it is only a partial agreement!)Glyn Davies says that “…I believe there to be no longer any intention to hold such a referendum before 2011”. If he hadn’t included the

Blue on blue

2008-09-04T13:13:00.003+01:00

It has hardly come as a surprise to anyone that David Davies MP has decided to set up a ‘cross-party’ campaign against further devolution to Wales. Nor should it come as any surprise to anyone that he is planning to base his campaign on dishonestly equating devolution and independence and on the equally dishonest notion that Wales is inevitably and permanently stuck in a state of poverty which

Talent spotting

2008-08-27T12:26:00.002+01:00

It was in the 1992 election that Neil Kinnock issued his famous warning to us all. "Don't fall ill in Britain", is what he said. I thought that he was referring to the dangers of electing a Tory government and what it might do to our NHS, but it seems from today's story that the Labour Party might equally have used it as a warning to their own candidates.So desperate are they to improve the pool

Llwyd's Last Stand?

2008-08-26T18:19:00.002+01:00

Today’s Western Mail article made me realise just how little public attention has been paid to Plaid’s internal election for a President. I suspect that most observers feel that it will make very little difference to Welsh politics; and reading today’s article certainly left me wondering why on earth the election is taking place. There certainly doesn’t seem to be any hint of a real political

Extracting the Urine

2008-08-15T09:33:00.004+01:00

That’s what I thought some of our beloved AMs must be doing when I first saw the lists of who had claimed what. If it had only been the Tories making the outrageous claims, I might even have believed that it was a deliberate attempt to undermine the credibility of both the institution and its membership, but given that some members of all parties are at it, I had to dismiss that thought.They say

Unity of Purpose

2008-08-11T13:34:00.003+01:00

Sometimes, it's not easy to tell how united any party is. There is, however, one obvious giveaway. When prominent figures in a party start to call for unity, you know that there is a problem.In the case of the Labour Party recently, the number of calls for unity only serves to highlight the extent of the problem that they face. Splits within Plaid haven't been that obvious to me; but might

Blair's Big Boot

2008-08-06T16:31:00.002+01:00

I am quite willing to accept that the 'leaked memo' setting out what Blair apparently really thinks about Brown was not penned by Blair himself. But it was certainly penned by someone close to the man, and there seems little reason to doubt that it accurately reflects his feelings towards his successor.Whether Blair authorised the 'leak' is at best uncertain; but there seems little room to doubt

Cometh the hour, cometh the man?

2008-08-04T13:18:00.002+01:00

The IWA exists to provoke thought and debate, and generally, I think they do a pretty good job. But I was more than a little disappointed with their latest offering on the idea of an elected mayor for the Heads of the Valleys.There is a very good argument to be made for a reduction in the number of local authorities in Wales. Politicians of all parties know it (although they're mostly afraid to

Today's story is...

2008-07-30T11:32:00.002+01:00

For more than ten years, New Labour somehow managed to keep the media on board with their own version of the political narrative. Critics called it ‘spin’ from the outset; but whatever you call it, it’s a pretty impressive achievement. Now they seem to have lost it, completely.I heard a journalist on the radio the other day, talking about the way the story about someone nicking Cameron’s bike

Respect

2008-07-28T14:16:00.004+01:00

Fascinating to see the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales standing up for the Wales Office. She is suggesting that Wales needs a strong voice in the Cabinet. But not, presumably, the sort of voice which might come from appointing a Welsh MP to the job. I wonder how she keeps a straight face making statements like this.I have to say that I'm not entirely convinced by Plaid's argument either.

Cigars and Promises

2008-07-21T13:58:00.002+01:00

At one level, the issue which led to the resignation of the Culture Minister looks pretty minor, and taken at face value, it does look like something of an over-reaction. Glyn Davies is not the only one who seems to think so, and indeed, it was noticeable that few, if any, political opponents were baying for blood.Peter Black picks up on Matt Withers’ story, and suggests that this is a piece of

Back, after a fashion

2008-07-21T11:16:00.002+01:00

Now returned after an extended break, only to find that some bloggers have departed the field. Normal Mouth, in particular, I shall miss. Didn't always agree with him, but his posts were often thought-provoking. The Labour Party will be much more poorly represented in the blogosphere as a result. Both Normal Mouth and Southpaw Grammar refer to 'other projects' as being behind their departure.

Ceredig est en vacances

2008-06-26T07:27:00.002+01:00

Heading across La Manche tomorrow to spend some time in la belle, belle France. Comment moderation enabled during les vacances.It's been just over a year since I started this blog and I've managed barely 100 posts - an average of rather less than two per week. The next three weeks' absence will thus be something of an opportunity to reflect on the whats and whys.

