What Ieuan wants
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
No decision yesterday in Plaid's group meeting, so that means the future governance of Wales is likely to hinge on next Tuesday's weekly get-together.
Some people have already been speculating about the way Plaid AMs will vote, with almost everyone agreeing that Ieuan Wyn Jones is in the Rainbow camp.
Of course, he would just say he wants whatever's best for Wales, which is a bit like that ruthless lady from the Apprentice saying she wants what's best for Alan Sugar.
His own personal political inflections (and ambitions) must inevitably be playing a huge part in his thinking. It's just that he hasn't bothered sharing them with the rest of us. The BBC reports that he'll be meeting party members across Wales shortly to "explain the choice he believes Plaid should make." I'd wager he'll be doing a lot more tergiversating (love that word) than explaining, given that the details of the Red-Green pact have yet to be revealed.
IWJ is a very shrewd politician, even if there is something Yorkshire Terrieresque about his television appearances. And you can bet that whichever way the group votes next Tuesday (if indeed it is next Tuesday), it will subsequently appear to be the option Ieuan has 'preferred' for some time. If you like, he has hard-boiled the egg before it has had a chance to splatter all over his face.
But in the meantime, he can influence that decision. In the end, whether we advance towards a Rainbow or a Red-Green government comes down to the fancy of fifteen Plaid AMs. Ieuan need only convince seven of them and history is his (although a few of them need no convincing).
There is, however, one problem: the deal the negotiating team have been working on feverishly with Labour. What if that document ends up matching the All-Wales Accord on most issues, and trumping it on the key issues of the Welsh language and a referendum on further powers? After all, Adam Price is involved again, and we all know what he wants.
If that were the case, the Rainbow might become very difficult to defend and some of its advocates may be forced to recognise that perhaps one of its attractions was getting closer to the Tories all along.
What Ieuan wants may not necessarily be what he gets. Either way, though, he won't let on.
1414 UPDATE: In one minute I will be respecting a moment of contemplation and support for BBC journalist Alan Johnston (left) who has now been missing for 100 days. You can sign the petition and read more about the BBC's campaign for his release HERE.
On an altogether different note, everyone's favourite dog-handling, vest-wearing bald guy has written his idyosyncratic take on the world of Welsh blogging, which you can read HERE.
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, National Assembly for Wales, Plaid Cymru, politics, Rainbow Coalition, red-green coalition
posted by Blamerbell @ 1:54 pm,
,
The Gordon Brown meme
I've been tagged by Iain Dale and Matt Wardman to say two things about Gordon Brown.
Two words, of course, would be easy. Good off! Or bugger luck! Or something like that:)
Anyway, heregoes...
Two things Gordon Brown should be proud of:
His (Ed) Balls
His Cow's lick
Two things he should apologise for:
Supporting the England football team
Cardiff North (or was that Cherie's fault?)
Two things he should do immediately when he becomes PM:
Promote Peter Hain
Demote Peter Hain
Two things he should do while he is PM:
Favours for rich people
Make St David's Day a national
I hereby tag fresh-faced newbie Seneddwr, Sanddef (because he loves everything to do with blogging), and anyone who'd like to share their wisdom with us in the comments because I am still
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, l Assembly for Wales, meme, NationaGordon Brown, Plaid Cymru, politics, Rainbow Coalition, red-green coalition, two things
posted by Blamerbell @ 1:35 pm,
,
Plaid won't do a 'Lib Dem'
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
There's been a lot of chatter over the past few hours about Plaid re-opening talks with Labour over a formal coalition.
Some of the usual suspects, bless them, have been getting quite upset. Stomp, stomp, stomp. We want our bloody rainbow.
Well, as I said yesterday, they are still odds on to get it. So kem down.
Have any of Plaid's rainbowista AMs publicly changed their position? No.
Has Plaid's leader given any indication that he's keen on a deal with Labour? No.
Has Gordon Brown suggested that he'd whip up Labour MPs to get a referendum on further powers through parliament? No (in fact Tomos Livingstone reports Labour MPs saying quite the opposite).
Were Tory and Plaid AMs drinking together in the Eli Jenkins last night? Probably.
Do we know who the identity of the 'senior source' that broke the red-green story? No.
Worth bearing in mind, I think, that I've seen people quoted as 'senior sources' before who were fourth placed constituency candidates in the assembly election. Can this chap persuade the majority of the party's AMs, party members and national council to change their mind? You decide.
