My blog comes to an end...

Well, all I'm doing is moving really. Don't get too disappointed yet!
I'm moving to http://www.bethanjenkinsblog.org.uk/. I thought I'd create a new look ( well, with a little help from my friend at Webs Wonder Design) Please go there in future if you want to read my blog or take part in any discussions.

For those of you with blogs that have links to me already, or new ones that wish to link to me, please could you change the link?
Also, sorry to those of you who have commented recently, but my new blog does not show them.

In case bloggers complain that they do not see their blog on the link list, every time you refresh my blog, a differing list of blogs and websites come up. This was so as not to have a really long list of blogs on the side bar. So you are all still there, do not fret.

I've done over 500 blogs on this blog, so its a sad goodbye, but I'm looking forward to future discussions over at my new blog spot...

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Wel yr oll rwy'n neud yw symud, rili. Paid a cholli gobaith eto. Rwy'n symud i http://www.bethanjenkinsblog.org.uk/ O'n i'n meddwl o'dd e'n hen bryd i mi greu blog newydd, trawiadol ( wel, gyda help fy ffrind yn Webs Wonder Design wrth gwrs!) Plis ewch fan na yn y dyfodol os ydych am ddarllen fy mlog diweddara, ac os ydych am gyfrannu i'r drafodaeth.

I'r rheiny ohonoch sydd a chyswllt i'm blog yn barod, byddech chi cystal a newid y linc ar eich blogiau? Diolch mawr.

Hefyd, ymddiheuriadau i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu sylwad i'm blog yn ddiweddar, am nad oes modd i mi drosglwyddo'r cyfraniadau i'r blog newydd.

Rhag bod blogwyr yn cwyno nad oes gen i linc rhagor i'w blogs unigol, peidiwch a phoeni. Mae nhw oll yno, ond mae cysylltiadau i blogs wahanol yn newid bob tro rydych yn gwasgu 'refresh' ar y blog. Fe wnes i hwn er mwyn peidio cael rhestr hirfaeth o flogs ar hyd ochr y blog newydd.

Dwi wedi neud dros 500 o flogs nawr ar y blog penodol hwn, felly fe ddywedaf hwyl fawr trist, ond edrychaf ymlaen at lu o drafodaethau newydd ar y blog arall....

Boris to rescue 'The Valleys'?

I am far from convinced by the idea floated by the Institute for Welsh Affairs of an elected Mayor for 'The Valleys'. It sounds like an idea from somebody who doesn't live in South Wales
(oh, it is!) It also sounds quite patronizing, and quite frankly if I should be excited about praising the system which elected Boris Johnson as Mayor of London then there is something seriously wrong! As Valleys Mam says in her impassioned blog on this issue, there are schemes to re- energise said communities already in place. Would a Boris-esque hero save 'The Valleys' from destruction and doom?

The whole point of devolution is to bring politics closer to the people. I certainly don't believe that another tier of government in the form of a Mayor is the answer to the question in relation to the development of the South Wales communities that are mentioned in the report.

And while we're on the subject, where do you actually stop when you talk about 'The Valleys'? There's been arguments over many a year now within valleys communities themselves about who are the real valleys communities (Yes, its true) Do we really want to open up that debate again?! ( I think of the old Aberdare, Rhondda hatred for one which stems from the Miners strikes.)

The fact that the report was launched in Cardiff says it all, really. It would also help if the Westminster government stopped their centralisation agenda of closing HMRC offices that provide key jobs for people in the South Wales area, stop closing Job Centre offices and moving all the positions to Cardiff, and stop actively working against the Welsh Assembly Government's agenda of seeking to devolve key offices to areas such as Merthyr Tydfil.

Let the debate continue.

I'm back again..

Notoriously, I haven't blogged in a while. Perhaps because I've been more busy than usual. Recess has portrayed this negative image of politicians holidaying- but only in camper vans or tents over Wales, mind. We don't do flying any more, at least those of use who a( hate flying ( that's me for the record. Since my car crash I am awful on a plane. or b) are trying to show off about their environmental credentials ...or c) like me( again) haven't actually taken any holiday at all.

I have been dealing mainly with issues that constituents have raised with me in the past few weeks, and taking the opportunity to visit more organisations in my region, like the Port Talbot Tigers football team- a team of people wanting to encourage those from ethnic minorities in the area to take part in a team sport, and to integrate with the wider community.

