Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Considering that I notified readers of this blog that Edwina Hart and Huw Lewis have put their names in the ring to stand for leader of the Labour party in Wales, and the future First Minister of Wales, I thought it only fair to tell you that Carwyn Jones AM has now entered the fray earlier this week.

They all have websites, twitter pages and youtube videos. Who will use them to the greatest of effect is yet to be seen.

 I must say that I had a quiet chuckle at Carwyn’s attack at Plaid’s policy on independence when launching his campaign. It was obvious that he did this as the myth out there is that he is a closet Nationalist, and thus needed to come out all hardline against ‘the nats’ to show his party how faithful he is to them, and to them only.

 What this has got to do with the Labour leadership race is questionable, but it may be that he is hinting at the fact that he is not a pushover in working with Plaid in government, and that he remains committed to the Union. So that’s clarified everything then.

So we are advised to leave it to the Labour party to fight it out from here on in by Adam Higgitt over on Wales Home. He has indicated that it is a ‘risk’ for other parties to enter the discussion. Nonetheless, if any sparky policy ideas are floated, or if any of the discussions impact on One Wales, I reserve my right to comment!

Aside from Chris Grayling’s faux pas yesterday in assuming that the announcement regarding General Sir Richard Dannatt’s appointment was a government one, ‘a gimmick’ as he called it, when in actual fact an announcement is to happen today at the Conservative Conference to appoint him as a working peer (paving the way for him to serve as a defence minister after the election) I believe that Sir Richard Dannatt should resign his position as General.

I’m not supportive of the war in Afghanistan at all, and I believe that British troops should be removed from the country. Nonetheless, Sir Richard Dannatt is appointed by the government, and should perform his duty accordingly. The role isn’t a political one, and is certainly not a party political role. If he wishes to see more troops in Afghanistan or more support from the government, then he should raise this with the Minister in charge, and in confidence. If he is unhappy, or takes issue with the direction of the military in said country, then my advice is that he takes the decision not work for the Government anymore, whose strategy it is to remain in Afghanistan despite 8 years of war, and minimal signs of a solution by violent means.

If he has announced his intentions to advise the Tories on policy at this juncture, then how can the Government be sure that he does not breach confidentiality, or compromise his position in any way? And if Dannatt wants to advise the Tories and become a Lord, then do so by all means, but be sure to leave the Military first.

If more and more General’s start speaking out against the Government in public, where will it stop? Will the military define and scope the political agenda of the government in question?  This could be very dangerous. What of the military in lower ranks, who are aggrieved at being sent to Afghanistan to fight a pointless war? Surely they would be disciplined, as they have been in past instances, for putting forward their own individual opinions in the press,  knowing full well what they have signed up to as members of the military forces?  Shouldn’t they accept the responsibilities that come alongside that role, or leave their positions immediately to speak out freely against the government’s activities?

 I agree with Menzies Campbell, who has said the following in today’s Guardian-

“By convention, our senior military are non-political, and an assertion of political allegiance so soon after leaving the Ministry of Defence will break that convention.”

But aside from this particular topic on Dannatt’s comments, I truly believe that we need a debate here in Wales on Afghanistan considering that there are Welsh troops fighting in the country. There is a protest in late October in London organised by Stop the War, but I think that we need to organise here in Wales, and to intensify the debate in opposition to the war, as was done during and before the Iraq war. It seems that there is currently a passive acceptance to Britain’s role in Afghanistan, and we need to challenge this from all angles.

Today I hosted an event at the Assembly of a new dvd produced by Barnardo’s Cymru alongside A Thousand Pictures Video Production Company of a film by young people in Wrexham, who are struggling to live their lives on benefits or on a minimum wage, while supporting a family of their own, or caring for others.

 The event was well attended, and successful. The young people talked about the challenges of living on the bread line, and their hopes and aspirations for the future. Of course, this agenda fits perfectly within the child poverty agenda, but it is very frustrating that we do not have the financial levers here in Wales to change the system.  I met with the young people, who travelled down to the Assembly today from Wrexham, and they were passionate about raising their concerns with decision-makers here, and at a Westminster level. They said that nobody should have to live in such poverty, and one actually said ‘I’d challenge an MP to live how I live for a week.’  We’ve proposed that they meet with candidates of all political parties for the Westminster election in their area, to discuss their main concerns, and why they feel that more young people should be supported.

