Its Friday!

Here is a link to the blog that I wrote for Ourkingdom on devolution if you want to take a look. It concentrates on the challenges ahead for both the Labour party and the Tories in the context of the referendum on a Parliament for Wales.

I visited Christchurch Primary school in Swansea today. I am always touched by the enthusiasm and the drive of teachers who dedicate themselves to their pupils. They were all very welcoming. My mother is also a Primary school teacher, and so I will always respect the time and effort that teachers invest in their work. It is certainly not an easy job, and I don't think that I could juggle a class of 30 children personally!

I am doing a surgery at the Berwyn Centre, Nantymoel on Monday between 10am and 12 if any readers of my blog live in that area and wish to raise any local issues with me personally. I am trying to do a mixture of street surgeries, and surgeries in various locations across the region so as to reach as many people as possible.

The next cross party group on eating disorders is at 5.30pm next Tuesday at the National Assembly if any of you wish to attend. We are looking at the provision of services by GPs, and also the response of the Health Minster to a letter that we wrote regarding the fact that the current care pathway on eating disorders is only an advisory document- which ultimately means that many local health boards, trusts and GPs alike do not take it as their own individual responsibility to treat eating disorders accordingly.

I've just remembered that there is a London Olympics event at the Assembly on Monday evening also. I was hoping to attend so that I could ask some awkward questions about the financial burden of the Olympics on Welsh lottery monies, but it looks to me as if it will be more of a wine and canapes session. hmmm!

Have a nice weekend....

Will the ' Welsh' Tory Party please stand up?

Gosh. Just heard Nick Bourne AM on a question to the Heritage Minister regarding supporting the commemoration of Owain Glyndwr! Whatever next? Supporting Welsh Independence?! I wonder whether their leader in Westminster knows what they are up to here in the Bay. After all, Alun Cairns Tory AM ( a Parliamentary candidate) has said on record during a debate last week that Cameron isn't their leader in Wales. For a Unionist party, they appear on face value to be on very shaky ground. But I know full well of course what the Tory strategy is in terms of merely appearing to be a unique Welsh party. However, we need only look at how Glyn Davies and his colleagues are refusing to accept that the decision on the right to buy be devolved to Wales to know that the cracks are appearing in the 'Welsh' Tory game.

The same divergence in opinion is clear from the Tory camp when discussing top-up fees. David Cameron has of course stated on numerous occasions that he now supports the rolling out of top-up fees, but his party in Wales purport to be able to take a differing line in opposing such fees here in Wales for now, at least ( or until the General election campaign kicks off) Again, there is a lack of consistency in the Tory spin machine, and a robust opposition in even admitting that they will have to take a UK Unionist opinion on most policy decisions and directions.

On the Referendum front, the Tories are holding a consultation process on whether they support future devolution for Wales. If this consultation results in a positive outcome to support a referendum on more powers for Wales, it will be highly interesting to see whether they place this in their Uk General election manifesto, and whether they will promise to enact on this if they take power on a UK level.

Of course, if the Tories win power at Westminster, or even if all the polls prior to the election indicate as such, I will be keeping a keen eye on Labour party activity in this area. I want to see whether or not those who are current devo sceptics in Labour's Unionist wing, (we all know who they are) and who are currently intent on talking down the referendum in the One Wales Government will be manouvering to change their mind, and to support future powers for our National Assembly in fear of losing all power in the devolved administrations.

Mike German to step down...in October.....

Do you ever get the feeling that the Lib dem group at the Assembly are a little unhappy with their leader?

Peter Black AM's blog post on his leader is testimony to the fact that he wants Mike German to go, and to go sharpish. Wait until October? No way, that's far too long a wait to get Kirsty Williams AM in there, and leading the 6 strong team of Lib dems at the National Assembly!

At the end of the day, he could easily have stood against Mike German as leader after the Assembly elections, but he chose not to stand- he and others sat back and allowed Mike German to carry on. If he was that ineffectual a leader, then why not stand against him?

I presume there was no leadership contest after the National Assembly elections, as Kirsty Williams was not popular amongst party members who wanted the deal with Plaid and the Tories to work. Kirsty was seen as trying to undermine that deal. Whether this was a play at the leadership is any one's guess.

Nevertheless, Mike German (if he keeps to his words) will stand down in October. Plenty of time for some Labour party leadership hopefuls to try and shore up a possible coalition deal with a fresh, new lib dem leader ( could it possibly happen?...)

