Saturday, August 09, 2025
Badfinger
He will probably be best remembered for writing "Without You" which enjoyed world-wide success when recorded by Harry Nilsson in 1972.
The plaque was attached to the exterior of High Street Train Station because of its proximity to the adjacent Ivey Place where the band would meet to practice. Before they became Badfinger the band took the name The Iveys after this place name.
Wikipedia records that Ham grew up in Gwent Gardens, at the foot of the Townhill estate:
He attended Gors Junior School, and showed early signs of musical talent. He frequently played harmonica on the school playground. His older brother John was a jazz trumpeter, and encouraged young Ham to enter the Swansea music scene. One of Pete's first jobs was as an apprentice television and radio engineer.
He formed a local rock group called The Panthers circa 1961. This group would undergo several name and line-up changes before it became The Iveys in 1965. In 1968, The Iveys came to the attention of Mal Evans (The Beatles' personal assistant) and were eventually signed to the Beatles' Apple Records label after approval from all four Beatles, who were reportedly impressed by the band's songwriting abilities.
The Iveys changed their name to Badfinger with the single release of "Come and Get It", a composition written by Paul McCartney that became a worldwide top-ten hit.
Ham had initially protested against using a non-original to promote the band, as he had gained confidence in the group's compositions, but he was quickly convinced of the springboard effect of having a likely hit single. His own creative perseverance paid off eventually, as his "No Matter What" became another top-ten worldwide hit in late 1970. He followed up with two more worldwide hits in "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue".
Ham's greatest songwriting success came with his co-written composition with bandmate Tom Evans called "Without You" – a worldwide number-one when it was later covered by Harry Nilsson and released in 1971. The song has since become a standard and has been covered by hundreds of singers, most notably Mariah Carey who made it a worldwide hit again in 1994. An Ivor Novello award for Song of the Year was issued in 1973 along with Grammy nominations.
George Harrison used Ham's talents for a number of album sessions, including on the All Things Must Pass album and for other Apple Records artist's recordings. This friendship culminated with Ham's acoustic guitar duet on "Here Comes the Sun" with Harrison at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, documented in the theatrical film of the concert.
I met Pete Ham's brother John once, I believe in Pentrehafod Comprehensive School, which serves my community. For years, the Ham name lived on in Swansea through the John Ham Music Shop on Mansel Street, which sold musical instruments.
Friday, August 08, 2025
UK Homelessness minister resigns after embarrassing claims
An earlier report said that Rushanara Ali, who has previously criticised "unreasonable rent increases" reportedly gave the renters four months notice that their lease would not be renewed. They say that it has been subsequently claimed that the East London home was subsequently re-listed for rent within weeks of them moving out at a massively increased price:
The four were sent an email saying they would have to leave in November last year, the i newspaper reports. But it is understood they were offered the opportunity to stay on a rolling basis while the house was on the market. When it failed to sell, it was re-listed for rent, it is believed. Ms Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney, faces calls to step down.
One of the tenants, Laura Jackson, told the newspaper that she saw the four-bedroom townhouse had been put up for rent at nearly £4,000 a month shortly after moving out. Previously Ms Ali charged £3,300 a month for the home close to London's Olympic Park, it is claimed.
Ms Jackson said: “It’s an absolute joke. Trying to get that much money from renters is extortion”. Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly said the allegations "would be an example of the most extreme hypocrisy and she should not have the job as homelessness minister”.
However sources close to the minister say it was a fixed-term contract, and the house was put on the market for sale while the tenants were there. The people living there were told they could stay on a rolling basis, but opted to leave, the BBC reports. It was only re-listed for rent because it did not sell, according to the i.
A spokesperson for Ms Ali said: “Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.”
The house, one of two rental properties Ms Ali has declared in her register of interests, is currently listed for sale at £894,995. It had originally gone up for £914,995 last November - but the price was reduced in February.
Under the Renters Rights Bill, which is making its way through Parliament, landlords who end a tenancy to sell a home will be banned from re-listing it for six months. The Bill will also end fixed-term tenancies. Landlords will also be required to give four months' notice if they plan to move tenants out in order to sell it.
In September last year Ms Ali said renters would be given more powers to challenge "unreasonable" increases. In a written answer she said: "More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness.
