I have just come back from the pub, having popped in for a couple after the polling booths had closed. There were only about 20 locals in and only 8 of them had voted, about 40%, which is about right.
The worrying thing, however was of the 8 who voted 4 had voted 1 2 3, rather than X. having been confused by the AV publicity. Ok 8 voters in my local aren't a scientific sample, but it does suggest that one of the more interesting things to look out for as the results come in is the number of votes spoiled by virtue of voting for more than one candidate.
05/05/2011
A Boring Prediction for a Boring Election
My prediction for Friday's result in the Assembly election is one of no change (ok Blaenau Gwent will turn real Labour rather than pretendy Labour). I doubt if any constituency seat will change hands.
I can't see any Green, UKIP or BNP candidate making the breakthrough on the lists.
Tinkering at the edges might result in some list candidates swapping places from second to third etc, but I don't think that the actual numbers will change.
A boring prediction for what has been the most boring election I've known in the 35 years in which I have followed elections.
I can't see any Green, UKIP or BNP candidate making the breakthrough on the lists.
Tinkering at the edges might result in some list candidates swapping places from second to third etc, but I don't think that the actual numbers will change.
A boring prediction for what has been the most boring election I've known in the 35 years in which I have followed elections.
01/05/2011
Why rumours are less reliable than Welsh opinion polls
I don't have a lot of faith in Welsh opinion polls; they are conducted on a UK, even worse an USA model. A model that can predict the outcome of a 650 seat legislature cannot, without immense refinement, predict a 60 seat legislature with any accuracy. To make things worse the Welsh polls use an UK weighting method to predict their seat distribution. Wales is not a mini UK.
The ITV/YouGov polls are a welcome addition to the Welsh political scene; I hope that they continue; but all they are showing at the moment is trends – they cannot make seat predictions in their present form.
If we can't rely on the polls, then the next best thing that we have is the ear on the ground, the rumours from the constituencies, the party's canvassing results that we are fed that say there may be a shock in constituency X. But these are even less reliable than the polls.
My first experience of political campaigning was in the February 1974 election. I had agreed to be part of the Liberal Party's canvassing team in Merionethshire. I put a poster supporting my candidate in my bedroom window; but when Dad came home he ordered me to take it down in case somebody put a brick through the window or in case he was sacked from his job by his employer of a different political persuasion!
I hadn't realised that democratic differences could cause such animosity, so on my first canvassing outing I wore brown trousers because I was really frightened of being physically and verbally abused by those who were going to vote against my man. I was pleasantly surprised. At every door I knocked on I was received with courtesy, nobody assaulted me, nobody set the dogs on me, everybody said they would consider voting for my candidate. I honestly thought that we would win handsomely from my canvass experience – we came a miserable fourth!
And another thing, when parties are quietly confident of winning a seat or retaining a marginal, they tend to keep that confidence quiet; rather than alerting the media (and their challengers) of their confidence. When parties need to big up their chances in a particular constituency, it's because their returns show that they are not quite there yet so they need spin in order to give an impression of winning here.
We can't trust polls, we can't trust the rumour. The only thing that we can trust is that, with just four days to go, there are still votes to win and opinions to change – so put your blood and guts into supporting your candidates over these last few essential days!
The ITV/YouGov polls are a welcome addition to the Welsh political scene; I hope that they continue; but all they are showing at the moment is trends – they cannot make seat predictions in their present form.
If we can't rely on the polls, then the next best thing that we have is the ear on the ground, the rumours from the constituencies, the party's canvassing results that we are fed that say there may be a shock in constituency X. But these are even less reliable than the polls.
My first experience of political campaigning was in the February 1974 election. I had agreed to be part of the Liberal Party's canvassing team in Merionethshire. I put a poster supporting my candidate in my bedroom window; but when Dad came home he ordered me to take it down in case somebody put a brick through the window or in case he was sacked from his job by his employer of a different political persuasion!