The grey man

2008-06-24T18:58:00.003+01:00

It’s interesting that Plaid seem to be facing one of their most significant internal debates for many a year by holding an election for the rather meaningless post of party president. The party isn’t even sure what the job is, if it exists at all (I think Bethan Jenkins is suggesting that it doesn’t). Penderyn sets out a number of possible options as to what the job actually comprises, which I

Belated Birthday Greetings

2008-06-24T08:35:00.003+01:00

I appear to have inadvertently missed a very important anniversary. Last Friday, 20th June, marked exactly one year since the Assembly Government announced that it was to set up a commission to examine the funding formula which determines the resources available to Wales. The decision, of course, predated One Wales; there was a minority Labour government at the time whilst negotiations continued

The Great Escape?

2008-06-17T15:07:00.002+01:00

I haven’t responded to the David Davis resignation to date, because it seemed to me that it was premature to judge. Indeed, it may still be premature, given that he hasn’t even resigned yet, as I understand it, merely announced an intention to do so.He has tried to present it, of course, as demonstrating that he is a man of principle. It looks to me as though it only proves that he doesn’t think

...and a bit under the weather, too

2008-06-12T07:59:00.003+01:00

The second great religion of the doomsayers who may not be challenged is the concept of man-made climate change. I'm not a climate change denier, but I think that many of those who are rightly concerned about climate change do themselves no favours by overstating the case. In that sense, the climate change doomsayers are remarkably similar to the peak oil doomsayers.We know that the earth’s

Feeling a little Peaky...

2008-06-10T12:37:00.003+01:00

In comments on previous posts, Draig chides me a little for my scepticism over the connection between the current high price of oil and the concept of Peak Oil. Peak Oil (like Climate Change) is certainly on my list of things to worry about. Both issues are challenging for all of us – although they may not be the two most pressing.Peak oil, again like climate change, has become one of those

Lost in Translation

2008-06-05T17:49:00.003+01:00

Translation of latest post on Nick Bourne’s blog:"Understandable angst and concern about the massive hikes in fuel prices shouldn’t obscure the need to continue to take green measures."I’ve spotted a massive political opportunity for the Conservatives, but it isn’t very green."It is quite compatible to ensure that the tax on fuel is postponed for example, and some of the VAT is abated, whilst

From the Heritage Bunker (Last in series)

2008-06-04T08:35:00.002+01:00

Minister: Sir Humphrey. Where have you been for the last few weeks?Sir Humphrey: I’ve been negotiating with Whitehall on your behalf, Minister.Minister: Excellent, Sir Humphrey. So we’re ready to announce the details of the Elco?Sir Humphrey: Not exactly, Minister, no. There are a few small problems remaining.Minister: Look, Sir Humphrey, I’ve promised this to people. I promised it to

Fuelling Protest

2008-05-28T16:34:00.003+01:00

Yesterday’s fuel protests by truckers brought to the forefront some key dichotomies in public attitudes, and drew out some interesting political responses as well. The situation raises a number of different issues at the same time.Firstly, we all know that, whilst the world is not about to run out of oil (despite some of the more alarmist projections) neither is the supply unlimited. Demand is

Overheard in a London club

2008-05-23T16:55:00.003+01:00

Sir Frank: So, Humphrey, how can I help you?Sir Humphrey: Good of you to see me Frank, I know how busy it gets in the Cabinet Office. To put it in a nutshell, my Minister is determined to press ahead with an Elco on the Welsh language which goes much further than any of the Permanent Secretaries can agree.Sir Frank: This sole is excellent. Elco? Oh, yes, I remember. One of our better ideas,

Cherchez L'agenda

2008-05-20T13:00:00.002+01:00

A somewhat plaintive complaint from an unnamed Labour source formed the basis of a story in today’s Western Mail. It seems that there may be some people in the Labour Party – who, if they really exist, prefer to remain anonymous – who think that it’s out of order for Plaid to form any sort of arrangement with any party other than Labour to run our councils.At one level, this merely underlines

An expensive gimmick

2008-05-15T19:20:00.002+01:00

One of Gordon Brown’s earliest acts as Chancellor was the introduction of the 10p tax rate. I thought that it was a bit of a gimmick at the time, but it wasn’t one that was easy to disagree with, since it unquestionably benefited the lowest earners. His supporters, of course, thought that it was a master stroke, and I can see why.

Convention Clues

2008-05-14T09:44:00.002+01:00

With the recruitment process for the Executive of the Convention now in progress (soporific, claims Ordovicius), we will presumably soon know who the four parties are to appoint as their nominees. For all the talk about involvement and participation, the final decision will be a political one, and these four appointments are critical in determining whether the parties do, or do not, sign up to

Death by Autobiography

2008-05-13T08:55:00.002+01:00

It has long been a tradition that yesterday's politicians eke out their meagre living in retirement by penning their memoirs. In days gone by these were seldom-read tomes (I’m sad enough to possess a copy of Volume 1 of Richard Crossman’s), of interest only to the academic and the odd political anorak for the occasional insight into life behind the closed doors.They didn’t make a fortune from

Can Labour recover in time?

