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The Queen
2007-06-03 01:59:00
I hate to spoil a surprise, so you'll have to wait until later today or even buy the Wales on Sunday to find out the identity of the two Plaid AMs who are giving the Queen 's assembly visit a miss next week.They'll be visiting a homeless charity in Swansea instead, as you do. And a number of eminent republicans are backing them.But why aren't there more of these eminent republicans within the ranks of Plaid itself? After all, this is a party which wants to see an independent, socialist Wales. One would have thought the idea of a British monarchy was pretty inimical to that goal.Of course, Welsh nationalism has often gone hand in hand with a sort of soft royalist tradition which has served both sides well. After all, much of the idea of 'Welshness' we now treasure was concocted by dreamy sycophants in nineteenth century London boozers.Are Plaid Cymru today really so different?
More About: The Queen

M4 Ministers
2007-06-02 01:47:00
Much has been made of Rhodri's so-called 'Glamorganshire Cabinet' (see below for Mumph's take on it). It is certainly odd that the only people deemed to have any ministerial talent hark from a narrow corridor in South Wales. This plays right into the hands of Ieuan Wyn Jones , of course. He still wants to form an all-Wales government, albeit one with barely a constituency seat to show for itself in and around the capital. But as far as valleys dwellers are concerned, the man is from a different planet. He may bang on about supporting the Newport Gwent Dragons, but most people in these parts put on 888 even when he's speaking in English.And so, if and when a rainbow coalition makes its move, they'll have the very opposite problem. How can a bunch of North and West Walian nationalists propped up by dickie bow wearing Tories possibly earn the trust of South Wales' industrial heartlands?Answer: the gang of four won't just have to get behind a rainbow coalition if that's what the...
More About: Rhodri Morgan , Ministers , Rainbow Coalition , Minister

Gone fishin'
2007-06-01 13:38:00
No blogging today.Making the most of the sun and the relatively calm waters of Cardiff Bay.In the meantime, thanks to anon for flagging up the latest musings of Simon Jenkins (no relation):Wales's Labour administration under Rhodri Morgan has been much the same. It is proto-nationalist in all but name, denying affinity to its London parent and buying the Plaid Cymru ticket on everything from broadcasting to bloated public payrolls. It has backed Welsh language and culture, but neither Morgan nor his nationalist rivals have shown concern for such emblems of Welsh nationhood as its landscape and coastline or its historic houses towns and villages, or even its chapels. Instead, if the British want to give Wales money to despoil the Cambrian mountains (like the Highlands and islands in Scotland) with wind turbines, then nationalism means grab the money.I have no doubt that if Birmingham and Liverpool proposed to flood Welsh valleys for cash today, as they did in the 19th and early 20th...
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Plotters snubbed as Rhodri sticks to familiar faces
2007-05-31 16:30:00
Rhodri Morgan's new cabinet:First Minister: Rhodri MorganMinister for Health and Social Services: Edwina HartMinister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language: Carwyn JonesMinister for the Economy and Transport: Dr Brian GibbonsMinister for Sustainability and Rural Development: Jane DavidsonMinister for Social Justice and Public Service Delivery: Andrew DaviesMinister for Budget and Business: Jane HuttIn addition to the seven Cabinet posts above, the First Minister has appointed Carl Sargeant as Chief Whip and Deputy Business Minister. He will attend all Cabinet meetings. The First Minister will also announce the appointment of new Deputy Ministers shortly.To be updated...So, here it is at last. The cabinet which will govern Wales for at least the next fortnight.Despite earning a reputation as an absolutely gafftastic First Minister, Rhodri Morgan ain't stupid. He's identitified three issues which might cause a flare up between the government and the opposition (thus p...
More About: Faces , Liar , Otter , Familia , Stick

Pleidiol wyf i'm beth?
2007-05-31 12:11:00
Ydy Cymru'n gwlad yntai'n genedl? Dyna dw i'n gofyn yn fy ngholofn yn Golwg yr wythnos hon.Ymhlith yr holl drafodaethau clymbleidio rhwng y pleidiau wedi'r etholiad, mae'n debyg fod y mater hwn wedi dod i'r brig. Yn ol pob son, roedd yna gwrthwynebiad egwyddorol yn y Blaid Lafur ac ymysg y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol i'r gair 'cenedl' yn nogfen Plaid Cymru . Yn wir, newidiodd y Blaid Lafur yr is-deitl 'Adeiladu Cenedl' yn nogfen Plaid Cymru i 'Gymru Cryfach' yn ei ddogfen ei hun.Ond beth ar wyneb y ddaear sy?n bod â?r gair 'cenedl'? Wedi?r cyfan, mae?n syniad sydd wedi codi mewn nifer o areithiau amlycaf Gordon Brown.Dwn i ddim. I fi mae Cymru yn gwlad ac yn genedl. Mae Prydain yn wladwriaeth ac mae Ewrop (ar hyn o bryd) yn gawlach llwyr. ***************************************** *************A topic pinched from my column in Golwg this week...One of the sticking points in the post-election coalition negotiations was over the alleged nationalist rhetoric in Plaid Cymru's ...
More About: Lib Dems , Beth

