It wasn't only First Minister Rhodri Morgan who was absent from the Senedd today. It would seem that Huw Lewis, Anne Jones, Lynne Neagle, Karen Sinclair, Irene James (who walked out) were not present as the Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones rose to his feet to give his first speech as a Government Minister. The Presiding officer stated that the absent members were attending a business committee; however as Vaughan Roderick (Welsh language blog) points out... "some members are wondering what committee consists only of those individuals who opposed the Red / Green coalition".Posted by...
So according to the hacks, Ieuan Wyn Jones will be appointed Deputy First Minister. It would also seem that Ieuan will be representing Wales at the rememberance ceremony for the battle of Passchendale. It is also possible as someone (sorry i forget where i read it) points out that Ieuan could also be at the meeting of the British-Irish Council on behalf of the people of Wales.Posted by...
Do, fe ges i fy argyhoeddi gan Ieuan neithiwr. Roedd ei ddadl dros Llafur-Plaid yn resymol ac hefyd yn rhoi Cymru yn gyntaf. I ddechrau mynegodd ei bryderon gyda'r Enfys yn bennaf anwadalrwydd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol a'r Ceidwadwyr – roedd yn gofidio y byddai'r llywodraeth enfys yn torri i lawr hanner ffordd trwy'r tymor ac y byddai y llywodraeth Plaid Cymru cyntaf erioed yn cael ei weld fel un gwan, byrhoedlog a thrychinebus. Roedd Ieuan yn tybio fod y risg yn un rhy fawr i'w gymryd – fe gytunais ag ef erbyn y diwedd.Hefyd, pwyntiodd Ieuan allan bod hwn yn gyfle pwysig i lacio grym San Steffan ar Gymru ac hefyd i Rhodri Morgan bellhau fwy fwy oddi wrth yr AS Llafur yn Llundain. Dywedodd fod y Blaid Lafur yn debygol o weld rhwyg rhwng y bobl sydd am weld Cymru yn llwyddo ac rhwng...
Dydw i heb sylwebu ar wleidyddiaeth Cymru na chlymbleidio ar y blog ers rhai wythnosau ond dwi wedi fy nghymell i wneud heddiw. Roeddwn ni'n darllen ar flog Vaughan Roderick fod yna bedair AC o'r Blaid Lafur wedi dod allan yn gryf yn erbyn clymblaid gyda Phlaid Cymru. Eu dadl nhw, yng ngeiriau Vaughan, ydy; '...y byddai'r bwriad i ymgyrchu dros bleidlais Ie mewn refferendwm ar bwerau llawn yn llesteirio’r gwaith o sicrhâi cyfiawnder cymdeithasol.' Nawr dyma'r hen rethreg Llafur dwi wedi hen hen flino ei glywed. Y sglodyn enfawr 'ma sydd ganddyn nhw ar eu ysgwyddau fod bod yn genedlaetholwr gyfystyr a pheidio poeni am gyfiawnder cymdeithasol/economaidd.Plaid unoliaethol ydy'r Blaid Lafur, ac os oes yna rai oddi mewn iddi yn ddatganolwyr datganolwr reactionary ydyn nhw – dydy nhw ddim...
Wrth bori ar wefan y Cynulliad bore ma des i ar draws dogfen tra fanwl oedd yn nodi faint yr oedd yr Aelodau Cynulliad yn ei ennill. Mae'n gwneud darllen tra diddorol. Cyflog AC cyffredin (cyn tynnu treth) ydy £46,191. Yna mae'r Prif Weinidog, Gweinidogion, Y Llywydd a'r Is-Lywydd ac, yn tra ddiddorol, arweinydd yr wrth-blaid yn derbyn cyflogau fel a ganlyn (eto, cyn treth):Prif Weinidog (Rhodri Morgan): £122,682Gweinidogion Cabinet (e.e. Carwyn Jones): £85,868Llywydd (Dafydd El): £85,868Is-Lywydd (Buttler): £71,117Arweinydd yr wrthblaid (Ieuan Wyn Jones): £85,868Mae'r cyflogau yn hael bid siŵr ond a bod yn hollol onest roeddwn ni'n eu disgwyl i fod yn uwch.[Ffynhonnell: 'Penderfyniad Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru (Aelodau’r Cynulliad a Swyddogion) (Cyflogau, Lwfansau etc.)', Y...
