Taffia Don

2011 0410 – TORIES TO CUT EDUCATION TO PAY FOR HEALTH

2011-04-10T19:22:00.000Z

After 12 years of a Labour government with several reports saying that the Welsh educational system is on the brink (links below.) The Conservatives had said they would cut education to prevent any cuts in the NHS.

http://taffiadon.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-0330-after-12-years-of-labour_2422.html

http://taffiadon.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-0329-after-12-years-of-labour.html

Why is it desirable to protect the NHS? If you protect the NHS, you protect any duplicated and wasteful manager, and every inefficient department. Protecting the NHS at the expense of education is not the direction that Wales needs to take. It need to improve its educational system and develop its economy, we can not keep throwing money at the NHS.

2011 0410 – SOCIALISTS SCAREMONGERING

2011-04-10T18:59:00.000Z

We all know that Labour a liking to highlight all the cuts of the coalition government, trying to make as much political capital out of responsible politicians rectifying the mistakes of their government. However, in Swansea yesterday the socialist workers party was proclaiming loudly that the Conservatives are cutting cancer nurses. They might be in England, however, the Conservatives are the only party in Wales that are guaranteeing the NHS budget.

Failing to recognise that this is a devolved issue is deliberately misleading the Welsh public, it misrepresents the fact that Labour would cut the NHS in Wales but the Conservatives would conserve it.

I would discuss the wisdom of promising to conserve the budge at current levels since it conserves every duplicated managerial post, every superfluous managerial post, and every inefficiently in the NHS, but that is off topic.

2011 0410 – BNP’S TRUE COLOURS

2011-04-10T18:24:00.000Z

A BNP candidate for the Assembly election will appear in Swansea magistrate court on Monday, charged with public order offences after he was videoed pouring flammable liquid over the Koran and setting light to it. (Story from the BBC)

Sion Owens who is still the South Wales West regional candidate for the BNP has demonstrated that the BNP have no interest in preserving ‘Britishness’, since religious tolerance is a British tradition, established by Elizabeth I, and reinforced by Cromwell when he allowed Jews to settle in the UK to escape persecution. The BNP are only interested in ethnically cleansing the UK, no matter how their PR / propaganda machine (which is one of the best) cares to portray themselves.

2011 0410 – DUTCH BANKING BONUS BAN

2011-04-10T18:22:00.001Z

The Guardian reported that the Dutch people have forced their politicians to introduce a retrospective ban on banker’s bonuses (click here.)

This is interesting for many reasons, firstly, it is often said that if we penalise banks then they would move their companies out of Britain, secondly, it is argued that we can not act independently for fear of the first, and finally, Britain’s bankers earn significantly larger bonuses.

Now I think I am right in saying that Britain has a larger banking centre than the Netherlands, with greater levels of international banks, so the position might be different, however, there is obviously the ability to build the consensus so why have they not tried?

2011 0404 - LABOUR YOU CAN'T TRUST THEM

2011-04-04T17:35:00.004Z

Seen on 'Syniadau blog'. An advert printed in the 'Western Mail', Detailing the reasons not to trust Labour and especially Hain.

The publishers list themselves as, "United and Welsh, an alliance of concerned citizens, (...)" However, Labour at their Machiavellian best are trying to lay the blame directly on Plaid despite the fact that the leaflet advocates voting for each of the other four parties, in five marginal seats.

2011 0404 – PROMOTING LANGUAGES

2011-04-04T17:25:00.000Z

There is a well-worn and slightly tired argument that the Welsh Language is being over promoted, However, I was interested to come across this piece from the BBC about the reintroduction of Hebrew as a living language only 100 years ago. I had no idea that the language (although read in the Torah) went out of use and had to be reintroduced to be the principle language of Israel today. It also details how the Hebrew language develops new words, having an institution that is the sole deliberator on words for new things, taking suggestions from the public. It is an interesting article especially considering the efforts to maintain the Welsh language.

2011 0402 – AV’S AFFECT ON PLAID

2011-04-02T19:18:00.001Z

AV and FPTP are both systems that favour a two party system. AV is not a proportional representation election system. Whether or not Plaid will retain the three seats they hold under FPTP is unknowable but they hold Carmarthen East and Dinefwr with a majority of 35.6%, Dwyfor 44.3%, and Afron 36.0%. They will need to pick up second preference votes to retain all their seats. The question is would people give Plaid them? Alternatively, would they majority of people prefer a one of the three parties.

If we consider Afron alone, PC has 36% and Labour 30%, Conservative 16.9%, Liberal Democrat 14.1%, and UKIP 2.6%. (This is conjecture now) UKIP would be eliminated, and their votes would most likely go to the Conservatives, next would be Liberal Democrats their votes would probably go to Labour predominantly (it would need EVERY Liberal Democrat voter to list their second preference for Plaid to secure the seat). After that it is the Conservatives - would conservative voters put Plaid as their second choice or Labour? Since politics in this country is measured in swings from Labour to Conservative and vice versa, you would have to guess that Labour would be the major beneficiary at that stage (Also aided by the fact that the Conservatives are a unionist party by comparison to Plaid’s nationalism).

This assertion would mean Afron would have a Labour candidate - Plaid will always suffer in UK elections from lack of media coverage, and will most likely lose out.

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr: Plaid 35.6% (incumbent), Labour 26.5%, Conservatives 22.4%, Liberal Democrats 12.1%, UKIP 3.4%. A projection of potential AV result: UKIP votes going to the fellow right wing Conservative party, followed by Liberal Democrats vote most likely being divided predominantly between Labour and Conservatives. The Conservative and Unionist Party voters will decide whether the Welsh Nationalist Plaid or British Mainstream Labour will win. I would suspect the lack of media coverage or Plaid, the perception of a Plaid as the ‘language party’ and general values, Conservatives would elect a Labour representative over Plaid.

Finally, Dwyfor Meirionnydd: Plaid 44.3%, Conservative 22.3%, Labour 13.9%, Liberal Democrat 12.2%, Independent 4.5%, and UKIP 2.7%. My projection under an AV system: UKIP votes once again go to Conservatives, Independent candidate (I am going to ignore – but the per cent age is insufficient to have a Plaid victory). Liberal Democrats second preferences split between Labour and Plaid (Plaid might win at this stage), Labour, here is the tricky part, I think that since Plaid is a left wing socialist party and many Liberal democrat voters might have Plaid as a third choice Plaid would most likely win at this stage and keep this seat at an AV election.

As I said its unknowable and this example is conjecture but it is plausible. Plaid will most likely be decimated in Parliament because of AV, in favour of the dominant British party (namely Labour). This is because UK general elections focus so intently on the three London based parties. In addition, to the way that AV is structured.

If you consider that Plaid got 11.3% of the Votes in Wales to come away with only one of 40 seats or 2.5% of the seats (by my projections) that is an absolute travesty of democracy under AV. The current FPTP system is more representative with 7.5% of the seats with their 11.3% share of the vote. However, if there was a proportional system they would have four seats – accurately representing their share of the vote.

AV is as bad a system as FPTP, perhaps it is a stepping-stone to full PR but can we take the risk of strangling political plurality in the interim? Those three Plaid MPs better represent wales than the 26 Welsh Labour MPs who fall into line so quickly with their London party, and consistency fail to stand up for Wales.

2011 0402 – LABOUR DOESN’T STAND UP FOR WALES

2011-04-01T23:47:00.000Z

I have often said that Labour have no intrinsic desire or need to produce results for Wales. They have a natural majority at the moment based on the poor social and economic condition that we are experiencing. Carwyn Jones (First Minister) has said that the conditions exist because of the recessions in the late 1980’s. However, after 12 years of Labour government in Cardiff and 13 years of coinciding Labour Government in Westminster – Labour have failed to produce any results. Their reward for their failure is being able to make many promises at the forthcoming election.

Welsh Labour failed to address the unfair funding when they had the ability to do, now they are criticising the yearling coalition government for failing to create a fair funding system, saying Labour would have resolved the issue after the 2010 general election. Labour deliberately does nothing to help Wales knowing that the people of Wales will turn to Labour when in need.

This symbiosis, not symbiosis (since that is mutually beneficial) but rather this cycle of abuse akin to an alcoholic partner, who lurches from neglect to abuse, is as damaging to Wales as it would be for any individual.

Labour has done nothing but neglect Wales, and despite their growing voice in opposition, we must not forget that in power Labours voice is slurred with indifference.

2011 0401 – NO TO AV CAMPAIGN

2011-04-01T21:22:00.002Z

While looking for the conservative manifesto for the forthcoming Welsh Election, I was confronted by the headline, “AV will give greater credibility to extremist parties”. My previous posts about the AV system has detailed that the 50 per cent thresh-hold to elect a representative will mean that smaller parties, which often polarise opinion, could find it more difficult to win seat that they currently hold. However, is it ethical to select a voting system, expressly because it limits minority parties from being democratically represented?

When I studied democratic systems, and debated reasons why political parties should be banned, we concluded that only anti-systemic parties should be excluded (That is to say parties that want to end democracy). On what grounds then do the Conservatives have to penalise smaller minority parties? If a party exists in the democratic sphere then the election system should not conspire to penalise them because their views are deemed by the majority to be acceptable.

Further to this article, David Cameron’s speech in Swansea today, said that AV system will allow the BNP into Westminster. This is a contentious and alarmist statement, designed to scare people into backing the Conservatives FPTP. However, his argument is fundamentally flawed. The AV system will raise the bar for candidates to cross before begin elected, because of this consensus feature, politicians that can gain support of the community at large are more likely to succeed, therefore extremist parties are less likely to get elected under an AV system by comparison to FPTP.

The conservatives have a vested interest in keeping the FPTP voting system – namely the political plurality of left-wing politics in Britain. Nevertheless, advocating the current system because of the fallacious assertion that far-right parties might be the main beneficiary is illogical, as it suggests that people will have a greater chance of having a representative that they want. In fact, what normally happens under an AV system is it guarantees the supremacy of two major parties in a cartel fashion. What I suspect the Conservatives are worried about is, that seats they narrowly win, because Labour and the Liberal Democrats split the left-wing vote they will lose under the AV system because supporters of the two latter parties would typically* prefer a left wing representation thereby ousting the Conservatives on the second preference.

At the end of the day, parties will only ever be represented in parliament if they have been voted for by the public.

*The Liberal Democrats have elements in their philosophy that are more conservative, however, they still retain a large socially conscious element

2011 0330 – GOVERNMENT DEBT

2011-03-30T17:26:00.001Z

Labour in opposition are adamant that the banks should pay their fair share of the national debt, as it was their irresponsibility and carelessness in financial transactions that forced the government to shell out to bail them out. One wonders now that the Ian Watmore (the then head of Tony Blair's e-Government Unit in 2004) says that many of Labours IT projects were commissioned unnecessarily to make the policy “sound sexy” whether they will stick to this principle. Speaking to the public administration committee, Mr Watmore, claims to have already saved £2 billion in Whitehall efficiencies. Since Mr Watmore was tasked by the coalition to reduce waste, the message could be politically motivated, however, should Labour be forced to repaying the money they irresponsibly used to “make their policy sound sexy”, just as the banks are being forced to contribute for their carelessness?

2011 0330 – THE CONSERVATIVES SHOULD STICK TO DESTROYING WALES’ ECONOMY

2011-03-30T13:33:00.005Z

The Conservative party should stick to what it does best "which is destroying the economy" instead of criticising Labour, according to First Minister Carwyn Jones AM.

The economy has been declining under the Labour’s governance as these multiple BBC reports (below), However, that is all the Conservative's fault.

The report forecast growth at an average of 1.6% per year over the next decade compared to 2.2% across the UK and said as Wales "fails to keep pace" its share of the UK economy will diminish from 3.5% in 2010 to 3.2% in 2025.

Latest figures show gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 2% in 2008.

The European Union's Statistical Office said GDP in west Wales and the south Wales valleys in 2008 was 71% of the average of other European regions - 2% down on the previous year and the lowest in the UK.

[only] 15% believe assembly government renewal plan will improve the prospects of the Welsh economy.

According to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee during the late 1980s and much of the 1990s, Wales was successful in attracting inward investment, with the nation regularly gaining around 15% of the inward investment and associated jobs coming to the UK.

"However, in recent years, the environment for attracting investment has changed rapidly, and Wales has lost large portions of its foreign manufacturing employment and output," it said.

It said Wales had attracted 4.7% of all inward investment in the UK during the past 10 years.

According to HM Revenue & Customs figures, Wales had the largest decrease of the devolved countries and English regions.

The Welsh economy is the least competitive in the UK, according to new academic research.

Labour have presided over a clear and consistent decline of the Welsh economy, Wales’ position in the UK, EU and world is weaker now than it ever was under the conservatives.

Labour have done nothing for Wales – We must not reward failure with votes.

2011 0330 – AFTER 12 YEARS OF LABOUR GOVERNANCE: OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS DEBILITATING OUR ECONOMY

2011-03-30T10:53:00.001Z

Another story from the BBC showing that Labour is not producing results for Wales, In fact if you look at inward investment figures Wales was better off with the ‘bogeyman’ Conservatives rather than the ‘natural’ Labour party.

I disagree with the fact that Wales has not got the talent – myself being educated to level 7 and being stonewalled out of the jobs market by being over qualified and under experienced.

However, Labour has failed to address this weakness or the perceived/actual lack of skills, and with the previous story of an educational system on the brink. It is time to stop this blind loyalty for Labour. Vote for change.

Key points (Click here for full text)

Wales is not attracting high quality inward investment due to "appalling" skill levels and a poor education system, an academic has told MPs.

John Ball told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee a key plank of the assembly government's economic strategy was "cloud cuckoo land".

Wales once attracted up to a fifth of inward investment into the UK.

Dr Ball, an economics lecturer of Swansea University, said the skills were not there for inward investors. Something serious, he said, had to be done about education.

He accused the assembly government of prioritising industries in decline.

He said to talk of attracting financial services and research and development jobs was "cloud cuckoo land" because of poor levels of education in Wales.

He said the assembly government needed to do more to promote Welsh exports abroad rather than look for external investors.

It said Wales had attracted 4.7% of all inward investment in the UK during the past 10 years.

2011 0330 – AFTER 12 YEARS OF LABOUR GOVERNANCE: THE WELSH ECONOMY IS LIMPING

2011-03-30T10:29:00.000Z

The BBC has again reported on another damning failure of the Labours competence in managing its responsibility, this time the economy. The report highlights lots of potential for the Welsh economy, potential that Labour has failed to capitalise on for 12 years.

Key points (Click for full text)

Other challenges include lower entrepreneurism and lower business start-up rates, fewer foreign-owned businesses and fewer businesses exporting than England.

Cheryl Gillan said the research "shows the scale of the problem we inherited and also the opportunities available as we set to rebalance the Welsh economy.

2011 0329 – AFTER 12 YEARS OF LABOUR GOVERNANCE: WE ARE STANDING ON THE BRINK OF EDUCATIONAL ABYSS.

2011-03-29T20:20:00.003Z

The BBC have reported a damning report that is the result of 12 years of stewardship of the educational system in Wales. The report says that a “downward spiral” could result without urgent action, I hope that the forthcoming election will provide a damning verdict on Labour achievements and boot them into opposition.

After reading this I will concentrate more on the parties educational proposals.

Key points (Click here for full text)

Too many schools are "coasting", it says, and standards of literacy and numeracy are too low.

It says that some local authorities "lack the capacity" to improve the performance of their schools.

"If urgent steps are not taken, then we could well enter a downward spiral in terms of performance," it says.

Standards of literacy and numeracy are significantly lower than they should be in Wales, it says.

The group was hopeful that the learn-through-play foundation phase for under sevens would help raise standards in literacy and numeracy. But it said that without diagnostic testing the phase will "not be well founded". "If we are not careful standards will regress rather than improve because of the introduction of the foundation phase," it says.

A third of education spending - or £1.3bn - was swallowed by administration.

2011 0329 – EGALITARIANISM OF DEMOCRACY

2011-03-29T09:46:00.001Z

It is the ardent assertion of FPTP supporters that under the AV system some people have up to six votes. They cite the egalitarianism of one-person one vote simplicity, ignoring the fact that under FPTP the majority of people have no vote, the majority of people can’t make a difference, the majority of people are disenfranchised.

Where the winning majority of elections is typically 30 per cent, 70 per cent of the electorate are disenfranchised, excluded from the democratic process.

Yes to AV supporters cling to the majorative feature of AV as justification for its adoption, they can not claim though that AV reflects the votes cast, instead they change the votes to reflect the result.

Only one system gives people a vote, a vote that counts, a vote that returns a representative parliament. Proportional representation is the only egalitarianism system, and we should insist on it.

2011 0328 – 2011 WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION MANIFESTO - UKIP

2011-03-28T19:58:00.003Z

Today the United Kingdom Independence Party (aka UKIP), launched its manifesto for the Welsh Assembly, (Link to the document in title), Below is a summary with my commentary on the issue.

Commentary is my opinion only and is denoted by a “>>” before it begins

All other text is copied from the manifesto.

FACTS:

- UKIP currently have no representation in the Assembly

- UKIP are not placing candidates in constituency elections, only in regional elections.

- UKIP have one of four seats in the European Parliament.

MANIFESTO:

“ABOLISH THE ASSEMBLY AND LEAVE THE EU”

PREAMBLE:

Government in Wales is becoming more and more remote from the electorate.

>> Surely, the Welsh Assembly has brought government closer to the people of Wales. For the first time since 1537, the Welsh people have control of their laws (some of them at least).

We want Britain out of the European Union so we can govern ourselves, and we want re-empowered local authorities. And, while we respect the Welsh identity, we also believe in preserving the United Kingdom[…]

There is no place in this scheme for the Welsh Assembly

>> But you just complained that democracy was becoming more remote from the electorate and now you want to overturn the referendum of March (not even a month ago) where the Welsh people voted for their Assembly to have greater powers. This is rather contrary.

POLICIES:

POLICY 1:

Sack the 60 members of the Welsh Assembly and sell their Cardiff building.

Wales has 40 members of the British parliament, 60 Assembly members, 4 Members of the European Parliament and hundreds of Councillors. We don’t need all these politicians.

>> Under current plans, by the coalition government, the number of Welsh MPs will decrease to 30.

Only 25.3% of Welsh people voted to create the increasingly unpopular Welsh Assembly.

>> The Welsh people voted for the Assembly, They have just voted for the Assembly Powers, What evidence is there that is it is increasingly unpopular? and if they vote for you with a turn out of 20 per cent I’m sure you claim it’s a vindication for your perspective.

Our policy is to have the British parliament meet for three weeks out of four to debate law that applies to the whole of Britain. Then, in the fourth week, the 40 Welsh MPs come home to attend to Welsh business in a new Welsh National Council – with the Scots doing similarly and English MPs staying to debate law that only applies to England. The 60 Welsh Assembly members would be redundant.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this. However, deciding to solve the West Lothian question by having a lock out, It is an interesting idea. However, some practicalities, can 30 MPs (if boundary reforms are approved) handle the months work of 60 AMs in one week? How will this effect the quality of decisions, surely we would just, end up with reactionary policies from what ever was in the headlines at the moment. Additionally, what happens to Britain during this week? Do the English ministers who rule Britain have a free hand? What happens with a Libya situation?

The Welsh National Council would meet at different venues in all parts of Wales, so North, East and West Wales are covered too.

>> Why is having the meeting in various localities desirable? Would the civil service tour with the Assembly? Is this a cost effective alternative to having a dedicated offices to meet in Cardiff – having to rent out somewhere large enough to hold the administration as well as the meetings and provide ad hoc security? Granted you will get some money from selling off the Senedd, but how long would that last?

Wales needs UKIP members of the Assembly who will campaign vigorously for its abolition

– and they will be pleased to lose their Assembly jobs when this occurs.

>> Welcome political plurality, but does the Welsh Assembly have the power to instigate this policy, I assume that the Assembly would have the power to return the power to Westminster if they chose (not sure about it though). Without UKIP in power in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, we would just be returning power to an institution that 0 per cent of the British Population has voted for. (Has there ever been a popular vote saying that they people want Westminster Parliament).

POLICY 2:

Restore local democracy, with direct local votes and more local control over finances.

>> Restore local democracy, with local votes and more local control over finances – I’ve an idea, lets have an local Parliament in Wales, directly elected by locals… wait isn’t that what Policy 1 was against?

Today, local councils rely on government funding and obey government orders rather than looking after the interests of their local communities. It’s no wonder that so few people turn out to vote at local elections. UKIP believes in restoring local democracy and freeing local government from central government interference.

>> Freeing local councils to respond to the needs of their localities is a good thing.

First, we would provide for local referendums on any major local issue. Once a petitioner obtains enough signatures from local voters calling for a referendum on a subject of their choosing, a referendum must be held and its result would be binding.

>> We had a referendum on creating an Assembly and another one to remove its stabilisers, which you want to reverse, so why is this a good micro policy but bad macro policy? Should the 1979 election for devolution been an end of the issue of Welsh self-determination, if so how does this reflect a dynamic and changing nature of people beliefs?

Second, we would give local councils much greater control over their finances by letting them keep local business rates. This would enable them to assist small businesses with fairer business rates that reflect local conditions and the extra costs of operating in rural areas.

>> They make it sound like someone is trying to take away local business rates? Are they – I have no idea.

Finally, local authorities must be made more accountable to the voters by staging more open meetings and adopting more visible decision-making processes. Cabinet style local government must go.

>> Seems like a good idea.

