Police and Crime Commissioner election let them be the last.

 I know you can barley contain your excitement but next May will see us voting for the second time for Police and Crime Commissioner.



Turnout was low for the elections across  Wales,- with a the highest burnout of 17.2% in Dyfed Powys. Lack of information (both on the election itself and from the candidates), divided public opinion and the November timing of the election were cited as factors for this It has also been argued that the election should have been held on the same day as local election s. Which will be remedied this time

With Plaid deciding to fight the elections which coincide with the Assembly elections it m\ay be a bit more interesting this time .

It wll also mean that the sitting  Commissioner. will be defending their record and so it will mean that  the role will become more political.

The Wasting Mule recently has a former Police Sergeant turned lawyer who was runner-up in the first South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner election claim the man who beat him has been “invisible” since he won the post.

“I get that from people across South Wales. I speak to a lot of people and I’m on social media and I get a lot of feedback from people who don’t want politicians running the police service and feel that Alun Michael, even though he’s a politician, hasn’t really performed.”
Mr Baker said he was “appalled” that Mr Michael had failed to challenge effectively the police funding formula that has effectively seen South Wales Police having to hand over money to Dyfed-Powys Police.
“He should have gone for a judicial review of the formula, which is wholly unfair,” he said.
The Independent candidate also accused Mr Michael of painting an over-rosy picture in his recent police and crime reduction plan, where it was claimed that people in Cardiff had never been safer.
“Many crimes are unreported and simply don’t show up in the statistics,” said Mr Baker. “There was recently a news item saying that many rapes involving students were not being reported, for example.”

It occurs to me  that a successful  Police and Crime Commissioner.would in fact be invisible  because if everything was going right then he or she would have nothing to comment on.

I am opposed to these elections over the years it will lead to because it will lead to the Candidates running on  a platform not so much on who can make the police force more accountable  or even effective, but who can be toughest on crime and offering draconian solutions even if they do not have the powers to implement them.

Scotland   and Northern Ireland you will note  will nit be holding elections  as policing and justice powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

 It will be interesting to see where the Welsh Parties  stand in the run up to the Assembly elections on the same day . Will they be campaigning for policing and justice powers to be devolved?

Lets go further and see a end to the whole "England and Wales" package in the devolved era and we get full parity with Scotland within 5  years.

Let us hope these will be the last  time we elect Police and Crime Commissioner. and we see parity with Scotland over this.

It is a golden opportunity to highlight  this  I don't know whether Plaid for instance will benefit from abandoning their boycott but they surely can't abandoning mention that they want these positions abolished and these powers transferred. 


I

Steel job losses. I stll blame Thatcher.

About 1,000 steel workers are expected to lose their jobs when they arrive for work in Port Talbot.

Thousands of industry jobs have already been lost in Scotland and England, with the focus now set to turn to Wales.

Port Talbot Steelworks' owner Tata employs 4,000 people at the site and 6,000 in Wales.
BBC Wales understands losses, as a result of a slump in the price of steel, will be around 1,000 jobs.
Tata Steel Europe, which employs 17,000 in the UK, is in the throes of a wide-scale reorganisation of its business.
It currently puts £200m a year into the Welsh economy in wages.
Last week, Alan Coombs, the president of the steelworkers' union Community, and chairman of the multi-union group at Port Talbot, said job losses are "inevitable".

He told BBC Wales: "Without doubt there'll be restructuring on the cards - that's if we are in a position to restructure.

"There is concern that we are running out of time."
On Friday, Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock said the industry needs to restructure in order to weather this storm.

Nobody is asking for subsidies. The UK steel industry is asking for a level playing field. We are seeing the massive dumping of heavily subsidised Chinese steel—70% of Chinese steelmakers are state owned—dragging down the price of steel and crippling the British steel industry. This is not about subsidies but about smart regulation, proactive Government intervention and taking action and answering questions afterwards. I am seeking reassurances that the Government will not support China’s application for market economy status, because that would completely undermine any anti-dumping efforts. This is about proactive regulation and intervention, not subsidies.

First Minister Carwyn Jones has urged the UK government to come forward with a package to help the steel industry with their energy costs.