I've been tagged by Iain Dale and Matt Wardman to say two things about Gordon Brown.Two words, of course, would be easy. Good off! Or bugger luck! Or something like that:)Anyway, heregoes...Two things Gordon Brown should be proud of:His (Ed) BallsHis Cow's lickTwo things he should apologise for:Supporting the England football teamCardiff North (or was that Cherie's fault?)Two things he should do immediately when he becomes PM:Promote Peter HainDemote Peter HainTwo things he should do while he is PM:Favours for rich peopleMake St David's Day a national binge drinking day holidayI hereby tag fresh-faced newbie Seneddwr, Sanddef (because he loves everything to do with blogging), and anyone who'd like to share their wisdom with us in the comments because I am still struggling striving to be...
No decision yesterday in Plaid's group meeting, so that means the future governance of Wales is likely to hinge on next Tuesday's weekly get-together.Some people have already been speculating about the way Plaid AMs will vote, with almost everyone agreeing that Ieuan Wyn Jones is in the Rainbow camp.Of course, he would just say he wants whatever's best for Wales, which is a bit like that ruthless lady from the Apprentice saying she wants what's best for Alan Sugar.His own personal political inflections (and ambitions) must inevitably be playing a huge part in his thinking. It's just that he hasn't bothered sharing them with the rest of us. The BBC reports that he'll be meeting party members across Wales shortly to "explain the choice he believes Plaid should make." I'd wager he'll be...
There's been a lot of chatter over the past few hours about Plaid re-opening talks with Labour over a formal coalition.Some of the usual suspects, bless them, have been getting quite upset. Stomp, stomp, stomp. We want our bloody rainbow.Well, as I said yesterday, they are still odds on to get it. So kem down.Have any of Plaid's rainbowista AMs publicly changed their position? No.Has Plaid's leader given any indication that he's keen on a deal with Labour? No.Do we know who the identity of the 'senior source' that broke the red-green story? No.Worth bearing in mind, I think, that I've seen people quoted as 'senior sources' before who were fourth placed constituency candidates in the assembly election. Can this chap persuade the majority of the party's AMs, party members and national...
I'll be taking part in a live debate over on BBC Radio Scotland this evening (10pm) about the future of devolution.The new Scottish government, led by Alex Salmond, aren't too pleased that Tony Blair apparently struck a deal which could lead to the Lockerbie bomber being sent back to Libya to complete his prison sentence without informing them.Meanwhile, the Secretary of State and the First Minister in Wales are on such good terms that Rhodri Morgan is backing Harriet Harman for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour party.You can listen to the programme, Scotland at Ten, online this evening.I think I may also pop up again on tomorrow's AM/PM on BBC 2 Wales - better than Big Brother every time:)In other news, Plaid's Ieuan Wyn Jones has torn up Labour's olive branch, ground it into sawdust,...
Hardly the most inspiring colour, is it?And yet, whether Wales is a car or an aeroplane, there seems to be mileage in the red-green Plaid-Labour idea again. Adam Price is all for it. And Edwina Hart used her first interview since the twentieth century to put her weight behind it too. (Quite how any assembly member has managed to dodge the Welsh press for so long is a complete mystery. After all, there are only sixty of them. There should probably be a Dragon's Eye rota, just to even it out. At least that would give Helen Mary Jones some well-earned time off to go scarf shopping.)Plaid and Labour in a grand coalition? Lefties everywhere are getting erect nipples just thinking about it.But they haven't had to face Ieuan Wyn Jones. Does this man really fancy playing second fiddle to Rhodri's...
Rhodri Morgan today unveils the Labour manifesto his government's legislative programme, with the emphasis on CONSENSUS.So committed is he to this cause, he failed to take part in a televised debate with the leaders of the other parties to explain to the people of Wales what this might actually mean in practice.If the intention was damage limitation, the effect was quite the opposite; the other leaders spent almost the entire programme reminding viewers of the first minister's absence.Never mind, Carwyn Jones was deputising and, as ever, sounded like someone from a self-help tape. He managed to tell those agitated nurses to bugger off in really the most relaxing way.Anyway, the point that the would-be rainbow coup leaders made repeatedly was that the assembly is today being presented with...