Giggs buggers off
2007-05-30 17:50:00
Just as David Beckham is relaunching his England career, his former teammate Ryan Giggs has decided that Saturday's game against the Czech Republic will be his last for Wales .The idea of 'retiring' from international football has always struck me as odd. I don't think any self-respecting countryman should give up on the chance to represent his nation.In truth, Giggs has always been a bit iffy about turning out for Wales. And if he's not keen on carrying on, he should take his hairy little frame back to Manchester for good. He's the captain, for God's sake. What sort of message does that give out? If at first you don't succeed, give up and have a personalitiless sulk with Paul Scholes?The bailing out culture of modern football has got to stop. These guys are paid astronomical amounts of money and whether they like it or not they are role models to children all over the globe. With John Toshack snubbing experienced pros and experienced pros snubbing John Toshack, there's a re...
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Stop internet repression
2007-05-30 13:20:00
Some people just don't get free speech.I've written many times about the people who abuse it. But back in October (readership: zero) I wrote about the people who try to restrict it. And that's a far worse crime.Amnesty, though, is on the case.The worst we have to deal with when we step out of line is Leighton Andrews getting a bit cross. But in China and Egypt people are sent to jail just for having their say. And Microsoft, Yahoo! and Google help to put them there.There will be a live internet solidarity event on Wednesday 6 June at 18:30. In the meantime, check out their website: irrepressible.info
More About: Internet , Stop , Sion

Who'll be in the Labour government cabinet?
2007-05-30 01:53:00
When Rhodri Morgan announces his cabinet tomorrow, Labour will be left with as many or fewer rank and file assembly members than any of the other political parties except for Trish Law and the six independents formerly known as the Lib Dems.Quite simply, Labour's twelve backbenchers (I'm not counting the DPO) are going to be stretched. From now on, the assembly isn't a glorified council chamber, it's a would-be government. That means more responsibility for ministers and non-ministers alike.Tomorrow, Rhodri will form a government of all the talents. And after he's done that, he'll make up the numbers to fill the remaining posts.I'm not going to go through them one by one, because frankly the Welsh cabinet is much of a muchness with a few notable exceptions. The key questions are: (1) What will he do with health?Easy. He sends Brian Gibbons back to Sesame Street and puts a big name in to try and sort it out. This chalice won't just be filled with poison, it will be brimming ...
More About: Government , Cabinet , Cabin , Inet

German Retriever
2007-05-29 13:10:00
On Saturday afternoon Mike Germ an pulled the Lib Dems back from the brink as they voted overwhelmingly in favour of sharing power with Plaid and the Conservatives. But will he be the Golden Shepherd of this mongrel coalition project? Or will his party kick him out before he gets his hands on that ministerial Mondeo?The Lib Dem joke book constitution states that there must be a leadership election within twelve months of an assembly election. We know this because they keep telling us, not because we've actually seen it. The document itself is kept in a Mid Wales hovel, eagerly guarded by two old ladies from Radnorshire who are worried about catching a STV.What's certain is that there are now only eleven months left before there must be a leadership election. If Plaid green light the rainbow coalition, there may be a case for holding the contest before they enter government. After all, they'd be voting for Deputy First Minister as well as party leader.With that in mind, here's a b...
More About: Mike German , Erma , Retriever

Cerdd Dant Ache
2007-05-28 16:40:00
It's that time of year again. S4C shelves the farming programmes for a week and dedicates its entire airtime to that festival of over-exaggerated facial expressions otherwise known as the Urdd Eisteddfod.Tune in on Monday for seven year-olds straining their cheekbones to convey some hackneyed emotion or other through speech or song.Tune in on Saturday and all that's changed is the trouser measurements.But worst of all must be the bloody Cerdd Dant. We Welsh are enormously proud of this unique art form. Unique, that is, because the rest of the world wouldn't go near the idea (except for this website in Japan, which as far as I can make out seems unusually keen on it).Cerdd Dant is a performance for harp and voice (or voices - equally bad). And this is how it works: The harp plays a 'cainc' - a traditional melody. The voice sings a counter-melody. Literally. This is about as contrary to the notion of melody as you will ever hear.It is completely musically backwards and about as t...

