Freedom Central » Betsan Powys

This week I have mostly been reading…

Matt O'Grady — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:42:54 +0000

This week is over, it’s not coming back. It’s dead. This article will stand as a testament as to some of what happened. When history reviews it, historians will probably be confused and slightly disappointed before moving on to some sort of more accurate record instead. Hmm, that’s not a great opener.

Ah sod it, that’ll do.

Has Adam Price MP gone to America already? His blog has been unusually silent recently… In fact silence is a Plaid theme this week. Normally Plaid bloggers love to talk about how their esteemed leader is ‘single handedly saving the world economy’, ’beating the recession in Wales’ and ’12% more amazing than steak’. But this week, the Welsh Assembly’s Finance Committee pointed out that, basically, these claims are complete bollocks. A summary of why they are bollocks is given by Dylan Jones-Evans.

It had to be fairly galling for Plaid. How many times have they had to suck up to Labour Ministers and vote the right way to ensure the collective Government took credit and everyone looks good, particularly the Minister. But this time Plaid tried too hard, the amendments Plaid attempted to submit to the report were a bit too sycophantic and baseless. So Labour turned around and basically said ‘bugger that’, and instead voted through the report despite it being critical of the government. So Plaid have spent the last 18 months supporting Labour, and when they look for support of their own, they end up with the amazing sight of Chris Franks AM sat on his own in committee voting in support of his own leader, while everyone else smirks slightly and votes against him. Well done Plaid, you got such a good deal there.

As recently resurrected Labour bile machine Aneurin Glyndwr points out, much of the committees intolerance came from the fact that these amendments were from Plaid’s spin doctors, rather than their members on the committee. While this kind of activity tends to be common place in the rest of Assembly affairs, committees have retained some form of independence, and this is of course welcome. But obviously as with many things, Plaid don’t think that they deserve the same scrutiny as other parties. Well tough, you’re in government, expect to get it.

And on the subject of Aneurin Glyndwr, it needs pointing out that the site closing down was reported by me on Sunday. A full two days before Betsan Powys of the BBC, followed by Guerrilla Welsh-Fare and Welsh Ramblings. I think Vaughan Roderick blogged on it too but err…..I can’t read Welsh. Sorry.

But yes, I am leading the way in Welsh political journalism right now. I’m going to follow it up with the scoop on how Irene James is in fact a Kangaroo sent by a covert Kangaroo black-ops unit to bring down western civilisation. Snark, the Kangaroo over-lord is slightly disappointed with her performance though and her funding may not be renewed in the next budget round.

This week will finally see the publication of Sir Emyr Jones Parry and the All Wales Convention’s recommendation of whether the government should go for a referendum or not. As Lee Walters of the Bevan Foundation points out, it’s a pretty open secret that he is going to say ‘yes’, in some form or another. Guerrilla Welsh-Fare thinks that “there may be a lot of pressure on the One Wales Government to get the process underway”, an assertion that is probably correct. The question is who will end up unhappier by the government response, Labour MPs or Plaid AMs?

The Institute of Welsh Affairs has published a summary of some of the challenges facing the next First Minister. None are particularly surprising, as these are things that the Welsh Liberal Democrats have been pointing out for months. What we need is some clarity from the Labour leadership candidates on how they will address these issues, and if you saw Dragons Eye on Thursday, you’ll know not to expect that. Politics Cymru has a review of the debate, as well as pointing out that you are sad if you watched it. Which I agree with, and am aware that makes me sad.

But thanks to Simon Dyda we do know that Neil Kinnock will be backing Huw Lewis. Although Welsh Ramblings thinks that this might be ‘a kiss of death’. Apparently, Aneurin Bevan will also be backing Huw, despite being dead 49 years. Meanwhile Carwyn Jones has received backing from several senior trade unionists according to Wales Home. I would take a guess that they are all still alive.

Next week, I will not be reading any blogs. So I won’t be writing an article. If I can find a volunteer/bribe another author/deceive someone else into writing it, expect it to be probably a bit better.

But if you point out how much better it is, I will seek vengeance.

This week I have mostly been reading…

Matt O'Grady — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:29:37 +0000

Bored? Reading blogs? Do something more interesting with your time by attempting to track down a Badger and give it refuge before Elin Jones gets it. Or read this. The choice is yours.

