Chanticleer

RSS Feed Homepage

The End
2007-05-25 15:26:00
And that, my friends, is it.With Rhodri back as First Minister, the assembly elections are as over as they're likely to be (for the next 24 hours at least), and it's time for my sojourn in the blogosphere to come to an end.Thanks for the comments and emails; my hearty appreciation goes to those correspondents who are now in my contacts book and will undoubtedly be hearing from me in a professional capacity as the fourth term of this Welsh assembly government progresses at pace.Should you wish to contact me the email address to the left will stay operational for a month or so. This blog will remain here until the nice people at blogger.com decide to remove it.I now hope to have a relaxing, though productive, summer. I hope you do too.

Labour Yoof
2007-05-25 02:00:00
Where is the Labour youth revolution? Conservative Future is the new, shiny, friendly and acceptable face of Conservatism on our university campuses.But when I tried to arrange a get-together of political students for a programme in the run-up to the elections on Cardiff uni radio this spring, Labour were incommunicado.They weren't registered as a society with the Students' Union, and had no point of contact for lazy hacks like me - or anyone who might be interested in joining them.Contrast this with Conservative Future, who have a growing presence in Cardiff, are well-coordinated and well-presented, and are reflecting on a grass-roots level what David Cameron appears to be offering on the national stage.If the Labour party in Wales are to reinvent themselves over the course of the next four years, their youth wing needs a dramatic overhaul too. There are plenty of elements in the Bay and at Transport House who are the Labour equivalent of the Tory Boys of the 21st century - geeky...

So, that settles it
2007-05-24 17:03:00
Plenary has been called for 13:00 tomorrow, when - for lack of an alliance candidate - Rhodri Morgan will be elected First Minister of a minority Labour government.The Liberal Democrats, in wanting to rewrite that old allegory about bolting the stable door, are going ahead with their special conference on Saturday. Around 20 members have asked Elgan Morgan, the party's conference bod, to keep their deposit on a board room at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells where the party will gather to unceremoniously line their AMs against the hotel wall and shoot them discuss what went wrong. They might want to glance at the post below.Plaid are peeved, though so are some Labour members who were hoping for a spell in opposition to really stir things up. Now both parties will have to battle on as damaged goods - Labour in a minority government, and Plaid with the humiliation of coming so close to running Wales but seeing their tentative agreement falling spectacularly apart.Secretly I'd...

Lib Dems: what went wrong?
2007-05-24 00:34:00
I haven't been at the Lib Dems ' meeting in Llandrindod Wells, but the outcome was hardly surprising giving the monumental struggle within the party that emerged once the election result was announced.Here are a few reasons why I believe it all went pear shaped.: Discontented AMs - Peter Black and Mick Bates publicly announced they would not support a Rainbow Alliance option. Both seemed to prefer four years in opposition to reorganise the party and up their game ahead of 2011. This includes replacing Mike German as leader. OK to clarify, Mick Bates said he wanted Labour to continue in minority government, rather than express dissatisfaction with a rainbow coalition.: Distracted AMs - Kirsty Williams has remained silent, though many suspect she preferred a deal with Labour all along and didn't want the Rainbow Alliance to get off the ground. Now a reluctant contender to replace German at the top.: Worried councillors - the party's councillors sitting in cabinets at four Lib Dem-l...
More About: Wrong , Went

Dead in the water
2007-05-23 23:49:00
So the Lib Dems have chosen not to go for a Triple Crown Rainbow alliance or whatever they're calling it.The whole thing seems to be dead in the water.Time for Plaid to get back on the blower to Rhodri?
More About: Water , Dead

Hay Festival 2007
2007-05-23 18:08:00
Tomorrow sees the start of the twentieth Hay Festival .I went last year for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My last-minute trip twelve months ago prompted me to be thoroughly prepared this time round (and early with the ticket-booking) so I'll be in Hay for eight of the next ten days.The highlights? The News Quiz and Any Questions for Radio 4 live from the festival site this Thursday and Friday, JPR Williams and Gruff Rhys on Saturday.Next week: Monday - Lesley Philips, the Radio Cymru debate, Sioned Davies discussing a new translation of the Mabinogion, the new poet laureate (Gwyn Jones) talking to the old (Gwyneth Lewis), and the unveiling of the short list for the Wales Book of the Year.Next Friday, the great Ogmore-by-Sea poet Dannie Abse.Saturday - Fergal Keane and William Hague (not together)And finally Sunday - Jeremy Bowen and John manning.Fingers crossed for good weather, though I already see that this Sunday looks set to be a wet one.(Oh.. Gordon Brown's chat c...