Wish you were there?
2007-05-28 01:32:00
Whoppee! It's the Whistun break and our hard-working politicians are enjoying a week in the sun. All except those who've decided to holiday in Wales, that is.So what's the state of the nation? Well, it's a complete and utter shambles. Good job, bring on the Pina Coladas. On Friday, Rhodri Morgan became first minister of a minority Labour administration. On Saturday, the Lib Dems voted to pursue a rainbow coalition with Plaid and the Tories which would necessitate his removal.The ball is now very much in Plaid's court. But rather than smash it down the line for a winner, Ieuan Wyn Jones is hanging on to it for a game of keepie uppies.The noises coming from the Plaid camp are that they now have time to discuss the rainbow option in earnest. I was on a panel with Rhodri Glyn Thomas the other day and he suggested they wouldn't necessarily need to make a move before the summer. Speaking on yesterday's Maniffesto programme, Ieuan Wyn Jones implied that the party's national counci...
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Who are you?
2007-05-26 01:05:00
It's Saturday. Everyone's resigned to the fact that we've got a new first minister. And yet the Liberal Democrats are still plugging away.After ruining both the prospect of a Lib-Lab coalition and a Rainbow Coalition they are now focusing on tearing themsevlves apart. Today, they meet for a special conference. And yet the only remaining chance of a rainbow is in one of Peter Black's increasingly repulsive ties. How many Lib Dem activists, I wonder, would like to tighten that particular knot?But amidst the recriminations, don't you think we have a right to know who voted against the triple alliance on Wednesday night? I'm told there were 18 people eligible to vote in the national executive ballot which sent the rainbow coalition crashing back to earth. But Lib Dem members never got a chance to have their say. Instead, they were shafted by a bunch of councillors and party stooges.Here's a list of the Lib Dem national executive:Alastair BakerTreasurer, Welsh Liberal Democrats N...

The dawn of an old era
2007-05-25 10:46:00
After weeks of haggling, bitching, briefing, capitulating and then recapitulating it's come down to this: another minority Labour government.Rhodri Morgan will today resume the post of first minister. And he'll do it with only 25 of the 60 available votes.Despite all the rhetoric of the election campaign, Wales has neither a 'stable government' nor an 'agreed policy programme'. We did our bit - the electorate went to the polls with a slightly increased turnout and gave their verdict. But the politicians have, quite simply, failed to deliver. So, what next?Well, fresh from failing to agree even to disagree gracefully, they will now stall and stutter for weeks and months to come. There's a lack of trust and general sense of deflation in Cardiff Bay, which is just what you need at the start of another four year term.But there's also a great deal of instability and division. Because the men who spectacularly failed to broker a deal last time may not be trusted to do so again. Mo...
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The final twist?
2007-05-24 15:31:00
You never quite know what you're going to get with Lib Dem activists.Yesterday, their national executive turned its back on a coalition document which would have given them PR in local government and the free toothbrushes they so desperately craved. You can now see that document HERE or you can download your own copy HERE.But it seems some of them haven't give up the fight. They're hoping to call a special conference on Saturday after all. I'm told activists are collecting signatures to force a meeting.So could there be a final twist in this post-election political farce?Maybe. But it will most likely be a twist of the knife in their leader's back - a public stage upon which to to complete the extraordinary self-destruction of the Liberal Democrats over the past three weeks.UPDATE: Plaid confirm plenary will go ahead tomorrow as planned. Rhodri Morgan will become first minister and the inquest will begin.UPDATE: Believe it or not I actually have things to do today. But I can't...
More About: Final , Fina , Twist

Shafted!
2007-05-24 03:51:00
It's no secret that the Lib Dems' six AMs don't get on. Now, they've got no friends in any of the other parties either. A week after resoundingly turning their back on Labour, they have dealt a similar blow to the prospect of a Plaid-led rainbow coalition.This is, quite simply, bizarre. The very same personnel that voted last week to end negotiations with Labour have now chosen opposition over government. This is despite the fact that none of the three groups which made up last night's meeting actually voted against a rainbow coalition.The negotiating team and the AMs both voted in favour, but the national executive was a dead heat. Without a majority in all three groups, the Lib Dems could not authorise a special conference. In the end, the deal which promised to revolutionise the way politics is conducted in Wales has been scuppered by just one unelected officer on an internal Lib Dem council.The consequences are enormous. Not only is Mike German's leadership now under sever...

