Labour held on to the seat on Riverside on Cardif Council . Despite the ongoing disputes among the ruling Labour group . Plaid may have wel hoped that their aggressive campaign would have led them to regaining a seat they had previously held . All the Opposition Parties in Cardiff must be scratching their heads wondering what they must do in order to defeat Labour who have had constant bad headlines and came close to splitting earlier ths year.
Result of ward at last election (2012) : Emboldened denotes elected Labour1,731, 1,555, 1,431(48%) Plaid Cymru 1,153, 944, 940 (31%) Conservatives 286, 276, 263 (8%) Green Party 294, 272, 189 (8%) Liberal Democrats 142, 129, 122 (4%) Trade Unionist and Socialist 99 (1%)
Is anyone going to take a seat off Labour in a Byelection in Cardiff or the rest of Wales?
I only found this by accident but the the news that a BBC investigation found. Ambulances were called out to the
headquarters of one of Europe's largest sports retailers 76 times in two
years, certainly deservres more coverage.
According to the report.
Many of the calls, for workers at Sports Direct's complex at Shirebrook, in Derbyshire, were for "life-threatening" illnesses. Former workers said some staff were "too scared" to take sick leave because they feared losing their jobs.
It is not clear exactly how many of these calls were for the thousands of agency workers on site. but there I think we can safetly assume that angency workers on short term contracts are more likely to go to work in such places when suffering from illness. It might also be intrsting to investigate if the numbers included any who have been assessed "Fit for Work" under the governments regulations. According to the report
A
total of 76 ambulances or paramedic cars were dispatched to the
distribution centre's post code between January 2013 and December 2014,
with 36 cases classed as "life-threatening", including chest pains,
breathing problems, convulsions and strokes. A further seven calls for ambulances were made but cancelled.
The
figures, which came from a Freedom of Information request made by the
BBC's Inside Out team to East Midlands Ambulance Service, also revealed
the service received three calls about women having pregnancy
difficulties, including one who gave birth in toilets at the site. The details have since been passed to the Health and Safety Executive which has said it will examine the data. Of
the 999 calls, six were about car accidents on a road or car park next
to the centre, one was for a dog bite and at least two were for a store
on the site.
The list of calls includes 36 cases classed as "life-threatening"
(from BBC)
A document produced by one of the agencies states: "Any person who
exceeds six strikes within a rolling six-month period will have their
assignment at Sports Direct ended."
Workers can receive a strike for a range of "offences" including:
Period of reported sickness
Excessive chatting
Excessive or long toilet breaks
Using a mobile phone in the warehouse
The document adds agencies can end an assignment "at any time without reason, notice or liability".
The Union Unite
said it had been told that last year there were about 3,000 agency
workers at the Shirebrook headquarters of Sports Direct, which was
founded by billionaire Mike Ashley. Sports Direct has also reported accidents in its warehouse have doubled in the past financial year. The
firm put the rise in accidents down to on-site building work, which has
resulted in "increased footfall and decreased workspace".
Just as this Government are attempting to weaken the Trade Unions further it is clear that the millions of agency workers who are not Unionised are living in a climate of fear and are risking thier own health by going to work when they should be seeking medical treatment.
We can only wonder how far this is replicated amongst Agency Workers else where . The sad thing is that we are unlikely to find out.
The BBC have come up with the shocking David Cameron has accused First
Minister news that Carwyn Jones of "playing politics" over the assembly's powers
ahead of next year's elections.
The prime minister denied Mr Jones's claim that the UK government's plans could reduce the assembly's powers. Mr
Cameron said his government agreed to protect Welsh government funding
by putting a "floor" under the formula that decides its share of UK
spending.
Mr Cameron said:
"First of all, my government actually held that
[2011] referendum on powers for the Welsh assembly, so that's already
been delivered. "Stephen's been working with others to put together the St David's Day agreement and this work is ongoing. "It requires agreement, and we've been talking in good faith with the other parties in Wales and that's what needs to happen.
"This needs to be an agreed measure but that shouldn't stop what I
would call 'real devolution' which is giving people in Wales more power
over their lives. "We have cut taxes for people in Wales, we're
keen for people in Wales to be able to own their own homes, to take
greater powers over their lives, so that will continue while the
politicians are still talking."
In other words the Tories will carry out their own policies and make sure the Welsh Assembly never really get powers similar to Scotland by preforming the con trick of claiming that the Bill would completely recast Welsh Devolution as a reserved
powers model along the lines of that which has applied in Scotland since
1999.So instead of the current situation in which specific
legislative powers are conferred on the National Assembly for Wales, the
Assembly would be allowed to legislate in all areas not specifically
reserved to Westminster.
But without devolution of a separate Judiciary it is likely that we will still find that the \\law \lords will still be called on to decide whether the Welsh Government have the legal powers to carry out the functions it wants to.
Prof Richard Wyn Jones from the Wales Governance Centre said recemtly
"The
problem that we've identified with the proposals is that frankly the
Wales Office haven't thought this through properly. "They seem to
be suggesting a model of devolution which is actually going to be
convoluted rather than clear, which is going to be unstable rather than
robust and which frankly doesn't really stand much of a chance of
lasting very long."