I hadn't realised that democratic differences could cause such animosity, so on my first canvassing outing I wore brown trousers because I was really frightened of being physically and verbally abused by those who were going to vote against my man. I was pleasantly surprised. At every door I knocked on I was received with courtesy, nobody assaulted me, nobody set the dogs on me, everybody said they would consider voting for my candidate. I honestly thought that we would win handsomely from my canvass experience – we came a miserable fourth!
And another thing, when parties are quietly confident of winning a seat or retaining a marginal, they tend to keep that confidence quiet; rather than alerting the media (and their challengers) of their confidence. When parties need to big up their chances in a particular constituency, it's because their returns show that they are not quite there yet so they need spin in order to give an impression of winning here.
We can't trust polls, we can't trust the rumour. The only thing that we can trust is that, with just four days to go, there are still votes to win and opinions to change – so put your blood and guts into supporting your candidates over these last few essential days!
28/04/2011
This Asda be the funniest campaign report this year!
I can't stop laughing at this hilarious report from STV News about Iain Gray popping into an Asda store where Alex Salmond was doing a meet and greet.
Classic!
Iain Gray and Alex Salmond have accused each other of hiding and running away during a visit to an Ardrossan supermarket.
Scottish Labour claimed that Mr Salmond "hid" from Iain Gray when the two leaders found themselves in the same supermarket on Tuesday night.
However, the SNP said that Labour’s claims were "desperate" and that the situation unfolded very differently. An SNP candidate said that Mr Gray "turned tail" rather than face the First Minister.
Classic!
16/04/2011
Move over Nick
In a comment on the Syniadau blog Welsh Agenda notes that in their recent party Election Broadcast the Conservatives featured David Cameron but there was no sign of Nick Bourne.
I received the postal election address from Janet Finch-Saunders, Aberconwy's Conservative candidate this morning. It contained the compulsory picture with Cameron, but look who seems to be standing in for Nick where you would expect to see a picture of the candidate with her Assembly leader! Paul Davies. So who will be leading the Conservatives in the Bay after May 6th?
Is there something that the Tories have forgotten to tell us?
I received the postal election address from Janet Finch-Saunders, Aberconwy's Conservative candidate this morning. It contained the compulsory picture with Cameron, but look who seems to be standing in for Nick where you would expect to see a picture of the candidate with her Assembly leader! Paul Davies. So who will be leading the Conservatives in the Bay after May 6th?
Is there something that the Tories have forgotten to tell us?
Not Covered?
From the Conservative Party Manifesto's Welsh Language Policy:
(We will) Create a Bilingual Nation – Introduce a Charter-Mark for businesses which will recognise Welsh language services. The scheme will be voluntary but will offer incentives for bilingual signage and Welsh language training for front-line staff.
As kitchen staff aren't front line and Carreg Môn doesn't appear to be a willing volunteer, what suport do the Tories offer these Welsh speaking workers?
(We will) Create a Bilingual Nation – Introduce a Charter-Mark for businesses which will recognise Welsh language services. The scheme will be voluntary but will offer incentives for bilingual signage and Welsh language training for front-line staff.
As kitchen staff aren't front line and Carreg Môn doesn't appear to be a willing volunteer, what suport do the Tories offer these Welsh speaking workers?
15/04/2011
Latest poster from United and Welsh
Click image to enlarge
I have blocked out the phone numbers on the poster, apparently they were genuine.
13/04/2011
Send a dog turd through the letter box – Vote Labour!
I must congratulate Plaid and Uncut for his incisive description of Labour's campaign to use the Assembly election as a midterm British protest vote
How this election is decided must be decided on the message that each and every candidate from all parties have for the people of Wales over the next five years.
Plaid Cymru, The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are saying vote for us because this is what we are offering Wales!
Labour's message seems to be Sod Wales; the Assembly Vote has no Importance in its own right, it's just a way of protesting. Labour has form on this attitude.
However you decide to vote, please vote positively for what is best for Wales and vote for the party that can best support your aspirations in the Assembly - not in Westminster!