Now Plaid Cymru’s shadow economy minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has called on the Welsh Government to form a taskforce to determine how the future of the industry can be preserved.
Calling the potential consequences of the closure of the Port Talbot plant “too dire to contemplate”, the Ynys Môn AM said a potential solution would be to take a partial stake in the industry.

“I do not believe the Welsh Government can continue to be passive observers as the situation continues to deteriorate,” he said. “Therefore today I am calling for the establishment of a taskforce which will immediately examine all options for protecting our steel industry in Wales.

“When I say all options, I believe that included in that set of potential solutions must be an examination of the Welsh Government possibly taking a temporary stake in the steel industry in Wales in the event of a sudden announcement of closure.”

Meanwhile  Ukip blame the European Union  (EU) in the debate between First Minister Carwyn Jones  and Nigel Farage Mr Jones said he met Tata Steel bosses in December, adding: "Not once did they mention the European Union as being some kind of obstacle."

Mr Farage responded by claiming British politicians in Wales and Westminster had been unable to protect the steel industry from cheap Chinese exports.

In truth all the above have a point  including Farage on Europe where the EU have done little to act against Chinese dumping of Steel but we should ask how other members of the EU may survive the current crisis  and taken in the response to the Chinese dumping when their leaders visited the UK last year.

Can assume that even if the UK was outside any EU regulations other trade with China would be given priority and they would be allowed to continue dump  steel to the detriment of our Stael Industries.


Indeed we can trace the whole sorry story to Thatcherite polices, which led to the decimation of the Manufacturing Industry  (particularly Heavy)  in the 80's in which we in Wales suffered particularly badly an despite Stephen Kinnock  calls today the Blair- Brown years  did nothing to reverse. Though of course the current Kinnock was not in Westminster then his party share responsibility  for today's situation.

Yes I still blame Thatcher and her legacy  continues.


 Can any one imagine a right wing Ukip government, subsidising the Steel Industry particularly in Wales?

I can't see Plaid plan working under the current Welsh Assembly Budget either and I doubt  any plea to Westminster will be fruitful.

Indeed it might be to late and once these jobs are lost they will be lost for ever.

If ever there was an example of why we need an Independent Wales in Europe it is this where in cooperation with others we can look to what benefits workers here rather than constantly looking to protect the financial interests of the City of London,

Sturgeon bolsters the Scottish Greens

It may be simply that in calling Sturgeon is to back Patrick Harvie’s case for the Scottish Greens to be regarded as a “large party” in a bid to give it parity of television coverage during the Holyrood election campaign is simply being fair and democratic..

The National  says that. 

Discussions have taken place between the two party leaders – who joined forces to campaign for a Yes vote in the independence referendum – and it is understood the First Minister will be putting forward her support in a submission to the BBC Trust which is consulting on the issue.

A SNP spokesman said last night: “The SNP will be responding and we will be making the case for the Greens to be included in the debates as a large party.”

Harvie said he was “optimistic” the BBC and broadcasting regulator Ofcom would revise its guidance, which currently regards the Scottish Greens as a “minor” party, meaning it can secure less airtime than the SNP, Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. The “minor” party status would also weaken its chances of taking part in any leaders’ debates.

 Survation had a new poll of Scottish voting intentions in the Holyrood election this week. As usual in the present Scottish political scene they show a towering SNP lead, with Labour second and the Conservatives in third. Constituency voting intentions are SNP 52%, LAB 21%, CON 16%, LDEM 7%; Regional list intentions are SNP 42%, LAB 20%, CON 16%, GRN 9%, LDEM 8%, UKIP 5%. Tabs are her

So it looks like some SNP voters are intending yo vote Green in the Regional lists

Harvie also drew attention to last year’s general election televised leaders’ debates, which included the Green’s leader Natalie Bennett, as well as the SNP leader and Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood.

It would be wrong of me with not to point out   while the Lib Dems are  bravely due to fight all first past the post seats, the Greens have plans to fight only three constituency and  with the additional Scottish seats being  filled from regional closed party lists, under the d'Hondt method, with constituency results being taken into account, supposedly to produce a degree of proportional representation for each region. Altogether,Should a party ot fighting every seat in a region benefit what is intended to be Top up of seats for those Parties that have received a significant Constituency vote  .

I would hate it if a Unionist Fat Right Party  did this so while I would welcome a number of Scottish Greens  being elected in May  to act somewhat as alternative to having Unionist there I would prefer for them to fight for constituency votes as well.