Much has been made of Rhodri's so-called 'Glamorganshire Cabinet' (see below for Mumph's take on it). It is certainly odd that the only people deemed to have any ministerial talent hark from a narrow corridor in South Wales. This plays right into the hands of Ieuan Wyn Jones, of course. He still wants to form an all-Wales government, albeit one with barely a constituency seat to show for itself in and around the capital. But as far as valleys dwellers are concerned, the man is from a different planet. He may bang on about supporting the Newport Gwent Dragons, but most people in these parts put on 888 even when he's speaking in English.And so, if and when a rainbow coalition makes its move, they'll have the very opposite problem. How can a bunch of North and West Walian nationalists...
Tynodd Vaughan Roderick sylw ar ei flog rhai wythnosau yn ôl at y ffaith y gallai holl arweinwyr y DG fod yn feibion i weinidogion Presbyteraidd cyn bo hir. Alex Salmon ac Ian Paisly eisioes yn arweinwyr ac fe fydd Gordon Brown, y presbyter arall o'r Alban yn ymuno a nhw dros yr haf ac fe ddylai Ieuan Wyn Jones ymuno a hwynt yn fuan hefyd. Pa le gwell i droi felly am ddehongliad o'r gair 'enfys' nag at 'Geiriadur Charles' – Geiriadur Beiblaidd tad Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Cymru Thomas Charles o'r Bala. Doedd Thomas Charles yn fawr o wleidydd; ond yn ei ddydd roedd cynhyrchu y fath gampwaith llenyddol a diwinyddol yn y Gymraeg yn weithred wleidyddol yn ei hun (er na fyddai Thomas Charles ei hun yn sylweddoli hynny ar y pryd)."ENFYS, (en-bys) Gr. ιρις; bwa gwlaw. Edr.BWA. - 'Ac yr oedd...
Whoppee! It's the Whistun break and our hard-working politicians are enjoying a week in the sun. All except those who've decided to holiday in Wales, that is.So what's the state of the nation? Well, it's a complete and utter shambles. Good job, bring on the Pina Coladas. On Friday, Rhodri Morgan became first minister of a minority Labour administration. On Saturday, the Lib Dems voted to pursue a rainbow coalition with Plaid and the Tories which would necessitate his removal.The ball is now very much in Plaid's court. But rather than smash it down the line for a winner, Ieuan Wyn Jones is hanging on to it for a game of keepie uppies.The noises coming from the Plaid camp are that they now have time to discuss the rainbow option in earnest. I was on a panel with Rhodri Glyn Thomas the...
Mae'r blog wedi bod yn dawel ers y penwythnos tra mod i wedi bod fyny ym Mangor yn cyfarfod fy nhiwtor a hel rhyw bethau o'r llyfrgell ar gyfer gwaith y mis neu ddau nesaf. Fodd bynnag dydy gwleidyddiaeth Cymru heb fod yn ddistaw. Mae pob plaid wedi rhoi'r gorau i drafod gyda Llafur ac o ganlyniad roedd Llywodraeth Enfys i'w weld fel realiti posib ond heno fe drodd pethau yn flêr wrth i'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol dynnu allan o'r Glymblaid Enfys. Fe allai hyn arwain Cymru i fewn i argyfwng cyfansoddiadol.Mae'n rhaid i'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol dyfu fyny a sylwi mai gwleidyddiaeth glymbleidiol fydd gwleidyddiaeth ôl-ddatganoledig yng Nghymru. A beth bynnag, does ganddyn nhw ddim gobaith caneri o ddod yn brif wrthblaid heb sôn am arwain llywodraeth felly os ydy nhw yn gwrthwynebu...
"It's just what I've always wanted. Thanks Dafydd.""No problem," said Mr Wigley. "It's a lovely Welsh frame, though that photo of me is quite old now. I'll even sign it if you want, Ieuan.""That won't be necessary, Dafydd."And what's this Helen - a scarf?"Today, Ieuan Wyn Jones celebrates his birthday. It looks set to be one he'll never forget.At 3pm, Plaid have their group meeting. They'll be discussing the document that looks set to make him First Minister.This morning, I had a chat with Nick Bourne - Deputy First Minister elect. He was in good spirits. Mike German will have to settle for Assistant Deputy First Minister or Deputy Deputy First Minister. Whichever makes him sound less desperate:)But he will, at least, have something to sell to his members at the Lib Dems' special...