POLICY 3:

Restore the UK’s independence by leaving the European Union

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have the ability to leave the EU

The UK pays the European Union £39 million a day. In return, the EU controls farming and fishing, it restricts our trade with the rest of the world, it showers us with thousands of regulations and it is taking over most of the functions of national governments,

There is little point of having an elected British government, let alone a Welsh Assembly, when most laws come from Brussels.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this. However, it is Hard to justify a £39 million pound a day drain I grant you, but having pan-European regulation, means Britain can complete on an equal footing with European neighbours, it makes it easier for companies to enter the market, as they can produce one product rather than 26 different ones – I should save them money.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this. However, most of the regulations that control us are of British origin (the Human Rights Act 1997 – being the most contentious and Health and Safety laws) originate predominantly from Britain, and those that are from Europe are usually the same as British ones they replace. The problem is that the press likes bashing the EU and politics like the EU taking the flack for the unpopular policy.

UKIP policy is to take Britain out of the EU so we can trade freely with the rest of the world as well as the EU, just as independent Norway and Switzerland do now. We [would] can also start to unwind all those thousands of EU regulations and directives that interfere with our lives and destroy our businesses,

>> How does the EU stop us from trading freely outside of the EU? We only send about 30 per cent of our goods to EU so the majority of our trade is outside the EU as it is.

Return control to our own people. Make our own decisions again instead of being ruled by Brussels bureaucrats

>> Replace the word Brussels with English, and then you have an outlandish proposition … apparently.

OTHER POLICY PRIORITIES

There is too much interference from central government in the running of our schools and universities. Teachers have to put paperwork and performance targets above the needs of pupils. Standards have collapsed and many of our children leave school unable to read and write.

- Independence for schools and colleges over teaching, examinations and discipline.

- Return to selective education and grammar schools, but with fair treatment for all schools and

- selection on merit rather than postcode.

- Introduce vouchers to help parents to choose the school they want. Keep special schools open.

- Encourage competitive school sports, playing fields and school trips.

- Bring back student grants and scrap student loans.

- Abolish the absurd target of 50% of young people attending university and leave it to the universities to select their students.

>> Independence over examinations, how can you guarantee or demonstrate a national standard of educational attainment. Each employer will have to research the educational institution. Surely it would be better to have a single standard exam to be used by all get rid of the exam boards that drive down standards by making it easier to pass, so schools can look better if they use them.

>> The 50 per cent target is there to provide ambition, if the universities are choose their own people, they will be full of foreign students – students that the are the most profitable.

>> I agree with sports, and school trips, and grants - but can Wales afford to get rid of loans? They spend millions capping fees as it is. Not sure I understand the voucher idea.

Health

Despite our health service being given more money, much of this has been wasted on management consultants and bureaucrats. We still have long waiting lists, postponed operations, poor cleanliness, and low staff morale. The reason is that the government tries to run the NHS centrally, in all its detail, using hundreds of performance targets and ever-changing initiatives.

>> Which is why the Welsh Assembly has refused to ring-fence the NHS from spending reviews so they can reduce money in proportion to waste,

Scrap the 22 expensive Local Health Boards and replace them with more representative local control.

>> You just said it was run centrally - in 22 centres?

Return to the ‘matron’ system with a single manager responsible for all care and accommodation.

>> Has been widely advocated, I have no idea as to its merits.

More freedom for doctors to select treatment based on clinical need rather than performance targets.

>> I know a lot of doctors (writing this from my hospital bed) and I don’t see them wasting money on treatments that aren’t clinically necessary, in fact that’s rather an unethical and unprofessional idea, where is the evidence that they are going to do this?

GP surgeries to re-open in the evenings and at weekends when working people can visit.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power over GP contracts that has been retained by the Westminster government.

Immigration:

>> I have skipped over this section since the Welsh Assembly does not have power over immigration. No vote in this election will have any impact on immigration policy in Britain.

Crime:

>> I have skipped over this section since the Welsh Assembly does not have power over crime and policing, although it is likely and logical that these responsibilities will be devolved within the next 10 years.

The economy:

Britain can only remain prosperous and competitive in the global economy by reducing the regulatory burden and taxation on our businesses. We would cut taxes all round and pay for this by cutting government waste and halting the growth of government spending. We do not accept the argument that this means a reduction in ‘front line’ public services.

>> Isn’t this what the coalition government, is doing already – why then should we vote for you?

Raise the income tax threshold to £9,000 per year, taking a further 4.5 million lower paid people out of tax altogether and making everyone else better off.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this. However, the coalition government is already on the path to doing this.

Scrap inheritance tax altogether.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this.

Reduce rates of company tax so our businesses can compete in the global economy.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this.

Slash council tax by 40%, taking it back to where it was 10 years ago, in real terms.

>> This suggests that 40 per cent of council tax is wasted, do we cut back wages by 40 per cent or cut back on council services? You said you want Councils to be free of government control and yet your going to shackle them with massive budget cuts.

Agriculture and fishing

As long as Britain remains in the EU, we shall also remain bound by its Common Agricultural Policy which rewards rich landowners and helps to put our farmers out of business. UKIP believes in a strong farming industry that is a reliable source of our food whilst also looking after our rural environment.

Replace the CAP with price support systems that recognise local conditions, such as hill farming.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this.

Provide financial support for young farmers.

>> No details though

Return to sensible health regulations so that small local abattoirs can re-open.

>> Not sure whether this is within the Assembly’s powers.

Encourage local food production and consumption.

>> Easily said, but no details.

Take back British control over our coastal waters and rebuild our fisheries protection fleet.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this.

Transport

Public transport needs to be more attractive and responsive to local needs, and there is gridlock on the roads. Over-zealous traffic enforcement is used merely to raise funds.

Improve local control and management of public transport – rail, bus and airport links.

>> Surely the Assembly is the best forum to improve local control and management of public transport.

Rule out road pricing, oppose privatisation of parking facilities and allow free parking at hospitals.

>> Free parking is already a policy, but to save costs of buying out contracts they’re letting them, where they exist run their course.

Remove speed cameras unless they cut accidents.

>> Speed limits are the law, and your dictating options of how locally elected police chiefs, under supervision of local council should enforce the law (See crime section in manifesto – for the plans that they haven’t got the power to introduce), so your pro local control and now dictating practices.

Tax foreign lorries on the same basis as our own.

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this.

Energy:

UKIP regards Britain’s growing dependence on imported energy as unacceptable, yet we recognise that renewable sources such as wind power will never meet more than a small fraction of our needs. We believe that an increasing proportion of our energy must be nuclear and would also promote clean coal technology. We fully support the plan for a new barrage across the Severn.

>> Supporting Nuclear during the current problems in Japan is a bold move, but it is expensive, and the barrage was discarded because of the cost. Does the Assembly have powers for this?

The environment

Environmental legislation is now driven wholly by the EU – with targets for recycling that place impossible demands on our local authorities and result in large-scale shipment of our waste to China. UKIP believes strongly in protection of our environment but this must be a matter for our own government. We would vigorously defend our green belt against excessive targets for housing.

>> Well it is the same environment, so why shouldn’t we share targets with the EU? If the targets are impossible demands – why do Germany and many other European Countries exceed them?

Defence

>> The Welsh Assembly does not have power to do this.

Save our Post Offices

Rural post offices and the Royal Mail are being destroyed by EU rules that put limits on government support and allow private companies to cream off the most profitable business. UKIP would provide subsidies as necessary to keep post offices open.

>> Are post offices devolved?

The smoking ban

UKIP Wales regards the general ban on smoking (enforced from April 2007) as an unnecessary assault on people’s freedom. We would scrap the ban, leaving pubs, restaurants and other premises to choose whether they have smoking areas or not.

>> I have a respiratory condition, why should someone else’s free restrict mine? Why should I be less free to choose where I want to spend my time? What about the health implications? Its only since the smoking ban that I’ve able to go to these places.

Council housing

UKIP Wales will join the campaign to respect the results of ballots where council tenants say they want to keep council housing in public ownership.

>> And yet you reject the ballot for the Assembly!

2011 0328 - THE CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS OF WALES

2011-03-28T14:43:00.009Z

This is a repost of of an item on 'The Jacobite Intelligencer' about the constitutional status of Wales, its interesting, althought it is not definitive.

---

Arms of the House of Aberffraw, senior line descendents of the House of Cunedda

In 1283, when Edward I defeated Llewellyn the Last, the Principality of Wales (Llewelyn’s lands in Gwynedd and those of his native vassals) came under the rule of the English king by the Statute of Rhuddlan. In other words, the title of Prince of Wales was merged in the English Crown but not abolished, since it was granted by Edward I to his son. The Principality of Wales remained a distinct entity, a right of the English crown, administered by the Council of Wales. The Council’s continuing existence until its abolition after the Revolution in 1689 indicates that the ‘Principality of Wales’ can be spoken of until that point, and for Jacobites the abolition of the Council and, implicitly, the Principality of Wales as a distinct entity from England by a revolutionary government cannot be regarded as legitimate. It is incorrect to see Henry VIII’s series of acts to harmonise English and Welsh law between 1535 and 1542 as Acts of Union in the same sense as the Acts of Union of 1707 and 1801; they were designed to incorporate the March of Wales more fully into England and their effect on the Principality was incidental. To all intents and purposes, in spite of the imposition of county administration on the Welsh and the acts of Henry VIII, the Principality of Wales continued to exist as a theoretical entity until the Revolution.

Numerous Welsh aristocrats, many descended from the old native nobility, showed great loyalty to the House of Stuart and Wales was a hotbed of Jacobitism. Most famously, Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet, decided not to raise a Welsh force to join with the Prince Regent when he entered England in 1745. Had he done so, the retreat from Derby might never have taken place and George of Hanover might have been overthrown. Sir Watkin was the son of Jane Thelwall, great-granddaughter of Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet of Gwydir, who was the descendent of Owain Glyndwr (last native Prince of Wales) and Head of the House of Aberffraw.

The Houses of Cunedda, Aberffraw and Dinefwr

In around 440AD, if the ancient Welsh genealogies are to be believed, Cunedda Wledig, a descendent of Roman or Romano-British war leaders in the ‘Old North’ came from the Kingdom of Gododdin (near Edinburgh) to the land of the Venedoti, Gwynedd. The straggling dynasty that Cunedda established and that bore his name provided the kings of both Gwynedd and Deheubarth.

Rhodri Mawr (c. 820-878), was one of the few kings of the House of Cunedda to unite Wales but the traditional principle of partition required him to divide his kingdom between his sons. Rhodri’s eldest son Anarawd ap Rhodri established the senior House of Aberffraw, which ruled Gwynedd and then all Wales until the defeat of Llewellyn the Last (1223-83). Rhodri’s grandson Hywel Dda (880-950) established the Kingdom of Deheubarth. However, the Kingdoms of Wales were united in the Principality of Wales, ruled by the House of Aberffraw, in the 1160s.

Owain Glyndwr, the last native Prince of Wales (who asserted his sovereignty by summoning a Parliament at Machynlleth) apparently died without issue. At this point the position of head of the House of Aberffraw reverted to Robert, eldest son of Maredudd ap Hywel of Tywyn, who became the progenitor of the Wynns of Gwydir, the last of whom was Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet, who died in 1719. Sir John died without issue but Jane Thelwall, descendent of a daughter of the 1st Baronet, continued the line into the Williams-Wynn family. On this interpretation of the descent of the House of Aberffraw, the present head of the House is the descendent of Jane Thelwall, Sir David Watkin Williams-Wynn, 11th Baronet of Bodelwyddan (b. 1940).

Arms of the Williams-Wynn Baronets, descendents of the House of Aberffraw through Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet and Jane Thelwall

The Kings of Deheubarth, the junior descendents of Rhodri Mawr, also have descendents today. Rhys ap Gruffydd, King of Deheubarth (1132-97) had a daughter Gwenllian (d. 1236) who married Edynfed Fychan, Seneschal of Gwynedd, who was the ancestor of Owain Tewdyr who apparently married Catherine of Valois, the widow of Henry V. His second son by Catherine, Edmund Tudor, 1st Duke of Richmond, married Lady Margaret Beaufort, making him the progenitor of the Tudor dynasty. When Elizabeth died in 1603, the last of the direct Tudor line, the Tudor succession reverted to the descendents of Margaret, eldest daughter of Henry VII, who had married James IV of Scotland and was the grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots and great-grandmother of James VI of Scotland, the first Stuart to rule England.

Arms of Owain Tewdyr, descendent of the House of Dinefwr (Kings of Deheubarth)

If the House of Tudor is taken to represent the legitimate descent of the House of Dinefwr, the successor of the House of Tudor (Franz von Wittelsbach) is the head of the House of Dinefwr.

Wales’ Constitutional Status

It is clear that, for Jacobites, the Principality of Wales exists as a separate entity from England, administered by the Council of Wales. What is less clear is whether the English Crown ever had the right to annexe the Principality to itself. Aside from questions concerning the legitimacy of the Plantagenets as rulers of England (let alone Wales), the legitimacy of the Statute of Rhuddlan is doubtful. If the Statute of Rhuddlan were to be repealed it would leave Jane Thelwall’s successor as Prince of Wales and, presumably, legitimate the acts of Owain Glyndwr as Prince of Wales, most notably his summoning of a Parliament. This would require a Parliament to be established for Wales.

It may be that Jacobite legitimism requires one, in all honesty, to disregard the Statute of Rhuddlan. In the absence of this solution and, bearing in mind the present King’s descent from Hywel Dda and the Stuart monarchs’ implicit recognition of the Statute of Rhuddlan, it seems that a Jacobite must at the very least support Welsh devolution and the Welsh Assembly as an approximation to the legal and constitutional recognition of the Principality of Wales.

In this regard it is interesting that, when the Welsh Assembly requested armorial bearings the College of Arms responded in 2008 by producing a new badge for Wales. This is the arms of the Princes of Wales surmounted by St. Edward’s Crown (rather than the Prince of Wales’ coronet, as in the arms of Charles, Prince of Wales). The use of St. Edward’s Crown symbolises the sovereignty of the Queen of England rather than the Prince of Wales (who has no actual sovereignty over Wales), and the placing of the Crown over the arms of Llewellyn would heraldically indicate that these are the arms of the Queen in right of Prince of Wales (compare the use of St. Edward’s Crown in the arms of the Isle of Man). Whilst a coat of arms can scarcely be accounted a constitutional change, the use of these arms on Welsh Assembly measures is equivalent to the use of the royal arms on Acts of the Westminster Parliament, thereby suggesting that Wales is a distinct constitutional entity from England.

The Royal Badge of Wales, symbolising the royal authority of the Welsh Assembly

2011 0328 - NATIONALIST LEVERAGE

2011-03-28T12:45:00.002Z

Image by Ceri Young. He is quite keen to point out that recent changes within the budget (tax on Scottish oil) have made this slightly redundant. However, it is a good indication of how a strong nationalist voice in Scotland, and principally their ability to stand up for the people, rather than subjugating themselves to party loyalties can produce significant benefits.

2011 0327 – ELECTION PREAMBLE

2011-03-27T15:54:00.006Z

As we anticipate the release of the 2011 Welsh Assembly Election manifestos, I think that this is a good time to have a brief thought about what the parties have done, before we evaluate what they plan to do in the forthcoming quinquennium.

Now the first point of this Assembly that was notable was the defection of Mohammed Asghar from Plaid to the Conservatives, now this is a precautionary tale for promoting people for political principle without a proper understanding of their abilities and values. However, this was after the election where Labour had altered the election rules to prevent dual candidacy (being a candidate for a constituency and regional election), because “People don’t understand how politicians who loose can still be elected.” A stark piece of realpolitik from Labour since no similar prohibition was imposed in Scotland where Labour was the principle beneficiary of the practice.

Mr Asghar won the second Plaid seat on the South East regional list, and soon after defected to the Conservatives because he said he felt "out of tune" with Plaid policies. Thereby defeating the principle that Labour had legislated for, Labour's failure to condemn this and the Conservatives readiness to welcome Mr Asghar, demonstrate clearly that they lack principle and act consistency in their party interest rather than adhering to public wishes.

This is not a new feature from Labour, they did the same in 2003, promising to end home care charges for disabled people, to renege once reinstated in power stating “we could not put in place our original plans equitably and affordably". They were the party of government before the election in 2003, they knew what the Assembly could afford better than every other party and still they made idealistic policies that they knew they couldn’t keep. A practice far more damning to the one they are trying to make heavily political capital with against the Liberal Democrats in Westminster at the moment.

In education, after 12 years of Labour control of the portfolio, (8 years of coalition – with two different junior partners) and Wales has fallen further behind. I know from my teacher training that spending on schools is not the greatest factor in a child’s attainment, and that is an OFSTED conclusion. Most importantly is the emphasis placed on educational success by parents (educated parents do not allow their children to fail) but in 12 years Wales has gone backwards in attainment – with no emphasis placed on educational attainment by the government. I think Leighton Andrews is making some progress but is it enough to start making a success after 12 years?

The economy has lurched from bad to worse under the Labour government in Cardiff, now being under 75 per cent of the EU average, making Wales the poorest region in Western Europe. With no visible means of reversing this trend and worse Labour blaming the recession of the 1980s for the continual problem.

As for Plaid, they have opened a few train lines, as part of a coalition government. Their main achievement is securing the referendum on unabridged law making powers in areas that they are responsible for (even though there remains the conflicting situation that Westminster ministers are responsible for deciding the pay and conditions of those who work in the health service). I attribute this to Plaid singularly because Peter Hain, said it was entirely Plaids insistence. Therefore, the only significant achievement of the Assembly has been Plaid’s success.

Its not a great record, I know that trying to make a difference when you haven’t got the powers to act in a timely fashion is difficult, for 11 years there were governments of the same colour in Wales and Westminster and they failed to deliver substantially for Wales. Labour failed to make decisions on the Severn Barrage, St. Athens, and Rail Electrification – Labour delayed any major structural investment in Wales so the Conservative successors could continually be portrayed as bad for Wales. Labour failed to address the structural underfunding of Wales in the 11 years of working with a Labour government in Westminster. Labour failed to stand up to their own party for what Wales needed and was owed, and now they are going to use the banner of the cuts to say they are the right choice for Wales.

Labour are part of the problem, the Conservatives at least can say they want people to be economically prosperous – where as Labour do better in areas that are deprived and therefore are happy to perpetuate the status-quo. Labour lacks the ability to stand up for Wales, they lack ambition for Wales, and they lack the potential to change.

Labour are going to run this election campaign on the basis that they have done nothing, with the tag line, at least we didn’t do what the Tories did.

2011 0325 – REFORMING DEMOCRACY

2011-03-25T15:33:00.001Z

We seem to have been so distracted by the current issue of replacing FPTP with AV voting system, and deciding which of the two is preferable on a technical level, that we have not stopped to consider whether it is an adequate redress to the problems within British democracy.

It is clear that the FPTP system distorts the number of seats awarded by comparison to the levels of popular support as I demonstrate in my last post:

Considering the 1997 Westminster election:

Labour had 43.2 per cent of the national vote but 63.4 per cent of the seats,

Conservatives had 30.7 per cent of the national vote but 25 per cent of the seats,

Liberal Democrats had 18.8 per cent of the national vote but 6.9 per cent of the seats.

The AV system is not one that will redress this problem, and as I have previously stated might make the problem more pronounced. All this attention on improving the commons is overlooking the greater irregularity in our democratic system, that of the House of Lords, the higher house in our bicameral system.

We have a democratic system where one of the Chambers is completely outside of the dominion of the public, where seats are awarded to party cronies, based just as much on their ability to contribute to political parties funds, as their ability to represent a cause. Representing the public is not a concern. Although I admit that there permanent status allows them to accrue a far more competent, considered and capable approach to governance. One that is far too often absent in the Commons, in fact the Lords’ quiet professional competence is often refreshing by comparison to their firebrand know-it-all counterparts in the other place. However, this admirable quality is the one benefit of an unelected institution of government.

Why when they consider democratic reform do they insist of tinkering with the already democratic aspect rather than making real changes to remedy the gaping democratic deficient second chamber? This is the most urgent change is needed.

As I have said in other forums of discussion, my preference would be for the higher chamber to be chosen via the D’Hondt system to serve a longer period of ten years. All candidates should have a minimum qualification of masters’ degree or possibly PHD, so they have the academic credentials to deliberate the details of policy ensuring that the system produces the best results. All too often, the Labour government has forced through policies to find out later in the courts that the policy is illegal under some other act, this should not happen. Of course, with the democratisation of the Higher chamber should see the end of the Parliament Act – as its raison d’être would have expired. I would also suggest that the whole house should not be elected at the same time as the commons, so electing half the members at alternative elections would be my preference. This would slightly undermining the proportional element, however, it will ensure that the there is more of a balance in the deliberative chamber and make it unlikely that one party would dominate both houses, therefore reducing the likelihood of poor legislation being forced through. Another advantage of this system is that it would allow a gradual introduction of this system, the current members being reduced by half, for the first directly elected members to take their seats. This measure, I hope will maintain the considered and reasoned atmosphere that is a desirable characteristic for good governance.

So when our attention is diverted to a minor choice, of a bad system and a system that is not significantly better, we should not forget that it is an insignificant choice that does not address the most pressing abnormality in our democracy.

2011 0323 – VOTING SYSTEMS

2011-03-23T20:10:00.002Z

I have been considering which electoral system is better (limiting consideration to AV and FPTP). They each have comparative merits, but they are rather similar, and after debating the issue on Facebook, I am in a quandary which is better, now there is an intrinsic problem of deciding which is better, namely better and worse are subjective concepts, and therefore rely heavily on personal criterion of what qualities are desirable in an electoral system.

With that in mind, it is necessary for me to consider and detail what I believe to be desirable qualities of an electoral system, quite a difficult task after reading the opinions of others (especially the Yes and No campaigns)

1) A clear link between the electorate and representative,

2) Encourage political plurality,

3) Selection of the most qualified candidate for the role,

4) To populate a parliament that accurately represents the political will of the people,

5) Resistance to fraud and perceived to be resistant to fraud.

Funny, I had intended to list 10 but I found that quite difficult so I will concentrate on five and do a supplementary post later.

Ok so how do AV and FPTP compare on the first point, since both of them will elected a single candidate in a single geographical boundary so it will be equally matched on this count.