Don't waste your vote on a, Westminster annoying, game of shitty stick!
Labour's headline so far has been Vote Labour to send a Message to David Cameron and Nick Clegg. Essentially the political equivalent of putting a dog turd through their letterbox or ordering a pizza to be delivered to their house. Messaged delivered, now what?A vote in the Assembly election based on Westminster issues is a wasted vote, no matter who you vote for. You might hate what the Conservatives are going to do with the Health Service in England, but that isn't a reason for ignoring what might be different policies that Conservative Assembly Candidates have for Wales – those differences need to be explored before deciding whether or not to vote Conservative in the Assembly Election.
How this election is decided must be decided on the message that each and every candidate from all parties have for the people of Wales over the next five years.
Plaid Cymru, The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are saying vote for us because this is what we are offering Wales!
Labour's message seems to be Sod Wales; the Assembly Vote has no Importance in its own right, it's just a way of protesting. Labour has form on this attitude.
However you decide to vote, please vote positively for what is best for Wales and vote for the party that can best support your aspirations in the Assembly - not in Westminster!
Don't waste your vote on a, Westminster annoying, game of shitty stick!
11/04/2011
Is A Labour Vote in the Assembly Election a Vote for Middle England?
Will Paterson has an interesting post that highlights the fact that there are evident similarities between the Labour Party's Election Broadcast for the Scottish Parliament, The English Counties and the National Assembly.
The PEB's are not the only things that are similar between the campaigns in the three countries.
The main thrust of debate from Labour in the three elections is that a vote for Labour is a means to protect the Local Authority / Scotland / Wales from Westminster cuts; which is nonsense of course. County Council have little ability to protect their constituents from Central Government cuts, and it is scarcely possible for the Scottish and Welsh Governments to protect their residents from the cuts either, without the fiscal powers to do so.
The Welsh Assembly Government's record of protecting Wales from the Westminster cuts so far has been an abysmal list of failure: S4C, The Passport Office, St Athan etc. etc. Not that I'm blaming the Labour/PC coalition Government in the Bay for these failures - the Assembly, as it is, just doesn't have the power to resist the central ConDem attacks on Wales. But it is a dirty rotten lie to build peoples hopes up by claiming that a vote for Labour in the Assembly Elections is going to change the situation!
The third thing that is similar in the three campaigns is the decision to treat the three elections as a mid-term referendum on the failures of the Westminster Government.
Labour in all three countries attacks the Hairy Arsed Tory Monster and the Ogre of Thatcherism (whilst forgetting to mention that Labour continued to pursue Thatcherite policies and even praised Mrs Thatcher during its recent term of British Government). They also try to link all of their opponents to the Tories.
Linking Liberal Democrats to The Beast is an obvious tactic. The policy of linking the SNP also makes some sense; many of the successes of the SNP minority government have derived from the support of the Conservative Party in Parliament (although many of their failures to pass measures derive from the fact that Labour voted with the Conservatives to defeat them). But to follow the same narrative in Wales is ridiculous.
Okay Plaid doesn't say No! No! Never! to a coalition with the Conservatives, but the majority of its spokesmen have said that it is highly unlikely! And which party has Plaid actually been propping up in Welsh Government for the past four years?
It is perfectly obvious that Labour is not campaigning in this series of elections in order to benefit any English County, nor in order to benefit Scotland nor to be of benefit to Wales.
The whole thrust of The Labour Campaign seems to be in the interest of the British Labour Party. The only purpose of a Labour Government in Wales will be to rehabilitate the UK Labour party at a Westminster level, not for the best governance of Wales for the benefit of Wales - a situation that is rotten enough in itself!
The frightening reality is, that if the main purpose of a Labour Government in the Bay is to restore some credulity to British Labour, it won't govern Wales in the interest of Wales - it will govern Wales in a way that appeals to those voters that Labour lost in Middle England in 2010, and that will be bad for Wales.
