Are we going to see a Unionist "True Wales" Party?

Two Welsh councillors have resigned from the Labour Party, saying the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn has made it unelectable.

If you are wondering "maybe they will join Plaid" thing again

Nigel Dix and Allan Rees, who both represent Blackwood on Caerphilly County Borough Council, plan to set up their own local party.

Mr Dix who was one of the leaders of True Wales a Unionist group said:

 “The Labour Party I joined and campaigned for and represented over many years no longer exists.
"The action of the 50 MPs who nominated Jeremy Corbyn as a leadership candidate has resulted in the party being taken over by the hard left.
"Mr Corbyn has turned the party into a protest movement that has no interest in winning power and improving the life chances of those who desperately need a credible and sensible Labour Party capable of defeating the Tories.

 “The party conference clearly demonstrates that the hard left have the Labour Party by the throat and anyone who disagrees is regarded as a traitor or ‘red Tory’. Sadly the party is no longer a place for moderates.

Mr Dix a moderate!? 

Readers of the Wasting Mule letters page will be familiar with his attacks on the Welsh Assembly which he appears to see as a Nationalist Plot.

Well take what he said about the 2011 referendum

The assembly has been dominated by what I call "nationalist light".
There has been an obsession with all things constitutional - costly reports on devolving tax and borrowing, the Richard Commission and discussions on the devolution of law and policing.
It appears that our Assembly Members distrust all things English and also distrust MPs, as they continually attempt to lay the blame for their failures at Westminster's door.
The vote on 3 March is about turning the assembly into a parliament, something that was not stated on the original ballot paper some 12 years ago.
An article in the Western Mail highlighted the scale of AMs' ambitions: if the people of Wales vote Yes, we will simply see more and interference from Cardiff Bay in our everyday lives.
We must ask ourselves whether Wales needs more laws and costly government? The answer has to be a resounding No.

Perhaps it could be that Councillor Dix is frightened that the negativity over Corbyn leadership will affect his council seat and he will be swept away as Labour lose out in next h
years Council Elections.

Or is it local decisions that Councillor Dix fears will be his down fall he says#

“Coun Rees and I will carry on doing what we have always done by putting the residents of Blackwood first, just as we did when opposing the council’s Local Development Plan, a taxpayer funded cinema, fighting to open Blackwood Gate retail park and speaking out about the senior officers pay award.”

Intresting his felow defector   Mr Rees said: 

“It’s with a heavy heart that I’ve decided to leave the Labour Party after nearly six years as a member."If Welsh Labour was a political party in its own right I’d probably stay: being a social worker I see how the policies of a Welsh Labour Government protect vulnerable people

So maybe we are not going to see the birth of "True Wales" as a political party with Nigel Dix  at the head

It would seem unlikely that Nigel would agree with that Labour could be political party in its own right.

Unless of course Former Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan's  call for "clear red water" which divides policy in Wales and Westminster was to turn a pale pink or even blue.

 

Did Plaid receive £2500 from Libya in 1976? (where did they spend it?)

Plaid Cymru has dismissed claims that it was given £25,000 by former Libyan dictator Col Muammar Gaddafi in 1976. which  is being splashed over the Unionist media.

The claims have been made by Dr Carl Clowes, a party activist who visited the north African state at the time as a guest of the Arab Socialist Union.

He told BBC Wales the Libyans were keen to forge links with Plaid Cymru as a socialist party and asked how they could help.

Plaid Cymru said there was “no record or knowledge” of any such donation.

Dr Clowes said that at the end of the week-long trip, during which there had been a succession of conversations about improvements to public services in Libya and about what Plaid Cymru was aiming to achieve in Wales, there was a meeting between the Welsh delegation and a “youngish” Libyan official.

No money was asked for by the Plaid activists, but the official said the Libyans had liked what they had heard and would see what could be done to help.

A couple of months later, said Dr Clowes, Mr Edwards had told him that £25,000 had been received by Plaid, and that the donation had not been conditional in any way.”

I can recall (i think it was (Rebecca) covering this and a claim that part of the reason for the trip was to promote Welsh Lamb as an export to Libya.

