Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Huw Lewis AM has today questioned what the All Wales Convention can achieve, and has said that despite the fact that it is now taking place, many in his own party have questioned the need for it. Is this because you believe that we should by-pass the referendum system and have full law-making powers in Wales like they have in Scotland, Huw? Hardly… Unionists in Labour like Huw Lewis cannot stop themselves making negative statements when we are trying to ensure, through the One Wales Government, that this process is a success.

But Huw is currently putting forward legislation regarding the regulation of public transport in Wales, so this cannot put him in the devo-sceptic camp, I here you cry! However, when he states that Wales is potentially ‘putting the cart before the horse” in seeking more powers, it only goes to show that the Unionist in him is alive and well.

Now remember, if it wasn’t for the devo sceptics in the Labour party that they accommodated in the Government of Wales Act, we would never have had such a hotch potch, complicated, laughable system. The Richard Commisssion’s recommendations could have been implemented without a second thought. But Richard isn’t the reality we see before us, so we must move on as best we can from the situation we are in.

We want the powers to legislate for the people of Wales, to be made by the people of Wales, in Wales. We shouldn’t have to justify why we want those powers, especially not at this stage in the devolution process. It is only natural that a country should want to govern itself, and to refrain from going cap in hand to a far removed London Government. Its high time the Unionists in Labour realised that they need devolution more than devolution needs them, and get on with the job of making it work.

Perhaps this is a Labour leadership attempt at underimining the One Wales government, but I’d rather they kept their misgivings to the internal workings of the Labour party, quite frankly. After all, there is an ongoing review of grassroots Labour party activity. I’m sure Huw Lewis and others could whip up some energy in those forums as opposed to parading their misgivings like this, and undermining the goverment that they are part of here at the National Assembly.

I don’t have much tolerance to blog today unfortunately. Its been a busy week, and next week looks even busier from what I see in my diary- but luckily we have recess on the 21st of July so I have more time to spend here in Neath, and around the region. Last night I opened my office ‘officially’ and hosted a party for members. My office has been open a while, but we’ve had a lot of work done to it as the rooms upstairs were a little run down! Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing delivered an inspiring speech about Plaid in government, and we later had some musical entertainment from two young people from Neath who are members of the National Youth Choir of Wales. Everyone was in good humour, knowing that summer is on its way ( whether the nice weather will follow suit is anyone’s guess!)

I also took part in a panel debate with new Sabbatical Officers in an NUS training day alongside Andrew R T Davies AM, Kirsty Williams, and Alun Davies yesterday. I enjoyed taking part in the discussion, but was a little disappointed that some of the panel members decided to talk the Assembly down to young leaders. I want to be able to inspire young people to get involved in politics, not put them off by saying that chamber debates are boring! Anyway, I’m sure the NUS will have enough to keep them busy on the campaign front in the near future, especially with the changes in FE, the student finance review and the Welsh language education strategy. Good luck to them!

Kirsty Williams got a bit touchy in a debate yesterday when Alun Ffred Jones AM questioned the effectiveness of the Liberal Democrats in Wales. It looks from the quote below from the chamber debate that Kirsty did in fact regret her stance in opposing the Tory coalition last year after all! But now she is happy to be in opposition. Of course she is pleased with this – no responsibilites, no obligation to deliver, no alternative policy suggestions. If she becomes leader of the Lib dems in Wales, she will have more opportunities to shout from the sidelines. Oh to be a Lib dem AM…

Kirsty Williams: I am grateful for the mention in your speech (to Alun Ffred Jones). There have been times over the past 12 months when the performance of this Government has led me to doubt what I voted for in that executive meeting last year. I have thought that I may have got it wrong, having seeing what you have done over the last 12 months, but then I realise that, had I voted the other way, I would not have been looking at Ieuan Wyn Jones as the Deputy First Minister, but he would have been First Minister, and then I do not feel quite so bad.

Don Touhig’s comments on the One Wales Government, specifically his view that Plaid are ‘runnning rings around Labour’ will not go unnoticed on the blogosphere today, especially not by Plaid bloggers! I read the story on the BBC website, and went straight over to Normal Mouth’s blog. Normal Mouth’s attempts to brush off Plaid’s influence on government made me smile, especially as only seconds ago I read the way in which a leading Labour MP believes that ‘They’ve ( Plaid) exploited their position in the assembly very well to make sure that the people believe that advances and changes and benefits to Wales are coming from them and not from the Labour Party. “We’re too dull, we haven’t done that.”

Comments such as this, along with the leaked Labour document on the dwindling grassroots support for the party will be worrying for the Labour leadership, and for any potential leadership hopeful. As Helen Mary Jones hints at in the article, it seems that instead of Don and the like accepting and embracing this coalition for what it is, they are childishly trying to undermine it at every cost.