Yn ystod yr ymgyrch etholiadol fe drodd coffi ar ôl cwrdd fore Sul yn sesiwn drafod gwleidyddiaeth, yn anffurfiol beth bynnag. Oherwydd y datblygiadau diddorol does dim taw ar y sgwrsio am helyntion Plaid Cymru a bore ma ces i fy nghorneli gan un fam ifanc; “Beth yw hyn am Blaid Cymru yn rhoi pŵer i'r Ceidwadwyr?” Co' ni off. Roedd hi yn grac iawn ac yn dweud na fyddai hi'n pleidleisio i'r Blaid eto pe tase y glymblaid enfys yma yn cael ei ffurfio. Yn fwy na hynny adroddodd hi stori am ei rhieni yng nghyfraith a wnaeth bleidleisio i'r Blaid am y tro cyntaf erioed eleni, cam mawr oherwydd eu bod nhw'n hen Lafurwyr mawr ac wedi pleidleisio Llafur trwy eu bywydau hyd eleni. Roedd hi'n dweud y bydden nhw yn wyllt gacwn a byth yn ymddiried pleidlais i'r Blaid eto petaent i roi pŵer yn...
Peter Black, newly re-elected Lib Dem AM for South Wales West, knows exactly what he is doing.Yesterday's blog post got the ball rolling. 'It is clear that we now need a fresh approach and a radical re-think,' he wrote. For 'radical re-think' read 'leadership contest,' I responded. He had opportunities to deny this both on my blog and on Radio Wales. He chose not to do so.And today, he's at it again: 'My instincts are that the Welsh Liberal Democrats do not have to be the deal-makers in this process. We have our own issues to sort out first around where we are going as a party and what sort of image we project to the Welsh public.'It's now acknowledged that the leaders of Lib Dem councils are not keen on a Lab-Lib pact. Their long-term strategy is based on undermining Labour, not propping...
After yesterday's Labour group meeting, Rhodri Morgan conceded that he'd knocked on a few doors but nobody would come out and play.Meanwhile, Ieuan Wyn Jones might just be fastening his velcro straps in readiness to pounce.Lib Dem leader Mike German is bouncing around eagerly, waiting to share his limited selection of toys. And Tory chief Nick Bourne is carefully guarding his Transformer set, in case IWJ can supply him with the batteries to fire it up.Plaid Cymru group meeting: today, 10am.If Ieuan Wyn Jones wants the top job, he can have it.By the way, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This new blog doesn't seem to know who it wants to copy:)Also, I'll be on AM/PM (BBC 2) at lunchtime to talk about the etymology of the word 'fudge' coalitions and stuff.UPDATE: Plaid...
After two years waiting, I have finally watched City of the Lost Children. And I didn't understand a minute of it. An awful lot of Welsh people probably feel the same way. We went to the polls almost three weeks ago and yet most voters will still be none the wiser as to what's going on.The film is a sort of dystopian fantasy in which people pull out each other's eyeballs and eat them. Not dissimilar, some Plaid members would say, to life under a rainbow coalition.By the end of play today, it should be almost certain who'll be forming a government as the next first minister of Wales. Barring a miracle, it'll be Ieuan Wyn Jones.This will make some Plaid supporters very very cross. Back in December I wrote that "most Plaid AMs would rather cut off their right leg, put it in a mincer and eat...
Helen Mary: 'That damn Dafydd Wigley got elected after all. Now I'll never be leader.'Ieuan: 'Snout to be worried about. Look! Either we're hanging from the ceiling or that pig is off the...
The nuclear issue is back. Much to the prime minister's annoyance he couldn't simply go ahead with a nuclear project which might leave future generations with a profound legacy of toxic waste: he's been told he has to actually consult with interested parties first.So, what does this mean for Wales? Well, it means Welsh Labour are at odds with the UK government. The Environment Minister Carwyn Jones would prefer to cover Wales in wind farms.The Tories appear to be pro-nuclear and despite remaining unconvinced about the waste issue Glyn Davies, chair of the assembly's environment committee, would rather see a new nuclear power station than a severn barrage. They seem to think that nuclear is perfectly green, but not green enough to feature as an energy solution along with biomass, tidal,...
