A View from Rural Wales (Free subscription) | 17/11/2008
Writing in a book entitled 'Politics in the 21st century' Rhodri Morgan has insisted that the Labour Party must become more 'Welsh'. Martin Shipton's report on this in today's Western Mail is here . This has been interpreted by some as being a veiled attack on Don Touhig , Alun Michael and Kim Howells. What occurred to me was the question 'What does he mean by this'? Firstly he refers to a 'perception'...
Welsh Ramblings (Free subscription) | 17/11/2008
This morning's Western Mail reports on Rhodri Morgan's acceptance that many of his party's politicians are anti-Welsh. While he doesn't mention them by name, he is no doubt referring to Don Touhig, Alun Michael and Kim Howells: Stop being anti-Welsh, Rhodri urges his party LABOUR will never win a majority in Wales again unless the party reverses the public’s perception that it is anti-Welsh, Rhodri...
BBC NEWS | Betsan Powys' blog (Free subscription) | 13/11/2008
I don't know what Alun Michael has for breakfast but in the (redrafted) words of "When Harry met Sally", I'll have what he's having. On Radio Wales this morning his verdict on tensions over the Affordable Housing LCO was a resounding: "Devolution is working. Hurrah!" The Welsh Assembly Government have responded rather differently to the story. "We don't recognise this version of events. Constructive...
ORDOVICIUS (Free subscription) | 20/10/2008
Kudos to Lib Dem blogger Peter Black on a a great post, in which he sums up perfectly the current situation in the LCO war between WAG and WASC in response to some rather feeble posturings from former Blair stooge Alun Michael and rabid Brunstromophobe David Jones. Like Alun Michael and others he [David Jones] argues that the LCO that has been recommended by the committee will enable WAG to do
BBC News (Free subscription) | 20/10/2008
The Welsh assembly's presiding officer is criticised by ex-Welsh Secretary Alun Michael over his intervention on housing policy powers.
The Half-Blood Welshman (Free subscription) | 11/10/2008
In 1999, when the Welsh Assembly first convened in Cardiff, there were four parties represented. And there were four party leaders there present - Alun Michael, Dafydd Wigley, Rod Richards and Mike German. Today, only one remains standing - indeed, only one survived more than a year. And it is a tribute to Mike German's incredible sticking power that he, the leader of the smallest party in the assembly...
Fergie's Tech Blog (Free subscription) | 16/09/2008
Nick Heath writes on Silicon.com : E-crime policing in the UK is broken, according to one MP spearheading a new cyber crime fighting taskforce. Former deputy home secretary, MP Alun Michael, told silicon.com that insights from industry as well as his own experience of reporting cyber crime, has left him convinced the system is fatally flawed. Currently, low-level internet fraud, hacking and spamming...
Miss Wagstaff Presents... (Free subscription) | 22/08/2008
There's too much free time during recess for letter writing, or so it seems. I haven't blogged on the latest saga involving former short-term Secretary of State for Wales and short-term First Secretary [FM], Alun Michael MP hitting back at the Assembly's rather long-term Presiding Officer. The gist of it is below. From an insider's point of view you're better off reading Peter Black AM's summary and...
A View from Rural Wales (Free subscription) | 21/08/2008
Just home from leafleting and looked through the Western Mail online. And there it was. The latest round in the undignified spat twixt Alun Michael MP, former First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales and Lord Elis Thomas, Presiding Officer of said institution. Demeaning and damaging. Do you remember that recording of Joyce Grenfell, trying to keep control of schoolboys misbehaving? Personally,...
Welsh Ramblings (Free subscription) | 21/08/2008
What direction is Welsh Labour travelling in? There were two articles in today's Western Mail, one from Alun Michael attacking the National Assembly's Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas over his attack on Westminster's attempt to slow down devolution and another from a random councillor giving the most inarticulate essay against Welsh independence one could imagine. Don't they have anything positive...
ORDOVICIUS (Free subscription) | 21/08/2008
Alun Michael MP, the former First Secretary, has had his hissy-fit concerning the quarrel between the Welsh Affairs Select Committee and the Llywydd over the LCO process published in the Western Mail today. "Anyone with experience of legislation knows the massive temptation to pass more and more laws rather than concentrating on the effectiveness of the laws that have already been passed. Over
Amlwch to Magor (Free subscription) | 21/08/2008
I haven't blogged yet about the row between Alun Michael's merry men and the Lord of the Assembly. Having read Peter Black's take on the matter here I don't feel there's any purpose in me saying anything - just read what he says!
Peter Black AM (Free subscription) | 21/08/2008
Former Secretary of State for Wales and ex-First Secretary, Alun Michael MP hits back at the Assembly's Presiding Officer in this morning's Western Mail with the rather bizarre claim that the Llwydd is 'undermining devolution'. Many of the differences between the two politicians are of Lilliputian proportions, to the extent that it becomes a little embarrassing watching two grown men arguing over which...
icWales (Free subscription) | 21/08/2008
IT’S strange the lengths to which some people will go in an attempt to undermine the success of devolution.
A View from Rural Wales (Free subscription) | 18/08/2008
Another day, another row over National Assembly powers . It does seem as if Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas and Alun Michael MP really do detest each other. Throughout the period when Alun was First Minister of the National Assembly, we all knew there was a lack of warmth twixt the two. I was only six feet away when this coolness descended into the icepit from which it may never have escaped. When Alun tendered...