2008-05-09T10:54:00.002+01:00

Shortly after Gordon Brown took over from Tony Blair, I thought that he would win the next election whenever it was called. Almost a year on, and I’m now convinced that he will lose it whenever it is called.Last week’s local election results were truly appalling for Labour. In council after council – sometimes even ward by ward – it looks as though voters have carefully thought about who was

A little ado about what, exactly?

2008-04-29T08:52:00.002+01:00

Yesterday’s Western Mail had a story about Chris Bryant drawing attention to an apparent inconsistency between two senior Plaid Figures. According to the story, Ieuan Wyn Jones welcomed this year's air show at Sophia Gardens, whilst two years ago, Plaid’s Chief Executive, Gwenllian Lansdown condemned a similar event at the same location as being a showcase for arms dealers.Bryant claimed that

Let's go fly a kite

2008-04-28T09:57:00.002+01:00

One of the joys of childhood is discovering a long forgotten favourite toy at the back of a cupboard. Last week, it was Adam Price who was rummaging in his cupboards, and having come across one of the many kites in his collection, he simply couldn’t resist flying it again.But in floating, once again, the idea of a deal between Plaid and the Tories, is he speaking for his party or only for

Detached from Reality

2008-04-18T09:12:00.002+01:00

There can, of course, be no excuse for faking e/mails in order to attempt to incriminate an innocent person. Indeed, there's no valid excuse for faking e/mails in order to incriminate a guilty person either.So I had more than a little sympathy for Peter Hain after the revelations yesterday about some faked emails which attempted to suggest that he had misused facilities at a charity.He goes too

Sustainable spin

2008-03-25T11:18:00.002Z

In my previous post, I referred to the statement by Ieuan Wyn Jones on the transport grant settlement. Normal Mouth picks up on the same issue, although dealing more with the substance of the issue than the spin.The idea put forward by Normal Mouth that the burden of reducing CO2 emissions should fall more heavily on the richest parts of the UK – even to the extent of off-setting any increases

'Green' has more than one meaning

2008-03-19T14:13:00.003Z

Friends of the Earth Cymru have today attacked Plaid’s Deputy First Minister over his announcements on transport spending, accusing him of “greenwash”, and acting contrary to Plaid policies. Nice word, but I think FoE are rather missing the point. The Western Mail’s editorial comes closer to the real point in my view, with its suggestion that the Minister is re-announcing money which has already

What percentage is the brain?

2008-03-13T09:54:00.002Z

With the decision on the pay rise for our AMs now apparently done and dusted, I’m not sure that I'd award any of the parties any prizes for their behaviour; the best that I can come up with is an honourable mention for (most of) Plaid.Firstly, the Tories. There was something distinctly unedifying about the man who is probably the wealthiest member of the Assembly (and despite almost nine years

Setting the rate for the job

2008-03-07T12:00:00.002Z

To misquote someone very wise, if the answer is to pay politicians more, it must be a very strange question.The furore over the inflation-busting increase for AMs was inevitable, and completely predictable; but that is true whenever politicians vote themselves a pay rise, and however large the rise. They knew what the response would be, and decided to go ahead anyway. Blowing the political

Does size matter

2008-03-05T11:49:00.002Z

If I understand the Welsh Tories correctly, they're against devolving power over some aspects of housing to Wales because they think that the Assembly might use the powers in ways which the Tories would not support. In this particular case, the bone of contention appears to be the badly misnamed 'Right to Buy', which they are afraid Wales might abolish given her own way.I wonder if they would be

Missing words round

2008-03-04T17:48:00.001Z

According to David Cornock:A Church of England Bishop told the MPs that it's "entirely unreasonable"that some patients on either side of the Wales/England border face longerwaiting times for treatment.Anthony Priddis, the Bishop of Hereford, said people should be treatedequally wherever they live. "I think from where we are, it is entirelyunreasonable that there should be that difference of

Route Maps and Parsnips

2008-02-25T11:19:00.002Z

A wonderful thing is a route map. A good one sets out the best route for getting from one point to another. But if you don't also have control of the steering wheel, and the driver decides to follow a different route – or even to drive to a different destination - it can end up being of purely academic value.At first sight, the Renewable Energy Route Map for Wales, launched last week by the

From the Heritage Bunker (Episode 7)

2008-02-22T08:21:00.002Z

Minister: Ah, Sir Humphrey. Have you seen this report in the newspapers?Sir Humphrey: Which report would that be, Minister?Minister: This report about the collapse of the Gaelic daily newspaper in Belfast.Sir Humphrey: Indeed I have. Quite inevitable of course – the only surprising thing is that it lasted as long as it did.Minister: You mean you knew that it would fail?Sir Humphrey: Of

What Do They Expect (2)?

