Labour the new Scottish Tories?

David Miliband who has been on a prolonged sulk since loosing the Labour Leadership contest and been earning lucrative amounts from directorships though he still supposed to be representing his constituents of  South Shields yesterday warned an independent Scotland would have to

 “take its place in the queue” if it wanted to join the EU, and couldn’t just “leave the union on Friday, join the European Union on Monday”.

He told ScotsPolitics.com:

“This argument about Europe I’m quite interested in, because I’ve sat in European enlargement negotiations… and there are 35 chapters of EU legislation that you have to go through, and every line you have to ask ‘does the entry of this country change it?’
“And then you get down to voting, because in the Council of Ministers, every country has a certain amount of votes – so when you get a new member you have to change the voting weights; and critically, you change the amount of money that different countries pay when there’s a new member.
“So you can see, there’s 7 or 8 countries in the queue already – and Scotland would have to take its place in the queue of negotiating its entry.
“So one of the things that concerns me if you vote for independence, is that you leave the UK, but you’ll be in limbo in Europe – it’s not like ‘leave the union on Friday, join the European Union on Monday’.”

But Miliband also  make s it clear that Labour would carry out the cuts agenda in the same way the Tories/LibDem are currently doing 

“There’s been a change in the psychology of the country actually – social security support has moved from being seen as a birthright to being something that’s balanced by responsibilities as part of a social contract,” 

. “And the truth is we’re storing up massive problems for ourselves. The net present value cost of that level of … unemployment is £30billion at today’s prices. There’s a hard message on this as well: you can only afford to [fix unemployment] if you’re willing to put on the table other things that you can’t then spend on.

“You know, an easy answer is ‘well, tax bankers’ bonuses’. But if we’re honest, we’re gonna have to rebalance the welfare state so that it’s much more in favour of supporting the things that are priorities rather than things that aren’t. Childcare and housing are massive drains at a time when wages aren’t rising very fast.”

A message that has already being promoted by Scottish Labour Leader  Johann Lamont, in September  who  delivered a speech challenging some of the underlying orthodoxies within Scottish politics and raising the prospect of an end to some universal benefits such as free tuition fees and free perceptions.

Not a message we hear from her compatriots in Wales .

It looks that Scottish Labour is not only the main voice of Unionism in Scotland it is also the main voice of conservatism.

In its efforts to undermine the SNP Labour have shamelessly adopted the policies of the Tories whilst hoping their current supporters will remain loyal.

And Labour Unionist are putting forward incredibly ridiculous  arguments  against Independence as Gerry Hassan points out here 

Including warning that 

• British music will no longer be our music’, and suggesting that British culture and sporting achievement would thus become foreign.(Alastair Dar;ing)
•  That independence would mean Scotland becoming the equivalent of a ‘British colony’. SNP plans  would  ‘a form of self-imposed colonialism more reminiscent of the old Empire’.(Gordon Brown)

As for Milliband dire warning that Scotland will have to join the queue to join the EU if it  voted for Independence despite no precedent or this, As no nation that was a EU Member has ever split up  although Greenland(an autonomous province of Denmark) withdrew in 1985

But if he is right wouldn't the remnant of England and Wales  also have to apply?After all it is a Union and shouldn't the new Nations that emerge from a Yes vote be treated equally by the EU?

Or is the idea of a Union of equals nothing but a myth.

Labour will always betray us..

Those of you who remember the Peanuts Cartoon will recall that, time after time Charlie Brown, though he constantly had his doubts eventually succumbed to once again try and kick the football only for Lucy to remove it.


There is a comparison to the average Labour Voter in Wales.Time and time again .They head for the polling station with the knowledge that Labour have always let them down. Only to put their mark for the Labour Candidate.


Then in a very short time it becomes clear that Labour have taken the ball away and are betraying those who have trusted them.


I'm sure many of those who voted Labour in the last Local Government elections will feel betrayed this time next year when in response to Westminster Cuts they will ask "How deep "whilst at the same time claim to be fighting them.


But when the elections come along  again they will like Charlie Brown believe that this time they will get what they want .


They will still fall for assurances from Unison Leader Andy Richards that.


