Labour Councilor makes politically partisan statement to WAG shock.

The Wasting Mule reports that  

A senior councillor has apologised after it emerged that he ordered an official to insert a politically partisan statement into a submission to the Welsh Government on waste policy.

It seems Caerphilly Labour councillor David Poole, influenced The council’s submission to a Welsh Government consultation on plans to separate different waste streams for recycling includes the sentence: 

“There is also significant concern among the controlling Labour administration that forced service changes against the wishes of citizens may have political implications with citizens’ views which will be expressed via the ballot box in the forthcoming elections.”

 The submission was written by Mark Williams, the council’s head of public services.

The council’s Plaid Cymru opposition group leader Colin Mann sought an explanation for the statement, which suggests waste policy should be modified because of fears that Labour would lose votes.

Mr Poole the authority’s Cabinet member for community and leisure services, admitted he had “made a pig’s ear” of the situation. emailed Councillor Mann to say:

 “Mark reluctantly, but at my insistence, put that wording into the response. Have looked at it again and I made a pigs ear of the point I wanted to make. I wanted to get over the point that the 12 local authorities would be affected by public opinion if WG [Welsh Government] made us change. As I said the wording was clumsy. I would like to apologise for the wording. I will apologise separately to Mark.”

Mr Mann said: 

“I have asked Councillor Poole to make a full and unreserved apology to the people of Caerphilly County Borough and to members and employees of the authority.“Whatever the thinking behind the comments in the report, it cannot be acceptable for any official to be used in such a blatantly partisan way by the ruling group, which I consider a very serious matter.”

Is councillor Poole,apology enough? 

No because if he wasn't found out it might have has a diverse  effect on Welsh Govrerment Policy.

It still might ?

Maybe we should make such submissions  placed online so we can see if any similar attempts to change policy gfor electoral purposes are made,

Who am I kidding you could argue the Councillor Poole was being refreshingly honest rather than put up spurious arguments about separate different waste streams for recycling .

I bet some Councils have been al ot cleverer than Councillor Poole on this.

Forget the Silk Commission we have moved on.

The problem we in Wales face in seeking  real devolution powers can be seen by the attitude of the main Unionist Party that appears to be most enthusiastic for it.

The Wasting Mule report that

Legislation which could make “home rule” for Wales a reality should be published at the same time as the measures for Scotland, according to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.The Liberal Democrat leader called on party leaders in Wales to speak with one voice in order to put pressure on the London-based Government to deliver the transfer of new powers.

But this is not parity with Scotland  not a slice of the Devolution Cake but more crumbs of the Table.

Indeed  it is merely offering  less powers than the Scottish Parliament has at present and indeed less powers than English MPs would have under English Votes for English Laws (Evel)

He said: 

“When we deliver what is in effect home rule, here, for Scotland within the United Kingdom I think we should aspire to deliver home rule to Wales.”

But what does that mean? I doubt that it will mean that the Liberal Democrats 2015 Manifesto will offer Wales the same powers as Scotland but we wil see.

Applauding the party’s record on pushing forward the recommendations of the two Silk Commission report on further powers for Wales, he said: 

“We’ve delivered pretty well all of Silk 1. I was the first party leader to say that as a party I think we should commit to delivering all of Silk 2.”

Cleggs Piece seems to have displaced his Welsh Leader La Pasionaria on Wales Online but Kirsty Williams to appears join in this vague promise 

According to ther BBC report The Wales party leader said Scottish ambitions for home rule, which she stressed they must gain, could not be achieved without meeting those of Wales, Northern Ireland and England.

"We are four nations distinct with our own ambitions, our own needs and our own outlook,"  "All these nations need a place at the table.
"We need a federal solution in which all four nations are equal partners in charge of their own destiny, as part of one united family - and now is the time to do it.
"The referendum must be a lesson that people across the UK want more of a say over their future.
"We must show them that change is coming, independence can't be their only option."

However why does she go back to Silk?

 She challenged other parties to sign up to the Silk Commissionrecommendations on further powers for Wales.

