David Cornock's other blog (Free subscription) | 09/10/2008
Peter Hain caused something of a stir with his latest intervention into the debate on the Welsh Assembly's powers. So what of the views of his successor at the Wales Office? Here are Paul Murphy's thoughts, as shared with the media during a briefing this morning: "This ain't the time for dealing with constitutional issues. It's time to be dealing with the economy of the country." The Welsh Secretary...
David Cornock's other blog (Free subscription) | 08/10/2008
What were you doing in November 2006? It seems so long ago. Tony Blair was Prime Minister. Charlton Athletic were in the Premiership. Peter Hain was running Northern Ireland. The Spice Girls were preparing for their comeback tour. In November 2006, the credit crunch was a granola bar. Vera Duckworth was hoping to retire to Blackpool. Parliament's Welsh affairs select committee announced its inquiry...
The Levee Breaks (Free subscription) | 08/10/2008
…it’s been so long since I blogged about politics (or indeed paid any attention to politics) that I have no idea who the secretary of state for Northern Ireland is these days. Is it still Peter Hain?
Neath Guardian (icWales) (Free subscription) | 08/10/2008
A “REIGN of horror” has been unleashed on residents by youngsters in Caewern, according to Neath MP Peter Hain.
Guerrilla Welsh-Fare (Free subscription) | 07/10/2008
There has been a lot of fuss about Peter Hain’s comments on the weekend. Glyn Davies predictably jumps on them as confirmation of his hope that a referendum will not be held. Anything to get the Nick Bourne betrayal off the front page of the Western Mail eh Glyn! Let’s look at this realistically. Yes these comments will not sit well for Plaid supporters. In fact, as you see on the Tomorrow’s Wales...
ORDOVICIUS (Free subscription) | 06/10/2008
...on what Peter Hain had to say to the lovely Felicity Evans yesterday. Basically, whatever Peter Hain has to say about Welsh politics is irrelevant. He was never exactly "in the loop" as far as the Welsh Labour group in the Senedd is concerned to begin with, and now that he's officially a political hasbeen what he has to say concerning Welsh devolution is even less relevant than it was prior
Borthlas (Free subscription) | 06/10/2008
According to Tomos Livingstone today, Peter Hain's remarks about the timing of a referendum on further powers are "likely to infuriate Plaid Cymru" . I somehow doubt that Mr Hain will be overly worried one way or the other about this, but for what it's worth, I'm not feeling particularly infuriated - yet. After all, his remarks are not out of line with what he's said several times before, so they hardly...
Leanne Wood AM/AC (Free subscription) | 06/10/2008
On Sunday's Politics Show, Peter Hain appeared to oppose the Welsh referendum pledge that his party have signed up to as part of the One Wales agreement (as the Hen Ferchetan reports here ). He has said that a referendum should not take place before 2011, because we won't win. He clearly wants to be on the winning side. The whole point of having a referendum is to see whether the people want what is...
icWales (Free subscription) | 06/10/2008
A REFERENDUM on primary law-making powers for the Assembly should not take place before 2011, former Welsh Secretary Peter Hain says today in an explosive intervention in the devolution debate.
Amlwch to Magor (Free subscription) | 05/10/2008
I didn 't see the Politics Show today, but apparently Peter Hain appeared on the show and stated that he would argue against a referendum in Wales before 2011, even though the Welsh branch of his party had voted for one. His reasoning was that there was division in Labour about the subject and that without the support of the whole of Labour the referendum would be lost. In other words, instead of trying...
Welsh Ramblings (Free subscription) | 05/10/2008
Peter Hain today appeared on the Politics Show and offered his logic for arguing against a referendum on full law-making powers for Wales being held in this Assembly term. The main point of his argument was that the Labour party are not united behind a Yes campaign, so it cannot be won. My question is this: if Hain were genuinely committed to law-making powers for the Assembly would he have: (a) accepted...
Make My Vote Count (Free subscription) | 28/09/2008
Sunder Katwala, on the Fabian Society's new blog, recounts this: Norman Lamb, LibDem frontbench spokesman on Health, stated publicly last night what most senior LibDems think: that the Alternative Vote would be an electoral reform compromise worth having. Peter Hain...
Liberal England (Free subscription) | 24/09/2008
Next Left has an account of a fringe meeting at the Labour Conference in Manchester. Among those taking part were Peter Hain and Norman Lamb: Peter Hain was running late for the event, but he had a good opening line. "I am sorry for being late. But before I came here, I thought I had better go and give a speech on electoral reform." This generated a hearty cheer from Lamb on the platform, as well as...
Guy Fawkes' blog (Free subscription) | 22/09/2008
Sheila Murphy, Regional Director for the Labour Party's Northern region has announced she is quitting. Sheila was closely linked to Peter Hain's ill fated campaign team . She is known to be close to David Evans, the ex-Deputy General Secretary, who is busy working with the rebel MPs to get Brown out. Will the last Labour Party apparatchik switch off the light?
Boulton & Co. (Free subscription) | 21/09/2008
Funny how things change. Remember when Peter Hain during his abortive question for the deputy leadership savaged a "culture of greed and envy" in the City, and suggested bonuses should be curtailed? At that time it was indicated that a certain Chancellor, his Economic Secretary Ed Balls and the then PM Tony Blair did not sign up to Mr Hain's view, which was widely portrayed as a blast from Labour's...