I've also visited People's First Neath Port Talbot who provide advocacy services for people with learning disabilities, and who are hoping to develop a transition service for those who are aged between 16-18 years of age, as well as visiting Sarn Residents Association to see the work that they are carrying out in the community.

I love what I do for the reason that I can visit so many differing organisations and people, and help them in achieving their goals. So many people have negative images of politicians, but from the community groups I've visited, and the constituents who place their faith in me to help them, I feel a huge responsibility to assist them, and not to let them down.

In that sense, I am a servant to them- to help them and to reassure them that we can try and progress their case, their grant application, their appeal process and so on. So when I sit down at night, I can relax in the knowledge that there are people out there who appreciate me, and the help that I give them. That one letter will put a look of relief on their faces, that a mention in plenary will bring the issue closer to their goal, and that one meeting with a Minister will further their agenda. This is what its all about. Its not about petty political point scoring or stupid gossiping. Its about making people realise that they can put their trust in politicians, and that we will fight for them until the end, no matter what.

I'm off to the Eisteddfod tomorrow. I hope I have a productive day!

Welsh women bloggers please stand up.

Everyone is starting to talk about who has the most political bloggers- is it Plaid, lib dems etc (its certainly not Labour in Wales that's for sure, although Labour are excellent at providing plenty of anonymous comments...)

Nevertheless, my plea is for more Welsh women to blog about Welsh politics. From scanning welshblogindex.blogspot.com I can only identify seven women bloggers- Betsan Powys, Miss Wagstaff, Heledd Fychan, Leanne Wood AM, Jill Evans MEP, Valleys Mam, and me. If there are more then let me know. Perhaps some of the other bloggers with pseudonyms are women, but I don't think they are. Jane Davidson AM started a blog on her myspace page before the election but that has fallen by the wayside, and some of the other women candidates for the National Assembly stopped blogging very soon after the May result.

It would give a different angle on the blogosphere if more women decided to blog, but I think many are put off by the mainly male orientated vibe that the blogosphere exudes. The remarks which are left in some of the comment boxes of various blogs are sexist on occasions- one comment talked about the weight of female politicians in a negative way, for example. Yes, I know that you will say that we should take it with a pinch of salt- and believe me I do, otherwise I would never blog again, but there has to be a positive way in which we can attract more women to the world of the blogs. In other fields of interest, women have embraced the blogosphere (often to the detriment of their personal lives) but here in Wales the phenomenon hasn't really taken off.

Considering that there are so many female politicians at the Assembly we should encourage a campaign to get more women blogging and contributing to the debate online. Only then can we rival Glyn Davies's infamous wet t-shirt competition blog entry a while back...

The future of the Wales Office. Need it all be so negative?

I have to admit that I don't particularly see eye to eye with Elfyn Llwyd's analysis as to why the Wales Office should not be reformed under new constitutional changes by Gordon Brown- i.e that "it would slow down the democratic process and hinder the work being done on LCOs [legislative competence orders]' and that ' it would be foolish to take this step at this moment in time. '

The Westminster Government has plans to introduce a new super department for the UK's nations and regions. Whether Wales is classed as a region in this instance I'm not so sure, but the main thrust behind this particular change is the argument that it would serve to benefit devolution, not undermine it. I haven't seen the plans in full, but I would tend to agree with Peter Black AMs analysis ( there's a first!) in that the main concern lies with the status of any new super department, and the need for Wales to be fully represented in such a department. To do away with the current system of having a dedicated Secretary of State for Wales would be insufficient without taking this into account.

I am more flexible about changes to the Wales Office as I believe that it must evolve as devolution progresses. To leave it as it stands would be in denial of the system that we have in place at the moment, and the development of the Welsh Assembly to date. Of course, as I have said on so many occasions that I am now becoming bored of myself, the current LCO system was created by Labour for Labour, and the veto by the Secretary of State on new legislation brought forward by AMs still stands. I would be much more supportive of any ideas to change the make up of the Wales Office if Gordon Brown and his advisers scrapped this injustice, and gave the Assembly more flexibility to govern without strict caveats to power here in Wales.

The sooner we get a Parliament for Wales the less we will have to worry ourselves with the workings of the Wales Office. In my opinion, an office that combines the work of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland could be given the flexibility to be more progressive in that it may encourage those in the department to share cross border ideas on legislation, and encourage greater communication between the Celtic Nations.