: " I challenge them all to do as Nick Clegg has done and sign up to the Silk Commission's recommendations - so that Wales can speak as one voice.
"Wales must have a proper parliament. One that reflects the will of the people. One that has the powers to make a difference. One that shows that devolution really can work.Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteWe are four nations distinct with our own ambitions, our own needs and our own outlook”Kirsty Williams AM"Our message to the people of Wales is clear: A vote for the Liberal Democrats will be a vote for Wales to have a real say over its destiny."

 "Since the days of Lloyd George, Liberals have been the party of Home Rule. And I believe it's closer than it has ever been for a generation."

As I said why go back to Sil? iI the Scottish referendum changed everything then Silk is dead because we have gone beyond that and the Liberal Democrats and the other Unionist parties know.

Concentrating on Silk will be a distraction now sitting at the table as La Pasionaria wants is pointless if we only accept crumbs.

Equal partners sounds like parity with Scotland to me  so why can't Clegg or La Pasionaria say so.

Pundit Jeff Jones on devolution and the English Question.

The Wasting Mule has given rein to former Brigend Council leader turned political pundit Jeff Jones to give us his wise words on the English question .

He does nor star well

Unlike the Battle of Waterloo the result of the Scottish referendum wasn’t ‘a close run thing’.
In 28 out of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas the result was no to independence. The result might have settled the issue of Scottish independence for a generation but it hasn’t settled the debate over devolution.

Using the figures for local authorities is frankly miseading and dishonest though it would be healthier if the vote was spread out more . The result was a lot closer than few would have predicted a year before the vote.

Results
Yes or no	Votes	Percentage
Yes	1,617,989	44.7%
No	2,001,926	55.3%
Valid votes	3,619,915	99.91%
Invalid or blank votes	3,429	0.09%
Total votes	3,623,344	100.00%
Voter turnout	84.59%
Electorate	4,283,392

And with the huge surge in membership for those parties who backed a YES vote  with the SNP nearly doubling its membership. The independence question will not disappear for ageneration, especially if Westminster does not deliver on its promises

he then goes on to attempt to answer the English Question except he doesn't  apart  from appearing that it can be solved by "A peoples Convention" of the whole UK and that people in England should apparently have a veto on further devolution
He says

The future shape of what has been one of the most successful countries in the world should not be left to the 1% of the population who belong to political parties. I agree that a constitutional convention needs to be set up but it should be dominated as conventions in British Columbia and Iceland were by ordinary voters not politicians.
Voters selected as they are for jury service at random. The deliberations of the convention should then be agreed or even rejected by a referendum of all voters in the UK.

If so would this be weighted, or woulds such a Convention be delegated by English Members?

It is not a narrow Nationalist concern unless you regard Wales,Scotland,Northern Ireland  and Cornwall as mere regions of the UK  maybe the same as the South East of England.

Indeed Jeff Jones, clearly  (well not so clearly)  believes  the rest of the UK  and English  voters should have been able to  veto Scottish Independence.

It was frankly a disgrace that although Scottish independence could have a major effect on all of us who live in the UK we were excluded from having a say. You also cannot have major constitutional change where 65% of those eligible to vote don’ take part as happened in the ‘give us the tools to finish the job ‘referendum in Wales in 2011.Politicians for too many of us who live in the UK are the problem not part of the solution. So far they have made a mess of constitutional change and brought the UK close to break up. The future of the UK I would argue is far too important to be decide by the 1% active in politics.

The constitutional Question will not be easy to solve  . But it will not bee solved especially in Scotland  by the rest of the UK saying "We will decide on what your future will be.

Jeff Jones may have a point in that such debate should  go beyond the Political Class.

But thats what actually happened in Scotland especially on the YES.

Even the SNP must have been amazed how much the YES campaign went beyond that Part and how many with no political affiliation were beating the streets campaigning for a YES  vote but I doub't this can be replicated on a UK level.

The English Question must be addresed but it is up to the people to address it .

Labour's Hegemony in Wales hokd in LLandaff North.

Despite all its trials and tribulations Lqabour still seem yo have total hegemony in Cardiff  havand despite a number of Byelections since their 2012 Landslide not lost one  seat.

They easily held Llandaff North on Thursday.

