Trust Labour and Tories ... no way!

Cameron commits himself to agreeing to a referendum on further powers. Can we trust him after their U turn on a Lisbon Treaty referendum ....obviously not.
Labour commits itself to a Coalition agreement with Plaid on Plaid`s condition that there is a referendum on further powers. Can we trust them ? Obviously not! Peter Hain has been laying the ground for scrapping a referendum, while UK Labour leader in Wales hopeful Carwyn Jones wants to consult his party over the issue ... even though they have already done so.
On November 18th the Report on whether there is the appetite for a referendum is published. It is expected to say there is and there is NEED for a referendum.
On December 1st UK Labour in Wales announces its new leader. Whoever they get will be taking instructions from London and you can bet UK Labour`s interest and not Wales`s will be on the agenda. Trusting Labour is always a mistake. If they enter an agreement with you, it is for the sole purpose of destroying you.
Meanwhile Plaid s National Council meets in Aberystwyth to discuss developments. Its time for them to state loud and clear to UK Labour that if they do not honour the One Wales agreement we are out of government. The alternative is a powerless Assembly facing up to Tory government in London. The Tories scrapped the GLC because it was Labour. They could do the same to the Assembly

LCO Disppointment

So the Assembly will not gain powers to force organisations receiving less than £400,000 in public funds to embrace bilingualism. UK Labour MPs have had their way and the Assembly has had to cave in.
The CBI in Wales called for any measures affecting business to be reasonable and practical and it is significant that this has now been written onto the face of the LCO. You can imagine what the obstructive face of business will do with those words.
Menna Machreth, chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, said: “The Wales Office and Welsh Assembly Government have decided to block the people of Wales from gaining access to the Welsh language. What difference will this measure do to the day-to-day lives of people in Wales? The Wales Office and Assembly Government prefer to please large corporations and anti-Welsh elements within the Labour Party instead of making a real difference to the Welsh language’s status in Wales.”

Taking Carmarthen for granted?

What is amazing about Adam Prices withdrawal from Westminster is the way commentators and people in Plaid seem to be taking the people fof Carmarthen for granted. The Wales on Sunday was even touting that Angharad Mair would be a likely candidate to replace him. Is this not the way of the UK Labour Party parachuting in candidates it would like to see join the Westminster gravy train? Lets hope we follow the correct procedures and the right candidate for the people of Carmarthen is selected. Otherwise we may end up with massive egg on our faces.

Party Leaders Debate

I see the SNP is challenging the much trumpeted debate between the UK party leaders. Quite right too, but what about Plaid? Surely we should be joining the challenge. Apart from the pronciple, what if the SNP wins some concession. Will we then amke a challenge?

End of Coalition

The latest LCO to hit the rocks is a signal failure of Peter Hain`s hotchpotch of procedures designed to please Labour MPs in Wales. Fundamentally the LCO system is laborious, costly, time consuming and poor government. Whats more it reinforces the indignity and apparent inferiority of AMs elected to represent Wales having to go cap in hand to Labour MPs in London for PERMISSION to pass a law. Surely its about time Plaid Leaders laid it on the line to UK Labour. If they want Plaid on side, they need to start giving. With a potential Tory victory in Westminster next year, what hope for LCOs and wales then?

We Are Being Robbed : Whisper thief....

For donkeys years we have known that membership of the UK has few benefits. The idea that the stronger members will support the weaker members is turned on its head when it comes to the UK. Thus the Holtham Commission and a House of Lords Commission have shown that we have lost and will lose billions under the Barnett Formula. Hain, the man paid to represent and defend (?) Wales at the cabinet table defends the Barnett Formula. Whats the point of his job? It`s certainly not to fight for Wales in his opinion.
Of more concern is the overall reaction to the news of this robbery. It seems to be one of indecision and delay when all we need is someone (i.e. the government) to say "We are going to adopt a needs based formula for funding Wales" Rhodri Morgan has suggested as much, but then he has no power.