The future of devolution

I'm not sure why Ian Lucas has chosen to comment at this point in time about the need for a review of the way devolution is working on a UK level. The terms of reference for the All Wales Convention has been discussed in full during the meeting of the establishing committee, to which sources tell me, Ian Lucas MP failed to attend on numerous occasions. Surely that was the place to make such opinions known, not via the Western Mail over a month later?

He comments that 'The All Wales Convention, by its very nature, cannot resolve these issues because it relates to Wales alone yet it is dependant upon the UK Parliament to achieve its goals.

“When it reports, we do not know the political context in which it will tell us its views. What we do know, however, is that politics in the UK as a whole will impact on whatever it does suggest.”

Yes, unfortunately, we know that any suggestions by the Convention must be accepted by the UK Parliament, but this is common knowledge, and the whole purpose of the Convention is to gather a wide variety of Welsh opinion in making key recommendations to the UK Parliament over the future set up of devolution in Wales. We are under no illusions that reform can happen in any other way, but we need to ensure that the Convention is successful, and that the people of Wales have faith in its processes.

Again, Ian Lucas is right that we will not know the political context when the Convention reports ( I assume he means that after a General election the Tories could be running the show in London) but again, we cannot use this as an excuse to water down the aspirations of the All Wales Convention and that which it has been mandated to perform. The MP protests too much, and in my opinion he is trying to find a way to water down the running, and the affect of the All Wales Convention before it has started.

It is not for us in Wales to push for anything more or anything less than a Convention that will re asses the powers of the Welsh Assembly, and create the environment where a Referendum in 2011 is clearly a reality. An investigation in to the Scotland Act is on its way, and no doubt there will be further calls to look at English regional control in the future.

We must get on with the work of the Convention here in Wales without hesitation. If the UK Parliament is uneasy with its findings and its conclusions, then so be it- democracy will be at work.

Call for an inquiry in to Iraq War ( again...)

So the Tories have called for an inquiry in to the Iraq War, oh how opportunistic of them. Do I sense an election on the way? Of course I do! Perhaps they would like to erase from history the fact that 146 of their MPs voted in favour of the war from the outset, or, because they have a new sparkling leader, does that automatically mean that they can change their opinions?

Plaid has been consistent in calling for an inquiry, and Adam Price's campaign to Impeach Tony Blair was positive in that it sought to mobilise the peace movement in a common campaign goal. Nevertheless, these calls have fallen flat, and the Government still do not believe that it is 'the right time' for an inquiry, when 'our troops' are fighting on the ground ( and are losing morale if the latest poll of families of servicemen is anything to go by)

The Lib dems have put in an amendment to the Tory motion, asking all MPs who voted for the War to apologise. I don't see anything wrong with this, but unfortunately I don't see MPs offering to apologise in a hurry. Apologies are not that common in politics because politicians don't like being wrong, or being seen to be wrong even if they know they are!

Miliband is still in denial that the war was even a mistake, regardless of the fact that even some of George Bush's most ardent supporters in America now recognise that yes, they were, ( gulp) wrong to occupy Iraq.

An Independent inquiry is desperately needed to assess the war on every level- from clarity on the reasoning for war, to the action taken on a ground level, to the continuation of US/ British intervention in Iraq, to seeking to restore faith from the electorate in the political system. Until the London Government acknowledges this, I do not see how they can seek to even address their waning credibility.

A politics free weekend?

Was it George Osbourne who said that he didn't take part in any political activity over the weekend? I don't keep to this very often (Saturday night Plaid Neath quiz night as case in point, which was very enjoyable I'd like to add) but sometimes when I watch the Politics Show I start to go for the remote, knowing that there is athletics on the other channel! Its mainly because some of the interviews are, shall we say, a little monontonous, or at best predictable. Take Nick Clegg today for example.

I don't think that I learnt anything new about the Lib dems, only that they still aren't quite sure where they are at, and what they are trying to achieve. Its a little worrying for them, that despite their Cameron puppet leader they are still flatlining in the polls. Clegg was rushing over his words, trying to ensure that he wouldn't have to answer any questions about whether he would go into coalition with the Tories or Labour if it came to the crunch on a Westminster level. Remind you of any past events, anyone?!

