Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

I spoke at my old school, Rhydfelen yesterday, and what was odd was that even though I was going to their new building, it felt as if I was stepping back in time to when I was a pupil, as many of the same teachers are still at the school. Jennifer Evans, my English teacher who taught me the wonders of the Bronte’s and of The Wife of Bath is now the Deputy Head, and organised the whole event. I’m never really that nervous, but in front of teachers who probably gave me a telling off or two when I was a pupil all those years ago, I was a little hesitant;-) Anyway, it was a great afternoon, and a chance to catch up and to feel that there are at least some people who are proud of what I have achieved!

I won’t say who won the BBC Radio Wales quiz that I took part in last night so that you will all surely tune in on Christmas Eve, and snuggle up with mulled wine to hear our intellectual answers! or not… still, it was fun, and a chance to show off my entertainment knowledge!

In the news today, of course, is the fact that Nick Clegg or ‘Calamity Clegg’ to most, was elected as leader of the Lib dems. I was on the edge of my seat all day. My aunty, a (shock horror) lib dem Councillor on Watford Council voted for Huhne as she did the previous time. I guess that he is a little upset today for losing, but he might have a chance of another contest sometime soon knowing how frequent the Lib dems get through their leaders….

I am taking part in the BBC Radio Wales quiz tomorrow which will be aired on Christmas Eve. A Government team vs opposition which includes John Griffiths AM and myself, against Nick Ramsay AM and Eleanor Burnham. If you think that you know some of the questions that may come up-especially to do with sport, then leave a comment! I may embarrass myself, but I hope that it will be a jolly affair!!

Tomorrow I am speaking at Ysgol Rhydfelen’s award ceremony. I am quite nervous because many of my former teachers are still at the school, and I feel that I will have to put in a good performance! I’m sure it will be great to see everyone again, but this time it will be at the new building at Gartholwg Campus, so no 1st World War aeroplane shelters to worry about as with the previous dilapidated building across the road…!

A week to go before I take some time out for Christmas. There are a few concerts that I will be attending locally before the break, but this will no doubt get me in the Christmas spirit, especially now that I’ve done all my shopping!

(Jon Bright is the Managing Editor of OurKingdom- OurKingdom is a part of openDemocracy’s new site. Its special focus is on the destiny of Britain. The website discusses Britain’s nations, institutions, constitution, administration, liberties, justice, peoples and media and their principles, identity and character. In a word our democracy in its broadest meaning, its history and future, from culture, participation and issues of centralisation and authority to equality, rights, responsibilities and who rules.)

What’s the point of power?

OurKingdom has a pretty simple mission – to make the constitution of the UK matter to people. Simple to say, that is, but hard to achieve: because I can say without much exaggeration that most people couldn’t care less about it at the moment. It’s a turnoff. In a recent poll, only 2% of Britons felt that the government should spend time reforming the constitution – the same amount that felt the government should do nothing at all. In fact, if you’ve even read up to hear, I’d be secretly pleased.

So why should people be interested? Well, for two reasons.
The first is that the constitution is starting to get interested in you, as it were. Most people don’t think too much about the engine while they are driving their cars – but when smoke starts to come out of the bonnet, they have to start paying attention.
Smoke has been quietly seeping out of the UK ever since Labour’s half-complete devolution settlement (though the word ‘settlement’ misleadingly implies that something was, well, settled). Since Alex Salmond took over in Holyrood, and as Plaid grow in power, it has started to come out in huge clouds. Creating devolved assemblies in Scotland and Wales (and finally getting Stormont started as well) has thrown a spanner into the UK machine, and no-one yet is quite sure of how it will be fixed – but we can’t keep driving along like this.

There’s also a second, more important, and more fundamental reason. The constitution is about the power in our society – who wields it, where it is wielded. And I think this is something that a great deal of people should be interested in.

To anyone who says people aren’t interested in politics I say – look at the Iraq war. This was a political issue, and I challenge you to find anyone who doesn’t have an opinion on it. A lot of people have very strong ones. But most of the energy that welled up in protest was sent, unfortunately, in the wrong direction. Everyone blamed Blair. Which is understandable. But would it have been different with a different prime minister? How did we even arrive at a situation where evidence for a war which most people were against could be manufactured, and planning for the aftermath could be so woefully thin, and yet no-one has been held personally culpable?

