Monday, May 21, 2007
Rainbow or bust
The Western Mail reports that most grassroots members of Plaid Cymru appear to be swinging behind a possible coalition deal that would put Ieuan Wyn Jones into the First Minister’s office – so long as the terms are right. Their evidence for this assertion is that Plaid members in Caernarfon on Saturday overwhelmingly backed such a deal in principle.
The paper is careful to point out however that PLaid Cymru's biggest problem remains their membership in the South Wales Valleys. They are understood to be less happy at the prospect as is evidenced from this entry on Bethan Jenkins' blog.
I think it is only fair to record that this mixed reception is also evident within the Welsh Liberal Democrats. Whereas some areas where we lead the Council are comfortable with a rainbow coalition, other more traditional areas of Liberal Democrat support have major objections. Opposition is growing within our party and I expect that if the proposal gets past the joint National Executive/Group meeting on Wednesday, then there will be a real and meaningful debate at the Special Conference in Llandrindod Wells on Saturday with no guarantee of the outcome.
The paper is careful to point out however that PLaid Cymru's biggest problem remains their membership in the South Wales Valleys. They are understood to be less happy at the prospect as is evidenced from this entry on Bethan Jenkins' blog.
I think it is only fair to record that this mixed reception is also evident within the Welsh Liberal Democrats. Whereas some areas where we lead the Council are comfortable with a rainbow coalition, other more traditional areas of Liberal Democrat support have major objections. Opposition is growing within our party and I expect that if the proposal gets past the joint National Executive/Group meeting on Wednesday, then there will be a real and meaningful debate at the Special Conference in Llandrindod Wells on Saturday with no guarantee of the outcome.
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Clearly the rainbow is a novelty for the media who have grounds to want to talk it up and generate momentum and interest. The reality is that Plaid and Lib Dem members will have to balance the enormous long term colateral damage they will sustain from leading the Tory's back into government against the short lived glory of forming an administration. Plus how will the 2/3 AMs be delivered to get a referedum off the blocks without labour?
Totally amazed, nay dumbstruck, that no one has pulled up the, in our personal opinion, appalling journalism on yesterday's BBC Wales' Politics Show!?
Rhodders comes out, during a live TV interview, and suggests that ITV and BBC Wales should commission a joint poll to decide who should be the First Minister of Wales - him or the Plaid boy!?
Hang on, read the above again!
No, you don't get it!?
Nope, neither did the BBC journalist who was interviewing him as it obviously shot over his head. It also seems to have escaped most other journalists in Wales and virtually all the politicians also.
I can say that journos in London were spitting out their tea when they heard what Rhodders said and almost choked on their currant buns when his poll comments went unchallenged?
For those of you who didn't get it good old Cardiff Bay Rhodders wants the BBC and ITV to do a poll - they never use more than a 1,000 people in a TV poll - to decide who should run Wales! Yes, obviously the recent election was not good enough for him! Yes, obviously he appears to no longer believe in democracy as he would seem to want to cling onto his job by the result of a, at most, 1,000 person BBC/ITV TV poll rather than the electorate of Wales. I thought Labour stood for the people and for democracy!!!
A good journalist would have laid into him for that poll comment!
Good politicians would have used it to their own political ends today but, no, it has gone unused and already forgotten in our little muddy puddle that is Wales. I can assure you that several London based journos watching that interview yesterday, some of them Welsh and prominent in Wales, would have well and truly laid into the Cardiff boy for that poll comment! He would have been questioned, grilled and hung out to dry for that comment!!!
One can only assume that BBC Wales simply cannot get the staff anymore!!!
What next - Rhodri commissioning a poll of 25 of his supporters in Cardiff to decide whether all health-care in Wales should be closed down and moved to Cardiff? Or how about all the money in Wales going to be spent in Cardiff and just asking two people in Splott if it is a good idea? Hmm, hang on, isn't that how Wales is run already?
No doubt those in the BBC Wales news room would think it was a spliffing idea!
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Rhodders comes out, during a live TV interview, and suggests that ITV and BBC Wales should commission a joint poll to decide who should be the First Minister of Wales - him or the Plaid boy!?
Hang on, read the above again!
No, you don't get it!?
Nope, neither did the BBC journalist who was interviewing him as it obviously shot over his head. It also seems to have escaped most other journalists in Wales and virtually all the politicians also.
I can say that journos in London were spitting out their tea when they heard what Rhodders said and almost choked on their currant buns when his poll comments went unchallenged?
For those of you who didn't get it good old Cardiff Bay Rhodders wants the BBC and ITV to do a poll - they never use more than a 1,000 people in a TV poll - to decide who should run Wales! Yes, obviously the recent election was not good enough for him! Yes, obviously he appears to no longer believe in democracy as he would seem to want to cling onto his job by the result of a, at most, 1,000 person BBC/ITV TV poll rather than the electorate of Wales. I thought Labour stood for the people and for democracy!!!
A good journalist would have laid into him for that poll comment!
Good politicians would have used it to their own political ends today but, no, it has gone unused and already forgotten in our little muddy puddle that is Wales. I can assure you that several London based journos watching that interview yesterday, some of them Welsh and prominent in Wales, would have well and truly laid into the Cardiff boy for that poll comment! He would have been questioned, grilled and hung out to dry for that comment!!!
One can only assume that BBC Wales simply cannot get the staff anymore!!!
What next - Rhodri commissioning a poll of 25 of his supporters in Cardiff to decide whether all health-care in Wales should be closed down and moved to Cardiff? Or how about all the money in Wales going to be spent in Cardiff and just asking two people in Splott if it is a good idea? Hmm, hang on, isn't that how Wales is run already?
No doubt those in the BBC Wales news room would think it was a spliffing idea!
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