Ali has now resigned saying in a letter to the Prime Minister that remaining in the role would be “a distraction from the ambitious work of this Government”.
Thursday, August 07, 2025
A growing black hole?
Judging from yesterday's news reports the same process is taking place around the predicted deficit being faced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in this year's budget.
The Independent reports that top economists have warned that Rachel Reeves faces an “impossible trilemma” ahead of the autumn budget and must raise taxes or tear up her flagship borrowing rules to fill a £50bn black hole left by Labour U-turns, higher borrowing and sluggish economic growth.
The paper quotes the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), a leading economic think tank, who believe that the chancellor could also look at spending cuts in the autumn Budget as a way to raise the money needed by 2029-30 to remedy a £41.2bn shortfall on her borrowing targets, set out by her self-imposed “stability rule”.
They add that in order to restore the £9.9bn buffer the government has maintained since last year’s Budget, the chancellor must therefore raise a total of £51.1bn:
The NIESR’s report said the chancellor has been left with the difficult task of trying to meet her fiscal rules while fulfilling spending commitments and upholding a manifesto pledge not to raise taxes on working people.
But after a swathe of spending cuts squeezing departmental budgets at the last spending review, tax rises are the more likely option.
On Wednesday Keir Starmer refused to rule out tax rises in the Budget, amid growing pressure on the government.
Declining to explicitly rule out raising VAT, income tax and corporation tax, he said: "In the autumn, we'll get the full forecast and obviously set out our Budget."
The chancellor is under increasing pressure to raise income tax or consider a wealth tax on the rich.
The think tank’s forecast warned that the poorest 10 per cent of people – amounting to 2.8 million households – have seen their living standards fall 1.3 per cent under Labour, some 10 per cent lower than pre-Covid levels.
Professor Stephen Millard, NIESR’s deputy director for macroeconomics, said a “credible, sustained increase in taxes” would be required due to the “worsening fiscal outlook”, not helped by Labour’s U-turns on welfare cuts.
He warned that a large part of this would need to happen in the first year to signal to the markets that the Treasury is committed to further increases down the line.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Prof Millard warned that the £9.9bn buffer the chancellor has set out for herself is “really way too thin”, and a “slight change in fiscal circumstances” would wipe it out entirely.
“With growth at only 1.3 per cent and inflation above target, things are not looking good for the chancellor who will need to either raise taxes or reduce spending or both in the October Budget if she is to meet her fiscal rules,” he added.
It comes despite the think tank nudging up its economic outlook for the UK, with growth of 1.3 per cent expected for 2025, up from 1.2 per cent forecast in May. But it cut its prediction for next year – to 1.2 per cent, down from 1.5 per cent.
Prof Millard also suggested the chancellor could rewrite her fiscal rules with a new framework that looks at the long-term direction of travel of debt, rather than judging debt based on a point five years in the future, as the current rules dictate.
He told The Independent the government should base its financial projections on current levels of taxation and spending, rather than planned increases or decreases.
Whatever the outcome, it is difficult to see how Starmer's promise to improve our living standards is going to be delivered in these circumstances.
The NIESR’s report said the chancellor has been left with the difficult task of trying to meet her fiscal rules while fulfilling spending commitments and upholding a manifesto pledge not to raise taxes on working people.
But after a swathe of spending cuts squeezing departmental budgets at the last spending review, tax rises are the more likely option.
On Wednesday Keir Starmer refused to rule out tax rises in the Budget, amid growing pressure on the government.
Declining to explicitly rule out raising VAT, income tax and corporation tax, he said: "In the autumn, we'll get the full forecast and obviously set out our Budget."
The chancellor is under increasing pressure to raise income tax or consider a wealth tax on the rich.
The think tank’s forecast warned that the poorest 10 per cent of people – amounting to 2.8 million households – have seen their living standards fall 1.3 per cent under Labour, some 10 per cent lower than pre-Covid levels.
Professor Stephen Millard, NIESR’s deputy director for macroeconomics, said a “credible, sustained increase in taxes” would be required due to the “worsening fiscal outlook”, not helped by Labour’s U-turns on welfare cuts.