I don’t think people aren’t interested in politics. I think they aren’t interested in the type of politics they are allowed to do in this country. Not interested in voting in elections where only a few thousand swing voters have any real impact. Not interested in electing MPs to a parliament which lacks any real powers. Not interested in choosing between parties of apparently ideological interests. And not interested in a culture where apparently no-one is accountable.
Talking about the constitution is an opportunity to talk about all this, perhaps even change some of it. And devolution has created this opportunity. Already there is, for example, a vibrant new assembly in Wales – boasting near equal representation of women, a world first. There is proportional representation and power sharing, and a genuinely ‘local’ democracy. There will be no repeat of the Tryweryn debacle – and, just as importantly, if there ever was there would be people held accountable.

More gains could be made. In the next few years there will come a moment when Scotland votes on independence, when Wales votes for greater powers, when (perhaps) Fianna Fail merges with the SDLP and unionism starts to mean support for a united Ireland rather than a United Kingdom. There are no guarantees about how any of this will turn out – but with these moments there will be historic opportunities to reshape the nature of power in our country, and perhaps create a genuinely accountable, representative politics. That should be enough to get anyone interested.

I didn’t go to the ITV and the Welsh Yearbook politics awards this year. I was surprised that there would be such a bash for politicians considering the financial crisis that ITV are in at the moment, but there we are….

The only news that I’ve heard from the evening is of Hain’s speech and its bad taste, especially with regards female AM’s past and present- comments which I have no inclination to laugh at whatsoever. Other references were made about Doctor Who…Peter Hain travelling in the tardis….failing to see any bother regarding donations in the future….ha ha…

I’m so glad that he can make light of a situation which only last week was plastered on every news channel, and which may cost him dearly in the future. I’m not laughing, and I could hazard a guess that the people of Neath aren’t either. Perhaps Hain thinks that he is beyond criticism, that he is untouchable. After his enlightening ‘speech’ the other night, perhaps he will consider taking a good look at himself and the affect of his actions and words on others in the future.

I had a productive meeting with Brian Gibbons regarding child poverty yesterday. I hope that the schemes underway in Wales will play a part in tackling this issue, although I did raise concerns that while we can show leadership in Wales, we have to work with Westminster if the targets are to be met.

Ed Balls’s 10 year plan may be an area to look at but considering that there was no discussion with the WAG prior to Westminster’s announcement, we will have to wait with baited breath as to how London’s plans will coincide with what happens here( and the child poverty unit in the DWP)

It is somewhat adventurous for the Government in London to term it a ’10 year plan’, when there is no guarantee that Labour will remain in Government in Westminster for that period of time. I will reserve judgement on it until I receive more information, although I am concerned about the pressure that could be placed on schools to take on more responsibilities with regards the welfare and health of young people across the board.

I also had a meeting with Joseph Rowntree Foundation regarding their work in Wales this week, and they are initiating a significant amount of new research here, which is to be commended. I am eager to organise an event at the Assembly alongside JRF next year, which will again raise the profile of this issue at the Assembly…I hope!

Today is the last day of term at the Assembly, so back to South Wales West it is….

The Assembly budget got through today without much fuss. To be honest I did expect the opposition parties to be much more bruising, but we left the chamber with a little graze compared to what I was prepared for. There was over 17 amendments from the opposition against the budget, yet not one single effort to even suggest where they would change the budget lines to coincide with where they believe the money should go, or any inclination as to how they would do things differently. Fair enough to scrutinise and criticise -because that’s what being in opposition is about, but there wasn’t much depth to their arguments. Jenny Randerson and the Lib dems tried to say that we were spending money on gimmicks, which is of course untrue-and this coming from a party which proposed free toothbrushes for children if they came to power. Please, give me strength!

I am pleased however that all parties are in agreement that we have had a raw deal from Westminster, and that this is inevitably affecting our ability to balance out resources across the board. This line of argument has been driven all along from our MP’s in Westminster, so we are leading the agenda yet again! I did expect some Labour backbenchers to kick up more of a fuss than they did- naming no names, of course. The very Labour backbenchers that are finding common ground with the Tories at the moment. Interesting times lie ahead that is for sure….