Secondly encouraging political plurality, since AV typically, reinforces a two party system in the electoral system, by necessitating reaching 50 per cent approval then FPTP would seem to have a better choice. Would 50 per cent of Brighton have voted for the Green Party, would 50 per cent of the three seats that Plaid hold vote for them, since Plaid is quite a polarising issue (often being portrayed as language extremists – even though other parties have more robust policies on the Welsh language). However, there is a possible advantage of AV, I remember a conversation I had during my A levels, where we said (I am paraphrasing since it’s a while ago). “The Lib Dems would probably do better if people believed that other people would vote for them […] what we need is an election before the election so people can let their will be known.” It is an odd concept but I am glad I remembered it now, since it seems so appropriate. AV will give people the opportunity to vote for the party that they would really like to see in power with giving them the opportunity to have a safety choice of a person they wouldn’t mind representing them. It would encourage both the electorate consider the policies of other parties they would not normally support and the candidate to appeal to the heartlands of other parties hoping to get second votes. Where as now elections are often decided by ‘Who got their vote out’ not who convinced people that their plans are the best way forward. Encouraging political discourse and greater awareness of political influence is a positive for AV but I have the nagging feeling that not only will people just put their first preference and leave the rest blank spoiling the system, but they will just alternate between conservatives and labour as first choice as they alternate between those two parties at consecutive elections.

Selecting the most qualified is, I am ashamed to say, is not a major consideration but if it was then we would never get rid of an incumbent as they have the most experience, so there are benefits that it is not. However, since the voting system will have no bearing on the candidates that are offered to the electorate neither system will get rid of the old adage of “pin a red rosette on a donkey have him elected”.

Point four links in to the political plurality criterion, that the composition of parliament represents the political plurality of the nation. And since that it is likely that smaller parties, Greens, Plaid, Independent Candidates, SNP will all suffer at the hands of the AV it is not resolving the problem that is currently created by FPTP, considering the 1997 Westminster election:

Labour had 43.2 per cent of the national vote but 63.4 per cent of the seats,

Conservatives had 30.7 per cent of the national vote but 25 per cent of the seats,

Liberal Democrats had 18.8 per cent of the national vote but 6.9 per cent of the seats.

AV hopes to address this issue by fudging what the electorate want. Not making the number of votes be the main deciding factor in the number of seats won. Neither system would accurately represent the public’s will, therefore both are critically and fundamentally flawed.

Finally, the prevention of fraud in election – both systems would use the same mechanisms and therefore would be on a par on this count.

AV provides no significant advantages and several drawbacks, so the fundamental question is not which is better, but how can we change to a better system, either an AV plus system, or a full D’Hondt system. It is my honest feeling that voting for FPTP would end the question of political reform for a generation. So voting for a system that would exacerbate the disparity between the numbers of votes and proportion of representation might be a catalyst for further reform. Is that a significant enough advance to warrant voting for the system? If it is, will it lead to further reform? Or, will we be stuck with a system that has greater level of disparity designed into the system?

2011 0322 – NO FLY ZONE

2011-03-22T11:27:00.000Z

Now a no-fly zone has been in place for three days, you have to ask the question what should happen next? The international community have, in their attempts to prevent disproportionate use of force against major civilian population centres have imposed a stalemate on the conflict. Their action prior to that, the travel bans, and investigation by the International Criminal Court mean that Gaddafi has no option on how to stand down, although I acknowledge he probably would not have used them.

What happens now, we can not use air-power to support the rebels since that would entail regime change and aggressive action against civilian areas in the government occupied territory. We have also stopped the government from using ground troops to continue the conflict – in my opinion against the spirit of a no fly zone since that would have been a proportional response by the government.

We can’t force Gaddafi out, we are not allowing him to end the rebellion, partitioning the country is not an option, Gaddafi won’t leave the country – for fear of having charges brought, he is unlikely to have negotiations or acquiesce to constitutional changes that the rebels want.

We are again in a conflict with no perceptible means of ending the conflict.

2011 0322 – WELSH SCHOOL TRANSPORT LAW

2011-03-22T11:08:00.000Z

After waiting numerous years for the powers to be granted by Westminster, the referendum has finally given the Assembly the power to make school transport safer.

The BBC reports, that measures to introduce seat belts, to all school transport, (measures that were blocked by the English) are now set to be introduced as part of the Safety on Learner Transport Measure. This measure will also end the practice of sitting three-to-a-seat for younger children if there are insufficient seats provided on a bus.

Now as someone who works in school providing seat belts and ensuring children wear them are completely different challenges, and a challenge that will most likely undermine the struggle to provide the seatbelts. However, it is a step in the right direction and if the Assembly have supervisors on primary school transport, which is mentioned as a possible future step, the ethos will be created and feed its way through to secondary schools.

2011 0321- ALTERNATIVE VOTE VERSUS FIRST PAST THE POST

2011-03-21T22:35:00.003Z

The campaigns for the second referendum this year are starting to gear up, so I am going to revisit my undergraduate degree, and detail some of the features and benefits of each system, but first a description:

Alternative Vote, not a proportional system, this system is designed to return the candidate that the majority of people are most happy with having. Constituents, rank candidates in order of preference, so instead of making an ‘X’ on the ballot paper there are a sequence of numbers ‘1’ being first choice, ‘2’ second and-so-on-and-so-forth. No candidate is elected until they have 50 per cent of the votes cast, if no one has the necessary 50 per cent in the first round the candidate with the fewest first choice votes is eliminated. The votes for that candidate are counted again according to the second preference, and that process continues until a candidate has 50 per cent of the votes.

The AV system will make it more likely that mainstream parties, specifically the Conservatives and Labour, have more members because they operate a cartel of power, that is to say the majority of people in the UK would prefer either a Conservative or a Labour government. So parties like Green, Plaid, Liberal Democrats, BNP, UKIP, would be disadvantaged, since it is unclear whether they have sufficient broad support to have 50 per cent of the electorate choosing them. In particular Plaid since most people are either for Plaid or think of them as a dangerous language pressure group.

Considering this point alone, arguments that it will lead to indecisive and weak coalition governments are just shown to be wrong. However, if they lead to coalition governments, the current Conservative-Liberal Democratic government is acting as one of the strongest governments I can recall. Moreover, if you look at the quality of decisions by governments with large majorities, majorities that allowed them to force through policies without deliberating on the best course then coalition governments could be desirable. Coalition governments could well provide better governance as they have to justify what they are doing and display that it is the best course of action, it also means that the country is protected from the more extremist elements of each party, as the junior partner can curtail the most undesirable aspects of the major parties policy.

If it is unlikely that there would be a major change to the composition to those elected then why choose it. One reason, it is an evolution not a revolution, it will resolve the problem that the majority of votes under the First Past The Post mean nothing. Currently, most candidates are elected by 30 per cent of the constituents, under Alternative Vote each and every MP can stand in Parliament and say they were elected by the majority of those who voted. (You could, make voting mandatory and leave the system as First Past The Post – but that is far more draconian)

Nick Clegg called Alternative Vote a ‘poxy little compromise’, and to a certain extent it is, unless you have an AV plus system which is different. However, most importantly it is a step in the right direction. Instead of forming governments with 30 per cent of the votes on a turnout of 30 per cent of the electorate, meaning the government has the support of 10 per cent of the total electorate. (Which we are close to having). Under the AV system, governments will have the support of 50 per cent of the voters, which granted does not solve the problem, but it encourages people to vote, as even though not every vote counts, at least the majority of votes count.

I’m sure I will post more on this issue, and I hope I’ve explained it well, if you have an questions feel free to ask and I’ll answer all I can.

YES FOR WALES

2011-03-03T00:10:00.003Z

2011 0302 – ZERO HOUR APPROACHES.

2011-03-02T01:00:00.003Z

Tomorrow the polls will open and we will asked to choose between YES and NO. So I thought since I have been posting a lot of opinion recently today I will post the issue.

A YES vote will give the Assembly permission to make laws on the twenty devolved areas without having to ask for permission every time.

A NO vote will retain the current system. The current system is: After the Assembly has decided action needs to be taken in one of the twenty devolved issues, it requests that the Secretary of State for Wales secures the power from Westminster for the Assembly. She then puts a bill before Parliament to give Wales the power it requires, which can either be approved or rejected – even if the Assembly vote unanimously for the power. After power has been granted laws are drawn up, scrutinised, and voted for in Cardiff and applied.

The system that we have (and will retain with a NO vote) means that if the Secretary of State disagrees with the power she (an MP of an English constituency) can decide not to ask for the power to be devolved – giving one English MP a right of veto over the will of the democratically elected representatives.

The current system is also slow taking 18 months (on average) for powers to be devolved, but as previous posts have stated can be much longer. Which costs more money than is necessary.

The current system means that those in Cardiff Bay with the legal responsibility do not have the power to address problems that we hold them responsible for – a YES vote will put an end to this.

Whatever the vote the level of scrutiny of Welsh laws will be the same – although Parliament is involved in giving powers, the laws are not approved by Parliament just the power to make the law. So all scrutiny of laws will take place in Cardiff regardless of the result.

I hope you will all vote YES tomorrow as the current system is unjustifiable and a major hinderance to good governance.

2011 0301 - SWANSEA SAYS 'VOTE YES'

2011-03-01T21:21:00.006Z

Found on Peter Black's blog.

2011 0228 - LEADING '97 NO CAMPAIGNER SUPPORTS YES VOTE

2011-02-28T22:02:00.004Z

A leading member of the campaign against creating the Welsh assembly in 1997 has spelled out why he supports a Yes vote in Thursday's referendum.

Dr Tim Williams, a prominent No campaigner in the last devolution referendum, says Wales needs a system of government to solve its problems.

The current settlement does not give Wales the tools it needs, he said.[...]

Voters will go to the polls to decide whether the assembly should still have to ask Westminster for consent to pass laws in the 20 broad policy areas in which it has powers, such as health, education, the environment and transport.

If Wales votes Yes, the assembly could then pass laws without first having to gain the approval of parliament.

In an article for the BBC Wales News website, Dr Williams - dubbed "Dr No" for his opposition to devolution at the 1997 referendum - says Wales needs more self-government.

He says: "Whatever one's view in 1997, the issue now is in ensuring Wales has a system of governance in which its problems can be addressed and solved."

Dr Williams, a former adviser to Labour ministers, says: "In their bones English ministers now simply do not think of Wales when framing laws and policy interventions.

"Someone needs to. That would be us, then."

2011 0228 - PETER BLACK AM BLOG COMMENT

2011-02-28T16:02:00.003Z

Just seen this comment on Peter Black's blog.

Peter
[...]
Are you sure that a yes vote will give us more scrutiny and not less.

# posted by M J Griffiths : 8:31 PM

It won't give you any more scrutiny but nor will it give you any less. MPs do not scrutinise legislation they decide whether requests for competence fit in with the relevant Act of Parliament. All of the actual legislation comes after that and none of it is looked at by MPs. That is why the process is unnecessary, expensive and bureaucratic and needs to be scrapped.

# posted by Peter Black : 9:01 PM

2011 0227 - CATHOLIC CHURCH SAYS VOTE YES

2011-02-27T22:56:00.003Z

The Catholic Church has today come out in support of the YES campaign. ~ from BBC

"We broadly support the principle of improving the functioning of the assembly and point out that this would be in line with the principle of subsidiarity found in Catholic social teaching.

"We would welcome measures to improve the assembly's decision-making process.

"We would also welcome a strengthening of the democratic legitimacy of the national assembly and any measures to increase the accountability of the politicians elected to the assembly."

The statement was signed by Bishop of Wrexham, the Right Reverend Edwin Regan, Bishop of Menevia, the Right Reverend Tom Burns and Monsignor Robert Reardon, diocesan administrator for the Archdiocese of Cardiff.

2011 0227 - GPs SUPPORT YES VOTE

2011-02-27T22:45:00.003Z

From the Western Mail

Referendum: GP Andrew Dearden on why people must vote

For GP Andrew Dearden, the referendum is about how efficient people want the Assembly to be in the way it is run.

The 48-year-old chairman of the Welsh Council of the British Medical Association says voters should consider whether they feel the Assembly will become more efficient if they are granted further powers in the referendum on March 3.

Dr Dearden, who has been a GP for 17 years and is based at the Roathwell surgery on Newport Road, Cardiff, says he is concerned that many people will judge their vote on whether they want an Assembly or not.

He said: “For me, the question is about the most efficient and effective way for the Assembly to function.

“At the moment we have a half-way house. If we want to do something we can either do it or we have to got to Parliament in London and ask their permission.

“This question is different to whether you agree to having an Assembly. I would not want people to vote as to whether they want an Assembly. Since we have got one, it’s about how effective you would like it to run.”

Dr Dearden said that in his experience there have been many positive things that had come from devolution for the healthcare profession.

He said: “We keep asking ourselves how has the health of the people of Wales improved, but the health of the people is down to many factors that are not controlled by the Assembly.

“But there have been some very good things that the Assembly has done. They are leading the world on autism and they were the first nation to introduce the smoking ban.

“They are also looking into the transplant process and the issue of presumed consent.

“They have kept free accommodation for junior doctors when they come out of university, which is sensible for the economy as it will increase recruitment in Wales. It’s not a utopia, but they have kept things out that have been going on across the border.

2011 0227 - SING "VOTE YES"

2011-02-27T18:46:00.006Z

Found this thanks to Syniadau blog, a song by Geraint Edward Hopkins, its quite entertaining – take a look.

"Vote Yes on March 3rd"

(c) Geraint Edward Hopkins, February 2011

Just in case you haven't heard
There's a vote on March 3rd
On the course of Welsh democracy
So take your opportunity
To lift your voices high
And raise them to the sky
"Vote! Vote! Yes on March 3rd "

You might not think it so absurd
That on Thursday March 3rd
Wales can end the clear insanity

Of a constitutional peculiarity
So lift your voices high
And raise them to the sky
"Vote! Vote! Yes on March 3rd "

Though this finer point of law
May seem to you a frightful bore
Let's keep this fight alive
Say 'Goodbye" to Schedule 5
Laws that affect the principality
Should be made in this locality
So, Vote! Vote! Yes on March 3rd
(on March 3rd)
Vote! Vote! Yes on March 3rd

2011 0227 - 10 REASONS TO VOTE YES

2011-02-27T01:22:00.002Z

10 Reasons to vote yes from the Western Mail (link in title)

1. A ‘Yes’ vote would end the cumbersome system under which the Assembly has to seek permission from MPs and peers at Westminster to make laws in specified policy areas.

This involves huge duplication and waste, with groups giving evidence to AMs in Cardiff and MPs in London. Delays of up to three years have occurred, making it very difficult to get a new law passed and institutionalising what we describe as slow-motion politics.

At a time when many people are disengaged from politics, such a system seems almost designed to create alienation and apathy.

2. Despite being the first legislature in the UK to pass a resolution backing a smoking ban in public places, the Assembly could do nothing for years because it did not have the power to implement a ban in Wales.

Eventually the ban was brought in, but only because an enabling Bill was passed at Westminster.

Because of the delay, the beneficial health impact of the ban was not available as quickly as it should have been, and thousands of people will have continued to suffer unnecessarily.

3. The current arrangements were not brought in because they were seen as the best way forward.

They were the uneasy result of a political compromise designed to paper over a split in Welsh Labour.

For years the party was torn between those who wanted the Assembly to have full law- making powers and those who were opposed.

Many of the opponents were Labour MPs who resented the creation of the Assembly because it took the spotlight off their political activities at Westminster, and because they feared that if the Assembly’s powers were increased, pressure would mount for a reduction in the number of MPs representing Wales.

4. Experts say the present system breaks from the usual constitutional practice of allowing a legislature to have responsibility for all its own functions.

Forcing one body to seek permission from another before it can make laws blurs accountability and makes it more difficult for voters to understand the political process.

For that reason, the system currently used in Wales has nothing comparable to it anywhere in the world.

The only rough historical parallel was an arrangement known as Poynings’ Law dating from 1494 under which the Parliament of Ireland sought permission to make laws from the English Parliament.

It was scrapped in 1782 when the Irish Parliament was granted legislative independence.

5. Many campaigners for a ‘No’ vote are simply revisiting the debates that occurred before the 1979 and 1997 referendums on whether a Welsh Assembly should be established at all.

The Assembly is not going to be abolished and it is fruitless to argue that it should be.

Instead of adopting a wholly negative attitude towards devolution, the focus should be on streamlining procedures to make sure the Assembly can be as effective as possible.

The current arrangements are hampering the Assembly as an institution and the Assembly Government as an executive.

6. ‘No’ campaigners claim granting the Assembly primary law-making powers would constitute a “reward” for politicians whose performance they criticise. This misses the point. The purpose of granting the Assembly full law-making powers is not akin to AMs winning a prize, but to their being given the tools they need to do their job more effectively.

Withholding from them the ability to make laws when it is appropriate to do so will entrench their status as second- rate politicians regarded as incapable of performing at a high level.

7. The referendum is not the occasion to make judgements about the performance of successive Assembly Governments or individual AMs.

The occasion to do that will be the election on May 5. It is wholly consistent to be a trenchant critic of perceived Assembly Government failings while strongly supporting a move to full law-making powers for the Assembly. It would be ridiculous to argue that the Westminster Parliament should be stripped of law-making powers because of the scale of the budget deficit or because some MPs made false expense claims.

Equally, it would be absurd to vote ‘No’ in the referendum because one is not wholly satisfied with the Assembly Government’s record.

8. An Assembly Government with primary law-making powers at its disposal would be more accountable and would find it more difficult to argue that its ability to deliver on its promises was hampered by Westminster.

It would force politicians to put forward a legislative programme with innovative and imaginative ideas that would capture the imagination of voters. Interest groups and individual citizens will know exactly where the responsibility lies when they want to lobby for legislative change – and they won’t have to duplicate their efforts.

9. A major plank of the ‘No’ campaign is that a ‘Yes’ vote will take Wales on the slippery slope to independence.

Such a campaigning tactic is inherently dishonest. The referendum question is wholly related to the issue of primary law-making powers in fields of policy that have already been devolved.

Independence simply is not on the agenda – and if at any hypothetical stage in the future it was on the agenda, it could not be progressed without a ‘Yes’ vote in a further referendum. Primary law-making powers of the kind on offer are already enjoyed in both Scotland and Northern Ireland, where they are supported by all parties, including successive Democratic Unionist Party First Ministers Ian Paisley and Peter Robinson.

10. Wales is currently at a disadvantage within the UK because it does not have primary law-making powers.

The other two devolved nations do, and the UK Parliament now acts as a de facto English Parliament too. Our Assembly’s inferior status in comparison with its counterparts gives Wales less influence at Whitehall and within the UK political establishment.

A ‘Yes’ vote on March 3 will go a long way to putting Wales on an equal footing with the rest of the UK.

ON 3rd MARCH 2011 - VOTE YES

2011-02-26T00:44:00.000Z

2011 0226 – YES FOR WALES

2011-02-25T23:49:00.002Z

Finally, on the Friday the first piece of partisan material on the referendum has landed on my mat. A yes for Wales mail-shot published and promoted by Daran Hill. The key phrase I think is this:

“This vote is not about independence, or even giving AMs extra powers. It’s about making what we’ve got work better.”

The principle example of how undesirable the current botch of a system is:

“It has taken three years for the Assembly to get powers to improve treatment for people with mental health problems. Even though the policy was unanimously supported in the Assembly, AMs faced long delays before they could act.”

This is another example of lack of interest, in Westminster, for Wales. It took an outrageous three years for the Minister to attain powers on a devolved issue. The person who is responsible and accountable for the health service and the standards of care was unable to make changes to benefit mental health patients.

This is an example of what True Wales believe to be a desirable situation, and an example of what they think is a suitably accountable system. It is sufficient to say I disagree with True Wales, those with the responsibility need the power.

Leaflet is available for download by clicking here.