 “There is only one party for the working people of Wales, the party that the trade unions founded to give a voice to working people – the Labour Party. This is why it is called the Labour Party,” .


He aimed this at Leanne Wood's attempt to claim that Plaid also aimed to give a voice for working People and to form a progressive alliance.


We will see whether unlike Charlie Brown the Welsh electorate really have a choice from someone offering to allow them to achieve their dreams.


Leanne Wood may not be the answer to Andy (Lucy) Richards. She and Plaid may well let us down those who trusted them but isn't it time we realised the other option will always  betray us?

Labour try to play Language Card in Ely.

There appears to be a report on Wales on Line Labour has pulped 5,000 copies of a Cardiff council election leaflet because it contains a resident’s comment that they “can’t apply for most jobs in Wales because you need to speak Welsh”.

The four-page Labour leaflet, which has not been distributed by the party, was intended for the residents of Ely. It includes a column with pictures of a number of people explaining why they are voting Labour.

It features a local resident named only as “David” who is quoted as saying: “I’m a graduate looking for a job but thanks to Plaid I can’t apply for most jobs in Wales because you need to speak Welsh.”

A Welsh Labour spokesman said: 

“Following external production of a leaflet for the Ely ward in Cardiff, the local party identified a small paragraph which contained words from a local resident that clearly ran contrary to Welsh Labour’s policy position and core beliefs.“The obvious decision was immediately taken by Ely branch Labour Party and Welsh Labour to not distribute the leaflet, and to destroy the 5000 copies. To suggest that Welsh Labour would ever condone, enable or facilitate the distribution of the sentiments contained in the endorsement is as offensive as it is absurd.

They then appeared to give the impression that it was being found out  that concerned them as the spokesman added

“More worryingly, the leaflet in question – leaked to the South Wales Echo with the claim that it was being distributed – was stolen from a storage space in Transport House while awaiting removal for destruction".

 “This theft is extremely concerning. We are currently reviewing the CCTV footage that covers the area, and are confident of identifying the person responsible for this theft. We will be taking appropriate action in due course.”

This is an appalling behaviour on behalf of Labour. Who are clearly worried about Plaid building on their toehold in the Capital.
 Perhaps Plaid are going to do better than expected  in Cardiff and Labour have reduced to such tactics out of desperation.


Playing the Language Card is the same as playing the Race Card and as despicable.


Because lets face if "David" had complained that Jobs were going to ethnic minorities  for instance then not only would the leaflets be pulped but there would have been suspension of senior ward officials.


Labour can't go on claiming to be "Welsh Labour" and supporting the Welsh Language in only some  parts of Wales if they continue to express such views in our Capitol City .


I assume the cost of the pulped leaflets will be added to to the electoral expenses in Ely for Labour and since it was 4 page it will presumably cut down on any future expenditure. If they lose because of this then its fully deserved.


At the moment the response from "A spokesman" is clearly not  enough. Carwyn Jones as the face of Labour (if he's not the leader?) and Peter Hain (who may de Leader)   should immediately respond  by condemning such behaviour and try to impress on those who feel the only way to fight Plaid Cymru is to attack our Language which belongs al of us regardless of whether we speak ir or what Party we support   to shut up or get out.

Unions are a disgrace (for promoting Labour)

Hat Tip today to Grangetown Jack  (Ian Titherington) for reporting that although Regional Plaid AM Bethan Jenkins turned up at the TUC rally in Swansea to support the striking workers. She was told that no political speakers would be allowed, only for Labour politicians to be allowed to speak later. .As Ian points points Betham Jenkins  has....

"a consistent record of speaking out on trade union issues, refused to cross the Assembly picket line along with all other Plaid AMs (and MPs in Westminster-shame on you Labour MPs) and was keen to show her party support for the striking workers. She was told that no political speakers would be allowed, only for Labour politicians to be allowed to speak later. This was in contrast to Cardiff and Newport, where Plaid AMs did speak (Labour didn't bother to turn up in Newport as their MPs were too busy crossing the Westminster picket line-on Miliband's orders)".

I sahare with Ian his frustration at the Union Leaders whose loyalty to  the Labour Party seems to override their loyalty to their members .