He warned that a large part of this would need to happen in the first year to signal to the markets that the Treasury is committed to further increases down the line.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Prof Millard warned that the £9.9bn buffer the chancellor has set out for herself is “really way too thin”, and a “slight change in fiscal circumstances” would wipe it out entirely.
“With growth at only 1.3 per cent and inflation above target, things are not looking good for the chancellor who will need to either raise taxes or reduce spending or both in the October Budget if she is to meet her fiscal rules,” he added.
It comes despite the think tank nudging up its economic outlook for the UK, with growth of 1.3 per cent expected for 2025, up from 1.2 per cent forecast in May. But it cut its prediction for next year – to 1.2 per cent, down from 1.5 per cent.
Prof Millard also suggested the chancellor could rewrite her fiscal rules with a new framework that looks at the long-term direction of travel of debt, rather than judging debt based on a point five years in the future, as the current rules dictate.
He told The Independent the government should base its financial projections on current levels of taxation and spending, rather than planned increases or decreases.
Whatever the outcome, it is difficult to see how Starmer's promise to improve our living standards is going to be delivered in these circumstances.
Wednesday, August 06, 2025
More Welsh Labour control-freakery?
Rhodri Morgan pushed back against this tendency to micro-manage the Welsh Government with his clear red water statement, but throughout his term and those of his successors, Labour Ministers in Westminster continued to put obstacles in the way of the Senedd securing more powers, something that continues to this day.
It took the Liberal Democrats in government to change that approach with reforms to the Barnett formula, the release of key council housing assets and a new Government of Wales bill that better empowered Welsh Ministers. However, there was, and remains plenty more to do, including devolution of railways, justice and the crown estate.
It has come as no surprise therefore that the UK Labour Party continues to try and exercise control by influencing who will sit in the Labour group in the Senedd after next year's elections.
Nation Cymru reports that a senior Labour party figure has alleged that the decision to exclude a highly regarded activist from a shortlist of candidates is part of a strategy aimed at ensuring that the group of Welsh Labour Senedd Members elected in 2026 offers as little challenge as possible to Keir Starmer.
This is a reference to business consultant Owain Williams, who was left off a shortlist of eight would-be MSs on Labour’s “closed list” in the newly created super-constituency of Caerdydd Ffynon Taf, which comprises the two Westminster seats of Cardiff North and Cardiff East:
David Llewellyn Davies, who for a time was former First Minister Mark Drakeford’s senior special adviser, said in a social media post about Mr Williams’ exclusion from the list: “I am speechless. How can @WelshLabour have decided that one of its most gifted and talented members cannot make the top 8 in a shortlist for his own constituency? Wales denied an MS of Cabinet quality who would have made a positive difference to the lives of Welsh people.”
Others praised Mr Williams in similarly glowing terms, and First Minister Eluned Morgan, who appeared with him in an “in conversation” event at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham on Monday August 4 described herself as a big fan of his.
She said: “Owain is a very talented guy and I’d like to see him as a candidate for the Senedd. I am a big fan of Owain Williams. Let’s see what happens. This is the beginning of a process.
“There are lots of other people in the same position. It’s important that the process is done fairly and I do hope that he will consider putting his name in for perhaps another seat.”
However, a senior Welsh Labour source told Nation.Cymru: “The decision about who was included on the shortlist, and more especially who was excluded, was made by a panel of the party’s Welsh Executive Committee (WEC). In practice, however, the decision was made by David Costa, a former long-serving deputy general secretary of Welsh Labour who has retired as a party employee, but now sits as a member of the WEC.”
Mr Costa acted as Vaughan Gething’s agent during the Welsh Labour leadership campaign last year and was responsible for signing off the donations totalling £200,000 given to the campaign by convicted criminal David Neal, who received two suspended prison sentences after illegally dumping toxic sludge in the Gwent Levels, a protected wetland landscape near Cardiff. The donations, together with other scandals, led to Mr Gething’s resignation as party leader and First Minister after a few months.
The Welsh Labour source told us: “David Costa, together with Welsh Labour’s current general secretary Joe Lock and deputy general secretary Bridie Sedgebeer, the wife of Bridgend MP Chris Elmore, are Starmer loyalists.