2011 0225 - TRUE WALES' ARGUEMENTS - SHOT DOWN

2011-02-25T01:43:00.002Z

Do ‘True Wales’ understand what is happening in Wales today? Reading the True Wales anti-Wales material on their website about why people should vote no is quite alarming that they do not seem to grasp what is happening in Wales today.
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They say that people want accountable politicians, and well that is true, but how does the current system produce accountable politicians? We have politicians in Wales who are responsible for government portfolios who cannot act without seeking permission from a separate body of bureaucrats and politicians (i.e. Westminster). We’ve got an Education minister who is responsible for safety of school transport and has been seeking to improve safety standards of school transport, after a child died when a double-decker bus overturned, but who has been waiting four years (so far) to be given the power to do so. Who is accountable for this situation?
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They say that people want educational success, and again that is true, but it fails to realise that throwing money at a situation is not the solution. Much is made of the funding gap, £540 they claim I have no inclination to check it, but after I qualified as a teacher many of my friends have gotten jobs in England and the waste of money they describe is horrific. The school in Hertfordshire where my friend got a job wastes so much of that additional funding that it cannot make a difference. She describes: fingerprint sensitive light switches (so only teachers can use them), computer monitors that rise out of the desks - on fingerprint, mood lighting in the stairwells, remote white board controls for every pupil in the class (so they don’t have to get out of their seat to write on the board – when invited to do so by a teacher). If pointless gadgetry is where England is spending its extra money then they have wasted it. But most damningly to their arguments is the OFSTED report that says (I paraphrase) parents are the greatest determiner of a child’s academic attainment, second is the child’s peer groups and with only a small influence its schools – the problem with Wales then is not enough emphasis is placed on educational success by the parents of children not that the schools are underfunded. I’ll remind people that OFSTED is funded by Westminster and therefore isn’t under the sphere of influence of the Assembly – funny how the Labour government buried that report.
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They say that people want economic prosperity, again that is true, but it fails to realise that the main barrier to economic success in Wales is the Severn Bridge – listening to the hauliers describe how much of a tax this is on their firms is horrific - a tax on Welsh economic development that was put in place by Westminster. Why would you base your firm in south Wales when you can base it in Bristol or Swindon and save yourself the cost of the Bridge (£17.20 for lorries, £5.70 for cars) this links in to the picture that they have posted on their website of the north-south air link as a taxi for AMs. I ask you what other way is there to get from north-to-south within Wales our entire infrastructure was build to get raw materials or goods into England as quickly as possible, or to go through Wales to get to Ireland in the fastest possible time. Westminster has no interest in developing Welsh infrastructure – a point clearly shown by the fact the electric rail line will end in Bristol (according to recent announcements) and not continue onto Wales. We have been poorly served by the English in this regard as in so many others.
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Their last bullet point that they people of Wales want a safe future as part of the UK with no more laws is more problematic – Wales is a diverse liberal country, some want to be part of the UK, some want independence it is the mark of a free society that you can’t generalise. However, their ‘with no more laws’ claim is laughable Tony Blair created 3000 new criminal laws in the 9 years to 2006 how will being part of the UK create no more new laws?
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Furthermore, they claim that laws are passed with a bicameral scrutiny (being checked by two chambers of Westminster) this is wrong for several reasons. Firstly, Welsh laws as are currently made are not checked in this manner, they only go to Westminster to get permission to make a law rather than have the law checked, all scrutiny is conducted in Cardiff – this is will not be any different regardless of the result. Secondly, what about the parliament act – the act that allows the commons to ignore the house of Lords when it disagrees with it? (made, incidentally, because the lords lacks democratic accountability that ‘true’ Wales wants politicians to have).
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Finally, they say it is a slippery slope to independence, and claim that Plaid want to lead Wales out of the UK. Well they do, we live in a democratic society where differing political beliefs are permitted and encouraged, they happen to have a different one from you and your saying it is unacceptable, just how democratic are you? Plaid are open about what they want to achieve, they hide nothing, but most importantly if the people of Wales don’t agree with them they won’t elect them at elections, if people of Wales don’t want independence they will not vote for it. However, THIS REFERENDUM IS NOT ABOUT INDEPENDENCE, this referendum is about removing a bureaucratic hindrance for the governance of Wales.

2011 0219 - CARWYN JONES

2011-02-19T00:04:00.004Z

Carwyn Jones was on the news tonight talking about how the word from the street was positive about new powers.
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I don't know about the street, but the word from the homes, community centre and chapel that I frequent is that there is going to be an overwhelming no vote - for several reasons:
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1) People don't understand what the vote is for, therefore, they are going to default setting of saying no. There is a view that there is a lack of information, people don't seem to get the issue is quite simple.
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2) They are worried about loosing the checks and balances that are provided by the house of lords. Not knowing that Welsh laws are not appraised in westminster at the moment, they just decide whether they want to give us the power to implement the law.
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3) English nationalism, the Welsh educational system is so clearly aligned to the English that cultural differentials are lost, Welsh history (history being regarded as the bulwark of a culture) and generations have been taught that we are England and they are happy with that.
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4) A dislike of parochialism, (my dads favourite arguement) people think that Britain is one country and therefore should have one legal system, a opinion that is ignorant of the fact that Scotland and Northern Ireland both have different laws and people cope with it.
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Very little information has been seen to pursuade people to vote Yes, and because of that they are listening to the missinformation provided.

2011 0217 - THE REFERENDUM IS LOST!

2011-02-17T19:43:00.006Z

In the run on to the referendum for greater law making powers for the Assembly, it is quite clear that a landslide rejection of the proposal is about to be unleashed. Which, is disappointing, however, it seems to be a complaint that the Assembly has not done anything. There is a complete ignorance of the fact that a lot of the time it is the unwillingness of the English to give the Welsh powers. For instance, it took three years for the Assembly to gain the powers to ban smoking, and it is four years since they asked for the powers to improve safety on school transport: a request the English have no intention of granting.

What disappoints me most is not that people are going to vote against the measure, as I think I might – or at least spoil my ballot with the phrase “full parliament” – it is the arguments that are used by the no campaign that is getting just insulting. For instance, the paternalistic arguments that the Welsh lack the intelligence to govern themselves: the very same paternalist arguments that were used to justify slavery in America.

Even though the measures of which we judge a civilized nation e.g. universal healthcare, and state pensions are Welsh inventions or introduced by Welsh people we apparently lack the ability to govern ourselves. Which is not only an insult to Welsh politicians but an insult to the Welsh electorate. The No campaign or ‘true Wales’ is saying that the Welsh are too stupid to govern themselves – contrary to any evidence. If you look at the opening years devolution, the Welsh had the foresight to cap building costs of the Senedd, where as the Scottish Parliament was completed at a final (estimated) cost of £414 million pounds compared to the original estimates of £50 million pounds!

The arguments continue, how good are the English at self governance? It was Patricia Hewitt that went into contract negotiations and managed to give GPs a 30% pay rise for reduced work! It was also an English government chancellor (Brown – I know he’s Scottish) That said (and I wish I could find the quote – it was a quote in a TV interview – I’ll paraphrase) – “We should not punish markets”, failing completely to regulate the issue that caused global economic crisis – just how capable are they to rule us?

Wales needs the powers that are on offer, the English parliament has no interest in passing laws for the benefit of Welsh historical attractions or any of the other 20 areas – the fact that they’ve taken four years and counting to give the Assembly powers to improve school transport safety of our children is a clear indication of that. The English are happy that we are the poorest area of the UK it shows that they have been successful in keeping the money their side of the bridge, using redevelopment money to pay for a redevelopment Olympiad in the 5^th largest economy in the world (London) instead of providing the Welsh a sustainable economic environment that could be provided with a rescinding of Severn bridge tolls (the jobs just don’t make it across the bridge).

Take the initiative like in Tunisia, and Egypt – go to the ballot box and demand control of your country!

WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM

2007-11-11T00:26:00.000Z

War
By Joseph Leftwich

Over the World
Rages war.
Earth, sea and sky
Wince at his roar.
He tramples down
At every tread,
A million men,
A million dead.

We say that we
Must crush the Hun,
Or else the World
Will be undone.
But Huns are we
As much as they.
All men are Huns,
Who fight and slay.

And if we win,
And crush the Huns,
In twenty years
We must fight their sons,
Who will rise against
Our victory,
Their fathers’, their own
Ignomity.

And if their Kaiser
We dethrone,
They will his son restore,
Or some other one.
If we win by war,
War is force,
And others to war
Will have recourse.

And through the World
Will rage new war.
Earth, sea and sky
Will wince at his roar.
He will trample down
At every tread,
Millions of men,
Millions of dead.

It never ceases to amaze me how old poems can feel so contemporary, and be as relevant and insightful as this one.

Picture is from http://www.falklandsfew.org.uk/ just to remind us to remember the more recent conflicts.

08/06/07 – THEATRE REVIEW

2007-06-09T22:12:00.000Z

“Who’s coat is that jacket”, grand theatre, Swansea

Well I went there to watch a bumptious play full of fun and frivolity (I hadn’t read any literature about the show) so I was quite taken aback with the dark commentary on family life. That is not to say that I was disappointed in a lot of cases it hit close to home, and it was particularly ironic since I’ve got an interview in Bristol for an accountancy position (which I found out about, just before the play). Notably it was close to home for more people as there were people talking about da-ja-vou at the interval.

There were however some inaccuracies in the performance that niggled me.

1) The play was set in 2002, however, they were talking about the scarlets, ospreys, and blues, which were established in 2003, so quite prophetic for these characters to be talking about them. I must say though that the fact that this is only in the programme, which were bought by very few it is not damaging to the play.

2) Additionally, the characters were talking about having to achieve 20 UCAS points to get into university, however in 2001 the UCAS points system changed and 20 points now equates to one E at AS level. A full list can be found here http://www.ucas.com/candq/tariff/tariff_sep06.doc Again I must say because of the demographic of the audience this is not going to be a widely noticed mistake.

I liked the play, and its very attractive technical girl I’ll add, and I especially liked the ending with the title line finally being used to subtly indicate the final relationship between two of the characters.

In whole it was well worked, the second act (the bit after the interval) could have been longer, but with excellent acting throughout and magnificently simple, yet affective, make-up. It is well worth going to see.

TaffiaDon@Gmail.com

02/06/07- THE WELSH LANGUAGE IS BEING OVER PROMOTED DISCUSS…

2007-06-02T22:03:00.000Z

Well this was to topic, of an opinion and comment piece on BBC news online (link bellow), their problem was that they couldn’t find anyone to oppose this motion. Well here goes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6655109.stm

The Welsh language, is the bulwark of Welsh culture, and moreover, Welsh nationhood, I propose that without the Welsh language Wales would be seen and more importantly would probably consider itself to be an area of England, and not have retained its distinctive culture. When England invaded Wales, they imposed their system of government and cultural norms, and swiftly began amalgamating the two nations.

“Edward spent most of the two years after the conquest in Wales, which was still neither incorporated into England nor governed by the English parliament. The king lacked the power to abolish the Marcher Lordships. In fact, he added to their number as a reward for the Lords’ help in conquering Wales. The whole of Wales was not dissimilar to one great March of which large parts were in the possessions of the king himself. It was not a part of England but largely a separate possession of the English crown and governed by royal statute. Commotes remained under the administration of sheriffs, whose offices were filled, like all important posts, by Englishmen, Welsh criminal law was abolished but Welsh civil law remained. Welshmen were never to be tried under Welsh criminal or civil law and never in the Welsh language. Every Welsh person could be excluded from the eighty towns in Wales as foreigners.
The Steep rise in taxes caused great distress, especially among the taeogion (villeins), whose taxes were increased by six hundred per cent and more. Edward said that this was necessary to pay the tremendous cost of the war and the immense castle-building programmes in the post-war years and after the dangerously powerful Welsh revolt twelve years later. Dr John Davies says that Edward’s activities in Wales cost him more than ten times his regular annual income, and that his massive Welsh-incurred debt vitiated his hope of subjugating the Scots.
James of St. George, the great architect who designed some of the castles, maintained, says Dr Davies, that the king’s hold on Wales could not be secured without the most elaborate fortifications, for ‘Welshmen are Welshmen’, The huge and costly castles underline Gerald the Welshman’s dictum about the Welsh a century before: ‘Their mind is wholly on the defence of their country and its freedom.’ Although the castles are badges of subjugation they are also a tribute to the Welsh determination to live in freedom.
A bigger anglicising influence than the castles themselves were the towns which developed around them, each one an alien colony in which Welsh people were forbidden to live or to trade. As a poet sang at that time:

Lle bu’r Brython Saeson sydd
A’r boen ar Gymru beunydd.

Where once were Britons, English now
give the Welsh daily pain.

Planting scores of urban English colonies all over Wales furthered Edward’s policy, if the historian Tout is right in saying that the king’s real policy was to make Welshmen Englishmen as soon as possible.”

Gwynfor Evans, “The Fight For Welsh Freedom”, (Y Lolfa, 2006) Pages 72 – 74

The Welsh language acted as a bulwark for Welsh culture, with in it cultural tendencies were entrenched and imbedded, it is the survival of the language that has prevented Wales being lost to a county of England, and has allowed Welsh culture to re-emerge through it.

For people in the South of Wales, patriotism is seen as supporting Wales in the sporting arena and rather than a political philosophy, and therefore the association between the language and the nation is lost permitting allegations that it is being over promoted.

Now I must admit that I am slightly bitter when it come to language, I would be angry but its not worth my energy to be so, that even though I went to school (in England) less than 100 metres from the Welsh border, I was taught French and German, neither country I have ever visited, and was not given the opportunity to learn the language of the country less than 100 metres from the school, a country which we used to go to when we had a free period (in the sixth form when we were allowed out), a choice that was based on the fact that, I don’t know why the opportunity wasn’t given to me / us, there were teachers who spoke Welsh but there was no funding for this much more applicable and employable language on ideological grounds (I assume) if it was an economic decision not to learn Welsh then they would have taught us Chinese Mandarin, or which ever language is prolific in India rather than French and German.

Anyway, returning to the point, Welsh language has for hundreds of years been ignored and persecuted, people were prevented from speaking the language in schools for fear of being caned, and for a sizable time of Wales’ time within Britain, the language was prohibited from being taught, but now that it is increasingly being taught – with a steady increase in Welsh medium schools, throughout Wales with Monmouthshire planning to open its first, shows that the Welsh language is finally regaining its rightful position as an equal language to English within Wales.

So how exactly do people feel that this language is being over promoted?

"This corner of the British isles has fallen under the influence of a relatively few sub-racists who are more than willing to sell Wales down the river in exchange for increasing their own power base,"

Many argued that they would prefer to see the government spend more on the health service and less on the bureaucracy of operating in two languages.

"Even the asylum seekers' welcome pack is now available in Welsh,"

Others grumbled about what they perceive as poorer career prospects for those who don't speak Welsh.

These are some of them which are mentioned in the article, I still can’t figure out the sub-racist comment, how can you justify that comment? How can retaining your own culture be seen as a racist trait? It is a bemusing argument, and it’s notable that this supposedly patriotic Welsh wo/man says “this corner of the British isles”, are they complaining about the Welsh language or the existence of the Welsh nation? Moreover, they are complaining that the Welsh language is used to create divisions, and then they are complaining that they are trying to use the language to integrate asylum seekers and other migrants into the country.

As for the other comment that money is being spent on a bilingual bureaucracy, that is money not just on bureaucracy, its promoting culture. I remember hearing stories when the government changed the licensing hours (24 hour drinking) that the national government (Westminster) sent out all the forms, and when the Welsh speaking landlords asked for a Welsh version of the form – it didn’t exist. If we do not have this bilingualism in Wales, the Welsh language will truly become obsolete as the Westminster government has no inclination to preserve this language, they will promote other minority languages primarily those of immigrant communities, and provide literature in those languages but not in Welsh or any other native minority languages, demonstrated by the fact that the Manx language now has no native speakers. That Scottish and Irish languages have been almost eradicated from these lands, and the Cornish language is struggling to survive. Also demonstrated by the BBC who have a fair few options for language on their news online site, but if you click on the welsh one, it doesn’t translate the page, it moves to you a new page where the Welsh language is ghettoised and removed from the mainstream. (I must remember to check what happens when you click the other languages – you can check too by visiting news.bbc.co.uk)

It’s an anomalous argument really, if we are wasting money preserving Welsh in a British context, surely we are wasting money on a European scale, or even a global scale by using English, Chinese Mandarin is (I believe) the most prolific language, we should scrap all others and just use this one. Additionally, why stop there, if we create a single European super-state we can eradicate the cost that 25 national governments and numerous sub-national governments entail, I wonder how many people who are complaining about the ‘waste of resources’ on the Welsh language would be a proponent of this idea. Moreover, You could argue that a global government would be the most cost affective, just think how much money you could save if you took that course of action.

And the final grumble: poorer career prospects for those who don't speak Welsh. Surely this is an indication of how used this language is, and how relevant it is in Wales, so how this is an argument that the Welsh language is being over promoted is beyond me, businesses are economical, they will not do something unless there is a potential in profit in doing it. This is an odd argument all round, you invest in yourself, and you go through school and university to give you skills and abilities to employ in the work force, so if you think that a lack of a particular skill is a bar to gaining employment you take action, but apparently when that bar is the Welsh language you run off to the BBC and complain that the Welsh language is being over promoted, there are plenty of Welsh language courses about, so if you need that skill invest in yourself and enrol on a course.

My final point is the fact that Wales is not the only country to be bilingual, most countries around the world are: Belgium, Switzerland (trilingual), Quebec province of Canada, Many regions of Spain (Basque, Catalonia the most notable) the majority of African countries (multilingual), Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia (all four have large Russian speaking populations in addition to the native languages) and yet, seemingly, it is only a problem in Wales, I guess that the English have succeeded in anglicising the Welsh since the subjugation has become so entrenched we no long require the English to instigate it.

22/05/07 – IS THIS THE SWIFTEST RENEGED PROMISE IN POLITICAL HISTORY?

2007-05-22T20:38:00.000Z

Less than 24 hours, after Gordon Brown has pledged to restore faith in politicians he has remained neutral (and therefore is tacitly supporting the bill). The bill which is to amend the Freedom of Information act is supposedly to protect the correspondence of MPs on confidential matters and protect communication too MPs ensuring the privacy of the constituents on sensitive matters. The fact that the bill would also prevent newspapers and interested parties from requesting detailed break downs of MPs expenses, which has been highly embarrassing for some members after they faced impropriety allegations with relation to seemingly disproportionately high expenses claims in regard to postage and travel expenses etc… does not enter into the equation, apparently.

So weeks before he has taken office the heir to the prime ministers office has already broken one of his promises, and his reasoning, "Gordon has also spoken about the sovereignty of Parliament. If MPs have voted this measure through then that is a matter for them", (Take a deep breath in, count back from ten before you respond: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, I can’t take it) HE IS AN MP! HE HAS THE RIGHT TO AN OPINION, HIS IS NOT ABOVE PARLIAMENT AND THEREFORE CAN DEBATE WITH, AND IN, PARLIAMENT!

So with government support, (well to be accurate) without government opposition, this bill is likely to come into force preventing us constituents from keeping checks upon our representatives, so much for open politics, so much for restoring faith in politicians, as they protect their under-the-table dealings and abuse of public fund in law. (why else would they seek to remove this information from the public domain if it was legitimate reimbursement of expenses? Surely they would hold it up and say ‘look how much work I have done, I work harder than any other MP and am worth re-election because I listen to and represent you’.)

The one thing that I can’t understand (which also leads me to think that they are only concerned with skimming the cream off the public purse) is why if this bill is solely to protect correspondence, is it not abbreviated to omit correspondence to and from MPs rather than to omit the Houses of Parliament completely and it their entirety from the freedom of information act?

So much for democratic accountability.

22/05/07 – QUESTION, DOES PETER HAIN’S LEFT HAND KNOW WHAT HIS RIGHT HAND IS DOING?

2007-05-22T20:36:00.000Z

This post is in response to a small clip that was shown on the news the other day, the clip was of a husting of the labour party deputy leadership candidates. It was only a small clip but it was enough to show how oblivious he was to the impact of Labour’s policy.

The clip was of Peter Hain fielding a question, and he replied in the following manner: “…For the first time Labour are behind the Tories on the NHS, the Tories who will contract out and privatise parts of the NHS…”

Now is it just me who is thinking, ‘is he serious?’ Labour have privatised and contracted out large sections of the health and education sectors under the pretences of PFI, contractual arrangements that give control of large areas of public procurement and day-to-day operations of many sections of the health and education sectors to the private sector and still Peter Hain has the audacity to say that the Tories would do it and when the Tories do it will be bad. LABOUR HAS DISMANTLED THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND IS AUCTIONING IT OFF PIECE BY PIECE.

Peter Hain’s argument is in the face that private companies now build hospitals and schools at greatly inflated prices, one hospital was commissioned at a capital cost of £250,000,000.00 and Labour have committed the tax payers to repaying £950,000,000.00, it would have been more cost affective if the state had build the hospital and put the cost on the national debt, but then out goes prudence and out goes the chancellors reputation, which must be retained at any cost (any cost to the tax payer that is). Moreover, in these PFI contracts Labour have given the private sector the responsibility of maintenance of these facilities, which is a highly bureaucratic affair (reportedly) with schools not permitted to contact the sub-contractors who do the work, they have to go to the LEA (whom the contract is with) who contact the private sector financer, who then contact the sub-contractor and commission the work, (the private financer charges the rate that was agreed in the contract – so you can imagine how cumbersome these documents are) it is a lot of work just to replace a light bulb, I think that you will all agree.

So back to my original point Peter Hain is claiming that the Tories = bad, he claims that the Tories = the dismantlement of public services, and he claims that the Tories = Armageddon. Well I have news for him and any body else that believes that Labour are the party of public services they have contracted out large sections of the NHS to private firms, a point that Peter Hain should know since after the health service of his own constituency contracted out its hygiene services (cleaning services) they were unable to impose a stricter regime of hygiene standards because the iron clad contract only mandated a certain level and the health authority couldn’t insist on stricter measures. So Labour have instigated a contractual system that has put parts out the public services outside of public accountability, and they still have the audacity to cry woof and say that the Tories would do the same thing.

Disbelief, Labour has to resort to scare tactics in order to garnish support and now they are scare mongering, telling people that the conservatives are going to do something bad, but omitting the fact that they have already done this very same deed.