The PEB's are not the only things that are similar between the campaigns in the three countries.
The main thrust of debate from Labour in the three elections is that a vote for Labour is a means to protect the Local Authority / Scotland / Wales from Westminster cuts; which is nonsense of course. County Council have little ability to protect their constituents from Central Government cuts, and it is scarcely possible for the Scottish and Welsh Governments to protect their residents from the cuts either, without the fiscal powers to do so.
The Welsh Assembly Government's record of protecting Wales from the Westminster cuts so far has been an abysmal list of failure: S4C, The Passport Office, St Athan etc. etc. Not that I'm blaming the Labour/PC coalition Government in the Bay for these failures - the Assembly, as it is, just doesn't have the power to resist the central ConDem attacks on Wales. But it is a dirty rotten lie to build peoples hopes up by claiming that a vote for Labour in the Assembly Elections is going to change the situation!
The third thing that is similar in the three campaigns is the decision to treat the three elections as a mid-term referendum on the failures of the Westminster Government.
Labour in all three countries attacks the Hairy Arsed Tory Monster and the Ogre of Thatcherism (whilst forgetting to mention that Labour continued to pursue Thatcherite policies and even praised Mrs Thatcher during its recent term of British Government). They also try to link all of their opponents to the Tories.
Linking Liberal Democrats to The Beast is an obvious tactic. The policy of linking the SNP also makes some sense; many of the successes of the SNP minority government have derived from the support of the Conservative Party in Parliament (although many of their failures to pass measures derive from the fact that Labour voted with the Conservatives to defeat them). But to follow the same narrative in Wales is ridiculous.
Okay Plaid doesn't say No! No! Never! to a coalition with the Conservatives, but the majority of its spokesmen have said that it is highly unlikely! And which party has Plaid actually been propping up in Welsh Government for the past four years?
It is perfectly obvious that Labour is not campaigning in this series of elections in order to benefit any English County, nor in order to benefit Scotland nor to be of benefit to Wales.
The whole thrust of The Labour Campaign seems to be in the interest of the British Labour Party. The only purpose of a Labour Government in Wales will be to rehabilitate the UK Labour party at a Westminster level, not for the best governance of Wales for the benefit of Wales - a situation that is rotten enough in itself!
The frightening reality is, that if the main purpose of a Labour Government in the Bay is to restore some credulity to British Labour, it won't govern Wales in the interest of Wales - it will govern Wales in a way that appeals to those voters that Labour lost in Middle England in 2010, and that will be bad for Wales.
08/04/2011
The English Question
"English votes for English matters" is a non starter, it contains so many problems that it will cause more animosity and strife than it could possibly resolve.
What is an English matter? Under the current system few are, because if expenditure is involved (be it spending more or less) it has Barnet consequentials for the finances of the devolved bodies!
What happens to things that are neither English only nor UK wide issues such as England and Wales measures? And what about those things that are non devolved Wales only issues – S4C, Welsh water, the governance of Assembly elections? Will English MPs be allowed to vote on those issues?
As far as English regionalism is concerned England already has historic regions – they are called shires or counties and parishes. All the countries of the UK should, without doubt, re devolve many of the powers that the counties and the parishes had pre 1974, which have increasingly been centralised; but I see little desire for creating "new" regions for England.
From a Welsh nationalist point of view I don't like the idea of English regional devolution. Wales has its Assembly, at the moment, because it is one of the nations of the UK; regionalise England and Wales reverts to being a region of the UK.
There is no way that the clock can be turned back on devolution in the foreseeable future, and there is no way that the English question can remain unresolved. Any threat to abolish the devolved institutions will lead to Scottish, and possibly Welsh independence. So there appear to be only two options available independence for the nations of Britain or Federalism, perhaps we should have a UK wide referendum on which we all would prefer!
This post is a response to discussions on:
http://oggybloggyogwr.blogspot.com/2011/04/england-question.html
http://ogarethhughes.blogspot.com/2011/02/question.html
http://toque.co.uk/node/1890
If any other bloggers have made reasonable and non racist comments on the issue and would like a link to their posts, please let me know.