As I have often stated here in Wales I would consider voting Green  in the Welsh Assembly if I thought Plaid because they were going to well in the Constituencies or if I felt Plaid was abandoning some of its principles. for instance like the SNP supporting an Independent Scotland joining NATO.

Wings over Scotland has claimed that even switching your vote in the Regional vote in Scotland will not significantly  favour smaller parties like the Scottish Greens  and to not gove the SNP its second vote as well, will possibly favour Unionist Parties.

Its not for me to tel the people of Scotland how to vote but Democracy is not about getting the result you personally want  and as I said while welcoming a clutch of Green MSP and AMs elected in Scotland in Wales they may well be "cheating the system" if they don't fight the constituencies  as well,.

Another Labour AM to quit Assembly!

The News that Education Minister Huw Lewis has announced he will stand down from the assembly at May's election brings the number of  His decision brings the number of Labour AMs who are standing down to nine (out of thirty)other
These include presiding officer Rosemary Butler, Keith Davies, Edwina Hart and Gwenda Thomas.
The others are Christine Chapman, Jeff Cuthbert, Janice Gregory, Gwyn Price and Sandy Mewies.

Apart from  Keith Davies in Llanelli all can be seen  as safe seats.

With Labour set to lose a few seats there w
Mr Lewis has been AM for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney since the first assembly elections in 1999.

My first thought was that Mr Lewis may be planning on fighting the
Westminster seat in the forthcoming Ogmore by-election but apparently not. 

On Friday, he said that "nothing is forever" and he wanted to spend more time with his family.
A former teacher, he took over as education minister following the resignation of Leighton Andrews in 2013.
He had previously been culture minister, and stood unsuccessfully for the Welsh Labour leadership in 2009.
Announcing his decision, Mr Lewis said it had been an "incredible privilege and honour" to represent the community in which he grew up.
He said: 

 "Nothing is forever. I became an AM at the age of 35 and I feel now is the time to move on - for me and the constituency. I'm looking forward to seeing more of my family and seeking out fresh challenges."

 Lewis is married to Lynne Neagle, the Labour Assembly member for Torfaen. So  he sees his partner more often than other members.

Mr Lewis started of by being seen as somewhat representative of Valleys Labour Anti-Welsh Language mentality. Though he has somewhat mellowed of late.


 With Labour set to lose a few seats there there will be undoubtedly see a few fresh faces  on the Labour side of the Assembly chamber.

However anyone thinking it lead to some fresh thinking and a move to support for a cal for parity with Scotland when it comes to devolution is likely to be disappointed.

A Corbynite for Ogmore By-election? Probably not.

 Corbynite sounds like a Sci-Fi explosive. but there you go.

The Blog "Left Foot"Forward  do not seem to be big Fans of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Why for example did they carry a Telegraph claim that Jeremy Corbyn’s office wants to see the leader’s political secretary Katy Clark as the candidate in the forth coming Ogmore  by-election when  MP  Irranca-Davies formally steps down in order to fight for a seat in the Welsh Assembly.

 According to the Telegraph, Jeremy Corbyn’s office wants to see the leader’s political secretary Katy Clark as the candidate in the by-election when Mr Irranca-Davies formally steps down.

Last year Clark, one of the better Scottish Labour MPs (not saying much though)  who is  also a director of the campaign group Momentum, lost her Scottish seat of Ayrshire North and Arran following the SNP avalanche that engulfed Labour last May.
Speaking to the Telegraph, one former Labour minister said:

“People in Wales will be furious if they try to stitch it up for Katy or someone like Chris Williamson.
“All the Welsh MPs are very worried about this because you need a strong local candidate with real ties to the area for a by-election nowadays.”

A former Labour shadow minister went further, arguing:

“The great fear we have is that if leadership tries to impose a candidate then it will make the same mistake that we have seen in the past, where the imposition of a candidate against the wishes of the local party has led to us losing a seat.
“This is a very serious issue and a test for the leadership indeed in terms of its views of democracy and of course its strategic approach.”

The paper quotes what it describes as a ‘senior Welsh Labour figure’ as having said:

“I would be very surprised if the Ogmore constituency wanted somebody hoisted on them by the leader’s office and certainly not somebody from outside of Wales.
“I know there are some very strong candidates potentially putting themselves forward from across Wales.”