In a statement last month Carwyn Jones said:
"The people of Wales would not accept
unworkable or overly complex legislation that's not in the best interest
of Wales. "I made this abundantly clear to the Secretary of State
for Wales in our meeting last week. Any attempt to row-back on the
current settlement will not be acceptable to them. "As I've said before, if we are not satisfied that the Bill meets the needs of Wales, we will not support it. "The
challenge is there for the UK Government to produce a straightforward
Bill that does not restrict the powers of the people of Wales and gains
their support."
The Tories have simply ignored anyone else interpreted the so called "St Davids Day" agreement in their own way and are seeking to put a permanent break on Devolution or even make it so unworkable it could be put in reverse.
According to Tacitus, Calgacus a Caledonian Chieftain claimed of the Romans that
"they make a desert and call it peace"
It seems an apt metaphor for all that Cameron and his Tories say and do
David Cameron has promised to increase Britain's military capability to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, including a doubling of the RAF's fleet of drones.
The prime minister told the Sunday Telegraph the UK would spend hundreds of millions of pounds on equipment and resources for special forces.
He said it was essential to meet the terrorist threat facing the UK.
He was speaking as the Tories gather in Manchester for their party conference.
Earlier this month, the prime minister was heavily criticised for
authorising an RAF drone strike that killed Britons Reyaad Khan and
Ruhul Amin near the Syrian city of Raqqa as as an "act of self defence".
It was believed to be the first targeted UK drone attack on a British citizen,
He insisted it was an "act of self defence", saying Khan, originally from Cardiff, was plotting "specific and barbaric" terrorist attacks in the UK. Caroline Lucas, the Green Party's only MP, and Baroness Jones have
joined forces with human rights charity Reprieve to take the first step
towards a judicial review.
In a letter to the Defence Secretary and Attorney General, lawyers for
the politicians claimed the Government had failed to formulate a
"targeted killing policy" or failed to publish it.
The Raqqa strike, and the
intention of the Government to pre-authorise targeted killings in the
future in countries where the UK is not at war, is of concern to the
claimants and many others. The concern is heightened by the lack of clarity about the
circumstances in which the Government reserves the right to kill British
citizens outside of an armed conflict. Such a lack of clarity as to the test which is being applied by the
Government in deciding whether to pre-authorise the targeted killing of
British nationals or individuals overseas raises real and serious
concerns over the lawfulness of the Government's past and expected
resort to the use of lethal force. It is unclear what, if any, policies, procedures and/or safeguards
are in place to ensure that this 'new departure' is only exercised in
accordance with domestic and international law.
– Caroline Lucas MP and Baroness Jones
Even if you agreed with the principle of such Drone attacks it seems an expensive way to "execute" such people or for a Prime Minister to get much needed publicity and claim he is protecting us.
Drone attacks are likely to increase support for such militant and we can wonder if they can discriminate as effectively as it is claimed.
If we are to be the "Good Guys" then we should not be behaving like Dirty Harry.
A Policeman who decides that he has the right to choose to execute rather than arrest a suspect no matter the evidence has no place in the modern world and we must also ask if governments should also be subject to similar scrutiny and rules as our law officers.
Leanne Woods was good on Question Time on Thursday but one response irked me in part of a response to a member of the audience (where did the BBC find such a right wing Anti Welsh audience) questioner ask why Plaid Cymru has achieved nothing like the success of
the SNP
She also struck a defiant zone, pointing out the SNP was once
written-off as well:
“Everybody told them it wasn’t possible for them to
form a Government, too.”
Unfortunately she also claimed
“We’re not campaigning
for independence.”
She argued
“Our economy is too weak. We’re already facing a situation where workers in Wales earn 85% of the UK average.”
I am not some one who believes Wales should be Independent even if the economy was to resemble Albania before or after Enver Hoxa.
But I believe that it is a vital road to take if we are to improve our economy.
I accept that a manifesto for the next Assembly Election and beyond may look radically different to one for an Independent Wales but there is no reason not to explain the latter at the same time
We are faced with years of Conservative rule who intend to carry on with the Austerity program even if the UK was to enter a Boom period.
I sincerely wish Jeremy Corbyn well, but I suspect that the Blarites who are now masking themselves as centralist moderates will use any failure for Labour to rise in the polls to epose him within three years. This will pave the way for a Blair 2 candidate who might well win in the converted Middle England and becuse the Welsh Assembly will not receive the necessary powers who will do little to change the Welsh economy.
Even a Plaid Assembly Government will find it difficult to change the current state of us being poor West Britains. Plaid need to give the electorate a vision of a Vibrant, Confident and Independent Wales. Campaigning to be in charge of how we spend Westminster's Pocket Money is not going to take us anywhere.
Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb has said the likelihood of the UK and
Welsh governments reaching agreement on the next stage of the devolution
is now “very, very low”.
A Draft Wales Bill will be published
later this month which is due to put the National Assembly on a
Scottish-style footing, so AMs can make laws in any area not
specifically “reserved” by Westminster.