What is an English matter? Under the current system few are, because if expenditure is involved (be it spending more or less) it has Barnet consequentials for the finances of the devolved bodies!
What happens to things that are neither English only nor UK wide issues such as England and Wales measures? And what about those things that are non devolved Wales only issues – S4C, Welsh water, the governance of Assembly elections? Will English MPs be allowed to vote on those issues?
As far as English regionalism is concerned England already has historic regions – they are called shires or counties and parishes. All the countries of the UK should, without doubt, re devolve many of the powers that the counties and the parishes had pre 1974, which have increasingly been centralised; but I see little desire for creating "new" regions for England.
From a Welsh nationalist point of view I don't like the idea of English regional devolution. Wales has its Assembly, at the moment, because it is one of the nations of the UK; regionalise England and Wales reverts to being a region of the UK.
There is no way that the clock can be turned back on devolution in the foreseeable future, and there is no way that the English question can remain unresolved. Any threat to abolish the devolved institutions will lead to Scottish, and possibly Welsh independence. So there appear to be only two options available independence for the nations of Britain or Federalism, perhaps we should have a UK wide referendum on which we all would prefer!
This post is a response to discussions on:
http://oggybloggyogwr.blogspot.com/2011/04/england-question.html
http://ogarethhughes.blogspot.com/2011/02/question.html
http://toque.co.uk/node/1890
If any other bloggers have made reasonable and non racist comments on the issue and would like a link to their posts, please let me know.
06/04/2011
Labour's (rather pathetic) Plaid Attack Site
There is little doubt that the site supposedly registered at Ieuan Wyn Jones' office address is a Labour attack site, a site designed specifically in order to enable Chris Bryant to repeat, under Parliamentary privilege, the slur that Plaid is a Tory stooge, which seems to be the Westminster Labour Party's main attack weapon against Plaid in the forthcoming Assembly Election.
Look at the evidence:
Which party gains from trying to claim that Plaid is conspiring with the ConDems in order to overthrow Labour?
Which party has a history of creating fake websites that backfire?
Who has been behind the other dodgy Labour websites and, as a member of Maes–E, loved to get up BlogMenai's nose in the political discussions on the site?
Who is the Labour staffer who would get great delight out of embroiling BlogMenai in a Labour set up?
The poster doesn't make any sense as a Plaid creation!
Plaid's number two target seat in this election is Clwyd West! Why on earth would any Plaid inspired campaign suggest voting against the party in its 2nd target seat?
This is clearly another stupid Labour Party dirty tricks set up, which like its other dirty tricks web campaigns is going to backfire. How stupid is the Labour party strategist who thought that the best way of attacking Plaid is by drawing attention to Labour's most vulnerable seats?
So if you are a Labour Supporter vote Plaid in Cardiff West, Carmarthen West, Caerphilly, Conwy and Neath – that is what your own Labour attack dog strategists seem to be asking you to do!
You might also like to vote Plaid in Cardiff North, Clwyd South, Clwyd West, The Vale of Glamorgan, Gower, Brec & Rad, Cardiff Central, Newport East and Swansea West. The Labour dirty tricks campaign clearly don't need or want you to vote Labour in these constituencies either – but why waste your vote on the ConDems?
Look at the evidence:
Which party gains from trying to claim that Plaid is conspiring with the ConDems in order to overthrow Labour?
Which party has a history of creating fake websites that backfire?
Who has been behind the other dodgy Labour websites and, as a member of Maes–E, loved to get up BlogMenai's nose in the political discussions on the site?
Who is the Labour staffer who would get great delight out of embroiling BlogMenai in a Labour set up?
The poster doesn't make any sense as a Plaid creation!
Plaid's number two target seat in this election is Clwyd West! Why on earth would any Plaid inspired campaign suggest voting against the party in its 2nd target seat?