“Their aim is to have a weakened Labour Senedd group that will not push for Wales’ interests over matters like the failure to devolve Crown Estate revenues to Wales, the unjust designation of HS2 as an England and Wales project and over other issues like the post-Brexit regional aid programme and welfare cuts.
“Their priority is not next year’s Senedd election, but the general election in 2029, and they want the new Senedd Labour group elected in 2026 to be docile and loyal to Starmer. That’s the reason why Owain Williams was excluded from the shortlist.
“In fact, the ideal outcome for the Starmer loyalists who run the party machine would be to have Labour out of control of the Welsh Government – a scenario that would give Jo Stevens as Welsh Secretary the opportunity to roll back devolution even further and take back control for the UK Labour government.
“They don’t care about devolution or the Welsh language and they certainly don’t want someone of Owain Williams’ calibre coming into the group and shaking things up.”
Anybody else getting a feeling of deja vu?
Tuesday, August 05, 2025
A poor investment of public cash
The broadcaster says that Gilestone Farm in Powys was originally bought for £4.75m but plans to help Green Man festival's owners were abandoned when ospreys started nesting there. Now, a Senedd committee report has raised "serious concerns" over how the site was acquired, and demanded a review:
Then-economy minister Vaughan Gething said the government was "delighted" in early 2024 by the arrival of two nesting ospreys at Gilestone Farm.
But the discovery brought an end to a scheme which could have seen the businesswoman behind Green Man expand to a new site.
Gething, who later had a short stint as first minister during the same year, denied wasting money.
Under the proposals the main music and arts festival would have remained at Crickhowell, but a company set up by Green Man's director Fiona Stewart wanted to use the farm for other events.
Opposition politicians had criticised the purchase of the farm - with officials entering negotiations to lease it to Ms Stewart - without an initial business plan.
After the discovery of the ospreys, a 750m (2,460ft) restricted zone was advised around the nest itself, which can be viewed live on the internet, external.
An audit report previously found that using up unspent money by the end of the financial year was the "most significant" factor in why the site was bought.
The property is currently leased to a farm on "commercial terms".
In a critical report, the Senedd's public accounts and administration committee said the decision was taken with a "lack of thorough due diligence".
Plans were "not sufficiently robust and had not been communicated effectively to the community", it said.
It added a failure to keep an adequate record of meetings with Green Man officials meant the Senedd was "unable to fully scrutinise and evaluate decisions taken by the Welsh government".
Decision-makers in the Welsh government were also not provided information about the purchase in a "timely manner", the report said.
The committee said the "haste" that the government bought the site in may have also inhibited its ability to identify risks around the presence of wildlife "that would affect its proposals for the site, and potentially, its value".
"This is particularly notable as the site has now been valued at £3.75m, meaning that the Welsh government's asset has lost half a million pounds in value," the report said.
It is difficult to disagee with the comments of Adam Price that this saga is proof of Labour's mismanagement of the public purse.
Monday, August 04, 2025
Looking for balance in broadcasting
The Mirror reports that thousands of people have complained to Sky News about “excessive” coverage of Nigel Farage ’s Reform UK after the party set up its own broadcast studio to pump out slick, TV-style videos online.
The paper says that twice last week, Sky News broadcast the live feed from Reform’s studio, prompting campaigners to accuse them of “outsourcing editorial control” to Farage’s far right party:
Cal Roscow, director of campaigns at Best for Britain, said: “To outsource editorial control wholesale like this is unprecedented, misleading for viewers, and probably doesn’t meet Ofcom’s impartiality rules. It should never happen again, and over 5,000 Best for Britain supporters have written to say just that.”
In one case Sky News broadcast a feed of Mr Farage “interviewing” party chairman Zia Yusuf about the Online Safety act.
In the same broadcast, Reform played Sky News’ interview of Tech Secretary Peter Kyle on their feed - meaning Sky was broadcasting its own interview, but through Reform’s live feed.
Now more than 5,000 supporters of campaign group Best for Britain have complained to Sky about the coverage.
Mr Roscow added: “Reform UK have built a TV studio of their own - which is fine in principle - but resulted in a bizarre situation where Sky News’s own footage of a Minister was being broadcast back to the TV channel - independently of the producers - and overlaid with commentary from a political party’s Chair interviewing that same party’s Leader. “
And it isn't just Sky that needs to answer for this bias. Politics Home reports that Ed Davey has met with BBC boss Tim Davie to complain about the broadcaster’s coverage, which the Liberal Democrats claim is weighted too heavily in Reform UK’s favour.
