The last week or so has seen a cascade of announcements from the UK Government about Wales with potentially more to come. So for we have:
* the demise of S4C
* the closure of the passport office in Newport
* the scrapping of the Severn Barrage without any commitment to invest in renewable tidal power (e.g.lagoons) in the Severn estuary
* going back to the drawing board in St Athan
and to cap it all today in all likelihood the ditching of the electrification of the South Wales to London mainline
I think what marks out these announcements in particular is a callous disregard for the people of Wales - based on a shared Conservative and Liberal Democrat zeal for cutting public services.
Now the more cynical might think - would you expect anything else?
However for the most part successive Conservative and Labour UK Government's and their Secretaries of State in Wales have pursued a largely common approach. While they may not have done much good, for the most part they didn't do much harm either (with the notable exception of John Redwood). Now, this may have been implicit, but there always seems to have been an underlying 'understanding' with the Welsh people. The British Government will invest e.g. the Royal Mint, Steel Mills, attempts to attract foreign direct investment, the ONS in Newport etc - in order at least in part to maintain the cohesiveness of the UK.
Put somewhat less positively though Wales is on its knees, the British Government has in the past agreed to provide some assistance, as long as we listened to their whispered counsel that if we were to try and stand on our own two feet we would inevitably fall flat on our face!
How times have changed - the new English Conservative - Liberal Democrat government is heedless of the historical approach, and seems destined, whipped up into a right wing ideological fury, to kick Wales hard and to grind our face into the ground.
With devolution now here to stay things I'm convinced that things will never be the same again - decent Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in Wales (and there are some) will face a major choice over the next few months. Will they revel in their Government's attack on Wales or will the join the fight back and join those of us that have long believed that we could and would do far better standing on our own two feet as a country and a people? We shall see, but I have little doubt that the vast majority of the people of Wales will never again trust an English Government to benignly look after their interests.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
The Defence Review
With much fanfare and pre-briefing the UK Government has announced its widely anticipated defence review.
The identification of cyber warfare and terrorism as the major security threats of the forthcoming decades is clearly correct. During the General Election campaign, I argued strongly that our forces needed to be suitable for the security threats of the 21st century - not for running an empire long gone! Needless to say both Tory and Labour politicians were keen to attack such a position - and yet now we have elements of the review clearly supporting our analysis. The decision to renew Trident has been put off for at least five years - testimony to the folly of such potential spending.
And as for the aircraft carriers ... it seems we will get two aircraft carriers - one which will carry no aircraft and another which could be sold within three years! And no - that isn't a line from a stand up comedian - that is the UK Government's plans for its 'carriers'!
There a major security challenges facing Europe over the next decades yet this half baked plan of the UK Government will waste more money and take us nowhere close to a well resourced force to deal with the security challenges ahead.
The identification of cyber warfare and terrorism as the major security threats of the forthcoming decades is clearly correct. During the General Election campaign, I argued strongly that our forces needed to be suitable for the security threats of the 21st century - not for running an empire long gone! Needless to say both Tory and Labour politicians were keen to attack such a position - and yet now we have elements of the review clearly supporting our analysis. The decision to renew Trident has been put off for at least five years - testimony to the folly of such potential spending.
And as for the aircraft carriers ... it seems we will get two aircraft carriers - one which will carry no aircraft and another which could be sold within three years! And no - that isn't a line from a stand up comedian - that is the UK Government's plans for its 'carriers'!
There a major security challenges facing Europe over the next decades yet this half baked plan of the UK Government will waste more money and take us nowhere close to a well resourced force to deal with the security challenges ahead.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Shadow Cabinet Elections
There has already been a considerable amount written about Welsh Labour MPs and their failure to be elected to Labour's Shadow Cabinet. Peter Hain has been keen to blame his inconsiderate colleagues for standing in the election, while the less said about Alun Michael's grand total of 11 votes the better!