So its actually a Old Story which any decent journalist would have gone back on to see if there was amything new.

A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said:

 “The trip to Libya was well documented at the time and since. There is absolutely no record or knowledge of any such donation being made to Plaid Cymru.”

Certainly £25,000 was a big donation for Plaid in 1976 and the Party would have seemed awash with money if it was true. 

I don't think even senior members of the party were aware that the Plaid's financial problems had been abated.

Of course it has given the Unionist Parties a chance to get on their moral highorse 

The Wasting Mule had no difficulty in finding " A Welsh Labour" who  source said: 

“It’s truly shocking that senior Plaid Cymru figures led a pilgrimage to Libya to dictator Muammar Gaddafi for money at around the same time as he was funding militias and terrorist organisations across the world.
"The frank admissions in this book show clearly that Plaid Cymru hoped to emulate some of the despot’s policies here in Wales.
"While the West was pulling together to combat terrorism, Plaid politicians were cosying up with the brutal dictator and proud anti-semite in a cynical bid for funding.”

But frankly you need only this picture to dismiss this as hypocrisy


How many trade delegations involving  UK Governments to Saudi Arabia have there been since Plaid allegedly took money from a dictator forty years ago?

Apparently.there is a difference between a revolutionary dictator like Gaddafi and hereditary  rulers.

That 's why successive governments have encouraged  and supported the Autocratic dictatorship of Saudia Arabia whose Human Rights abuses could be said to ve worse than Gaddafi




I wonder if in the period before denotations were more closely scrutinised if the Tories and Labour ever  received  any   from foreign government go-between whose Human Rights records we would find abhorrent?

The emergence of Labour's Red-Ukip fraction in the PLP?

The reelection of Jeremy Corbyn may well have strengthened rather than weakened the right in the Parliamentary rather than weakened it.

Not holding any Shadow Cabinet posts  they have no worries about being sacked  and can make outspoken statements that echo those on the Government benches.

According to the Huffington Post

   Rachel Reeves, Emma Reynolds and Stephen Kinnock – who all campaigned for Remain in the June referendum – now accept that immigration controls are one of the key lessons to be learned from the result.In a collection of essays released today by the Fabian Society, the three MPs agree that freedom of movement from the EU must end – even if that means leaving the Single Market.

Though this may appear to chime with party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who earlier this month called for the UK to have access to the Single Market but not be a full member. There are aspects in thier calls for immigration control  that are deeply disturbing.

In the essay collection, titled “Facing the Unknown: Building a progressive response to Brexit”, Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves said:

 “Immigration controls and ending free movement has to be a red line post-Brext – otherwise we we will be holding the voters in contempt.
“Subject to that, we need the greatest possible access that we can get to the single market without free movement.”

Progressive, Progressive  in what way is this Progressive

 Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock said that while he was “resolutely pro-immigration” the Labour Party “must recognise that immigration is not the same as freedom of movement.”

He added: 

“The referendum had a clear message: the limitless nature of freedom of movement, despite its proven economic benefits, is not socially and politically sustainable.”

This argument could be made by someone who claims to be against draconian  treatment of offenders,  accept it because that what the people want.

Its tailoring your policy to the editorials of the Mail, Express and Sun.

Kinnock also goes on to argue that 

“to deny the reality of white working class people, quite frankly, smacks of ‘class privilege’.”

This is the sort of argument you get in the Tabloids accusing the Liberal- Left of speaking from a minority of a middle class elite who are a bunch of Do-Gooders (as opposed to Do-Badders or Do-Nothingers?) who try to force their idealist views on  a "Working Class" that are in reality right wing and reactionary.

Emma Reynolds, Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East, argued that the main reason for the overwhelming leave vote was immigration concerns.

Addressing the sort of Brexit deal the country should strike with the EU, Reynolds said: 

It is my strong view that no future deal can retain free movement of people in its present form.
“We must argue for restrictions while getting the best possible economic deal in the circumstances. This won’t be as good as the status quo but leave voters clearly said that their concerns about immigration trumped their worries about the economic cost of leaving.”