The Ban on Bethan  and the inclusion of a Labour speaker could be said to be worse because "None of the Unions taking industrial action yesterday were affiliated to the Labour Part"

In February  this year I took part in a demonstration organised by Unison against the draconian attack on the workforce of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council by the Labour Council .here.

The event was attended by members of numerous Parties and organisation,but in the ticket only rally in the Municipal afterwards, the only member of a political party that was allowed to speak to us or it was the then Labour's Candidate for the Pontypridd seat Mick Antoniw.W ho managed to address us on a protest on the attack on the work force of Labour controlled R.C.T. without once mentioning them. A remarkable feat and it was a generous audience who allowed him to do this.

In other words the Unions used the event to attack a Labour council for its appalling treatment of their workforce to promote the Labour candidate in what was then the forthcoming  May Assembly Election.
Why the Unions behave like this.

Well we must admit that the long term ties with Labour Party do exist , and many  members still see the mantra of Labour Good-Tories Bad. despite years of evidence that Labour in power has done little for the rights of Union members and (dare I say  I use the words) "The Working Class". All the evidence shows that even  if Labour had remained in power after the 2010 election , then they would have implemented similar changes to the Pension schemes of public sector workers and we would have seen a similar strike against a Labour Government and yet the Unions, would have behaved exactly the same way to other Parties that supported the striking workers and last May Union Office,s and their members contributions would have been used to back a part that betrays its own supporters,

But the main reason is that the majority of Trade Union leaders (except in the past some Communists )  have always  see this a career that will see them moving up in the echelons  of the Labour Party with tier eyes eventually on a safe leader seat   in the Commons or for some a comfortable retirement in the House of Lords.

I suppose some Plaid members would like to the see the transfer of  some Union support via the backing of  Plaid MP,AM and Candidates, together with major  contributions to that  party

But that would not change the problem because the Unions should not use their money to back any candidate who after all are there to represent their constituents.

Individual politicians should back the Unions because they believe in their cause not because they believe in their money and political parties should do so with policies being prepared to lose the endorsement of Unions when they fail to do so.

All the evidence is that the Links with the Labour Part benefits only that  Party and the silence of much of the Trade Union Movement in the 13 years of New Labour whose polices (and indeed contempt) for   workers rights were not to dissimilar to the Tories shows this. New Labour did virtually nothing to indo the Anti Union Laws of Margaret Thatcher  and any legislation that backed the rights of the workers came fro rullings feonm the European Union.

The millions of pounds the Unions  use to back the Labour Party its long failed attempt at influencing its policies should be used To increase it membership , Train shop stewards and other elected officials in negotiation skills and employment law and provide legal services to its members.

Sadly I  can't see anything changing we will still see ourselves marching behind banners to a rallying point to rallies where a young firebrand Labour politician (Neil Kinnock 11?) will tell us that only by voting in a Labour government will we get our "New Jerusalem" and who in a few years time a s a Labour Minister will be denouncing "Outmoded Union Practice" but we live in hope.

Taking Stock

 So that was the election in Wales and the Parties  will be taking stock.


Labour.
With gain of 4 seats and tantalizingly close to overall control of the Assembly  reson to celebrate but must be disappointed not to take  aTory seats. 30 seats mean they could possibly govern without looking for partners but as Miserable Old Fart points out there is a problem with of who is going to be Presiding Officer or rather Llywedd but I can only see Dafydd El taking up this position if the Lab/Plaid coalition is renewed and I doubt that the latter has the appetite for that.So Labour face sacrificing one of their precious number and be reliant perhaps on the LibDems to see them through the next five years.

Conservatives.
Will be delighted to have replaced Plaid as the main opposition and there may have been some quite smiles when their leader Nick Bourne lost his seat. Will they go for a positive devolutionist  like David Melding  or will they look somewhere else. The problem is that none of their AM's have really entered the public mind and as the cuts start to impact in Wales they will not be able to avoid the inevitable backlash from the Welsh electorate.