The result exposes two aspects of the current position of the Labour MPs from Wales. One is that in stark contrast to the 80s and 90s where MPs like Ron Davies could top the shadow cabinet poll, the level of respect towards MPs from Wales from their colleagues in Scotland and England is at an all time low. But more broadly, and this may also be linked for the first point - their political skill leaves much to be desired. Elections are won and lost at the margins, and participants normally have a fair idea of the possible outcomes i.e. there is no way that most of the Welsh MPs could have come close to being elected even if they had run the most terrific campaigns. The clear suggestion is that they aren't particularly skilled politically, and have certainly failed to work as a Welsh team of MPs.
The longer term reaction to the result will be interesting. We may see further recriminations or potentially we may see in due course the appearance of a stronger Welsh Labour Parliamentary Party. Don't hold your breath on that one, but following Ed Miliband's strong choices for Junior Ministerial positions, including potentially at least one very effective Welsh MP there may be a chance for Welsh Labour MPs to redeem themselves.
The result exposes two aspects of the current position of the Labour MPs from Wales. One is that in stark contrast to the 80s and 90s where MPs like Ron Davies could top the shadow cabinet poll, the level of respect towards MPs from Wales from their colleagues in Scotland and England is at an all time low. But more broadly, and this may also be linked for the first point - their political skill leaves much to be desired. Elections are won and lost at the margins, and participants normally have a fair idea of the possible outcomes i.e. there is no way that most of the Welsh MPs could have come close to being elected even if they had run the most terrific campaigns. The clear suggestion is that they aren't particularly skilled politically, and have certainly failed to work as a Welsh team of MPs.
The longer term reaction to the result will be interesting. We may see further recriminations or potentially we may see in due course the appearance of a stronger Welsh Labour Parliamentary Party. Don't hold your breath on that one, but following Ed Miliband's strong choices for Junior Ministerial positions, including potentially at least one very effective Welsh MP there may be a chance for Welsh Labour MPs to redeem themselves.
Monday, 4 October 2010
Valleys Newspapers
I am very surprised at the news that Trinity Mirror is to axe the four editors of the Celtic group of newspapers and replace them with an Editor-in-Chief and ‘Contents Editor’.
The editors include two of the most experienced journalists in south Wales, Gary Marsh, of the Cynon Valley Leader, and Wayne Nowaczyk, who edits the Pontypridd Observer and Rhondda Leader.
I am writing to Alan Edmunds, the Publishing Editor at Media Wales, to express my regret and to ask if, even at this late stage, the decision can be reversed.
I feel deeply about this, as my great-grandfather J.L. Rowlands, co-founder of the Aberdare Leader in 1902, became its first editor, and my father, Rowland Davies edited the paper for six years in the 1980s.
Gary Marsh has worked hard to promote the Leader in the community and deserves better. He has been editor for some 16 years, making him the third longest-serving editor – after J.L. Rowlands and Gwyn Prosser.
The closure of the Leader Office in Aberdare was a body blow to the town, and this is further bad news for the newspaper and the readers.
Wayne’s departure will also undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on the newspapers he edits and break the contact between reader and editor.
To me, this means a downgrading of the newspapers in the Celtic group and shows a lack of respect for readers and the community as well as a lack of vision for the future of the newspapers and the group.
The editors include two of the most experienced journalists in south Wales, Gary Marsh, of the Cynon Valley Leader, and Wayne Nowaczyk, who edits the Pontypridd Observer and Rhondda Leader.
I am writing to Alan Edmunds, the Publishing Editor at Media Wales, to express my regret and to ask if, even at this late stage, the decision can be reversed.
I feel deeply about this, as my great-grandfather J.L. Rowlands, co-founder of the Aberdare Leader in 1902, became its first editor, and my father, Rowland Davies edited the paper for six years in the 1980s.
Gary Marsh has worked hard to promote the Leader in the community and deserves better. He has been editor for some 16 years, making him the third longest-serving editor – after J.L. Rowlands and Gwyn Prosser.
The closure of the Leader Office in Aberdare was a body blow to the town, and this is further bad news for the newspaper and the readers.
Wayne’s departure will also undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on the newspapers he edits and break the contact between reader and editor.
To me, this means a downgrading of the newspapers in the Celtic group and shows a lack of respect for readers and the community as well as a lack of vision for the future of the newspapers and the group.