Will Black spoil the rainbow? UPDATE: Yes!
2007-05-23 23:02:00
Two key meetings tonight, both in Llandrindod. The Conservatives' management board are meeting in the 1930s Metropole Hotel - I'm told it's a shoo in. Meanwhile the Lib Dem National Executive is getting together in the Media Resource Centre. This is much more difficult to call. Even though they voted by 9-3 to suspend talks with Labour last week, a number of Lib Dem legends and Peter Black are thought to be against teaming up with Plaid and the Tories. Activists were out in numbers - thought to be at least 12 - to make their opposition known. "What do we want?""Constitutional reform and the introduction of a single transferable voting system in local government," they shouted."When do we want it?""After a majority vote in the national executive, a special conference in an unspecified location and even then not really," they cried.To be updated.UPDATE: The Lib Dems have voted to halt all talks. That means the end of the rainbow.Lib Dem leader (for the moment) Mike German said: "We...
More About: Welsh Assembly Election 2007 , Update , Rainbow , Rainbow Coalition

The deal Plaid left behind
2007-05-23 10:49:00
More details are emerging of the deal Plaid turned down to concentrate solely on forming a rainbow coalition. It is thought Labour were offering a referendum on a Scottish-style parliament, a review of the Barnett formula AND a new Welsh Language Act (in some form). I also understand that at the time Plaid voted to sever talks with Labour, Rhodri Morgan's team were perusing the very same document on health reconfiguration which had been submitted to the Lib Dems and the Tories. Even though Labour had earlier rejected the idea of a moratorium on the reconfiguration programme, the four AMs who voted against suspending negotiations clearly thought there was still hope of reaching an agreement on this and other key issues.Nevertheless, the other Plaid AMs decided that talks were not progressing at a sufficient pace. And yet, had this offer been on the table on May 4th, surely they would have snapped it up?
More About: Welsh Assembly Election 2007 , Plaid Cymru , Left , Deal , Behind

The return of two party politics
2007-05-23 01:46:00
Problem is, they're both Plaid Cymru.The decision, yesterday, of the party's assembly group to stop negotiating with Labour and take Wales within touching distance of a rainbow coalition government was far from unanimous. After hours of debate, four women remained unconvinced. They will now make the case for rejecting a deal with the Tories and the Lib Dems in the run up to Saturday's key vote of the National Council, which must authorise any potential alliance.Helen Mary Jones, Leanne Wood, Bethan Jenkins and Nerys Evans form a feisty female quartet, intent on spilling what they consider to be a rapidly diminishing pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There are two major sticking points.Firstly, they say: "We fought this election on a platform to deliver a proper Parliament for our nation. A deal with the Conservatives would undermine the chance of delivering that goal."There's no reference here to Tories actively blocking plans for further devolution. I don't believe they a...
More About: Politics , Party , Return , The Return , Turn

Happy Birthday Ieuan
2007-05-22 15:45:00
"It's just what I've always wanted. Thanks Dafydd.""No problem," said Mr Wigley. "It's a lovely Welsh frame, though that photo of me is quite old now. I'll even sign it if you want, Ieuan.""That won't be necessary, Dafydd."And what's this Helen - a scarf?"Today, Ieuan Wyn Jones celebrates his birthday. It looks set to be one he'll never forget.At 3pm, Plaid have their group meeting. They'll be discussing the document that looks set to make him First Minister.This morning, I had a chat with Nick Bourne - Deputy First Minister elect. He was in good spirits. Mike German will have to settle for Assistant Deputy First Minister or Deputy Deputy First Minister. Whichever makes him sound less desperate:)But he will, at least, have something to sell to his members at the Lib Dems' special conference on Saturday. While Peter Black remains "fundamentally opposed" to any kind of coalition, Mike German will be on the verge of delivering the closest thing the party has to a raison d'et...
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On the verge of power or the brink of despair?
2007-05-22 02:12:00
After two years waiting, I have finally watched City of the Lost Children. And I didn't understand a minute of it. An awful lot of Welsh people probably feel the same way. We went to the polls almost three weeks ago and yet most voters will still be none the wiser as to what's going on.The film is a sort of dystopian fantasy in which people pull out each other's eyeballs and eat them. Not dissimilar, some Plaid members would say, to life under a rainbow coalition.By the end of play today, it should be almost certain who'll be forming a government as the next first minister of Wales. Barring a miracle, it'll be Ieuan Wyn Jones.This will make some Plaid supporters very very cross. Back in December I wrote that "most Plaid AMs would rather cut off their right leg, put it in a mincer and eat it between two slices of certain death than go into coalition with the Tories." It's still true, of course, it's just that some of them now think that's a price worth paying.But I wrote thos...
More About: Power , Pair , The V , Despair