Liberal Democrats.
Must be counting their luck to only  have lost 1 seat overhaul despite a hemorrhage of votes in parts of Wales. With only 1 constituency seat and only Ceredigion and Montgomery looking possible gains next time they will be looking on how to disassociate themselves from the almost toxic connection to the Con/Lib coalition in Westminster. From last nights news it looks that that La Pasionaria will  be willing to enter into some form of coalition with Labour; But she has very few cards to play However  you can be assured if she carries it off then she and her colleagues will be claiming major concessions in policy even if the rest of us can't see them.

Plaid,
Bad night The loss of  4 seats and some of their most talented AM's  will be a body blow. The position of the leader Ieauan Wyn Jones looks shaky but. Plaid problem is the Pri(n)ce over the water. Clearly Adam Price is the favorite to lead the Party but he is not elected anywhere and barring a By-election in a seat like Neath then he  it will be 5 years before he can lead the party in the Assembly. A caretaker leader would be possible but who?  Elin Jones perhaps but surely  the big beast amongst Plaid AM's is Dafydd Elis Thomas who if he's not going to be Llywedd then he would be unlikely to want to remain out of the limelight . Perhaps Plaid's answer would be to elect Adam as leader and present him as the leader in waiting whilst DET leads the Party in the Assembly.

Others.
 Both UKIP  and the Greens were hoping to pick up a seat  but fell short.The BNP did miserably and they have ceased to be a threat in Wales which at least all the other political parties can take some comfort..

Placardgate,Shows Labour think they own our votes.

The Outcry over Placardgate where  CaerphillyLabour MP Wayne David has accused  (well he admits it actually) of removing Plaid placards from peoples gardens in the Caerphilly constituency been interesting
According to the Wester Mail

A resident of Bargoed in the constituency claimed Mr David had knocked on her door on Saturday and told her that neighbours found the Plaid placard in her garden “offensive”. He also suggested it was “illegal”.“I didn’t want any trouble and let him take it away,” said the resident, who did not wish to be named.At the time she had not recognised Mr David, but later identified him from a photograph on his website. Other sightings of Mr David with Plaid placards and stakes have also been reported to the police.

The BBC report however( which at times reads like a Labour Party Press) statement accuses Plaid of  illegally placing these placards in peoples gardens.  I don't believe thisis deliberate  bias on behalf of the BBC towards Labour but more likely lazy journalism as they copy the Labour press release without bothering to ask questions.

Because if I woke up and found a Party placard in my garden without their position I would have taken it down and I woiuld have complained to that party and rang the press to expose this. Where are the people in the Rhymney valley who have done so?

What seems to me to be the True story in Wayne Davids claim that

 “There has been a disproportionately large number of Plaid stakes put up in the Rhymney Valley.".

What I think he means is that houses that he thinks should naturally vote Labour have a Paid Placard in their Garden. It reflects the Hubris amongst Labour members that they have the natural right to the support of working class people and their anger when sometimes these people rebel and show their support for another party.

This has been evident over the years as they have ignored the working class in favour of that electorate labeled "Middle England" whilst still claiming the support of the Working class particularly in Wales

In this they have been aided by the Trade Unions who have spent the last 13 years of a centre right "New Labour government under Tony Blair   making very little objection to the fact that it made few attempts to imptove workers rights and conditions (What there has seems to have come from the European Union) but now with the ComLib government which is imposing more or less the same cuts as Labour would have the leaders have found their voices,

In recent months the Labour controlled RCT council have behaved appallingly to their workforce  and have been condemned by these workers Trade Unions ,and yet virtually every Trade union Office in the Pontypridd, Rhondda and Cynon Valley consistency are bedecked with posters in support of th local Labour candidate. None of who have condemned the actions of RCT but who would have been screaming from the rooftops if Plaid were still in control and made even modest cuts in the workers conditions.

To my my mind Plaid have still not campaigned on working class issues enough to deserve a complete switch of loyalty from working class support but it the absence of any other serious option  it would be no surprise if some do.

What is clear that Labour party treat such support they receive from such quarters as merely cannon fodder to go out and vote blindly for candidates who will do nothing for them  whilst courting the swing votes of whatever passes for "Middle England" here and will continue to do so until there is a clear and lasting switch in this vote,

Labour defend "lower and middle" earning individuals and families.Not in RCT

Yesterday Leaflet was from Labour in the form of a faux Newspaper entitled Labour Herald promoting their candidate for the Pontypridd Constituency. Of course it makes great play of the Tory/Lib Dem cuts and rightly points out that these are.....

