With less than three days to go we can confidently predict one thing, Plaid has won the party political youtube wars at a cantor.
The hits for the various broadcasts are as follows:
Broadcast
Views
Plaid Episode 1 Welsh
785
Plaid Episode 1 English
2,110
Plaid Episode 2 Welsh
170
Plaid Episode 2 English
471
Labour Welsh
26
Labour English
31
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
NH Yes – More like ‘End the NHS’
Sometimes in politics, even at election time, you have to show a degree of humility. Before Glyn Davies gets all excited, what I am about to say in the next sentence does not show any inclination of support towards a Rainbow coalition. The Tory’s have done a remarkable rebranding job.
The talismanic moment in the Carmeron shift was his Conference speech when he uttered “in three letters”, NHS. Aware that whilst the Tories were seen as anti-NHS they had little chance of getting elected, Cameron and the Tory leadership have gone out of their way to commit themselves to seemingly support public provision of health services. Coming from the man who was behind the Tory 2005 manifesto which advocated patients passports – a scheme that would have created a two tier health system, this has been touted as a major ideological shift.
As I have argued before, unmask the Tory spin and not everything is quite as they would have you believe. For the upcoming Assembly elections, the Tories are advocating allowing hospitals in Wales to seek Foundation status. These reforms are seen as a key part of the Blair - Brown agenda for hospitals in England, and basically allow succeeding hospitals to opt out of the NHS – effectively it means denationalising the NHS.
Allowing foundation hospitals in Wales would be deeply divisive and elitist. Foundation hospitals are able to offer separate terms and conditions and raise their own money, enabling them to poach the best staff and resources from neighbouring hospitals and Trusts. Basically it is a two tier health service in all but name. In a country as small as Wales the policy will be disastrous. Inevitably hospitals in the richer areas of our country will go from strength to strength, while the rest of us will have a sub standard service.
When the current health Minister mentioned last week that the days of NHS Trusts were over, perhaps this was what he meant – a round of Blairite health reforms.
Furthermore their manifesto makes a commitment to increase Labour’s mixed economy approach to public services. This means opening up public service contracts to private firms. Labour is already doing this of course, for example in Carmarthenshire there is a huge row over the Labour Cabinet Member (who happens to be the candidate in Carmarthen East) who is trying to privatise home care at the behest of the Assembly Government’s Audit Inspectorate. This policy that would be bad for patients and bad for carers (I note a personal interest as my mother is currently an employee of the County in this very sphere). When will the Thatcherite parties learn that running public services on the basis of profit is lunacy?
I sincerely hope that if my party is in power after Thursday that the Audit Commission and the regulatory bodies instructed by the Assembly Government are given a brief to ensure ‘best value’ based on the quality of service not on cutting costs. Only then will we start to get the sort of public services we deserve.
I don’t often agree with David Davies but he was right the other day, Labour and the Tories are by far the two parties that are most politically compatible.
The talismanic moment in the Carmeron shift was his Conference speech when he uttered “in three letters”, NHS. Aware that whilst the Tories were seen as anti-NHS they had little chance of getting elected, Cameron and the Tory leadership have gone out of their way to commit themselves to seemingly support public provision of health services. Coming from the man who was behind the Tory 2005 manifesto which advocated patients passports – a scheme that would have created a two tier health system, this has been touted as a major ideological shift.
As I have argued before, unmask the Tory spin and not everything is quite as they would have you believe. For the upcoming Assembly elections, the Tories are advocating allowing hospitals in Wales to seek Foundation status. These reforms are seen as a key part of the Blair - Brown agenda for hospitals in England, and basically allow succeeding hospitals to opt out of the NHS – effectively it means denationalising the NHS.
Allowing foundation hospitals in Wales would be deeply divisive and elitist. Foundation hospitals are able to offer separate terms and conditions and raise their own money, enabling them to poach the best staff and resources from neighbouring hospitals and Trusts. Basically it is a two tier health service in all but name. In a country as small as Wales the policy will be disastrous. Inevitably hospitals in the richer areas of our country will go from strength to strength, while the rest of us will have a sub standard service.