2008-02-15T19:51:00.003Z

There has been a lot of adverse reaction from supporters of a Welsh-language newspaper to the lack of funds being provided by the One Wales government. But what do they expect?It was surely obvious to anyone reading the One Wales agreement that it contained more commitments than would actually get funded in what was inevitably going to be a tight spending round. And if some didn't see it in the

What Do They Expect (1)?

2008-02-15T19:47:00.002Z

Seems that the Labour Party are a little upset about Plaid’s website assisting trade unionists to stop donating to the Labour Party – but what do they expect? Of course it was a stunt in advance of the Labour conference, but after his little effort at least year’s Plaid Conference, Martin Eaglestone’s complaints look more than a little hollow.The extent to which Plaid have cosied up to Labour in

A fo ben, bid beth?

2008-02-13T17:39:00.001Z

I don’t envy the members of the Labour Party in the task of identifying a successor to Rhodri Morgan as Welsh leader. Whilst there seem to be plenty of potential runners, fewer are actually likely to make it into the final race, and the choice is far from being an easy one.Some commentators have suggested that the new leader needs to be ‘Plaid-friendly’. Nonsense. By the time the leadership

From the Heritage Bunker (Episode 6)

2008-02-08T09:17:00.001Z

Minister: Ah, Sir Humphrey. I don't quite understand what we're doing about the establishment of a daily newspaper in Welsh.Sir Humphrey: What exactly do you not understand, Minister?Minister: Well, the group which has been working on the project for some years says that it will take at least £600,000 a year to get it up and running, yet the statement that you gave me to read in the Assembly says

From the Heritage Bunker (Episode 5)

2008-02-07T08:45:00.000Z

Minister: Ah, Sir Humphrey. I need a little chat with you.Sir Humphrey: Indeed, Minister? How can I be of assistance?Minister: People are complaining about the budget cuts being made by the Arts Council as a result of the Olympic Games.Sir Humphrey: Hardly a surprise, Minister. The cuts are really quite significant.Minister: But I thought that you told me that we couldn’t divert money from the

"Good game, good game"

2008-02-01T09:57:00.000Z

Betsan Powys draws attention to the curious incident of an Assembly Government which votes against urging the UK government to pay the police pay increase in full, and then does precisely what it voted against doing. (As an aside – shouldn’t deliberately doing the opposite of what the Assembly told them to do be a matter for a vote of censure, at the least?) Of course, this is far from being the

Maverick or Outrider?

2008-01-30T13:41:00.000Z

David Cornock draws attention to what, at first sight, is just another gaffe by Elfyn Llwyd, Plaid’s leader in the House of Commons. Llwyd apparently briefed journalists to the effect that he isn't particularly bothered about holding a referendum on a parliament before 2011, even though his party made this a key element in the One Wales accord. Llwyd said that he believes it to be more

Vanishing Act?

2008-01-30T10:26:00.000Z

Normal Mouth’s latest outing in Golwg has, as ever, provoked a good debate, by asking whether Plaid are in danger of disappearing now that they are in government. I think the points he makes are very sound ones and it is a pity that so much of the response has been partisan; there is a real challenge to Plaid in keeping a clear and distinctive position whilst accepting the responsibility of

To clear his name

2008-01-25T10:18:00.000Z

Our now ex-Secretary of State declared that he is standing down from office 'to clear his name'. Well, he's always been something of an optimist, I suppose, but it seems to me that that's a pretty unlikely outcome.The first thing that any police investigation has to establish is whether a crime has been committed. This looks like an easy hurdle; no-one is in any doubt that there was a legal

Fading memories

2008-01-18T14:44:00.000Z

It was, as so many others have already pointed out, entirely predictable that Dafydd Wigley would agree to become a candidate to represent his party in the House of Lords, and no-one has been surprised that he has declared that all the conditions that he set have been met.It’s interesting though, that the conditions which have been met don’t seem to be quite the same ones that he set out so

Crimes and Misdemeanours

2008-01-17T17:23:00.000Z

The other day, I witnessed what I can only describe as an ‘altercation’ between a motorcyclist and a traffic warden. The latter had just issued a ticket to the former for illegally parking in a bay marked 'Loading only'. The motorcyclist's response was to complain bitterly about the fact that there had been no warden around earlier when he had seen some cars double-parked in the same street.

Perhaps he's just having a laugh

2008-01-11T17:10:00.000Z

Like many others, including some of his political opponents, I was initially prepared to give Peter Hain the benefit of the doubt. After all, he was a busy man, with two ministries to run as well as his campaign for the deupty leadership. Overlooking a single donation shouldn't have happened, but everyone can make a simple mistake - although £5,000 looks like a lot of mistake to most of

End of the Honeymoon?