That is no argument, if you believe that such concerns are wrong. It leads down the dangerous path where hate filled politicians can create scapegoats who have no party to turn to for support .

Accepting Ukip propaganda like the poster below, in order to regain those votes you believe you may be loosing to them is shameful




But it is clear that Labour are a party which whist electing a honourable leader who has a record of fighting for causes which may not always have much support from your typical Labour voter consist of many particularly within the PLP are prepared adopt the language of the far right rather than press the argument against.

They can smugly sit om the Back Benches knowing that any attacks on them from within the Corbynist supporters  will be deemed a Witch Hunt and in which they can conjure up imaginary  plots to deselect them.

Those who thought that Labour were now on the right path away from the Red-Tory  years of Blair and Brown may well be deluded. Indeed the indication is that there are now Labour MPs who are now Red-Ukip.

Welsh representation on Labour's NEC is not about our interests.

The row over allegations that  Labour's Jeremy Corbyn’s allies made a new attempt to derail proposals for First Minister Carwyn Jones and Scotland's Labour leader Kezia Dougdale appointing their own representatives on Labour’s UK governing body could be groundbreaking but I doubt it.

Is it a start to make  Labour more Federalist and an indication that the Welsh and Scottish parties  will end up with grater autonomy as well as having a greater say in how the UK party is run?

Or is it an Anti-Corbyn  Trojan horse As ITV’s Robert Peston puts it, for Corbyn the “problem with having the Scottish and Welsh leaders on the NEC” is that “he cannot control them” and “if they do join the NEC, Corbyn’s tiny in-built majority on the NEC would vanish,

Speaking during a meeting of the NEC on Saturday evening, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale attacked Jeremy Corbyn’s efforts to delay a vote on the plans just hours after his own re-election. She is quoted as having declared:

‘How dare you preach unity and then try to undermine me as Scottish leader.’

PoliticsHome has also reported one Labour source as having said of Labour’s leader in Wales, following this morning’s meeting of the NEC, that ‘Carwyn Jones spoke out and told Jeremy in no uncertain terms that the vote must happen tomorrow.’

The Welsh First Minister told PoliticsHome afterwards that

‘we have devolution in Wales and Scotland. We’ve waited years for these changes. They need to go through this week.’

However whilst  Kezia Dugdale appears to have suggested she would nominate herself for the Scottish Representative  it has ben argued that as First Minister without a overall majority it has been suggested that Carwyn hasn't the time to attend NEC meetings or sacrifice a loyal AM from the Siambr even fr a brief period.

As Darren Williams who is a member of the NEC puts it

"The Scottish and Welsh leaders can currently attend as observers and the Scottish leader, Kezia Dugdale, was at this meeting. She argued forcefully that agreeing the rule change would demonstrate the party’s acceptance of the changed realities of devolution and would undermine the SNP’s argument that Scottish Labour is merely a “branch office” of a London-dominated party. She made it clear that she would take up the Scottish seat herself if the change were agreed although it was acknowledged that Carwyn Jones, as leader of a governing party, would not be able to attend NEC meetings in person and would need to delegate this role to another representative.

 I pointed out that Welsh Labour has only 29 seats out of the sixty in the Assembly and needs every vote; no Labour AM, therefore, would be able to attend NEC meetings in London on a Tuesday when the Assembly is sitting. I made this point twice in the discussion but it was largely ignored. My second objection to the proposed rule change – that Scotland and Wales should have NEC representation but that these seats should be subject to an OMOV ballot of all members in the countries in question –"

The rest of his article is here 

It does seem rather stage that both leaders are arguing for representation now as both seemed to have been happy with the Branch office status for years .

It is not for me to tell Labour how they should elect or appoint members to its NEC but I don't think they can use this as a an argument for greater say for Wales and Scotland within Labour .

What we are seeing is the ongoing Left - Right battle within the Labour Party it is not about greater a voice for Wales or Scotland or rather it is to ensure only a particular type of voice is heared.