"Too much too soon and that they ’re disproportionately hitting lower and middle earning individuals and families".
Coincidentally I received my latest copy of Private Eye and in it “Rotten Boroughs"  has column points out just how much Labour in Wales are resisting the cuts.
They report on how RCT council of which Pontypridd is a part reducing the incomes of home care and nursing staff by up to 40%

In fact thousands of workers were threatened with the sack if they refused to t sign new contracts and when some did. In a gross parody of Neil Kinnock's speech

"and you end in the grotesque chaos of a Labour council – a Labour council! – hiring taxis to scuttle round a city handing out redundancy notices to its own workers".

RCT sent HR of officers late at night in order to bully reluctant staff to sign new contracts .

Meanwhile Chief Executive Keith Griffiths took home £180000 pay and expenses in the year 2009-2010 a 6% increase .
And Labour Leader Russell Roberts Received

£56,619 Plus for his role and


$20,092 Plus for Chairing the South Wales Police Authority and


$42,282 Plus as interim chair of Cwm Taf Health trust.


A similar story of Labour defending “hitting lower and middle earning individuals and families”. Can be told of the other Labour controlled council in Wales Neath Port Talbot.

This is the Party who main message this election is "Let us run the Assembly and we will fight for you against the Con/Libdem government in Westminster" despite the evidence of RCT and Neath Port Talbot.

At a recent rally in Pontypridd against the cuts Union members condemned RCT council. But the only political figure allowed to address the rally was Mick Antoniw . Nowhere in his speech did he condemn the actions of RCT council.The Unions still show loyality to Labour even when they are condming them. The idea that they can seperate the Part at local council level and National Assembly is not on.

From ther the Unions tat the rally he rhetoric was there but I can’t help thinking that if RCT was still a Plaid controlled council and they had tried to issue such cuts in the condition of the workers  unions like the GMB would be more aggressive.

And perhaps this shown that the address of Pontypridd Constituency party is GMB house Morgan street Pontypridd.

The actions of Labour in RCT show that their claims to fight for Wales and Welsh workers is just smoke. They do not deserve our support and they do not deserve to get our votes just  because we despise the Con/Lib cuts.

Conservative Libdem and Labour are all the same. They only cae for "Middle England" and the rest of us can go hang.

So Who's Standing?

First Leaflet I had for the Assembly campaign .as you can see it's for Labours South Wales Central regional list.

First thing to say is that it's fully Bilingua,l so congratulations there.

The context is rather sparse on proposals (We did vote for Law making powers last Month so where are they?

And there is the "We will stand up for Wales against the Tory cuts (No mention of possible Lib-dem coalition  partners though).

But the most curious thing about the leaflet is he absence of the names of the candidates on the South Wales Central regional list.
As the names of the candidates will not be displayed on the ballot paper surely the parties should should let us now on their Literature?

Labour are unlikely to need the "Top Up" from the South Wales Central list but it's a poor show.

 For your information heres the list according to the Welsh Labour website. which has to its credit again has greatly improved it's Bilingual presence).

South Wales Central #1
Jayne Brencher

South Wales Central #2
Craig Jones

South Wales Central #3
Alex Thomas

South Wales Central #4
John Drysdale

Changing the Goalposts Again?

According io the Libdem Blogger Ffranc Sais

"Another special factor this year, which affects Liberal Democrats disproportionately (no wonder Labour and the Conservatives were keen to see it in the legislation), is that the names of list candidates will not appear on the ballot paper".

When did this go through?  I've searched for any reference via the Web and found nothing though I've not looked in the and found no mention on the web   . Though my Library hasn't had its copy of the latest Wales Yearbook yet).  But if if Ffranc is correct, then I can see some argument for it. In that it can result in large unwieldy ballot papers. But why not reduce the party list to a realistic number of 4 names.

This is not the first rule change on the Regional List prior to the Last Assembly elections a candidate could stand in a consistency and be on the regional list. Again there was some justification for this, in that it resulted in candidates with a relatively low vote in the consistency still being elected to the Assembly.

