Saturday, May 24, 2008
Comment of the day
On the blog of Paul Flynn MP:
'Tamsin Dunwoody did a little better than Labour’s 24% rating in the opinion polls promised. She got 31%.'
'Tamsin Dunwoody did a little better than Labour’s 24% rating in the opinion polls promised. She got 31%.'
Friday, May 23, 2008
Post of the week
Absolutely classic post from Alwyn ap Huw, well worth wider circulation.
I was also amused by a line in a later post too in which Alwyn states:
My great grandmother was an "industrial accident", a child born to a prostitute.
I was also amused by a line in a later post too in which Alwyn states:
My great grandmother was an "industrial accident", a child born to a prostitute.
Annual Report
The Western Mail's Chief Reporter, Martin Shipton has published his verdict on the first year of Wales' Labour Plaid Cymru Coalition Government. It is a fair and interesting analysis:
Much of the One Wales agreement, in fact, seems deliberately vague when it comes to specific, practical commitments.
A typical phrase is “working towards”: “working towards reforming NHS Trusts”; “working towards eliminating the use of private sector hospitals [by the NHS] by 2011”, a commitment that some would see as mere ideological posturing, with the get-out that a failure to achieve the aspiration does not represent a broken promise.
From the point of view of the Welsh Liberal Democrats I was disappointed in the fact that Martin continues to insist on placing the blame for the failure of the Rainbow Coalition on the tied vote in the party's executive and in particular on Kirsty Williams. This is a myth that is often trotted out. In fact the Rainbow Coalition was still a real possibility right up until Plaid Cymru walked away from it. Martin puts forward a view that if the Welsh Liberal Democrat Executive had taken place in Cardiff rather than Llandrindod Wells then the outcome would have been different. I disagree.
It is worth noting that when the Executive convened that night there was a clear majority in favour of the Rainbow Coalition. Arguments against were muted and resigned to what was seen as an inevitable acceptance of the deal. By the time it came to a vote the mood had changed and some of those who had been initially in favour had changed their mind.
Although I did not have a vote it is my view that the reason for this change was because those advocating the deal had failed to make their case in any convincing way. They pitched their argument in terms of the party winning power rather than on the merits of the policies in the agreement. By the end of the meeting some members were doubtful whether the programme was deliverable. They believed that the deal was more about certain individuals gaining Ministerial positions rather than what the party could do for the benefit of Wales.
In the circumstances I think it is fair to say that if the Rainbow Coalition died at that Executive meeting then it was not its opponents who killed it but those who were advocating it for what were perceived as the wrong reasons.
Much of the One Wales agreement, in fact, seems deliberately vague when it comes to specific, practical commitments.
A typical phrase is “working towards”: “working towards reforming NHS Trusts”; “working towards eliminating the use of private sector hospitals [by the NHS] by 2011”, a commitment that some would see as mere ideological posturing, with the get-out that a failure to achieve the aspiration does not represent a broken promise.
From the point of view of the Welsh Liberal Democrats I was disappointed in the fact that Martin continues to insist on placing the blame for the failure of the Rainbow Coalition on the tied vote in the party's executive and in particular on Kirsty Williams. This is a myth that is often trotted out. In fact the Rainbow Coalition was still a real possibility right up until Plaid Cymru walked away from it. Martin puts forward a view that if the Welsh Liberal Democrat Executive had taken place in Cardiff rather than Llandrindod Wells then the outcome would have been different. I disagree.
It is worth noting that when the Executive convened that night there was a clear majority in favour of the Rainbow Coalition. Arguments against were muted and resigned to what was seen as an inevitable acceptance of the deal. By the time it came to a vote the mood had changed and some of those who had been initially in favour had changed their mind.
Although I did not have a vote it is my view that the reason for this change was because those advocating the deal had failed to make their case in any convincing way. They pitched their argument in terms of the party winning power rather than on the merits of the policies in the agreement. By the end of the meeting some members were doubtful whether the programme was deliverable. They believed that the deal was more about certain individuals gaining Ministerial positions rather than what the party could do for the benefit of Wales.
In the circumstances I think it is fair to say that if the Rainbow Coalition died at that Executive meeting then it was not its opponents who killed it but those who were advocating it for what were perceived as the wrong reasons.
What price free speech?
Anybody who thought that the Welsh Labour Party has changed in the face of its recent drubbing at the polls need only look at this morning's Daily Post to learn that they are still the same old arrogant demagogues.