As was said in the piece on the Lib dems on the show, there are plenty of ways in which they can seek to offer new ideas, but they don't seem to be grasping this agenda, especially so in Wales where Plaid are already offering and delivering on left of centre policies which coincide with the thoughts of the normal Lib dem voter. What annoyes me most about Lib dems, however, is their insistancy on appearing whiter than white about every policy or debate, despite this being far from the truth in many, but not all cases. Voting with New Labour and the Tories for the selling of student loans to private companies being one of their most recent fault lines in Westminster.

I have read many a Lib dem blogger talk about Labour and Plaid in Government in Cardiff Bay, and it is interesting that their ( one being Peter Black of course) strategy is to hammer in to Plaid at every opportunity, and this despite them failing to take up the opportunity when it arose to go in to Government! Now I know that we have to take hard decisions in Governemnt, and I haven't always agreed with everything that the Government in Cardiff Bay has done, but I enjoy the fact that we can negotiate from inside Government, and that we can influence the more progressive Labour AMs to think in line with Plaid's priorities and policy objectives. You can spin our involvement in Government any way you like, but I believe that this has been a superb opportunity for Plaid to govern, and to enthuse party members and the Welsh people alike.

New Labour’s Betrayal of Founding Principles

Hardly a day goes by without New Labour Ministers in London trying to out Tory the Tories. Today’s policy proposal by Caroline Flint, the Housing Minister is so extreme it makes Margaret Thatcher look like Karl Marx!! Shelter summed up the policy simply by saying if implemented it would return the UK to the Victorian age. Anyone remember the Workhouse?

Downing Street has moved quickly to slap down their Minister tonight, however the comments underline a strategic dynamic that has dominated New Labour thinking since its inception.

In an attempt to triangulate the Tories, New Labour placed itself on the centre right in order to steal the Tories thunder – a strategic move which has led to the building of the New Labour coalition. The problem New Labour has faced is that they have had to continue to betray their founding principles in order to feed the beast of their own making. Today we witness a mass cull of public sector jobs; the squeezing of the wages of frontline public sector workers below inflation, whilst city wages and bonuses are allowed to spiral out of control; the increasing privatisation of public services; the reckless use of the private finance initiative that has already accumulated over £160bn of repayment debt, whilst allowing private firms to refinance incurring extraordinary cost on the public purse – all from a Labour Government.

We witness how a Labour London Government according to the TUC has failed to act on an estimated £25bn per annum tax evasion swindle by the super rich whilst fuel poverty levels go through the roof and little progress is made in addressing child poverty. It’s a Labour Government that has introduced a tax regime which means that average working people pay tax at 33% (income tax and national insurance payments) whilst millionaires are able to declare income on the much more favourable 18% Capital Gains Tax rate.

It is little wonder in such a climate of the betrayal of the founding principles of their movement that someone like Peter Hain finds himself in the mess he is in. So ingrained is New Labour’s ‘sell out’ culture that a politician who made his name as an anti apartheid campaigner willingly accepts money from a financial supporter of the South African National Party! The real damage for Hain is that his own vanity has become more important than principle – a sorry reflection of the type of politics New Labour has fostered.

The Labour party was created to campaign for social justice for working class people. Caroline Flint’s comments are testament to a New Labour Government that has turned its back on these principles. Social justice will never be achieved in Wales as long as we have little protection from a London right wing consensus which has little interest in building a fair society. The sooner we have the tools at our disposal in Wales to get on with the job of creating a prosperous just society the better.

I prove my point.....

A wonderful little story in the Mail today about a Tory peer who hit out at a cyclist with her handbag for cycling through a red light. The Tories can safely say that they are 'tough' on crime!

I hope that prospective Plaid peers are taking note on the conduct expected of them at the House of Lords;-)

Support for Asylum Justice

I have had a relatively busy day today. We carried out street surgeries in Bryncoch, Neath in the morning- something which we do every Monday and Friday in the region. We should be coming to a neighbourhood near you very soon!

After that, I attended the funeral of one of our Bridgend activists, David Cogswell. He was a lovely man, who supported me throughout the election, sent me press cuttings to follow up local press stories and attended events and activities in the area. He died of cancer late last week, and I will miss him, and his enthusiasm for life.