Howeve this suited Labour in Wales who changed the law as they are not largely dependant on the Additional Member List. But in Scotland where they are there was no change. So the rule was changed because it suited Labour.

Similarly Ffrank is correct that could aversely affect the Libdems (and this applies also to Plaid) in that having a name of a prominent candidate on the top of the regional List may attract extra votes.

As people who read this Blog are aware I'm no fan of Peter Black but he is a AM who is prominent and presumably would be noticed as the top spot of the Libdem list and attract extra votes.

So I can only see the reason for this is to give advantage to the Labour and the Tories and ask again who passed this?

If the Parties see that the Additional Members List iis not working , then making it more undemocratic or twisting it to serve Labour or Conservative interest is not the answer.

There is a way of making elections to the Assembly more democratic and proportional its called STV but with Labour to dominate (as I expect) the assembly for at least a decade and the Conservatives Westminster for the same period, coupled with the fact the Assembly can't run its own elections or make the rules I can't see any change coming.

Union backs Party that is attacking its members.

Unison representing workers at one of Wales' largest councils will ballot members over industrial action in a row about new staff contracts.

Rhondda Cynon Taf recently  issued redundancy notices to all 10,000 of their workers. In order to force the workers to accept new contracts.

Rhondda Cynon Taf is a Labour controlled council so I was surprised (Well I wasn't really) when I received a Newspaper type election leaflet from the Pontypridd Consistency Party (Monoglot English of course) which contained this advertisement. From the Public and Commercial Services Union (P.C.S.)>

 

So we have a Union that represents civil service and other other public sector staff  and who will be campaigning against the attacks on R,C.T workforce Paying to advertise in the Paper of a party that it is cutting wages in the very consistency 

And even Unison who are calling the strike Ballot you can bet their headquarters  will be festooned with Labour posters in May when they will back Labour in the Assembly elections for the R.C.T.consistencies.

For thirteen years under the Blair- Brown Labour administration the Unions remained largely silent as the Labour government  made very little effort to address the attacks of Margaret Thatcher on our Workers Rights.

The Unions are there to represent the interest of the Workers and not the Labour party. The leadership of P.C.S in Wales should be ashamed of once again putting the Labour party before the interest of their own members.

Incidentally there was no mention of the Assembly referendum . I suppose some would claim that this was not the medium to do so. But if the Labour party officially back the campaign would not this be the opportunity to do so?

Oldham East and Saddleworth election was a disgrace but what now.

It's not often I post in support of the  Lib-Dems, but in the case against Phil Woolas , I feel they were right.

Woolas  beat Liberal Democrat Elwyn Watkins in Oldham East and Saddleworth in May by just 103 votes. But Watkins challenged the result, claiming the Labour incumbent had lied about him in campaign literature. Most candidates would perhaps make such a claim after a defeat but Woolas' campaign literature was particularly offensive. One of which I've reproduced right. Other you can see here.


If the BNP had produced  a similar leaflet . I would not have been surprised, and simarly disgusted and I'm sure Labour would have condemned it outright. 
Of course I have not seen the leaflets produced by the Liberal Democrats in Oldham East and Saddleworth so we are tending to see only one side of the story and there may have been some very unpleasant literature from them during this campaign, and for the Lib-Dems to complain about unfair tactics is akin to a Wasp moaning that it had been stung by a Bee. Netherless this looks exceptionally bad and a rerun of the election is the right verdict.


Of course Phil Woolas  is not the only guilty one the role of his election agent should be investigated and it would be wrong to fight any Byelection with a different candidate but the same agent.

But what does this mean for the future of elections? Does it mean that prospective candidates will be reluctant to attack opponents who are engaging in dubious activities? I hope not but it does mean that we should look at the way elections are conducted.

I believe the returning officer should have a roll in vetting campaign literature and should have the power to suspend a leaflet from being distributed or force parties to rebut and produce corrections at they own expense.

For the Lib-Dems however this victory may well be a pyrrhic one as in theory they should romp home in any By-election irrespective  of who the Labour candidate would be. But if they fail then It will confirm their unpopularity in the UK following their betrayer of principles in the joining the coalition government So far the wind is with them in this constituency but I suspect they too might come under investigation and one wonders if we have not seen the whole nasty business  of the 2010 election in Oldham East and  Saddleworth  totally exposed.