2008-01-07T11:49:00.000Z

Interesting debate over at Normal Mouth’s following a rather tongue-in-cheek post about a possible split in Plaid. NM is right, of course, to say that when people use the term ‘progressive’ they are always referring to their own views, and talk of a ‘progressive alliance’ always means ‘come and join us’. After all, has any politician, anywhere, at any time, ever described himself or herself as

Dripping Taps

2007-12-04T18:38:00.000Z

Just a few short months ago, I suggested that Gordon Brown would win the next election whenever it was called. He looked pretty invincible at the time, but his position has been steadily eroded. By now he looks like a man no longer in control of his own destiny.It’s not the detail of the various stories, or twists on stories, which are damaging, so much as the way in which there is always more.

From the Heritage Bunker (Episode 4)

2007-12-03T11:42:00.000Z

Minister: Ah, Sir Humphrey! I need to talk to you. I’ve had a letter from the Botanical Gardens asking for financial help.Sir Humphrey: Indeed, Minister? How much do they want this time?Minister: This time?Sir Humphrey: Your predecessor was extremely generous to them the last time they got into financial trouble. How much do they say they need this time?Minister: £1.7 million to clear their debts

Crime and Punishment

2007-11-30T13:17:00.000Z

I always thought that the police investigation into the cash for honours affair, however much fun it might have been to see Tony Blair become the subject of a police investigation, missed the real point. Giving honours to people who have served their party in some way or another, including by donating money, has long been a feature of political life. It is something that Labour and Tory alike

Ambition isn't the same as Ability

2007-11-28T09:38:00.000Z

It’s not often that I come to the support of the Lib Dems – in fact I think it's a first. But the criticism of that party in the editorial in Monday’s Western Mail was wholly unfair; and that’s a second first in a single post – agreeing with Peter Black about anything.This is not the first time that the Western Mail has attacked parties for making efforts to achieve a degree of gender balance in

Wigl he, or Wigl he not?

2007-11-27T11:22:00.000Z

Along with just about everyone else, I had assumed that Dafydd Wigley was an absolute shoo-in for a peerage now that Plaid have changed their stance on the issue. But the more he talks himself up, the less certain that I become.Yesterday’s Western Mail piece was, ostensibly, an indication that he was ready and willing to go (and was accompanied by the now customary paean of praise from his chief

Defence of the Realm

2007-11-26T10:14:00.000Z

Hopefully, the dust has settled enough by now to take a rather more objective view of the Plaid position paper on defence which was ‘leaked’ to the media before the party even had a chance to discuss it. The response by some was a little hysterical to say the least; one might almost think that challenging the basis on which defence policy should be built is another taboo subject.As far as I can

Newspeak

2007-11-21T10:29:00.000Z

It was entirely predictable that Local Government would face a tight financial settlement from the Assembly Government this year, and many did indeed predict it. The enthusiasm of the junior partner in the coalition for a tighter version of the approach which they condemned so strongly in the past was rather less predictable – the zeal of the convert, perhaps.In any event, all across Wales, the

Out of sight, out of mind

2007-11-21T10:26:00.000Z

Sadly, the need to earn one’s daily crust by working irregular hours and travelling sometimes makes it difficult to keep up to date, but I’m sort of back again now. Consistency and regularity is not a particularly strong characteristic of this blog. There are a few things that I've missed that I may find an opportunity to comment on sometime, although the world is unlikely to come to a halt if

From the Heritage Bunker (Episode 3)

2007-11-10T09:36:00.000Z

Sir Humphrey: Minister, I’m delighted to be able to tell you that the lengthy and arduous negotiations with the Millennium Centre have been entirely successful.Minister: Excellent news Sir Humphrey. How much are we giving them?Sir Humphrey: £13.5 million now and an extra £2.5 million a year.Minister: And how much did they ask for?Sir Humphrey: £13.5 million now and an extra £2.5 million a

Devolution Blues

2007-11-08T17:12:00.000Z

There are times when I almost start to feel sorry for Glyn Davies. He really is trying very hard to sell the message that his party is becoming less hostile to further devolution, but it seems that every time he says anything, one or other of his colleagues opens his mouth, and undermines all his efforts.This week, it’s been the turn of David Jones MP, aided and abetted by Stephen Crabbe MP, on

Irregular Conjugations

2007-11-07T11:22:00.000Z

It is surprising how quickly politicians can move from opposition mode to government mode, seamlessly adopting the foibles and failings which until so very recently they were forthright in condemning.Thus it is that those who until May were so strong in their condemnation of 'spin' have already learnt that it is, in fact, an irregular verb, which is conjugated thus: "I give briefings", "You spin"

Frying Pans and Fires

2007-11-05T09:34:00.000Z

A whole week after Hain’s little outburst, and the dust is settling nicely, after a fashion. In his latest post on the subject, Normal Mouth argued that Labour need do nothing; and that by doing nothing, they would be calling Plaid’s bluff, since Plaid would not leave the coalition government—not yet, anyway. He’s right, of course, in saying that Plaid would find that they had nowhere to go - but