11/05/07 - LIB DEMS CRY FOUL

2007-05-11T22:11:00.000Z

Article from: http://www.libdemvoice.org/business-as-usual-for-labour-burying-bad-news-798.html

GOVERNMENT HAS BROKEN LAW TO BURY BAD NEWS ON ID CARDS - CLEGG
The Government was today accused of breaking the law in an attempt to bury bad news after waiting until the day of Tony Blair’s resignation to publish a report on ID cards that reveals the cost of the project has gone up by £640m since October
The Government had previously refused to publish the report despite the fact that it was breaking the law by doing so.
Section 37 of The Identity Cards Act says that a report on the costs of ID Cards must be put before Parliament every six months. However, the Government has ignored that deadline, which would have seen the report published on 9th April.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Clegg MP said:
“It is bad enough that the Government seeks to bury bad news behind the camouflage of Tony Blair’s announcement.
“Breaking the law to do so breaks new ground even for Tony Blair’s Labour Party.
“This bad news has been illegally postponed, and is only now published a full month beyond the statutory deadline. That shows the depths of cynicism and media manipulation to which ministers are now resorting to ram this increasingly unpopular scheme through.
“To add insult to injury, the statement itself is a laughable cocktail of statistical sophistry and contradictory claims.
“But beyond the smoke and mirrors, one simple statistic remains: the total cost of the ID card project by the Government’s own admission has gone up by £640m since October. The costs are now spiralling out of control. On the grounds of expense alone, the Government should do us all a favour and abandon this great white elephant before it is too late.”
ENDS

10/05/07 - ABHORRENT MADNESS, ABHORRENT DISCRIMINATION, ABHORRENT ILLEGALITY

2007-05-10T22:09:00.000Z

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1760064.ece#

It has long served as a polite, and apparently safe, greeting between Welsh speakers.
But now health and safety concerns have stopped council telephone operators from greeting callers in Welsh. The language of heaven, it is argued, could damage their vocal cords.
Union officials want to spare employees from greeting callers with “bore da” (good morning) and “prynhawn da” (good afternoon). The staff, they say, usually speak only in English and the extra greeting could damage their voice.
Under the Welsh Language Act, government bodies are obliged to offer services in the language, and most councils and large companies answer calls in English and Welsh. But now Vale of Glamorgan council has barred the greeting. It says that its move complies with the Health and Safety Executive’s advice that call centre workers limit the amount of time that they spend on the telephone.
But Welsh language speakers in the affluent and Anglicised area west of Cardiff are baffled. Steffan Williams, a Welsh-speaking Plaid Cymru councillor, condemned the ban as an infringement of human rights. He said: “I can’t see how saying ‘bore da’ will do people in a call centre any harm.”
A spokesman for the Vale of Glamorgan council confirmed that staff have stopped answering in Welsh after their union had raised health and safety concerns.

AND THE REBUKES

Shouldn't this have been in the April 1 issue? Absolute nonsense.I usually only speak Welsh, so maybe I should stop greeting customers to my shop in English as I'm probably harming my vocal chords? And if ignorant persons like Trudi Skipp (best place for her) wants to be so negative, maybe she would like to get her facts/spelling right first- car park- 'maes parcio', to queue - 'ciwio'
Nia, Dolgellau, Gwynedd

English is actually much worse for vocal chords. The word "Good Morning" contains 2 velar consonants - sounds articulated from the back of the throat. Not only that, but you need to shift many more muscles than you do with "bore da". Welsh should therefore be used - you don't want someone to break their jaw saying "good morning"!
Aled James, Cardigan, Wales

Personally i think that it is a shambolic excuse. I am a fluent Welsh speaker and so are my brothers, my sister and many of my friends. To say that adding two additional words to the start of a telephone conversation are going to cause that much of a health hazard. And as for people saying the we should just let the language die just shows how anglicised the country is becoming, but i'm sure you sing the national anthem on match day. If english and welsh speaking welsh people dont stand up for one if not the oldest LIVING language in Europe then there really is no hope. has any welshmen/woman here been asked "is Wales in England?" and been insulted by it then you should be insulted by this mockery of a old wives culture that seems to be all the rage these days.
Gareth Cryer, Casnewydd, Casnewydd

I hope this is not my Union who says this. If it is, then I will send back my membership card, shredded. What a load of rubbish.
Alun, Caerdydd, Caerdydd

I live in the Vale of Glamorgan and a tiny fraction of the population here speaks welsh, and thos have fluent english. The introduction of 'bore da' as a telephone greeting is a lip-service nod to the very powerful welsh language board. Welsh is a dead language (hear of 'parcio ceir' for 'car park' or 'cwio' for queue'?). Let it go
Trudi Skipp, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan

I've never heard such a farce. This health and safety business, in my amateur opinion, has far crossed the line. It must be stopped, or else where is the line going to be drawn. Will they be denying is from speaking, for fear of losing our voices altogether? Who knows.
James Whittaker, Caerdydd, Wales

This is ridiculous. Government at all level should devote more time to real issues, not rubbish like this.
Jonathan Krause, London,

What do you expext of the Left, they won't be happy untill everyone is speakning Urdu
S Braule, Llanelli, Wales

In the interests of health and safety surely this is a sensible measure. In fact, to spare the vocal chords of telephonists everywhere, an inside source alledges that one of Tony Blairs "going out with a boom of legislation" measures is to make it law that telephonists communicate by rapping the phone on the desk, using only the hand which is supported by the heavy duty padded wristbrace to avoid forming nodules on their larynxses. Sheer PC insanity.... "why should Britain tremble?"
Pete North, manchester,

I wonder whether the bureaucrats who came up with this simply had no useful work to do and needed to look busy, or whether Vale of Glamorgan council is interested in discouraging the use of the Welsh language and thought that "health 'n' safety" was the ideal excuse to do so without facing accusations of cultural prejudice.
knirirr, Oxford,

I recently followed a bus in Cardiff, the back of which was covered in ads, all in welsh, except for one rectangle in the top right hand side which asked politely: PLEASE LET ME PULL OUT. Don't they trust the Welsh reading drivers to oblige?
I.T.Macnamara, Plymouth,

Surely if only monolingual greetings are to be allowed, they should be in Welsh?
Martina Fuseli, Portsmouth, England

10/05/07 – CONGRATULATIONS S4C

2007-05-10T21:24:00.000Z

A Welsh language drama, has won the prize for best light drama at the Rose d'Or Awards in Lucerne, Switzerland.

I’ve never heard of the award either but apparently it’s a big deal, and it is an amazing achievement that the judges could understand it enough to consider it, a greater achievement since they beat English language dramas, and drama from around Europe.

It is good that Welsh dramas and Welsh culture in general is being promoted and recognised to be on a par with other cultures within Europe.

10/05/07 – COALITIONS

2007-05-10T21:22:00.000Z

Do you remember before the election, Peter Hain and Rhodri Morgan were saying that it was up to Rhodri Morgan to decide about coalitions?

Well the BBC have reported that Rhodri Morgan has been given permission to look into coalition partners. I guess that means that Rhodri Morgan is not in charge of his own house as much as he thinks he is

10/05/07 – BLAIR ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

2007-05-10T21:19:00.000Z

The announcement has finally arrived, roughly a week after the announcement scheduling the announcement.

It was a good speech, Labour are going to miss Blair, because they have not got anyone on a par with Blair as a major player in the cabinet.

Brown is widely expected to proceed Blair, I can not envisage him winning an election, I wouldn’t vote for him, he is responsible for some of the policies that I despise the most: the PFI programme, which for one hospital (£250,000,000.00) he has committed to paying £950,000,000.00 to the company that is funding it, all so that he can keep the debt off the national debt, so he can maintain his image as a prudent chancellor. It emerged yesterday that this government has paid out over £6 billion pounds in fraudulent tax credits £1.4 billion has been written off, and those people who have been overpaid are being forced to pay back the overpayments. So instead of bringing families out of poverty, they are now having to repay the government from their meagre means. The NHS has been given massive amounts of money which have been swallowed up by PFI projects, and which has proliferated hospital managers and necessitated nurses being laid off and junior doctors struggling to get training places.

But lets return to Blair he has shown utter contempt for parliament, announcing major constitutional changes in a cabinet reshuffle. He has presided over a perversion of the British civil service, where it has now been suggested that people are progressing because they give the answers ministers want to hear and not the truth. He has presided over new school academies which, in the midst of an obesity crisis, are left without outside spaces for sport and recreation (well one of them). The PFI building of schools, has left some schools empty because they were made obsolete but because of the terms in the contract they cannot be used for another purpose preventing a school being built for secondary school pupils being used for primary school pupils.

They have spent and squandered billions of pounds, before labour came to power we were paying 34% of national income to the government now he is leaving we are paying 40%, nearly 20% more and quite frankly not enough has changed for that to be value for money.

Finally, I think it was suitably ironic that supporters at his constituency were singing his 1997 election anthem, it is very rare that an anthem is just as applicable when you’re going out to when you’re coming in, and that anthem: “Things can only get better!”

For his faults, I bet the labour party would be wishing that he would come back to lead them again, in not the distant future. I also predict that the conservatives will begin to unveil policies, since Brown does not seem to be as capable as putting the conservatives down as Blair was, however, my previous post shows how much attention should be paid to predictions.

10/05/07 – POLL PREDICTIONS

2007-05-10T21:13:00.000Z

I have come across this article that I noted down in the run up to the election concerning the predicted outcome of the election.

TELETEXT 184 APRIL 05 21:55:04

NEWS WALES

Labour losing seats-poll

Labour will remain the biggest party but will still lack an overall majority after May’s Welsh assembly election, according to a recent opinion poll.

The ITV Wales / NOP poll shows the Tories overtaking Plaid Cymru to become the second party in a hung assembly.

Labour see a drop of four to 25, Plaid no change on 12, Tories a again of three to 14, and Lib Dems go up one to seven.

This shows the value of polls, I’m guessing that this projection was gained from an opinion poll conducted in the south probably Cardiff.

04/05/07 – NATIONAL ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT FOR WALES RESULTS

2007-05-04T19:25:00.000Z

Well it was a long night, with coverage finishing at 6.30am, which incidentally is when I got to bed, surprisingly though I was quite sprightly by 10.00am when I earthed in the potatoes gaining several calicoes on both my hands for my efforts – I’m not used to all this labouring.

It was fairly good election result with labour retaining seats by the skin of their teeth, e.g. vale of Glamorgan, which I believe was around 60 votes more for labour over the conservative among others, labour won back Wrexham, not that surprising since John Merik(?) seemed to have slightly gone off the rails in his relations with the Elis-Thomas, the pair not speaking by the end of the second assembly which was problematic since they were presiding officer and deputy presiding officer.

There are a few points thought that are worth mentioning.

1) During the commentary this morning (4th May 2007) they mentioned that neither the presiding officer or the deputy presiding officer will have votes in this assembly. This will defiantly suit labour, as they were scuppered on several votes because the presiding officer voting against them when the deputy was presiding. So this is a partisan alteration to the devolution settlement surely.

2) I can’t find the figures at the moment but I seem to recall that they said that labour had 35% share of the vote, and they have managed to get 43% of the seats – here is me thinking that we had a proportional system, however, this hybrid additional member system seems to favour labour.

3) Turnout, was quite good (in a comparison with recent elections) on average 44% nation-wide. Which compared to the percentages in general elections is good and would have gained more acclaim if it wasn’t for the recent French presidential election.

4) The rise of the BNP they gained 9% in the regional vote in Wrexham, and 8% in Swansea east (those being the most notable of their results). I don’t know the candidates in Swansea east however Wrexham had a very powerful independent candidate and I was wondering if there was a correlation between voting for independents and voting for peripheral minority parties such as the BNP. This is based on the assumption that if you vote for a major party then you would give them your two votes. However, since independents are not allowed to stand on lists in addition to the constituency does this prompt people to look at and vote for unorthodox parties? This I shall have a look at later, providing I can find a breakdown of the regional vote for each constituency, although I can’t recall a large BNP presence in Blaenau Gwent where the independent Trish Law won.

I can’t find such a break down, does anyone know where I can get one?

03/05/07 - VOTE PLAID

2007-05-03T14:39:00.000Z

This has been said so well by "British nationalists in Wales Watch" that I am just going to cut and paste.

.
The Welsh nationalist community is a broad church - including people who are Christian, Muslim, atheist, communist, capitalists, pacifists, ex-army people, a few nutters and yes, Nicholas Morgan. We have our differences and different priorities.

But on Thursday 3 May we have 2 votes. My vote will go to Plaid and I urge all nationalists to do so too. Not only do I agree with most of their policies but they seem the only party which has thought in details about governing Wales and will implement them - without the OK from a Viceroy or another Party leader.There is also one other simple reason. Were Plaid to win on 3 May the headlines of all the UK's newspapers will be that Wales is a nation and Wales needs to be respected and taken notice of. A vote for any of the other parties will be a vote for an invisible and irrelevant Wales - and in the case of Labour, a mediocre Wales too.

Wales - a nation not a region. Make Wales count - make your vote count. Vote twice for Plaid.

03/05/07 – THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN WELSH DEMOCRACY

2007-05-03T14:15:00.000Z

Forgive me for writing this prior to posting it, the results of the election might have made this post a mute point, or just incorrect, but that is a chance that I’m willing to take.

I speculated in my last post about the affect of the lack of media on democracy in Wales, which would probably result in poor turnout. Coupled with the fact that there is not a great deal of differentiation possible when they have so little power, so they are hardly likely to set alight an ideological debate about the future of Wales because they just don’t have dominion over it. However, it didn’t occur to me that a lack of major media coverage, could not only have a detrimental affect upon turnout, but could have a detrimental affect on plaid and other solely Welsh parties, like forward Wales, although the fact that John Merik(?) the main force behind forward Wales is (as I understand it) running as an independent again rather than under the banner of FW would make this point irrelevant in fact.

My point is that the lack of media coverage surely makes it more difficult for parties such as Plaid, FW, Welsh Christian party, and I am sure that there are others, to get there message across, plaid being the second party in the assembly (second assembly) so people might have been alerted to the election from receiving a poll card, or seeing a snippet on the radio, (did I just write seeing a snippet on the radio! – try that again) hearing a snippet on the radio, over hearing something on the bus or in the pub etc… but the fact that there is not a great deal of media coverage would starve the ordinary person (lets face it I’m pretty unique seeking out and reading all the manifestos that I could – granted I only typed commentary on the big four parties) of information that would lead them to vote on the perceptions of parties at the UK level, which are most commonly shown on the news. This would place parties such as Plaid who do not exist on a UK level, at a great disadvantage, so even though Plaid have an excellent manifesto – and in my opinion the best – with excellent and original ideas of how to take a new approach to tackling issues, in addition to an inspiring nation building ideas, the lack of publicity of the election would omit them from even being considered by the vast majority of the public, as people revert to how they vote at UK general elections.

There is the problem how then do you combat it?

1) Lower voting age to 16 – this would mean that some students would still be in full time education when there is an election happening permitting lessons on democracy, schools hosting debates between candidates, things that would make politics more personal and engaging – the same affect would result from extending education to the age of 18 and leaving the voting age as it is. The best results would come from lowering voting to 16 and extending mandatory education to 18, as this will mean more young people are in an environment that will teach them about elections and the issues of the day and the importance of voting.

2) Increase print media, welsh based print media. This would work providing there wasn’t a development of Murdock type papers who are solely there to scaremonger people into voting for whoever is in the favour of the billionaire (i.e. mail, sun, express etc…) but rather more independent newspapers or ones that do not intend to fill people with dogma, (i.e. independent, etc…) but at least intend to try and educate people: meaning that who won the newest reality TV show isn’t mentioned.

3) Increasingly demand, news channels like, sky, to broadcast meaningful coverage of Welsh elections. The BBC does well, however with the plurality in channels they can’t guarantee to reach all areas. (Bearing in mind I don’t watch sky news so I can’t tell you what their coverage of the election was like)

4) Establishing, televised debates between the four major parties (well all major parties – but at the moment there are only four) however, this may have a negative affect on independents like John Merik(?) and Trish Law.

02/05/07 – WELSH DEMOCRACY

2007-05-02T19:11:00.000Z

I was listening to BBC Wales, a week or two ago now, and they were saying that because of the intense media coverage of the Scottish election there was a different election strategy forming within Wales.

It seems because the main focus of the television media was on the Scottish parliamentary election and the majority of newspapers are London based and therefore do not promote Welsh matters as they are primarily concerned with what happens within London, everywhere else being foreign to them, with no differential between French presidential elections and the Welsh assembly election, in fact the French presidential election is probably attaining a higher proportion of coverage than the Welsh assembly. Nevertheless this is forcing the creation of a new style of election campaign in Wales.

Due to the lack of media, mass mobilisation of public opinion and therefore large turnouts is impossible. The parties are unwilling to yell about an election in case they alert supporters of the opposition parties and bring them out to vote, because, there are a lot of labour voters in Wales, (just in case that you don’t know) and if they thought that the bogyman party (commonly known as the conservatives) would get in then they would mobilise and get out to vote. Even though they don’t believe that the labour party are doing a good job or that they are still representing them, some communities have become so entrenched in their support that it forms part of their identity and they can not foresee voting for someone else, so if they don’t want to vote labour they don’t vote! Hence the quip, you can pin a red rosette on a donkey and have it elected. And also hence, labours election campaign ploy to suggest that every party other than labour would enter into a coalition government with the conservatives.

Although it must be noted labour has strayed so far from the values and culture of welsh communities it is becoming possible for other people to win, people like the late Peter Law, and latterly Trish Law, who represent traditional labour values not new labour.

I forgot what I was saying.

Yes so to stop alerting the die hard supporters of the other parties, political parties are playing a low key election campaign targeting known supporters only through internet, emails, telephones etc…rather than high profile election campaign played out through the media, there is a low profile election. Which will most likely result in a low turnout enabling people to question the legitimacy of the Assembly, but what can be done?

I have previously mentioned that a lack of print media might contribute to a low turnout, however, America has possibly the largest coverage of any election and that struggled to rise above 40% turnout. But in France’s recent presidential election (first round) had over 80% out and the reason being – a vast gulf between the parties on policy and their vision of the direction that France should take. But again this would necessitate the mass publication of political policy in order to accentuate the differences and enthuse people with the thought that their vote can make the difference. So we return to the lack of a print media based in Wales, after all it is proven that it was the ‘Sun’ what won it for the conservatives in 1992 after they published a front page spread of how damaging labour would be to the economy. The Independent on the 2nd May 2007 is a case in point it has roughly 15 column inches addressing the Scotland’s election, none regarding Welsh election there is an editorial piece entitled ‘Separatism and scare tactics’, but again this article is centred on the Scottish election. However, there is a double page spread on the battle between the two remaining French presidential candidates for the support of people who voted for Francois Bayrou. Why is there such a lack of information the day before the election in Wales and Scotland?

I am very eager now to know the turnout for tomorrow’s election.

01/05/07 – SCOT WILL BE PM SOON: BLAIR

2007-05-01T19:17:00.002Z

TELETEXT 306 MAY 01 19:17:28

NEWS

Scot will be PM soon: Blair

A Scot will “in all probability” become the prime minister of the UK within the next few weeks, Tony Blair has said.

His comments came after he announced he will make a “definitive” statement next week, a move which should see his replacement as PM by July 2.

Mr Blair, campaigning for the Holyrood polls in Edinburgh, said: “In the next few weeks I won’t be PM,” and alluded to his likely successor Gordon Brown.

I hope that this will encourage John Reid to run for the Labour leadership, he is the only labour minister (apart from Des Browne – but he is just a junior minister) that I can see myself voting for. So I hope this Glaswegian will run for the leadership.

01/05/07 – ‘THE NEW STATESMAN’

2007-05-01T19:17:00.001Z

Yesterday (Monday, 30th April, 2007) I watched the opening night of Rik Mayall’s revival of the Alan B’stard character at the New Theatre, Cardiff, it was fantastic I strongly advocate that you go and watch it, it’s touring so you don’t necessarily have to come to Cardiff.

There were a few opening night mishaps with a swivel of the filing cabinet revealing a secrete compartment, which wasn’t supposed to be revealed until after the intermission, within the first five minutes. The next mishap was when the minister at number 9 Downing Street, B’stard, tried to throw a piece of paper at his PPS (parliamentary private secretary – or parliamentary private slave as it was quipped later) and missed throwing it into the audience, then making the target retrieve the projectile for a second take, after Mayall had recovered from corpsing, rolling his arm like an American baseball pitcher, just to rescind the move in favour of launching the projectile from no more than 30 cm away from the PPS in comic fashion another bout of corpsing from an improvisation from the terrorist character. However, the most entertaining mishap came when there was a ‘power cut’ forcing B’stard to scramble for the candelabra which then took about two minutes to light all three candles. (doesn’t sound like much but it was longer than Mayall should have taken – which was accentuated when he proclaimed, “won’t these things light” with more expletives obviously) then as the wife-soon-to-be-ex-wife character came on set he over hammed the reaction, missed the surface which he was meant to put the candelabra and sent three lit candles onto the stage (luckily the fall put them out) then rolling off onto the floor, which were soon followed by Mayall launching himself after them, and muttering “this has got to be the most unluckiest place” and later when he was trying to relight the candles “Plaid Cymru”. It was a fantastic play and Mayall reactions to these little mishaps only enhanced this. The final mishap occurred when ‘Condoleezza Rice’ grabbed B’stard by the balls and began to twist and squeeze, Mayall broke character to exclaim that she’s got a hand full of pubes and then asked if he had broken the mood.

Although, the play wouldn’t have been so funny if the scenarios weren’t so plausible B’stard during this play is playing a continuation of his character from the 80s TV show of the same name, but is now a senior member of the New Labour cabinet quipping that he did not move to join new labour, new labour moved to join him. a point echoed by David Davies AM, MP (Monmouthshire) who said “based on their current political standpoints, the Tories and Labour were probably better suited to a coalition. [than another other parties in Wales]” the theme is that B’stard is determined to survive and prosper. Claiming all the changes made to New Labour all women short lists, for example, were his idea because he had slept with all the secretaries and tea-ladies, well the ones that hadn’t been flattened by John Prescott you understand. Then he manages to persuade Rice to invade Norway instead of Iran – because they have lots of oil and too few people to resist an invasion. Although, in an indication of the stereotypical American rice doesn’t realise that Norway is not a desert country and sends desert acclimatised troops of which a large segment dies from hypothermia before they even land. This is after he puts all his money in oil shares (insider trading) and manipulates his old labour PPS to call a strike on the north sea oil rigs the cumulative result of the actions pushes oil prices sufficiently high to ensure his membership of the esteemed trillionaires club (the secrete organisation that governs the world). It was also suggested by the character Rice, that America had no interest in securing oil reserves but only destabilizing oil producing regions – in order that oil companies (which funded Bush’s presidential campaign) can maximise profits. B’stard also managed to persuade Rice to bomb the BBC television centre after saying that he had hidden WMD (that he was trying to sell) in the empty basement where the BBC comedy department once was. It forces reminiscences of Bush’s comments that he wanted to bomb Al Jazerra (apologies for spelling) the Qatar based news agency.
These is a fantastic play, and a fantastically thought provoking piece, (if you choose it to be) it gives you a new interpretation on events, and reasoning behind the events, a fantastic play hosting a character which could still have a massive impact in more popular media than stage. I highly recommend it to you.