For many it looks like its aim is to limit any further Devolution and Pedryn Drycin clearly has a better understanding of the complexities of this so maybe you should look here .
First Minister Carwyn Jones has pushed for the creation of a separate
Welsh legal jurisdiction, warning that without it any settlement is
bound to be “phenomenally complicated”.
Mr
Crabb resists this argument, stating: .
“Carwyn and some of the
academics and some more nationalist lawyers have been talking about a
separate legal jurisdiction for Wales. The vast, vast majority of the
body of law that affects Wales and the interests of Wales is done on an
England and Wales basis.
However you don't have to be an Engineer or Trainspotter to realise the Wheels of a Locomotive needs Oiling.
“To somehow try to unpick that now is a
massive, massive exercise – hugely costly. The members of the judiciary
in Wales that I speak to, who have made their careers – and many of them
very successfully in the High Courts in London – think, actually, it
would be a massive detrimental step to try and recreate that on a very
small basis in Wales.”
Why hasn't Crabb talked to the judiciary here in Wales? and many polticians from wales have made their careers in London is that stil an argument against Devolution? and anyway Scottish Advocates have stil made London Carrers some like Lord Mckay and Lord Irvine reaching the heights of Lord Chancellor before the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 Crab comtinued :
“This idea of a separate legal jurisdiction is something of a
red herring. It’s quite a dangerous one because it risks Wales losing
out and at the moment Wales punches above its weight in the judiciary. “I
don’t think it’s impossible to carve out a much clearer devolution
arrangement in the context of a single jurisdiction for England and
Wales. It presents challenges, of course it does, but it’ not
impossible. “Those people, particularly those of a nationalist
mindset, want to use this as an argument for furthering their ultimate
goal which is the separation of Wales from the United Kingdom, which I absolutely don’t support.
To be fair to Crabb he and his fellow Unionist have realised long before many Nationalist or those seeking parity with Scotland that preventing a separate Welsh legal system like the Scottish one that existed even before the creation of the current Parliament will make any further devolution to Wales in the same mode as Scotland difficult if not impossible.
Instead we get measures claiming to make the current settlement clearer but in reality hamstring the Welsh Government of whatever makeup .
The Welsh Government
has said it will not prevent the Army from visiting Welsh schools after
an Assembly report said schools should treat such visits with caution. Claims
that the armed forces make “disproportionate number of visits” to
schools in deprived areas surfaced in a report earlier this year.
The Assembly petitions committee looked into military visits to
schools after more than 1,000 people signed a petition urging government
to ban the armed forces from going into classrooms, claiming the
visitors were targeting children in deprived areas. ' The committee found “no compelling evidence” personnel crossed the line between informing and recruiting pupils. But
it concluded the Army made a “disproportionate number of visits” to
schools in deprived areas, saying the Welsh Government should conduct
more research.
In the report, the cross-party group asked
ministers to review guidance for future visits to make sure pupils and
parents understood what soldiers and other personnel did.
Julie James, ( Never heard of her before) deputy minister for skills, wrote to the committee and
said:
“Restricting armed forces access to schools, as the petition
suggested, may possibly disadvantage some young people as they will not
have access to information about a full range of careers, including some
which offer training of a very high quality.”
A debate in the Senedd
on Wednesday heard claims from Conservative AM for Clwyd West, Darren
Millar, that none of the armed forces attend schools to recruit.
He
said they only attend on invitation and that they
“seek to contribute
to the life” of the schools they go to, “helping to deliver the national
curriculum.”
What part of the "national curriculum" is that I wonder?
Committee member South Wales West Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins, however, disputed that the army was only ever invited
Ms Jenkins, talking about a committee visit to a school in Prestatyn,
said she was told
“that they had an ongoing conversation with the army,
and they told us that the army were very keen and very proactive in
getting in touch with them to go into the schools.” “Lets be
honest here, the armed forces teams are not, in my view, presenting the
profession as one fraught with danger,” she said, saying it wasn’t in
the military’s interests to talk about the downsides of the job.
So could it be that the Military contact Schools and suggest that they be invited?
Whatever it seems the committee failed to ask or answer some questions.
Is there a “disproportionate number of visits” to
schools in deprived areas and if so why?
Are the dangers of the job explained or are they presented in the same way as Television adverts which shows military life as an exiting career.and which Julie James, ( Still never heard of her before) claims "offer training of a very high quality".
Are they told that up to up to 9,000 British soldiers who served "Queen and country" are homeless after leaving the military, and that Shockingly, ex-service personnel account for one in 10 rough sleepers across the UK.
It seems that the Assembly committee has failed to investigate the petition properly accepting the Armed service claim that none of the armed forces attend schools to recruit without examining the nature of these visits. It is a cause for concern that pupils from deprived areas are seen as natural recruits for the armed services and are seduced with the prospect of a future life beyond the unemployment queues.
This is not an argument about pacifism its about explaining the role of the military properly and not simply presenting it as a career opportunity for thos who may feel thety have none.
