Well we now have a shiny new coalition government and what happens... nothing. The UK media seems to have largely let this event go by without so much as a note. OK we get coverage here in Wales, but as far as the rest of the print media is concerned Wales is invisible. TV has been little better. A few brief mentions on the BBC and next to nothing elsewhere. I know Wales is a small nation, far away from the main centres of power and influence, but surely we deserve more than this? The BBC ran for days with stories about a potential contender for the nomination for Mayor of London for one party, a matter of little import to anyone outside London. Yet here in Wales we have an event of considerable import for the future of the UK and nothing.
Perhaps we should take the broadcast media to task for failing in their public service obligations? Certainly you have to ask why there was no coverage from those papers that regard themselves as papers of record.
Its popular to portray people, like myself as "Welsh Wingers", but I ask you is the media being fair?
Saturday 21 July 2007
Tuesday 10 July 2007
A Time for Reflection
A Time for Reflection - and a timely reminder that for all the brickbats politicians are human. The sudden illness of the First Minister, Rhodri Morgan stalls the finalisation of the cabinet. Well these things can wait, after all we have waited 9 weeks already, a bit longer will not hurt.
I wish Rhodri well and hope that his recovery will be swift.
In the longer term I suspect it will strengthen Rhodri's resolve to step down after the coalition has bedded down and speculation will now rise as to who his successor will be. Remember this will be a "one man one vote" election for Labour members and there will be pressure on the Unions and affiliated organisations to conduct a poll of their members before they cast their votes in the electoral college. Plenty of opportunity for those die hard anti Plaid people to go for a leader who will be tough on their coalition partners - I wonder if they will be able to resist? And if so who would they put forward? Possibly we could see Huw Lewis emerge as their standard bearer? Lots of ifs and buts there.
A week is a long time in politics, as has been amply shown by the last few weeks in Wales. Who knows what we will see in two years. We could have had a general election where the Brown bounce has run out of steam and have a Tory government, a minority Labour government or even a Westminster coalition in place. From this end its impossible to judge the outcome. What ever happens at Westminster will greatly influence what happens here in the bay.
We live in interesting times!
I wish Rhodri well and hope that his recovery will be swift.
In the longer term I suspect it will strengthen Rhodri's resolve to step down after the coalition has bedded down and speculation will now rise as to who his successor will be. Remember this will be a "one man one vote" election for Labour members and there will be pressure on the Unions and affiliated organisations to conduct a poll of their members before they cast their votes in the electoral college. Plenty of opportunity for those die hard anti Plaid people to go for a leader who will be tough on their coalition partners - I wonder if they will be able to resist? And if so who would they put forward? Possibly we could see Huw Lewis emerge as their standard bearer? Lots of ifs and buts there.
A week is a long time in politics, as has been amply shown by the last few weeks in Wales. Who knows what we will see in two years. We could have had a general election where the Brown bounce has run out of steam and have a Tory government, a minority Labour government or even a Westminster coalition in place. From this end its impossible to judge the outcome. What ever happens at Westminster will greatly influence what happens here in the bay.
We live in interesting times!
Sunday 8 July 2007
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Light at the end of the tunnel
After yesterday's vote perhaps its time to see who the winners and the losers are.
The big winners clearly are Labour - they have clung on to power when all looked lost and political exile was their only realistic option. Expect now more talk from its leadership of how it will now implement all of its manifesto and how Plaid are the junior partners.
The other big winners were the Tories, finally they get the coveted position of the official opposition, with all the airtime and perks that come with that post. Devolution has given the springboard to present themselves anew to the Welsh Public as a revitalised and distinctive Welsh party. Much of the credit for this has to go to Nick Bourne - who has some very unreconstructed Tory chairs of constituency to deal with. His succession to the leadership after Rod Richards has been the great unsung success of the last Assembly. The new Red/Green coalition has given him the platform he needs to take the Tories into second place and finally overtake Plaid at the next Assembly election.
Plaid are also winners, though possibly not as big winners as the previous two parties. Government, and the experience of government will grow the party's credibility. Coalition with Labour will blunt those venomous attacks on the party for being racist from certain Labour hacks - it renders that line of attack as laughable - for who would believe that Labour would ally with a racist party? The implementation of Plaid policy by the new coalition will also lay the charge of "sci-fi" economics from all three of the other parties. In short it will slay some old lies about the party and lend the party considerable credibility.