Actually, Badgers don’t seem to be on the blogs which is a shame. Apparently the pointless slaughter of thousands of creatures isn’t important enough to talk about. This is what is.

Glyn Davies is of the opinion that David Cameron’s promise not to veto any request for a referendum on further powers “was a very big day for Welsh politics”. Well, Mr Davies may well be right, this is both significant and very welcome. The clarity going into the election was needed. Unsurprisingly Nick Bourne welcomes the announcement as well.

But it does highlight the sad reality of the Conservative party’s attitude to Wales. Apparently we should welcome their decision not to over-rule the decision of a democratically elected government with it’s own mandate to rule. Can he promise that his Secretary of State will not start pissing around with LCOs in the way that the current one does? That would be nice.

Does anyone remember about a year ago when Labour promised to revolutionise the internet with Aneurin Glyndwr? Lets be honest, it was forgettable at best. Well, when I tried to log onto it now it tells me I need a username and password and it is now an ‘online resource for Labour members in Wales’. Well, well done on revolutionising internet campaigning Labour. While Freedom Central goes from strength to strength, your attempt at a collective blog falls flat on it’s face. Is this whole paragraph a smug gloat? Yes, and unashamedly so.

Right, the X-Factor twins have just survived again. What the fucking fuck? Sorry, normal service will be resumed. If you can call this service normal.

As the month goes on, the donkey race is continuing. In less than a month we will know who the next First Minister is going to be. But with the All Wales Convention reporting soon, a prickly subject is raising it’s head and, according to Betsan Powys it could be a deal breaker. Let’s be honest, the main reason many Plaid members were happy to get into the sack with Labour was because of the promise of a referendum. The One Wales Document, that magic scroll with which this country is run, is very clear on this. It states in no uncertain terms that they will “proceed to a successful outcome to a referendum for full law-making powers under Part IV as soon as practicable, at or before the end of the Assembly term.” No mention there of ‘as long as Labour members agree.’ Two contenders, the most likely winners, seem to now be retrospectively adding such a condition.

I don’t think it would be too over the top to say that should the new First Minister decide to back out on this commitment then they would essentially be breaking the act and I don’t think many people would be particularly shocked if Plaid did decide to walk away from the Government. John Dixon, the Chair of Plaid Cymru is less worried however, and is “confident both parties understand exactly what they agreed to”, which may be the case, but do they understand what each other believes they agreed to?

What would that mean for the future of the Assembly Government? Lord bloody knows.

Rumours seem to be abound of a March election. Something I heard yesterday and also appearing on Tory MP David Jones blog. He isn’t wrong, the thought of a February campaign isn’t one that will fill many peoples hearts with joy. Ever tried to leaflet wearing gloves? Harder than it looks. Can we drum up the activists to put on a full campaign earlier in the year, oh yes. But some of us would rather not regardless!

We know that Rhodri Morgan isn’t going to be in the Government next year, but of course there is more than just one person that makes up the Government. Wales Home’s Daran Hill is right when he suggests that Rhodri’s governments have never changed drastically. For as long as I have paid any attention to Welsh politics there have been the staple faces of Jane Hutt, Jane Davidson, Andrew Davies, Brian Gibbons, Carwyn Jones and Edwina Hart. A quick check of wikipedia suggests that they have almost all always been involved in the government, or at least for the vast majority of the time of the Assembly.

Whoever does win, they will want to put their own stamp on the make up of the Government, and surely that has to involve more than simply just re-arranging the deck chairs. For once I agree with Guerilla Welsh Fare who questions who there is who is actually good enough to come into the Cabinet. Given that there are several cabinet members stepping down, now would be a good time to bring new talent in. I struggle to think of options for doing so. Thankfully I won’t be First Minister in a months time, not unless something goes seriously wrong somewhere anyway.

Over two months ago, an erudite, clever, smart, sexy, modest and just possibly slightly delusional individual pointed out that you could bet on the race for First Minister. Back then Ladbrokes were willing to offer 5/1 on Edwina Hart, and put Huw Lewis in second favourite.

This is no longer the case, as the latest odds are as follows:

Carwyn Jones: 4/9
Edwina Hart: 9/4
Huw Lewis: 7/1

Certainly not good news for the Lewis camp, whose chances may have been overstated by Ladbrokes in the first place. But good news for anyone who followed my advice to bet on Edwina. If you got 5/1 then this two horse race could be profitable. Should she win, I will have enough for 37 pints of tasty, tasty Kalt in the new pub in the bay.