According to today Wasting Mule Senior Labour sources have strongly denied a suggestion that  a Corbyn  backer wil be imposed on Ogmore


 The source told the Mule:

 “I think this is all mixed up with the continuing turmoil in the party over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, with some wanting to stick the boot into Jeremy. What has given the story legs is that there has been a delay in selecting a new candidate, despite people from the constituency making it clear immediately after Huw’s selection for the Assembly seat on December 6 that the process should get under way immediately.”
 Ogmore is not going to be pushed around and agree to accept someone simply because they are a senior member of Jeremy Corbyn’s team.
 There are some very high calibre candidates seeking the nomination, including people who make a major contribution to Welsh public life. Local party members deserve to be treated with respect and allowed to make their choice from an exceptional shortlist.”
According to the source, it is thought unlikely that there will be an all-women shortlist. There are, however, likely to be some high quality female contenders.

 So we can only wonder if there was ever any truth in the story.  after all Welsh constituencies seemed fair game for imposed candidates during the Blair years .

For those of us who do not support Labour believing that Corbyn is only a blip on its Right Wing  drift and Left or Right an Unionist is still an Unionist but are also on the left it would be hypocritical to not attack the imposition of a Candidate who might share some of our beliefs in the way we did to the appalling Blarite's we are stuck with.

But we can wonder why credibility was given by a supposed Left wing Blog to a piece in a paper like the  Telegraph who are intent on smearing Corbyn?

Bring back the WDA but in name only.

A Plaid Cymru government would revive the Welsh Development Agency brand to attract more companies to invest in Wales, the party has announced.

Set up in 1976 as a job creation agency, it became part of the Welsh government in 2006 as part of Rhodri Morgan's "bonfire of the quangos".
In 2012, MPs said that decision had "reduced Wales' visibility overseas".
Economy spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said Plaid would revive the name for a new public-private partnership.

He said the WDA remained a recognised global brand, and a Plaid-run Welsh government would create a new organisation using the same branding.
But the new body would "not be an exact replica", the Ynys Mon AM added, run at arms-length from government. 

Its just as well he said it would not be a replica because even Mr ap Iorwerth found the cartoon  on the  twitter feed by the Consertavies mildy amusing
 

"Wales has been a world-class economic force before but over recent decades our economy has been in decline," Mr ap Iorwerth said.

In his speech Mr ap Iorwerth said:

“I am announcing that a Plaid Cymru government will create a new arms-length trade and investment promotion agency for Wales, a WDA for the 21st century. 

“This will be a public-private partnership, with strong representation from business on its board, autonomous from the Civil Service but answerable to government. 

“It will use the restored WDA brand – as the Wales Development Agency - to work globally and throughout the UK, to attract new businesses to Wales, to boost Welsh global and intra-UK exports.”

“A renewed WDA is not an attempt to turn back the clock, rather to build on previous success and learn from past mistakes.

“It will facilitate the delivery of our economic plan at home and re-establish Wales as a recognisable, desirable centre for investment on the world stage.

“The initiatives I have described to you today I believe reflect the restlessness of Plaid Cymru.

“We are ready and are agitating for the opportunity to steer a new course for our country.

“To take Welsh economic expectations to a higher level.

“To pull all sectors of our country together so we are all aspiring for the same outcome.

“To re-establish Wales as an economic and industrial powerhouse for the benefit of its people and its communities.

“Plaid Cymru will end years of managed decline and our aim will be to make the next decade the decade of prosperity for Wales.”

 There are huge  questions to answer over where the Welsh Assembly Government  economic development budget is going, and what exactly stands in the hole where the WDA once was.


The Welsh Conservatives claim they  have already called for a privately-run Investment Council to be created in order to attract overseas companies to Wales.
Tory leader Andrew RT Davies dismissed Plaid Cymru's plan, saying Wales needed "more than a retro rebrand".

"We have long championed the need for an arm's length body to lead on inward investment, but it's not as simple as attempting to recreate the halcyon days of the WDA," he said.
"The Welsh government also needs a greater focus on investor aftercare, to ensure that when companies locate in Wales they choose to stay here after the initial agreements have expired."