And lets face it in both Wales and Scotland it is rare for Labour to put their Nations first or argue for the real powers to solve the immense problems we are both facing.

Indeed "Welsh" Labour in constantly opposing further devolution has shown that it is possible that a Welsh representative on the NEC may well surrender Welsh Interest to placate "Middle England" and leave us  as poor West Britons in order to see a Labour Prime Minister in Westminster.

Skating around "Welsh Labour" voting with Ukip.

Whatever you think about  Jeremy Corbyn  re-election it is clear that "Welsh" Labour  have  fallen into line with the Anti-Immigration argument  in order to protect their seats from a Ukip threat ,

 Wales' Economy Secretary Ken Skates has said.Britain should have 
"free and unfettered access" to the European Union's single market without retaining free movement of people,

Mr Skates was speaking on BBC Wales' Sunday Supplement programme about the Labour AMs vote on Wednesday against a Plaid Cymru assembly motion to support "full membership" of the single market.

But he said it was "nonsense" they had sided with UKIP and the Conservatives on the issue.

Mr Skates said:#

 "I think Plaid Cymru are somewhat confused in terms of what membership and access actually mean. I think they believe it comes without an obligation to have free movement of people.

"If they think you can pick and choose in terms of membership what you then have to comply with, they need to state very clearly they're in support of no change to immigration."

If Plaid are "confused".   I am completely befuddled  by Ken Skates Statement . It is he who is trying to pick and choose  believing  that you can secure access without  obeying any of the rules of the EU,

 "What [First Minister] Carwyn Jones and I and the Welsh Government have been crystal clear on is that we need free and unfettered access to the single market.

"In reality, what that means in a simple sense is you don't have tariffs."Even countries like Norway, the EEA countries like Iceland and Liechtenstein and so forth, don't describe themselves as members of the single market because being a member of the single market means you essentially have to be a member of the EU.

Mr Skates should be paying to attention  because   Martin Schulz, one of its most powerful players in Brussles , made clear the UK could not have access to the European single market without accepting the free movement of people, saying the two principles were “inseparable”.

Speaking to an audience at the London School of Economics, the President of the European Parliament, branded Britain’s decision to quit the European Union a "disaster" for Britain and the 28-member bloc.

Mr Schulz told the LSE:

 "I see a clear majority in the European Parliament for insisting that the fundamental freedoms are inseparable ie no freedom of movement for goods, capital and services, without free movement of persons.
"I refuse to imagine a Europe where lorries and hedge funds are free to cross borders but citizens cannot. To claim now that the vote is a clear popular mandate to sacrifice single market access on the altar of ‘migration’ is simply wrong."

It is its his own words that  Britain "free and unfettered access" to the European Union's single market without retaining free movement of people.

Labour in Wakes have become has duplicitous as the Tories in their argument that the UK can have its cake and eat it when dealing with  the EU and that we can have access to the EU without  agreeing to EU rules.

But in taking the same stance as the Tories and Ukip over the Free movement of people they are pandering to the prejudices  and petty nationalism of the electorate.

In may be the views of the majority but it is the duty of politicians not to follow the Mob but put forward a different policy an to convince them that is is the way to move forward.

Leanne should have welcomed Corbyn's election for now.

I must admit I was disappointed with Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood's response to Jeremy Corbyn's reelection.

Plaid’s Ms Wood said:

“The chaos and infighting engulfing the Labour party as well as the proposed boundary changes mean that the party is unlikely to win a Westminster election for at least a decade, possibly even longer. This leaves us facing the prospect of a Tory UK Government in London, that Wales has not voted for, doing its worst for the people in this country.

It  loks like that Leanne is accepting the Right Wing Media analysis that a Left Wing leader canot win a UK General Election.

She goes on to say

“It is not often I agree with [Owen Smith], but when he said that a victory for Jeremy Corbyn would condemn the UK to a decade of Tory cuts, it is difficult to see how he is wrong.

She could have argued that a Corbyn victory will be made more difficult  by Smith standing against Corbyn and increasing the turmoil within the Labour party and that if Smith had won then it could be harder for other Parties to work with Labour adopting a right of centre position.

