Welsh Blogs.com

This wee story spotted via Peter Black AM’s blog … Andrew Grice writing in the Independent Newspaper on Labour’s crafty decision to delay publication of poverty statistics until after the Local Council Elections. Here’s an excerpt : “The Government has been accused of trying to bury bad news after delaying the publication of its annual poverty statistics until after the local elections next month. The figures, normally issued in March, will be disclosed on 2 May, the day after local authority elections in England and Wales, The Independent can reveal. Many results, including the contest for London Mayor, will not be announced until 2 May and they are likely to dominate media coverage, swamping the poverty figures. Independent experts expect the statistics...

Today the Welsh Assembly First Minister Rhodri Morgan celebrates eight years leading the Welsh Assembly Government. He seems like a physically fit man. We reported a film clip of him swimming around Cardigan Bay, in August 2007 not long after his heart operation. The important question is, whether Mr Morgan is politically fit to lead Wales in 2008. Journalist Patrick Hannan - raised near Aberdare - comments on Rhodri Morgan in his recent book, When Arthur Met Maggie (Seren, Bridgend, 2006) : Mrs Thatcher brought a ball and crane and other items of demolition machinery into industrial Britain. Almost fifteen years after she left office, Rhodri Morgan, marking his fifth anniversary as Welsh First Minister, told the press : “My own personal ambition is to try to undo the damage that...

Huw Lewis Merthyr Tydfil’s Labour AM publishes a pamphlet today entitled “Winning for Wales” in true fighting spirit. The pamphlet is written in plain English and offers an honest appraisal of some of the problems facing the Welsh Labour Party today. He writes that “in order to create a party that can win elections over the next generation we must react to the 2007 result as though it were a heavy defeat – any other response will not be sufficient and we will sleepwalk to a very real loss in 2011 where the number of marginal seats we will be contesting will be unprecedented in modern electoral history. The only way to successfully combat these challenges is to create a self-sufficient genuinely Welsh Labour Party which can properly shape this next exciting...

The BBC continues to subsidise the Labour Party’s Welsh Assembly Election campaign by flogging the Rhondda AM Leighton Andrews’ Burberry story. Last weekend, the BBC Online website’s section for Wales ran the Burberry ‘news story’ as leading story from Friday 26th January until Sunday 28th January 2007. This weekend, they’re back on the ball and Leighton Andrews’ Burberry story re-emerges into the limelight at the Wales section of the BBC Online news website. This weekend it is a “discussion”. Dear Old Aunty wants to know “Is fashion chain Burberry right to close its Rhondda factory?” We want to know, “Is the BBC right to subsidise the Labour Party’s re-election campaign?” Discuss. bbc, Burberry,...

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,...

Fifteen years ago the Labour Party boldly claimed “New Year - New Government” in their member magazine. They printed a photograph of a confident-looking Neil Kinnock, the would-be Prime Minister. The Commentary in that magazine exuded promise of better things : This New Year is Special. It is the year in which the Tories run out of time. They can dither and delay no longer. 1992 is the year of the General Election. 1992 will be the year in which Britain elects a Labour Government. The New Year is a time for new ideas. Time for new people, the energy, the vision, the policies to strengthen and modernise the British economy. Time for a new team with commitment to the values of social justice needed to raise standards of care and opportunity. Time for a new government. Three...

Madonna makes a rare visit to Aberdare for a concert at Rock Grounds… Ann Clwyd, comedy, cynon valley, humour, labour party, parody, photos, socialism © 2005-2006 - Visit Aberdare Blog for more great content....

A typing error by a journalist at the Bombay Leader newspaper has sparked mass rioting at the Indian city’s travel agents with fights breaking out over air flights to visit Aberdare this weekend. A news story was printed claiming that “Ann Clwyd MP will be unveiling her bust at Rock Grounds Aberdare“. The Bombay journalist tried to translate the news story that Ann Clwyd MP will be unveiling a granite bust of Keir Hardie the very first Labour MP at Rock Grounds Aberdare on Saturday 2nd December 2006. aberdare, Ann Clwyd, bombay, bust, comedy, hardie, humour, keir hardie, labour, labour party © 2005-2006 - Visit Aberdare Blog for more great content....

Its that time of year again! I’m moving house again, but this time its not in Trefforest - i’m moving to Cardiff, with my friend anne. Been painting my room tonight, you can see the pics here. I must admint, i am feeling a little left out at the mo. I’ve been reading Labour In London, B4L, Jo’s Oxford Labour website, the BBC election 2006 website & manifesto after manifesto. We’re not having elections in Wales until 2007, when its the National Assembly elections, but i wanna campaign NOW!! I wanna get out there and tell people why the Labour Party is still the right choose! After reading the P4B blog i am filled renewed passion, the reasons why i joined the Labour Party & started getting into politics! All i can say is HURRY UP 2007. bbc ,...