They say that the Liberal Democrat leader met Davie in Parliament in June to convey the party’s “frustration” over its allotted coverage:
With 72 MPs in Westminster, the party has now been given 13 slots on the BBC’s political debate programme Question Time, where it used to get four. As Westminster's third party, Davey and his deputy Daisy Cooper are given slots on the six o’clock news on significant days in Parliament – when budgets are announced, for instance.
However, the party feels the coverage is out of proportion with that given to Reform UK, who have just four MPs – 18 times fewer than the Liberal Democrats.
“Previously, the BBC had always said: ‘We will cover you more if you get more MPs, but right now, you’ve only got 11,” a Liberal Democrat source told PoliticsHome.
“Now it really feels like they've moved the goal posts and they're just giving Reform massive amounts of coverage based on their poll rating, whereas we were always told it’s number of MPs, not poll rating.”
Davey also spoke to Davie about the BBC’s use of breaking news alerts – which the party is now tracking to understand how much coverage it is receiving.
“That's another area where it feels like Reform are getting a lot of mentions,” the source said. “Something else we're picking up the BBC is: how do they ensure political balance when it comes to things like breaking news alerts – that we know are really, really influential – in the same way that they would be really careful about balance when it comes to news criticism?”
The meeting preempted an outburst by Davey live on the BBC last month, in which he berated the broadcaster for its coverage of Reform UK.
“You cover the tittle tattle around Reform – you don’t look at their policies,” said the Lib Dem leader. “When I look at the broad BBC coverage, he gets such an easy ride, and he gets covered when he says horrible things that aren’t producing solutions for people’s problems.”
“I have to say the BBC has got to raise its game to expose Nigel Farage,” he added.
With major elections, including the Senedd and the Scottish Parliament, next year, it is important that balance in political coverage is restored. Reform have no members in the Scottish Parliament and only one in the Senedd. Surely, that needs to be taken account in the coverage.
I would certainly not expect them to get greater coverage than the Liberal Demcrats in either country, who are better represented than them.
Sunday, August 03, 2025
Is government legislation threatening public debate?
The paper says that Open Rights Group, Index on Censorship and others have written to Ofcom calling on it to provide clear guidance to platforms on distinguishing lawful expression from content deemed to be in support of terrorism.
They signatories say that failure to act by the regulator act risks misidentification – including through algorithms – of support for Palestine as support for Palestine Action, which on 5 July became the first direct action protest group to be banned under UK anti-terrorism laws, and that it also runs the risk of misidentifying objections to Palestine Action’s proscription as unlawful support for the group:
Sara Chitseko, a pre-crime programme manager at Open Rights Group, said: “Crucial public debate about Gaza is being threatened by vague, overly broad laws that could lead to content about Palestine being removed or hidden online. There’s also a real danger that people will start self-censoring, worried they might be breaking the law just by sharing or liking posts related to Palestine and non-violent direct action.
“This is a serious attack on freedom of expression and the right to protest in the UK. We need to ensure that people can share content about Palestine online with being afraid that they will be characterised as supportive of terrorism.”
The organisations’ concerns are exacerbated by Ofcom’s advice that platforms can avoid worrying about their duties under the Online Safety Act (OSA) if they ensure they are more censorious than the act requires. “This approach risks encouraging automated moderation that disproportionately affects political speech, particularly from marginalised communities, including Palestinian voices,” the letter says.
Unlike in the EU, there is no independent mechanism for people in the UK to challenge content they feel has been wrongly taken down. The signatories want platforms – the letter has also been sent to Meta, Alphabet, X and ByteDance – to commit to an independent dispute mechanism, if evidence emerges of lawful speech being suppressed.
The letter, also signed by Electronic Frontier Foundation in the US and organisations from eight European countries, as well as experts and academics, says: “We are concerned that the proscription of Palestine Action may result in an escalation of platforms removing content, using algorithms to hide Palestine solidarity posts and leave individuals and those reporting on events vulnerable to surveillance or even criminalisation for simply sharing or liking content that references non-violent direct action.