This is clearly another stupid Labour Party dirty tricks set up, which like its other dirty tricks web campaigns is going to backfire. How stupid is the Labour party strategist who thought that the best way of attacking Plaid is by drawing attention to Labour's most vulnerable seats?
So if you are a Labour Supporter vote Plaid in Cardiff West, Carmarthen West, Caerphilly, Conwy and Neath – that is what your own Labour attack dog strategists seem to be asking you to do!
You might also like to vote Plaid in Cardiff North, Clwyd South, Clwyd West, The Vale of Glamorgan, Gower, Brec & Rad, Cardiff Central, Newport East and Swansea West. The Labour dirty tricks campaign clearly don't need or want you to vote Labour in these constituencies either – but why waste your vote on the ConDems?
01/04/2011
Plaid's Labour attack site
There is no secret that I have a particular dislike for the Labour party, a party that has promised so much to Wales over the past hundred years but delivered so little and that I was bitterly disappointed that after a campaign in the last Assembly elections that promised to kick Labour into touch that Plaid decided to prop Labour up in government.
I suspect that propping up Labour is what Plaid will do again, however I was pleased to find that the party has a new web presence dedicated to attacking Labour:
http://www.wherewaslabour.plaidcymru.org/
Well worth a read, but two technical problems that Plaid might like to consider.
1]The RSS feed isn't detected by Blogger so I can't put links to new attacks in my My Blog List feature to the left of this page.
2] When a website has a prominent Copyright Notice on every page it suggests that the site owners will come down like a ton of bricks on anybody who dares to copy the site's pages. I would have thought that viral copying of things like how Labour crapped on the miners would better serve the party.
Hat tip: Grangetown Jack
I suspect that propping up Labour is what Plaid will do again, however I was pleased to find that the party has a new web presence dedicated to attacking Labour:
http://www.wherewaslabour.plaidcymru.org/
Well worth a read, but two technical problems that Plaid might like to consider.
1]The RSS feed isn't detected by Blogger so I can't put links to new attacks in my My Blog List feature to the left of this page.
2] When a website has a prominent Copyright Notice on every page it suggests that the site owners will come down like a ton of bricks on anybody who dares to copy the site's pages. I would have thought that viral copying of things like how Labour crapped on the miners would better serve the party.
Hat tip: Grangetown Jack
29/03/2011
An interesting Conundrum for Labour in the North.
With the polls looking up for Labour, the chances of a Labour list seat in North Wales is zilch, nada, F*** all!
The only way that Labour can gain a list seat in the North is if the North West constituency vote collapses under a Tory landslide - that is not going to happen!.
Any Labour list vote is going to be a wasted vote, so how should Labour supporters in the north use their list vote?
I suspect that the vast majority will waste their second vote on Labour, without realising that they could actually make a difference if they think about their second vote.
Those who like the coalition between Plaid and Labour could make a difference by giving Plaid their second vote in order to ensure a bigger Plaid (and smaller Tory /Lib Dem) representation.
On the other hand Labour supporters who hate the Assembly might consider lending their second vote to anti Assembly UKIP!
Either way it makes more sense than wasting the list vote on Labour when the maths says that Labour can never, ever gain a list seat in the Northern region!
If I supported either UKIP or Plaid I would be making hay on the fact that a second vote for Labour is a wasted voet in all but the Mid Wales Region. Neither appears to be doing so - silly buggers!
The only way that Labour can gain a list seat in the North is if the North West constituency vote collapses under a Tory landslide - that is not going to happen!.
Any Labour list vote is going to be a wasted vote, so how should Labour supporters in the north use their list vote?
I suspect that the vast majority will waste their second vote on Labour, without realising that they could actually make a difference if they think about their second vote.
Those who like the coalition between Plaid and Labour could make a difference by giving Plaid their second vote in order to ensure a bigger Plaid (and smaller Tory /Lib Dem) representation.