Later today I visited a few community groups, and then attended the Law Society's Pro Bono week event in Cardiff. Tonight the event centred on Asylum Justice, and the work which is carried out in representing asylum seekers during appeal processes, and in providing them with general support. Here in Wales, Legal Aid is at a minimum for such cases due to the merits system which was introduced for Wales and England in 2004. Therefore Asylum Justice are now seeking to train Immigration Advisers to represent asylum seekers during the appeals process, as there is a severe shortage of firms taking part in this work in Wales.

I am eager to get involved in the work that Asylum Justice carries out in Wales, especially as I have had many asylum seekers approach me for support with their individual cases since I have been elected. Many of the cases have proved successful, but unfortunately, the Labour Government in London has not been forthcoming in its support for organisations such as Asylum Justice, in its desperate attempts to out Tory the Tories on immigration.

More meetings and events tomorrow, starting with National Grid and a meeting on the LNG pipeline. Should be an interesting one!

When should you call it a day? The story of Campbell and German

News flash today is that Mike German says that he intends to remain as leader of the Assembly Lib dem group until 2008. Now, there must have been group discussion on this, as only a few weeks ago Peter Black was adamant that a leadership contest was needed- a 'fresh mandate' for a leader was the words he used if I can recall.

This will now give Kirsty Williams enough time to shore up support with members after a bruising few months. Or, then again, there could be a Kirsty vs Randerson battle ahead... if you're bothered to keep an interest until then.

It is a concern about what will happen to the Lib dems in Wales up until 2008. They do appear a little lack lustre at the moment as a group, and have little in common to promote until the leadership battle commences in 2008. This is not to say that individuals are not hard working or energised by their role, but a leadership contest now might have been just what they needed.

Anyway, the Lib dem problems in Wales are arguably out done by the UK leadership issue. Today's Independent reports that senior Lib dems have allegedly set until March next year for Campbell to improve his ratings in the polls or make ' a dignified exit.' It was only a matter of time before the cracks started to appear again on this particular issue. The fact that the political debate has now been polarised between the Tories and Labour makes the Lib dem situation look even worse in reality. That and the fact that the other two parties are fighting for the middle ground in British politics, which has again led to a squeeze in support for the Lib dems.

There will, more than likely, be another two years until the General election. Can the party afford to wait around for a renewal in leadership until then?

NHS, NHS, NHS.

It seems that the Conservatives are having that long awaited debate on the future of their party's policy- from the recent discussion over the future of Grammar schools, to today's latest announcement on the funding of the NHS.

The Independent reports that a group of 40 MP's, led by Peter Bone MP, have published a plan for all patients to be required to take out compulsory private health insurance( you wouldn't have thought that this would be contentious for the Tories, but wonders will never cease!)

Obviously, I welcome the Official party response to the plan which states that "they are free to put forward their ideas," as it is important for any political party to debate key policies in an open manner, which does not stifle opinion. Nevertheless, one must question whether this symbolises a threat to Cameron's new style leadership, or whether it is merely a genuine call from members for a debate within the party- a debate that has been so far cast to one side under Cameron's leadership.

Perhaps it is necessary for the Tories to clarify the direction of their party and their future, and decide once and for all how they wish to continue with key announcements on policy. Does Cameron really want to make the mistake of becoming Tony Blair #2 by steam rolling decisions through the party without considering opposition to such decisions?

From what I can gather, Cameron and co. seem to be intent on maintaining that the Tories have changed, have shrugged off their negative legacy, and that the NHS is in fact at the heart of their political agenda. Now its a case of whether or not they can take the party with them on the journey of this perceived new found Conservatism.

Coalition. The dirty word of Welsh politics?

All this talk of coalition is really getting under my skin, I must admit. If I try and be the 'Honest John' of Blamerbell Briefs fame, I would say that I am not buying in to the media's obsession with 'coalition'. The reason being that this election has been marred with discussion of coalition, which I think has played a huge part in putting voters off. Many people that I have met on the doorstep don't want Labour back in power, but neither do they ever want to see the Tories in power in Wales again. Nick Bourne's arguments on Radio Wales yesterday don't seem to hold ground as much as he would like, therefore. Yes, voters do not like Labour at the moment, but they definitely do not see the Tories as 'an alternative' in Wales as part of a coalition or not.