When the current health Minister mentioned last week that the days of NHS Trusts were over, perhaps this was what he meant – a round of Blairite health reforms.
Furthermore their manifesto makes a commitment to increase Labour’s mixed economy approach to public services. This means opening up public service contracts to private firms. Labour is already doing this of course, for example in Carmarthenshire there is a huge row over the Labour Cabinet Member (who happens to be the candidate in Carmarthen East) who is trying to privatise home care at the behest of the Assembly Government’s Audit Inspectorate. This policy that would be bad for patients and bad for carers (I note a personal interest as my mother is currently an employee of the County in this very sphere). When will the Thatcherite parties learn that running public services on the basis of profit is lunacy?
I sincerely hope that if my party is in power after Thursday that the Audit Commission and the regulatory bodies instructed by the Assembly Government are given a brief to ensure ‘best value’ based on the quality of service not on cutting costs. Only then will we start to get the sort of public services we deserve.
I don’t often agree with David Davies but he was right the other day, Labour and the Tories are by far the two parties that are most politically compatible.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Labour send for the Cavalry
My spies inform me that tonight in the Mochyn Du Labour candidate for Mid and West Wales Alun Davies is hosting a get together with Tomos Livingstone and two of Labour's London spin doctors who have been dispatched to Wales to try and save the party.
Looks like Plaids ppb's aren't that far off the mark.
Expect Labour to get really dirty in the last few days of the campaign.
Looks like Plaids ppb's aren't that far off the mark.
Expect Labour to get really dirty in the last few days of the campaign.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
BNP Election Pledge – “Plaid to hang if we win power”
If there was ever a clearer sign of the psychotic nature of the BNP, link to the website below.
http://isupporttheresistance.blogspot.com/2007/04/swansea-city-enhanced-by-immigrants.html
What this BNP activist is effectively saying is that if they ever win power they will re-introduce capital punishment and execute those who do not share their fascist bigotry.
I was fortunate enough to meet Plaid star Adam Price MP the other day; he said if I can remember correctly:
“Young men from the South Wales Valleys fought and died against fascism in Spain and the Second World War. We have to remember what these people stand for and the lessons of history.”
I am personally amazed that fascism is being given such generous coverage during this campaign. The Glamorgan Gazette in its wisdom even provided Nick Griffin with a full profile, whilst refusing at any point to print hardly any legitimate local political stories by Plaid (despite countless press notices by local candidates), the official opposition in the Assembly. That paper and Celtic Press should be ashamed of themselves. The BNP have been given air time on radio programmes and even a party election broadcast. All this just legitimises the fascist movement.
I don’t believe that democratic parties should share a political platform with these people. I never refer to fascist replies on this blog. How can you debate sensibly with people who are so fundamentally warped in their thinking?
Journalists tell me that they have a duty to report everything no matter how uncomfortable, and that all political movements have a right to freedom of speech. I vehemently disagree; any political movement which fundamentally disagrees with the values of a democratic society should be exempt from the benefits afforded by democracy to political movements.
The threat to execute members of Plaid Cymru in a BNP blog is not an idle threat. This is what these people will do if they assume power. Whilst some members of the London political class might snigger at such a prospect – this is a very serious threat which all democratic political parties need to unite to combat and to build a consensus to ensure that fascism has no place in Wales.
http://isupporttheresistance.blogspot.com/2007/04/swansea-city-enhanced-by-immigrants.html
What this BNP activist is effectively saying is that if they ever win power they will re-introduce capital punishment and execute those who do not share their fascist bigotry.
I was fortunate enough to meet Plaid star Adam Price MP the other day; he said if I can remember correctly:
“Young men from the South Wales Valleys fought and died against fascism in Spain and the Second World War. We have to remember what these people stand for and the lessons of history.”