From the Heritage Bunker (Episode 2)

2007-10-31T10:34:00.000Z

Sir Humphrey: I thought your statement on the Millennium Centre went extremely well, Minister.Minister: Thank you, Sir Humphrey.Sir Humphrey: Particularly the way in which you transferred the blame to the people who had leaked the document to the media. That usually has the desired effect of diverting attention from the real issue.Minister: For the time being at least. But I’d still like to know

Gunboats and Megaphones

2007-10-30T11:44:00.000Z

During a day in which a host of Plaid politicians took to the airwaves to condemn the latest remarks by Peter Hain, David Cornock asked the simple question – what is so surprising about a politician expressing a consistent viewpoint? It’s a fair question, and deserves an answer.I think that there were two aspects of Hain’s latest remarks which provoked the ire of Plaid on this occasion.The first

The Royal Taboo

2007-10-29T11:15:00.000Z

No, not sex, drugs, or blackmail; just republicanism.Alun Cairns' inbuilt hyperbole engine went into overdrive at the end of last week when he discovered that Plaid AM Leanne Wood was attending a conference of republicans in London.By some process of logic which probably only he himself can fathom, Cairns apparently sees attending a UK-wide, cross party meeting of republicans as being a 'call for

Convention and Fudge

2007-10-25T14:18:00.000+01:00

The shape of the devolution settlement granted to Wales following the referendum in 1997 was never a thought-through coherent structure. Nor was it ever intended to be. It is quite clear that it was a cobbled-together approach, which its author, Ron Davies, always knew would be unsustainable.He was confident that, once such a body was created, it was a step that could never be undone, and

From Pig to Man

2007-10-20T13:34:00.000+01:00

The more that Plaid Ministers Ieuan Wyn Jones and Rhodri Glyn Thomas adapt to their new roles, the more I find my mind drifting to the closing words of Animal Farm. The talk is of ‘making a difference’, but the actions seem increasingly indistinguishable from those of their Labour colleagues - or those of the previous government.Perhaps there is a degree of inevitability about this. The

From the Heritage bunker

2007-10-19T09:33:00.000+01:00

Wednesday, 17th OctoberSir Humphrey: Minister, here is the draft statement which we have prepared for you to read this afternoon.Minister: But it doesn’t say anything.Sir Humphrey: Precisely, Minister.Minister: I can’t go into the Chamber and stand up and speak without saying anything.Bernard: Oh, I don’t know Minister. You’ve managed it quite well for most of the past eight years.Sir Humphrey:

And they all lived happily ever after...

2007-10-16T18:14:00.000+01:00

Once upon a time, there was a political party. It was neither a very large nor a particularly successful party, but it somehow managed to stumble along from election to election without disappearing into oblivion.Decade after decade passed, and a certain pattern became remarkably consistent - about half way between each General Election, the party would succeed in winning a stunning by-election

Clear Muddy Water

2007-10-10T17:06:00.000+01:00

It’s not only tabloid journalists who work on the basis that they should never allow the truth to get in the way of a good story; politicians are quite adept at it as well. The only difference is that journalists define ‘good’ as being something that people will want to read, whereas politicians define ‘good’ as being helpful to their party or, more often, their own position. Either way, it’s

Worst Blogging Experience

2007-10-06T10:24:00.000+01:00

Those of us who hide behind pseudonyms do so for all sorts of reasons – some good, some bad. But it's a conscious choice, for whatever reason. Protection of pseudonymity is the main reason for my having declined Normal Mouth's kind invitation to be profiled, some time ago – there are questions that I would simply not wish to answer. But there is one of his standard questions which I do now wish

Bourne left to hang

2007-10-03T11:50:00.000+01:00

The progress of the Welsh Tories is apparently being held up as an example to the rest of the party. ‘Look what they’ve achieved in Wales’, the argument runs- 'surely the rest of us can learn from that?' But it goes no further than that.The support of the central party for Bourne's stance on Wales is at best lukewarm. Given several opportunities to say that he supports his party's leader in

The politics of Goldilocks

2007-10-02T18:23:00.000+01:00

Absolutely fascinating debate that has been hosted by Gwe, following on from a posting by Normal Mouth. This debate raises all sorts of issues about nationality and identity, and their role in politics. I ran into some criticism from some nationalist bloggers with these two posts a month or so ago. Some of those who commented felt that I was arguing against the existence of a Welsh nation – but

Gordo the Brit?