Not that I am advising gambling and spending money on beer or anything. Only a reckless idiot would do that.

This week I have mostly been reading…

Matt O'Grady — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:05:37 +0000

I’m ill, and still blogging. That is commitment. Someone email me a lemsip.

As the contest to succeed Rhodri Morgan as Labour leader/First Minister begins, it’s obviously going to be the main subject on the blogs. We now have three declared candidates. Edwina Hart, Huw Lewis and Carwyn Jones. Not much surprise or inspiration there really. Carwyn Jones’ campaign website went live today and a formal declaration is probable tomorrow.

But there isn’t much agreement on who the eventual winner will be. Glyn Davies has first-hand experience in working with both Edwina and Carwyn during his time in the assembly. He is of the impression that it’s between the two of them and that it could be close.

But not everyone has written off Huw Lewis’s chances. Bethan Jenkins points out that he “is keen, floated ideas in various meetings and conferences, and has an eagerness to succeed”. She may be right, and if it does become a battle of ideas then that could easily play into his hands, and Carwyn would be pretty buggered. His answer to every Assembly question is the same “well, under the Tories it would be worse” – that’s not a bloody answer! .

But, it’s not the Plaid group that matters in this one, it’s the Labour group. As Guerrilla Welsh-Fare points out, Huw doesn’t exactly have the backing of the political stars of the Labour group. Can the backing of the likes of Karen Sinclair and Irene James really swing many votes his way? Probably not. But he does have the support of Tory MP David Jones. I’m sure he is grateful. Edwina and Carwyn are both yet to declare exactly who their six are, assuming they have them all signed up by now!

But as Betsan Powys highlights, there are more than just Assembly Members involved in this. There are more Labour MPs than AMs and their votes will count the same in Labour’s strange electoral college type thingy.

And so to the odds this week:

Carwyn Jones: Evens (still)
Huw Lewis: 5/2
Edwina Hart: 7/2
Jane Hutt: 14/1

……has anyone even bothered to ask Jane Hutt if she is planning on running? Someone should email her and check or something. I guess it doesn’t matter either way.

Swansea based blogger Inside Out suggests settling the contest with pistols. The one problem with that is it would create by-elections, and we’re all too busy for that!

The Institute of Welsh Affairs point out that the ban on dual candidates could end up coming back to haunt Labour, given that both Edwina and Carywn are at serious risk of losing their seats to the Tories in 18 months time. We all know that the ban was implemented for party political reasons and to save Labour cabinet members blushes, could they really consider u-turning on this for political reasons as well?

I’m not really a fan of the latest campaign by the BMA to remove sunbeds from all Welsh Leisure Centres. I suppose my issue with this is on two levels. In moderation, there is nothing particularly harmful about them. If someone wants to pay the council to help them get a tan before they go on holiday then there isn’t anything wrong with that, although I think it‘s a fairly odd concept of getting a tan before you go on holiday! But there are many providers of tanning facilities, it’s not like removing them from council properties is going to stop people from using them. There is a second issue, as highlighted by Peter Black on this site, that the revenue raised by these facilities reduces the amount of subsidy they require from the council.

According to Politics Cymru, Vaughan Roderick has blogged on the possible general election results. Given my knowledge of Welsh I will have to take their word for it. The results stem from the Politics Home survey of marginal constituencies. It doesn’t make exactly comfortable reading for the Lib Dems, with a prediction of us losing Ceredigion and not making any gains. But given this week also included the first poll in 27 years that put us ahead of Labour, you have to wonder how credible any poll is that thinks that we won’t take Swansea West and Newport East in these circumstances? But then again, I would say that wouldn’t I?

I don’t agree with Sweet and Tender Hooligan that Plaid and the SNP should participate in the potential debate between party leaders in advance of the general election. There is a simple reason for this. It is a debate between potential Prime Ministers. If a Party is not standing enough candidates to actually even hypothetically win the election, then how can they claim they should be part of a Prime Minister’s debate? Welsh and Scottish debates should take place, but during Welsh and Scottish general elections when their candidates could potentially become the next First Minister, not during an election they are not even trying to win.

Right, I’m going to go sit on my sofa and feel sorry for myself. And get snot everywhere. Yeah, that was what you wanted to picture right now.