To be honest, I don't want to get too embroiled in this coalition debate because I want to campaign to win seats for Plaid, to form a Plaid Government in May. It's frustrating that to say the above is just swept under the carpet and scorned at, as if by stating that I want to win an election on Plaid's own merit is dodging the question of coalition! It is not!

In my opinion, two weeks before an election is not a time to be discussing the ins and outs of coalition or co-operation post election- of who is phoning who, and who will be getting the top jobs. This confusion is only turning potential voters away, and allowing Labour to scaremonger in all their election leaflets about letting the Tories in through the back door.

Yes, I am something of an idealist. Some people say it's because I am young. They say I will soon grow up, be sensible, and realise that it's not a perfect world. Until ' I grown up', I do not sit comfortably with working with the Tories- new image, shiny new leader, whatever. Call me what you like- backward looking, naive etc. I'm not particularly bothered. My politics is driven by my heart, and I don't see the point in being in politics if at the first sniff of power, I sell my principles. Is ousting Labour at any cost a real, legitimate reason for forming a Goverment anyway?

In cases like this, it's better to be honest than to shy away from discussion. I know that there could be difficult decisions to make post May the 3rd, and I will, if elected, be part of such discussions, no doubt. If consensus needs to be reached between certain parties to form a Government, then that shall take place after May the 3rd, and not a minute before that.

Tory health U-turn

Interesting blog from Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM about the Tories' u -turn on their health policy in Wales. In short, when Plaid opened a discussion at the Assembly about retaining the Neurosurgery Unit in Swansea, Cardiff based Tory AM Jonathan Morgan noted that it was for the professionals to decide on such issues, that it was unwise for politicians to interfere in such matters, and that this was their party policy. The Lib dems, Tories and Labour AM's went on to vote along regional lines with regards saving Swansea's Neurosurgery Unit, while Plaid maintained a clear and united consensus against the proposed move to Cardiff- alongside support from thousands of Evening Post readers, who Brian Gibbons famously refused to meet when they visited the Assembly last month.

Recently, it seems the Tories have announced that they are now against the health reconfiguration plans in Wales. Does this mean that they have consulted Health professionals with regards the change in policy, or is this more to do with the imminent election, and the fact that the reconfiguration will no doubt factor quite significantly in people's voting patterns? What does this mean for the Tory AM's who voted in favour of the Neurosurgery move to Cardiff?

Rhodri Glyn Thomas notes that the press have taken little interest in this U turn. Perhaps this could be a new news story for them, as opposed to the tired coalition stories that are being reeled out.

Tory donations at a record £ 24million- will Bourne splash this cash in Assembly election?

News today shows that the Conservatives received much more cash in donations than New Labour last year. They received£24.2 million in total, ( including gifts in kind and state funding) which is nearly twice the amount of Labour's total finances- standing at a mere £12.3 million.

In Wales, the issue comes down to whether or not the British parties really do want to fight the Assembly election on Welsh issues only. They may announce publicly that this is so, but behind closed doors, are they not scrappling to get their hands on HQ money that can fund a larger, possibly more successful Assembly election campaign?

If they are serious about Wales and the development of the National Assembly for Wales, then these parties must fight the election in it's entirety on a principled stand that Wales comes first- this must include a discussion on who donations are from, and where they are from. I believe that all parties should use money from Welsh donors, and donors in Wales. As a member of Plaid, I believe firmly in this, as it corresponds with my aspiration of establishing a Wales which can stand on it's own two feet. For the Tories, Lib dems and Labour, such a step could highlight a clear ideological shift - from being financially dependent on money budgeted from their London centre, to promoting fundraising and campaigns on purely a Wales wide level.

There needs to be a complete overhaul in the funding system- an increase in state funding could be an option, but only under the premise that a cap on funding would be introduced on private donations for all parties, and strict guidelines as to how such funding is implemented. I also believe that correspondence of any possible funding between investors and political parties should be much more open, so that corruption can be avoided. Cases such as Labour's 'cash for honours' scandal would then (with luck!) be a thing of the past.

Only when parties sign up to an agenda that puts Wales first can Glyn Davies AM and others with similar opinions suggest that Rhodri Morgan should concentrate efforts on targeting Nick Bourne as the Leader of the Conservatives in Wales. And only then can Labour in Wales truly become the Welsh Labour party that they continuely seek to portray themselves as in the Welsh press in the run up to the election on May the 3rd.

New Labour, Amnesty... what group would you join?