I feel a little guilty that I haven’t blogged for a while, but seriously, I haven’t had a spare minute. I’ve been working hard on my child poverty brief this week following Brian Gibbons’ announcement, and checking out what the UK Government has been saying today with regards investing in childcare. I have a meeting with Brian Gibbons this week to discuss child poverty, so to those of you who are interested in the subject, you are welcome to leave some questions in the comment section that I may raise with him. Valleys Mam may wish to do so as I know that she has a keen interest in this area.

Apart from that, I’ve been sitting on the Equal Opportunities committee at the National Assembly this week where we have been scrutinising the Government’s Equal Opportunities policies, and the role of the new equal opportunities body in Wales, the EHRC. I also sat on the petitions committee where we heard evidence from Sustrans with regards to calling for an LCO to create combined use pathways in Wales for walkers and cyclists, as well as a petition on increasing the rights of young carers, and we met with people from my old school, Rhydfelen, who are fighting to retain the name following their move to Gartholwg campus.

I also spoke at the NUS Wales lobby at the Assembly on Friday, whose members are calling to increase the threshold on student loan repayments from £15,00 to £20,000. We don’t currently have the power to do this in Wales, but I’ve asked Assembly lawyers to look in to what can be done, and whether I could consider putting an LCO in on a ballot in the future.

Oh, but I did take time out to see the Manics at the CIA this week, who were immense! I could go and see that band every night of the week, without fail.

It’s my birthday tomorrow for anyone who is interested, and I’m off to meet the family for a meal at the Nant Ddu which is near Merthyr. It’s a lovely place to go, but it is always booked up early, so we did organise this months ago! I’m looking forward to it, and to the start of the Christmas season!………………..

Today I visited the pilot project of the company GEM Gas Conversion- (Graveson Energy Management) based in Port Talbot that have developed a conversion system that enables the recovery of energy from a wide selection of materials that are considered as waste. It identifies wasted resources as valuable fuel, utilises fuel by converting it into synthetic gas which is produced as a replacement for natural gas, which in due course generates renewable electricity and heat. I found the visit to be very interesting, especially in light of our aim in Wales to cut our carbon footprint, and to recycle. This pilot project is also important to recognise in relation to the new landfill tax, and an attempt by the Government to cut waste sent to landfill. Of course, companies that wouldn’t have thought twice about sending waste to landfill now have to reconsider their options, and GEM are offering that alternative.

The only hurdle at the moment is that their company is relatively small, and they have not as yet succeeded in encouraging businesses and Local Authorities in Wales to take up this new renewable way of creating energy from waste. They have a pilot plant in Port Talbot, and in a few months time, a DEFRA presentation in Scarborough, but they are now seeking to raise their profile in order to influence people such as Jane Davidson and Ieuan Wyn Jones who could offer them a future for their business in Wales. In the Netherlands, this system is the norm, but I think that we have a long way to go in Wales to educate people( and our Politicians) about new ways of working in this sector.

Tomorrow I am reacting to the Social Justice’s Statement of Child Poverty in Wales. I do fear that in light of the Treasury committee report, and the latest Joseph Rowntree report on this issue that Westminster’s targets will not be met, and neither will ours here in Wales. It looks increasingly likely that our efforts are in danger of being undermined by a Labour Government in London that lacks the political will to provide a clear road map and redistribute sufficient wealth to reach both 2010 and 2020 targets.

The Welsh Assembly Government is trying to initiate new ideas for addressing this issue within areas of devolved responsibility- the draft budget includes substantial extra investment for universal affordable childcare, a major Plaid election commitment, and a key mechanism identified by anti child poverty campaigners.

However, we are just not seeing the same sense of purpose from the London Government. The Treasury Select Committee report makes very worrying reading and confirms many of our fears. As the report says the recent Comprehensive Spending Review fails to provide a clear indication of how the 2010 target is going to be met. Put together with the Pre Budget Report in which only 48p extra a week was awarded to the poorest children, it is easy to understand why the London Government is being accused of running out of steam in this instance.