Again, the Westminster v Assembly agenda goes in to overdrive. It is clear that the Unionists in the Labour party are in a very weak position at the moment, and that they are scrabbling to find a strategy to undermine a coalition which is working well, which is offering stability, and which is implementing progressive policies- merely in order to highlight their own personal misgivings a year on. Even some of the Labour AMs who were pessimistic about the Labour-Plaid deal have come on board, and recognised that the coalition is offering a new dynamic to Welsh politics. Yet the same Labour Unionists clamour for negative press coverage on the coalition, knowing that this is the only way they will make the headlines. Surely they have better things to do than to undermine the work of their own colleagues in Wales?

I believe that the coalition with Plaid has teased out many of the radical elements in Labour that were there in previous administrations, but which they felt ( for reasons I do not know) could not be explored further in the context in which they governed at the time. Plaid in government alongside them has provided them with a degree of flexibility to implement new ideas, and to approach policy in a fresh light. Plaid in government alone has started the long awaited shake up of the civil service, who are being told to understand that the Ministers make the policy- not the other way around! I don’t need to list the things that we have done in government here, but what I will say is that this coalition has ensured that it looks highly unlikely that Wales will return to a one party majority administration- ensuring that governments do not become complacent and take voters for granted.

The fact that the Labour party are assessing their internal situation is, I believe, as a result of this government in the Bay- a realisation that they must ensure that what they are seeking to achieve on a One Wales government level is reflected in the party membership. This positivity on a National level should feed down to the grassroots level, as opposed to Labour maintaining a parochial, Nationalist hater stance at all costs.

I look forward to the next few years of Plaid being in government. Obviously we will make mistakes, that is the nature of being a party of government. Obviously there will be decisions made that I and others will not agree with, but this is historical for Plaid- to be in government for the very first time, and I won’t let the likes of Don ruin that for me or my party.

On Saturday I spoke at a public meeting against the closure of Neath Abbey Post Office. Representatives from Post Watch and Post Office Ltd were present. There was a good turnout of local people, who had obvious concerns about the possible closure of a Post Office that they use on a regular basis, and which elderly people find to be much more accessible than the Skewen or Neath central Post Office service. What was frustrating about the meeting was the continued emphasis by Post Office Ltd that they could not be ‘political’, and that they were merely acting on the Westminster Government’s wishes to close 2,500 Post Offices.

It is phenomenal how the Labour Government at Westminster are trying to shrug off any responsibility with regards to the closure programme by allowing the Post Office Ltd to front such public meetings. They are effectively forcing them to take the flack for their own political decision, and making them stand up as scapegoats by the likes of Peter Hain MP who voted in favour of the closures from the outset.

I think that government Ministers, and Labour MPs that voted the way they did should take responsibility for their actions, and partake in such meetings from a government perspective instead of the Post Office Ltd, so that they can tell people exactly what is happening. How are Labour MPs across the country allowed to get away with organising their own public meetings in the guise of supporting communities and retaining their Post Offices, when they are the very people that facilitiated the process by which the Post Offices are diminishing?

How are they then allowed to stop other political parties from airing their opinions at such meetings, (as happened at the meeting in Aberdulais) who are merely seeking to emphasise that it is the Labour Government in London that is making this decision, that it is they who are actively taking government services away from the Post Office?

Is it any wonder that people lose faith in the political process? People are not naive, they can see how hypocritical Labour MPs are in this regard. If MPs care so much about eradicating poverty and developing their communities, why did they not put up a fight when it mattered- when they were voting on this issue? Crying crocodile tears now will not fool the public. Peter Hain should know that more than anybody.

MEMBERS OF ALL WALES CONVENTION ANNOUNCED

THE members of the All Wales Convention Executive Committee were announced today by First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones.

“We have been seeking a cross section of Welsh life and Welsh opinion who can tap into the views of ordinary Welsh people. I believe we have achieved that balance,” said the First Minister.

“I am confident that with the skilful chairing of Sir Emyr Jones Parry, the committee will gel as a group, get around all parts of Wales and ask the big questions about a referendum and what the ordinary people of Wales need to know about the key issues.”

The Deputy First Minister said: “I’m delighted that we have succeeded in attracting people of a high calibre from all corners of Wales to serve on the Convention.

“These people have a vital job to do in creating a debate across the country on the future governance of our nation. They will assess the levels of support for devolving law-making powers to our National Assembly in line with the commitment made by this Government in the One Wales agreement. I look forward to hearing their conclusions next year.”