September 2006: Plaid announce two key policies to coincide with their Autumn conference. They promise to give first time buyers £5000 towards a new home and to help students with their graduate debt.January 2007: Plaid launch Change for the Better, a policy document which sets out their aim to "introduce first time buyers' grants" and "help reduce the debt burden of graduates".February 2007: Plaid launch 7 4 '07, seven key policy ideas "to transform Wales". Party leader Ieuan Wyn Jones announces the first two policies at a press conference in Cardiff. "These are a "First home grant" and "Drop the debt". To help first time buyers Plaid would offer a grant of up to £5000 to help save towards a deposit on a home. To fight student debt a Plaid government would support students from Welsh...
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......
I wonder if Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones will be singing 4 Wales this weekend?Both Plaid Cymru and the Welsh pressure group Cymuned have sought to use the beginning of the six nations for their own benefit.Ieuan Wyn Jones issues a press release urging 'the Welsh public to take pride in their national team and to get behind them in their quest for another momentous championship'. And Cymuned launch a website to teach Welsh people how to sing again.I'm not convinced the Welsh public need 'urging' from Plaid Cymru to get behind their team. As far as I can see, Wales is about the only rugby-playing country on the planet that most definitely doesn't need this sort of encouragement.As for Cymuned - do they really envisage pissed-up beer camels from the valleys logging on to their website and...
Imagine a Senedd returned on May 3rd without Ieuan Wyn Jones, Helen Mary Jones, John Marek and Jonathan Morgan. It could happen, couldn't it?Here's my list of marginal and marginally marginal constituencies for the next Assembly election. Have I missed anything? Or am I more than merely marginally off the mark? Do tell.North WalesYnys Mon, Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid)Aberconwy, Denise Idris Jones (Labour)Clwyd West, Alun Pugh (Labour)Wrexham, John Marek (Independent)Mid & West WalesPreseli, Tamsin Dunwoody (Labour)Carmarthen West, Christine Gwyther (Labour)Llanelli, Catherine Thomas (Labour)South Wales CentralCardiff North, Sue Essex - Sophie Howe...
Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones didn't give his best performance on Good Morning Wales this morning. Perhaps it was the early start? Or perhaps it was BBC Political Editor Betsan Powys's somewhat rib niggling introduction? Ieuan will be hoping that correspondents attribute use of the 'wobbly' nickname in future - these things can stick and there's surely no room for a Wigley and a Wobbly at the top of the...
Right, with that meaningless pun out of the way, what on earth is Alun Cairns talking about HERE?After their group meeting at 12:00pm they stated that they would stand shoulder to shoulder with the Conservatives and Lib Dems and vote against the proposed budget unless there was additional money for education. - at least consistent with the early part of last week.However, by 3pm this afternoon, they had issued a statement that they were going into negotiations with Labour, privately.At Plaid's 12pm press conference, Ieuan Wyn Jones could not have removed himself from the other opposition parties any more emphatically. He couldn't trust them and they told all his best secrets in public, he said, tearing off the head of his Nick Bourne voodoo doll under the desk. In fact, he was positively...
Today was the day that Plaid Cymru told the Tories where to shove it.Plaid have emerged as the key bargaining power in the Welsh Assembly's budget negotiations, and their leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones, well and truly drew a line under any coalition talk.They'll now go it alone in discussions with Labour, though they still promise to vote against the budget tomorrow unless the government can find at least another £9 million.It's not been a good day for the Tories. Nick Bourne looked visibly peed off that the First Minister has not made any efforts to contact him with any last minute offers. He admitted the ball is now in Rhodri Morgan's court, but it seems the First Minister doesn't want to play.He's targeting all his energy on convincing the nationalists to come on board. And he may...
It's been a busy day for the press secretaries of the Welsh political parties:'Airbus investment welcome,' says Plaid.'Airbus vote of confidence in Welsh workforce,' say Alun Cairns and Cheryl Gillan for the Tories.'Plaid Health policy inflexible and narrow-minded,' rants Jonathan Morgan.'Corus bidding war creates uncertainty for workers,' adds Plaid - the only party to go with that one.But this week is only about one thing: Wednesday and the Assembly budget.Lib Dem leader Mike German was saying today that he will not budge. Unless the opposition's demands are met, he'll vote against the budget.The noises from the Plaid camp are much more subdued, however. Most Plaid AMs would rather cut off their right leg, put it in a mincer and eat it between two slices of certain death than go into...