Given that young people under 25 are the cohort of people who have been largely affected by this recession, especially given that they are unable to find jobs, or fund a University degree, we must take the views of the young people affected on board. Disparities in the minimum wage must be changed also. I say this, in full knowledge that if the Tories get in to power in Westminster, the benefits system will change dramatically. Their ideas on incapacity benefits are already very worrying indeed. Nonetheless, today was another wake up call that we can’t be complacent as politicians, and while its all well and good for us to have the United Nations Rights of a Child enshrined in all of the Welsh Government’s strategies, this must be reflected on the ground.

As the young people themselves said, they want to talk about these issues, as they do not want to see their own children living in poverty in years to come- of deciding whether to eat, or to heat their house.

Here is a link to the Barnardo’s web page, where you can view the video.

Mae Alun Ffred Jones wedi gwneud datganiad ar ddatblygiad yr LCO ar yr Iaith Gymraeg heddiw- er i Peter Hain briffio’r wasg cyn pawb arall neithwr, a cheisio fframio’r drafodaeth yng nghyd destun ei agenda ei hun. Un neges i Hain- stopia ymyrryd!

Dwi’n falch bod y broses nawr yn mynd yn ei blaen, ond mae angen i ni gael sicrwydd bod y broses yma o sicrhau’r LCO yn cael ei chwblhau erbyn mis Chwefror fel bod digon o amser i allu cyflwyno mesur ar yr iaith, fydd, am y tro cyntaf, yn rhoi hawliau ieithyddol i’r Cymry Cymraeg.

Dwi’n credu bod Peter Hain yn ceisio arafu’r broses drwy mynnu bod yr Uwch Bwyllgor Gymreig yn cael trafodaeth yn San Steffan ar yr LCO y mis yma. Mae Hywel Francis fel cadeirydd y pwyllgor materion cymreig heddiw mewn datganiad i’r wasg wedi gwrthod dweud ei barn hyd nes bod y drafodaeth hynny yn digwydd.

Ond beth yw’r pwynt o gael y drafodaeth yn yr Uwch bwyllgor mewn gwirionedd? Mae’r Cabinet, yn ol beth dwi’n deall, wedi cytuno i’r LCO gyda’r newidiadau. Pa rol felly sydd gan y pwyllgor ar lefel scriwtini ,o wybod bod Gweinidogion Llafur San Steffan wedi rhoi eu sel bendith iddo?  Dylen ni wthio ymlaen gyda’r LCO, heb cael trafodaeth ar ol trafodaeth ac hynny er mwyn ceisio cymodi ASau Unoliaethol.

Ar y mater o fudiadau a busnesau sydd yn dod i fewn i’r Ddeddf os ydynt yn derbyn cefnogaeth ariannol o £400,000 ,dwi o’r farn na ddylai fod yna unrhyw swm ariannol yn gysylltiedig gyda’r LCO yn y fath modd. Fe fydd rhan fwyaf o fudiadau fel Cadw a’r Gerddi Fotanig yn dod o fewn y swm hynny, ond nid dyna’r pwynt. Mae gwerth arian yn newid yn aml. Pam rhoi ffigwr ar y mudiadau sydd yn derbyn cefnogaeth ariannol gan y Llywodraeth o gwbl? Mater o egwyddor ynw hwn, yn syml, a dwi’n cytuno gyda Cymdeithas yr Iaith yn hynny o beth.

Gorau po gyntaf mae pwerau dros yr iaith yn cael ei drosglwyddo i’r Cynulliad yn fy marn i.

The Guardian reports today that there will be no punishment for the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes at London’s Stockwell tube station which took place in 2005. De Menezes was mistaken as a terrorist, and was shot by officers. This is the Independent Police Complaints Commission’s third review in to the case, and the commission stands by its decision not to hold officers to account, despite grave failings on the day.

The family of De Menezes are rightly angry at the judgement. They are  pursuing their case at the European Court, and the Telegraph informs us that ‘a compensation payout is expected to be agreed later this year with the Metropolitan police’.

The family are also alleging that many of the officers in question have been promoted since the shooting in 2005, which begs the question as to how the police can learn from this most tragic incident if officers are not punished or held accountable for their actions?