Another day in politics, and another youth issue....

A Times article this week centres on the outcomes of a centre- right poll conducted by Bow Group which asked 1,277 teenagers about their main political experiences. The poll was UK wide, and it's results are again another blow to New Labour as mere 18% of the young people said that they would vote New Labour in an election. It highlights the fact that New Labour are far removed from the issues that affect young people. 52 % believe that New Labour are obsessed with the war in Iraq, and that they are failing to concentrate on issues of higher importance to them, such as Climate Change.

This is a sorry sign for New Labour, especially given that they are suffering an all time low in membership numbers generally. Following the announcement yesterday that young people in Britain are amongst the poorest in Europe, this poll highlights how unsuccessful the New Labour Government has been in representing young people. It emphasises their failure to include young people in decision making processes, and to improve their quality of life.

85% of the teenagers in the poll did not agree with the statement that New Labour 'shares my values', and a mere 16 % believed that Labour had policies that were relevant to them. Interestingly, the Cameron factor has not affected teenagers, as they shun the prospect of a vote for the Tories.

All Political Parties have work to do in encouraging youth involvement and interest in current affairs and politics. Part of the problem is that all the London Parties are scrabbling for the centre ground, and the ideological differences between them, which existed in the past, are no longer their priority. Much more young people are joining pressure groups and NGO's as opposed to Political Parties. The challenge is to make Party politics bold, radical and exciting again so that young people will take an interest. Whether New Labour can rise to the challenge is another issue altogether!

Cameron- Blue through and through

Nick Cohen has an interesting article in today's Observer regarding David Cameron. Whereas Cameron has tried to paint himself as a modern man, an environmentalist, a Politician that can appeal to women voters, it is blatantly obvious that this is all but a show and that the cracks are starting to appear. According to Nick Cohen's article, in the Telegraph this week, Cameron announced that under a Conservative Government they would opt out of the European Union's Social Chapter. This, in real terms, means that there would be a removal of legal protection for part-time workers, and the end of women's rights to extend maternity leave. This is hardly a reflection of the new, caring Cameron that he has bent over backwards to create, is it? In fact, this is more of the old Tory agenda of seeking to 'persuade' employers to act with their employees best interest at heart as opposed to regulating to make sure that people are protected. If the Tories want to make a clear break from their past, and their overtly right wing policies, then this is not the way to go about it.
It's no good Cameron appearing on the cover of Marie Claire or magazines of the sort if he dismisses the issues that are important to the very people he is trying to attract.

Hain the hypocrite

I've just been looking through Hansard, and found this from yesterday's debate.

Peter Hain was asked by the Conservative MP Philip Hollobone whether or not he was representing Wales to the best of his ability considering that of late he has prioritised work in Northern Ireland, and his race to become Deputy PM. This was Hain's response:

'In the future, if his Front-Bench colleagues got their way and we saw second-class status for Welsh MPs, with English MPs restricted to dealing with English legislation, he would not be able even to ask such a question, and we would see the Balkanisation of Parliament, which would be a disaster for the United Kingdom that would lead to constitutional chaos'.

So, Hain the hypocrite is firmly against the possibility of Welsh MP's having 'second-class status' at Westminster, yet when it comes to the Welsh Assembly, he bleats that Regional AM's have 'abused' the system, and that they are 'undermining the (local) elected member'. This has led to Labour systematically pushing through an undemocratic policy that stops candidates standing on both the Regional list and in the Constituency.

Anyone who dares undermine the role of Welsh MP's are under attack from Hain, but when this criticism is targeted towards the Assembly, he is the first to jump in to the ring to target Regional AM's. Would this have anything to do with the fact that they are all opposition AM's, and that they pose a threat to Labour dominance in Wales?

'What's Hain harping on about now?!'

All I have to say about Peter Hain's comments today on the break up of the Union is that it is a clear sign of the Labour Party panicking in the run up to both the Scottish Parliament election and the Welsh Assembly election in May. This statement has much to do with Gordon Brown's agenda of seeking to scare their 'supporters' to vote in reaction to the growing prospect of an SNP victory in Scotland, and a subsequent referendum on Independence. This would be disastrous for the Scottish number 10 wannabe.

Frankly, Labour's strategy is all over the place. Now that they know that they can no longer patronize the people of Wales with the 'vote Plaid get Tory' scenario, they have nowhere to go. To attack Plaid on the Independence issue is hardly new or inspiring- Rhodri Morgan doesn't even consider it the top priority for the forthcoming Assembly election!