Llandaff North on Cardiff (Labour Defence)
Result: 
Labour 898 (50% -2%)
 Llandaff North Independents 419 (23% -1%), 
UKIP 204 (11%)
Conservatives 136 (8% +5%)
Liberal Democrats 134 (7% -9%
Labour HOLD with a majority of 479 (27%) on a swing of 0.5% from Labour to Llandaff North Independents#]

Result of ward at last election (2012): Emboldened denotes elected

Labour 1,244, 1,156 (52%)
Llandaff North Independents 607, 507 (24%)
Liberal Democrats 375, 356 (16%)
Conservatives 154 (3%)
Plaid Cymru 141 (3%)
Greens 101 (2%)

Wales Online seem to have relied on a Labour Press release so have a sick bag ready if you want to read thier account.

The election came about  whenSiobhan Corria formally resigned her seat as a councillor for Llandaff North – but denied her decision stemmed from a problem with leader Phil Bale or his group.

She said: 

“I have been unhappy for a long time in the Labour party. It is nothing to do with the Labour group or the leadership.”Ms Corria said had spoken to Welsh Labour’s general secretary David Hagendyk several times on issues over the “culture, attitude and sexism within the Labour party” but claimed he had “failed to act”.

She said there was now 

“too much internal politics” within the party.
Ms Corria, who was first elected in 2012, said: “I don’t want to represent a party that is happy to smear its own members.
“There’s a failure to act and I’m tired now. I have got children to bring up and you’ve got to prioritise what makes you happy.”
With such controversy you would expect Labour to be in trouble with the electorate by now.

It must be perplexing for the opposition parties  especially the Liberal Democrats who previously run the council.

Plaid failed to put up a candidate but Llandaff North is not fertile area for them.

If Labour can't be disloged in Cardiff after all its internal problems the future looks bleak for all the opposition Paries in Wales.

At Last an Honourable Welsh Poltician (Maybe).

One of the themes of Arthur Koestler, Darkness at Noon is that The Pary is always right and if you voice misgivings over certain policy even if you subsequently enthusiastically support it . You will remain suspect.
It leads to appalling dystopian nightmare where loyal Party workers are purged for being suspect.

So I am not as critical as others when it emerged that Two former environment ministers have criticised Welsh government plans for an M4 relief road south of Newport.

I have always considered on of the two to be one of our most Honourable AM whilst the other seems to be a cynical opportunist . I'll leave you to work out which one.

Labour AMs Alun Davies and John Griffiths spoke out during an assembly debate tabled by Plaid Cymru.

Mr Davies said the Welsh government had taken "the wrong decision" that did not reflect Labour Party "commitments" and called for the plans to be re-examined.

But Transport Minister Edwina Hart said "careful consideration" had been given to "all the available options".

As natural resources minister Mr Davies was responsible for environment policy until he was sacked in July.

He said

: ''"I'm not an instinctive anti-roads person or somebody who believes that roads should not be built."However, I do believe that we need to take these decisions after due consideration and openly and as a consequence of debates and discussions that take place both within individual parties, but also within this place and within the committees of this place."commitments we've made as a Labour Party".

He said the Welsh government itself had described the Gwent levels wetlands as an essential migration route for wildlife.


It may be that Labour AMs have woken up to the disquiet over the decision. Particularly when it appears there Ms Hart seems to have ignored much of the evidence.

 Plaid Cymru withdrew from the talks on the Welsh Budjet this year in protest at plans to build the M4 relief road to the south of Newport.

The Liberal Democrats are also opposed to the M4 relief road, but their backing of the budjet deal confirms the existing Welsh government position that construction would not start before the 2016 assembly elections.

But it hasn't been planed before 2017 anyway

Labour do not have a majority in the Assembly so it his may reflec this Alun Davies who despite his sting criticicism said...

"I will be supporting the government in the voting this afternoon but I wish to make it clear that I do not support the government in this decision.

So he was opposed to the decision but stii supported it rather than support a Plaid motion.

Still at least he voiced his concerns after all he's a honorable man or was that John Griffiths I was writing about?

Devo Max in our time as likely as the Munich Agreement.

Am I alone in thinking the ravelling  of "The Vow" so much vaunted by the Unionist  papers especially  the Daily Record in Scotland and another agreement  in 1938

Devo Max in our Time

Peace in our time.

Indeed it could be that the politician who has been credited with swinging the NO vot may find that he loses al credibility not long after as Nevile Chamberlain was to find out.

Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for 100,000 Scots to sign a petition urging Westminster to keep promises on devolution.