But taking all that's been said in the past few weeks, it seems Plaid's assembly group still overwhelmingly back a deal with the Tories and the Lib Dems. They wouldn't have dismissed the red-green option so quickly on the previous occasion if that wasn't the case.
And it is they, ultimately, who will make the decision which will go forward to the national council in July. The national exeucitve, which meets on Saturday in Aberystwyth, is merely an advisory body. So, whatever happens, there will not be another Lib Dem moment, whereby a bunch of obscure councillors and receding hairlines overrule directly elected politicians.
*****************************************
Plenary Live:
Alun Cairns has had a hair cut - makes him look even more like the work experience kid.
Eleanor Burnham just attempted to break the world speed-speaking record while asking her tabled question to the new Sustainability Minister, Jane Davidson.
According to Ms Davidson's website, incidentally, she's still the Education Minister.
Of course, to the majority of the population, all this means nothing at all, so I may stop now. They're talking about footpaths again...
Has Brynle Williams been sunbathing - or has he just done up his shirt collar too tight? He's certainly very red. Perhaps he's getting worked up about those badgers he's prattling on about.
Now, the moment we've all been waiting for: Questions to the Minister for Education, Culture, the Welsh Language, Laid-back Self-confidence, Going Grey Gracefully and Everything Else on the Universe just to make Jane Davidson feel bad.
Alun Davies quotes from Alun Cairns' blog. The little man favours academic selection. Of course, I expect Alun Cairns to retaliate with a quotation from Alun Davies' blog: 'Happy Christmas'.
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, National Assembly for Wales, Plaid Cymru, politics, Rainbow Coalition, red-green coalition
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:22 pm,
,
Wee bits and bobs
Monday, June 11, 2007
I'll be taking part in a live debate over on BBC Radio Scotland this evening (10pm) about the future of devolution.
The new Scottish government, led by Alex Salmond, isn't too pleased that Tony Blair apparently struck a deal which could lead to the Lockerbie bomber being sent back to Libya to complete his prison sentence without informing it.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of State and the First Minister in Wales are on such good terms that Rhodri Morgan is backing Harriet Harman for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour party.
You can listen to the programme, Scotland at Ten, online this evening.
I am also booked to pop up again on tomorrow's AM/PM on BBC 2 Wales - better than Big Brother every time:)
In other news, Plaid's Ieuan Wyn Jones has torn up Labour's olive branch, ground it into sawdust, shoved it in his mouth and sprayed it all over Rhodri Morgan's surprised face shouting "Boo hoo to you, Sir!"
He still fancies forming his own government, you see.
Labels: Colin MacKay, Ieuan Wyn Jones, National Assembly for Wales, politics, Radio Scotland, Rainbow Coalition, Rhodri Morgan, Scotland at ten
posted by Blamerbell @ 7:25 pm,
,
Red + Green = Brown
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Hardly the most inspiring colour, is it?
And yet, whether Wales is a car or an aeroplane, there seems to be mileage in the red-green Plaid-Labour idea again. Adam Price is all for it. And Edwina Hart used her first interview since the twentieth century to put her weight behind it too.
(Quite how any assembly member has managed to dodge the Welsh press for so long is a complete mystery. After all, there are only sixty of them. There should probably be a Dragon's Eye rota, just to even it out. At least that would give Helen Mary Jones some well-earned time off to go scarf shopping.)
Plaid and Labour in a grand coalition? Lefties everywhere are getting erect nipples just thinking about it.
But they haven't had to face Ieuan Wyn Jones. Does this man really fancy playing second fiddle to Rhodri's 'same-old' septet?
No.
He'd quite like to captain the ship himself. That's why the opposition are already behaving like a government in waiting in Cardiff Bay, with joint strategies and chummy tell-all telephone conversations between the leaders.
Adam Price is evidently doing everything he can to make a deal with Labour more palatable. After all, his father was a miner don't you know.
For all it matters, Ieuan Wyn Jones' father might as well have been Aneurin Bevan. He's still pushing for the rainbow.
Six weeks, then, to make or break a government. And at the end of it, most of the parties in Wales could be faced with seismic splits.
Labour is set for an internal battle whether it teams up with Plaid Cymru or not. And if Plaid go with Labour, Ieuan Wyn Jones' position would look very shaky. But then again, a deal with the Tories would cause a massive rupture with the left of the party. Meanwhile, Mike German and Nick Bourne really need to deliver the rainbow coalition to be sure of their jobs.
