The Contradictions of Huw Lewis

As Huw Lewis has been gagged by Rhodri Morgan until the future make up of government in Wales is sorted, I thought I may as well stick the boot in. For many months Plaid's Leanne Wood and Huw have been skirmishing over Labour's claim that they can end child poverty from within the current remit of the Assembly. It was due to be the flagship Labour pledge of last months election, before they realised that everybody else knew they couldn't deliver.

Interesting therefore to see Rhodri Morgan push the fight against child poverty right up the agenda for the Third Assembly, which brought this swift response from Alan Trench. For those of you unaccustomed with Mr Trench he is a senior research fellow at University College London's Constitution Unit. He is reported today in the Western Mail as saying:

"The child poverty stuff is pretty nebulous, with most of the power to make improvements lying with non-devolved departments like Work and Pensions and the Treasury, although it is possible for the Assembly to tinker at the edges with initiatives like free school breakfasts.....The fact is, though, that in terms of really tackling child poverty Wales doesn't have the powers or the money."

which is more or less the point Leanne has been making - ie that control over the benefits system and primarily the ability to redistribute wealth is the key to tackling child poverty.

This is Huw Lewis' primary policy area of concern. I wouldn't want to question his sincerity without knowing him, but if this is his major policy area then he would have to come to the conclusion that Wales needs powers over these areas currently preserved at Westminster (which admittedly goes far further than a proper Parliament based on current devolved ideas.)Far from being the biggest unionist in the Assembly, shouldn't he be the most ardent nationalist?

Huw Lewis Throws Second Leadership Punch?

Looks like Huw Lewis has got stuck into Rhodri Morgan’s plans today in the Western Mail. Call me a conspiracy theorist but the leak which forms the basis of the story on the procedural part of any agreement with any party and Huw Lewis’ tribalist response, could only have come from someone close to the Penarth nat basher.

What I find most interesting is that Huw seems most upset at any procedural arrangements of any agreement that would give the Libs or Plaid access to information on the policy programme of the Government. Now forgive me for being idealistic, but surely what all concerned should be worried about now is the policy programme for any agreement – procedures can wait for after. It just goes to show how sectarian the Unionist wing of the Labour party has become.

Before the election Plaid announced its starting negotiating position which briefly is:
Green policies to reduce Wales’ carbon footprint
Doubled investment in universal affordable childcare
Lap tops for eleven year olds to create the most IT literate workforce in the world
First Home grants
Help with student debt payments
Business tax cuts including Corporation tax relief in Wales’ Convergence funding areas
Scrap the hospital reconfiguration programme
Cap council tax for pensioners
A new Welsh language Act
A referendum on a proper Parliament
A commission on Wales’ funding arrangements, particularly Barnett reform

Instead of harping on about the politics of power, perhaps Huw can enlighten us on which one of these he is so opposed to. We obviously know he’s against anything progressive such as more powers for Wales, a new language Act and fair funding, but where does he stand on the rest?

My take is that Huw is trying to dethrone Rhodri faster than expected by driving the Labour party into opposition. By creating a riot on procedures he is trying to complicate the situation so much that it is impossible to come to an agreement on a policy programme for the next four years.

This ill judged politicking shows yet again that the Unionist wing of the Labour party don’t care at all about the future of Wales, their only priority is protecting and strengthening their own political positioning.

Rhodri Morgan the new Saparmuat Niyazov?

I’m going to have to stop reading the Western Mail with my breakfast. For the second morning in succession I nearly chocked o my cornflakes. The offender yet again was the First Minister – who had a two page spread buttering toast in his home.

Things are looking bad for Labour and I suppose they have nothing left to offer but try and get sympathy votes on the back that Rhodri is on they way out. He has always reminded me of the grandfather I never had, but that doesn’t mean you want your grandfather to run the country.

Reading the First Minister in full flow immediately reminded me of the former president of Turkmenistan, Saparmuat Niyazov who died last year. Saparmuat, (apart from being one of the most authoritarian leaders in the world – and even I don’t claim that Rhodri is a despot) was quite a character – he ruled by cult of personality. He truly believed that he was the embodiment of the Turkmen nation.

Cue Rhodri Morgan in today’s Western Mail where he more or less makes the case that he is Wales and Wales is him. I hope the next stage of Rhodri’s megalomania means he wont follow Saparmuat and start naming months after members of his family!

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Saparmuat Niyaziv - "I admit it, there are too many portraits, pictures and monuments. I don't find any pleasure in it, but the people demand it because of their mentality."

Rhodri Morgan in today's Western Mail ' "You are who you are and you just tend to get on with the job the way that you think suits the political and social culture of Wales, which is not deferential. Everybody says about the people in Wales that they won't tug the forelock. Therefore you have to build up a political system with devolution around that culture, the non-forelock-tugging, non-deferential culture. I think that's the way that is healthiest for Wales, and certainly healthiest for me, because it comes naturally to me."