This week I have mostly been reading…

Matt O'Grady — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:21:54 +0000

Good news everyone! ‘This week I have mostly been reading’ is back. Is it bigger and better than ever? No. It is pretty much the same, so if you want to close the window now, don’t worry, I won’t judge you. Or at least anymore than I have already judged you. Which is quite a lot. Loser.

Well, wasn’t summer shite? The weather was crap and little of interest happened within the world. Guess what? Autumn won’t be much better, and winter is very much the same, except with Christmas, which will be over-rated, Dad will burn dinner and the TV will be disappointing. But at least we are guaranteed one interesting thing happening, the Welsh Labour Leadership Donkey Race. As Betsan Powys notes, we don’t actually know when, where how or any other details, just that it will happen.

Oddest post of the week is going to Glyn Davies, who has managed to locate the whereabouts of a tumour he had removed a few years ago. Eww. Please bear in mind I have awarded him weird post of the week before reading any other blogs. I am confident that he will not be beaten. Although he does make a good point about the relationship between the Welsh NHS and the private sector.

One thing that did happen during the summer was the shock resignation of Adam Price MP, who after a brief stint in America (which I am certain Obama won’t even notice Miss Jenkins) will be attempting to head to the Bay. In this post he declares that neither him nor constituency colleague Rhodri Glyn Thomas will be backing any particular successor. In the post Mr Price also attacks the Liberal Democrats for being honest about their tuition fees stance, while ignoring the fact that his party just outright lied about them.

Cambria Politico believes that the most likely successor is Adam Price’s former advisor, Jonathan Edwards, described as a ‘staunch nationalist’ with a ‘broad knowledge of economics and considerable experience in public affairs’. I’m sure that is just what he people of Camarthen East are looking for….

Bethan Jenkins AM thinks we should close tax loopholes for the rich in order to help poorer, younger people, particularly with tuition fees. Given that Plaid no longer support the scrapping of tuition fees, and we aim to (even if we recognise that it is difficult), maybe she should reconsider her political priorities herself?

Why on earth am I a) watching and b) getting angry about the bloody X-Factor? Christ I need a life!

The Cynical Dragon believes that the Welsh Liberal Democrats need more hugs. Maybe if more people hugged me I wouldn’t be so bitter. That’s a lie, I probably would be. His review of a Tory leaflet may be short, but is well worth reading.

I (unsurprisingly) won’t agree with David Jones MP that Nick Clegg’s speech was a blown chance. I do agree that it’s obvious he wants to be Prime Minister and that it isn’t as shocking as everyone makes out that he actually said it, but aside from that, I guess Mr Jones wasn’t really listening. It isn’t easy for members, who like me, joined the party on promises to raise taxes and spend on the public, to suddenly hear that we want to cut taxes and look at tough spending choices. But what does make it easier is to have a leader who can inspire confidence that these are the right policies for the circumstances our country finds itself in. No-one I have spoken to came out of the hall lacking any confidence that our party is heading in the right direction and that we are the only party being honest with the public about what we would do in government.

But aside from that, Nick Clegg is the only leader talking about the situation young people find themselves in, and the future that awaits them. Labour gave us a minimum wage, great, but if you are young you get less. Labour gave us tuition fees. Labour gave us ASBOs. Labour put our young people on the DNA database. Labour screwed young people over again and again. After paying my tuition fees I got to work scrubbing McDonalds toilets for £4 an hour, and am now trapped in debt and can’t get a loan on a lower APR than my credit cards because Labour fucked the economy up. But the good news is, I can spend a lifetime not just paying back my own student loan, but the billions given to the banks to not lend me the money I need.

Sorry, that turned into a rant. But no Mr Jones, Clegg’s speech hit the right notes. Lets see if Gordon and Dave can manage the same.

Hopefully within the next week we will know a little more about the Donkey Race and exactly who the runners and riders are. We all know who we are expecting, but it will be interesting to see this confirmed. Given that it’s his birthday this Tuesday, it may be then we get our answer.

The latest updates on the odds from Ladbrokes are:

Carwyn Jones: Evens
Huw Lewis: 11/4
Edwina Hart: 4/1
Jane Hutt: 14/1

Which disagrees slightly from the odds given by Betsan Powys’ expert.