My prediction: I'll go out on a limb and say that three of the parties will have different leaders by the next assembly election. Within the next few months there'll be some sort of deal between the parties. And that means losers as well as winners.
Labels: coalition, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Labout, Plaid Cymru, politics, red-green coalition, Rhodri Morgan
posted by Blamerbell @ 2:03 am,
,
Reasons to disagree on first day back at the office
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Rhodri Morgan today unveils
So committed is he to this cause, he failed to take part in a televised debate with the leaders of the other parties to explain to the people of Wales what this might actually mean in practice.
If the intention was damage limitation, the effect was quite the opposite; the other leaders spent almost the entire programme reminding viewers of the first minister's absence.
Never mind, Carwyn Jones was deputising and, as ever, sounded like someone from a self-help tape. He managed to tell those agitated nurses to bugger off in really the most relaxing way.
Anyway, the point that the would-be rainbow coup leaders made repeatedly was that the assembly is today being presented with a legislative programme, and yet there was no consultation with the other parties in advance. Labour seem to be saying take it or leave it.
Mike German got as close as possible to facial expression number 3: visibly annoyed. And the others didn't seem too happy either.
I gather the front page (or thereabouts) of the Western Mail will report Ieuan Wyn Jones saying the government has six weeks to deliver or face being kicked out by him and his triple alliance lieutenants. He denied that on television. Apparently he said there would be a 50:50 chance of a
As I said right back when the Lib Dems finally got their knickers out of Alex Carlile's twist, people will expect the rainbow to move quickly if it is to move at all.
The six weeks figure is a calculated move from Plaid to give Rhodri the spooks. It's playing politics again. But this game is getting a little tiring, so it'll be interesting to see if there's any disagreement today.
Labour are expected to put forward the same bunch of policies they previewed so enthusiastically during the election campaign. For the other parties, there's not much to get worked up about except, perhaps, the issue of the Welsh language.
If Labour go with the legislation they proposed back in April, they will set in motion the process of appointing a Dyfarnydd, falling well short of the new Welsh Language Act demanded by the opposition parties and a number of lobbying organisations. Carwyn Jones tried to prepare the ground for this last week. But it went down as well as a vomit smoothie.
This could well be the first sticking point for the new consensus-building regime. And if there's no agreement - what then? Do the Tories topple Labour because there aren't enough rights for the Welsh language? Or can a government only be brought down over something a bit more life and death?
All the signs are that there'll be a lot of huffing and puffing in the next few weeks, but not much blowing the house down.
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, legislation, Mike German, National Assembly for Wales, politics, Rainbow Coalition, Rhodri Morgan
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:34 am,
,
M4 Ministers
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Much has been made of Rhodri's so-called 'Glamorganshire Cabinet' (see below for Mumph's take on it). It is certainly odd that the only people deemed to have any ministerial talent hark from a narrow corridor in South Wales.
This plays right into the hands of Ieuan Wyn Jones, of course. He still wants to form an all-Wales government, albeit one with barely a constituency seat to show for itself in and around the capital.
But as far as valleys dwellers are concerned, the man is from a different planet. He may bang on about supporting the Newport Gwent Dragons, but most people in these parts put on 888 even when he's speaking in English.
And so, if and when a rainbow coalition makes its move, they'll have the very opposite problem. How can a bunch of North and West Walian nationalists propped up by dickie bow wearing Tories possibly earn the trust of South Wales' industrial heartlands?
Answer: the gang of four won't just have to get behind a rainbow coalition if that's what their party decides - they'll have to be its chief cheerleaders. This will be (a) hilarious and (b) very unlikely. I can't see Helen Mary Jones polishing off her pom poms to extoll the virtues of Toryism just yet.
At the moment, the assembly seems to be split along regional lines, with Labour ruling from the centre and the fringes poised to give the capital a kick up the backside. I think it's true to say, therefore, that if there were such a thing as a a genuine all-Wales agreement it would have to involve a Plaid-Labour pact rather than a rainbow coalition deal. Glamorganshire sausages with some country spice, if you like.
The problem is Rhodri's M4 cabinet doesn't appear to feature in Ieuan's roadmap to power. For the time being, at least, all roads lead to Anglesey.
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, Rainbow Coalition, Rhodri Morgan, Welsh Labour cabinet
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:47 am,
,
Wish you were there?
Monday, May 28, 2007
Whoppee! It's the Whistun break and our hard-working politicians are enjoying a week in the sun. All except those who've decided to holiday in Wales, that is.So what's the state of the nation? Well, it's a complete and utter shambles. Good job, bring on the Pina Coladas.
