What are you there for Cheryl Gillian ?

There’s always been a question over the position of Secretary of State for Wales or Welsh Secretary as it seems to be referred to by most commentators. Though they then use the term Wales Office (To my mind they are using adjectives instead of nouns and nouns when they should be using adjectives but in truth grammar was never my strong point).

However since devolution there it has often been asked do we still need a Welsh Secretary? Would it not be better to combine the role of Welsh, Northern Ireland and Scottish Secretary into one department? Where the Minister would have much more influence on the cabinet. I am under no illusion that the post of Welsh Secretary is the lowest of the low in the cabinet rankings ,and it is common knowledge that none of those eight Welsh Labour MP’s who failed to get elected to the shadow cabinet actually wanted this job.

Nevertheless the position is there, but what is its purpose?

Is it to represent the view of Wales in the government?

Or to represent the views of the government in Wales?

Or a combination of both?

What is clear that this week Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan completely failed in any of these categories, with regards the proposed closure of Newport Passport office

She says she has spoken to the home secretary about the threatened closure. But has not said that she has asked the Home Office why she wasn’t informed of this, and why the Welsh assembly had not also been given the courtesy of knowing their plans.

Can anyone really imagine this happening in Scotland?

Neither Labour nor Libcon governments have an interest in appointing someone who would fight tooth and nail in the interest of Wales or Scotland. During the Second World War Thomas "Tom" Johnston was a highly successful Secretary of State for Scotland virtually ruling the country,and it is commonly believed that the powers that be swore never to let any minister have that power again.

Of course devolution has changed all that and the Welsh and Scottish ministers find themselves dealing wit first ministers who (at least in Scotland) can make decisions without asking the prime minister or the rest of the cabinet.

And now of course they are of different parties.

Nevertheless If Cheryl Gillian can use her influence (if she has any) to save the Newport Office then she will deserve credit if however she is ignored. Then like virtually all her predecessors she would have put her government interest before that of Wales and she should ask herself what is she there for? and consider her position.

Empty Cabinets (of Welsh MPs that is)

The fact that no Welsh MP even those for whom the connection is that they represent a Welsh Constituency (which they will leave as soon as they retire or are defeated at an election) is a disgrace and if it wasn’t for the existence of the post of Shadow secretary of state for Wales ( which it seems none of the candidates wanted anyway) we might well have no Welsh MP’s in the shadow cabinet.


But, It is surely hypocritical of Peter Black (well what do you expect ) to gloat over of this. With 8 Conservative and 3 Lib-Dem Mps in Wales not one is a Cabinet minister in the Libcon government and even the Secretary of State job went to someone who does not represent a Welsh seat.

So in reality all three major parties have snubbed their Welsh MPs. There are 37 of them and the possibility that there could not be one in either the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet. either points to their quality. but probably shows how unimportant these parties view our Nation.

Aberavon And Neath Liberal Democrats get it a "Little" wrong.

I f you really want to know how the Liberal Democrats work. Just have a look at this on the Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats blog. In which they apologise for their attack on Labour MEP Derek Vaughn after cutting and pasting a newspaper report which wrongly accused Mr Vaughn of claiming money he was not entitled to.  Though it soon becomes clear Mr Vaughn was completely innocent.The post claims that they action was in good faith and obliviously believe that this will excuse them from such an appalling slur on the MEP.

I refer you once more to Insidious and his analysis of Subordinate Centrals attitude to blogging it seems their Aberavon and Neath Colleagues share their outlook/

The correction  was in the name of Frank Little who on the same day in his individual blog posted on Conservative and Labour dirty tricks during the General election. You got to admire his nerve (perhaps not).

So I can only say to Mr Little before you accuse others of throwing mud look at your own dirty hands.

Cameron on Cornwall reveals his true nature.

Councillor Dick Cole of Mebyon Kernow has posted on a excellent exposure of the true nature of David Cameron. Which I repeat here.

“I have just seen the interview that David Cameron did for ITV Westcountry yesterday, and the casual way in which he dismissed concerns about the possible creation of a Devonwall parliamentary seat.
 In the interview, when asked about the consequences of the Parliamentary Voting Systems and Constituencies Bill which, if left unchanged, would lead to the creation of at least one Cornwall and Devon seat, he said:
 “I think it is very important to have constituencies that are the same size. That is fair. And in order for that to happen you do need to cross county boundaries. We don’t, for example, say that the Scilly Isles have to have an independent …have to have their own MP. It is right that you cross boundaries in order to have the right size House of Commons and the same size constituencies. That is fair.”
 But ITV Westcountry, bless them, have released footage of Cameron speaking before the start of the formal interview. At this point he actually said:
 “We have got to have equal-sized seats. It’s the Tamar – not the Amazon for heaven’s sake. But I won’t put it like that!”
 What a gaffe! The pressure is now on Cornwall’s Tory MPs to speak to their leader and make sure that he does take Cornwall’s concerns seriously.”

I think Dick’s being to kind its clear that there is a major difference between what Cameron says and what he actually believes and that he attempts to hide between sophistry  in order to disguise is true lack of concern and understanding of the historic nature of Cornwall, and it only makes me thinks what his true attitude is towards Wales and Scotland. I suspect he secretly wishes that he could have cross boarder constituencies here as well.

Give the Tories an inch and they will take a mile.