Labour's Welsh Resurgence Continues.

 There were two by-elections in Wales this week  Labour gained a seat from Plaid in the Treherbet ward of Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Lab 883 (50.8; +9.7)
Plaid Cymru 855 (49.2; -9.7)
Majority 28
Turnout 40%
Lab gain from Plaid.
Percentage change is since May 2008.

Whilst Labour held a seat  in the Neath North ward of Neath Port Talbot.

Neath Port Talbot UA, Neath North
Thursday 14 October 2010 12:00
Lab 437 (57.2; -5.3)
Neath Port Talbot Independent Party 144 (18.8; -18.6)
Plaid Cymru 132 (17.3; +17.3)
LD Mathew McCarthy 51 (6.7; +6.7)
Majority 293
Turnout 24.08%
Lab hold
Percentage change is since May 2008

Information  gwydr.demon.com

Both these councils are Labour controlled and there it is often the case that voters use this opportunity to punish the ruling party and so this must be a disappointment for Plaid, though Treherbet has been a marginal council seat being regained by Plaid in the last council elections and local issues may have some influence on the result.

However the  the results reflect a growing swing to Labour in council by-elections in the UK and must be a worry for Plaid whom often find themselves vying for the same vote as Labour.

But the big losers so far are the Liberal Democrats who have an effective team in their excellent
Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors when it comes to fighting by elections and in the past have made great headway when it comes to these, but they appear to be losing votes  in council by-election and appear to be suffering from the backlash against the government more than the Tories and they seem unable to find candidates to fight by-elections in the same number the usually do. They seem to have only contested 3 of 11 Welsh By-elections since the General Election  (ALDC)

It is to early to see whether Plaid will suffer from the new rise in Labour popularity, clearly the election of a new leader as been a boost to the Party and it much to early  to predict any long term change. But as we approach the Assembly elections  Plaid must reengage withe the electorate in the Valleys in particular or they face a labour resurgence that will reestablish their total dominance of these areas.

The next By-elections include

•Swansea city council: By election on 21 October in Newton ward after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Susan Waller. Term ends 2012. This may give some indication of the popularity of the Ruling group on the council.

•Carmarthenshire county council: By election on 4 November in Cenarth ward after the death of Independent councillor Haydn Jones. Term ends 2012. Again this might give some indication of popularity of the Ruling group on the council though Independents by their very nature do not suffer the same political backlash.

•Ceredigion county council: Vacancy in Ciliau Aeron ward after the disqualification of Plaid Cymru councillor Moelfryn Maskell, who was found by the Adjudication Panel of Wales to have misused his position in relation to planning applications. Term ends 2012. Tricky one for Plaid here for obvious reasons.

•Conwy county borough council: There is a byelection on 18 November in Eglwysbach ward after the resignation of Angharad Booth-Taylor of Plaid Cymru who is moving to Pembrokeshire. Marl ward has a vacancy after the resignation of Conservative councillor Linda Hurr. Both terms end in 2012. Again a tricky one for Plaid and as they lead the ruling group . Similarly could be an opportunity for to punish the Tories.

•Isle of Anglesey council: Byelection on 18 November in Rhosneigr ward after the resignation of 'Original Independent' councillor and former council leader Phil Fowlie, due to ill health (although he has since been disqualified from office). Term ends 2012.

Information from Indiigo Public affairs.

Unions should support thier members not the Labour Party

Unions should support thier members not the Labour Party  Many years ago whilst working in a Textile factory, I was a shop Steward for a small union called the Amalgamated Union of Textile Workers and Kindred Trades.

I was a Plaid member and activist at the time and I remember the Branch Secretary presenting me with a Labour Party diary, an embarrassing moment for both of us.

The secretary Jack Wright brother Ken, had been a Labour Party councillor and chairman of Caerphilly council where he had been granted leave of absence by the company. until he had been beaten by Plaid in one of its great surges in 1972. So this did not endear him to me.

He was also national President Of the (AUTWKT) . However bizarrely he was also Personnel Officer for the company. This meant the leader of our Union was responsible for hiring and firing the workforce.
All this and the fact that I was the only person singularly made redundant by the company never affected my support for Trade Unions.