Former Labour Minister, Alun Pugh now works for the Snowdonia Society in which capacity he is campaigning against plans to expand an airport. He has called for a a judicial review over Welsh Assembly-backed proposals to open up the airfield at Llanbedr, Gwynedd for commercial use, creating between 40 and 50 jobs.
This is contrary to the views of the Dwyfor/Meirionnydd constituency Labour party who have now called for Alun Pugh to be thrown out of the party. So much for free speech.
Former Labour Minister, Alun Pugh now works for the Snowdonia Society in which capacity he is campaigning against plans to expand an airport. He has called for a a judicial review over Welsh Assembly-backed proposals to open up the airfield at Llanbedr, Gwynedd for commercial use, creating between 40 and 50 jobs.
This is contrary to the views of the Dwyfor/Meirionnydd constituency Labour party who have now called for Alun Pugh to be thrown out of the party. So much for free speech.
Another Government u-turn
Welsh Education Minister, Jane Hutt is making a bit of a meal out of her role, particularly on the Foundation Phase.
She started off by arguing that she had allocated enough money for the scheme only to be forced to back down and put in another £5 million. When schools, teachers, local Councils and opposition politicians pointed out that this was still not enough she tried to hold the line. Then she attempted to pass the blame onto local authorities who, she said had failed to provide the necessary statistics. Now she is being forced to scale back the scheme to fit the resources she has allocated to it. This is not so much a flagship scheme as a lifeboat for the One Wales Government.
This debacle gives me no pleasure whatsoever. This is a vitally important educational initiative that could greatly benefit all children. They deserve to have it in place with the appropriate resources at the earliest possible moment. In failing to achieve this the Labour Plaid Cymru Government has let down these children. What is worse is that they have failed to acknowledge their own responsibility for this failure. Today's Western Mail gives the government's excuses short shrift:
How Ministers have found themselves in this position is baffling. Given how long the idea has been in preparation, and its central place in WAG’s overall policy programme, one would have expected all the potential pitfalls to have been worked out well in advance. It seems that has not been the case.
The Foundation Phase is a good idea, one borrowed from Scandinavia but one that will, eventually, give Welsh education its own distinct flavour. Concentrating as it does on play, rather than formalised classroom teaching, it has the potential to revolutionise learning.
But questions again have to be asked about the ability of our politicians to deliver what they promise, particularly Ms Hutt, no stranger to disasters in public services.
It doesn’t do the Assembly Government much credit either to try to blame local authorities for not providing enough data for the difficulties. As we have noted before, Labour in Cardiff Bay used to make great play of its “partnership” with (until May 1) largely Labour-run local authorities. If Ms Hutt is right that County Halls were, in fact, being deliberately obstructive, then that Labour campaigning slogan is destined for the bin too.
It’s an odd argument to make, this blaming of the problem on a lack of statistical data. The Assembly Government has a statistics directorate under its nose in Cathays Park, and a foundation phase pupil, given a few minutes on Google, could find data on how many children of what age live in each of the 22 councils. The brighter ones could probably work out the funding levels needed.
What those pupils, or their parents, will not do is put up with continued bickering and in-fighting. This is an issue that needs to be resolved quickly; if there will be more money in future Budgets, Ms Hutt and Ministerial colleagues should come out and say so clearly. Otherwise this risks being another good idea that Wales has failed to drag off the drawing board.
The Minister has dug herself into a hole on this issue. She now needs to find a way out.
She started off by arguing that she had allocated enough money for the scheme only to be forced to back down and put in another £5 million. When schools, teachers, local Councils and opposition politicians pointed out that this was still not enough she tried to hold the line. Then she attempted to pass the blame onto local authorities who, she said had failed to provide the necessary statistics. Now she is being forced to scale back the scheme to fit the resources she has allocated to it. This is not so much a flagship scheme as a lifeboat for the One Wales Government.
This debacle gives me no pleasure whatsoever. This is a vitally important educational initiative that could greatly benefit all children. They deserve to have it in place with the appropriate resources at the earliest possible moment. In failing to achieve this the Labour Plaid Cymru Government has let down these children. What is worse is that they have failed to acknowledge their own responsibility for this failure. Today's Western Mail gives the government's excuses short shrift:
How Ministers have found themselves in this position is baffling. Given how long the idea has been in preparation, and its central place in WAG’s overall policy programme, one would have expected all the potential pitfalls to have been worked out well in advance. It seems that has not been the case.