We shall wait and see what comes of this idea.

Top Ten blogs

In early September TOTAL POLITICS, in association with APCO WORLDWIDE will publish the 2008-9 Guide to Political Blogging in the UK. It will contain articles on blogging by some of Britain's leading bloggers, together with a directory of UK political blogs, and a series of Top 20s and Top 10s. The book will be available at the Green Party, TUC, Labour, LibDem and Tory Conferences, where TOTAL POLITICS will have exhibition stands.They're asking for your votes to decide the Top 100 UK Political Blogs.

Simply email your Top Ten (ranked from 1 to 10) to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com. If you have a blog, please encourage your readers to do the same. Iain Dale will then compile the Top 100 from those that you send in. Just order them from 1 to 10. Your top blog gets 10 points and your tenth gets 1 point.The deadline for submitting your Top 10 is Friday August 15th. Please type Top 10 in the subject line. Or you can of course leave your Top 10 in the Comments on Iain's post.Once all the entries are in a lucky dip draw will take place and the winner will be sent £100 worth of political books!

The rules are simple:
1. Please only vote once
2. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents are eligible or based on UK politics are eligible
3. Votes must be cast before Friday 15 August
4. Blogs chosen must be listed in the Total Politics Blog Directory.
5. You must send a list of TEN blogs, ranked. Any entry containing fewer than ten blogs will not count.
6. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name

So, once again, the email address to send your TOP TEN BLOGS to is...toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com

-this has been taken from Ordovicius's blog. Feel free to vote for me aswell!!

Scotland follows our lead- for a change!

I hope you can take time to read this article that I wrote, that was printed in today's health section of the Western Mail with regards to the treatment of eating disorders in Wales. If you want to join the cross party group, then just get in touch, or if you are on Facebook please join us for discussion there.

I also received a link from a member of the cross party group of a debate on eating disorders that took place this March at the Scottish Parliament- praising our action here in Wales on eating disorders. Well, it makes a change to Wales following Scotland all the time! A Tory MSP, Mary Scanlon was singing our praises, although I gather from her speech that she believes the cross party group to be a government led initiative. There's pressure on us now to perform as a committee, which of course we will do!

Here is the quote:

"Whereas there has been a lack of action—or insufficient action—on the issue in Scotland, the Welsh Assembly has taken dramatic and decisive action to combat eating disorders. It established a cross-party committee on the issue to compile a comprehensive analysis of eating disorders in Wales, including recommendations from the NHS in Wales on provision and support for patients and their families. The committee has managed to raise awareness of eating disorders across Wales and has called for proactive campaigns that specifically target young women in schools and universities. It has also promoted the need for increased training in the health sector to equip front-line staff with the skills to identify and to deal effectively and efficiently with patients suffering from eating disorders."

I am pleased that we are progressing on this issue here in Wales, especially following a meeting that a delegation of the group had with the Health Minister, Edwina Hart AM lately. There's still much to be done, but we have recess to continue the work ( some of us are not taking 9 weeks holiday, I'll have you know. We are working very hard in our constituencies, as some journalists such as Matt Withers needs to know.....;-)) and to follow up any issues in the next cross party group in the new term. B-eat Cymru will be launched in October also, which will also be an exciting time for those working in the sector, and for those suffering from an eating disorder in Wales.

Cameron at Builth

SNP win in Glasgow East!

A huge congratulations to the SNP for winning the by election in Glasgow East, and to the newly elected MP John Mason.It truly is a massive success for the SNP, and a big blow for Gordon Brown.

I bet he's regretting not holding that General election when Labour looked better in the polls!The SNP are unstoppable at the moment. Independence could be a closer reality than we think. Let's hope Plaid can emulate their success here in Wales.

I've heard from Plaid colleagues who were in Builth yesterday that Cameron refused to commit the Tories to a referendum on a Parliament for Wales. If he's going to visit Wales he should be ready to answer such questions- and answer them directly. Nick Bourne is out of the country at the moment I understand(is this why Cameron visited when he did?) I bet he won't be very pleased to return to Wales, only to understand that his colleagues are flip flopping yet again on the question of devolution.But after all, Cameron is the leader of the Tories, so we shouldn't be surprised with the divergence of opinion.