Friday, 1 October 2010
Back to Blogging - Tower Open Cast
Apologies for not updating my blog regularly during the summer months, but I hope many of you have been following my activities on Twitter.
We had a very busy time leafleting and canvassing during my General Election campaign. It’s leafleting time again and I hope as many Plaid members and supporters as possible will join me and our regular band of leafleters.
This week, we were out with Coun. Karen Morgan in Hirwaun, dodging the showers to urge people to make their views known on plans for opencast mining at the Tower Colliery site, which will be considered by RCT Council’s Planning Committee.
Karen explains in her leaflet that, as a member of the Planning Committee, she cannot speak out in advance of the committee discussion, as that would prejudice her position as a committee member. But she is keen on hearing people’s views in advance of the meeting and is urging local residents to attend a public meeting about the plans in Hirwaun next Wednesday (October 6th), starting at 7pm.
The meeting is being organised by Hirwaun and Penderyn Community Council and is being held at Hirwaun Village Hall.
Tomorrow (Saturday, October 2nd), I’ll be chairing the final hustings for the South Wales Central hustings to decide which Plaid Cymru candidates go onto the four-person regional list for the Welsh Assembly elections next year. There’s a strong field of six candidates and I’ll be organising the counting of votes after the hustings have ended.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Court to Close in Aberdare
Amongst the stream of bad news coming from the Conservative / Liberal Democrat Government, one of the worst pieces of news that has emerged so far for the Cynon Valley is the proposed closure of the magistrates' court in Aberdare.
If these Ministry of Justice plans go ahead, it will cause great inconvenience for magistrates, staff, lawyers, defendants and witnesses, including police officers. The closure of a third of the magistrates' courts in England and Wales would save an estimated £40m, but much of this would be swallowed up by increased travelling costs and the cost of delays in hearing cases.
The Tory-led Government has said it will protect front-line services and help vulnerable people. But this threatens jobs and the administration of local justice, as well as causing inconvenience and difficulties for a great many people.
I am also very concerned about the plans to close Aberdare County Court.
I would urge people to take part in the consultation and make their views known to the Ministry of Justice. We need to retain our local facilities and these courts should remain in Aberdare.
If these Ministry of Justice plans go ahead, it will cause great inconvenience for magistrates, staff, lawyers, defendants and witnesses, including police officers. The closure of a third of the magistrates' courts in England and Wales would save an estimated £40m, but much of this would be swallowed up by increased travelling costs and the cost of delays in hearing cases.
The Tory-led Government has said it will protect front-line services and help vulnerable people. But this threatens jobs and the administration of local justice, as well as causing inconvenience and difficulties for a great many people.
I am also very concerned about the plans to close Aberdare County Court.
I would urge people to take part in the consultation and make their views known to the Ministry of Justice. We need to retain our local facilities and these courts should remain in Aberdare.
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Plastic Bag Levy
Apologies for the light / non-existent blogging recently. I think the it took longer to get over the election that I anticipated. Anyhow I'm fully refreshed now and looking forward to actively campaigning on a number of issues over the Summer. The challenge of cuts from the ConDem Government is a large one, and make no mistake we'll be there campaigning to protect public services across the Valleys.
On a far more positive note I was delighted to see that the Welsh Government has recently announced plans to charge 7p for single use carrier bags. This is a topic I've covered on this blog several times - indeed the Leader covered such a call from me in 2008. The evidence is crystal clear - once such a charge is introduced recycling of bags increases substantially and plastic bag usage can fall by up to 95%. So well done to the Welsh Government and particularly in this case the Welsh Environment Minister Jane Davidson.
On a far more positive note I was delighted to see that the Welsh Government has recently announced plans to charge 7p for single use carrier bags. This is a topic I've covered on this blog several times - indeed the Leader covered such a call from me in 2008. The evidence is crystal clear - once such a charge is introduced recycling of bags increases substantially and plastic bag usage can fall by up to 95%. So well done to the Welsh Government and particularly in this case the Welsh Environment Minister Jane Davidson.
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