The Foundation Phase is a good idea, one borrowed from Scandinavia but one that will, eventually, give Welsh education its own distinct flavour. Concentrating as it does on play, rather than formalised classroom teaching, it has the potential to revolutionise learning.
But questions again have to be asked about the ability of our politicians to deliver what they promise, particularly Ms Hutt, no stranger to disasters in public services.
It doesn’t do the Assembly Government much credit either to try to blame local authorities for not providing enough data for the difficulties. As we have noted before, Labour in Cardiff Bay used to make great play of its “partnership” with (until May 1) largely Labour-run local authorities. If Ms Hutt is right that County Halls were, in fact, being deliberately obstructive, then that Labour campaigning slogan is destined for the bin too.
It’s an odd argument to make, this blaming of the problem on a lack of statistical data. The Assembly Government has a statistics directorate under its nose in Cathays Park, and a foundation phase pupil, given a few minutes on Google, could find data on how many children of what age live in each of the 22 councils. The brighter ones could probably work out the funding levels needed.
What those pupils, or their parents, will not do is put up with continued bickering and in-fighting. This is an issue that needs to be resolved quickly; if there will be more money in future Budgets, Ms Hutt and Ministerial colleagues should come out and say so clearly. Otherwise this risks being another good idea that Wales has failed to drag off the drawing board.
The Minister has dug herself into a hole on this issue. She now needs to find a way out.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Killing the Cheeky Girls - The movie
Is this going to be the top-rated film of the summer? Yes, it is real. The Cheeky Girls have been on tour around Europe filming their answer to 'The French Connection'.The press release tells us all: Billionaire actor director Alki David, 47th on the Times UK Rich List, performs extreme human experiment in a threesome with The Cheeky Girls , to create the most outrageous reality movie of all time!
Dubbed by the Star, Express and Independent Newspapers as the all-time wildest in reality pop culture, Alki David and The Cheeky Girls pull off the most the outrageous reality movie ever!
The setup: Ten people cross Europe in a tour bus on the pretence of making a music video. Four are actors. Six have no idea that they are about to be terrorized and tortured for your viewing pleasure.
Herded like lambs to slaughter, aboard the double deck tour bus, the six, wannabe holiday reps soon discover that they are accomplices in a smuggling ring trafficking drugs and illegal porn across the continent.
Believing this incredible setup all he way, there are two killings en route, a disappearance and eventually everyone ends up in a Greek Jail interrogated for the murder of The Cheeky Girls!
More details, but not a lot, are here. Somebody sent me the link, honest!
Déjà vu
I have the Assembly Finance Committee scrutiny of the Foundation Phase on in the background as I work, making use of the excellent Senedd TV facility on the website.
Having slanted their questions to the WLGA to imply that the underfunding of this valuable scheme is all the fault of local Councils, who allegedly did not meet the Minister's data needs, Labour members are now expressing outrage about the 'funding fog', which supposedly prevents much needed cash reaching schools.
If Labour are going to use this as an excuse they will also have to answer the question as to why the Education Minister has not tackled this issue earlier. This is especially so in light of the very comprehensive recommendations of the Committee on School Funding in the last Assembly, most of which appear to have been ignored.
By the way, if you are interested in this subject I very much recommend that you watch the archive video of this meeting. It really is compelling viewing.
Having slanted their questions to the WLGA to imply that the underfunding of this valuable scheme is all the fault of local Councils, who allegedly did not meet the Minister's data needs, Labour members are now expressing outrage about the 'funding fog', which supposedly prevents much needed cash reaching schools.
If Labour are going to use this as an excuse they will also have to answer the question as to why the Education Minister has not tackled this issue earlier. This is especially so in light of the very comprehensive recommendations of the Committee on School Funding in the last Assembly, most of which appear to have been ignored.
By the way, if you are interested in this subject I very much recommend that you watch the archive video of this meeting. It really is compelling viewing.
The cost of staying warm
A new report by Energywatch confirms what we have long suspected, that consumers of electricity in South Wales are paying more for their power than anybody else in the UK. Their research shows that South Walians pay 5% more for electricity than consumers in north Wales and 10% more than those in England and Scotland, adding an additional £19 million to the profits of these big power companies.
Putting these figures into context, 270,000 Welsh households are now classed as fuel-poor, up from 130,000 in 2004, whilst we still languish at the bottom of the league in terms of GVA. Even with the massive increase in prices in recent years it is difficult to see how any of these companies can justify such regional variations in their pricing structure.