I am personally amazed that fascism is being given such generous coverage during this campaign. The Glamorgan Gazette in its wisdom even provided Nick Griffin with a full profile, whilst refusing at any point to print hardly any legitimate local political stories by Plaid (despite countless press notices by local candidates), the official opposition in the Assembly. That paper and Celtic Press should be ashamed of themselves. The BNP have been given air time on radio programmes and even a party election broadcast. All this just legitimises the fascist movement.
I don’t believe that democratic parties should share a political platform with these people. I never refer to fascist replies on this blog. How can you debate sensibly with people who are so fundamentally warped in their thinking?
Journalists tell me that they have a duty to report everything no matter how uncomfortable, and that all political movements have a right to freedom of speech. I vehemently disagree; any political movement which fundamentally disagrees with the values of a democratic society should be exempt from the benefits afforded by democracy to political movements.
The threat to execute members of Plaid Cymru in a BNP blog is not an idle threat. This is what these people will do if they assume power. Whilst some members of the London political class might snigger at such a prospect – this is a very serious threat which all democratic political parties need to unite to combat and to build a consensus to ensure that fascism has no place in Wales.
Taflennu'r Ceidwadwyr
Newydd gweld taflen y Ceidwadwyr ar gyfer rhestr De Cymru gorllewin. Dim gair o Gymraeg. Rwy'n cofio gweld taflen o shir Gar yn etholiad 2005, y sir gyda'r nifer uchaf o siaradwyr Cymraeg yng Nghymru, hollol un iaith saesneg gyda rhif ffon am y sawl roedd eisiau taflen yn iaith y nefoedd.
Y Ceidwadwyr wedi newid - dwi ddim yn credu!! Heblaw am Glyn Davies sy'n trio ei orau, sdim gyda nhw ddim i gynnig o ran dyfodol llewyrchus i Gymru.
Os mae un peth sy'n torri fy nghalon, darllen Maes e yw hynny a gweld nifer o Gymry Cymraeg cenedlaetholgar ifainc yn sirad dros y Ceidwadwyr. Dewch ymlaen bois bach, peidiwch bod mor ffol. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr yn chwarae'r tacteg 'triangulation' - eistedd ar dir traddodiadol y Blaid er mwyn dwyn pleidleisiau.
Fel mae'n nhw'n dweud yn yr Usual Suspects:
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Is there such a thing as Blairism?
I'm a subscriber to Simon Jenkins' argument that there is no coherent New Labour ideology, merely an embracial of Thatcherite doctrine. Read more here. The much heralded Third Way has been a sham from start to finish.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2064848,00.html
Will things be different under Brown? Not likely have a look at some of his legacy, mother thatcher would be proud. Which makes it even more ridiculous and politically incoherrent that Labour have fought this campaign on the Tory bogeyman.
Stuck to the spending targets of the previous Tory Government between 1998-2001
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2064848,00.html
Will things be different under Brown? Not likely have a look at some of his legacy, mother thatcher would be proud. Which makes it even more ridiculous and politically incoherrent that Labour have fought this campaign on the Tory bogeyman.
Stuck to the spending targets of the previous Tory Government between 1998-2001
Cut single parent benefit
Paltry basic state pension increase of only 75p in 2000
Centralist approach to public service reform
Taxation on expenditure not income
Continued Nigel Lawson’s legacy of disposing public assets, privatising services and redirecting social security towards means testing
In opposition ruled out privatisation and pfi – but fully embraced it whilst in Government
Brown privatised: Royal Mint, the Tote, air Traffic control.