01/05/07 – WALES IS TOO SMALL TO GO IT ALONE…

2007-05-01T19:10:00.000Z

…but apparently Guernsey is just the right size.

Guernsey, a country which considerably smaller than Anglesey, is deciding this week whether it will sever its’ final link to Great Britain. Guernsey which is a crown dependency rather than a full constitutional nation of Great Britain (and therefore is not represented at Westminster) is to decide whether to cut the links to Britain which have existed since king John lost his French territories in 1207 – 1209.

Now this move, although I’ll accentuate that it is only being discussed by the channel island’s parliament is a long way to be ratified by the populous of the island, normally, I would only mentioned this as a passing folly, however the coincidence of this event occurring at the time of the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament. Two institutions that host nationalist parties, both of which advocate, with varying degrees of insistence, independence – separation from Britain - Freedom. So what is most interesting about this story is that the British Labour party has not said (anywhere that I can see) that Guernsey is too small to be economically viable.

So Messer Hain, Morgan, Brown, Blair and [insert name of Scottish labour party leader] who are all adamant that Wales will become obsolete on the world stage, or Scotland’s economy would collapse, I’m sure that you have heard all the wranglings on the news particularly vehement between Labour and the SNP are mute on Guernsey’s economic prospects. Why is there not a similar outcry from these politicians regarding Guernsey, is it because the people of Guernsey are some how more sovereign than the Scots or us Welsh? The answer to this has got to be no, since all people, in democratic theory, are equally sovereign. Is it perhaps that the people of Guernsey are more productive? Probably not. So why then do the aforementioned gentlemen refuse to condemn Guernsey’s actions as economic suicide, where is all the rhetoric about Britain being stronger when united, surely this extends to its most strenuously attached outposts of Britain as well as the most immediately attached. Yet there is silence from these men.

So, if there arguments regarding Welsh and Scottish independence is not based on economics, and Guernsey has shown, sentimentality has no influence on this argument; why is there such vehement suppression of these ideas? I’m afraid to say it is all real politik. We must assume that self-interest is forbidding them from even considering the disintegration of the union.

1) Peter Hain, he is the one that said that Wales would become obsolete on the world stage – most people wouldn’t mind that as the inference is that we wouldn’t be sending troops half-way around the world to interfere in affairs that are not our concern. However, Hain seems to desire a global spot-light he was renowned for leading the anti-apartheid demonstrations and his ambitions to become labour’s deputy leader (and therefore deputy prime-minister) so perhaps he is concerned, not that Wales would be too small an actor, but that Wales would be too small a stage for him.

2) Gordon Brown, well his opposition to Scottish independence should be self-evident, he’s been waiting for an opportunity to assume power for over a decade, to move into Number 10 just in time to ratify Scottish independence (assuming that SNP are able to push through a bill proposing Scottish independence) would be a tragedy on a Shakespearean level for him – and a farce in the true B’stard tradition (I went to see ‘The New Statesman’ absolutely fantastic – I’ll comment on that later).

3) As for Messer Blair, Morgan, and [insert name of Scottish labour party leader] Blair can be dealt with by an assumption that he doesn’t want his legacy to read “dissolved Great Britain” as for the motives of the leaders of the Welsh and Scottish labour governments I can’t fathom their reasons, if Wales was independent, Morgan could probably be first minister until he dies, not quite true in Scotland. However, the real value of Wales to labour is that the Welsh constituencies are more likely to vote labour than any others, similarly Scotland. It is widely known that if all the Scottish and Welsh MPs are removed from Westminster then the Conservatives would have won the last election, so perhaps labour in the ‘Celtic fringe’ are not permitted to do what is best for their constituents because this would leave the English labour party in the wilderness.

Before I am bombarded with numerous comments, I’ll point out that there are no economic statistics that can back up whether or not independence is economically viable for Wales and Scotland, because there is no separate figures for tax collected from corporations and businesses, use of natural resources, tourism, income tax etc… the only figures there are is those paid per head of population for services under the Barnett formula. If Wales was independent then Welsh tax payers wouldn’t have to contribute to maintaining nuclear weapons, Welsh tax payers wouldn’t have to contribute to maintaining armed forces that are mainly based in the south of England or for the interventionist policy that they enforce. Finally, Welsh tax payers wouldn’t have to pay their share for PFI projects that are pouring hundreds of millions of pounds into the pockets of private companies just so that Gordon Brown can keep the cost of building new schools and hospitals off the national debt, so he can maintain his ‘Prudent’ image.

There is no economic argument against the disintegration of the United Kingdom because the figures which are necessary are not collected, and vice-versa, there is no economic argument for the disintegration of the United Kingdom because the figures which are necessary are not collected. However, if it is possible for countries like Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania etc... and now possibly Guernsey to exist as small but prosperous nations how then can you justify dogmatic arguments against independence. However, as I have said before, it is all a mute point without the figures inform the argument.

25/04/07 – WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION COMMENTARY

2007-04-25T18:57:00.001Z

Well by now it should be obvious that I have read and given commentary on the manifestos of all the four major parties and, if you’ve bothered to read the whole ream, I hope that you have enjoyed my commentary, if you disagree then feel free to post that objection in the comments section that is what it is there for.

I have to say that I think that Plaid has the most aspirational manifesto full of new ideas, and willingness to develop Wales as a nation in new ways. The labour manifesto is just regurgitation of promises that have been reneged on or failed in the implementation. The conservatives had a very difficult document to read with a very poor layout and the basic manifesto pledge that it will cut funding to everything by 1 per cent and then use that money to buy infrastructure etc… in the most headline grabbing manner possible making it seem that a conservative government is investing heavily while it has only taken the responsibility for commissioning buildings from in-house to government. The liberal democrats, well they could have done so much better, if they had been more definitive in stead of promising to look into doing things if they get elected. Moreover, the liberal democrat manifesto is poorly constructed with massive repetition and in a document that large it is not re-enforcing the point just making you suicidal.

In conclusion, I think that my proportional representational vote will probably go to plaid even though they have, fallen inextricably in to a labour election trap nullifying their election campaign. This endless speculation about coalitions is going to stop Plaid from making inroads in the assembly and magnificently makes it a labour / conservative race. It is a magnificent piece of election manipulation by labour, and I am at a loss how they have managed it so affectively. Every interview that I have heard with a plaid politician is always about the possible construct of a coalition, and it glosses over the fantastic manifesto (and in my opinion the best programme for government and development of culture, sports and arts). The plaid election campaign has been woefully miss-managed largely by the leader, but as election coordination Adam Price must take some of the blame. It shows just how politically savvy and surreptitious labour can be and how ill-equipped plaid is in response.

Anyway, as you might have noticed I have only pledged my PR vote to Plaid. My constituency vote will have to be based on tactical voting to oust the incumbent labour AM.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/vote2003/welsh_assembly/html/atoz.stm

This is a link to the BBC’s 2003 election coverage, I’m not online at the moment (this is written to be cut and pasted into the blog at a later date) so I can’t check who came second in the last election at the moment, but which ever party it was will most likely get my vote for this forthcoming election.

2007 WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION MANIFESTO SPECIAL: LABOUR

2007-04-25T18:50:00.000Z

>I’m not sure that I have downloaded the correct document, but this seems to be the only whole of Wales document that I can find, while labour are seemingly operating a divide and conquer strategy by launching different manifestos for each region in Wales. Making it very hard for opposition parties to round criticisms as there will be very few appropriate opportunities for assaults on individual regional manifestos. It also means that labour has stopped trying to foster a greater sense of national identity, and just concentrating on regional identity.

>Moreover, as I mentioned with the conservatives the title seems interesting. “building a better Wales” now since they have been in government for the past 8 years you would have hoped that a better Wales had been built. But this suggests that they have failed to address the problems. At this juncture I am reminded of a letter that was sent to the Western Mail just after Peter Law had won Blaenau Gwent. It read (am I am remember that this so apologies if it is not word perfect) but the gist was that Blaenau Gwent was a deprived area and therefore the constituents were short sighted in rejected the labour party as only a large political party could attract the inward investment that could induce prosperity in the constituency. Now my problem with this was history, how could someone say that only a national party (implying labour) could benefit Blaenau Gwent, when it was said in the letter that Blaenau Gwent is a deprived area recognising that the last 80 years of labour dominance was unsuccessful in improving that. How can people be so blindly loyal to a political party is beyond me – anyway enough of the rant on to the manifesto.

Page 3

Labour is working with the people of Wales to build a country that is successful, confident, and ambitious.

>Although Peter Hain (MP for Neath and Secretary of State for Wales) thinks Wales is too small to be significant.

The Welsh economy now has strong foundations in place for future success.

>Although Wales has become the poorest region in the UK over the last 8 years.

Since 1999, Wales has seen the biggest drop in unemployment of any part of the United Kingdom and a rise of 130,000 in the total number of new jobs.

>I’m a graduate that can’t find graduate employment in Wales, there may be new jobs but they are not high skilled jobs, mainly call centres and service sector jobs.

Our children are our future. Our investment in education has resulted in the highest ever level
of achievement in schools – we will ensure that we have the skills for success in the future.

>Did you know that I applied for a job with south Wales police, for the position of crime management analyst (actually I haven’t heard whether I have got it or not yet) but all they wanted by way of qualification is 5 GCSEs (a-c) two of them to be at grade A. now I have a highly analytical degree which no one appears to want very annoying.

In Wales, people are living longer and are healthier than ever before. We will take action to ensure even better standards of health and health care, and drive forward policies to make sure that our children have the healthiest possible start to life.

>The policies being what exactly? And as for children’s’ health medicine and the health service is not the first place to start they need safe and secure play areas, more exercise in school and greater funding for a wider arrange of sports at grass roots level.

Page 4

Seven new hospitals built

>Which will consolidate the services from several hospitals taking them out of the local communities. Closing several more than they are opening.

Ensure all children have an opportunity to use a sports or leisure facility or swimming pool free of
charge at weekends

>Good, but what about weekday, could you provide free coaching too to maximise the benefit.

Improve the quality of food in schools, hospitals and other public premises, and provide increased
investment in our school kitchens

>Good, but are there going to be more helpers in hospitals to aid those who can’t feed themselves.

Ensure that all people who want one can have access to an NHS Dentist

>Why haven’t you don’t this already? You’ve been in power for 8 years.

Provide free parking at NHS hospitals for patients requiring treatment for Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Renal Dialysis; and season ticket arrangements for those who want one

>Such limited free parking I have a chronic lung condition and I would still have to pay parking! In my opinion only visitors (rather than patients) should have to pay parking. If you think about the logic of it, they have free prescriptions to ensure that people take medicines, but they don’t have free parking to ensure people attend hospital appointments.

Page 5

A strong economy is the foundation for Wales’ future success.

>According to Peter Hain, Wales by itself doesn’t have an independent future.

investing in skills, helping even more people to return to work and giving our young people the tools for success.

>Good.

Ensure that young people aged between 16 and 19 are supported to stay in education or work-place learning

Develop new National Business Research Centres in Welsh Universities

>It would probably be better to try and stop the closure of departments at universities, so welsh students don’t have to go outside of Wales to continue their education in their chosen field.

Ensure that the opportunity to study for the Welsh Baccalaureate exists in all parts of Wales

Page 6

We will involve local people in environmental clean-up and increase fines for litter and graffiti

>How exactly are you going to apply fines for litter and graffiti, its all well and good having larger fines, but if you haven’t got the police presence to witness this activity what hope is there that they will be handed down to offenders.

£24 million over the full Assembly term for the Safer Communities Fund, reducing youth crime

>How exactly will that reduce youth crime? Your disenfranchising youth because you pander to the grey vote, and therefore you don’t see it as a priority to provide facilities for them causing them to entertain themselves in what has been termed anti-social ways.

Provide sprinklers in all new school buildings and extend that provision in existing buildings

>Sadly this is now needed, with the real threat of arson to school buildings.

Page 7

We will continue to guarantee funding for the poorest communities and build towards a brighter future for all of our citizens.

>I have to say, that continuing a policy that hasn’t been very successful doesn’t seem very logical, so I think that Plaid has the better policy of targeted reductions of corporations taxes in order to prompt economic activity.

Provide £450 million investment in new social housing over the next Assembly term, making land available for affordable housing

Increase investment in door-to-door community transport, so that everyone, including the elderly and the disabled, can enjoy greater freedom.

>Door-to-door, flagrant attempt to get the votes of the elderly, I think most people want reliable, frequent and clean buses, which go outside the city centre.

Encourage saving amongst young people by ensuring access to a Credit Union for every secondary school

>So how are you going to encourage saving, when there is so much reliance on the level of ones savings in access to state benefits, pension credits, etc…

New funding for the University of the Third Age

>The University of the what? Why can’t we have more funding for conventional universities?

Improve the take-up of Council Tax Benefit amongst older people

>That’s good, but why only council tax benefits and why only amongst older people, why not promise to improve take-up of all benefits.

Page 8

Labour will meet head on the challenge of climate change, by building a sustainable Wales that is cleaner and greener by minimising Wales’ carbon footprint, supporting environmental technology and developing an integrated public transport network.

>This is the same labour who’s leader (Rhodri Morgan) said that global warming would be good for Wales as the good weather would be good for Welsh tourism – forgetting the fact that most of south Wales and the welsh coastline would be underwater.

Ensure higher standards of energy efficiency in all new buildings in Wales

>Good

Ensure that all our government buildings in Wales are carbon neutral by 2012

Work towards 30,000 solar power and other micro-generation units on buildings across Wales by 2012

>Work towards – how about writing it into the planning laws that all new buildings and building alterations would have to include micro-generation units.

Create a new All-Wales Trans Cambria transport network, bringing communities and services together

>Good, but could mean new roads, I prefer to have a better rail infrastructure.

Provide a £100 million fund over the full Assembly term for safer local roads; safe for cycling and walking and including safe routes to school and 20 mph zones

Provide an All-Wales Coastal Path

Plant a Tree for all babies and adopted children to give our youngest citizens a stake in the future of their planet

>It’s a novel idea, but I can’t help thinking “will you cut it down if they die?”

2007 WELSH ASSEMBLY ELECTION MANIFESTO SPECIAL: LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

2007-04-19T18:27:00.000Z

Page 4

Forward Mike German

A fair future. A green future. it is the very core of my party’s values.

Equal opportunities to learn, to get a job, to stay healthy.

Wales leading the world in tackling climate change. Using our natural resources to make the green switch for this and future generations.

>I think that this is the first time in a manifesto that someone has mentioned making Wales a world leader.

But we need a new, fresh government to make the Assembly work for the people.

>I believe that too, now convince me that it’s you!

I want to raise the standard across the country. Giving teachers more freedom and time with pupils by reducing class sizes.

>Good start, but what about building new classrooms to house smaller classes, and money to, well make it all happen. You got my attention though.

Enabling health professionals to put patients first, free from meddling government and back-to-front reorganisation.

>Again good.

Freeing police officers from the burdens of paperwork and freeing our streets from crime.

>Will the Assembly have powers over policing?

Over the last four years this Assembly Government has let Wales down.

>Over the last 8 years to be fair.

Contrast that with this manifesto: full of new ideas, innovative ways to use our new powers, policies to tackle poverty, social exclusion and injustice.

>I’ll be the judge of that please!

We are the party that delivers in devolution. We made the difference after the Assembly’s unstable, directionless first year.

>Was anything achieved during the first assembly?

Page 5

As the original party of Wales we are fully committed to Welsh solutions to Welsh needs.

>The liberal democrats are the original party of Wales?

A proud nation should be taking its own decisions here in Wales, and working with our closest neighbours to our mutual benefit out in the wider world.

Page 6

That means quality healthcare closer to the home and services that work together to deliver healthcare when it’s needed. Back to front re-organisation and micro-management of the NHS has resulted in millions of pounds being wasted and local needs being ignored.

>Blaming the micro-management for the woes of the NHS does that imply that you want to remove the PCT and other management layers (like LHB) from the NHS and create a single authority for the entire country?

Prevention is as important as cure and we will prioritise the delivery of measures that promote healthy living, across all aspects of life in Wales.

Prevention is as important as cure and we will prioritise the delivery of measures that promote healthy living, across all aspects of life in Wales.

Health hubs, walk-in centres and the investment needed in the

>What are Health hubs? Why do we need walk in centres why can’t you just invest in GPs surgeries?

Page 7

Health Hubs. These will encompass a whole range of patient services in the community, including direct health services such as GPs, physiotherapists, pharmacies as well as wellbeing services such as housing and social services, or CABs.

we aim to develop the role of community hospitals in providing diagnostic, recuperative and rehabilitation care.

>Well community hospitals have always provided recuperative and rehabilitation care haven’t they? So what exactly is diagnostic care? They are not going to have accident and emergency departments in every community hospital so what is left referral to locally based consultants? Or simply are they going to draw blood locally at these hospitals, I want more information, but on the surface its an amicable aim.

Where it is necessary and appropriate to re-organise hospital services, first set out in detail the alternative primary and community provision to replace them, and ensure that the funding is available to provide these services.

>So they are not guaranteeing to keep hospitals open.

Protect services in rural areas, where closures would lead to excessive and potentially dangerous travelling times.

Instead,we will encourage greater collaboration and co-operation to make the NHS work for patients.We will require Local Health Boards (LHBs) to work together on secondary commissioning and will encourage the merging of LHBs where they wish to.

>So they are going to keep PCT and LHBs, so micro-management is bad but you are not going to move towards macro-management.

Introduce a shared budget between NHS and Social Services to deal with delayed transfers of care.

Develop the use of new-technology, such as access to telemedicine, SMS and e-mail notifications and on-line information services, in the NHS.

>For what affect? What do telemedicine, what is telemedicine for a start?

We will encourage more GPs to become specialist GPs equipped to diagnose and treat more patients and increase and promote the use of extended prescribing so that appropriately trained nurses and pharmacists are able to prescribe a wide range of drugs.

>I DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF PHARMACISTS PRESCRIBING DRUGS, although highly qualified nurses will really help speed up healthcare in the NHS. I am admitted to hospital fairly frequently (normally once a year) and the amount of time that is wasted looking for a doctor to write up drugs especially at night is amazing. As for encouraging more GPs to become specialists GPs – they already opt out of out-of-hours services what makes you think that they are going to voluntarily take on more responsibilities or are you going to offer to improve their very cushy £100,000 a year salary?

Page 8

Introduce nurse-led walk-in centres, working alongside larger A&E Departments and GP out-of-hours services

Review hospital charges for services such as parking, telephone and television. We will make it easier for patients who have to attend hospital regularly to access schemes that assist with parking and travel costs, with free parking for those who have to attend regularly.

>Good.

Wales needs a modern ambulance service working in partnership with other health and emergency services and using the professional skills of its personnel to the full.

>A lot of this manifesto is based upon improving cooperation, it seems very simplistic, overly so, one wonders if it was this simply why hasn’t it been done already.

Page 9

Provide the investment required over the next decade to resource a fit-for-purpose ambulance service. We are keen to examine the potential for greater resource sharing and co-operation within the NHS and with other blue-light services and aim to roll-out in-cab technology such as route navigation that allows pre-arrival information about patients to be transmitted to hospital.

Give paramedics the power to triage patients, so that those who do not need A&E services are directed to the most appropriate source of treatment

Large parts of Wales have become ‘dental deserts’ leaving thousands of residents without regular dental care.

increasing the use of mobile dentists to serve the most rural areas and more salaried dentists to serve areas of particular shortage.

capital grants for dentists wishing to set up practices in rural areas.

dental health and prevention at primary school level and at playgroups and nurseries,

Give every child aged 4-5 years a toothbrush and toothpaste and include oral healthcare with early years’ education.

We will examine piloting a scheme providing a weekly fluoride rinse to school children, based on the Canadian model.

Page 10

Provide bursaries to newly qualified health professionals to work in areas where there is a shortage of such skills. In return, we will impose a limited contractual commitment to the NHS in Wales.

>How limited?

Employ more physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech & language therapists and will integrate them fully into health teams dealing with patients suffering from stroke and other chronic conditions.

>Seem to be employing a lot of extra staff, how are you going to pay for it?

Adopt a zero-tolerance approach to aggression or violence against NHS staff, requiring all LHBs and Trusts to have robust procedures in place to deal with those who intimidate staff and to support staff after such incidents.

>Overdue, but I would like it to go further and make new laws with punitive sentencing for attacking all emergency services’ staff.

Introduce a guaranteed standard of service that would include what can be expected at hospital and patient access to information.

>Again you are putting procedures in place that will facilitate compensation payouts thereby taking money away from front line services.

Develop targeted health MOTs with appropriate screening tests based on age, family and other risk factors.

>FINALLY some one has said this, it’s a good idea, the earlier conditions are detected the cheaper the treatments are (in general) and the more successful the treatment too. But I think they should be more expansive, i.e., everyone should have an MOT at 3-5 years intervals.

Extend and promote the use of nurses and pharmacists in testing, screening and monitoring for a range of conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol testing.

>This level of health care is appropriate for pharmacists, but I wouldn’t like the role to develop into anything more substantive.

Instigate a review of all targets, with the intention of reducing the number, so that local health services can truly put the patient first and ensure that clinical priorities are not distorted.

Tackle the low provision of stroke units and care in Wales.We will encourage stroke to be treated as a medical emergency, increase availability of testing and screening for related conditions to improve prevention

Page 11

Take forward the recommendations of the Assembly health committee’s review of cancer services, in order to produce a holistic Cancer Plan for Wales.

Examine the potential for speeding-up the drug approval process in Wales, including further developing the links with the Scottish drugs approval process.