“We are also concerned about what platforms understand by their legal duties regarding expressions of ‘support’ for Palestine Action.”
The letter comes a week after the OSA’s age-gating for “adult” material came into effect, prompting fears about access to Palestine-related content. For example, Reddit users in the UK have to verify their age to access the Reddit sub r/israelexposed.
Ella Jakubowska, the head of policy at EDRi in Brussels, said there would inevitably be suppression of “critical voices, journalism and social movements around the world. The problem is worsened by automated content moderation systems, well known for over-removing content from Palestinian creators, in support of Black Lives Matter, about LGBTQI+ issues and more.
“It is very likely that in trying to comply with these requirements, platforms would unjustly remove content from people in the EU and other regions.”
She said that would contravene laws such as the EU Digital Services Act, designed to strike a balance between keeping people safe online and freedom of expression.
This mess is typical of Labour governments who already have a poor record with civil liberties and freedomw of expression, a failure that stretches back over several of their administrations.
Saturday, August 02, 2025
The wonderboys of Alice Street
As the BBC reports, over a 13-year period in the middle of the 20th Century, Alice Street in the Cwmbwrla district of Swansea produced five Welsh international footballers, including the Charles brothers, John and Mel. The mural is a tribute to these men:
It is one of the few examples in world football of such a small area rearing so many internationals. Over a century and a half of international football, Newcastle has produced 15 players, Bristol and Stoke 12 each, Southampton nine, but this one road in Swansea gave us five on their own.
A film has been made about these men called Wonderland, which can be viewed here:
"As Professor Martin Johnes says in the film, it was the poverty and work ethic of an industrial area, the fact that the whole community had to rely on and support each other to get by, the move to half-day working on a Saturday, and then chuck in some truly dedicated teachers and coaches who showed complete faith in these lads."
The story began with full-back Jackie Roberts and winger Ernie Jones.
Roberts lived at 9 Alice Street, while Jones was at number 10.
Roberts earned one cap for Wales, and played for the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Swansea - who were then Town, rather than City.
Jones earned four caps for his country, and played for Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Swansea, among others.
Ms Abu-Shahba said: "Jackie and Ernie didn't reach quite the same heights as some of the Alice Street gang, but they were trailblazers.
"Not only were they an inspiration to John and Mel Charles, and Mel Nurse, they remained firmly rooted in the Cwmbwrla area all their lives, and offered real practical support.
The Charles brothers from 6 Alice Street: Mel (left) and John both played for Wales at the 1958 World Cup
"As the saying goes, 'if you can't see it, you can't be it'," she added.
Mr Brayley cautioned against reading too much into Jackie and Ernie's seemingly more modest records.
"They may not look impressive on paper, but you have to remember that their careers were blown apart by World War Two, both served in the Army during what should have been their best years in the game.
"Jackie was injured in Italy, so when he finally earnt his only cap, he was actually blind in one eye."
The younger three of the Alice Street gang perhaps require less introduction.
Mel Nurse at the front in a World Cup qualifier against Spain in Madrid in 1961
Mel Nurse at the front in a World Cup qualifier against Spain in Madrid in 1961
The Charles brothers, John and Mel, who lived at 6 Alice Street, both played in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, which was then the only time Wales had qualified for a major tournament.
John earned 38 caps, scoring 15 goals, and played for the likes of Juventus, Leeds United and Roma. Mel earned 31 caps, scored six goals, and played for Arsenal, Swansea and Cardiff City.
John scored a vital goal against Hungary in the World Cup to help his team out of their group, but he was kicked about so badly in that game that he missed the quarter-final against Brazil.
Mel played centre-half in the match, and although a 17-year-old Pele scored the eventual winner, he described him as the best defender at the competition.
Neither brother was ever booked or sent off throughout their careers.
Mr Brayley said: "What can you say about John? He was the best player Swansea Town never had.
"They had him there as a schoolboy, but they didn't want to take a risk on youngsters, so Leeds nipped in and stole him from under Swansea's nose."
He said initially John was reluctant to leave Alice Street.
"I've read that Mrs Charles poured cold water on the move at first, saying 'he can't go to Leeds, he hasn't got a passport'," he added.