Private property developers invited to bid for Government buildings
Council flats made available to private developers – Thatcher right to buy only extended to tenants
Continued John Major’s plans to privatise the tube – a project which proved catastrophic costing £500m
Across the UK over a million manufacturing jobs have been lost since this Government came to Office, and Wales has been losing jobs at a faster rate than any other area of the UK. 71,000
Welsh manufacturing jobs, nearly a third of all sector jobs have been lost since New Labour came to power
Across the UK, 2 million pensioners live below the poverty line
3.4 million children continue to live in poverty
This Government has already committed itself to an astonishing £160bn of pfi repayments over the next 26 years based on existing projects
In 1997 Government spending on consultants was £300m. By 2005 this has risen to £2.4bn – mostly companies negotiating pfi deals
By 2007 – 20% of all public expenditure is expected to be delivered by private contractors
Introduced a social security system based on means testing by announcing a range of tax credits
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Huw Lewis Throws First Leadership Punch
Looks like the post Rhodri fight has begun. Huw Lewis on Good Evening Wales just blasted the sources who leaked today’s revelations. Like a demented prize fighter, Huw forgot that we were in the middle of an election and launched a vicious attack on those who he claimed were undermining the Labour party in Wales.
It is clear that the Welsh and Unionist wing of the Labour party in Wales are in a sate of open warfare. The VPGT election strategy devised by unionists such Hain, Andrews and Lewis is deservedly going to lead to a kicking in the polls – any party that creates a lie to win votes deserves no less – and some enlightened Labour politicians and activists have expressed a little bit of disquiet. Personally I’m surprised that they have stayed quiet for so long. A buffoon could have come up with something more inspiring than the ‘Torey bogeyman’ nonsense we have been subjected to from Labour to date. What a damning indictment of a once proud party that seems clearly to have lost all sense of purpose and direction.
Far from trying to bury the story Huw has decided to open fire on his own party members. Although mentioning no names the attack seemed very personal and clearly directed. I’m not surprised he’s so angry, as the strategy of his wing of the party is clearly in tatters.
Even more interestingly when pressed on a possible red – green coalition he refused to rule it out. The contradictions in this whole affair are mindblowing.
By saying he would go in response to a bad result Rhodri Morgan has really brought this on himself. Clearly in the political vacuum created by such a statement suitors for the Labour leadership would position themselves. Looks like open warfare has already commenced.
update - here's the transcript for those of you who missed the niterview
HL: "Well I’ve sounded out the opinions of other Labour Assembly Members and party members today and I can tell you that the mood is unanimously one of great anger towards some cowardly anonymous tipster who is trying to somehow construct a government without reference to the Welsh electorate.
I believe very firmly that we wait until the third of May for the Welsh people to say what kind of assembly we will have. And we will take things from there. It shows a contempt for Rhodri our leader, contempt for our party members and a degree of contempt for the Welsh electorate as well"
Interviewer: It’s not unheard of though is it. We saw for example in the budget negotiations last year Rhodri Morgan and Ieuan Wyn Jones went into a room together they came to an agreement and Plaid abstained and the budget got passed. We’ve seen ad hoc agreements being made previously?
HL: "Yes but what this election campaign ought to be about. What I should... what I would be able to be talking about if it wasn't for this anonymous person or persons that we mentioned earlier is Labour's future promise and past achievements. And how we put that before the electorate with the aim of winning a Labour majority government which we have done before and we can do again. We have been upended in our campaign today by this individual or individuals. That combined actually with very damaging internet speculation which is going on at the moment I think has been a bad day for Labour and it needn't have been… I mean obviously there are people out there who think that they can play puppet master with the Welsh electorate. And indeed with the Labour party. Well they’ve got another thing coming.
Interviewer: Are they playing puppet master though Mr Lewis or are they simply recognizing something which some Labour sources have said is a fact which is that Labour are not going to get a Majority on May the 3r and therefore they are trying to think about what possible solutions for keeping Labour in government?
HL: Well look I think punditry is for pundits and not a serious politician. Politicians in all sincerity and that is what I’ve been doing with my party members shoulder to shoulder have been putting the Labour manifesto before the people door by door in my constituency. I saw the faces of those party members this morning when they heard about this speculation. I would just like to issue a quick challenge to our anonymous government constructor out there. Stand up to the microphone and identify yourself or get back to work knocking on doors and building a Labour majority.
Interviewer: As an aside there is more than one source for this story but that is an aside. Can I clarify Mr Lewis then. Is Labour ruling out any form of formal cooperation with Plaid Cymruwhatsoever come May the 3rd onwards?
