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...
Valleys Mam (Free subscription) | yesterday
Well I would like to know who invited Mike Tyson to come to Merthyr He presented flowers and talked to members of Johnny Owen’s family, before also paying tribute at the statue of Howard Winstone. “This is an awesome experience,” he said. “I’ve been to Wales before, but this has really blown me away. It’s worth so much more to me than doing anything I get paid for....
Valleys Mam (Free subscription) | yesterday
Hat tip to Sion Barry Finance Wales investment arm posted pre-tax losses of £2.74m in its last financial year.The company is part of Welsh Assembly Government subsidiary Finance Wales.It generated revenues of £3.23m for the year to the end of March 2009, up 10% on the previous year. The previous year they pre-tax profits of £516,938. During the financial year Finance Wales Investments,...
Carmarthenshire Planning Problems (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
I was delighted but not surprised to hear of another court victory against the council which casts doubt on the competence and integrity of Carmarthenshire County Council Planning department. Mr Nigel Humphreys has been trying to make safe and sympathetically convert an old mill in Llandybie, near Ammanford. All planning has been refused and is now subject to Appeal, to be heard in January. The mill...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
The civic self-determination movements of the SNP and Plaid Cymru don't deserve the same label as far-right racists Nationalists, it seems, are everywhere and on the march. In the past seven days alone the Guardian has drawn our attention to nationalists in Israel, Poland, Cyprus, Russia, France, Bosnia and even within the ranks of the non-nasty British Conservative party. This, it is clear, is not...
Independence Cymru (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
Plaid leader wants public to vote on Scottish-style parliament on same day as future Assembly election Jan 4 2007 Western Mail How it was then.....has anything changed? PLAID CYMRU will seek an early referendum on more devolution from potential coalition partners after the Assembly election in May. Party leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said the public should vote to give Wales a Scottish-style parliament on...
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...
Syniadau :: The Blog (Free subscription) | 06/11/2009
Thanks to one of David Cornock's tweets, I watched the recording of a debate on the probation service that was held at Westminster on Wednesday. Elfyn Llwyd managed to secure the debate (which is in itself no mean feat) and it went a long way to highlight just how poorly resourced the service is, and the pressures on those who work in it. A major element in the debate was a thirty page document cataloging...
Gwilym Euros Roberts (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Newydd wylio rhifyn yr wythnos hon o Pawb a'i Farn o Ddolgellau ac er nad oedd hi'n rhaglen mor dda a hynny, yn sicir mi ddaru cwestiwn gan Lisa Francis ynglyn a dyfodol ysgolion cynradd Meirionnydd enyn gryn drafodaeth. Be synodd fi ac yn wir siomodd fi oedd cyn lleied oedd hi'n ymddangos oedd ein Aelod Seneddol yn gwybod am y pwnc. Yn wir, mi ddaru Elfyn Llwyd wneud camgymeriad dybryd pan geisiodd...
Welsh Ramblings (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Credit to the indefatigable Syniadau for drawing attention to today's official launch of the National Theatre Wales. An English-language National Theatre for Wales is long overdue. It was first announced in 2007 as part of the One Wales deal, and will now run as a touring theatre to different venues across the country, like Scotland's National Theatre. Another feather in the cap for Wales' creative...
Enemies of the People (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
The Kelly Report on M.P.s’ Expenses Scandal 2009 Posted in State-crime Tagged: Conservative Party, Lib-Dem, New Labour, Parasite, Plaid Cymru, Respect Party, Sinn Fein, SNP, State-crime, U.K.I.P.
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...
0725 to Paddington (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader, Elfyn Llwyd, has a well-known legal background and has long campaigned for more resources to be allocated to the probation service. The Meirionnydd Nant Conwy MP says probation officers are being asked to do more for...
Valleys Mam (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Thanks to the Guardian for reminding me of this,how applicable to today. I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority, because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it. I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers. I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation,...
Valleys Mam (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009
Daniel Hannan and Roger Helmer have stepped down from positions in the Conservative European parliament teams in protest at Cameron’s u turn policy on that referendum. Cameron must be cursing Europe as once again it opens up the factions in his party. He has also been publically mauled by Tebbit and spent most of yesterday looking very sheepish and uncomfortable as he defended his no referendum...
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