Welsh Blogs.com

If the BBC Trust is serious about reviewing coverage of the devolved nations on the BBC's UK news network then I welcome it.The dominance of a metropolitan agenda is the problem rather than an English bias. But it means that the BBC fails to reflect the real diversity of the UK. Too often coverage of Wales is about 'quirky' issues rather than a real engagement of life in post-devolution Britain.ITN is worse. And the London newspapers are as bad, of course. All of them, without exception.But the BBC should be the benchmark. It has invested internally in training its journalists at regular intervals about the differences in the UK - eg in health and education - but the reality that appears on screen in the context of breaking news takes England as the norm - eg primary care trusts not local...

During the election campaign, Tony Blair made one fleeting visit to Wales. Even that was enough for the Beeb's Betsan Powys, who struggled to pin him down for an interview.By contrast, Blair made four visits to Scotland. Also by contrast, Labour lost Scotland and hung on in Wales.It's probably fair to say that by 2007, it is doubtful whether Blair continues to be an electoral asset in Wales. "Give him the send off he deserves," cried Plaid Cymru's election advert - evidently believing Tony Blair deserved an ambivalent election result and continual flitting between various different coalition permutations.So, in ten years, what has TB done for us?Devolution. Yes, that's a big one.Alun Michael. Not such a big one.Introduced top-up fees so the assembly could scrap them.We've been called the...

In three months from today it will be ten years since Scotland voted yes to devolution (again). A week later, so did Wales. Just. By six thousand, seven hundred and twenty-one votes.Where were you? And what were you doing in the great devolution campaign? Over the next three months I am going to put up an irregular series of posts about the devolution campaign. So where were you and what were you doing for the campaign in June 1997? If it's brief, comment on this post. If it is a longer reminiscence, email me.Of course, I know where he was. And what he was doing. And him. And him.You are subscribed to an RSS Feed from Leighton Andrews. You can send your views direct to Leighton via...

Ten years and three months ago today Scotland voted yes to devolution (again). Ten years, three months and one week ago, so did Wales. Just. By six thousand, seven hundred and twenty-one votes. Where were you? And what were you doing in the great devolution campaign? Over the next three months I am going to put up an irregular series of posts about the devolution campaign. So where were you and what were you doing for the campaign in June 1997? If it's brief, comment on this post. If it is a longer reminiscence, email me. Of course, I know where he was. And what he was doing. And him. And him. You are subscribed to an RSS Feed from Leighton Andrews. You can send your views direct to Leighton via...

If you read the Government of Wales Act, really read it, you get the sense that the evolution of the assembly into a law-making body is a practical inevitability. In fact, you get the sense that the legislative purgatory in which the institution currently finds itself is ludicrously arbitrary. When a child begs and begs for an ice cream, you don't snatch it away before it gets a chance to eat the cone.Much depends, of course, on how the assembly deals with its present extension in powers. But given the cross-party will for an assembly which creates proper 'acts', and which does so independently of the Secretary of State, I would be surprised if this wasn't put to a referendum before the next full term begins.If anything, the debate over independence in Scotland has made people realise...

It's interactive, it's live and it's a chance for you to put your points to Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan.18 Doughty Street web television, 9pm this evening.Oh, and there'll be a short film from Blamerbell too.See the Tories squirm:)[Pic: Cheryl Gillan ends child poverty by growing children as...

In my recent blogging updates I have overlooked a series of posts on independence by a number of Plaid candidates and AMs on the Welsh Independence blog. Most noteworthy of all is this post by Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones - they are well worth a......

Following the Foward Wales/Electoral Commission story Lisa Francis AM looks at the electoral system in Wales and accuses Labour of 'gerrymandering'. Steffan Lewis says that Marek and Davies should stand for Forward Wales or disband the party. Glyn Davies AM looks at Wales' move towards becoming a nation state and acknowledges that the Tories may have been on the wrong side of the devolution arguement. Seren blogs on the devolution momentum here. Plaid blogger Ted Jones thinks that the Tories may soon be supporting a local income tax in place of the council tax and examines Labour's record on child......

Rhondda’s dynamic duo Chris Bryant MP and Leighton Andrews AM attempt to bully Burberry at a press conference held at the Welsh Assembly this week. They are photographed looking steely faced and determined whilst holding a Burberry poster alongside their own “Made in China” poster. They aim below the belt, jabbing Burberry hardest where it hurts : the Burberry brand name. Leighton Andrews is a skilled campaign manager. His indelible signature is visible on Burberry news stories that have reverberated around Wales and beyond for months. The campaign drum-beat grows louder. His former employer the BBC fawn and wag their tail at his every move in the Burberry campaign. It is a modern wonder of Wales to see this one-man political campaign feeding journalists from the palm of...

Once upon a time there was a Welsh MP called Peter Hain who believed in socialism and devolution. “Devolution must be given real teeth,” wrote Peter Hain, “it must not produce a series of talking shops.” Peter Hain wrote this in his book The Democratic Alternative (A Socialist Response To Britain’s Crisis) (Penguin, London, 1983). Peter Hain then discovered a pole lubricated with grease. This was the largest pole Peter Hain had ever seen. Peter decided to climb to the top of the pole. And the higher he climbed the closer he came to the sun. As Peter Hain spent more and more time in the sun his tan grew brighter, and brighter until he glowed like a juicy fat orange. Soon Peter forgot he believed in socialism and devolution. Books, Devolution, Disraeli,...

A few things have crossed my mind this week, mostly regarding the future of our very country. There are so many problems that exist for us (as shown below), that it becomes hard to believe that our future will remain secure. For instance:We have no written constitution, therefore we have no structure which to base our laws upon and deem certain laws "unconstitutional" for the best interests of the public.The House of Lords is practically useless, which gives parliament the ability to pass any law it wishes without secondary consent.We have a multi-cultural society, which even our own Prime Minister has admitted not to be working, because of factors such as "ghetto-isation" and cultural isolation.We have accepted far too many immigrants and asylum seekers over the past 50 years, that a...

Alun Pugh, Welsh Assembly Governmetn Minister for Culture today welcomed the publication of the Stephens Review Report on the development of the Arts in Wales. The Minister in welcoming the report said: I welcome the publication of the report. I echo the sentiments of the Chair of the Review that “there is a need for the arts to flourish in a period of stability, innovation and ambition”. The report “espouses change”, and accepts that the need for change is inevitable in a post-devolution world.” The Welsh Assembly Government shapes and funds almost every public service in Wales and we invest £28.5 million in the arts. It is right that in a post-devolution Wales we make the relationship between the Assembly Government and the agencies that fund and make decisions on the arts...