Overwhelmingly the major loser in this process have been the Liberal Democrats - who now look split and totally marginalised. Back as second opposition party behind a reinvigorated Tory party they face a difficult time. Just what do they represent, and what can they offer? A leadership election and probable bad local government elections next year will further diminish their credibility as a leading party.
Again to a lesser extent Trish Law is a loser, for a brief time she held the balance of power, that is gone - not that I think she relished that position. But life is difficult for independents, I wonder to what extent she will now be drawn into the orbit of the Liberal Democrats? There was some sign that she was getting tacit support from them in the last assembly, will this continue?
We also see a clear split between the Westminster parties and the Welsh Parties for Labour and the Tories... both Westminster Parties are far more devolution septic than their counterparts in the assembly - and both parties Westminster parties will have some opportunity to make mischief.... Legislative Competence orders and Assembly Measures will both be laid before a Welsh Committee of MPs before they get to be approved/declined. This gives quite a lot of power to this body to veto and obstruct the National Assembly.
On a closing note, who goes Dafydd El or Rosmary Butler? And who will replace who ever steps down?
After yesterday's vote perhaps its time to see who the winners and the losers are.
The big winners clearly are Labour - they have clung on to power when all looked lost and political exile was their only realistic option. Expect now more talk from its leadership of how it will now implement all of its manifesto and how Plaid are the junior partners.
The other big winners were the Tories, finally they get the coveted position of the official opposition, with all the airtime and perks that come with that post. Devolution has given the springboard to present themselves anew to the Welsh Public as a revitalised and distinctive Welsh party. Much of the credit for this has to go to Nick Bourne - who has some very unreconstructed Tory chairs of constituency to deal with. His succession to the leadership after Rod Richards has been the great unsung success of the last Assembly. The new Red/Green coalition has given him the platform he needs to take the Tories into second place and finally overtake Plaid at the next Assembly election.
Plaid are also winners, though possibly not as big winners as the previous two parties. Government, and the experience of government will grow the party's credibility. Coalition with Labour will blunt those venomous attacks on the party for being racist from certain Labour hacks - it renders that line of attack as laughable - for who would believe that Labour would ally with a racist party? The implementation of Plaid policy by the new coalition will also lay the charge of "sci-fi" economics from all three of the other parties. In short it will slay some old lies about the party and lend the party considerable credibility.
Overwhelmingly the major loser in this process have been the Liberal Democrats - who now look split and totally marginalised. Back as second opposition party behind a reinvigorated Tory party they face a difficult time. Just what do they represent, and what can they offer? A leadership election and probable bad local government elections next year will further diminish their credibility as a leading party.
Again to a lesser extent Trish Law is a loser, for a brief time she held the balance of power, that is gone - not that I think she relished that position. But life is difficult for independents, I wonder to what extent she will now be drawn into the orbit of the Liberal Democrats? There was some sign that she was getting tacit support from them in the last assembly, will this continue?
We also see a clear split between the Westminster parties and the Welsh Parties for Labour and the Tories... both Westminster Parties are far more devolution septic than their counterparts in the assembly - and both parties Westminster parties will have some opportunity to make mischief.... Legislative Competence orders and Assembly Measures will both be laid before a Welsh Committee of MPs before they get to be approved/declined. This gives quite a lot of power to this body to veto and obstruct the National Assembly.
On a closing note, who goes Dafydd El or Rosmary Butler? And who will replace who ever steps down?
Saturday 7 July 2007
A New Day a New Wales
What a difference a few weeks make. After the election to the National Assembly it seemed that what ever happened Labour would be in power, secure in the knowledge that the Liberal Democrats would come to their aid. However, as we all know this was not to be... Then we had the promise of the Rainbow Coalition, a progressive non-Labour alliance of parties on governing on a radical program. And now it looks like Labour are doing the incredible, supporting a coalition between themselves and their arch rival Plaid Cymru.... Who would have thought it?
Now the question is how much mischief can the party rebels make from Westminster? Potentially quiet a lot, which of course is the weakness of the current devolution settlement.
All we need now is for Plaid to put the icing on the cake an see who gets what in the new settlement.
We live in interesting times.
Now the question is how much mischief can the party rebels make from Westminster? Potentially quiet a lot, which of course is the weakness of the current devolution settlement.
All we need now is for Plaid to put the icing on the cake an see who gets what in the new settlement.
We live in interesting times.
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