Miserable Welsh MPs

It doesn't surprise me one bit that Labour MPs are today moaning about the amount of LCOs that we are asking the Welsh Affairs Committee at Westminster to scrutinise.

David Cornock reports that they have sent a memo to Paul Murphy requesting that we limit what we do to 5 LCOs a year, and that the LCOs are not so broad( specifically referring to the ensuing Welsh Language LCO, no doubt). The cheek! Surely if more of them attended the meetings in the first place they could catch up with the efforts that we put into legislation at the Assembly?

We work really hard on any of the legislation proposals coming forward- I know this from sitting on the Mental Health LCO committee.

Stop complaining, stop trying to get out of doing the work, and get on with it is my message to Labour MPs. After all, it is your system to defend. If you don't like it,then campaign with us for a Parliament so that we can do all the work in Wales.There will be nothing to complain about then....

A trip to Builth and back.

I haven't blogged in a few days sorry ( if anyone noticed or cared) In the meantime, while I have been away from the blogosphere, you may know that Plaid has a new Heritage Minister. I can tell you one thing for certain, he won't be frequenting any of the Cardiff Bay pubs in a hurry- neither will most AMs if they want to make sure that they won't be in the press for all the wrong reasons the next morning...Anyway, I digress.

I was in Builth today- we held a petitions committee meeting at the show, where we took evidence from Cymdeithas yr Iaith regarding the funding of a Welsh language newspaper, and those who are opposed to the closure of Wyeside Arts Centre. The meeting went well all in all, but it didn't help that our meeting took place right opposite the young farmers stage, where our proceedings were nearly drowned out by karaoke- esque singers blasting out old favourites! At one stage I thought it would be easier if we just gave up and joined in singing and dancing to the can can, but that would have just looked absurd;-)

I took a look around the showground as well while I was there, although I have to admit that I frequented the craft and food stalls more than I did the areas where they were displaying various tractors and diggers, not to mention special comfort mats for cows! The place was packed, although I did take issue with the massive McDonald's stand which proudly displayed a fruit stall as if trying to trick us into believing that they are some sort of up market, locally producing food company! Hmmmm. I don't think so somehow. That's my lot for Builth this year, but I'll be popping in to the Eisteddfod in a week's time.

In other news, things seem to be looking good for the SNP in the Glasgow East by-election. Some commentators are saying that a loss for Labour could force Brown out as PM. I'm not so sure myself, as this was said of Crewe and Nantwich etc, but considering that this is in Brown's back yard, ( when he isn't at 10 Downing street entertaining the likes of Thatcher, that is) and that it is a clear Labour stronghold, to lose this seat would be a massive loss to Scottish Labour. Some of my fellow Plaid colleagues have been up there helping out.. the SNP. I only hope that they will return the favour when we need support in the future. The SNP would no doubt be very pleased to win this seat. It would definitely show a confidence in the SNP government, and signal a change in perception amongst voters in the area.

The Tories have let rip about civil servants bonuses today also. I wouldn't mind them taking the moral high ground so much if they weren't hypocritical in taking the pay rise for AMs that many of us refused to take at the time when public sector workers were being squeezed. So its one rule for civil servants, another for the Tories? Typical.

The Iron Lady

Iron Lady

Pieces of coal scrabbled from a heap
she flattened into so much dust;
but the one wheel proved her wrong,
every spoke a miner's arm.

Wind through the hall windows
and trees grew as once orators:
door open to clouds, a child's mouth
she parched like a collier's.

by Mike Jenkins

petitions committee celebrates its first year

Its been a busy few days for me, and now I have time to sit down and blog. I was privileged that Huw Lewis responded so quickly to my blog on his comments on devolution. I have read his article on this issue, but I based my blog on the general BBC story to clarify to all. I'm pleased that Huw is so passionate about devolution, and that he has emphasised his commitment to the process. I need never attack him again on this matter.

Yesterday a delegation of the cross party group on eating disorders met with Edwina Hart to discuss the future strategy for eating disorders in Wales. I will expand on developments in due course, but I can say that it was a very productive meeting, and we all came out with smiles on our faces! Sarah Aldritt, a young woman who is recovering from an eating disorder came to the meeting also, and put forward her opinions to the Minister regarding the lack of access to Dietitians in Wales, and a carer- Martin Ball also came along to provide the Minister with a valuable insight in to his experiences caring for a daughter with an eating disorder. Health professionals were also present, and could obviously provide the Minister with expert knowledge of what is happening in the Trusts and LHBs ( if anything) regarding the treatment of eating disorders in Wales.