Setting up the All Wales Convention is an Assembly Government One Wales commitment.

The coalition partners are committed to campaign for a successful outcome to a referendum once it is called under the terms of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

The Executive Committee has 16 members, plus the Chairman, former British Ambassador to the United Nations Sir Emyr Jones Parry, and is made up as follows:

Four members of the public appointed through an open competition process.
Eight appointed from nominations received from key Welsh organisations.

Four members nominated by the main political parties..
Appointed through open competition

Joan Asby of Narberth, Pembrokeshire: Joan has 30 years experience of supporting community engagement in local regeneration. She is the Chief Officer of PLANED, (Pembrokeshire Local Action Network for Enterprise and Development). She has served on the Welsh Assembly Governments’ Rural Partnership for Wales, its Social Enterprise Joint Working Group and 2020 Stakeholder Group. She was a founder member and Chair of her local community centre, Bloomfield House, Narberth and of Wales Rural Forum.

Nicholas Bennett of Cardiff: Nick was born in St Asaph, brought up on Anglesey and educated at Aberystwyth University. He is a member of the OFCOM Advisory Panel for Wales and is a member of the Welsh Language Board and of Glas Cymru. Nick was appointed Chief Executive of Community Housing Cymru in 2006 and has been a founding executive director of both an economic development consultancy and public affairs agency. Nick has recently attended the JFK Executive Education programme “Innovations in Governance” at Harvard University.

Sally Hyman of Baglan, Port Talbot: Sally is the former Headteacher of Bedwellty Comprehensive School. Now retired, she is Chair of RSPCA Cymru and Llys Nini animal centre. She is also involved in voluntary community initiatives including the Guides and works with other groups and charities including Environmental Wales and Shaw Trust.

Shereen Williams of Newport: Shereen is a recent migrant to Wales and represents a part of the mosaic of Wales’ communities. As Director of the Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisation in Wales, she works with various faith and racial groups and supports Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities. Shereen is currently carrying out research on disabled communities in Wales.

Organisations

Faith Forum: Aled Edwards has had a career with the Church since 1979. He is currently employed as the Chief Executive Officer of CYTUN and is to be received as a member of the Gorsedd of the Bards at this year’s National Eisteddfod in Cardiff. He is a member of the National Assembly for Wales Faith Forum, Chair of Displaced People in Action (Refugee Charity) and a member of the Wales Committee of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. He wasa born in Trawsfynydd and went to school in Blaenau Ffestiniog. He now lives in Pontypridd.

Funky Dragon: Laura Hayes is a member of Funky Dragon representing Rhondda Cynon Taff Youth Council. Laura has finished her A Levels and is hoping to go to University next year. She has been active in achieving her Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award and as a school councillor, achieving an OCN in Effective Communication and Listening. She lives in Gilfach Goch.
Wales CBI. Harry Ludgate is the Wales CBI representative and is currently employed by the Dow Corning Corporation as a consultant. He has worked for the organisation for many years as Chief Information and Corporate Vice President, and has extensive knowledge of global business. He lives in Barry.

Wales Council for Voluntary Action: John R Jones is currently the Chief Officer of Medrwn Môn, the County Voluntary Council for the Isle of Anglesey. Educated in Anglesey and at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth, John worked briefly for a solicitor’s firm in Cardiff before returning to Anglesey. He has worked in the voluntary sector for over 25 years. John’s first language is Welsh and he is committed to developing bilingual communities.

Wales TUC: Paul O’Shea was born and brought up in Tredegar. He then moved to Manchester to study Politics and Social Science at the city’s university. He has worked for UNISON since 1980 and is their current Welsh Secretary. Paul has also been a Board Member of the Somerset Learning and Skills Council, a non executive Director of the Training and Enterprise Council and a founding executive committee member of Tomorrow’s Wales, the group established by the Archbishop of Wales to campaign around the report of the Richard Commission. He lives in St Mellons, Cardiff.

Wales Women’s National Coalition: Shân Ashton is currently the Director of Postgraduate Studies and Lifelong Learning at Bangor University. Her main research interests are women, work and enterprise, rural and community development and regeneration and women in politics. She has a commitment to rural and community futures and equality and diversity. Shân is bilingual and lives in Capel Curig in North Wales.

Young Farmers Clubs: Rhodri Evans graduated from Aberystwyth with a degree in agriculture and is now a full-time farmer. He sits on the Wales and National YFC Board of Management and has recently been appointed as a non-executive director of Hybu Cig Cymru. Rhodri is also a Community Councillor and lives in Tregaron, Ceredigion.