100.000 is a pathetic target but who would sign a petition to give credibility to a politician who joined with the Tories  and then acts surprised to find they can't be trusted.

Not only the Tories.  Ed Miliband has hardly come out as a enthusiasts for Devo Max and the Labour conference was rather muted on the  matter.

Mr Brown said there should be "no strings attached" to promises of more powers for Scotland.

And he claimed Conservative plans to devolve income tax were a "trap" which could result in Scottish MPs losing the right to vote on UK income tax..

Alex Salmond described the Labour MP's comments as "astonishing".

The outgoing SNP leader and first minister said Mr Brown was "calling for guarantees on the delivery of something which he himself said during the referendum campaign was already a done deal".

Brown's attempts to shift Blame solely on the Tories looks like an attempt for him to claim that he was  duped like many NO voters, but he was Prime Minister of the UK for god sake he  knew when he in the latter days if the campaign when he became the face of "The Vow" for the NO campaign that Cameron couldn't be trusted (or indeed Miliband").

Brown once described himself as an ex politician  maybe Bro like Chamberlain before him should slip into obscure retirement. He owes the people of Scotland that.

Pork Barrel Politics in Tremorfa, Dutch Auction in the Bay.

The Annual rigmarole of the Welsh Budget where the opposition Parties bid in a Dutch Auction to see who can get some bragging points when they do a deal with the Assembly Government  to see the annual budget where they announce ho we will spend our pocket money from Westminster. is over  and its the Liberal Democrats who have done the deal this year

The Welsh NHS is to get an extra £425m to spend over the next two years, Finance Minister Jane Hutt has announced.

The AM also confirmed the minority Labour administration had struck a two-year deal with the Liberal Democrats to ensure the plans were approved.

Ms Hutt was outlining the Welsh government's annual budget to AMs.

The overall budget was set at £15.33bn in 2015-16, down from £15.37bn the previous year.

The extra NHS spending - £200m extra in this financial year and £225 next year - means there will be cuts in other areas.

Local government is losing £192m compared with this year's budget, with education and skills losing £28m.

• Welsh government departments' budget changes for 2015/16 are as follows:
• Health and Social Services +3.5%
• Local Government -4.1%
• Communities and Tackling Poverty -0.43%
• Economy, Science & Transport +1.3%
• Education and Skills -1.6%
• Natural Resources -7.5%
• Central Services and Administration -6.6%

The Lib Dems said the total deal was worth £223m over two years that's £223m out of £15.33m

The main thrust of their part of the deal  is extra funding will be given to the Pupil Deprivation Grant, a scheme to increase school spending in poorer areas.

Though evidence that this is spent on poorer pupils as effective as the Assembly Government and the Lib Dems iclaim s scarce .

As well as the education cash it includes a pledge to begin building the East Bay Link Road in Cardiff. The £57m project would connect Cardiff Bay with the A48 at Tremorfa, and was first mooted as part of the 1990s regeneration of the docks area of the City, before being cancelled by then Welsh secretary John Redwood.

So that might Jenny Willot in Cardiff Central  in what looks like Pork Barrel politics but I doubt it.

There is also a pledge to spend £10m on a to-be-decided transport scheme in north Wales, and an additional £5.3m for Llandrindod Wells County War Memorial Hospital.

So that's a measly £10 million for something that we don't know what is planned . Just as well really.

Labour is without a majority in the Senedd, and needs a deal with another party to pass its annual budget.

The Lib Dems also managed to  see that  plans to build the M4 relief road to the south of Newport.would not start before the 2016 assembly elections.

But  I was under the impression it was not due to start until 2017 and there are legal threats which may delay it further so it looks like a token gesture.

As I said  this annual  negotiations resembles  a Dutch auction i (a type of auction in which the auctioneer begins with a high asking price which is lowered until some participant is willing to accept the auctioneer's price), 

It is a farce the Lib Dems are given a few days of crowing over thier paltry £223m and thier beloved  Pupil Deprivation Grant whilst forgetting to mention they wil vote for an 1.6 reduction in the budget for Education and Skills 

They will probably mot mention the 4.1% reduction in Education anyway.

Still its probably better than Labour having a overall majority but it may be better that a coalition government exists next time and we get a more sensible deal .