My previous blog post on Peter Hain also featured on the website Ourkingdom, where this was left as a comment-

Phil, on November 29th, 2007 at 10:35 pm Said:

They (Labour) rushed headlong into devolution a decade ago because they thought that they would have a permanent power base in Scotland and Wales when England eventually went back to the Conservatives rather than for any concerns about recognising Scotland and Wales as distinct nations with the right to self-determination. The last thing that Hain or Labour want is a Welsh Alex Salmond coming along in the future and upsetting the apple cart. They have got their fingers burnt in Scotland, so they’ll be in no hurry to do likewise in Wales. I think that you and all Welsh patriots have a fight on your hands but this English patriot wishes you all the best anyway.

Of course, Hain and Labour can see what is happening in Scotland, and are desperate for this situation not to be replicated in Wales. Nevertheless, this made me take the debate a step further, and to wonder what would happen to the development of devolution a) when there is a Welsh Labour Leadership bid and b) if the Tories win the General Election.

a) Now, Huw Lewis may not like the analogy of Welsh Labour v British Labour judging by his latest blog post, in that he is desperate to undermine the fact that any divide exists. Nevertheless, we all know that tensions do exist within the realm of the Labour party in Wales and that a leadership bid would only serve to intensify this situation.

If for example, we had a contest between a Huw Lewis and a Carwyn Jones when Rhodri Morgan steps down, then the One Wales coalition could be looking at two very stark future scenarios….

We could see a Huw Lewis stand, promising grass roots members and Labour Council Leaders to pull out of the coalition with the nasty Nationalists, ( where there would be no further dispute as to whether money would go ‘to the Valleys’ from the Assembly) either pushing the outcome to a Rainbow coalition or a Labour minority Government for as long as it could last. Deliver a Referendum? I think not!

Or we could see a Carwyn Jones promising to soldier on with the Labour-Plaid coalition, and trying his best to balance the devo sceptics and the devo enthusiasts through to 2011. Deliver a referendum? I think that he would have no choice but to do so, but how this would be done while keeping all of Welsh Labour vaguely content is anyone’s guess.

b) If the Tories win the next General Election, then this throws a) totally out of sync. and forces us to look at devolution in a new light. Labour’s somewhat arrogant nature may well be discarded of over night, and they will be encouraged to revisit their current stubbornness to co-operate with regards pushing the National question forward. A Tory Government could set Welsh Labour thinking that more powers for Wales is their only way to muster any control in the UK( especially if Scotland is firmly on its way to Independence) and will campaign positively for more powers for Wales. Welsh Labour MP’s will be on opposition benches, and will not for a minute defend Tory policies on a London level.

I may not be on track with these analogies at all, but it does pose some interesting questions about the alternative routes for the devolution process in the future.

It’s a busy week for Hain. Yesterday at the Assembly he was muddying the waters yet again on the excellent LCO’s, and today there is due to be a statement on the future of Remploy in Wales. Since the decision was referred to Hain, we are expected to hear that the number of factories closing will fall to 28 from the 43 that was expected to close earlier in the year. Ystradgynlais and Brynaman staff, however, will still have to move to the Baglan site, and the Trefforest site will close.

While this is a victory of some sort for the Union’s, I do believe that referring the decision to Hain was a tactical decision taken by the Government to make annoucements on factories which they had already earmarked to keep open. The announcement not to close the Bridgend factory was no surprise, and especially not so to Union Officials.

Nevertheless, while the factories have been getting all the headlines, the fate of the Swansea Shared Service Centre in Fforestfach has already been sealed. The Centre is set to close, and new jobs created in Leeds. This despite the ongoing consultation process, and the Government’s promise to re- look at all areas within the Remploy proposal. I have been working closely with workers at the Centre who are now furious that a decision has been taken on their Centre during this process, while all the Remploy factories, and the reasons for closure were revisited and re investigated.

The way that this consultation was carried out is an example of how not to do it in the future. Remploy management were effectively Government- led, therefore we need clarity in the future about who makes what decision and when. I fear that Bob Warner was used as somewhat of a scape goat in all of this – he was branded as being responsible for the attrocious cuts in Remploy, regardless of the fact that we all know that Remploy is a Government funded enterprise.

This does not restore the workers faith in the consultation process, especially when the future of their careers are in the balance. I will await the announcement today, and also await with interest the response, and the future actions of the Union’s involved.