With the mess Labour has made since being in power- from the cash for honours inquiry, the Iraq War and Home Office saga, I am sure that such matters will factor more so in the minds of the voters than that of a rambling, negative Peter Hain.

Electioneering for Assembly election has started....

The Tories are set to hold 'pre- Assembly poll meetings' in Wales in March this year amid criticisms that they are too London centric- well they are a pro- Union Party, after all. They believe that Wales is merely a region! This means that the Tories will hold a Cabinet meeting in Cardiff.
I don't believe that this meeting will have any public effect at all, or makes a difference to Welsh public opinion of Tory priorities, but the Cameron public visits to Wales might turn a few heads if only he decides to cycle the length and breadth of Wales. Only then will he come close to beating Ieuan Wyn Jones's Wales Wide Walk success.

I'm not convinced that Cameron can make much of an impact in Wales. While I recognise that he has re -hashed the Tory image somewhat, Wales is far from being the land of the Tories, and rightly so! But, having said that, it is slightly amusing to see Labour in Wales brand Cameron's visit as 'a gimmick,' and pronounce that “the Tories can stage as many empty press stunts as they like but the people of Wales have not forgotten their record. They brought Wales to its knees, creating mass unemployment and decimating our public services.”
Am I missing something?Labour's track record is hardly much better, is it?

All the Parties in Wales will be seeking to attract attention in the press, and naturally so in the run up to the election. But it will be interesting to see the substance of policy proposals and campaigns coming from the Parties more so than the glitz and spin. We'll see very soon, I'm sure.

Leighton Andrews- blatant attack on Labour Assembly election campaign strategy

In an article in the Western Mail this week- www.icwales.co.uk, you could just about see the smoke coming from Leighton Andrews's nose in fury at the failure of his Party's ' Vote Plaid Get Tory' campaign strategy for the forthcoming Assembly election. We all know very well that this strategy is just about scaremongering- of patronizing the once core Labour valleys voters in to believing that the Tories could potentially be the ruling Party after the next election. The Tories who ruined our communities, left thousands jobless and poor... much like the Labour Party today then.

Leighton Andrews's statement is testament to the fact that it is he and the Unionists in the Labour Party in Wales that have been spearheading the 'Vote Plaid Get Tory' strategy from the word go. They know full well that this strategy has the ability to 'scare' their supporters to vote, although those who are left of the grass roots Labour movement might just well stay at home.

But the recent dealings over the Assembly budget has left Leighton Andrews, Huw Lewis and the like kicking and screaming like children who don't get sweets after dinner for being 'naughty boys'. What! Plaid negotiation with Labour on the budget! What! Liberal Democrats and the Tories fail to broker a deal with Plaid! This cannot be, we hear them cry. But yes, Leighton, this can be. Plaid negotiating with Labour does not mean that we advocate coalition, it merely points to the fact that Plaid wanted and got core demands from the negotiating table- such as more money for schools and a refuge for women who have suffered domestic violence to name but a few.
Far from selling out, it shows that we were considering the budget clearly and methodically. For the Tories to have sought to dictate events by hinting at coalitions with Plaid at every given opportunity for their own benefit was naive. It conveys the fact that they are not to be trusted, and that power is their only game.

Leighton Andrews's comments in the Western Mail are a direct challenge to Rhodri Morgan's leadership. Where once their Tory/ Plaid line held water with the media and constituents alike, this strategy is now dead in the water. He knows this, and is telling Rhodri Morgan that he must act now or risk losing votes in May. His 'nightmare' scenario of being dictated to by election results in May to work with the Lib dems or Plaid are emphasised, and Labour's growing inability to communicate effectively with the people of Wales are highlighted in his remarks.

These comments smack of desperation and of a split in Labour. Many Labour AM's would be quite happy working with Plaid I am sure- the likes of Carwyn Jones and Edwina Hart. But for Andrews and the Huw Lewis's of this world such an outcome is unheard of.

The run up to the Assembly elections and the change in Labour strategy will be something to keep an eye open for. They are tired, out of steam, out of ideas... Perhaps they'll choose to stick to the child poverty line. I can't think of what else they'll be able to pass as success stories since coming to power. Let's see.