Putting these figures into context, 270,000 Welsh households are now classed as fuel-poor, up from 130,000 in 2004, whilst we still languish at the bottom of the league in terms of GVA. Even with the massive increase in prices in recent years it is difficult to see how any of these companies can justify such regional variations in their pricing structure.
Oops!
It is not so long ago that Tory shadow justice minister, Nick Herbert backed the call for "a new offence of reckless mishandling of personal data" and described the loss of data CDs by HM Revenue and Customs as suggesting "a cavalier attitude to the handling of personal information by government agencies".
Will he now be calling for those responsible for e-mailing the names, addresses, telephone numbers and intentions of 8,000 voters in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election to a radio station in the Isle of Man to be prosecuted?
As the e-mail came from the Conservatives I will not be holding my breath in anticipation.
Will he now be calling for those responsible for e-mailing the names, addresses, telephone numbers and intentions of 8,000 voters in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election to a radio station in the Isle of Man to be prosecuted?
As the e-mail came from the Conservatives I will not be holding my breath in anticipation.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Exposing the contradictions at the heart of the Welsh Tories
Betsan Powys started it off with her gentle reminder that the Conservative Spokesperson on Health might be out of line with the previous commitments of his Assembly Group Leader. By the time that this same spokesperson had arrived in the BBC Good Evening Wales radio studio last night his fate was sealed.
As one comment on Betsan's blog stated "Thought Felicity (R.Wales) gave Jonathan ample chance to explain himself as a caring, sharing Tory, now tacking rightwards (look out David Davis!)...and then let him hang himself over the lack (of) any logic in his position. Firmly and Politely. He sounded VERY flustered. Tough on fluster etc."
In short, the Assembly Health Minister announced yesterday that, contrary to the position over the border, failed asylum seekers will be entitled to health care in Wales. She described her position as a humanitarian approach and I agree. The Tories however, were not so sure:
Conservative health spokesman Jonathan Morgan said the NHS should be there in emergency cases, and primary care should also be available "to a point where someone falls ill". But he said Tories were "firmly against the policy of allowing 'health tourism' to flourish." He added: "Those who are not supposed to be in this country should not be entitled to the benefits that citizenship of Great Britain affords, including elective treatment and surgery."
This position seemed to contradict the actions of the Welsh Conservative Leader in April 2007. Then all four party leaders signed up to support the 'We'll keep a welcome" campaign. Pledge number 3 stated that in Government the parties would 'provide fair and equal access to services.' The background briefing included the line: "In signing our pledge cards, candidates commit to giving asylum seekers whose claims have been refused exemption from charges for treatment by the National Health Service Trusts." Oops!
Felicity Evans on Good Evening Wales tied Jonathan Evans up in knots as to whether he was contradicting this pledge or not. Opposition for opposition's sake is all very well but you do have to get your story straight.
As one comment on Betsan's blog stated "Thought Felicity (R.Wales) gave Jonathan ample chance to explain himself as a caring, sharing Tory, now tacking rightwards (look out David Davis!)...and then let him hang himself over the lack (of) any logic in his position. Firmly and Politely. He sounded VERY flustered. Tough on fluster etc."
In short, the Assembly Health Minister announced yesterday that, contrary to the position over the border, failed asylum seekers will be entitled to health care in Wales. She described her position as a humanitarian approach and I agree. The Tories however, were not so sure:
Conservative health spokesman Jonathan Morgan said the NHS should be there in emergency cases, and primary care should also be available "to a point where someone falls ill". But he said Tories were "firmly against the policy of allowing 'health tourism' to flourish." He added: "Those who are not supposed to be in this country should not be entitled to the benefits that citizenship of Great Britain affords, including elective treatment and surgery."
This position seemed to contradict the actions of the Welsh Conservative Leader in April 2007. Then all four party leaders signed up to support the 'We'll keep a welcome" campaign. Pledge number 3 stated that in Government the parties would 'provide fair and equal access to services.' The background briefing included the line: "In signing our pledge cards, candidates commit to giving asylum seekers whose claims have been refused exemption from charges for treatment by the National Health Service Trusts." Oops!
Felicity Evans on Good Evening Wales tied Jonathan Evans up in knots as to whether he was contradicting this pledge or not. Opposition for opposition's sake is all very well but you do have to get your story straight.
Strong feelings
I had a meeting with a headteacher from Neath Port Talbot this morning to discuss the funding of the Foundation Phase for 3 to 7 year olds. When the phone rang to say that my constituent had arrived my office was informed that she had brought another nine headteachers with her. Following a frantic phone call to arrange a suitably sized room the meeting was able to go ahead. It was most illuminating.