Yesterday I also attended the launch of the AMs photo display at the Senedd. Many AMs took part, and the photos are there are week at the Senedd for you to look at. I took pictures around the theme of the 'Iron Lady'. I'll post them here for you to look at!

I also took part in a petitions committee event last night to mark a year since the establishment of the petitions committee. It was a hugely successful event, and Andy Williamson from the Hansard society chaired a panel debate about the petitions system, and how we are developing it here in Wales. We have had over 100 petitions now, and the committee is going from strength to strength.

Today I attended the Unison/Unite public sector pay rally at The Point in Cardiff Bay. I'm hoping to go and meet those who are on strike at the Bridgend picket line tomorrow. Its an issue that is totally unacceptable. When MPs can award themselves hefty pay rises and such, its unacceptable that those in the public sector are not been rewarded the pay rise they deserve. London Labour undermining the workers in the public sector again. No surprises there.

Unionist Labour hit out at devolution...again.

Huw Lewis AM has today questioned what the All Wales Convention can achieve, and has said that despite the fact that it is now taking place, many in his own party have questioned the need for it. Is this because you believe that we should by-pass the referendum system and have full law-making powers in Wales like they have in Scotland, Huw? Hardly... Unionists in Labour like Huw Lewis cannot stop themselves making negative statements when we are trying to ensure, through the One Wales Government, that this process is a success.

But Huw is currently putting forward legislation regarding the regulation of public transport in Wales, so this cannot put him in the devo-sceptic camp, I here you cry! However, when he states that Wales is potentially 'putting the cart before the horse" in seeking more powers, it only goes to show that the Unionist in him is alive and well.

Now remember, if it wasn't for the devo sceptics in the Labour party that they accommodated in the Government of Wales Act, we would never have had such a hotch potch, complicated, laughable system. The Richard Commisssion's recommendations could have been implemented without a second thought. But Richard isn't the reality we see before us, so we must move on as best we can from the situation we are in.

We want the powers to legislate for the people of Wales, to be made by the people of Wales, in Wales. We shouldn't have to justify why we want those powers, especially not at this stage in the devolution process. It is only natural that a country should want to govern itself, and to refrain from going cap in hand to a far removed London Government. Its high time the Unionists in Labour realised that they need devolution more than devolution needs them, and get on with the job of making it work.

Perhaps this is a Labour leadership attempt at underimining the One Wales government, but I'd rather they kept their misgivings to the internal workings of the Labour party, quite frankly. After all, there is an ongoing review of grassroots Labour party activity. I'm sure Huw Lewis and others could whip up some energy in those forums as opposed to parading their misgivings like this, and undermining the goverment that they are part of here at the National Assembly.

Office launch and other such interesting information.

I don't have much tolerance to blog today unfortunately. Its been a busy week, and next week looks even busier from what I see in my diary- but luckily we have recess on the 21st of July so I have more time to spend here in Neath, and around the region. Last night I opened my office 'officially' and hosted a party for members. My office has been open a while, but we've had a lot of work done to it as the rooms upstairs were a little run down! Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing delivered an inspiring speech about Plaid in government, and we later had some musical entertainment from two young people from Neath who are members of the National Youth Choir of Wales. Everyone was in good humour, knowing that summer is on its way ( whether the nice weather will follow suit is anyone's guess!)

I also took part in a panel debate with new Sabbatical Officers in an NUS training day alongside Andrew R T Davies AM, Kirsty Williams, and Alun Davies yesterday. I enjoyed taking part in the discussion, but was a little disappointed that some of the panel members decided to talk the Assembly down to young leaders. I want to be able to inspire young people to get involved in politics, not put them off by saying that chamber debates are boring! Anyway, I'm sure the NUS will have enough to keep them busy on the campaign front in the near future, especially with the changes in FE, the student finance review and the Welsh language education strategy. Good luck to them!

Have a nice weekend all.

Did Kirsty want the Rainbow after all?