On the other hand Labour supporters who hate the Assembly might consider lending their second vote to anti Assembly UKIP!
Either way it makes more sense than wasting the list vote on Labour when the maths says that Labour can never, ever gain a list seat in the Northern region!
If I supported either UKIP or Plaid I would be making hay on the fact that a second vote for Labour is a wasted voet in all but the Mid Wales Region. Neither appears to be doing so - silly buggers!
25/03/2011
Ieuan says No to a 2011 Rainbow!
I notice a rather intriguing coincidence about Royal events affecting Assembly elections. This year the Royal Story that threatens to overshadow coverage of the election is the April Wedding of Wills and Kate. In April 2007 the Royal story that knocked the election off the front page of the Western Mail was Wills and Kate splitting up.
See what a difference that just one term of a Plaid lead one Wales Government can achieve! Love restored, harmony and reconciliation abound and a happy ending to a Fairy story.
This reconciliation was, of course, one of Plaid's main manifesto policies in 2007 (see page 244) and proves what a Plaid driven Welsh Government can achieve; which is why Plaid is fighting the next Assembly Election under the slogan We are the best lap dogs for Labour.
See what a difference that just one term of a Plaid lead one Wales Government can achieve! Love restored, harmony and reconciliation abound and a happy ending to a Fairy story.
This reconciliation was, of course, one of Plaid's main manifesto policies in 2007 (see page 244) and proves what a Plaid driven Welsh Government can achieve; which is why Plaid is fighting the next Assembly Election under the slogan We are the best lap dogs for Labour.
16/03/2011
50,000 New Welsh Jobs. What a Stupid Idea!
In a speech in Cardiff yesterday Ieuan Wyn Jones outlined plans to raise money that could be used to fund 50,000 new jobs in Wales over the next 4 years. Given the high levels of unemployment in Wales and the need to reinvigorate the Welsh economy, one would have thought that such a scheme would be welcomed by all. The only grounds that I can think of for opposing plans for such a massive and much needed jobs boost would be if opponents could come up with a better scheme for creating even more jobs.
Unfortunately all the other three parties' responses to the plans were of the typically childish, name calling, negative type which we have come to expect from those quarters.
Liberal Democrat AM Jenny Randerson said: This is a typical Plaid Cymru pie in the sky policy.
Nick Bourn, the Leader of the Conservatives thinks that the plan is irrelevant.
And Labour's Owen Smith MP dismisses the plan with the rather odd comment if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
All of which sound to me like dismissing a policy just because another party thought of it first; dismissing the possibility of job creation and economic revival for petty party reasons.
If 50,000 new jobs and economic revival are seen as pie in the sky; irrelevant or too good to be true by the other parties – why on earth should anybody vote for them?
I would have hoped that Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives and the Welsh Liberal Democrats had greater aspirations for Wales than to dismiss plans to increase employment and kick start our economy in negative sound bites!
Wales deserves better.
Unfortunately all the other three parties' responses to the plans were of the typically childish, name calling, negative type which we have come to expect from those quarters.
Liberal Democrat AM Jenny Randerson said: This is a typical Plaid Cymru pie in the sky policy.
Nick Bourn, the Leader of the Conservatives thinks that the plan is irrelevant.
And Labour's Owen Smith MP dismisses the plan with the rather odd comment if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
All of which sound to me like dismissing a policy just because another party thought of it first; dismissing the possibility of job creation and economic revival for petty party reasons.
If 50,000 new jobs and economic revival are seen as pie in the sky; irrelevant or too good to be true by the other parties – why on earth should anybody vote for them?
I would have hoped that Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives and the Welsh Liberal Democrats had greater aspirations for Wales than to dismiss plans to increase employment and kick start our economy in negative sound bites!
Wales deserves better.
15/03/2011
Deus Samolidi ex Machina?
This is the first PPB offered by the SNP for the May 5th elections:
I am not impresed, it reminds me of the Deus ex Machina of ancient Greek and Latin drama, a good story with a bad ending, where a god in the machine comes down to say it all ended happily ever after! Ych a fi. I hope that the SNP has better to offer than Salmond as the god in the Machine of Scots politics!