On Friday, Rhodri Morgan became first minister of a minority Labour administration. On Saturday, the Lib Dems voted to pursue a rainbow coalition with Plaid and the Tories which would necessitate his removal.
The ball is now very much in Plaid's court. But rather than smash it down the line for a winner, Ieuan Wyn Jones is hanging on to it for a game of keepie uppies.
The noises coming from the Plaid camp are that they now have time to discuss the rainbow option in earnest. I was on a panel with Rhodri Glyn Thomas the other day and he suggested they wouldn't necessarily need to make a move before the summer. Speaking on yesterday's Maniffesto programme, Ieuan Wyn Jones implied that the party's national council wouldn't even be discussing the proposals until July.
In the meantime, Rhodri Morgan will announce a cabinet and get on with the job. But he is a first minister on probation in charge of a government in paralysis. Plaid should beware, however. The longer he's in charge, the more difficult it will be to remove him.
Mathematically and constitutionally, Plaid can take as long as they like. But realistically, they will need a bloody good reason. We're not used to putsch politics here in Wales. Coups are for chickens, not for Cardiff Bay.
It may be possible for the opposition parties to engineer disquiet over hospital reconfiguration or the budget which would prompt a vote of no confidence. But they would be taking power in very different circumstances then compared to now.
At the moment, the election still isn't too far gone. A cabinet hasn't been named and the machinery of administration is still in cold storage. Moreover, the rainbow is still widely seen as an alternative to Labour rather than a calculated plot to oust the government. People may not look upon the idea so favourably in a few months time.
But while the Lib Dems and the Tories have now played their hand, let's not forget that Plaid have emerged strengthened. For the next couple of weeks, at least, they have the threat of the rainbow to keep Labour on its toes. A red-green deal is not out of the question.
And yet there's still that glint in Ieuan Wyn Jones' eyes which suggests he's keen to govern. If that's so, there's nothing to stop him moving fast. Otherwise, there's every danger the assembly will be a national joke by the time he finally makes his move. This comedy of errors has gone on quite long enough.
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, National Assembly for Wales, Plaid Cymru, politics, Rainbow Coalition, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, Rhodri Morgan
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:32 am,
,
Happy Birthday Ieuan
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
"It's just what I've always wanted. Thanks Dafydd."
"No problem," said Mr Wigley. "It's a lovely Welsh frame, though that photo of me is quite old now. I'll even sign it if you want, Ieuan."
"That won't be necessary, Dafydd.
"And what's this Helen - a scarf?"
Today, Ieuan Wyn Jones celebrates his birthday. It looks set to be one he'll never forget.
At 3pm, Plaid have their group meeting. They'll be discussing the document that looks set to make him First Minister.
This morning, I had a chat with Nick Bourne - Deputy First Minister elect. He was in good spirits. Mike German will have to settle for Assistant Deputy First Minister or Deputy Deputy First Minister. Whichever makes him sound less desperate:)
But he will, at least, have something to sell to his members at the Lib Dems' special conference on Saturday. While Peter Black remains "fundamentally opposed" to any kind of coalition, Mike German will be on the verge of delivering the closest thing the party has to a raison d'etre - PR in local government. They may have to settle for local referendums on the issue rather than seeing it rolled out with immediate effect, but at least it's something to shout about.
Labour AMs were in scarce supply today. Their world has been turned upside down. Elsewhere, the Lib Dems (all six of them) were still frantically negotiating and the Tories were practising their swagger.
Plaid are now in a huddle, but they are unlikely to spring any birthday surprises on Ieuan Wyn Jones. Rhodri, meanwhile, is having his cake and eating it.
UPDATE: Face to face talks between Plaid Cymru and Labour. It would have to be an absolutely incredible deal. Even then it's doubtful whether Labour's assembly members would sanction it. After all, when Rhodri is gone, they'll have to live with the consequences.
UPDATE: BBC are reporting that the triple alliance document has been sent to civil servants to take a look at. Are the Plaid-Labour talks an elaborate bluff? If Plaid go ahead with a rainbow coalition, they'll want to make it look like the last resort. That seems to be what they're engineering at the moment.
UPDATE: First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones. You'd better start getting used to the sound of that. Plaid have suspended talks with Labour.
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, National Assembly for Wales, Nick Bourne, Plaid Cymru, Rainbow Coalition, Rhodri Morgan
posted by Blamerbell @ 2:45 pm,
,
On the verge of power or the brink of despair?