 But Mr Iowerth seems to be talking about just reviving the name and a
"public-private partnership, with strong representation from business on its board, autonomous from the Civil Service but answerable to government". 

So what is  it the Conservatives objecting to "the name".
 
Just briging in Branch Offices and Manufacturers  is not the answer though
The highest paid work - accountants, company lawyers and, brand developers - are usually outside Wales and it is to the firms' headquarters, not on Welsh soil, that profits flow. 

With 5% of the UK population, Wales generates only 3.4% of the economic activity.

With Wales still one of the poorest parts of the UK and with some of the highest  unemployment numbers. Somebody has to come up with a plan to reverse it  and Plaid at leat have an answer.

It might work or it might  become a bloated quango like its predecessor  employing over a thousand people . To the extent that one of its biggest job creations  was itself.

But I would like to see a new WDA have a section dealing indigenous companies and helping the setting up and running  Cooperatives.

OK the previous WDA failed and we e need to see more flesh on  this proposal but in the meantime  maybe Mr ap Iowerth 's critics particularly  Labour and  the Tories also come up with plans to pull out out of the mire that OK the previous WDA failed

Carwyn by loosing to Farage damaged the European case.

 Most Pundits seem to think Ukip leader Nigel Farage  got thee better of Carwyn Jones in the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA ) two man debate on Monday night.

Of course there a danger in those  who did not see  being influenced by the pres reports .

Even those who attended  the debate may well have changed their view on who had won

".In response, Plaid Cymru said UKIP's approach was "based on division and the scapegoating of vulnerable people".

 Plaid Leader Leanne Wood  certainly seemed to have not  only lost but damaged the whole Pro Union campaign.

 
During their exchange in First Minister's Questions on Tuesday

Ms Wood said: 

"First minister, last night you participated in the first major public debate on the future for Wales within the European Union.
"You went head-to-head with the voice of the far right.
"Do you think your performance helped or hindered the Welsh campaign on the EU?"

, Ms Wood told Mr Jones that "a new Europe is possible, but you failed to put that positive vision in that debate last night".
Mr Jones said Ms Wood 

"fails to outline how she would have done anything differently, what message she would put forward".

 if Carwyn wanted to know what Leanne would have done differently he should  not have agreed like Nick Clegg before him to have a one to one debate in the  arrogant belief he could best Farage and boost his own parties chances in May
 
 Both failed spectacularly and the reverse happened.

UKIP has accused Plaid  "tacky and baseless" jibes after calling Nigel Farage the "voice of the far right".

A UKIP spokesman said she had acted "crudely and immaturely
In their response Ukip  spokesman seemed to believe that rather than lok at Plaid support in Wales it should be taken in a UK context.

 "She so crudely and immaturely labels the one politician fighting for British sovereignty, against unelected foreign control, in order to put the interests of the men and women of the UK first, as 'far right'.
"Perhaps she should reflect on her own 0.6% share of the vote in the general election, compared to UKIP's support a massive 21 times higher, making UKIP the third most popular party in the UK, before she uses tacky and baseless labels to accuse a party backed by 4m voters as representing extreme or niche politics."

 Looking at Ukip "friends " in the European Parliament.The Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe, Far right seems a fair assessment.


It is perhaps indicative  that they don't  mention that  they out polled Plaid in Last Years General Election and although they didnt't win a seat (to Plaid's 3) they came second in many Welsh Constituencies.

LAB	36.9%
CON	27.2%
UKIP	13.6%
PC	12.1%
LD	6.5%
GRN	2.6%

Instead they make a Comparison which  even if Plaid had matched the SNP in having 50% of the vote, Ukip would still have out out polled them using UK wide results.

 Perhaps the oddest criticism of Leanne came from  Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott who  criticised Ms Wood's tactics, saying on Twitter:

 "If Plaid want Wales to remain in Europe, it's not wise for their leader to stand here and drive wedges between people on the same side."

Maybe its the "Clegg disaster " Ms Parrott was  thinking of and seeing any criticism of Carwyn Jones rebound.

But being "on the same side" does not mean that Plaid or any Party should accept such a disaster that Carwyn Jones  and the IWA took us into on Monday night  in the belief it would be god for the Labour Pert.

It was not and damaged the Pro-European campaign.