What i believe she should have said that Plaid welcomed Corbyn  election in the hope that he would lead Labour in to  a Progressive direction and Unite with Plaid,the SNP and Green MPs in opposing the Tories Austerity program  finally ending the Blarite  project which prepared the way for Cameron and May.

The LibDems are clearly hoping that there will be Anti-Corbyn defections from Labour to them as Peter Black indicates in a current Blog.

I doubt if Plaid would want them and I doubt that this was the call that Leanne's press statement intended.

Leanne is right in that if it becomes clear that the Tories will be in power from the Tories then 

“The only alternative to this now is a much a stronger devolution settlement for Wales and greater self-rule.”

But why no use of the "I"word

 “On issues of great importance like justice and welfare, Wales continues to be at the mercy of the Tories in Westminster who have little understanding or concern when it comes to how their decisions impact our country and its people. The time has come for Wales to chart its own course.”

One of the strange things about the Corbyn   campaign and that of the new Labour members around him and Momentum particularly is their views on devolution of power from Westminster.

You get the impression it is  something Jeremy has not really given much thought about,

If I was Leanne Wood, Nicola Sturgeon and Caroline Lucus . I would call for talks with Jeremy on constitutional reform including devolution to the English regions and find out if he is a progressive on such issues or is just another London-Centric  politician.

Why has the BBC not covered Welsh Labour 's seeming support for a Hard Brexit?

If you turn to the BBC Wales website you will a story that the Welsh Labour Government  will peg Welsh university tuition fees will be pegged at £9,000 which either shows the ruling Assembly in a Good or Bad light. depending on your point of view.

You will also see what is obviously largely based on a Labour Press release  Welsh first Minister claiming  that "Labour can win elections with clear messages, strong leadership, and by listening to the "hard things" voters say"

As it an eve of conference report it is newsworthy as is the first report.

However in the wake of another story it might have been a bit of a coup to ask the first minister  whether he thought  that "listening to the "hard things" voters say" explained why the Welsh Labour party has now decided to vote with Ukip in supporting a "Hard Brexit" and opposing the free movement of people.

I think that it is inexpiable that the BBC as a whole let alone their Welsh Branch Office did choose not to cover t that the Welsh Labour Government and its tame Lib Dem joined with the Conservatives and UKIp in rejecting a Plaid Cymru motion in favour of Single Market membership, and supported an alternative Tory amendment which advocated only access instead.

This was the first case of a UK legislature  backing a "Hard Brexit" so we must surely be newsworthy.

Even the Wasting Mule thought it important enough to put iton its front page


It is also very strange that Editorial staff at the BBC did not ask the Labour Party what it actual standpoint was with the first Minister giving constant contradictory opinions on the single market and whether he would try to veto the UK government if they failed to secure a single market.

This  has led Welsh ministers admitting a press release saying they backed free movement of people despite the Brexit vote was altered after being sent to journalists.

Is there a limit to stories that BBC Wales editors  believe  they could run that show the Welsh Labour Government in a bad light among some Labour voters?

Welsh Labour side with Tories and Ukip .

This Blog has been sceptical  about whether  the UK could still remain in a single market after Brexit .

As I wrote in an earlier in post "Its like someone  resigning  from a Club and yet still waning to use its facilities without following the rules".

It is clear that any idea of a single market would involve freedom of movement and since part of the LEAVE campaign was an anti-immigration argument often with racist overtones. I suspect that those who are in control of the Brexit negotiations (for what they are at the moment) have no desire for.

Having said that there's no harm in us trying especially  from a Welsh point of view has we are arguably likely to get the biggest hit from leaving the EU of all the four nations of these Islands.

So it is incredible that the Welsh Labour Government and its tame Lib Dem joined with the Conservatives and UKIp in rejecting a Plaid Cymru motion in favour of Single Market membership, and supported an alternative Tory amendmentt which advocated only access instead.

The final motion supported by the Labour group also called for clarity on the Labour Government’s position on freedom of movement after the First Minister dropped his previous support for the policy.

