Probably not the finest regions in the World.

All Welsh regions have failed to qualify for the quarter final  of the Heineken cup and with has seen them knocked out before the qualifying stage is complete.

Injury and the loss of senior players to clubs outside Wales have played their part . But the fact remains the regions have failed to shine in the completion since their formation,

There have been calls for Central Contacts on the lines of the Irish regions ad this certainly would help. Though some argue this has somehow inversely damaged the National side. 

But the main problem is still a lack of identification with the Regions and in some cases like Pontypridd darn right hostility.

The WRU, The Regions, and representative of the other clubs in Wales need to come together  and work out what is best for Rugby and the future of the players under our structure.

The relationship between the regions and other clubs need to be improved and it may be an idea that representatives of the premiership clubs are invited to join the management of the Regions.

We can't go on this there may be some who would like to see the regions collapse but ever since the end of the amateur game the old club structure was unlikely to generate the income to support a team  hat could win  the Heineken cup.(Yes Cardiff were runners up in 1996 the first year of the trophy. But since then none.

Just look at the figures

Season	Country	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Country	Venue	Attendance
1995–96	France	Toulouse	21–18	Cardiff	Wales	Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff	21,800
1996–97	France	Brive	28–9	Leicester Tigers	England	Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff	41,664
1997–98	England	Bath	19–18	Brive	France	Parc Lescure, Bordeaux	36,500
1998–99	Ireland	Ulster	21–6	Colomiers	France	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	49,000
1999–2000	England	Northampton Saints	9–8	Munster	Ireland	Twickenham, London	68,441
2000–01	England	Leicester Tigers	34–30	Stade Français	France	Parc des Princes, Paris	44,000
2001–02	England	Leicester Tigers	15–9	Munster	Ireland	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff	74,600
2002–03	France	Toulouse	22–17	Perpignan	France	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	28,600
2003–04	England	London Wasps	27–20	Toulouse	France	Twickenham, London	73,057
2004–05	France	Toulouse	18–12	Stade Français	France	Murrayfield, Edinburgh	51,326
2005–06	Ireland	Munster	23–19	Biarritz	France	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff	74,534
2006–07	England	London Wasps	25–9	Leicester Tigers	England	Twickenham, London	81,076
2007–08	Ireland	Munster	16–13	Toulouse	France	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff	74,500
2008–09	Ireland	Leinster	19–16	Leicester Tigers	England	Murrayfield, Edinburgh	66,523
2009–10	France	Toulouse	21–19	Biarritz	France	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	78,962
2010–11	Ireland	Leinster	33–22	Northampton Saints	England	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff	72,456
2011–12	Ireland	Leinster	42–14	Ulster	Ireland	Twickenham, London	81,774

We can't go on like this and we need an urgent response . With only one Welsh representative in the final of Probably the major Rugby club competition in the World (as Heineken would say) compared with Ireland's  8 its a disgrace.

Lets be serious we can't just put this down to our current injury problems and the exodus of players we need to have a plan which will see at least two of our regions playing an Heineken final within 5 years.

Cameron: In out shake it all about.

David Cameron will enlist the support of the Dutch when he makes a bid to take back powers from Brussels in a long awaited speech on the EU, it has been reported.
According to The Sun the prime minister will travel to The Hague in the Netherlands on 22 January where he will promise British voters an in/out referendum in 2018 if the Conservative Party is returned to power at the next election.
The paper reports that Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte will support Cameron's call for more powers and money to be returned to individual EU.

But other countries are seeing this as a form of blackmail

Gunther Krichbaum, chairman of the Bundestag’s European Affairs Committee, said that the Prime Minister’s strategy was unwise and risked opening a Pandora’s box that would threaten European stability.
He also urged Mr Cameron not to “blackmail” the rest of Europe with threats as he tries win opt-outs from EU treaties.