Feelings on this issue are running very high. The heads told me that despite the extra five million pounds put into this scheme by the Education Minister they still face a significant shorftfall if they are to implement it. The pilot schemes clearly indicated that a teacher pupil ratio of 1 to 8 is necessary and yet schools only have half the funding necessary to deliver this.
This affects schools all over Wales. The extra money that has been found is to ensure that those schools which piloted this scheme remain fully-funded. Unfortunately, that does not help the vast majority of schools who will not be able to afford to deliver the same staffing levels. The Minister has effectively created a two tier education system for this age group. She needs to reconsider her position and find more money to deliver this very good scheme.
Feelings on this issue are running very high. The heads told me that despite the extra five million pounds put into this scheme by the Education Minister they still face a significant shorftfall if they are to implement it. The pilot schemes clearly indicated that a teacher pupil ratio of 1 to 8 is necessary and yet schools only have half the funding necessary to deliver this.
This affects schools all over Wales. The extra money that has been found is to ensure that those schools which piloted this scheme remain fully-funded. Unfortunately, that does not help the vast majority of schools who will not be able to afford to deliver the same staffing levels. The Minister has effectively created a two tier education system for this age group. She needs to reconsider her position and find more money to deliver this very good scheme.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
On the train to Crewe
Matt Withers picks up on Lembit Öpik's frustration with the train service between London and Crewe, which produced this memorable Early Day Motion:
EDM 1612
THE 12.44 CREWE TO LONDON VIRGIN TRAIN
19.05.2008
Opik, Lembit
That this House is appalled by the unreliable performance of the 12.44 Virgin Train service on 19th May from Crewe to London; condemns the failure of Virgin staff to warn customers of a potential delay prior to the departure of the train, rejects the notion that a signal failure exonerates them from responsibility to their customers; notes that this train was packed with hon. Members, Ministers and at least one Cabinet Minister; and believes that whoever wins the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, they won't have been assisted by Virgin Trains.
EDM 1612
THE 12.44 CREWE TO LONDON VIRGIN TRAIN
19.05.2008
Opik, Lembit
That this House is appalled by the unreliable performance of the 12.44 Virgin Train service on 19th May from Crewe to London; condemns the failure of Virgin staff to warn customers of a potential delay prior to the departure of the train, rejects the notion that a signal failure exonerates them from responsibility to their customers; notes that this train was packed with hon. Members, Ministers and at least one Cabinet Minister; and believes that whoever wins the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, they won't have been assisted by Virgin Trains.
Big Brother is back
No not the television show, though I understand that we are shortly to have another series of that too, but the rather the Orwellian tendencies of the Government.
This time it is a proposal by civil servants that a database be set up of electronic information holding details of every phone call and e-mail sent in the UK. The worrying thing is that I can just see Ministers agreeing to it on the rather flimsy pretext that it is necessary to fight terrorism. I cannot think of a single one who might veto the idea as the barking mad proposal it really is and who would send the relevant civil servant scuttling back to the dark recesses of Whitehall, never to emerge again.
Already the great and the good are lining up against the suggestion. The Information Commission, an independent authority set up to protect personal information, has said that the database "may well be a step too far". They highlighted the risk of data being lost, traded or stolen:
Assistant information commissioner Jonathan Bamford said: "We are not aware of any justification for the state to hold every UK citizen's phone and internet records. We have real doubts that such a measure can be justified, or is proportionate or desirable.
"Defeating crime and terrorism is of the utmost importance, but we are not aware of any pressing need to justify the government itself holding this sort of data."
To be fair the shadow home secretary, David Davis is against it too as of course is our very own Chris Huhne. He said ministers had "taken leave of their senses if they think that this proposal is compatible with a free country and a free people". He is right.
This time it is a proposal by civil servants that a database be set up of electronic information holding details of every phone call and e-mail sent in the UK. The worrying thing is that I can just see Ministers agreeing to it on the rather flimsy pretext that it is necessary to fight terrorism. I cannot think of a single one who might veto the idea as the barking mad proposal it really is and who would send the relevant civil servant scuttling back to the dark recesses of Whitehall, never to emerge again.
Already the great and the good are lining up against the suggestion. The Information Commission, an independent authority set up to protect personal information, has said that the database "may well be a step too far". They highlighted the risk of data being lost, traded or stolen:
Assistant information commissioner Jonathan Bamford said: "We are not aware of any justification for the state to hold every UK citizen's phone and internet records. We have real doubts that such a measure can be justified, or is proportionate or desirable.