Speaking after the vote in the Senedd, Mr Price – the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Business, Economy and Finance – said:

 “Today Labour in Wales voted with the Tories against the Welsh national interest.  “Due to the way Labour have voted, David Davis’ hard Brexit policy has now been adopted by the Welsh Government.“This is a dark day for Wales as the National Assembly becomes the first parliament in these islands to vote in favour of a hard Brexit, and to yield any possible leverage in securing the best deal for Wales, thanks to Labour joining forces with the Tories.
“Ever since the Brexit vote the Labour government’s position on membership of the Single Market has been confused at best, with successive statementsexpressing contradictory positions. One minute Labour was in favour of full  membership then just access the next; one minute they wanted free movement of people, the next minute they were calling for a moratorium on free movement.”

Only a Fortnight  ago  First Minister Carwyn Jones  in a a speech in Chicago  warned  that Wales will not consent to a Brexit deal that fails to guarantee the nation continued access to the European single market.

A spokesman for Ken Skates, the Cabinet Secretary for Business, Economy and Finance, said: 

“It does no-one any favours to have these wild claims every time the Welsh Government declines to play this semantic parlour game on how best to respond to Brexit.
“Our view is clear - we support continued, unfettered access to the Single Market. We have not supported hard Brexit today, nor will we ever – the Cabinet Secretary was very clear about our aims and priorities. We’ve simply voted against a sloppy motion that was designed to generate a press release and not a meaningful debate.”

So why didn't Labour and their tame Lib Dem at least Abstain ? 

Can it be that they would rather vote with the Tories and Ukip rather than seeing Plaid take the lead on a policy they claim to support.

I wonder if the Labour spokesman claiming the Plaid motion was to generate a press release  was involved in a press backed free movement of people despite the Brexit vote that was altered after being sent to journalists?

The release, issued ahead of a news conference hours after the result of the Brexit , was later edited to remove the reference.

The change came after First Minister Carwyn Jones did not mention free movement when he made the statement.

Plaid Cymru called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances.

The Welsh language version of the press release was only changed to remove the reference weeks later.

Mr Jones has since said he believes the continuation of unrestricted free movement of people would be unacceptable to people after the referendum result.

In a debate in the Senedd on Wednesday, Plaid Cymru Shadow Economy Secretary Adam Price ( The Labour front Bench must love him) joined Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in questioning Economy Secretary Ken Skates on why the original press release made reference to retaining the free movement of people and was then altered.

Mr Price said: 

"Doctoring a government website, which set out the government's official position, to reflect a change in the political weather can never be accepted."I have no idea whether this case a case of cock-up or conspiracy but we clearly need an independent investigation into the circumstances under which the government policy changed, and why the press web notice was changed retrospectively."If this has been done to avoid embarrassment to the first minister then it is clearly a very serious matter indeed."

We have a Welsh Government who seem incapable of taking a stand and who when encouraged to do so choose to back the Tories and Ukip . Can it be that Labour  are fearful of expressing a different  approach in Wales.
 .
It is not good enough . We need a government prepared to fight for Welsh Interest  not to be a puppet of the Westminster  Government  (Labour or Tory) for fear that  a different Welsh approach will fuel an increase in Welsh aspirations of more autonomy,

 

Lib Dem win In Plasnewedd may also be good news for Cardiff Plaid.

The Liberal Democrats are quite rightly celebrating  the gain of a Plasnewedd seat on Cardiff Council in a Byelection

Plasnewydd - results

Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Robin Thomas Rea	Welsh Liberal Democrats / Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru	1258	48%	Elected
Peter Wong	Welsh Labour	910	35%	Not elected
Glenn Charles Page	Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales	177	7%	Not elected
Munawar Ahmed Mughal	Welsh Conservative Party	115	4%	Not elected
Michael David Cope	Wales Green Party / Plaid Werdd Cymru	93	4%	Not elected
Lawrence Gwynn	UKIP	62	2%	Not elected

However it os on a seat that they really would have has to win if any revival was to come about

 

