Peter Hain - Billy No Mates

Not only has Rhodri Morgan turned his back on him, Peter Hain is today faced with a letter in the Western Mail in which half of the Labour party in Wales pledge their support for rival Harriet Harman.

To top it off, a Plaid - Labour deal looks increasingly likely, a deal that would completely undermine his credibility. After all, this is the man who said Labour would never even seek to accommodate Plaid no matter what the circumstance.

Shurmer goes to the BBC

It's with deep regret that I have to write this post that Plaid will be losing the talents of Alun Shurmer to the BBC. Having worked with Alun over a number of years I know that Plaid's loss will be the undoubted gain of the BBC.

Plaid's NCU will also be losing Rhodri Davies who is moving onwards to pastures new.

Both Alun and Rhodri were an invaluable part of the Plaid campaign team, and I think I can confidently speak for the whole party membership by thanking them for their major contribution over the last year.

On the bright side looks like Red - Green is back on the agenda.

Mittal Funding Scandal Makes the 'Times'

Over five months since Plaid broke the story of Labour baker Lakshmi Mittal and the slave labour conditions of his operations in Kazakhstan reported here and here, the Sunday Times have run an excellent follow up story today for their lead.

They sent a couple of journalists out to the land of Borat to investigate Plaid's claims and come up with a tragic story of reckless disregard for health and safety and primitive working conditions.

Mittals working practices across the globe are tarnished with the same brush. He is the modern day equivalent of the sort of industrial tyrant the Labour party was set up to campaign against. It just goes to show how far the Labour party have travelled over the years that an individual like this with a personal fortune of £19bn is allowed to live in the UK virtually tax free, is championed by Brown and courted by the party.

Plaid have called on the Labour party to give Mittal's latest £2m donation to the miners of Kazakhstan. Whilst I wouldn't hold my breath on that one, the Labour party in Wales does have the opportunity to follow a different path. The opportunity is there to deliver Kier Hardie's vision of the Red Dragon and the Red Flag by uniting the progressive forces in Welsh politics.

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?

Labour-Tory Coalition Shock in ......East Dunbartonshire

The Herald reports that in an attempt to keep the SNP out of power the Tories and Labour have formed a coalition in East Dunbartonshire. The Council will be led by Labour's Rhondda Geekie, and Tory Bill Hendry will be Deputy Leader.

Judging on last nights Week in Week Out programme it is highly unlikely that we will see the same sort of arrangement in Cardiff Bay. But as they say, politics is a funny game....

update - according to Vaughaun Roderick's blog Rhodri Morgan has sent a three page letter to Ieuan Wyn Jones and Mike German and only a 10 line letter to Nick Bourne. I think we can all work that one out.

Where Next for Wales? - Adam Price MP

Adam Price MP has posted a blog on the current dynamics in Welsh politics.

I agree with Adam, there is only two games in town. Either a Red - Green agreement which is acceptable to Plaid or an inevitable Rainbow takeover.

Which makes comments by Carwyn Jones over the weekend against a new Welsh language Act most difficult to understand. Carwyn, the leading light in the Welsh wing of Labour needs a Red - Green agreement if he is to take over from Rhodri. If there is an Alliance Administration he is out of the race, because the momentum within the Labour party will flow to the unionist wing. I understand that he needs to be seen as some sort of nat basher to undermine internal criticism of being too soft on Plaid, but if he rules out a new act as the new Minister with responsibility for the language then Red - Green will be a no goer.

The reality is that a new language act is going to be a deal breaker. The ball continues to be in Labour's court, the question continues to be what will be Rhodri's next play?

update - Price outlines his position further here:
http://www.adamprice.org.uk/blog/the-red-green-grass-of-home

Archbishop Slams Government of Wales Act

Dr Barry Morgan, the Archbishop of Wales stinging attack on the Government of Wales Act provides further indication of the fundamental deficiencies of the system of government the Third Assembly will inherit.

The Archbishop describes the new system as ‘cumbersome and clumsy’ and asks the perfectly legitimate question why primary powers are good enough for Scotland but Wales has to go cap in hand to Westminster every time it wishes to pass a law?

Peter Hain likes to portray the Government of Wales Act as one of his greatest triumphs. The history books of the future will judge the Act as a shoddy compromise which held back the aspirations of a nation to placate the egos of a few Welsh based Labour MPs who care more about their own futures than those they were elected to serve.