First Reaction to the All Wales Convention Report

I haven't had time yet to analyse in full the Convention report, but the key conclusions are very clear.

i) There is a majority (albeit a small one) in favour of a Scottish style parliament for Wales.
ii) That a proposed referendum is emminently winnable.

There are many other aspects of the report that highlight some of the deficiencies / challenges of the current dispensation - the complexity of the framework, the need for a statute book, the benefits of the Scottish and Northern Irish models of reserved powers and the report should be heeded on these matters.

The Convetion's conclusions on law making powers is clear:
"The Convention is convinced that Part 4 [Law Making Powers] offers substantial advantage over the present arrangements in Part 3 [The current position]. It would offer greater efficiency, permit a strategic approach to the drafting of the legislation, provide greater clarity, be more consistent with the rule of law and democratic tradition, and reflect the emerging maturity of the National Assembly for Wales."

I couldn't have put it better myself!

Maximum Wage (Increases)

Plaid have recently announced as part of our alternative Queen's Speech proposals to introduce a maximum wage. I very much support the principle of the proposal, but I'd suggest we could go further and bring together companies and organisations in terms of wages.

I've been particularly annoyed to see businesses, public bodies and some local authorities giving large pay hikes to bosses while imposing derisory pay deals on the vast majority of employees. One very effective way in my view to ensure that all pay is based on the improving the performance of the company would be to link any bosses pay rises to the level of average employees pay deals. So if the staff are getting a pay increase of 2% then the bosses get a 2% pay increase. On the other hand if the bosses want a 10% pay rise, then everyone else gets to share too!

Jobs and the Economy - the long term view

There was understandable disappointment this week at the Welsh unemployment figures. While the earlier monthly figures had shown Wales faring well (or actually less badly) than other parts of the UK, the latest figures were clearly disappointing. However, in the midst of the recession the media in particular, and politicians to some extent, seem to pounce on any news good or bad of how things are going.

Just as there were a whole range of complex factors behind the unemployment figures in the Summer, equally there are local, Welsh, British and world wide factors behind the figures now. I'm not for a moment arguing that local and Welsh factors don't have an impact - rather that in order to be able to assess properly the success or otherwise of Welsh Government policy you need at least a couple of years of data. On that score I remain convinced of the benefit of schemes such as ProAct and ReAct and their impact in keeping people in jobs.

The real challenge of course is counterfactual economic modelling, techniques that though I have a PhD in the Welsh political economy are beyond me I'm afraid! The big question is what would have happened had the Welsh Government done less and followed the example of the English Ministers ... My argument would be that things would be a whole lot worse.

So lets try and put every piece of news in its proper longer term context, and redouble our efforts to support Welsh people suffering in the recession.

Caring for our soldiers

The hypocrisy of the Labour Government has been exposed once again in relation to our serving soldiers. There is understandable fury amongst service families about the bonus payments to MoD civil servants. I am amazed that a Department that cannot provide the basic equipment to troops, cannot manage projects large and small properly, and can't even deal with correspondence properly benefits from such large bonus payments.

I was also, during this week where we rightly remember those who didn't return, very pleased to see the Howard League for Penal Reform set up an enquiry into why so many ex-soldiers end up in prison. Elfyn Llwyd, Plaid's Parliamentary Leader has been campaigning on this issue for some time and it is entirely appropriate that he is part of the panel. I hope that the recommendations that emerge will be enacted promptly to ensure proper support for our service people at home and abroad.

When Nothing Goes to Plan!

I have to admit a little sympathy for Gordon Brown in the latest revelations about the ineptitude of this government. That the Prime Minister takes time to write personally to the family of service personnel killed in Afghanistan is clearly to be commended. However, it is symptomatic of a government that has completely lost the ability to govern that they can't even get this right! If Brown's lackeys in Number 10 lack the wit or the back bone to tell the Prime Minister that he needs to rewrite a letter where key items are mis-spelt there is something seriously wrong at the heart of government.

My sympathy for Brown doesn't however extend very far. He is the politician who was consistently hostile to Ministry of Defence requests for appropriate equipment when in the Treasury, he has shown little genuine support for the armed forces while in Number 10 and the half baked attempts to smear former generals who have raised grave concerns about military strategy beggar belief.

Once again he has proven himself utterly incapable to fulfill the office of Prime Minister - and those that pay the price are our service men and women on the front line.

Inspired by K.O. Morgan, Christine Chapman ... and Dafydd Elis Thomas

Just got back from a Llafur Conference ... the Welsh People's History Society not the Party! The conference was looking back at 10 years of devolution in historical perspective and also looking forward.

Dafydd Elis Thomas placed the development of the National Assembly in the appropriate context of Welsh radical politics and looked forward to future developments in the powers of the Assembly.

Both K.O. Morgan and Christine Chapman took a more historical perspective but also offered significant challenges for the present. K.O. Morgan (who sits as Labour peer Lord Morgan of Aberdyfi) was particularly radical in his views on deepening democracy both within Wales in terms of enhancing the powers of the Assembly and giving the Assembly financial powers; and more broadly within the UK by arguing for an elected House of Lords, a written constitution and the abolitiion of the monarchy.

Christine Chapman charted the history of Welsh Women's political representation. I was delighted to find out that the first Welsh Women's Organiser for Labour was from Hirwaun, and to hear of detailed research about the development of Women in Welsh Democracy. There was a challenge however in that Chris pointed to a number of possible developments where female representation in Wales in 2011 is actually likely to fall rather than increase. Formal party mechanisms are critical to ensure that this does not happen.

Both presentations got me thinking about how the left in politics in Wales has in part ducked the challenge of deepening democracy alongside the establishment and embedding of the Assembly. There is much to be done to ensure genuinely equal representation for the people of Wales in the Assembly, but also great opportunities to give people a stronger voice in their communities and the major decisions that affect their local services.

Today's message for me was that having the Assembly is only a first step on the road to creating a democratic society in Wales. It also reminded me that we have many inpirational social movements, such as the Chartists, the ILP, the Suffragettes and the Unofficial Reform Committee (of the Miners Next Step), upon whose heritage we can draw in developing a radical agenda fit for the left of the 21st century in Wales and beyond.

20mph zones - Reclaiming Our Streets

As I've posted previously on this blog, dangerous road traffic in residential areas is a major issue right across the Cynon Valley. I've already written to RCT council about several areas that would benefit significantly from 20mph zones e.g Dyffryn St in Mountain Ash and Station Road in Hirwaun.

I'm very pleased therefore that the Welsh Government seems to be coming round to a more balanced approach to transport and has issued new guidance on 20mph zones. By reducing speed in residential areas streets are made safer for pedestrians and cyclists alike. I very much hope that RCT council will apply the new guidance as soon as possible and I'll be writing to them on this issue.