After all, an innocent man was killed in the cold light of day. Does this not set a precendence for the future? The police obviously anticipate that they may need to use similair tactics in the future if they are pursuing a lead on a person known to them as a terrorist, but does that justify their actions in this instance, and where will it stop?

A spokeswoman for the Justice4Jean campaign said the IPCC’s decision made a “mockery of the inquest’s findings” and that it ‘ gives a green light to police officers to act with impunity.’ It is difficult for me to disagree with this statement, given that nobody will be punished for what can only be described as a crime in itself, of killing an innocent man who was going about his every day life.

The campaign for justice for De Menezes has its own website, outlining its views on the failure of the police force, especially in relation to the ’shoot to kill’ policy. They state that this policy needs to be reviewed urgently -

‘If an armed officer has no intelligence or other information that tells him that the suspect has the means to detonate a bomb, he must issue a challenge or we risk repeat killings by the police.

A proper public debate about the ‘shoot-to kill’ policy is now long overdue’.

The campaign to seek justice for De Menezes is far from over. Today’s ruling must be discussed in the context of the London Government’s wider counter terrorism strategy. There are hundres of new laws relating to terrorism in the UK, many of which infringe on our civil liberties and fail to address the wider political and social ramifications of perceived terrorist threats on the UK.

Huw Lewis and Edwina Hart both raced to announce that they would be standing for the Labour Leadership contest in Wales after a somewhat hesitant announcement by Rhodri Morgan on Thursday that he would be leaving the position in December- ‘ I still love the job, I don’t want to leave..but I won’t be pushed out’ was the crux of it..

Huw Lewis got in there first, and there is no doubt that he will be pleased to get the nominations he needs. Guerilla Welsh Fare implies there are no surprises in the names of the AMs supporting him, and yes, they are the ones who opposed the One Wales agreement.

I have heard various opinions about Huw Lewis.  He is certainly seeking to be the leftist candidate, the down to earth guy from the Valleys, yet many I have spoken to from the area believe that he does not fit in to the above category. I certainly think that if Huw Lewis wants to win, he will need to show that he can unite Labour, and that he has a vision for the whole of Wales. However, the way in which he made road links a political football by accusing the Welsh Government of re-prioritising road development to  North- South from East to West (despite clear policy initiatives in One Wales) does not really reflect said vision. But as I’ve said before on this blog, at least Huw Lewis is keen, has floated ideas in various meetings and conferences, and has an eagerness to succeed.

Next to declare was Edwina Hart AM. Edwina Hart is no fan of the media, but I was still a little surprised that she chose youtube as her place to announce that she would be standing. A video address to the nation beside her Welsh dresser was her preferred option, and all on her own agenda.  She needs to continue to use this medium to communicate her message, now that she has initiated debate. There’s nothing more annoying than a politician trying to use new media who a) doesn’t understand it and b) is a flash in the pan, and gives up without pursuing it properly.

Edwina is an interesting character. She is to the point, and gets things done without any messing. She is strong in the Unions I am told, and this may prove difficult for Huw Lewis to compete against as the candidate on the left. Is the challenge for her to garner support from the MPs?  I hear that some are supporting Carwyn Jones who has not yet declared that he is standing.

Of course, at this stage the leadership contenders will be administering their own version of Gordon Brown’s ‘fightback’ talk to members in Wales, will be looking for internal support, and at internal politics of how to reinvent Labour. Nonetheless, they must be conscious of the fact that whoever wins will be the next First Minister of Wales. Too much navel gazing will not serve them well, and may alienate the Welsh public from the whole affair. (Although this may not be a bad thing for Plaid, who will be getting on with the job of delivering in Government without any distractions whatsoever!)

And to finish, I must mention the One Wales agreement. It is true to say that the One Wales coalition is between two parties and that it will take the parties alone to continue with the deal or to end it, but the view of a party leader is inevitably important, as that person will be negotiating future coalition deals. I think that its vital for Labour members to question the prospective candidates on their visions for the future based on the presumption that they will have to adapt their individual visions to enable them to work with other parties-  colours of which will vary, I am sure.

But by the way, I don’t intend to give a running commentary of events. The labour party can do that for themselves. I am merely stating an opinion given that one of them will be the new First Minister of Wales.

I hope the Labour candidates will take it in good faith, and pursue their campaigns with gusto…. Over to you….