It does seem that Cameron has one eye on the poll   the latest conducted  by ComRes on  European Voting Intention Figures for the People

Conservative 22%
Labour 35%
Liberal Democrat 8%
UKIP 23%
Other 12%


 This sees a significant change in voting intentions from 2009 
 

Party		Votes	Vote %	% Change	Seats	Seats Change	Relative Seats Change	Seats %
	Conservative	4,198,394	27.7%	+1.0	25	−2	+1	37.7
	UKIP	2,498,226	16.5%	+0.3	13	+1	+1	18.8
	Labour	2,381,760	15.7%	−6.9	13	−6	−5	18.8
	Liberal Democrat	2,080,613	13.7%	−1.2	11	−1	+1	15.9
	Green	1,223,303	8.1%	+2.4	2	0	0	2.9
	BNP	943,598	6.2%	+1.3	2	+2	+2	2.9
	SNP	321,007	2.1%	+0.7	2	0	0	2.9
	Plaid Cymru	126,702	0.8%	−0.1	1	0	0	1.

Though UKip may be disapointed to not be  vying for Labour to be the largest part.

Nevertheless Cameron, who doesn't want to quit Europe may regret his posturing and he has very little support  (apart from the Dutch ) in the rest of the EU.

If he really wants to reform the EU and it does need reforming he should seek alies and not act like a Schoolboy saying "I Double Dare you " to the likes of Nigel Fargo and UKip.

He may find that the rest of Europe will get fed up of the UK negative attitude and completely isolate him.

There has been some debate over if Scotland voted Yes for Independence whether it should have to reapply for EU membership.

It may be that the EU will look more kindly on an Independent Scotland (and its oil) to the rump of England, Wales and Scotland dominated by Little Englanders who can't see further than Dover.

Welsh Labour: Still A Satellite Party.

Gareth Hughes, reports that “The Labour Party is, now a de facto federal party recognised by party leadership across the UK.” so claims Leighton Andrews in a speech to the Clwyd South Labour Party, last Night

His argument is based on the claim that 

“The leader of the Labour MSPs is formally the Leader of Scottish Labour. In Wales, Carwyn is the only person elected by the whole of the party in Wales, and is recognised as Welsh Labour leader. 

So prehapss Leighton, can answer these questions?

• Are Welsh Labour separately registered with the Electoral Commission under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act,[4] ?
• Are they part of a federal organisation (such as the relationship between the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats, for example)?
• Welsh Labour may have autonomy in policy formulation for those areas now devolved  to theWelsh Assembly, But can he supply a list of these areas where Welsh Labour have significantly differed from Labou rUK leader that caused a major rift?
• If it is a de facto Federal Party why isn't there a "English Labour"?
• Where does Welsh Labour receive its funding from ? How much of its expenditure in Wales is actually raised here?
• If Labour won the next General Election and Owen Smith became Welsh Secretary . Who would Ed Milliband regard as Welsh Leader. Who would have his ear?
• What of the position of the SDLP in Northern Ireland  who have ties with the Parliamentary Labour Party, whose whip they informally accept. and who sit on the government benches when Labour are in power.

I'm afraid Labour in Wales are still what Plaid, used to cal a Satellite Party and much of its autonomy is delusional, being finacially dependent on the central party.Its leader Carwyn Jones, is only of use because . He is the only Labour UK leader with any real power. Once Labour are back in power in Westminster he will be told  not to rock the boat and to concentrate on spending Wales' pocket money.

It may well be Leighton Andrews was expressing an aspiration but even adding the tag de facto to his claims does not hide tge truth that Labour is still a centralist party and Welsh Labour just a small revolving Satellite around them and who will be puled closer  to orbit  its London HQ once Ed Milliband  enters number 10.

A Prison Service we need not forced to accept

I think that many would like to see a new prison in North wales where offenders currently are sent long distances to complete their sentences

In 2008 a Proposal  for between 400-500 category C offenders - which is for those reaching the end of their sentence, those considered to be low risk, and those awaiting sentence was muted but despite support for it to be built in the Caernafon area. It came to nothing.

Currently there are five Prisons in Wales (2010)
                             Category    Population
Cardiff                     B             815
Swansea                  B/C         380
Parc/Bridgend          B            1187 (Private Prison)
USK                       C             426  
Prescoed                 D             426

Theres no provision for Women in Wales now we are told that North Wales is in the running for a massive new "super prison" that could house more than 2,000 inmates .


It's one of three areas being considered for the project across England and Wales.

The new building would be the largest prison in the UK and bring millions of pounds to the local economy.

The plans would also see a new mini jail built on the Parc prison site at Bridgend.

So North Wales could find itself with a Prison it doesn't want . Whilst having the prison it needed rejected

Its typical of this government that we are seen as a site for overspill of Prisoners from outside Wales rather than .getting what we have ben  looking for.