"But boy, did he flourish once he left - 370 career goals at a ratio of better than one in two matches, and was voted Juventus's best ever foreigner by their notoriously hard-to-please fans."
Mr Brayley believes if it had not been for John, Mel would have gone down in history as Wales' greatest player of the era.
Ernie Jones on the left of this family photo, with Mark Baker, who also played for Swansea, on the right
He said: "People forget that after John, Mel was the most expensive transfer at the time he moved to Arsenal.
"He had it all - pace, power, vision, finishing, but as anyone with a big brother will tell you, it's a tough act to live up to."
The final member of the Alice Street quintet is Mel Nurse, known affectionately around the city as Mr Swansea.
He won 12 caps for his country, and played for the likes of Swansea and Middlesbrough.
Mr Brayley said he was equally as famous for what he did after football.
"Don't get me wrong, Mel Nurse was an outstanding player, and was a little bit unlucky to be just a tiny bit young to have gone to the World Cup," he added.
"But the reason he is so loved here is because he not only once, but twice stepped up to save the Swans when they were on the brink of bankruptcy.
"In 2001, he re-mortgaged all his businesses to underwrite the club's debts, and look where that led to a decade later."
Friday, August 01, 2025
'Manbaby' Farage
The paper says that a heated confrontation took place in London between US Representative Jamie Raskin and Reform Party leader Nigel Farage during a US congressional delegation visit:
The dispute began when Raskin, a Democrat, made remarks critical of the Trump administration's approach to the First Amendment.
Farage, a vocal supporter of Trump, reportedly became furious, telling Raskin they were "not here to talk about Donald Trump" and calling him "pig-headed."
Raskin responded to Farage by referencing the American Revolution, stating, "This is why we had a revolution against you guys."
Other Democratic representatives, including Jasmine Crockett and Eric Swalwell, later described Farage as a "manbaby" and "unhinged" following the exchange.
Given Trump's unpopularity in the UK, even amongst Reform voters, his defence of Trump should get much wider pubicity.
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Are Labour struggling for Senedd candidates?
The news website says that members of Welsh Labour have been sent a reminder urging them to apply to be Senedd candidates, leading to speculation that the party may be struggling to put together a credible team for next May’s election:
Members of the Labour Party have now received a letter which states:“Our candidates will play a vital role in helping Welsh Labour win.
“We are excited for a new generation of political talent combining with decades of political experience in the Senedd to be our new face of Welsh Labour. Could you be one of them?
“If you’re thinking of standing, now is the time to fill out your application and put your name forward. From there, a member of the Welsh Labour team will be in touch regarding next steps. Kind regards, Welsh Labour.”
A party member who received the letter by email told Nation.Cymru: “This makes you wonder whether they can get candidates. Who in their right mind wants to be 4,5 or 6 on the list ? Number 3 and in some constituencies 2 might struggle. And they will expect you to be canvassing every weekend until May.
“It’s all strange. 2026 was always going to be difficult for Labour. It will be the first election under a Westminster Labour government since 2007. And they didn’t do well in 2007.
“People forget that after 2019 there was talk of Labour doing very badly in 2021 Drakeford was seen as hopeless. Then he was saved by Covid and Johnson. Even then 2021 wasn’t brilliant.
“Labour has always relied on the core of traditional seats in post-industrial Wales. They might have now thrown that away, and for what? OK Starmer has made it worse. But anyone with a brain would not have got into this position.
They added: “Putting change in terms of the way the Senedd is elected in the manifesto for 2026 for implementation in 2030 might have been sensible.You have to wonder what Drakeford’s thought processes are. And the prospect of a coalition after next May’s election between Plaid and Labour makes it worse. We are heading for dangerous economic times and the only winners would be Reform and Corbyn.
“Voters are not that interested in devolution. Most haven’t got a clue about Eluned Morgan or who their MS is. And you give them the ideal electoral system if they are pissed off and want to punish the incumbent. It’s totally bonkers but typical of a Welsh Labour party that shuns debate and isolates those who think outside the box.”
None of this is surprising, while it is entirely possible that Labour are struggling to fill all the places given their present poll ratings and the vagaries of the new system. Things may well get interesting.