>Providing that this doesn’t remove the necessary effectiveness tests, and safety tests etc… this isn’t a bad idea, but what is it about the Scottish drugs approval process that is seen to be something to link too? Additionally, this testing procedures must be placed outside of the influence of marketing campaigns and other campaigns, like those which happen with herceptin.

developing a full support package when a new-born child is identified as having hearing loss and teachers of the deaf to provide support to the youngest children.

Page 12

We are committed to a comprehensive range of policies to promote healthy living.

Seek the powers to legislate on mental health so that we enshrine guiding principles that put human rights at the forefront of the legislation, as has been done in Scotland.

Encourage healthy eating by supporting the sourcing and promotion of local healthy food, as detailed in our agriculture policies. This includes local food strategies, more public procurement of food from Wales and seeking to extend eligibility for the healthy start scheme.

>Spending Welsh money on Welsh goods is always a good idea.

new regulations on nutritional standards for school meals and ensuring stricter control on the marketing of food and drinks in schools,

Raise the nutritional standards for hospital food, encouraging local procurement, and encourage the use of assistants to help elderly and disabled hospital patients at meal-times,

>Better food will help improve rehabilitation times etc… so it’s a good idea, but again more staff and no indication of where the money is coming from – although they are adamant that all their promises are costed. Thinking about it though, it doesn’t cost anything to encourage the use of … as that can be done in a speech or a letter to hospitals but since there is no commitment to provide assistants there is no cost involved.

Use the ban on smoking in public places as an opportunity to increase the availability of schemes for smoking cessation

>Logical

Work to reduce alcohol and drug dependency,

Continue to raise public awareness on the dangers of STIs and protection measures against spreading infections,

>I suppose that means greater sex education in school. But it doesn’t say explicitly.

legislating to establish specific rights to Welsh service from public bodies.

Page 13

For Welsh Liberal Democrats it’s by giving everyone the opportunity to access quality education that we can raise the standard across our communities. Creating the best learning environment, starting with our youngest children, is where it all starts.

The conditions in which our children learn, in which they get to school and what they eat when they’re there are all crucial to delivering the best learning experience possible.

>A holistic approach is good.

Learning starts at home and continues in school but it must be life-long if we are to reap the full potential of education.

>Well I’m a graduate and I can’t for love-nor-money get a job so what is the point of life-long education? I feel that I would have been better leaving school at 16 and working my way up in some firm.

Nothing does more to free people from ignorance, poverty and conformity.

>So the Welsh are ignorant are they? Not the best way to make friends, I hope I know what you mean, but you could have phrased that a lot better.

Page 14

We support the Flying Start initiative as a means of incorporating health, care and education for our youngest children and families and will provide increased investment for it so that there is a greater supply of childcare centres and professionals.

Develop, seeking extra powers, financial incentives for businesses that develop childcare facilities

Support active and informal learning as the best means of improving child development at early years in primary school.

>Active and informal learning, by this I assume that you mean learn as you play.

Guarantee average primary class sizes of fewer than 25, and we will work to 25 as the maximum class size for all primary classes by the end of the Assembly term.

>Good, but I get the feeling that the low birth rate will do this for you.

Support teachers locating to areas of need through our proposal to introduce a key-workers housing scheme based on the homebuy scheme.

Promote a clustering approach in primary schools centred on the appropriate local secondary school, improved co-working between schools and with colleges such as loose federations co-ordinating time-tables and ICT networking.

>Clustering approach? How will co-ordinating time-tables help?

Page 15

recognising the need to ensure that our children have world-class ICT skills.

>While remembering that exams are still going to be on paper with a pen, so children must retain this ability.

Work with the Electoral Commission to provide more core materials to increase the learning of political literacy and citizenship in schools.

>Citizenship – I’m still not convinced that you can teach citizenship.

examine the potential for further development along the lines of the International Baccalaureate, ensuring access to vocational and academic study.

>International Baccalaureate, less of a commitment to it that Plaid. But since liberal democrats attacked continual reforms of the health service as being detrimental – how then can you say sweeping reforms of the educational system will be good?

examine how we can move to a less-prescriptive curriculum over time, focusing on core skills whilst allowing students every opportunity to reach their potential and equip them for future employment and enable them to become rounded citizens.

>Less-prescriptive curriculum I’m not sure about this idea, there needs to be a benchmark that schools can be measured against.

Develop schools as hubs for the whole community ensuring that pupils, families, local sports and culture groups get access to facilities throughout the week.

>With a nice fee going to the school, maximum utilisation of resources is a good idea, no point it sitting their unused.

Our aim is that children get at least a third of their nutritional needs from school lunches.

>I’m appalled that this isn’t already instigated! If schools provide 1 meal (out of a normal 3) then that should provide 1/3 of the nutritional needs the rest is to be met by the remaining meals.

Develop twinning programmes between local sports clubs and local schools

>And introduce children to a wider spectrum of sports – which can’t be provided in schools.

Develop a requirement for primary schools initially, and then secondary schools, to provide at least two hours of curricular physical education per week within school hours.

>Ah, back to the days of star jumps and stretches. Seriously though, school sport has been neglected and it could help combat obesity and poor health etc…

Invest in science at all levels of education, starting at school and building up to world-class research-led university departments,

>Going to be a lot of money convincing universities to re-introduce these subjects (e.g. Swansea University and chemistry)

Page 16

Fix crumbling classrooms across Wales by ensuring, in partnership with local authorities, that the funding provided for school building work is fully used for that purpose.

>Is a lot of money diverted away from this use?

Encourage the use of Positive Behaviour Plans as a measure to tackle the root cause of bullying. Agreed between schools, pupils and parents these plans help ensure that all parties are involved in addressing bad behaviour.

When all else fails, and the terms of agreed behaviour plans are consistently broken, we guarantee that head teachers will have local education authority support for ‘managed transfer’ to other schools or special units for pupils whose behaviour remains unacceptable.

>Sounds tougher.

Page 17

Develop a public education campaign to promote positive parenting and ensure that parents can access parental support when they need it.

Continue to advocate the introduction of a schools counselling service, promoting self-referral.

>Again, “continue to advocate…) you’ll be in government, surely you will have the power to implement a school counselling service, not just lobby for one – I’m beginning to think that this is setting out its principles as an opposition party rather than a programme for government.

Ensure that our children get to school in the safest possible way. We will take forward measures to ensure that there are seat-belts on all school buses, seek the powers to abolish the three-for-two rule and improve supervision on school buses.

Page 18

Promote the library network and encourage the use of library facilities as learning centres.

Enhance the role of museums and the cultural sector more widely in promoting learning opportunities for young people and adults.

Extend the full duty of care to the age of 21 for looked-after young people, regardless of whether they continue in education, and we aim to ensure that young people from looked-after backgrounds who do go into further education are given further assistance up until the age of 25 and through to the completion of the course.

>My parents would have put me into care if they thought that the state would pay for my education.

Page 19

Maintaining research excellence in Wales is crucial to supporting innovation in the economy and equipping skilled and knowledgeable graduates.

>I have come to believe that the Welsh economy is over supplied with Welsh graduates, in addition to me (and most of my friends) not finding a job – in fact the only graduate that I know is in employment got the job through a friend of a friend – the lower graduate salaries in Wales indicates that there is an abundance of graduates and therefore driving down their market value. What are you going to do to encourage more graduate jobs.

Work with organisations such as Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin to ensure greater early years Welsh medium provision as part of our increased investment in that sector.

We will explore ways to establish Welsh medium schools more easily, including the potential of setting a duty on local authorities to assess the demand for Welsh-medium education and further promote or plan for it in future school organisational plans.

Improve Welsh 2nd language learning

>Please teach me Welsh – I went to school in England, where Wales is only mentioned in derogatory songs – I want to learn.

>Considering it said life long learning there wasn’t very much about adult classes etc… in their manifesto.

Page 20

At one time Wales was at the forefront of the industrial revolution, now we have the opportunity to lead the green revolution.

We want to see 100% of our electricity coming from renewable sources by 2050 – creating new jobs, exporting technology and a secure source of energy.

We want all new buildings to be carbon-neutral by 2015,

public buildings having to generate more of their own energy and our homes being properly insulated meaning cheaper bills for everyone.

Page 21

Prioritise the provision of Safe Routes to School through continued support, ensuring that walking to school is promoted as a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to the car.

>Good,

In contrast to the current opt-in system, undertake to ensure all schools participate in paper collection and recycling schemes in their areas.

>I’m surprised that this isn’t mandatory, normalizing recycling for young people so that it permeates our society.

Make Wales a world leader in environmental research and teaching

>Yes, I’m glad they have realised that there is an opportunity to put Wales at the forefront of the new technology making them a world leader, creating high quality jobs and investment.

Page 22

Reject new nuclear power in Wales.

We will ask for the power to decide on energy developments over 50MW to be devolved to Wales.

Deliver a fully resourced communication campaign about climate change,

Lobby the UK government for a minimum price guarantee for all householders and businesses that export excess renewable energy to the National Grid.

>Could provide a massive incentive for householders to invest in micro-generation.

Revise the planning policy on out-of-town centre supermarkets so that their retail impact on town centres is fully
considered and environmental assessments are undertaken as a matter of course.

>Good, out-of-town retail outlets do damage the high-street, and they do necessitate cars in main. However, I think that the damage has been done. Green fields have already been concreted over it will simply be damage limitation.

Seek to amend planning rules so that it is less easy to get retrospective permission, for example by penalising such applications.

>It would be my preference that punitive monetary fees be applied to stop supermarkets (running into tens-of-millions, if not hundreds to prevent supermarkets and big chains thinking that they can ride rough shot over elected officials. Additionally, large chains that consistently break rules should be forced to employ conformity adjudicators that are responsible to the local planning authority and who has to supervise the construction in addition to the project management team. Furthermore, if that is not strong enough for you. You could compel the company to demolish the store, while continuing to pay the staff they have employed their wages, and force them to rebuild it to the agreed and approved specifications.

Page 23

Support research into, and generation of tidal power.

>Which will be highly affective if it’s underwater thanks to the ice caps melting

Our aim is that lagoon pools and wave machine projects will be up and running by the end of this Assembly, and powering Wales’s future. The economic benefits of this will be huge and allow us to be a technology exporter.

>Excellent.

Seek the powers to amend building regulations to ensure new developments in Wales are built to the highest possible environmental standards. This means that once we have the powers we can take forward proposals for all new-builds to have energy efficiency measures as standard such as proper insulation, smart meters and combined heat and power units as part of a sustainable buildings code.

>Again good.

Establish “Climate Connect” to provide a one-stop shop for advice, grants and loans for households and communities to generate their own renewable energy as a key part of the Sustainable Energy Network.

>That could work, providing that climate connect has a prominent public profile.

developing a zero tolerance approach to fly-tipping and abandoned cars,

Ensure that significant planning decisions made by local authorities are assessed on their contribution to climate change.

Reform planning guidance so that there is a presumption of a minimum 500 metre residential buffer zone on opencast developments.

>Probably would be important to me if there was a mine close by.

Develop the National Waste Strategy, ensuring co-operation between local authorities on waste minimisation and serious innovative work on developing energy from waste, for example developing town and community heating systems.

>Does that mean incineration? How do you reconcile that with the amiable carbon reduction.

Aim for 60% of all household waste to be recycled by the end of the Assembly term.

>In my opinion, black bag – straight to landfill waste – should be collected fortnightly. While recyclable waste; tins, plastic, glass, paper, foodstuffs etc… be collected every week. And an increase in the publicity or capacity of large item collections, with the coinciding facilities to sell them in order to encourage re-usage.

Page 24

Our aim is that all new housing build, in the private and social sector, is carbon neutral by 2015.

>Why so un-ambitious? Why not carbon neutral and must produce 25% or 50% of expected energy demand for the size of house.

Establish “Climate Connect” to provide a one-stop shop for advice, grants and loans for households and communities to generate their own renewable energy.

>Your repeating yourself!

Get rid of the need for planning permission for installing small-scale home-based renewable micro-generation devices or combined heat and power units.

>Could cause lots of fractious neighbours – I want more details and what exactly is small-scale?

Maintain the most restrictive policy possible under EU law on GM crop development.

>What about Second-generation GM which could produce cheep medicines – surely it would be beneficial as new energy technologies in delivering high quality jobs in Wales.

Page 25

>Huge picture, not much writing. This manifesto isn’t half dragging on, it is repetitive in places, plus its 100% longer than other manifesto – this could have been far more punchier and affective than it is and far more accessible – I like going through these things and I’m getting fed up!

Page 26

Demand the powers over offshore oil and gas licensing and offshore planning, including planning for offshore renewable energy projects, and the development of Welsh Marine Protected Areas that are adaptable to changes in the conservation interest, particularly with regard to climate change.

Encourage the use of publicly owned buildings, monuments and sites in the historic environment, including those owned by Cadw, as venues for cultural events and festivals.

>That could be cool, providing money to keep these buildings, creating community events, etc…

Page 27

Public fears about crime and anti-social behaviour remain very high. Even in low crime areas people have grown more fearful of crime and for their safety.

Our policies aren’t about tough talk; they’re about delivering practical, realistic and commonsense action to make our streets safer.

>OK, amaze me.

our wish for a Welsh Parliament with comparable powers to the Scottish Parliament

>Hurrah PARLIAMENT FOR WALES, politicians with enough power to make a difference.

Oppose the expensive and illiberal ID cards scheme that already costs almost £100,000 a day. That money should instead be spent on putting more police on the beat in Wales and across Britain.

>YES

funding for an extra 500 police community support officers across Wales

We also support a reduction in the burden of paperwork that keeps police officers off patrol, by encouraging greater use of the latest IT systems and communications technology, and by using civilian auxiliary staff in the police station.

>So is there going to be more money for civilian auxiliary staff?

Tackle anti-social behaviour through Acceptable Behaviour Contracts agreed between the individual, their family, the police, local authority and housing association, specifying behaviour they will not engage in.

>And housing association, so all anti-social behaviour is committed by those people who don’t own their home! Seems a bit of a generalisation.

Improve the provision of all youth services by putting them on a statutory basis.

We will
encourage measures such as confiscation of motor vehicles from persistent joy-riders,

>Do they joy-ride in their own cars? I thought that the majority of joy-riders used stolen vehicles.

Page 28

Support the development of community justice panels to give local people a say in the punishment

>Not exactly objective and impartial, more like a show trial!

Encourage the establishment of one-stop local non-emergency helplines such as the successful ‘101’ service in Cardiff which allows people to report problems that affect the place in which they live.

>Overdue.

Continue to support the national helpline for victims of domestic abuse and ensure that the funding is there for it to remain a bilingual 24-hour service, 365 days a year

Page 29

>I’m fed up!

Focus on crime prevention and appropriate community sentences.

Support measures to make sentences mean what they say and improve public confidence in the system. The most serious offenders should serve life imprisonment, where the judge considered the offender should never be released.

Support measures to improve the compensation paid to victims, including contributions funded from a common fund paid into from prisoners’ earnings,

>Prisoners’ have earnings?

Tackling substance misuse will reduce crime, promote opportunity and create safer communities.

Establish a National Treatment Taskforce, linking universities in Wales with NHS and voluntary sector providers in the drug field.

Highlight the dangers of excessive drinking, through public awareness promotions and targeted campaigns, and make sure that support is there before the abuse leads to crime and violence.We will discourage irresponsible drink promotions that promote binge drinking, which often lead to violence and anti-social behaviour and we support proof-of-age schemes such as Challenge 21 and ‘Prove it’ cards in order to tackle under-age drinking.

We will ensure that big late night venues contribute to the extra cost of late night policing.

>Excellent, it might make them stop selling alcohol to people who are drunk!

Encourage the recruitment of more Welsh speaking police officers and police community support officers, especially in Language Action Areas.

>Welsh language action areas?

Page 30

Wales was once at the forefront of a changing economic landscape. As one of the first nations to industrialise,we were the engine room for development across the world.Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that Wales can lead the way again. The green switch we want to see for Wales will offer opportunities for all, will allow us to be a leading exporter and will ensure that we harness our natural resources to make our economy thrive.

>Repartition.

The building blocks for a more confident and prosperous Wales, free from poverty, is a more educated workforce and a transport system that puts the needs of passengers first.

A Wales where everyone values the ambition and determination needed to build business. We will work towards a Wales that is a beacon for enterprise and leads the world in developing ideas, brands and entrepreneurs.

>Admirable aim.

Support the development of techniums, including in rural areas, that would be magnets for innovation, business set-ups and growth companies.

>You just said that you wanted to restrict out of town shopping centres and now you want to develop out of town business centres!

Make the Assembly Government and National Assembly world-leaders in making it easier for small businesses to apply for public contracts.

Page 31

Develop economic opportunity areas which could re-generate towns that have lost industry and promote sectorbased company clusters.

Use European funding to deliver our policy objectives of improved lifelong learning opportunities and better conditions for innovative, job-creating business growth.

Take Wales to the centre of the European debate on the use of corporation tax in member regions and states to stimulate investment.We will push the case for the powers to vary corporation tax or to keep it a specified level for a set-time, targeting a region if necessary.

We want to maximise the potential for new ventures to be the iconic, new-technology, job-creating Welsh brands of the future.

Support a sustainable future for the manufacturing industry in Wales,

Develop a Welsh brand that is confident, enterprising and innovative.

>Yes

Promote modern language learning at school and life-long learning level, enhancing our ability to compete in the international market.

>How are you going to do this?

Page 32

We believe that improving the skills levels of the Welsh workforce is essential if Wales is to become a more prosperous economy.

>In addition to creating highly skilled jobs in Wales so graduates didn’t have to look for work in England.

Support innovative ways of making learning and training opportunities more accessible to the workforce and wider community. For example we are keen to see more learning and training centres at office blocks, industrial parks and other major employment sites linked to the wider education sector, as well as libraries and other publicly owned facilities that can support workforce development.

Promote schemes, run through colleges, schools and business forums which encourage and promote business skills amongst young people.

Encourage buddy schemes for higher education students to allow them to get practical experience and increase links between business and education.

>Could be very useful.

Support Menter a Busnes to encourage entrepreneurship in Welsh-speaking communities.

>Support a what? Mentor a business perhaps. Spelling mistakes in election manifestos is abhorrent. Perhaps we could start mentoring political parties (p.s. I’m waiting for someone to jump on my spelling and grammar mistakes and suggest mentor a blogger)

Page 33

The key element of our approach to transport policies is providing individuals with the freedom and opportunity to travel.

effective transport connections are vital to our economic development,

Cycling and walking have proven health benefits and also cut carbon emissions – but many people wish government would make it easier.

If we are to get Wales moving forward, first we have to get Wales moving.

>Hopefully, that also includes getting the trains moving as the current disruption between Swansea and Cardiff is not helping people use public transport.

An efficient and extensive public transport system is essential to changing travelling habits and tackling climate change, yet bus and rail services in Wales are too often patchy, uncomfortable and unreliable.

Encourage better integration of bus and rail services,

>Again promote / encourage etc… no real commitment to providing! You should give the councils the power to set routs and demand a minimum level of service. Couple profitable and unprofitable routes in a single contractual bundle so companies can’t cherry pick good routes and force councils to pay subsidies to encourage companies to take up these unprofitable routes.

Page 34

Develop an extended community rail strategy which helps extend business and tourism links into smaller communities and more remote areas, examining the re-opening of disused local lines, connections with the network and improved facilities at small stations.

>Develop strategies, examining the possibility – I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WILL DO NOT WHAT YOU WILL CONSIDER DOING!

Protect and promote the rail links between the regions of Wales

Support better quality rolling stock for the rail network in Wales.

Press for safe and friendly train and bus stations.

>Friendly train and bus stations, I am not often insulted by station buildings.

We support park and ride schemes, such as those in Swansea and Cardiff,

>So you provide finance for them to be implemented in which towns? Again it is non-committal language.

Require all major land use developments to publish and implement a ‘travel plan’ as a condition of planning permission.

>EXCELLENT IDEA

Monitor plans to introduce congestion charging and road user pricing schemes in parts of Wales, supporting them as a means of road traffic reduction if the provision of public transport improves and increases as we propose.

>Well its positive that they will only support it if there is a viable public transport alternative. But again monitor plans …

Promote the use of bio-fuels and their availability at petrol stations across Wales, working with supermarkets and developing supply routes and support for producers through our Green Jobs Strategy.

>Any grants to convert cars to bio-fuels?

Support the transfer of freight from road onto rail and sea, promoting greater use of our network of ports that can facilitate rail-connection for further transportation.

>EXCELLENT

Page 35

Encourage local authorities to include proposals in their transport and development policies for increased cycle infrastructure and the development of safer residential and school areas.

Require that all new, non-motorway, roads of more than 1km funded by the Assembly Government contain a planning measure to increase local cycle provision.

>Good idea

Work to ensure that the rail system is cyclist-friendly by promoting cycle spaces on trains and at stations.

>By promoting …they will only be introduced in thirty years or so when new stock is introduced. But the aim is amicable.

Promote Safe Routes to School to reduce the reliance on cars for the ‘school-run’ and increase the number of children walking and cycling to schools, including encouraging ‘walking-buses’.

>I’m sure that I have read that before in this manifesto.

Scrap government subsidy for the proposed North-South air link and instead divert that money towards sustainable and more environmentally-friendly forms of public transport.

Work to make the link between Cardiff city centre and Cardiff International Airport an exemplar of our commitment to sustainable development by using a regular high-speed rail-link and an environmentally friendly hybrid or hydrogen fuel-cell bus.

Page 36

Everyone has the right to housing adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their family. The lack of affordable housing affects all parts of the country and has led to an explosion
in homelessness in recent years.

Domestic properties contribute a large proportion of Wales’s carbon emissions

more energy efficient homes and making it easier for families to go green.

All new housing to be carbonneutral

Increase the housing budget by at least £150 million over the next term, which will enable the Assembly Government, local authorities, housing associations, developers and community bodies to deliver the action that is needed to tackle the affordable housing crisis.