"Defeating crime and terrorism is of the utmost importance, but we are not aware of any pressing need to justify the government itself holding this sort of data."
To be fair the shadow home secretary, David Davis is against it too as of course is our very own Chris Huhne. He said ministers had "taken leave of their senses if they think that this proposal is compatible with a free country and a free people". He is right.
More pressure on the One Wales' Agreement?
Unrest amongst Labour activists about working with Plaid Cymru has come to a head in this morning's Western Mail in which a number accuse the nationalists of ganging up on Wales' premier party following the local council elections a few weeks ago.
Their beef is that the rapprochement reached in the Assembly does not appear to have been reproduced in the vast majority of Welsh local authorities where voters, for whatever reason, sent Labour away with a flea in their ear on 1 May.
The paper records that in Cardiff, Plaid has entered a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, while in Swansea the single remaining Plaid councillor has joined an anti-Labour coalition. In Wrexham and Ynys Môn, Plaid has linked up with Liberal Democrats and Tories. Only in Conwy, where Plaid is taking the lead, is there a coalition involving both the parties of government at Cardiff Bay.
Closer reading of the article reveals a distinct lack of Labour activists who are actually prepared to be named. On this basis it most probably would not be wise for opposition parties to dust off the rainbow coalition agreement again just yet.
I am sure that AMs in both Labour and Plaid understand the terms of their Assembly deal very well, even if Plaid do play fast and loose with it and push it to its limits far more frequently than we ever did when we were in coalition government in the Assembly between 2000 and 2003.
Their beef is that the rapprochement reached in the Assembly does not appear to have been reproduced in the vast majority of Welsh local authorities where voters, for whatever reason, sent Labour away with a flea in their ear on 1 May.
The paper records that in Cardiff, Plaid has entered a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, while in Swansea the single remaining Plaid councillor has joined an anti-Labour coalition. In Wrexham and Ynys Môn, Plaid has linked up with Liberal Democrats and Tories. Only in Conwy, where Plaid is taking the lead, is there a coalition involving both the parties of government at Cardiff Bay.
Closer reading of the article reveals a distinct lack of Labour activists who are actually prepared to be named. On this basis it most probably would not be wise for opposition parties to dust off the rainbow coalition agreement again just yet.
I am sure that AMs in both Labour and Plaid understand the terms of their Assembly deal very well, even if Plaid do play fast and loose with it and push it to its limits far more frequently than we ever did when we were in coalition government in the Assembly between 2000 and 2003.
Bevan and Thatcher in the Senedd
These are the artworks that are causing so much controversy at the moment. The portraits of Margaret Thatcher and Aneurin Bevan have been erected in the Senedd so as to provoke debate. When I first saw it I thought that the Aneurin Bevan portrait looked a bit like Max Boyce. Now, I am not so sure..JPG)
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Monday, May 19, 2008
Behind the Cheeky Girls
From the Spin Doctor column in yesterday's Wales on Sunday:
GOSH! Have we really got this far into the column without a mention of Lembit Opik, Montgomeryshire MP and fiance of one-half of a chart-averse novelty pop act?
Well, fear not, because TV viewers are about to get a glimpse into the couple’s domestic arrangements: the pair have signed up for a fly-on-the-wall documentary, Living with. . . the Cheeky Girls. The show, say digital channel Living, “will see them followed by cameras in their homes and private lives”. No doubt this will see Lembit making a guest appearance or two and frankly we can’t wait. Nick Clegg may feel differently.
Oh good! I can't wait.
GOSH! Have we really got this far into the column without a mention of Lembit Opik, Montgomeryshire MP and fiance of one-half of a chart-averse novelty pop act?
Well, fear not, because TV viewers are about to get a glimpse into the couple’s domestic arrangements: the pair have signed up for a fly-on-the-wall documentary, Living with. . . the Cheeky Girls. The show, say digital channel Living, “will see them followed by cameras in their homes and private lives”. No doubt this will see Lembit making a guest appearance or two and frankly we can’t wait. Nick Clegg may feel differently.
Oh good! I can't wait.
The knives are out
Facing a crucial week Gordon Brown will find no relief from reading The Independent, who tell us that backbench MPs are planning to oust him if he fails to turn around the fortunes of the labour Party.