I would like to see the Prison population reduced but recognise we need to imprison a number of prisoners.

But the UK already imprisons far to many people having the highest per capita in the EU.and we need to consider alternatives and reduce the prison population not increase it.

We don't need a 2000 population prison. We need smaller prisons which serves local needs and we urgently need  provision for a Women 's prison here.

Once again we need this devolved to the Welsh Assembly and get a Prison service that meets the needs of Wales. Not the agenda of a reactionary Westminster Government bowing to the Tabloid press  . Whether Conservative, Liberal Democrat or Labour.

UKip denies' freedom of speech for members.

Any idea that UKip is some kind of libertarian free thinking party, right wing but in favour of individual liberty , can be dispensed by the news that The leader of Ukip’s youth organisation has been stripped of his post by the party leadership, after expressing his support for gay marriage on national radio.

According to the Independent:

Olly Neville, who was appointed as chairman of Young Independence (YI) at the end of last year, was told by the party’s chairman that comments in support of gay marriage were “completely at odds with the party’s policy” and risked “seriously setting back the party’s current growth”.
Read Olly Neville's exclusive account 'How Ukip sacked me after I said I support equal marriage'
Last night he confirmed that he been asked to stand down from his post. Ukip said that Mr Neville was removed for “misrepresenting Ukip policy” and not for his views on gay marriage.
In an email seen by The Independent, Ukip chairman Stephen Crowther told Mr Neville yesterday: “the NEC [National Executive Committee] has resolved that you should not continue to act as interim chairman of YI, owing to the problems regarding party policy and public statements about which we have corresponded over the past week.”

Independent Wednesday 9th January 2013

Mr Neville, stated that....

.....I am sure I will find out what the official line from the party is. I am sure they won’t want me to come off looking good from it and them looking bad. I am a 21 year-old recent graduate who said what I had said many times before, something that I truly believe in. Before any of this had even broken I have received emails from UKIP NEC members calling me stupid and had comments on the private members forum attacking me for supporting equal marriage and have apparently now been called politically inept by my own party.
Ukip were the only party I believed in and trusted, I thought a party that campaigned for democracy and free speech would advocate something similar for its members, especially the youth wing. I feel let down and naive. I have always wanted to believe Ukip is the libertarian party it says it is, but with socially conservative candidates getting away with comments that many find abhorrent whilst libertarian members like myself get heavily attacked I can no longer convince myself it truly is. While Ukip is the only party fighting for true freedom and democracy on issues like the EU when it comes to Equal Marriage Ukip is on the wrong side of public opinion and the wrong side of history. 

 Independent Wednesday 9th January 2013

These are the people who Montgomery MP Glyn Davies, quite likes.   A party who if you striped away their populist Anti EU rhetoric would be exposed as a far right socially conservative party who talk about freedom but who would curtail it for those they disagreed with .

They are a danger. Nnot because of their Anti EU stand but because its based on the small minded little Englander conservatism that we thought we were leaving behind.

Its not the stance against Gay marriages that is revealed here its that no one else in the party can have a different opinion .

For too long we have been distracted by UKips seemingly one ticket Anti-EU ( which I disagree with anyway) stance and the in depth policies or views that it has, very rarely come to the surface.

It time our media examined UKip so that people can see what kind of party they really are voting for.

Some may well approve  and identify with it . But I'm sure but others may think that although they disapprove of the EU and might even want to quit it. The cosequences of electing the likes of Nigel Farage and his cronies may be to much of a price.

Being an International Cap doesn't make you a Citizen it seems.

It seems that being crapped for a county doesn't make you a citizen of that country The BBC reports that former rugby union international Brian Moore is angered by the news that ex-England player Hendre Fourie is facing deportation after the flanker was forced to retire because of a shoulder injury.

The South-Africa born open-side, who has been living in the United Kingdom for eight years, has had his contract cancelled by Sale Sharks, meaning his visa is no longer valid.
The 33-year-old Fourie, who qualified to play for England through residency and won eight caps, injured his shoulder playing against Ireland in 2011 and must leave the country by the end of the month.