Welsh Local Government Association: The WLGA will also have a seat on the Executive Committee and a nomination will be announced in due course.
Political nominees

Labour: Alex Aldridge has been a member of Flintshire County Council since 1995, representing the Flint Coleshill Ward. He was Council Leader from 2005-06. He served on Clwyd County Council from 1991, and is also a member of Flint Town Council. He is also a former leader of the Welsh Local Government Association. A former Corus worker at Shotton, he was also a previous chair of the then Clwyd Fire Service and its successor, the North Wales Fire Authority.

Plaid Cymru: Marc Phillips is Head of BBC Children in Need in Wales. He has a long history in the voluntary sector having, at various times, been Chief Executive of Tenovus, Director of Dyfed Association of Voluntary Services, and Mid Glamorgan Organiser for Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Marc Phillips was Chair of Plaid Cymru between 1996 and 2000. He is a current member of the Welsh Language Board.

Conservative: Paul Valerio. Born in 1940, Mr Valerio has also served on the Richard Commission. He was the first Lord Mayor of Swansea in 1982, and was a Conservative member of the City Council between 1968-1996. He also served as Leader of the Conservative group. A former Deputy Chairman of the Welsh Conservative Party, he was also the Conservative Assembly Candidate for Swansea West in 1999. He lives in Reynoldston, Gower.

Liberal Democrats: Rob Humphreys is Director of the Open University in Wales. He held posts previously as Director for Wales of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, and lecturer in adult education at Swansea University. He was appointed to the first and second Rees Reviews of higher education student support and funding and later to the Graham Review of part-time higher education funding. He is a past President and Chair of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. He was born and brought up in Montgomeryshire and now lives in Swansea.

Notes for Editors

The first meeting of the All Wales Convention Executive Committee is scheduled to take place in Cardiff on Monday, July 14. Further details will be issued in due course.

I hear that there is going to be an announcement on those who will be sitting on the All Wales Convention later today/ tomorrow. It’ll be interesting to see who is on it, and how they intend to go about their work. As far as I’m concerned, its important that the members of the group get to work straightaway, and canvass opinions on the future powers of the National Assembly.There is a general acceptance that the Assembly should have the same powers as Scotland ( of course we should have had such powers in 1999..)

The fact that there are differing structures and varying forms of devolution in the UK is a joke, and has meant that progress has been far slower- with a lack of consistency throughout the UK. With the Tories opening the floodgates yesterday on the discussion of stopping Welsh MPs voting on English legislation, it only goes to show that the current system is rife with difficulties.

We now have to look forward to the imminent work of the Convention, and how we can shape the agenda to ensure that there is a yes vote on a Parliament for Wales. No doubt there are MPs at Westminster intent on ensuring that a referendum does not go ahead, therefore there must be a large scale campaign to undermine such self interest and self protection from the MPs.

I believe that a yes campaign should start now, in conjunction with the Convention. The timeline is as such that I believe that it is necessary for us to be pushing ahead with gathering information as to the population’s opinions, but at the same time, ensuring that leading up to a referendum people care about the issues, and that they feel that they are part of the wider campaign for the development of Wales as a Nation.

One of the flagship elements of the One Wales agreement is the referendum on a parliament for Wales, therefore we have a clear duty to ensure that it takes place, and that it is successful.

I have had a relatively quiet day today, which is more than I can say for my colleague Nerys Evans AM who has been running around doing interviews about her anonomous survey of AMs on their own experiences of domestic abuse and sexual assault. This was initiated in relation to an Amnesty and NUS Wales led survey on the perceptions of domestic abuse amongst students, and the rate at which it takes place. Of course, the findings of the questionnaire are not surprising as we all, no doubt, know people who are victims of domestic violence in one shape or another. But it was actually surprising that so few AMs took part in the process. Nerys Evans was, after all, only seeking to communicate the fact that politicians are involved in this situation, and that we too have experiences that shape our society. I commend her for raising awareness of this issue, and hope that the Assembly’s report on domestic violence will lead to action in this area, as well as place additional pressure on the UK government to push this to the forefront of the political agenda.

The eating disorders cross party group went really well last night, and I thank everyone who attended. We will be meeting with the Minister imminently to discuss the care pathway with regards to eating disorders, and I hope that we can get assurances that there will be substantial investment in this area. Carers and those suffering from an eating disorder, as well as those working in the health sector were present, and I look forward to the next meeting, and arranging more events to raise awareness of the issue.

Tomorrow, I am taking part in a British Council event in encouraging young people to get involved in politics. I met with a group of 6th form pupils to discuss their political aspirations yesterday, and their enthusiasm is clear for all to see. I only hope that we can try and ensure that young people feel part of the political system as opposed to believeing that their voices are irrelevant to us as Assembly Members.