Betsan Powys' blog (Free subscription) | 22/10/2009
Just off the phone to Derek Vaughan MEP. He's "thought long and hard" and talked to the two candidates in the Labour leadership race who picked up the phone to him. He's just decided to support the candidate whose views on Europe amongst others issues most closely mirror his own: Carwyn Jones. The official Labour list of supporting nominations has just appeared and the list of MPs next to...
Plaid Wrecsam (Free subscription) | 03/10/2009
From today's Daily Post only three of North Wales's eleven Labour MP's and AM's have declared which candidate they favour. Two AM's Karen Sinclair and Ann Jones support the partisan uncompromising Huw Lewis whilst Albert Owen is backing Caerwyn Jones. I don't know about the remaining eight, Chris Ruane, Ian Lucas, Mark Tami, Martyn Jones, Betty Williams, Lesley Griffiths, Carl Sergeant and Sandy Mewies....
icWales (Free subscription) | 16/09/2009
DAFYDD JONES has been hailed as the man to fill the boots of Martyn Williams for Wales in the autumn internationals.
NORTON FOLGATE (Free subscription) | 16/07/2009
Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington), David Anderson (Blaydon), John Austin (Erith and Thamesmead), Joe Benton (Bootle), Clive Betts (Sheffield Attercliffe), Lyn Brown (West Ham), Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway), R ichard Burden (Birmingham Northfield), Dawn Butler (Brent South), Martin Caton (Gower), Ann Cryer (Keighley), Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) Quentin Davies (Grantham and...
The Ranting Penguin (Free subscription) | 16/07/2009
How can you tell if your MP is lying to you? Safest just to assume they are, because no matter what they say to you, or even commit to in writing, when it comes to a vote in the House of Shame they'll just meekly do what they are told. Here's the proof. Eighty-two Labour MPs signed three Parliamentary motions, dating back to 2005, opposing the Extradition Act and sending Gary McKinnon to the U.S. for...
LAist (Free subscription) | 12/07/2009
Post by Jack Skelly/Special to LAist/ Photos by Blake Ferris and Chris Kim A for LAist The Mermen are not your everyday psychedelic surf band. Returning to L.A. last Thursday for the first time in half a decade to play Brixton at Redondo Beach pier, the San Francisco trio offered gleaming, kaleidoscopic, hard-edged, instrumental pearls. Several numbers stretched up to 10-minutes or more, but you'd...
Plaid Wrecsam (Free subscription) | 07/07/2009
Labour's problems with finding a candidate in Arfon have been noted - the talk is of parachuting in a candidate from outside the constituency. Bad enough in a notionally marginal Labour seat but they're also having problems with finding a local candidate for a previously safe seat in Clwyd South. Just nine months to go before the election campaign gets under way and no sign of a candidate. Will Labour...
Valleys Mam (Free subscription) | 18/06/2009
Hat Tip to the Guardian There's a good story about the 32 MPs who claimed the maximum amount for food - £400 per month. They were allowed to claim this under the second home allowance, even though there is no logical reason why staying in a second home requires anyone to eat more than they would if they were living at home. In the paper (but not on the web) it appears under the headline: Who...
The Lone Voice (Free subscription) | 16/06/2009
Martyn Jones claimed almost £20,000 in four years for food, claiming the £400 a month for food allowance. Oh and a new microwave was £129 for cooking said taxpayer funded nosh. Martyn Jones rents a flat and a car space (for £165 a month) near Parliament. He claimed a sofa bed cost £764. His receipts for furniture after he moved home in March 2006 include: washing machine,...
Welsh Ramblings (Free subscription) | 12/06/2009
The Financial Times has this piece of bad news for retiring Labour MPs: “City headhunters warned that the scores of [Labour] backbenchers likely to lose their seats will be largely unemployable” “They are more discredited than some [bank non-execs] – and that’s saying something” “people will not want to touch them with a barge pole” On the bright side...
Plaid Wrecsam (Free subscription) | 17/05/2009
In May 2007, 98 MPs voted to exempt themselves from the Freedom of Information Act, with the apparent aim of stopping the public from finding out the details of their Parliamentary expense claims. The measure was ultimately defeated, and after a long legal battle, the courts last year ordered the publication of the expense claims made by MPs. The government, however, continued to drag its feet until...
ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidat (Free subscription) | 10/05/2009
Following a recent flurry of announcements of retirements by sitting Labour MPs vulnerable to a swing to the Conservatives, here is news of another who is stepping down at the next election. Martyn Jones, MP for Clwyd South since 1987,...
Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness (Free subscription) | 08/05/2009
What does an MP normally do when he or she retires? Write some memoirs? Do some after dinner speaking? Trim some shots off the golf handicap perhaps? Try some home brewing? It’s not quite the latter option for Labour MP for Clywd South, Martyn Jones. He’s set himself the task of reviving a defunct brand of beer , Wrexham Lager, which he bought for £1. Good luck with that Sir!
David Cornock's other blog (Free subscription) | 07/05/2009
An anecdote from the retiring Martyn Jones about his battle with Boris Johnson for the Clwyd South seat in 1997. "Boris went to the Chirk car boot sale with one or two supporters and it just happened to be the same day as I went with about 20 supporters. "He was walking about by himself and so we went over to say hello and we all patted him on the back - he didn't realise we were sticking...
Plaid Wrecsam (Free subscription) | 07/05/2009
Or more accurately "rat leaves sinking ship"... as it becomes obvious that Labour are going to get hammered in the next General Election, we will see many more MPs opting for the fat pension and comfortable retirement rather than fight on in 2010. It says a lot that, after 22 years, Martyn will be best remembered for his distinctive bow ties.
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