After two years waiting, I have finally watched City of the Lost Children. And I didn't understand a minute of it.
An awful lot of Welsh people probably feel the same way. We went to the polls almost three weeks ago and yet most voters will still be none the wiser as to what's going on.
The film is a sort of dystopian fantasy in which people pull out each other's eyeballs and eat them. Not dissimilar, some Plaid members would say, to life under a rainbow coalition.
By the end of play today, it should be almost certain who'll be forming a government as the next first minister of Wales. Barring a miracle, it'll be Ieuan Wyn Jones.
This will make some Plaid supporters very very cross. Back in December I wrote that "most Plaid AMs would rather cut off their right leg, put it in a mincer and eat it between two slices of certain death than go into coalition with the Tories."
It's still true, of course, it's just that some of them now think that's a price worth paying.
But I wrote those words long before an election campaign which saw Plaid define every inch of themselves as the party that wasn't Labour. While there was hardly an ill word said about the Tories, Plaid spent an awful lot of money telling us to 'Kick Labour into touch' or that Wales was 'Going nowhere fast under Labour'.
The main issue was the health service and the mess Labour was said to be making of it. The buzzword was change. Plaid produced a manifesto full of grinning kids out of the Adams catalogue and everyone thought it was terribly professional. We're ready for government, they hollered. Only if you team up with the Tories, the media hollered tirelessly back.
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that this is exactly what looks set to happen. The people who are muttering about setting up a breakaway party or cancelling their membership must have spent the entire election campaign on another planet (or at least somewhere east of Shrewsbury). It's about as much of a shock as a Catherine Tate punchline.
The first few weeks will be critical. Plaid must present a united front and start looking like a party capable of governing. There will be a lot of scepticism at first, especially in South Wales where people will be wondering why on earth that lovely old lady who used to be on the council isn't in government anymore.
And if Plaid's own members aren't even behind them, what hope for the valleys man who hates the fact that the automated voice in the post office has to repeat everything in Welsh?
Government is for grown ups. And Plaid will need to learn fast if they aren't going to look like the lost children of Cardiff Bay.
Labels: Government, Ieuan Wyn Jones, National Assembly for Wales, Plaid Cymru, Rainbow Coalition, Welsh Assembly Election 2007
posted by Blamerbell @ 1:12 am,
,
Rainbow selecta
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
After yesterday's Labour group meeting, Rhodri Morgan conceded that he'd knocked on a few doors but nobody would come out and play.
Meanwhile, Ieuan Wyn Jones might just be fastening his velcro straps in readiness to pounce.
Lib Dem leader Mike German is bouncing around eagerly, waiting to share his limited selection of toys. And Tory chief Nick Bourne is carefully guarding his Transformer set, in case IWJ can supply him with the batteries to fire it up.
Plaid Cymru group meeting: today, 10am.
If Ieuan Wyn Jones wants the top job, he can have it.
By the way, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This new blog doesn't seem to know who it wants to copy:)
Also, I'll be on AM/PM (BBC 2) at lunchtime to talk about
UPDATE: Plaid Cymru will now begin proper negotiations with Labour on the one side and the Lib Dems and the Tories on the other. They'll meet again next week to decide on their preferred option. Meanwhile, a source inside the Conservative party tells me that Ieuan Wyn Jones and Nick Bourne have spoken on a "number of occasions" since the election, and that "with every 24 hours that passes, a non-Labour government becomes more likely."
Presiding officer, Dafydd Elis Thomas, has set Friday May 25 as the deadline for an agreement, so that he can call a plenary session to be held on Wednesday the 30th (as Peter Black points out, that falls somewhat inconveniently before the Lib Dems and Plaid are set to hold meetings to discuss that very same problem!).
There's still 10 days, then, for Ieuan Wyn Jones to decide if he wants to be first minister after all. If the Tories are serious about backing him, they'll agree to PR in local government - a key policy commitment for both Plaid and the Lib Dems and one which they hope will finally loosen Labour's hold on grass-root politics in Wales.
UPDATE II: Mae Rhys Llwyd wedi dechrau iDdeiseb yn galw ar wleidyddion Cymru i sefydlu llywodraeth asap er lles pobl Cymru. Dydy o ddim yn dweud pa fath o lywodraeth, serch hynny. Cewch chi gyd cytuno felly:)
Rhys Llwyd has setup an ePetition calling on assembly members to form a government as soon as possible for the benefit of the people of Wales. He doesn't say which kind of government he'd prefer so if you sign it and then don't like what you get, tough!