Reasons to be cheerful
2007-05-22 15:25:00
...for Glyn Davies and his general election hopes, at least.The Indie's reliable Pandora says rumours about Lembit running for Mayor of London are becoming more believable by the day:I am reliably informed, however, that the publicity friendly MP, who has revelled in his headline-grabbing relationship with Touch-My-Bum Cheeky Girl Gabriela Irimia, is now privately telling friends that he is "genuinely tempted" to have a surprise crack at Livingstone next year. "We [the Lib Dems] are struggling to find a high-profile candidate," says a loose-tongued pal of the Montgomeryshire MP. "Lembit repeatedly refuses to rule himself out if you ask about it.Hat tip: maes-e
More About: Reasons

Assembly Answers
2007-05-22 11:34:00
We've finally arrived at Coalition Tuesday - we'll know by the end of the day whether Rhodri's last-gasp effort to tempt Plaid has shattered the Conservatives' dreams of a partnership in the new Welsh Assembly Government.Of course, as Tomos Livingstone points out, if a Triple Crown agreement is reached, the Lib Dem membership could scupper the whole thing on Saturday and send us back to the ballot box.If an agreement isn't reached, it will reflect badly on Wales, our politicians and our electoral processes.Peter Black gives the impression he's a noble non-believer, laying down his convictions for the good of the party, and steadying the good ship Lib Dem Wales. Tough times call for tough measures.In the meantime, it's my end of term essay hand-in day so I will be in the pub from mid-day. Expect this blog to be as unreliable as ever with the news that matters.
More About: Answers

CUTV
2007-05-21 23:58:00
CUTV is a project that's set to revolutionise the student media experience at Cardiff University's students' union.Complementing the award-winning Xpress Radio, Gair Rhydd newspaper and Quench magazine, Cardiff Union Television will launch in the new academic year (2007-2008).Cardiff is one of the only Russell Group universities that doesn't offer its students a television station as part of its media portfolio.At the moment the union's media officer and myself are recruiting a team of students to help run CUTV in its inaugural year, establishing an on-demand internet television station that's set to rival the best in the country.If you are a student in Cardiff this autumn and would like to be involved with this exciting new venture, please contact me via email, or join either of the Facebook or Myspace groups.Likewise, if you are a television production company who would be interested in advising the new executive or hosting training workshops at Cardiff students' union, I w...

Arsembly over?
2007-05-20 17:42:00
Has Arsembly been rumbled?Former Conservative candidate Dylan Jones-Evans seems to think so.There hasn't been a post from Arse for a good few days (though he has been logging in to his Facebook account to accept new friend requests); is this an unscheduled break, or is the Prof correct and the anonymous one's "bosses" are on to him?UPDATE: Iain Dale has received word from the Arse:Over the last few months Arsembly has grabbed the Welsh politicalestablishment by the balls. In a short space of time it became Wales's numberone political blog. I always wanted to go out on a high, leaving the publicwanting more – and I have done just that. Happily for me, I am no longer workingin or around Welsh politics, but that does mean the blog would have beendifficult to keep up. It's been a hugely enjoyable few months, thank you to allmy readers, and particularly my anonymous sources, without whom this would nothave been possible. Rest assured your identities will be protected. Arsemblyhasn...

Jerusalem
2007-05-19 22:17:00
There was an excellent documentary by Lord Ashdown on Channel 4 tonight.Battle for the Holy Land: Jerusalem followed the former Lib Dem leader, UN representative to Bosnia, and ex-resident of Northern Ireland as he drew on his experiences in an attempt to unearth the fundamental arguments that pitch neighbours against each other in what's arguably the world's holiest city.The film ended with a remarkable series of clips which showed his interviewees all agreeing - to an extent - that they were prepared to live in peace, side by side. The problem lies with forty years of history attempting to steer all parties on a collision course that will inevitably lead to further conflict and suffering.If you get a chance to see it again, I'm sure it will be repeated on the digital channel More4 in future, or join me in experimenting with the new 4 On Demand service, which lets you download and view again any programmes you may have missed on C4.(What's great about 4OD is that it tends to ma...