Encourage councils to devolve responsibility where appropriate, and after a ballot, by passing control of social housing to community based housing associations and tenants’ co-operatives.

Promote schemes, run between local authorities, housing associations, developers and education providers that offer practical training and skills development for tenants and the wider community.

>Promote. Why not establish, or roll-out schemes etc…

Page 37

Examine the case for following the example of Scotland and establish a Private Renting Housing panel to adjudicate where a tenant considers the landlord is failing to meet the standard of repair required.

>Surely you should have examined this prior to writing this manifesto and tell us if you would do it if your elected!

We would ensure sufficient funding is available at national level and set targets for the reduction of homelessness.

>Finally, they would ensure! The Liberal Democrats have finally told us what they would do in action rather than just look at or consider.

Page 38

Encourage the promotion of leasing deals

>They are getting worse, encourage the promotion.

Promote regional projects to ensure that each area is able to provide adequate facilities to shelter, house and support people who have been accepted as homeless.

Develop a joint statement of practice for the recovery of rent arrears by social landlords.

Promote and simplify the successful Homebuy scheme.

Give local authorities the power to suspend the Right-to-buy. We would expect this to happen initially in areas where the affordable housing crisis is at its worst, and for a specified period of time.

Page 39

Work with local planning authorities to identify sites for affordable housing within their Local Development frameworks and improve the supply of land by picking out suitable sites for affordable housing owned by the Assembly Government across the country.

Develop an affordable threshold on new developments. This means that projects over a certain size would trigger a planning condition forcing developers to provide a specified proportion of affordable homes for low-cost renting or low-cost ownership.

>I thought that this was already in place. This is easy to get around mind just make it so that you apply for planning permission in two phases, maybe with a couple of years apart. So if this comes to pass I foresee many roads in housing estates leading to fields ready for future developments. Or cul-de-sacs with no house at the bottom of the road, or an oddly placed round-a-bout ready for another exit.

Examine the need and powers available to establish a Welsh version of Scotland’s Ownership Options which enables disabled people in unsuitable housing to access home ownership through the use of the benefit Income Support Mortgage Interest relief (ISMI).

Page 40

For Welsh Liberal Democrats social justice means improving community safety, tackling poverty and combating social exclusion for all people, in all areas of Wales. We aim to increase the numbers of social enterprises in Wales, giving more freedom to community organisations and increasing lifelong learning opportunities that give individuals, families and communities the tools they need.

Ensuring equality of opportunity is essential in building stronger communities and social cohesion.We are committed to initiatives and policies that promote equal citizenship, accessibility to services, equal learning opportunities and equal access to employment opportunities. The commitment to equality of opportunity is intrinsic to our approach to public policy, and building a fairer, better-educated, inclusive and prosperous Wales.

Work with local authorities to ensure that there is access to free-to-use ATMs, especially in deprived communities.

Develop school-based courses that make young people better informed about financial issues such as credit cards, mortgage rates, credit unions and the causes of debt.

>Good basic financial skills in a must.

Support the establishment of community banks, credit unions and LETS schemes, in particular the potential of post offices to be hubs for credit union transactions and activities.

Page 41

Post Offices provide a valuable and essential service to communities across Wales. Government moves, both in Cardiff Bay and Westminster, to undermine the network are moves that undermine community life. We are committed to a Post Office network that is thriving and provides a diverse range of services.

Re-introduce the Post Office Development Fund abolished by Labour,

Continue to oppose the abolition of the Post Office Account Card

Work with the UK government to promote the case to maintain the obligation on Royal Mail to provide universal sameprice delivery of letters throughout Wales, and the UK.

>Hear-hear, but if you want to keep the universal service, you have to stop other companies cherry-picking the profitable business and leaving the royal mail with all the unprofitable sectors.

Work with the UK Government to investigate providing more services at Post Office counters, and build on the successful Police and Post Office Partnership pilot in mid Wales.

A nation where true equality of opportunity exists is a nation free from prejudice and poverty and is a nation whose people can fulfil their full potential.

Encourage a concerted effort across the private and public sector in Wales to ensure that each citizen has a right to enforce their rights when things go wrong at work or when individuals’ legal rights and entitlements are not met.

Improve the data on school pupils, including minority groups and their performance, so that effective measures can be taken to close the gaps in achievement.

>So instead of school league tables we are going to have pupil league tables!

Ensure that the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights in Wales takes account of the devolved context in which it will operate.

Promote the need to get more women and people from the BME community into public life.

>BME is what exactly? Black middle easten? Black or mixed ethnicity? You can’t just use these acronyms without disclosing what they refer too.

Page 42

Encourage health authorities to reach out to lesbian, gay and bisexual populations to reassure them that they can and should disclose sexual orientation when it’s relevant to their care.

We will promote a Wales-wide initiative to support and welcome migrant workers and encourage integration with the local community, based on the successful model of the ‘One Wrexham’ initiative introduced by the Welsh Liberal Democrat-led council in Wrexham.

>Wasn’t there racial rioting in Wrexham? Again what is the one Wrexham initiative? What does it entail, language training, cultural exchanges. What?

Work to introduce a Digital Resource for Books to be provided by the Welsh Books Council.

Guarantee that ID cards will not be needed to access Welsh public services. We will ensure that people continue to receive health treatment based on their needs, not on whether they have a piece of plastic in their wallets or purses.

Work to remove arbitrary age limits on volunteering, and work towards extending age discrimination legislation to cover all volunteers and unpaid workers.

>Are you going to remove arbitrary age limits on voting too?

Lobby for Children’s and Older Peoples’ Commissioners to have powers to represent on non-devolved issues so that we reduce the confusion for children and older people regarding which commissioners deal with which issues.

>I’m still discussed that there is an older peoples commissioner. As I see it the justification for a children’s’ commissioner is the fact that they don’t have any democratic representation, now why should people who vote get an additional representation in the form of a commissioner.

Page 43

Get the powers to give 16 year olds the vote

>Hurrah, surly this will help voter turnout if people are still in school and taught about politics and the importance of voting.

Page 44

Introduce a ‘Community Right to Buy’ which would enable community organizations to register an interest in land or buildings that were designed for public use so that if the property comes up for sale they have first refusal, subject to a community ballot.

Communities should be places in which people are able to work, live and play. Effective functioning communities need places in which residents can meet, access information and work together.

>So you are going to legislate that more green areas are created among new housing developments.

Page 45

Introduce the changes of the voting system for local government as recommended by the Sunderland Commission – delivering fair votes for communities by introducing the STV system for local government elections.

>Interesting.

Make the case for the voting age for Assembly and Local Government elections to be reduced to 16 and push for the powers to do so.

>HURRAH, reducing the age for voting.

Make progress towards replacing the unfair council tax with a local tax based on the individual’s ability to pay, campaigning at a UK level and examining ways of delivering this in Wales.

>So another tax on wage earners, so unemployed and the lazy can just opt out, not really encouraging people to work is it!

Page 46

Develop and expand Language Action Areas, to help reverse the trend towards de-population and ensure the welcome and integration of individuals moving into Welsh-speaking communities.

Page 47

For the Welsh Liberal Democrats, social justice does not end at the heads of the valleys. Our rural communities are facing up to the challenges of globalisation, social exclusion and changing needs. A vital cog in keeping the wheels of rural Wales turning is making sure that our farmers and consumers get an honest and fair deal.

Ensuring that over half of publicly procured food is sourced from Wales by 2015

>I’m sure that I have read this before, why oh why would you repeat things over and over again you loose so much of the impact.

Page 48

The promotion of produce from Wales involves developing external markets, developing innovative processing and product bases, strengthening public procurement actions, and encouraging more local consumption of local produce.

Encourage diversification, quality branded local produce and healthy competition in order to develop an enterprising and economically viable farming industry.

It would examine and report on the supermarket code of practice and whether it needs to be strengthened and further regulated, the future of the dairy industry, the processing and development sectors, the public procurement process for Welsh produce, the supply chain from farm to fork and the price we pay in markets and shops.

Further develop the marketing and support for Welsh branded produce with its reputation for quality, promoting an identifiable brand and support for a reinvigorated Farming Connect that promotes knowledge transfer.

Promote greater links between the tourism industry and farms, improving communication between the two industries and in particular developing ‘food tourism’.

>Has Wales got the culinary reputation needed for such a feat?

Over recent years the capacity of the Welsh countryside to recover from the Foot and Mouth outbreak and BSE has been fantastic. But we must work harder to ensure that the preventative measures are in place to ensure, as far as possible, that we can avoid such diseases again and be ready to deal with them should the need arise.

Develop a national strategy, co-ordinating the agricultural industry, the veterinary and emergency services, to respond to, and tackle animal diseases.

Aim to eradicate TB in Wales by intensifying the testing programme.

>This is reputation again.

Continue to make the case for tight controls on the import of foreign and illegal meat in order to prevent diseases arriving here and infecting indigenous livestock and produce.

>Good.

Page 49

Use the Assembly’s new powers on animal welfare for the benefit of domestic and captive wild animals.We will examine support for outlawing all animals other than horses and dogs in circuses, improve licensing for events where animals are put on display, outlaw harmful and cruel aids such as electric shock training collars for race dogs and strengthen regulation of the greyhound industry such as veterinary presence at tracks and a proper licensing system for race dogs.

Seek derogation from the EU regulations which prohibit the burying of fallen stock on farmers’ land and allow some on-site burial.

>Never going to be allowed!

Most people nowadays are convinced of the need to eat and live healthier. But without our agricultural industry growing that fresh, healthy food and playing their part in protecting the environment we will not be able to fight obesity and illhealth.

Support organic farming, helping to meet the demand for organic produce.

>Organic food is not healthier than other types of food!

Page 50

Encourage local sourcing of food for the healthier and more nutritious school meals that our new regulations will introduce.

Progress the all-Wales coastal path project. We are aware that implementation will require agreements, co-operation and determination on the part of many organisations, public and private, across the country. In government we will play a leading role in taking this project forward.

Restore the Tir Mynydd budget for the next year to the level it was before cuts were made in the last Assembly budget

Ensure Wales’s new legislative status gives us greater leverage on European Union decision-making affecting our farming industry by strengthening our presence at European Agriculture Council meetings, and the discussions which lead up to them.

Make it easier for small enterprises to apply for public contracts, meaning that there is more support for farmers and producers in their bids to supply schools, hospitals and other public services. Our target is that at least half of publicly procured food which is available in our country to be sourced from Wales by 2015.

>It’s de ja vu all over again.

Fully review how current flood defence and risk management regulations and advice from the government is working, paying particular attention to the accuracy of advice maps and the need for them to be updated more regularly, the need to reduce current and future risk by restricting developments and increasing public awareness of how to deal with flooding.

>Restricting building on flood plans is sensible if we are expecting sea levels to rise. But that would mean stopping development in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, LLanelli etc…

Page 51

Community based cultural initiatives, such as radio stations, reflects and promotes what
is best about the Welsh passion for social enterprise and cultural chances for all.

Implement the recommendations of the Welsh Arts Review, chaired by Elan Closs Stephens, making the arts and culture a cross-cutting theme across government at all levels.

Prioritise the development of a joint strategy with the education ministry to define cultural entitlements for young people, to extend the role of the arts in the school curriculum and to reverse the decline in cultural provision and participation, and introducing a new Arts Development Fund for schools.

Develop a ‘duty of care’ towards cultural provision as a legal responsibility of local authorities, as is the case in Scotland, to ensure that cultural opportunities are available to all in our communities.

Require local authorities to take cultural factors and needs into account when planning local transport, housing and education schemes.

Investigate the potential for a privately funded scheme, similar to the Arts Council’s highly successful Collectorplan art purchase scheme, to encourage the purchase of musical instruments by young people, schools and community groups.

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Work with the Assembly Sponsored Public Bodies (ASPBs), broadcasters and local authorities to make more effective use of the Eisteddfod and the network of festivals, creating local business communities around them.

By illuminating our past, museums and galleries can provide educational, tourism and cultural opportunities for the future. They are a resource for reflecting our identity and history as a nation, but also as tools for enhancing our collective knowledge.

>Good.

Page 53

Develop a modern and ambitious programme of exhibitions in Wales, in return for loans of world-class collections from Wales going to other places in order to enhance Wales’s profile.

>Good idea.

Demand the powers to make St David’s Day a public bank holiday so that we can celebrate our national day and make it a global festival of all things Welsh and a showcase for investment and tourism.

>HURRAH!

Wales’s two main languages are a rich part of our heritage. We must treasure and nurture them – side by side. Our modern revival of the Welsh language in the face of global Anglo-Americanisation is the envy of many European nations and regions. It is a core part of who we are, and of our reputation for cultural excellence.

The Welsh language is a treasure that we can all be proud of, it enriches Welsh life and makes Wales special.We will support, facilitate and promote the use of the Welsh Language across all aspects of Welsh life and government.

Legislate to enshrine the right to service in Welsh. By establishing specific rights it would be clear to individuals what they can expect in relation to a Welsh service from public bodies and those that have migrated from the public sector since the current Language Act was passed.

>Interesting, goes some way to meet demands of language campaigners but how much of an affect will it really have.

Make Welsh and English the official languages of Wales.

>Good.

Ensure that the plans for Language Action Areas will include encouragement of intergenerational transmission of Welsh and promotion as a community language; encourage co-operation between local bodies and organisations to promote and facilitate the use of Welsh in communities; promote the full community use of Welsh in all tiers of education from nurseries to adult education.

Broadcasting and new technologies have made the world smaller – and allowed smaller countries to make a mark on the world. New developments offer a golden opportunity for individuals, communities and the nation as a whole to exploit our talents and create social, cultural and economic prosperity.

>Ambitious and positive about small nations – IN YOUR FACE PETER HAIN!

Press for the infrastructure to be in place to ensure that all of Wales can have access to Welsh digital channels by the time of switchover.

>Absolutely necessary!

Page 54

Examine the opportunities created by digital switchover and greater spectrum availability for more community and regional television stations, including increased Welsh language provision.

>An original promise.

Build on the good work and reputation of Dr Who and other recent productions, seeking to ensure that all public service broadcasters continue to increase their levels of commissioning and production from Wales-based producers.

>Again in response to Peter Hain who said “If was were independent then Dr Who would not have been filmed in Cardiff”

Support the principle of a daily Welsh language newspaper and examine all possible roles that we can play in further supporting its establishment. For example, the potential for public sector recruitment advertising, the development of a greater on-line presence and the role of the Welsh Language Board.

>Again support the principle, I would love to have a paper on a par with ‘the broadsheets’ and of the same intellectual standard based in Wales with predominantly Welsh news, rather that have to read London based papers which are obviously propagating English culture.

Develop a twinning programme between local sports clubs and local schools. This will create new coaching opportunities as well as better use of facilities. We will encourage our highest-profile clubs to lead on this and provide models of best practice.

>Excellent – but again this is mentioned earlier in the manifesto.

Page 55

Develop a requirement for primary schools initially, and then secondary schools, to provide at least two hours of curricular physical education per week within school hours. We also expect schools to promote accessible opportunities for pupils to participate in sport after-hours.

>This is also mentioned earlier in the manifesto.

Increase investment in top-quality coaching for children. Working with local authorities, the Sports Council and governing bodies, this extra money will develop a network of local coaches to co-ordinate training opportunities for schools, colleges and community groups.

>Excellent ideas again

Seek to increase access to sporting activities in or on rivers and lakes. We will examine the need for statutory rights of access for everyone as is the case in Scotland.

>Good policy if the examination decides that it is feasible etc…

Re-double our efforts to attract major sporting events, as English football finals leave the Millennium Stadium. We will develop a new Events Strategy that will examine our potential to host, for example, European club football finals, a stage of the Tour de France and major Women’s events.

>It always strikes me as odd that tour de France goes outside that countries borders. But why don’t you want to create a tour de Wales? We have plenty of scenery which could magnificently host it!

Oppose any international threats to Wales’ss status as a national football team in its own right.

>WALES’SS, are we a serpent nation, I’ve said it before but spelling mistakes in election manifestos’ is not good.

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Develop partnerships with our HE/FE institutions, the Sports Council and our professional rugby and football clubs to improve regional access to top-class training and coaching opportunities for athletes with the potential to reach the top.

>A sporting nation is an excellent aim and fits perfectly into the Welsh culture.

Encourage the presence of elite Welsh teams at the top level of UK and European sport. For example a Super League franchise in Wales, the continuing existence of a Welsh team in the Netball Super League and women and men’s domestic and national cricket teams at the highest level possible.

>That was a gapping omission of the recent cricket world cup, there was a Scottish team, an Irish team and obviously an English team – why wasn’t there a Welsh team?

Use our big towns and cities as gateways to their wider region. They are tourist attractions in themselves but by promoting effective regional tourism partnerships that utilise regional capitals such as Cardiff and Swansea, we will see a multiplier tourist effect across the country.

Encourage local authorities to work together on marketing and promotion, helping define the Welsh tourist experience. For example, heads of the valleys authorities providing a “walking in the footsteps of the industrial revolution” combined experience.

Encourage a more joined-up approach between the National Museums and Library and tourism. This means not just getting people visiting museums but promoting and encouraging visits to the areas represented in the collections and exhibitions.

Encourage the National Eisteddfod to do more to attract non-Welsh speaking visitors. We expect to see greater use of multi-lingual stewards and designated tours of the Maes available in many languages.

>The Eisteddfod is the Bulwark of Welsh language Welsh culture the more languages that you permit into the maes the more diluted its ethos is surely!

Promote Wales as the home of the summer season of festivals and events.

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The Welsh Liberal Democrats will stretch the Assembly’s new powers to the maximum. However the new procedures mean that before we can introduce any new laws we’ll have to get permission from the Secretary of State in London, through what will be called ‘Orders in Council’. This leaves Wales with a second-class Assembly whilst in Scotland they already have a proper parliament that does what is best for Scotland without having to first ask London for permission on what it can and cannot do.

>The current de-volution (I still hate that term de-evolution: it sounds like we become less human by having a government of the same national identity as ourselves) is flawed and dreadfully botched. I think that the majority of people in Wales will support a Parliament with powers to affect a real difference.

We will be ambitious when we demand an ‘Order in Council’, we have a lot to do for Wales and we need all the tools to do the job well.

We still want to see a proper parliament for Wales, and the Welsh Liberal Democrats remain committed to that goal. Wales can only have the full range of tools to do the job when it has a full Parliament with real powers. Allowing a Welsh Parliament to

>HEAR-HEAR, Plaid and Liberal democrats have one thing in common at least.

In government, require each minister, soon after taking office, to set out how their department would promote the Welsh economy by tackling economic inactivity, make the green switch and mainstream the Welsh language.

Develop and press for more Wales-specific statistics and research, so as to better inform policy and funding for Assembly Government initiatives.

>It always amuses me that so many people say that Wales is being subsidies by England, the fact is no one can tell if anyone is being subsidies by anyone else since corporation tax is not collected by region. And the fact that Wales pays its fair share for military installations that are based in southern England, and the nuclear deterrent that is based in Scotland means that it is highly likely that Wales isn’t getting out of the UK and equal amount to what it is putting in. Coupled with the fact that Westminster is currently paying back to Wales European subsidies that were earmarked for Wales that were diverted to England it does indeed look like Wales is being subsidised.

Press for a new funding formula that takes account of Wales’s needs and scrap the out-moded ‘Barnett Formula’ which fails Wales.Wales should have the power, as they do in Northern Ireland, to borrow funds to pay for specific needs and projects.

Give a Welsh Parliament the power to vary income taxes to suit our own circumstances, as they have in Scotland, subject to the support of the people of Wales in a referendum.

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Review the tendering and negotiations process concerning public finance initiatives (PFI) and public private partnerships. In some instances PFI has allowed private sector knowledge and best practice into public sector provision. It is not the best option in many cases, despite UK Government instructions to that effect. We would like to see a level playing field for all providers – traditional public sector, private sector and public benefit organisations.

>I would like to see PFI banned it is a huge waste of tax payers money. Gordon Brown prefers it because it keeps debts for hospitals and schools off the books, so he can be seen as a prudent chancellor! It is the most expensive perception management exercise in this countries history (is suspect).

Establish a Welsh version of the ‘Queen’s Speech’ to open the Senedd’s term each year with the Government outlining its programme for the year ahead, listing new legislation, new measures and what further transfer of functions it wants.

>Wales is a principality, so that would be a prince’s speech. I think that Welsh democracy can do without such formalities. The Senedd is a glorious building but it does not lend itself well to occasions of pomp and circumstance.

Transform the Assembly Government’s annual report into an independent annual report of facts and figures comparing the Assembly Government’s programme and targets with its delivery and outcomes.

>Devoid of spin doctors, would be a more objective document that would permit a greater transparency of the effectiveness and the achievements of the government.

We support the campaign to designate an internet Top Level Domain to Wales and will
examine the case for the Assembly Government to use a Wales-specific address.

Make the case for the voting age for Assembly and Local Government elections to be reduced to 16 and push for the powers to do so.

Wales has much to offer the world. The Welsh Assembly Government needs to be outward looking as well as inward looking, working with others to promote democracy and social and environmental justice across the globe.

Make a full contribution to promoting sustainable development, human rights and democracy in the world, working with and through the European Union, central government departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, and non-governmental organisations such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Cymru-Lesotho link, Oxfam and others.

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A £50m package to improve the dental health of Wales – Introducing more dental therapists and salaried dentists, toothpaste and tooth brushes for school children and support for dentists to serve areas of particular shortage.

£46m to improve the quality of our children’s learning environment – With smaller class sizes and more nutritious school meals.

And £150m to really tackle the issue of affordable housing in Wales – Not tampering with the costs from the side lines but dealing with the problem at source with a radical overhaul of the Social Housing Grant and the rules governing Housing Associations.

>That’s more punchy why do we have to wait till the last page for that!

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