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, Mike German, National Assembly for Wales, Nick Bourne, Rainbow Coalition, Welsh Assembly Election 2007
posted by Blamerbell @ 10:12 am,
,
101 ways to prop up a 'failed Labour administration'*
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Peter Black, newly re-elected Lib Dem AM for South Wales West, knows exactly what he is doing.
Yesterday's blog post got the ball rolling. 'It is clear that we now need a fresh approach and a radical re-think,' he wrote. For 'radical re-think' read 'leadership contest,' I responded. He had opportunities to deny this both on my blog and on Radio Wales. He chose not to do so.
And today, he's at it again: 'My instincts are that the Welsh Liberal Democrats do not have to be the deal-makers in this process. We have our own issues to sort out first around where we are going as a party and what sort of image we project to the Welsh public.'
It's now acknowledged that the leaders of Lib Dem councils are not keen on a Lab-Lib pact. Their long-term strategy is based on undermining Labour, not propping it up. In addition, one third of the Lib Dem assembly group have now spoken out against a Labour coalition. OK, so that only adds Eleanor Burnham to the mix (so far), but that's the Lib Dems' fault for only getting six assembly members. When the numbers are this small the fractions are more significant.
These prominent dissenting voices make a coalition with Labour increasingly unlikely. It was also the least preferred option of people quizzed in the little-reported BBC election night poll.
So, where does that leave Welsh governance? Heading towards either a rainbow coalition or a Plaid/Labour agreement, I guess. And as I trawled through the archived articles of the election period, I came across this quotation from Plaid, time and time again: 'We would not go into coalition under a Conservative First Minister and we would not prop up a Labour Government either.'
Only once did a caveat pop up. And it popped up as Ieuan Wyn Jones and Matt Withers were licking the froth off their coffee spoons in Cardiff Bay. 'We wouldn't prop up a Labour government simply by agreeing on minor issues,' said IWJ as a spot of cappucino foam inadvertantly perched itself on the end of his nose.
I would've thought, then, that working out what constitutes a major issue would have been a priority for the new Plaid group as it met for the first time yesterday.
*-100
Labels: coalition, Government, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Labour, Peter Black, Plaid Cymru, politics, Welsh Assembly Election 2007, Welsh Liberal Democrats
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:53 pm,
,
Election 2007: The Debate
Monday, April 30, 2007
The leaders went head to head, but only after each giving a two minute pregeth to the nation. I have no idea why politicians insist on this kind of unrestricted airtime. Someone should tell them that debate programmes are about people holding them to account and speaking their minds, not sitting captive so they can be brainwashed. Anyway, since Martin Shipton has lifted the taboo on elaborate (and subjective) ranking features, I've come up with my own:
Rhodri Morgan (Labour)'... And that's 500,000 reasons to vote Labour.' What, in two minutes? I was jotting them down and only got to number five by the time he started freestyling. Stumped by Mike German and Ieuan Wyn Jones and heckled by the audience. Not his finest hour.
5/10
Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid)Yap. Yap. Yap. But less so than normal. Probably the audience's favourite with two heartening rounds of applause. Nick Bourne asked him if people really wanted Plaid's policy of a seat in the United Nations, to which he replied 'of course not'. Right, so why bovva then?
7/10
Nick Bourne (Tory)Came out fighting after a tough week. Made the Conservative case very clearly and was untroubled by all that was thrown at him. Except that bloke wearing the patch at the end, but surely everyone thought he was a bit weird?
6/10
Mike German (Lib Dem)Won the two minute spiel and was otherwise competent. Managed to avoid sounding too cocky about the fact he'll soon be leaving such events in a ministerial car. Also won the battle of the postures. A good night, will probably celebrate with a ryvita and some half-fat cream cheese.
7/10
Labels: Assembly Election 2007, BBC Wales, debate, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Mike German, Nick Bourne, Rhodri Morgan
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:00 am,
,
Wigley or won't he?
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
I can't believe I've been writing this blog for six months without asking the question, what the hell is Dafydd Wigley playing at?He is the nearest thing Wales has to a statesman. He was a consummate parliamentarian and continues to be respected across party political boundaries. And yet he is standing for election second on the North Wales regional list.