HL: Well look I just condemned punditry and speculation and I’m not about to engage in it myself. I believe that Labour if we put our case to the Welsh electorate has every opportunity of building a majority government as we have done before to give clear leadership to Wales . I also believe that every vote for Plaid Cymru insidently brings the Tories closer to government in Wales and we have to remind people of that.”
It is clear that the Welsh and Unionist wing of the Labour party in Wales are in a sate of open warfare. The VPGT election strategy devised by unionists such Hain, Andrews and Lewis is deservedly going to lead to a kicking in the polls – any party that creates a lie to win votes deserves no less – and some enlightened Labour politicians and activists have expressed a little bit of disquiet. Personally I’m surprised that they have stayed quiet for so long. A buffoon could have come up with something more inspiring than the ‘Torey bogeyman’ nonsense we have been subjected to from Labour to date. What a damning indictment of a once proud party that seems clearly to have lost all sense of purpose and direction.
Far from trying to bury the story Huw has decided to open fire on his own party members. Although mentioning no names the attack seemed very personal and clearly directed. I’m not surprised he’s so angry, as the strategy of his wing of the party is clearly in tatters.
Even more interestingly when pressed on a possible red – green coalition he refused to rule it out. The contradictions in this whole affair are mindblowing.
By saying he would go in response to a bad result Rhodri Morgan has really brought this on himself. Clearly in the political vacuum created by such a statement suitors for the Labour leadership would position themselves. Looks like open warfare has already commenced.
update - here's the transcript for those of you who missed the niterview
HL: "Well I’ve sounded out the opinions of other Labour Assembly Members and party members today and I can tell you that the mood is unanimously one of great anger towards some cowardly anonymous tipster who is trying to somehow construct a government without reference to the Welsh electorate.
I believe very firmly that we wait until the third of May for the Welsh people to say what kind of assembly we will have. And we will take things from there. It shows a contempt for Rhodri our leader, contempt for our party members and a degree of contempt for the Welsh electorate as well"
Interviewer: It’s not unheard of though is it. We saw for example in the budget negotiations last year Rhodri Morgan and Ieuan Wyn Jones went into a room together they came to an agreement and Plaid abstained and the budget got passed. We’ve seen ad hoc agreements being made previously?
HL: "Yes but what this election campaign ought to be about. What I should... what I would be able to be talking about if it wasn't for this anonymous person or persons that we mentioned earlier is Labour's future promise and past achievements. And how we put that before the electorate with the aim of winning a Labour majority government which we have done before and we can do again. We have been upended in our campaign today by this individual or individuals. That combined actually with very damaging internet speculation which is going on at the moment I think has been a bad day for Labour and it needn't have been… I mean obviously there are people out there who think that they can play puppet master with the Welsh electorate. And indeed with the Labour party. Well they’ve got another thing coming.
Interviewer: Are they playing puppet master though Mr Lewis or are they simply recognizing something which some Labour sources have said is a fact which is that Labour are not going to get a Majority on May the 3r and therefore they are trying to think about what possible solutions for keeping Labour in government?
HL: Well look I think punditry is for pundits and not a serious politician. Politicians in all sincerity and that is what I’ve been doing with my party members shoulder to shoulder have been putting the Labour manifesto before the people door by door in my constituency. I saw the faces of those party members this morning when they heard about this speculation. I would just like to issue a quick challenge to our anonymous government constructor out there. Stand up to the microphone and identify yourself or get back to work knocking on doors and building a Labour majority.
Interviewer: As an aside there is more than one source for this story but that is an aside. Can I clarify Mr Lewis then. Is Labour ruling out any form of formal cooperation with Plaid Cymruwhatsoever come May the 3rd onwards?
HL: Well look I just condemned punditry and speculation and I’m not about to engage in it myself. I believe that Labour if we put our case to the Welsh electorate has every opportunity of building a majority government as we have done before to give clear leadership to Wales . I also believe that every vote for Plaid Cymru insidently brings the Tories closer to government in Wales and we have to remind people of that.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