In 2012 they lost all of their four Plasnewedd seats  in a Labour Landslide throughout the city

asnewydd - results

Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Sue Lent	Labour	1535	11%	Elected
Daniel De'Ath	Labour	1438	10%	Elected
Mary McGarry	Labour	1436	10%	Elected
Mohammad Javed	Labour	1413	10%	Elected
Rodney Berman	Liberal Democrats	1362	10%	Not elected
Geraldine Nichols	Liberal Democrats	1314	9%	Not elected
Richard Jerrett	Liberal Democrats	1297	9%	Not elected
Elgan Morgan	Liberal Democrats	1286	9%	Not elected
Tony Matthews	Green	535	4%	Not elected
Askor Ali	Plaid Cymru	505	4%	Not elected
Mohammed Hannan	Conservative	434	3%	Not elected
Edward Parish	Plaid Cymru	344	2%	Not elected
Ian Mullis	Plaid Cymru	338	2%	Not elected
Enid Harries	Conservative	232	2%	Not elected
Hannah Moscrop	Conservative	193	1%	Not elected
Aled Jones-Pritchard	Conservative	174	1%	Not elected
Marc Gonzalez	Labour	171	1%	Not elected

Among the casualties was Rodney Berman  the then leader of the Council,

It is interesting to note that Mr Berman did not stand this time as did none of the defeated candidates in 2012..

This is I believe the first gain from Labour by any Party since 2012 in a series of Byelections in which the ruling group has faced constant scandal and internal fighting.

Indeed this Blogger has been amazed how they managed to hold these seats .

From a Plaid point of view although Plasnewedd seems to appear to be disappointing  if a similar pattern emerges in which the previous major challenging o Labour were to win .

This could see gains In Fairwater ( where they hold one seat)  Creigau and Riverside and if things went really bad for Labour Ely and Canton..You can see the previous ward results here.

Some have suggested an electoral pact for the Council elections between Plaid and the Libdems  in the wards were either party is first or second o Labour.

Would it work maybe not as people see through it

But irrespective of Labour UK squabbles the people of Cardiff surely need something better than the current Labour group .

Universal praise for Welsh Governments 5 year plan.

The Welsh Government has rocked the political world with the announcement of its five-year plan .

Most ambition plan by a legislature since Roosevelt's new deal

Washington Post

Welsh Labour Five Year Plan silences opposition Parties.

Wasting Mule 

The SNP can learn from Welsh Government

Daily Record

 Wales führt der Weg, 

Der Spiegel

 Carwyn Jones prend du Pays de Galles vers de nouveaux sommets.

Liberation

In a bumber 16 pages  The main pledges include:

• 30 hours free childcare a week for parents of three and four-year-olds
• 100,000 apprenticeships open to people of all ages
• cutting business rates for small firms
• improved access to GP surgeries, plus a fund for new treatments
• money to drive-up school standards and refurbish or build new schools
• building an M4 relief road and a South Wales Metro, and set up a new not-for-profit rail franchise
• fast reliable broadband for every property in Wales,

Both Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith supporters were united in their administration for Carwyn Jones a Corbyn backer said it was reminiscence  of the post war Atlee government  while a prominent  associate of Owen Smith claimed  it was exactly the sought of program he would be seeking to put forward in the next General Election,

The Welsh Political Parties were unable to find much fault

Plaid Cymru said that it included much of pledges that were part of a deal struck in return for allowing Carwyn Jones to be re-elected as first minister back in May, but admitted they were still overwhelmed with the scope of ambitious programme.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats claimed that the presence of their sole AM KirstyWilliams in the Labour cabinet showed that they had a huge influence in the Welsh Government.

The Conservatives said it was "difficult to disagree" with the plans .

And a Ukip spokesman said that  such a programme would remove all doubt  amongst it supporters over the value of devolution  .

Clearly a New Dawn is arriving in Wales  with  Carwyn Jones the most Dynamic and Hardworking  politician in the whole of the UK at the helm we no have no need to worry about the implications of Brexit  but can carry on with the real priorities affecting Wales.

At this point I realised that maybe my blood sugar levels were a bit low and I was getting confused and had to take some Dextrose tablets.