A number of MPs want to put Charles Clarke up as a stalking horse against the Prime Minister but the newspaper reckons that this is unlikely to succeed. Instead there is a move to drown Mr. Brown under a a "tidal wave" of statements from MPs that he has lost their confidence because the public have turned against him.
Meanwhile. former Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has published a perceptive pamphlet, which argues that Labour are no longer relevant to the aspirations of the majority of their constituents. He says: "It is not possible to form a Labour government by winning key marginal seats where aspirational voters predominate unless the core voters there actually turn out for the party ... The 'New Labour Ultra' assumption that core voters have nowhere else to go is plain wrong: they are staying at home, or voting for minority parties including, sadly, the BNP."
Mr. Hain's pamphlet is mostly about Wales but it has a resonance across the border as well. It is worth quoting a significant passage, taken from his article for the Western Mail:
Although child poverty, low pay and job insecurity are still big problems for too many, for the great bulk of our citizens the old problems of just surviving are not the issue anymore. Their concerns are more the quality of their lives, the character of their environment, anti social behaviour and crime. Even under the difficult economic circumstances of a global credit crunch, fears of Welsh voters now centre more on mortgages and house prices than unemployment as in the past.
Incontrovertibly, Labour has transformed Wales for the better. But we are no longer benefiting politically, because we have not transformed ourselves. Welsh Labour has been acting in office and working locally as if the “old Wales” still exists – when it has been mutating into “new Wales” under our very guidance in government.
People now rightly expect to have, not just any job, but a decent job with chance to progress; not just any school for their children but a high achieving one; not just low hospital waiting times but high quality personalised care; not just a roof over their heads but affordable housing to buy; not just more police but better neighbourhood policing. And they are right to demand this of Welsh Labour.
Central to this group of voters are modern, personalised public services. They don’t and can’t afford to opt out like the wealthy. But they need those services to be adaptable and fit around their family and work lives, including wraparound child-care.
It is a message to all parties, not just Labour. That is especially so if we are to halt the increases in the BNP's vote in recent times.
A number of MPs want to put Charles Clarke up as a stalking horse against the Prime Minister but the newspaper reckons that this is unlikely to succeed. Instead there is a move to drown Mr. Brown under a a "tidal wave" of statements from MPs that he has lost their confidence because the public have turned against him.
Meanwhile. former Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has published a perceptive pamphlet, which argues that Labour are no longer relevant to the aspirations of the majority of their constituents. He says: "It is not possible to form a Labour government by winning key marginal seats where aspirational voters predominate unless the core voters there actually turn out for the party ... The 'New Labour Ultra' assumption that core voters have nowhere else to go is plain wrong: they are staying at home, or voting for minority parties including, sadly, the BNP."
Mr. Hain's pamphlet is mostly about Wales but it has a resonance across the border as well. It is worth quoting a significant passage, taken from his article for the Western Mail:
Although child poverty, low pay and job insecurity are still big problems for too many, for the great bulk of our citizens the old problems of just surviving are not the issue anymore. Their concerns are more the quality of their lives, the character of their environment, anti social behaviour and crime. Even under the difficult economic circumstances of a global credit crunch, fears of Welsh voters now centre more on mortgages and house prices than unemployment as in the past.
Incontrovertibly, Labour has transformed Wales for the better. But we are no longer benefiting politically, because we have not transformed ourselves. Welsh Labour has been acting in office and working locally as if the “old Wales” still exists – when it has been mutating into “new Wales” under our very guidance in government.
People now rightly expect to have, not just any job, but a decent job with chance to progress; not just any school for their children but a high achieving one; not just low hospital waiting times but high quality personalised care; not just a roof over their heads but affordable housing to buy; not just more police but better neighbourhood policing. And they are right to demand this of Welsh Labour.
Central to this group of voters are modern, personalised public services. They don’t and can’t afford to opt out like the wealthy. But they need those services to be adaptable and fit around their family and work lives, including wraparound child-care.
It is a message to all parties, not just Labour. That is especially so if we are to halt the increases in the BNP's vote in recent times.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Another bonfire needed
Our friends, the Taxpayers Alliance have just produced another report entitled 'The unseen Government of the UK'. As the Sunday Times records this concludes that the cost of Britain’s “hidden state” of unelected public bodies has soared to more than £100 billion a year.
This is not necessarily a bad thing provided that Government is able to demonstrate that the money is being well-spent to provide essential public services, that the way it is being spent is transparent and that there is a clear line of accountability, which accomodates proper scrutiny by MPs. Alas, the Taxpayers Alliance report casts doubt on all of these aims.