Flash in the arse
2007-05-21 15:26:00
He's gone. And so soon after his relaunch too.I wonder what tipped him over the edge?
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Job vacant: Leader, Welsh Labour
2007-05-21 01:27:00
Perhaps not quite yet. But soon.A new administration in Cardiff Bay will need a new opposition. Why should Rhodri hang around for two years to size up against a government he'll never face in an election. Why should Labour AMs let him? All the signs are that they won't. And Carwyn Jones' status as Lead er in waiting has never looked more precarious. He's considered to be far too chummy with the nationalists to provide the bite Labour would require in opposition.So who might it be then - Jane Davidson, Andrew Davies, Edwina Hart? Or does someone else have their eyes on the prize? Let's see...Who was straight out of the blocks, doing the tricky interviews in the immediate aftermath of the election?Who was calling for the Labour party to reflect and change?Who was quoted in the Western Mail alongside the 'leaked' draft document that Labour proposed, rubbishing it before it got to the table?Who hates the Tories almost as much as he hates Plaid Cymru?Huw He would be perfect, wouldn...
More About: Welsh , Vacant , Cant

Sense and responsibility
2007-05-20 01:04:00
Something very strange happened to me yesterday.I was sitting in the pub watching the FA cup. (not strange)Drinking coke. (not strange)My mate shouted "C'mon United, get into those STUPID CHEL-SAY TU-WATS". Very loudly. The pub chuckled. (not strange)And then, a bunch of replica shirt wearing fellows behind me started discussing coalitions. (very strange)Would a triple alliance have any legitimacy, they wondered. After all, Labour is by far the largest party.I can't quite describe how excited I felt. This has never happened before. Up until now, the only people I've ever heard talking about Welsh politics have been geeks or opportunists (otherwise known as the media and political elite).Whether or not we do eventually get a rainbow coalition government, the prospect of one has certainly made people take a bit more interest in who is proposing to do what with the running of the country.Cue the scare stories. Paranoid Plaid supporters talk about 'losing the valleys', the Tories'...
More About: Sense , Bili , Ense , Sens

Dealbreakers
2007-05-18 11:09:00
The reason Ieuan Wyn Jones might just be sworn in as first minister by the end of the month is that there is actually a remarkable amount of overlap between the parties looking to form a rainbow coalition. I know because I read the bloody manifestos. And if the Lib Dems ever dare to produce a document as long and tedious as that again I'll ram it up their letter box:)Beyond the really important issues, like the free laptops, lightbulbs and toothbrushes, there is agreement (or wiggle room) in a number of key areas. Whether it's a new Welsh language act, moves towards a referendum on further devolution, PR in local government or making the green switch, the parties have much in common. And now that talks are underway, they'll finally be able to stop pretending they are all so incredibly different.It's the Tories, however, who have most to lose in terms of traditional ideological ground. While Plaid and the Lib Dems may be bargaining on the basis of specific policy commitments, the...
More About: Breakers , Brea

There's no red in rainbow
2007-05-17 23:28:00
The Lib Dems' National Executive has voted to suspend talks with Labour and concentrate solely on discussions with Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives on forming a rainbow coalition.The Conservatives have also confirmed that they are negotiating with Plaid Cymru with a view to an official agreement which would see Tory AMs joining the cabinet under Ieuan Wyn Jones. This development gives real momentum to the prospect of a non-Labour government in the assembly for the first time in its history. Labour intend to put forward Rhodri Morgan as first minister whatever the outcome of the other parties' negotiations. But a Plaid deal with the Lib Dems and the Tories would see Ieuan Wyn Jones mirror the achievement of his Scottish counterpart and become Wales' first nationalist leader. [In a separate incident, a shocked shop owner from Montgomeryshire reported that a former Conservative AM rushed into her store earlier this evening and bought her entire supply of party poppers. Margaret Gil...
More About: Rainbow , Here , There , Rainbo