2007-09-26T09:38:00.000+01:00

Gordon Brown’s speech to the Labour faithful has unsurprisingly attracted a lot of blog comment. Clearly, the sheer number of references to Britain and British was inevitably going to attract attention in its own right, even if I'm not as sad as those who sat down and counted them. Some Welsh bloggers have been quick to jump to the conclusion that this is a response to Welsh and Scottish

Early political memories

2007-09-25T09:11:00.000+01:00

Gwe and Johnny have both kindly passed this one on, so here’s my attempt. It isn't easy to select, because there was so much happening in the late 1960's, but I'm opting for a conjunction of two events in 1968 - mostly because of the lessons they teach.There was a point during that year when there were Russian tanks on the streets of Prague, and British tanks on the streets of Belfast. One

The Bourne Inconsistency

2007-09-21T17:42:00.000+01:00

The views of David Davies on the National Assembly can surely have come as a surprise to precisely no-one. To be fair to him, he’s never expressed any support for it, and has been fairly consistent in his criticism.What is more surprising is the way in which an official spokesperson for the Conservatives has been so quick to isolate the party’s Welsh leader, Nick Bourne, by describing his support

Lords and Ladies

2007-09-21T10:47:00.000+01:00

Following what spokespeople described as a 'purely procedural' debate at its conference last weekend, it now seems that Plaid will be taking early steps to reverse its position on sending members to the House of Lords. It looks as though many of those who gave fiery speeches against the idea last time are queuing up to give equally fiery speeches in favour next time round – the decision, I am

Colour me tax

2007-09-18T18:01:00.000+01:00

Traditionally, taxes have been the means by which governments raise funds to pay for the services we require, such as health and education. But there is a growing trend for people to suggest that taxes should also be used as a means of penalising certain activities, or of changing our behaviour.Take, for example, the high level of tax on tobacco. I’m not entirely sure whether the intention is

Two wolves and a lamb

2007-09-11T19:57:00.000+01:00

One of the most over-used words of the age seems to be 'rights'. One element of this is the result of a tabloid press which seems to blame the Human Rights Act for everything which is wrong with the penal system – and attack those rights in the process. But another is where people claim certain ‘rights’ for themselves or for the group or community of which they are a part. Clearly, we all have

Every Alan needs a Johnny

2007-09-06T15:11:00.000+01:00

…. to seriously misquote Maggie Thatcher. When I first started seeing comments from AlaninDyfed, and then read his website, I have to admit that I briefly wondered whether we was for real or not. Much if what he wrote seemed to be such an extreme characterisation of a particular perception of Nationalism that I thought that it might be a wind-up. But no, he’s for real.His threads are often worth

Neurosurgical Boundaries

2007-09-04T10:50:00.000+01:00

For some months before the Assembly elections, Plaid AM's in particular, and most especially Dr Dai Lloyd, were running hard on the campaign to retain the neurosurgery unit in Swansea, rather than agree to the then Labour government's proposal to centralise and merge it with the unit in Cardiff.Superficially, that campaign was successful, and the Health Minister has announced that both units will

unCollective irResponsibility

2007-09-02T11:03:00.000+01:00

Although the Labour-Plaid team have been in place at the Assembly for almost two months now, my understanding is that, between Rhodri Morgan’s illness and the summer recess, the first meeting of the coalition cabinet has yet to be held. That provides an interesting context to Thursday's warning by Rhodri Morgan that Ministers need to be pulling together not disagreeing in public.Of course, the

Why Wales (2)

2007-08-23T12:07:00.000+01:00

So, what makes Wales a nation?Part of the answer is history. I don't mean the history of (a glorious, independent insert here whatever adjectives you wish) Wales prior to the conquest by the (wicked, evil, insert here etc.) English. That isn’t the reality. Welsh unity was a rare commodity – the Welsh, just like the English, were somewhat prone to fighting amongst themselves much of the time,

Why Wales

2007-08-21T13:59:00.000+01:00

More years ago than I care to remember, I studied a module on Logic. (And you thought that blogging was the act of a saddo.) Anyway, the point about syllogisms in particular is that the conclusion is always, and inevitably, true so long as it is wholly contained within the premisses.Enough theory; the point is that it’s usually not the logic, but the premisses which need to be challenged and

Rebel or visionary?

2007-08-17T10:09:00.000+01:00

The reaction to Huw Lewis' pamphlet has been interesting. Some of it, of course, has been entirely predictable, with the usual simplistic sloganising, but what I found most interesting is the way in which so many seem to have reacted to what they assume Lewis believes, or to what he has said or done in the past, rather than what he actually said in the pamphlet. This seems, sadly, to be an all

What is Wigley up to?

2007-08-09T10:57:00.000+01:00

The reaction to the speech by Dafydd Wigley at the National Eisteddfod has been mixed, certainly – but reaction there has been. In itself, that is enough to suggest that people are taking Wigley and what he says quite seriously. But what precisely is he trying to achieve? Only he himself can know that for certain, but there are plenty of others willing to venture their opinions, so why not

Whose problem is Barnett anyway?