Kirsty Williams got a bit touchy in a debate yesterday when Alun Ffred Jones AM questioned the effectiveness of the Liberal Democrats in Wales. It looks from the quote below from the chamber debate that Kirsty did in fact regret her stance in opposing the Tory coalition last year after all! But now she is happy to be in opposition. Of course she is pleased with this - no responsibilites, no obligation to deliver, no alternative policy suggestions. If she becomes leader of the Lib dems in Wales, she will have more opportunities to shout from the sidelines. Oh to be a Lib dem AM...

Kirsty Williams: I am grateful for the mention in your speech( to Alun Ffred Jones). There have been times over the past 12 months when the performance of this Government has led me to doubt what I voted for in that executive meeting last year. I have thought that I may have got it wrong, having seeing what you have done over the last 12 months, but then I realise that, had I voted the other way, I would not have been looking at Ieuan Wyn Jones as the Deputy First Minister, but he would have been First Minister, and then I do not feel quite so bad.

Don tries to gatecrash One Wales celebrations

Don Touhig's comments on the One Wales Government, specifically his view that Plaid are 'runnning rings around Labour' will not go unnoticed on the blogosphere today, especially not by Plaid bloggers! I read the story on the BBC website, and went straight over to Normal Mouth's blog. Normal Mouth's attempts to brush off Plaid's influence on government made me smile, especially as only seconds ago I read the way in which a leading Labour MP believes that
' They've ( Plaid) exploited their position in the assembly very well to make sure that the people believe that advances and changes and benefits to Wales are coming from them and not from the Labour Party.
"We're too dull, we haven't done that."

Comments such as this, along with the leaked Labour document on the dwindling grassroots support for the party will be worrying for the Labour leadership, and for any potential leadership hopeful. As Helen Mary Jones hints at in the article, it seems that instead of Don and the like accepting and embracing this coalition for what it is, they are childishly trying to undermine it at every cost.

Again, the Westminster v Assembly agenda goes in to overdrive. It is clear that the Unionists in the Labour party are in a very weak position at the moment, and that they are scrabbling to find a strategy to undermine a coalition which is working well, which is offering stability, and which is implementing progressive policies- merely in order to highlight their own personal misgivings a year on. Even some of the Labour AMs who were pessimistic about the Labour-Plaid deal have come on board, and recognised that the coalition is offering a new dynamic to Welsh politics. Yet the same Labour Unionists clamour for negative press coverage on the coalition, knowing that this is the only way they will make the headlines. Surely they have better things to do than to undermine the work of their own colleagues in Wales?

I believe that the coalition with Plaid has teased out many of the radical elements in Labour that were there in previous administrations, but which they felt ( for reasons I do not know) could not be explored further in the context in which they governed at the time. Plaid in government alongside them has provided them with a degree of flexibility to implement new ideas, and to approach policy in a fresh light. Plaid in government alone has started the long awaited shake up of the civil service, who are being told to understand that the Ministers make the policy- not the other way around! I don't need to list the things that we have done in government here, but what I will say is that this coalition has ensured that it looks highly unlikely that Wales will return to a one party majority administration- ensuring that governments do not become complacent and take voters for granted.

The fact that the Labour party are assessing their internal situation is, I believe, as a result of this government in the Bay- a realisation that they must ensure that what they are seeking to achieve on a One Wales government level is reflected in the party membership. This positivity on a National level should feed down to the grassroots level, as opposed to Labour maintaining a parochial, Nationalist hater stance at all costs.

I look forward to the next few years of Plaid being in government. Obviously we will make mistakes, that is the nature of being a party of government. Obviously there will be decisions made that I and others will not agree with, but this is historical for Plaid- to be in government for the very first time, and I won't let the likes of Don ruin that for me or my party.

Barnett review group members announced

PR on the Barnett Review

CHAIR OF COMMISSION ON
FUNDING AND FINANCE ANNOUNCED

One of the UK’s most respected investment fund managers and economists has been appointed to chair the Assembly Government’s Commission on Funding and Finance. Aberdare-born Gerald Holtham, will chair the Commission which, in the first instance, will examine the present allocation of public expenditure to the Welsh Assembly Government through the Barnett Formula.

The appointment was announced today by First Minister Rhodri Morgan in a special media briefing with Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones to mark the first anniversary of the signing of the One Wales agreement. The review of funding and finance is a One Wales commitment and the appointment marks a significant milestone for the Assembly Government.