An extra 28 days to negotiate (with minimal death)
2007-05-17 01:23:00
Time is running out for our plucky AMs. If they can't get behind a first minister by next Friday (Saturday at a push) the whole of the country will grind to a halt instantly and there will be bedlam on the streets.What's that, you say? Wales has been chugging along quite happily without a government? S4C2 hasn't been inundated with sackfulls of requests to play library footage of plenary sessions? Oh.But, if the suited and the scarved in Cardiff Bay really need a couple of extra weeks to cut a deal, there is a possible way out.All they need to do is come up with an evil murderous plot.Much like the offering of a sacrificial virgin in Russian folklore, all assembly members must do is select one of their own to die for the cause of Welsh politics. First they nominate a first minister, then they kill him. That's because the government of Wales Act allows the assembly 28 days to nominate a first minister in the event that he passes away. Simple.In fact, they need not even kill the c...
More About: Minimal , Death , Days , Extra , Xtra

Rainbow selecta
2007-05-16 11:12:00
After yesterday's Labour group meeting, Rhodri Morgan conceded that he'd knocked on a few doors but nobody would come out and play.Meanwhile, Ieuan Wyn Jones might just be fastening his velcro straps in readiness to pounce.Lib Dem leader Mike German is bouncing around eagerly, waiting to share his limited selection of toys. And Tory chief Nick Bourne is carefully guarding his Transformer set, in case IWJ can supply him with the batteries to fire it up.Plaid Cymru group meeting: today, 10am.If Ieuan Wyn Jones wants the top job, he can have it.By the way, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This new blog doesn't seem to know who it wants to copy:)Also, I'll be on AM/PM (BBC 2) at lunchtime to talk about the etymology of the word 'fudge' coalitions and stuff.UPDATE: Plaid Cymru will now begin proper negotiations with Labour on the one side and the Lib Dems and the Tories on the other. They'll meet again next week to decide on their preferred option. Meanwhile, ...
More About: Rainbow , Selec , Select , Sele , Selecta

When a defeat feels like a defeat
2007-05-15 22:49:00
Remember back before the election, when Rhodri Morgan said he'd "leave the stage" if he thought Labour had suffered a defeat? Then, like spoons to a chocolate fudge cake in fat camp, we all leapt in with wild estimations about what that might constitute.Most people settled on 24 seats. Yeah, that would be a bad enough result all right.But.He didn't say anything about number of seats. Instead, what he talked about was translating votes into a Labour government: "If they want Labour to continue, then Labour voters have got to come out and vote Labour - that's the key message."So, could it still be a 'defeat' if the other three parties come together to form a rainbow coalition?Could it still be a 'defeat' if he can't persuade one of the other parties to join a formal coalition?Could it still be a 'defeat' if he can only secure 'general support' and not the 'confidence and supply' arrangement which would put the government in a more secure position?Who knows (apart from R...
More About: When , Like , Feel , Feat , Eels

Tenei Te Tangata Puhuruhuru*
2007-05-15 01:14:00
Keep a keen eye on airport departure lounges over the next few weeks. The assembly has a further 22 days to elect a first minister, which would take them conveniently into their Whitsun holidays.In the meantime, nobody except Mike German is returning Rhodri's calls. So Wales goes on without a government. And the longer it goes unresolved, the more people are talking about Labour going it alone with Plaid or the Lib Dems backing them up in a confidence and supply type arrangement.This, we are endlessly told, is the New Zealand model. They even sent over a cabinet minister to give Rhodri some tips on how it's all supposed to work.But hang on a minute, why are we taking lessons from a country that's only got one vowel sound?Their election was won narrowly by the Labour party, but only after what has been described as a "dirty campaign punctuated by threats and bullying". Even then, the auditor general found they overspent by $768,000 and ordered them to pay it back.Despite the predi...
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Veto or not veto?
2007-05-14 01:50:00
Things are hotting up in Cardiff Bay. You could poach an egg with the steam rising from Peter Black's cranked up assault on his own party's leadership. And elsewhere, there are mutterings and counter-mutterings about what sort of shape the next Government of Wales might take. My confident prediction is pear.Anyway, before we get on to all that, there's a loose end to tidy up. This weekend, I posted on the practical inevitability of a referendum on conferring further legislative powers on the assembly. But there's been some debate in the comments (and also on other blogs) about whether the Welsh Secretary, currently Peter Hain, could veto such a move.This is what the Government of Wales Act has to say about it:(3) The Secretary of State must, within the period of 120 days beginningimmediately after the day on which [the referedum request, section 103(1)] is received?(a) lay a draft of a statutory instrument containing an Order in Councilunder section 103(1) before each House of P...
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