Blair in Iraq
2007-05-19 18:22:00
Subscribers to the Channel 4 News "Snowmail" service will be familiar with the astute commentary often provided on the day's major issues as part of a preview of their evening programme.Today's offering is no different. Alex Thompson sums up wonderfully well one aspect of the consistent lack of understanding amongst Western leaders about the ways of the Middle East, and in this instance the relationship between Iraq and Iran:Mr Blair often speaks of Syria and Iran interfering in Iraq as if it's Paris sticking its nose into London. This displays a painful lack of appreciation that Iran being involved in Iraq IS the historic, cultural and religious norm - not some kind of diplo-military anomaly. But as ever, lack of understanding about Iraq remains the central difficulty that western politicians face. You can subscribe to Snowmail here.
More About: Lair

Where's Lembit?
2007-05-18 13:04:00
Vaughan Roderick has heard whispers about why Lembit Opik, the Welsh Liberal Democrat leader, was absent from last night's "historic" meeting in Llandrindod Wells.Apparently, he was in a London TV studio recording tonight's edition of Have I Got News For You.As Vaughan points out - a question of priorities, perhaps?Paul Flynn MP calls Lembit a 'media tart'. Quite.UPDATE: Cheekygate continues - the saga in full.UPDATE 2: It seems one tabloid regular has given dear Lembit some advice. Chris Tarrant hosts tonight's episode of HIGNFY: Referring to guest and Liberal Democrat politician Lembit Opik - whose partner is Cheeky Girls singer Gabriela Irimia - he said: "He wants to stop the press prying into his private life? Take my advice - pop out for a quiet curry. It works like a treat." (source)Will it take the voters of Montgomeryshire more than a poppadom to forgive his "anything-but-politics" mantra of late?

'Exclusive'
2007-05-17 19:44:00
Paul Flynn MP (Newport West) has been taking his local rag to task about their use of the word 'exclusive' in his latest blog posts.Speaking only from a radio point-of-view, it's great when you get to say your story's 'exclusive'; it's up there with 'breaking news this hour...' and 'sources tell [station]' as the buzzwords that make you feel your bulletin's striding ahead of the competition.We're all guilty of overusing the phrases, but you have to measure your use of the word 'exclusive' against the likelihood that anyone else would bother to have run the story, or if you really are the only person to be reporting it/have that exclusive angle.Paul's argument centres on comments made to the newspaper's website by readers, which supposedly appeared as an exclusive article in the paper the following day. I haven't seen the website or the paper, so I suggest checking things out via Mr Flynn's blog yourselves.One thing's for certain - the threat from blogs and other ...
More About: Exclusive

A cartoon classic
2007-05-17 17:48:00
My days of reading the Beano are (sadly) long gone, but my latest cartoon purchase is turning out to be a thoroughly recommended read.I'm not one for sci-fi cartoons (no really, despite being called a "nerd" by Betsan Powys for my blogging tendencies, outside the small world of Welsh politics I like to indulge in what I would consider "normal" behaviour) so the prospect of buying a book of cartoons from the makers of Spider-Man and Wonder Woman was always going to be unprecedented.The Illustrated 9/11 Commission Report is a fascinating read. I was unaware of its publication until I saw an item on its authors/illustrators on last weekend's Culture Show.I've taken a break from writing my essay on Anglo-Welsh poetry to get into the book today, and it's gripping. I thought the prospect of seeing Batmanesque "FLAMMMs" and "WHOOOSHes" would devalue the work and, to an extent, the original Commission report. Instead it adds a greater depth to the findings of the Commission and certainl...
More About: Cartoon , Classic

Glyn to win?
2007-05-15 00:01:00
After much hinting and online soul-searching, Glyn Davies has revealed he's ready for a cheeky challenge in Montgomeryshire in two years' time.His latest blog post says he's "applying for entry on the candidates list for the General Election," after being inundated with messages of support since losing his regional seat at the Senedd on May 3.So the battle-lines are being drawn - it could well be Glyn v Lembit in 2009.

Libs out, Plaid in
2007-05-13 09:22:00
Over the last few months, this blog (along with many others) may have given the impression that there was a certain sense of inevitability about the outcome of post-election coalition talks.Indeed, the Pope laying down his Rosary and devoting himself to a west Walian sacred bull seemed more plausible than a potential Lib-Lab deal being pushed off the table.Time, perhaps, to embrace alternative options for the next Welsh assembly government.Mick Bates has joined fellow Lib Dem AM Peter Black in ruling out a coalition with Labour - he'll say as much on this lunchtime's Politics Show.Meanwhile, in today's Wales on Sunday Matt Withers reckons the 'New Zealand' option will be embraced by Labour and Plaid , with the nationalists propping up a minority Labour WAG when the votes matter - in return for policy concessions.One assumes a ballot on independence isn't on the cards this time.UPDATE: Matt's piece is now online here.Interesting to note that Plaid's "red line" policies (i.e. t...