I even understood and accepted the traditional links Unions had with the Labour Party. But I believe now is the time for this association to end.

But as Miserable Old Fart recently posted  it is frustrating of Union members who supported another Party only to see the Union backing Labour.

Even non-aligned members must be angered in seeing their Union refraining from criticising the New Labour government who did little to improve the lot of working people as they pandered to the City and the Bankers who eventually have led as to the current state where a Libcon coalition cuts will affect the poorest  often Union members greater than most.

Passing the Unison offices in Pontypridd in the last election where the posters backing Labour, who had done nothing to support Trade Unions in the 13 years of power and did little to improve the lot of the workers Unison represented filled me with anger and despair.

The Unions themselves no longer are led by people who have come up the ranks but often entered the organisation straight from university never actually having worked in the same manner as their members, and it often seems to me that often  it is little more than a career move where there is little understanding of the experience of ordinary members.

And the days when a Trade Unionist becomes an Labour MP after starting on the shop floor seem well gone.

Now of course they seem to  have found a new militancy which has been largely absent over the last 13 years.

I applaud this, but Unions should stand up to Government whatever the make up and for that reason  I believe that Unions should.

1. Break their formal ties with the Labour Party
2. Sponsor MPs and Candidates regardless of Political party but whether He or She support the principals and campaigns of that Union.
3. Seek to devolve power to regions and branches and seek to encourage ordinary members to take a more active roll in the Unions development as NUPE did in the 1980’s.

Can any Trade Union leader really believe that either Milliband Brother will support Unions with little more than platitudes? And yet the endorse them.

Unions  are not there to serve the Labour Party but its members. It is time they began to do so

 

Do your views match how you would vote?

I thought people might like to try out the Toolbar above to check out  if their perception of themselves matches the results of the questionnaire.

You can also test how you might have voted in the Labour leadership contest here . I don't think that you should take it to seriously but it may be interesting.

If you are interested here's my result for the Labour Leadership contest

And for the General Election though I suspect the Lib-Dem % may be quite different now.

Either way I don't seem to be backing the winners. But such is life.

What’s the Opposite of a Pyrrhic Victory and was 2010 one for Plaid?

Not even the most optimistic Plaid supporter would claim that the result of 2010 General Election ,was anything but a bitter disappointment for the Party.


The failure to win any of the hoped for seats of Ynys Mon, Ceredigion Aberconwy or even Llanelli , meant that the Party seemed to have hit a brick wall when it comes to increasing thier number to Westminster.

I am not sure what the opposite of a Pyrrhic Victory is but it is possible that Plaid may this time next year be thinking that they had in fact been lucky to not have made thier hoped for gains.

I have a precedent for this argument.

In 1997 the only seat that Plaid could really hope to gain was Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. In a year when Tony Blair's New Labour won the General Election by landslide  and ended years of Toy government. The loss of the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, seat would have probably resulted great resentment towards Plaid by Labour members in Wales.

17,907 voted for Labour in the seat in 1997. Now if we take into account the Yes majority in the Assembly referendum  for Wales as a whole was 6721 we can see that the majority of 22,996 in Carmarthen was vital and although it was dramatic the fact that it was last to declare is irrelevant in this case.

Would all of those Labour voters who voted Yes had done so if they had lost the seat in this County. It is possible they would not have and this resentment may also have spilled over to large past of Wales.

So I am proposing that it is highly possible that Plaids failure to advance in the election of 1997 resulted in a Yes vote a few months later.

Now move forward to the 2010 election if Plaid had one just two Labour seats in Wales (Ynys Mon and Llanelli) then this would certainly put a strain on Plaid -Labour relations and possibly damaged the One Wales Agenda. Disunity in the Welsh Assembly government resulting in a No vote in 2011.

If there was a No vote then Plaid would in no doubt suffer in the  later May Assembly Elections.
However Plaid with a Yes vote behind could  easily make seat gains, and place themselves in a strong position not only for the One Wales Agenda to continue but to argue for a greater say in it.

And that’s my hypothesis I am sure some may reject it outright but  I think it should be considered .