Wales Office (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
It’s time to overturn half a century of rugby hurt with a win against the All Blacks this weekend, says Peter Hain, Secretary of State for Wales. Mr Hain will be cheering on the boys against New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday as they prepare to try and claim another Southern Hemisphere scalp. Mr Hain [...]
A View from Rural Wales (Free subscription) | yesterday
I do not believe that many commentators on Welsh politics have acknowledged the significance of David Cameron's statement last Friday that a Conservative Government led by him would not veto a formal request for a referendum on extra powers for the National Assembly for Wales. The 6th of November, 2009 was a very big day for Welsh politics. Since it delivered one of the main objectives behind my decision...
Britannia Radio (Free subscription) | yesterday
Straight TalkAn in-depth interview with a leading political figure on topical issuesPROGRAMMES:on BBC iPlayer (4)coming up (9)PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES:by year (152)Available now on BBC iPlayerWATCH THE LATEST PROGRAMMEPeter Hain MP, Welsh SecretaryMORE:programme information(25 minutes)Available since today with 6 days left.Andrew Neil interviews Peter Hain MP.ALSO AVAILABLELord Heseltine, former
Plaid Cymru Llundain London (Free subscription) | yesterday
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...
The Final Redoubt (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
To quote: Nigel Farage has thrown his toys out of his pram, and accused the House of Commons authorities of being "fascistic", after the Commons decided to withdraw Commons passes from serving MEPs. (Iain Dale) Sorry Iain but you are so wrong on this. The BNP are legally elected Ministers whether you like what they say or not, and a lot of people have accepted the fact they were right about...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
There was a strong turn out at a grand dinner this week in the Lords to celebrate the achievements of the integrated education movement. The feed was sponsored by Frank Carson and attracted a glittering array of supporters ranging from Peter Hain, Peter Brooke, Owen Paterson, Brian Mawhinney and Jane Kennedy to stars such as Frank Carson, Adrian Dunbar and Barry McGuigan - plus me and Mick.
Guerrilla Welsh-Fare (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
On Question Time last night Peter Hain argued that David Cameron had lost any credibility and could not be trusted because he promised to hold a referendum and didn't. This, erm...coming from a Labour party politician that promised to hold a referendum and um.. didn't. Sometime with Hain's stupidity you couldn't make it up.
A Change of Personnel (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
So David Cameron is in North Wales today and will say that we can have a referendum on further transfer of powers if AM’s make the request to a Conservative Government – well let’s face he would be stupid to say anything else, he’s already learnt the cost of cancelling a referendum once this week and the other parties would have had a field day if he put off answering the question...
Mark Reckons (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Remember, remember that it's #bbcqt day again and as usual the Live Chat on this blog will start tonight at 10:30pm. It's in Reading tonight about 15 miles from where I live but they didn't invite me on. Still at least that means I can host the chat! The panel will include the Welsh Secretary Peter Hain MP, the shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert MP, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner...
A View from Rural Wales (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
I do not know what David Cameron is going to say about a Conservative Government's response to a request from the National Assembly for Wales that a referendum be held to grant law making powers to Cardiff Bay in all devolved areas. But I have read this blog post from Betsan Powys. Irritating for me to see her speculate in this way. I've just turned down the chance to discuss the issue on Good Morning...
Borthlas (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009
The statement by Rhodri Morgan and Peter Hain that the Tories were planning to reduce the number of MPs from Wales, and the impact of that on the National Assembly, sparked something of a debate on Syniadau. That debate concentrated more on whether the link between numbers of MPs and AMs had been properly understood than on the principle of a cut in the numbers. But I'd like to return to the substantive...
Betsan Powys' blog (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009
There used to be a slot on Good Evening Wales called "Today in the Assembly". It had, as you might imagine, a pretty unfortunate acronym amongst those who produced it. "Yesterday in the Assembly" - aired on Good Morning Wales - didn't suffer the same ignominy. Not much of an excuse for blogging what happened yesterday today but it's probably better than boring you with the real...
Working Class Tory (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009
Peter Hain is against David Cameron's plans to reduce the number of MPs . He says it would be a bad idea for Wales, and his case is understandable - rural MPs , especially in North Wales, such as David Jones MP , the Conservative in Clwyd West, would have to have larger constituencies, thus reducing their ability to adequately deal with their constituents, and travel across the constituency etc. Hain...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009
Andy Beckett meets the rightwing mischief-maker whose 'tittle tattle' is feared by cabinet ministers For a decade starting in the early 90s, every July a young Irishman with a reckless side used to head for Pamplona. He and friends would take part in the Spanish city's famous Running of the Bulls. As he got older and stouter, the Irishman kept ahead of the bulls by running steadily less, of the course....
Malcolm Clarke Labour (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009
The Conservatives have been forced into a quick policy rethink towards Europe. Opportunistic opposition is something every party uses regularly and the referendum that never was on Europe was a convenient Tory stick with which to flog Labour. They were quite clear on their anti-Europe opinions but now must accept Britain is part of Europe as the Lisbon Treaty will be implemented by December 1st. We...
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