Now, at the moment Plaid have one list member in that region. To get another they'd have to do pretty poorly at constituency level. But in reality, they're in the hunt for two gains in North Wales: Aberconwy and Clwyd West. This would be great news for Plaid, but catastrophic for Dafydd Wigley who would be flung into the political wilderness (possibly accompanied by Janet Ryder).
So what's his game?
Well, apparently 'Dafydd's done his Maths', the implication being that he's got it all worked out because he is Dafydd Wigley and you absolutely have to trust that big boomy voice. I'm not convinced. Wigley is re-energised, that's for sure, but did he ever have his eyes on a political re-birth or was this always going to be a cameo appearance designed to give Plaid an election time lift? It is, perhaps, the political equivalent of taking one for the team - like the plucky midfielder who charges down a free kick only to get the ball lodged between his bollocks.
Dafydd Wigley is doing strange things to this election, not least because the list system makes psephology a whole lot of fun. Labour's Arfon candidate is reminding people to 'Vote Eaglestone Get Wigley', while the prospect of Plaid's leader losing his Ynys Mon seat to let Wigley in on the list would possibly even beat Rhodri Morgan's train journey as the most ironic moment of the campaign.
But I suspect that after all the hoo-ha on May 3rd not much will have changed. Except that Dafydd Wigley is likely to be holding his groin with some satisfaction, knowing that he hasn't let the team down.
Labels: Dafydd Wigley, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Martin Eaglestone, Plaid Cymru, Welsh Assembly Election 2007
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:15 pm,
,
Only in my backyard
Friday, April 20, 2007
I blogged recently on the fact that for the first time in well over decade, Plaid Cymru currently have no policy on nuclear energy.
But there are two things we know for certain. One is that Plaid's leader Ieuan Wyn Jones backs a new nuclear power station in his own backyard, the other is that Plaid's pre-manifesto (released in March this year) categorically states: "Plaid Cymru does not support nuclear power."
There's an obvious tension between these two positions. You can't be for and against something at the same time. The solution? Pretend you were never against it.
At a local level, at least, Ieuan Wyn Jones now appears to be using the absence of a policy on nuclear energy in Plaid's manifesto to justify his support for the replacement of the Wylfa plant in Ynys Mon.
The Bangor & Anglesey Mail reports that during a recent hustings on the island, Conservative candidate James Roach accused Plaid Cymru of double standards. He said: "It's interesting that within their manifesto Plaid Cymru disagree with nuclear power apart from on Anglesey and although I do congratulate Mr Jones' dedication to the island, I think that's plain hypocrisy."
To which Ieuan Wyn responded: "There's no mention of this in our manifeto." Adding, "I support Wylfa B on certain conditions."
It is an odd tactic, I must confess. Plaid clearly hope that they can be vague and non-comittal on the national stage while allowing their leader free rein at a local level. But this is just the sort of thing Plaid accuse the other parties of doing.
Of course, politics in Wales is such that anti-nuclear voters in the Valleys neither know nor care what's being said in a hustings in Ynys Mon. Politicians and their bods are all too aware of this. And as long as they can get away with it they'll continue to fight this election campaign on multiple fronts. After all, as one insider told me recently, "there's nothing wrong with telling people what they want to hear."
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, manifesto, nuclear energy, nuclear policy, Plaid Cymru, Welsh Assembly Election 2007, Wylfa
posted by Blamerbell @ 4:39 pm,
,
The evolution of Plaid's nuclear policy
Friday, April 06, 2007
1997 General Election Manifesto"Nuclear energy is now a broken dream. The only safe way forward is to reduce the demand for energy and develop the use of renewables."
1999 Assembly Election Manifesto
"We will operate on the basis of a presumption against further open cast mining and nuclear power stations."
2001 General Election Manifesto
"As our dependence on fossil fuels must be reduced and since nuclear energy is not an acceptable option, we shall press for very substantial growth in renewable energy."
2003 Assembly Election Manifesto
"We will call for the devolution of responsibility for large-scale energy projects to the Assembly. This will enable us to block any new nuclear energy stations."
2005 General Election Manifesto
"Plaid Cymru the Party of Wales does not support new nuclear power stations."
2007 Pre-manifesto, Change for the Better
"Plaid Cymru does not support nuclear power."
2007 Assembly Election Manifesto
Zilch. Rien. Nothing. 何にも. Dim byd.
Why the glaring omission?
Labels: Ieuan Wyn Jones, manifesto, nuclear energy, nuclear policy, Plaid Cymru, Welsh Assembly Election 2007, Wylfa
posted by Blamerbell @ 1:48 pm,
,
Who's doing Ieuan's maths?