2007-08-06T11:18:00.000+01:00

It was interesting to note the way in which a number of anonymous commenters on my previous post seem to have responded to what they assumed me to believe, rather than to what I actually said. (To say nothing of the implicit assumption that anyone who raises any question about the Barnett formula is somehow expecting 'the English' to pay for Wales). I suppose it also does much to justify the

A right old Barnett

2007-08-01T10:25:00.000+01:00

One of the earliest consequences of all the discussions at the Bay has been the cross-party agreement to set up a review of the Barnett Formula. This review has not, however, been universally welcomed. Those who have pressed for the review – mostly Plaid, of course – have been arguing for years that Wales is being robbed by the formula, and that funding to Wales should be increased. The doubters

The Carpenters

2007-07-20T11:47:00.000+01:00

I resisted the temptation to make any predictions on the shape of the cabinet which Morgan and Jones (Carpenters to the Gentry) would produce, so I can’t say “I told you so”. But I can comment with all the benefit which hindsight endows upon us.Of the two men, Morgan had the easiest decision to make – who to sack. He only had to get rid of one person; the only question was who. If one assumes

Keeping the dream alive

2007-07-10T11:39:00.000+01:00

I thought we were going to hear the fat lady singing on Monday, but it looks as though Rhodri Morgan’s untimely indisposition will keep her waiting in the wings a little longer yet. With the Assembly about to break up for the summer, I hope that there is someone out there who can re-assure us that that doesn’t mean that nothing can be decided until after the recess, leaving the whole summer free

A spoonful of sugar

2007-07-06T16:01:00.000+01:00

I suspect that it will hardly come as a surprise if I join the throng of those predicting a yes vote by Labour tonight and again by Plaid tomorrow. The wisdom of the majority hasn’t always (in fact, hardly ever!) been proved right over the past few weeks, but it looks as though we might actually have got it right this time.Perversely, I find myself wondering whether that success might not be

Ever Been Had? (continued...)

2007-07-04T12:46:00.000+01:00

My mole at the BBC tells me that Plaid did indeed lodge a formal complaint with both the BBC and the Western Mail over the story about ‘Hayzell David’ and her ‘paper’ proposing a merger between Labour and Plaid.The complaint was strongly rejected however by the Western Mail, whose Chief Reporter, Martin Shipton, apparently claimed that he had received the paper not from ‘Ms David’ herself, but

Ever Been Had?

2007-07-01T10:13:00.000+01:00

The Western Mail ran this curious story yesterday by their Chief Reporter, Martin Shipton. It claims that an activist called Hayzell David, in Plaid's Women's Section, has written a discussion paper calling for a merger between Plaid and the Labour Party. The said Mr Shipton then went on Good Morning Wales to expand on his story, acting the role of wise pundit. But something didn't seem quite

A stitch in time

2007-06-29T16:20:00.000+01:00

There aren't many people left in Welsh politics who don’t think they’ve been stitched up by someone else over the past few weeks. We do, though, need to be careful about seeing the difference between a stitch-up and a cock-up (back to the two theories of history).Ron Davies claims today that Plaid have been stitched up by Labour over the coalition agreement. I’m tempted to quote Mandy Rice-Davies

Courage to say no

2007-06-28T08:59:00.000+01:00

According to a post by Vaughan Roderick a few days ago, Plaid's leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones, was forced to agree to the Labour deal rather than follow his instincts and go with the Tories because he was effectively being blackmailed by the party's Left. Vaughan suggested that the rainbowistas would accept the party's decision to go with Labour, but the Red-Green supporters would not accept a decision

Gordon Brown

2007-06-28T08:19:00.000+01:00

I've been tagged by Normal Mouth to give some responses to questions on Gordon Brown. Should have answered sooner, but I was having trouble thinking of things he should be proud of – until I started thinking outside politics!Two things Gordon Brown should be proud ofThe humanity and normality he showed in the face of the greatest tragedy any parent can suffer – the loss of his first child.His

Quantum Politics

2007-06-27T20:57:00.000+01:00

It was that great physicist Nils Bohr who famously said that "Anyone who isn't shocked by quantum theory has not understood it." And it was then Heisenberg who gave us the Uncertainty Principle, just in case we weren't already shocked enough. You know, the bit about never being able to know both the velocity and the location of anything.Apparently, the big debate in quantum physics at present is

Two Big Questions (Part 2)

2007-06-24T20:07:00.000+01:00

I referred in a previous post to the first of what I thought were the two big questions which Plaid members would be considering as they pondered which option to pursue. My first question was what the voters wanted; my second is about the electoral consequences of any decision. This one isn't just for Plaid of course; it is a poser for all the parties, although, as we shall see, I believe that it

Remember Jaruzelski?

2007-06-22T08:30:00.000+01:00

For those of you too young to remember him, General Jaruzelski was leader of Poland in the old Soviet days. Poland was, of course, nominally an independent country, and the Polish Communist Party was free to make its own decisions. But if ever they dared to do so, Jaruzelski would be summoned to Moscow, and would return absolutely convinced of the need to do whatever it was that had been quietly