The First Minister hailed the appointment as a major coup for Wales. He said: “There are few people as qualified to lead this review as Gerald Holtham who is one of the UK leading financial experts and a passionate Welshman. He already serves on Economic Research Advisory Panel (ERAP) which advises the Assembly Government on economic research and provides evidence for public policy making. His appointment marks a significant step forward in delivering one of our key One Wales commitments.”

Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones said, “In the One Wales programme of Government both Labour and Plaid Cymru agree that the Welsh Assembly Government should receive “a fair allocation of funding so that people across the nation can see enduring differences and real outcomes. This Commission is an important step forward in reaching our aims and I wish Gerald Holtham well with this important work”.

Gerald Holtham said: “Reviewing the current funding formula is an exciting and challenging task but very worthwhile. I look forward to work starting in earnest in September when other panel members are appointed.”

The tasks set for the Commission on Funding and Finance are in the first phase to review the Barnett Formula, before looking to broaden its work in phase 2 to consider other issues including tax varying powers and borrowing powers. There is also a requirement to develop a thorough and robust evidence base to ensure a well informed debate on the issues.

The Commission will:
look at the pros and cons of the present formula-based approach to the distribution of public expenditure resources to the Welsh Assembly Government; and
identify possible alternative funding mechanisms including the scope for the Welsh Assembly Government to have tax varying powers as well as greater powers to borrow.

The Commission will be a small expert panel. It is expected to begin work in September and report back to Ministers with an interim report on Phase 1 of the work by the summer of 2009. The interim report would be published and debated in the Assembly prior to undertaking more detailed work towards the end of the year.

It is expected that the Commission’s work will run in parallel with the Calman Commission in Scotland and that both Commissions would be able to liaise over their respective work programmes and, where relevant and appropriate, share research papers.

Note to Editors:

Gerald Holtham is current Director of Cadwyn Capital LLP, a Director of the Institute of Welsh Affairs and a visiting professor at Cardiff Business School where he is co-director of the Investment Management Research Unit. He has wide experience of conducting and applying economic research on a range of public policy issues and was previously the Chief Investment Officer of Morley Fund Management – one of the largest active fund managers in the UK. He was Director of the Institute of Public Policy Research and was a member of the OECD for 10 years where he was Head of the General Economics Division. He was also Chief Economist at Lehman Brothers and an ex-fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. He is a member of Glas Cymru and serves on the Welsh Assembly Government’s Economic Research Advisory Panel (ERAP). He was born in Aberdare and divides his time between his homes in London and Nantymoel.

Post Office Ltd- London Labour's scapegoats

On Saturday I spoke at a public meeting against the closure of Neath Abbey Post Office. Representatives from Post Watch and Post Office Ltd were present. There was a good turnout of local people, who had obvious concerns about the possible closure of a Post Office that they use on a regular basis, and which elderly people find to be much more accessible than the Skewen or Neath central Post Office service. What was frustrating about the meeting was the continued emphasis by Post Office Ltd that they could not be 'political', and that they were merely acting on the Westminster Government's wishes to close 2,500 Post Offices.

It is phenomenal how the Labour Government at Westminster are trying to shrug off any responsibility with regards to the closure programme by allowing the Post Office Ltd to front such public meetings. They are effectively forcing them to take the flack for their own political decision, and making them stand up as scapegoats by the likes of Peter Hain MP who voted in favour of the closures from the outset.

I think that government Ministers, and Labour MPs that voted the way they did should take responsibility for their actions, and partake in such meetings from a government perspective instead of the Post Office Ltd, so that they can tell people exactly what is happening. How are Labour MPs across the country allowed to get away with organising their own public meetings in the guise of supporting communities and retaining their Post Offices, when they are the very people that facilitiated the process by which the Post Offices are diminishing?

How are they then allowed to stop other political parties from airing their opinions at such meetings, (as happened at the meeting in Aberdulais) who are merely seeking to emphasise that it is the Labour Government in London that is making this decision, that it is they who are actively taking government services away from the Post Office?

Is it any wonder that people lose faith in the political process? People are not naive, they can see how hypocritical Labour MPs are in this regard. If MPs care so much about eradicating poverty and developing their communities, why did they not put up a fight when it mattered- when they were voting on this issue? Crying crocodile tears now will not fool the public. Peter Hain should know that more than anybody.

Plaid One in Government One Year on.