Number 1
2007-05-12 15:42:00
Time for some brown-nosing...Well done Red Dragon, who I supply with the bulk of my freelance broadcast journalism.They remain number one in their broadcast area, with more people tuning in at breakfast than to any other station (including Chris Moyles on Radio 1, Terry Wogan on Radio 2, and all local competition.)The icing on the cake was the announcement this week that GCap Media, Red Dragon's parent company, have won the new South Wales license.XFM South Wales now has two years to get on the air, though I understand it will be sooner rather than later. The new station is a local version of XFM, already available on DAB digital radio and in several other cities across Britian.
More About: Number

G-Wiz
2007-05-10 16:56:00
In a way that only Boris Johnson can, the Tory MP and sometime test-driver for GQ magazine sums up why the G-Wiz electric car should not be banned.The runabouts have just failed a standard industry test, which seemed to show there wasn't much left of the plastic/rubber inventions when they came into contact with a brick wall.However the average recorded speed of these "cars" is 10mph in inner-London, which may limit the likelihood of them coming to any great harm.(Click here for background, or here for a BBC video report on the G-Wiz failing safety tests)

The Blair era
2007-05-10 15:03:00
The people I've spoken to today have all expressed the feeling that 'it could have been worse.'I'm currently studying for a Shakespeare's Tragedies exam on Tuesday (so forgive my artistic digression) and on revisiting King Lear this morning I couldn't help being struck by this passage in Act 1 Scene 4 (247-249) when Lear begins to realise his daughters (to whom the country has just been handed over) are about to undermine him:O Lear, Lear, Lear!Beat at this gate, that let thy folly in, (striking his head)And thy dear judgement out!Is Blair 's departure a case of 'you don't know what you've got til it's gone'? And is this the end of New Labour?
More About: Lair

First day back
2007-05-09 13:37:00
...And the shock news from the Assembly is that Lord Elis-Thomas has again been elected Presiding Officer, and the worst kept secret in Cardiff Bay has produced Rosemary Butler as his deputy.Lib Dems Peter Black and Eleanor Burnham are sat behind their (current) leader, Mike German, in the siambr. They have yet to scratch each others eyes out, and as far as I can tell neither are carrying knives with which to stab German in the back.Perhaps the damage has already been done.
More About: Back

So, farewell then...
2007-05-08 18:18:00
A number of blogs have disappeared into the ether of election night.Alun Pugh's blog has followed in the tradition of his cabinet post and assembly seat - it's vanished. Err it's sort of back up this afternoon, but not saying anything new.Richard Hazlewood evidently has his hands full with the new Tory additions to the Assembly, meaning Sky Blue Thinking has kicked the bucket.Plaid's Swansea West candidate Ian Titherington has packed it in.Dylan Jones Evans still has his campaign blog intact, but from now on his academic ramblings will have to suffice.A number of others have gone quiet since election night, but haven't dropped off the radar just yet.Sadly, Welsh Women's Voice and Dear Julie Morgan MP remain in full working order.
More About: Farewell , Well , Then

Lib Dem coalition: No Deal
2007-05-08 16:43:00
The Lib Dem AM for South Wales West, Peter Black, is opposed to going in to government with any party:...I believe that we need to stand aside from government this time and reaffirm our independence, our radicalism and our relevance. It's the latest shot from Black after four days of a heated public falling-out between the pro- and anti-Mike German Lib Dem group in the assembly.German remains perilously close to losing his position as leader of the party in Cardiff Bay when a leadership election is eventually called. The Liberal Democrats' constitution (as I understand it) demands a leadership contest within a year of an assembly election. The sooner the better, for Peter Black at least. He told the Richard Evans programme on BBC Radio Wales yesterday that he has no ambitions for the top job himself. Eleanor Burnham has also ruled out running for leader. Kirsty Williams can be assumed to be the only likely successor - and certainly endorsed by Black and Burnham.Peter cites Jenny R...
More About: Deal , Coalition

Bonjour. Shwmai.
2007-05-07 23:35:00
Is Tony going to record a tape in Welsh when we finally learn who our new First Minister is?By all accounts he's made good work of this French effort for Sarko.

End of the year
2007-05-07 22:29:00
Blogging is going to be rather sporadic for a couple of weeks due to the climax of the academic year. Two exams next week and four essays due in a fortnight mean things are a bit behind schedule.We had the Cardiff University student media awards on Saturday night which were the height of sophistication. Only joking, it was a drunken riot but thoroughly good fun! Lizo from Newsround was our host. The legend that precedes every students' favourite TV show on an afternoon (i.e. Neighbours) presented the awards for us at the Cardiff Hilton and did a terrific job! He even offered his services for free, which is more than can be said for some notable Welsh "celebrities" who were sussed out during the booking process.This week is also bitter-sweet as I will officially be handing over the reigns as news editor at the university radio station, Xpress, to my elected successors. I've increased the output and commitment of the news team to the station by such a degree this year that it's bec...
More About: Year