I’ve already said where my money is, and still think that even at these odds Edwina represents the best value, especially given the verdict of Betsans’ expert!

This week I have mostly been reading….

Matt O'Grady — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:43:05 +0000

Sorry this post is late (as if anyone noticed). I got distracted by stuff. A lousy excuse, but that’s all you’re getting.

The All Wales Convention has made an appearance on a few blogs this week following the final meeting this week. Alwyn Ap Huw believes that the recommendation will be a powerful ‘not yet’, which I doubt is the result most in the welsh political world are looking for. More info on the final meeting can be found on Betsan Powys’ blog.

With the new speaker now elected, and thankfully not being Margaret Beckett, Tom Bodden of the Daily Post wonders if the Assembly should be looking into similar recommendations for Assembly Members who break the rules as are being looked into in Westminster. The Assembly has always been a step ahead on expenses, revealing a large amount of data that showed just how ridiculous some of the claims Members were able to make. But there have never been reforms to tighten the system following that ipod claim. Could the Assembly be left a step behind by Parliamentary reforms?

Two different issues appear about the BNP this week. Nick Bourne thinks (correctly so) that Nick Griffin’s comment that “there is no such thing as a black Welshman” is offensive. Peter Black goes down a different route, looking at the lobbying by teaching unions to have BNP supporting teachers removed. The whole idea that someone should be fired from their jobs for their political beliefs is one that fills me with a sort of cold fear. Everyone, including idiots and bigots, is entitled to their view. The only time it should be questioned is if someone’s views interfere directly with their work. Banning a BNP teacher for picking on an Asian child would be fine, as would banning a Labour supporting teacher who picked on a rich kid or a Lib Dem supporting teacher for picking on a child who doesn’t believe in a written constitution. But no teacher should be banned without evidence that their politics has interfered with their job.

The following blogs have Michael Jackson related posts:

They all take a different view on the situation. Nothing I have to say on this subject will be helpful and will probably just offend.

It’s not just MP’s expenses that are making the news this week. Bethan Jenkins spoke on Sunday at a discussion held in the Senedd about the Royal Family. Apparently Prince Charles alone costs the taxpayer £3million, and despite his personal income increasing, the amount of tax he has paid has fallen 10%. Where’s the bloody Taxpayers Alliance now? Why aren’t the public baying for blue blood in the same way they want to punish politicians? Maybe it’s just me, although I do tend to see blood as the answer for most things.

Am I the only one given nightmares by the thought of Carwyn Jones and Brian Gibbons singing at the Labour Christmas party? I hope it was ‘Fairytale in New York’.

Politics Cymru is making excellent use of video. Along with their podcast thingy there is now a weekly feature on what is happening in the press conferences. Having attended a few of our press briefings, it’s always strange to see what the journalists are picking up on. Often stories can be made or quashed, and it’s nice to hear what the other parties are using theirs for.

Most unexpected post of the week has to be on Sweet and Tender Hooligans blog, which seems to be possibly the only blog in existence about Welsh politics and music. I reckon it will forever remain the only webpage in history that contains mentions of both Killswitch Engage and David Melding. I’m not gonna try and compete with him on the music front (or really the political one), but I will post a link to the excellent Killswitch song “Rose of Sharyn”.

More on Plaid Cymru’s double standards

Freedom Central — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:25:00 +0000

Betsan Powys highlights further unease at the sell-out by Plaid Cymru Assembly Members over their treatment of Welsh students.

She tells us that Heledd Fychan, one of the party’s prospective parliamentary candidates has criticised the leadership in Barn magazine on the decision to reintroduce top-up fees:

“How can the party leader justify taking such a decision and taking it without discussing the matter with anyone outside the Assembly? Shouldn’t it have been discussed with members before agreeing to support Labour? Indeed, why didn’t Plaid Cymru in the Assembly stick to their election promise and steer a different course to Labour for the first time since forming the coalition?”

“How can voters be expected to have faith in politicians who say one thing but vote in a quite different way?”

Meanwhile, whilst people struggle to make ends meet in the midst of the worst recession in living memory, Plaid Cymru continue to make Independence their main talking point, showing just how out of touch they are.

In doing so they are also compromising the campaign for a ‘yes’ vote in any future referendum on additional law-making powers for the Assembly by playing into the hands of True Wales. This is a point that is not lost on the likes of wiser sages such as Cynog Dafis.