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Nobody would pay for me to go to Caernarfon, so I'm afraid you'll have to go elsewhere for the big news on Plaid's conference. Like, for instance, Ieuan Wyn Jones' apparent inability to spell.
But some would doubt his aptitude for Maths too.
Right at the very end of his appearance on the BBC's Dragon's Eye on Thursday, Plaid's leader gave his prediction of the way North Wales will vote in May's election. He said:
We can win five seats in North Wales. Me as the First Minister elected from Anglesey (if the party does well in the rest of Wales) and Dafydd Wigley on the list aswell with Janet Ryder. I think this is an election where Plaid are going to make significant advances.
Significant indeed. That result would suggest a phenomenal collapse of the Labour vote. It would also suggest a big increase in the Plaid vote on the regional list at the expense of the other parties.
You can't fault Ieuan for his optimism. Plaid have said that from now on they're going to be positive about their politics. And apart from all the attack ads and negative soundbites, that's exactly what they're doing.
Labels: Conference, Dafydd Wigley, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Plaid Cymru
posted by Blamerbell @ 1:36 pm,
,
Ieuan Wyn Jones is a 'weak daffodil'
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Labour's press people revealed today that they aren't just au fait with YouTube, they're a whizz at photoshop too.So, they've turned Ieuan Wyn Jones into a sort of Tory tree monster, intended to symbolise the fact that Plaid have apparently voted over 400 times with the Conservatives in the Assembly.
This is the latest attempt by Labour to re-ignite the 'Vote Plaid get Tory' mantra, despite recent assertions by the nationalists that they hoped would not only have knocked the nail on its head, but knocked it right through into the eyes of any opportunistic Tories.
But Labour remain undeterred, if slightly lacking in imagination. The line is supposed to be that 'Ieuan Wyn Jones is a weak daffodil', whatever that is. But given Plaid's new image, surely 'floppy poppy' would have made for a more resonant metaphor. At the very best they've made him look like one of those tree people from Lord of the Rings.
Plaid start their conference tomorrow and have the opportunity to kill the VPGT rumours once and for all. If they dare.
Labels: attack ad, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Labour, Plaid Cymru, Rainbow Coalition, Tories, weak daffodil
posted by Blamerbell @ 10:37 am,
,
Caption Competition #3
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Helen Mary: 'That damn Dafydd Wigley got elected after all. Now I'll never be leader.'Ieuan: 'Snout to be worried about. Look! Either we're hanging from the ceiling or that pig is off the ground.'
Labels: Caption competition, Dafydd Wigley, Helen Mary Jones, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Plaid Cymru, politics, Welsh Assembly, Welsh Assembly Election 2007
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:45 pm,
,
Welsh politicians unclear on nuclear
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The nuclear issue is back. Much to the prime minister's annoyance he couldn't simply go ahead with a nuclear project which might leave future generations with a profound legacy of toxic waste: he's been told he has to actually consult with interested parties first.
So, what does this mean for Wales? Well, it means Welsh Labour are at odds with the UK government. The Environment Minister Carwyn Jones would prefer to cover Wales in wind farms.
The Tories appear to be pro-nuclear and despite remaining unconvinced about the waste issue Glyn Davies, chair of the assembly's environment committee, would rather see a new nuclear power station than a severn barrage. They seem to think that nuclear is perfectly green, but not green enough to feature as an energy solution along with biomass, tidal, and solar power in their vote blue go green pledge. Does 'vote blue go toxic' not have the same ring?
The Lib Dems are characteristically anti-nuclear, but Plaid Cymru are moving in different directions. Their policy is to pretend to be opposed to nuclear power while their leader is actually in favour. 'Plaid Cymru does not support nuclear power,' says the latest policy document. But Ieuan Wyn Jones supports extending the life of the nuclear power plant in his own back yard.
A decision on the future of nuclear power is likely to be made very soon. If the Lib Dems play it right they could embarrass the other parties, who each have their own contradictions on this issue. With Tony Blair and his likely successor both very much in favour it may not make much difference, but if the Lib Dems fail to command the political high ground on this they really do deserve to be hung out to dry. As they keep reminding us, Wales isn't short of high windy spots for them to do so.
Labels: Glyn Davies, Gordon Brown, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Lib Dems, nuclear energy, Plaid Cymru, renewable energy, Tony Blair, Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Labour
posted by Blamerbell @ 7:30 am,
,