For example they tell us that while £85m is given to the 126 staff of the Carbon Trust to advise businesses and government bodies on becoming low carbon, £22m is handed over to Envirowise to do almost exactly the same thing. There is also a third body, the Energy Saving Trust, which advises homeowners on reducing their carbon footprint. With 142 staff, it costs £43.2m.
In addition, the Food Standards Agency extols the health benefits of a low-fat diet and yet millions are being spent on food promotion bodies that implore the public to eat more sausages and chips.
We have been through this debate already in Wales. The so-called 'Bonfire of the Quangos' finally materialised when Rhodri Morgan took a decision and subsumed them into government. However, many of the promised savings did not materialise, government departments suddenly became overwhelmed with surplus staff they did not know what to do with and the ability of Assembly Committee's to properly scrutinise the actions of the newly merged departments turned out to be much less than when they were stand-alone bodies with an unelected board.
That does not mean that the UK Government should not try to get greater efficiencies and accountability out of its own Quango state, just that it should take note of the Welsh experience in doing so.
This is not necessarily a bad thing provided that Government is able to demonstrate that the money is being well-spent to provide essential public services, that the way it is being spent is transparent and that there is a clear line of accountability, which accomodates proper scrutiny by MPs. Alas, the Taxpayers Alliance report casts doubt on all of these aims.
For example they tell us that while £85m is given to the 126 staff of the Carbon Trust to advise businesses and government bodies on becoming low carbon, £22m is handed over to Envirowise to do almost exactly the same thing. There is also a third body, the Energy Saving Trust, which advises homeowners on reducing their carbon footprint. With 142 staff, it costs £43.2m.
In addition, the Food Standards Agency extols the health benefits of a low-fat diet and yet millions are being spent on food promotion bodies that implore the public to eat more sausages and chips.
We have been through this debate already in Wales. The so-called 'Bonfire of the Quangos' finally materialised when Rhodri Morgan took a decision and subsumed them into government. However, many of the promised savings did not materialise, government departments suddenly became overwhelmed with surplus staff they did not know what to do with and the ability of Assembly Committee's to properly scrutinise the actions of the newly merged departments turned out to be much less than when they were stand-alone bodies with an unelected board.
That does not mean that the UK Government should not try to get greater efficiencies and accountability out of its own Quango state, just that it should take note of the Welsh experience in doing so.
Rise of the shredder
The rise of increased transparency in public life does not suit everybody as is evident from this item in the Sunday Times. The paper tells us that some of Tony Blair’s expenses claims, which the High Court last week ruled should be disclosed to the public, have been shredded. The documents, itemising Blair’s claims for household expenses during a year of his premiership, were destroyed in the midst of a legal battle over whether they should be published.
As is pointed out it is a criminal offence to destroy documents to prevent their disclosure under freedom of information laws, but Westminster officials say they were unaware that the files were the subject of a legal challenge. They insist they were destroyed by mistake.
There is another issue here as well of course. My understanding, which may well be wrong, is that the Inland Revenue requires that documentation relating to expenses are kept for a proscribed period of time before the record-keeper is allowed to dispose of them. Was this taken into account in the decision to shred these documents?
Liberal Democrat MP, Norman Baker is absolutely right when he says that it is very convenient that some of Tony Blair’s expenses have been shredded. He adds: "This is either incompetence or obstruction of the Freedom of Information Act and should be properly investigated.”
While we are at it, we could do with an proper explanation as to how the Commons authorities are able to justify the expenditure of £150,000 of public money in preventing this disclosure in the first place. There really does need to be better accountability here.
As is pointed out it is a criminal offence to destroy documents to prevent their disclosure under freedom of information laws, but Westminster officials say they were unaware that the files were the subject of a legal challenge. They insist they were destroyed by mistake.
There is another issue here as well of course. My understanding, which may well be wrong, is that the Inland Revenue requires that documentation relating to expenses are kept for a proscribed period of time before the record-keeper is allowed to dispose of them. Was this taken into account in the decision to shred these documents?
Liberal Democrat MP, Norman Baker is absolutely right when he says that it is very convenient that some of Tony Blair’s expenses have been shredded. He adds: "This is either incompetence or obstruction of the Freedom of Information Act and should be properly investigated.”
While we are at it, we could do with an proper explanation as to how the Commons authorities are able to justify the expenditure of £150,000 of public money in preventing this disclosure in the first place. There really does need to be better accountability here.