If he had French or Polish for example he would still be eligible to live in the UK

The residency rules which  allows players from other countries to be capped come under  by another comes under


REGULATION 8.  ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR NATIONAL 
REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS

8.1

•  A Player may only play for the senior fifteen-aside National Representative Team, the next senior fifteen-a-side National 
• Representative Team and the senior National Representative Sevens Team 
• of the Union of the country in which: 
•  (a) he was born; or 
•  (b) one parent or grandparent was born; or 
•  (c) he has completed thirty six consecutive months of Residence 
• immediately preceding the time of playing. 

This has led to a number of players swapping countries and it has benefited the game in Italy and Japan in particular.

But if you took the South Sea Islanders out of the New Zelaland and Australian sides they would not be the force they are in World and it has hit Tonga Fiji and Samoa hard.

Being capped for your  country is not like being signed for a premiership team  it is an honour and I admired former Llanelli number 8 Ben Morgan for opting to play for England even though he was eligible for Wales . He saw himself as English and played for his country.

I do not entirely object to capping of players who now live in and  play in a different  country . My ruling would be  to place an age limit say 20  before  the residency rule kicks in.

Or extend it to 5 years and the player must have obtained citizenship of that country

Perhaps an adjustment could be made for Lower Tier countries to help them develop the game.

It is ridiculous that a player like Fourie can be cruelly discarded after his Injury and possibly deported as he is NOT English even though he has played for England.

We need real jobs for the unemployed.

In an article for Politics Home calling for a One Nation approach to welfare reform shadow chancellor Ed Balls says that, under the jobs guarantee, government will ensure there is a job for every adult who is long-term unemployed and people out of work will be obliged to take up those jobs or face losing benefits. 

Initially the guarantee would be for adults who are out of work for 24 months or more, but we would seek to reduce this to 18 or 12 months over time. 

There are currently 129,400 adults over the age of 25 who have been out of work for 24 months or more – a rise of 88 percent since the same month last year and a rise of 146 per cent in the last two years. 

The £1 billion costs can be funded by reversing the government’s decision to stop tax relief

Ball said 

Today we are urging the government to go even further, because we won't get the costs of welfare down if adults who can work are languishing on the dole for years and years on end. So Ed Miliband, Liam Byrne and I are today calling for a compulsory Jobs Guarantee for the long-term unemployed.
This is the One Nation jobs contract Labour would introduce right now: the government will ensure there is a job for every adult who is long-term unemployed, and people out of work will be obliged to take up those jobs or face losing benefits.
Our Jobs Guarantee for adults will build on the model of the Future Jobs Fund with government working with the private and voluntary sectors to ensure there is a job paying the minimum wage for every long-term unemployed person.
While getting people back to work will save the taxpayer money in the long-term, the upfront costs of Labour’s jobs contract can be funded by reversing the government’s decision to stop tax relief on pension contributions for people earning over £150,000 being limited to 20 per cent

Sounds reasonable  but can you really create 129,400 jobs for those out of work even for six months without employers, exploiting this as a form of cheap Labour.

129,400 short jobs paying the minimum wage could replace 129,400 jobs on higher wages .

There's no indication of what time of jobs these are but it could easily be exploited by firms getting someone to carry out menial tasks for six months and then discarding them for another one and the poor so returning to the dole.

What Labour are doing is suggesting that the long term unemployed. are are not really seeking work and they need to be forced into work.

What encouragement to an unemployed person is it to give them six months work in a menial job only for them to return to the despair of the dole.

The worst scenario however would be not that they were exploited but they enjoyed and valued the work experience only to be told that although" they were an excellent worker" their time was up and they would be returning to the dole.

What we need is not for the major political parties to give the impression that people are on the dole through choice but look to creating full time jobs.

Already those seeking employment are taking part time jobs whilst in reality they would like to work full time and this may well be the reason for the recent fall in unemployment.

Of course there's no votes backing the unemployed and its easier to portray them are skivers .

Some may b,e but the majority are constantly using the modern version of Norman Tebibits "  I grew up in the '30s with an unemployed father. He didn't riot. He got on his bike and looked for work ",and searching the web for hours a day and applying regularly for jobs only to find they don't even get an acknowledgement of their application let alone an interview.

It doesn't help those seeing work if they are constantly accused of not wanting to work . What we need is to encourage employers to put aside their prejudice against the long term unemployed  but in reality we need o create jobs and look to a "New Deal programme that will create not only jobs but rebuild our broken infrastructure.