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.

Monday musings

John Prescott seems to be having a hard time of it since announcing that he once suffered from bulimia. Whatever one thinks about him, raising awareness of this illness is always something which I support as I am involved in campaigning with regards to eating disorders. Its still a huge stigma to suffer/ to have suffered from bulimia or anorexia, therefore I'm sure that John Prescott didn't take the decision to talk about his experience lightly.

In other news, I note Huw Lewis's anger at Plaid AMs raising awareness of the divergence of policy or activity between Labour in Wales and Labour in Westminster. We only raise such issues if they are factual- such as Westminsters determination to close our post offices, privatise the DWP, and tax the poor. Noticing how riled Huw Lewis is over such comments only confirms to me his own insecurity with his own party. News on the doorstep about Labour's lack of support come May 1st is obviously not going down well! Whether this is another stab at the leadership of the Labour party I'm not quite sure, but I wish that Huw Lewis and others would just get on with it, and declare if they are interested in standing or not.

Come the Referendum....

Peter Black says on his blog today that we should get on with the Yes campaign for a Parliament for Wales. I couldn't agree more, but wasn't it the Lib dems who said a while ago that they didn't want a vote on a Parliament on the same day as the next National Assembly elections? Seems a bit disjointed, but now that the Lib dems are changing tactics ( again) and trying to out Welsh Plaid Cymru and the 'Welsh' Conservatives at the moment ( what with Eleanor Burnham's reference to the LCO system as 'swimming through custard') then this doesn't surprise me.

The Convention is set to start its work in the summer, and I see no reason why the Yes campaign cannot start organically regardless of the timeline of the Convention. Surely everything that we are seeking to do in the National Assembly( at least here in Plaid Cymru) is to try and show how and why we need a full legislative Parliament for Wales?

Yes, the current system is complicated and long-winded- but let us not forget that this was instigated as a way to appease the Labour party internally. Again, it was the Unionist vs Devolutionist fight in the Labour party that took precedence over endorsing the findings of the Richard Commission. That is why we are where we are today.

So lets move on, be positive about the Referendum, and enthuse the people of Wales about the importance of the Assembly becoming a Parliament. OK, so the Ian Lucas's and the Don Touhig's of this World probably don't have constituency offices brimming with letter on the constitutional question at face value, but when we delve into the issues, then the importance of enhancing the powers of the Assembly becomes clear.

People want to know why the National Assembly can't decide to keep the Post Offices open, why we can't change the regressive immigration and asylum policies of London Labour. People want to know why we can't make decisions on planning applications above 50MW, and why the Assembly can't reach the child poverty targets alone. There are many things that we can do currently as an Institution, but for the sake of clarity and consistency, as well as for the sake of enshrining the rights of the people of Wales- we must campaign for a successful outcome to this referendum.

Fuel poverty, child poverty. A race to reach the targets.

Keeping up my blog and working has proved difficult this week. First week back at the Assembly, and multi-tasking is harder than expected!

I've just been watching the Politics Show in Wales, and the interview with Rhodri Morgan. The discussion came on to whether or not Rhodri Morgan will endorse a candidate for the future leader of the Labour Party when he retires in 2009, and if today is anything to go by- it doesn't appear likely. The contest should kick off this year at some point, so watch this space for grand statements or attempts to shore up party membership support. I can only hope that all the candidates finances are in check before they launch head first in to any campaign!

On Friday I shadowed the Child Welfare Rights Officer for Neath Port Talbot . His work includes encouraging benefits take up in the Borough, and Friday's work specifically centred on the take up of the Disability Living Allowance. I visited a family in Neath- a single mother with 3 children, whose youngest child has been diagnosed with autism. Neath Port Talbot has one of the highest areas of DLA take up, but there's still a long way to go in ensuring that people know what they are entitled to. This will go a long way in tackling poverty, as families are often unaware that they are able to claim DLA, and other benefits. With news today that there is a sharp increase in fuel poverty, its vitally important that all the poverty agendas are connected, and that these areas are prioritised by Governments in Wales, and in Westminster. Looking at them individually misses out how the agendas are intertwined, and how poverty initiatives will not be acheived without investment in these areas.


News today also reports that Branson could be offering Brown the deal of a lifetime in saving Northern Rock from its financial woes. Nothing like another Millionaire to keep the London Government stable, is there?

CSR and Child Poverty

I have just asked the Minister about the effect of the Pre - Budget Report and the Comprehensive Spending Review on our efforts to end Child Poverty in Wales. Save the Children have said that the changes to Child Tax Credits announced by the Chancellor yesterday equates to a miserly 48p rise per week for each child living in poverty, and that at this rate it will take decades to meet the 2020 pledge.

Considering how essential the benefits system and fiscal power in general is to tackling child poverty, it is obvious that policies pursued in Westminster will make it difficult to address the problem in Wales. Now I appreciate that the previous WAG Administration has set its own criteria in relation to child poverty, but the reality is unless we increase wealth levels in our poorest communities, via redistribution, it is arguable whether we are going to make any real meaningful progress.

If child poverty was such a priority for Labour at Westminster you would think that instead of trying to shoot the Tory fox by raising the threshold of inheritance tax, they would have made more progress on increasing the wealth levels of children living in poverty. When it comes to priorities for Labour in London it is clear that middle England comes first, not those who desperately need help.