Having said that, where are the Welsh PPB's from all parties?
Time is short. There are votes to be won. But with only a few weeks to go the election campaign seems to be a non starter at the moment.
Time to pull the finger out?
I am not impresed, it reminds me of the Deus ex Machina of ancient Greek and Latin drama, a good story with a bad ending, where a god in the machine comes down to say it all ended happily ever after! Ych a fi. I hope that the SNP has better to offer than Salmond as the god in the Machine of Scots politics!
Having said that, where are the Welsh PPB's from all parties?
Time is short. There are votes to be won. But with only a few weeks to go the election campaign seems to be a non starter at the moment.
Time to pull the finger out?
07/03/2011
05/03/2011
Gracious in defeat
As the only person to apply for lead campaign status for the NO campaign, I am disgusted that Rachel Banner was invited to give a post result speech in the Senedd but that I wasn't even invited to the count.
Had I had the invite this is what I would have said in my "response to the result speech":
Had I had the invite this is what I would have said in my "response to the result speech":
I give the Yes campaign hearty congratulations on a tremendous victory. I was, honestly shocked by the fact that the Yes victory was so decisive; I didn't expect the result to be so clear cut. The results in Flintshire, in Denbighshire, in Powys and even in Monmouthshire (where 321 voters who forgot to vote yes are kicking themselves today) bowled me over. It was beyond my wildest expectations.
I should also like to thank the quarter of a million people who voted in support of my No! It's not good enough! campaign. I knew that many thought that the referendum question was the wrong one; that it didn't offer equality with the Scottish Parliament or the Northern Ireland Assembly; but I hadn't expected as many as a quarter of a million people to agree with me in the ballot box.
I empathise with the 65% of the electorate who chose not to vote because what was being offered was so insignificant that it wasn't worth voting for. I give them my 100% assurance that the campaign starts now to ensure that the next referendum (in 2012, if not sooner) will offer them an option that is well worth going out to vote Yes for!
04/03/2011
Wales says Yes
With four results still to declare Wales has said Yes, the result in the Rhondda having just taken the Yes vote over the 402,594 threshold needed to win.
01/03/2011
A Poll and a Pinch of Salt
The results of the recent ITV YouGov poll were published on S4C's Y Byd ar Bedwar tonight. The opinion poll suggests that 67% of us will vote yes and 33% will vote no; this seems over optimistic to me; I would have expected the vote to be much, much closer.
Even odder is the poll's suggestion that turn out will be a whopping 56%!
I tend to agree with Jac of the North's assessment of the campaign so far:
I haven't seen any enthusiasm for either side's argument, the vast majority of my friends and acquaintances either don't know or don't care about the issue.
OK YouGov have done a scientific poll, I have just heard what the people in the shop and the pub have said, but my expectation is that turnout will be about 30% and that the split will be about 51% 49%, but I wouldn't want to commit to which side will win which percentage.
I hope that YouGov is right and that I'm wrong but if I was in charge of either side I would neither rest on my laurels or throw in the towel based on what appears to me to be a rather iffy poll finding.
Even odder is the poll's suggestion that turn out will be a whopping 56%!
I tend to agree with Jac of the North's assessment of the campaign so far:
"Rugby players say Yes', Business says Yes', 'Man at bus stop says "what referendum?"'
I haven't seen any enthusiasm for either side's argument, the vast majority of my friends and acquaintances either don't know or don't care about the issue.
OK YouGov have done a scientific poll, I have just heard what the people in the shop and the pub have said, but my expectation is that turnout will be about 30% and that the split will be about 51% 49%, but I wouldn't want to commit to which side will win which percentage.
I hope that YouGov is right and that I'm wrong but if I was in charge of either side I would neither rest on my laurels or throw in the towel based on what appears to me to be a rather iffy poll finding.
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