Once again there’s no response from Subordinate Central and Peter Black over the plans of their Tory bosses to  too cut universal childhood benefit, despite the Liberal Democrats' party conference a fortnight ago voting to maintain universal benefits.

Libcon Chancellor George Osbourne has of course picked  the perfect target for his first benefit cut The idea that are people who are receiving benefits they don’t need is almost as compelling as that there are people who are receiving benefits they don't  (in the eyes of the Tories) deserve.

I believe  that there may be some on the left who would find themselves in agreements with this. Believing the rich should pay more. However I most certainly do not agree that this should start with our welfare system., and if we need to raise money from those who can most afford it the answer is progressive taxation.

The idea of universal benefit means that this is a right we are all entitled to and means that  no one is seen as receiving handouts (as some of the Tory press protray  it. However  if these cease to be universal then it will not be long before  such benefits will be seen by the selfsame Tory press and Libcon ministers as going to the undeserving.

In reality this move to end even a small part of universal benefit  is the first step of the Tories to carry out what they always intended and that is to destroy the welfare state.

In that they using the call for cuts as an excuse, but reality it is more to do with ideology than need. Make no mistake this is the first of what will be the end of many universal benefits. It will probably be slow, but it will be relentless and if we do not act now by the end of this Parliament the dismantling of the welfare state will have reaches a level that will leave the most vulnerable defenceless.

And in this they are being helped by the Liberal  Democrat partners.Those who think voting against such cuts at their party conferences can ease their conscience are deluded. And those like subordinate centre and Peter Black who think they can avoid association by ignoring it in their blogs are due for rude awaking next may

I have no faith.But am I still culturally a Christian?

Last week I attended the funeral of my Aunt Teg. She was 92 but had been relatively fit and alert until the last couple of months.


The funeral was a Christian service, in which I took part in although I am an Agnostic. I did so for two reasons.

Firstly, out of respect for my Aunt, but also for those who attended who were believers. I did feel standing mute while the service went on would be appropriate.

Secondly, I still have much affection for Welsh Hymns. In this case Cwm Rhondda and Calon Lan. Though there was a Redwood moment in the latter as the Vicar a Yorkshireman was clearly mouthing the words.

A year ago I attended the funeral of my Brother-in Law where there was a Humanist Celebration, but except for the absence of Hymns and Prayers there was not really all that difference. And it served to my mind the same purpose in that we were able to say goodbye to Roger and it helped to ease our grief.

But this has left me wondering. I began questioning my belief in God at a very early age and once asked my Grammar School Headmaster as to why Catholics could miss the religious part of the School Assembly, while I had to attend? For this I was threatened with corporal punishment and kept my mouth shut in my opposition . Though I also kept my mouth shut during the Assembly Prayers.. However despite a life a non-belief (or at least questioning)..Am I still culturally a Christian?

I was reminded of this when Jeremy Paxman (Who getting more unhinged daily) asked Ed Milliband “Are you Jewish” and “Do You believe in God” on Newsnight. (Ed said yes to the former and no to the latter). Though what relevance it had to his abilities is beyond me.

I think I join Miliband in his answer . All my life has been influenced by Welsh Chapel culture in particular and even if I look on this as little more than a folk tradition it is still there

O f course if either myself or Ed Milliband were to stand for office in the USA we would probably have to have to express a belief in a God in order to get elected. Some states actively bar non-believers from holding Public Office and in the UK Atheist could only affirm in order to take the seats in House of commons in 1886.

I hope we are not going to see Ed Miliband lack of faith being used by the right to give some implication that he is therefore unsuited to be Prime Minister or worse his cultural history.

Perhaps the Old joke from Northern Ireland is still resonant.

A Rabbi was stopped by a Paramilitary gang in a Belfast Street.

“Are you a Catholic or Protestant?”, they demanded of him.

The rabbi had no idea which side they represented but was relaxes as he said “But I’m a Jew”. His integrators paused then one said “Are you a Catholic-Jew” or a Protesnat Jew?”

Deputy Dawg sorry Clegg comes to Wales.

Deputy Prime Minister visited the Welsh Capital yesterday According to Betsan Powy’s BBC blog he was met with the words


"Welcome to Wales" "and greetings from my mother who voted for you ... to keep out the Tories"

Clegg told the Welsh Assembly to expect difficult times, but not look at the spending review as an ideologically-driven apocalypse.’

Of the spending review, Mr Clegg said "people should keep it in perspective".

What he meant of course was "we are going to do it and you better get used to it

UK Government departments have been told to prepare plans for making savings of between 25% and 40%.

This of course will affect Wales more because of it reliance on public centre jobs largely because the previous Tory government had destroyed our private sector and heavy industries.

But in they fantasy world the Lib-Con coalition will be relying on the private sector to provide work for the Thousands of public sector worker who will be made redundant.

A private sector that can’t do this now!

Protestors yesterday accused the Liberal Democrats of betraying "ordinary working class people" But can anyone really expect anything else from a Political Party who denounced early spending cuts before the General Election and now enthusiastically go along with it in coalition government.

He wouldn't be drawn on the plans for St Athan which must have concerned La Pasionaria, in whose adoration he spent the day basking in. But considering her constant support for the project, pointed out by myself and Welsh Rambling yesterday. She obviously asked him privately about the future for St Athan.

I wonder however if it is scrapped or greatly reduced will she condemn her Party leader in the same way she condemned (St) Vince at her Party’s conference. We will see.