Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Bethan Jenkins:

Thank you for the statement on progress on this issue. I would like to reiterate that I have concerns about this policy, given that a large cohort of students will no longer receive any support in Wales due to the fee grant being changed in this manner. I thought that we had a Wales-based policy that would help any students facing financial barriers, but that does not seem to be the case today. I welcome that Welsh students will have an enhanced Assembly learning grant and a higher rate of it, but can the Minister tell me how much more students will benefit financially under this new system than they did under the old one?

Will the new system cover courses that are not available in Wales, such as dental technician courses? I have a constituent who is one among three students on a dental technician course in England, but he cannot get any financial support from Wales to sustain him through his studies.

I believe that there is concern from NUS Wales, as has been mentioned earlier, about the future of the national bursary scheme and whether it will be scrapped or appears to be scrapped under this new arrangement. As I understand it, the NUS agreed to this change based on there being a national bursary framework, so will you clarify once again what this new arrangement will mean for the bursary structure? If HEIs still choose to offer bursaries, it could mean that the present postcode lottery continues.

The top-up of the ALG is not a bursary system and could introduce a more complex system, which no-one in this Chamber, or in Wales, wants. I would also like to reiterate the questions about the top-slicing of HEFCW’s budget. Can you give us assurances that moneys will be ring-fenced for widening access within those bursary criteria? Will HEFCW have a role in monitoring those criteria so that we can ensure that the money is given to the students who need the support the most?

I would also like to ask about progress on the student recruitment grant, because I would have thought that it would have been strategically pertinent to discuss that scheme today alongside the bursary scheme. As I understand it, there is little detail on that. I know that there may be some problems with EU law with regard to administering that particular initiative, but I would have liked to have seen that discussed today, as well as progress in relation to part-time students.

I would also like to ask about the effect of the Browne review, which is currently happening under the UK Government. If Cardiff, as part of the Russell Group, decides to raise fees after 2011, will any additional bursaries be available to students, and how will the Welsh Government adapt plans to any new announcements on a UK level, as they will obviously affect Wales?

Can you finally answer my question on when, or if, regulations on this policy will come to the National Assembly, because it is important that Assembly Members are able to vote on this issue?

Leighton Andrews: What we are doing here today is fulfilling the commitment given by my predecessor to publish plans for a national bursary scheme in spring 2010. This is virtually the last week of spring 2010, so at least we have managed to achieve that commitment, which is what I wanted to ensure.

This is a bursary scheme, and we have found a simple way of administering it by integrating it with the Assembly learning grant. We are not changing the principles set out in announcements by my predecessor, other than to pay the sister scheme in this way. This is a Wales-based policy, which means that, dependent on income, students will be eligible for up to £600 on top of the Assembly learning grant. Bethan asked whether it will be available to students who are pursuing courses that are not available in Wales, such as dentistry. As I said in the statement, all students who are eligible for the Assembly learning grant or the special support grant will receive an increased level of award wherever they study in the UK.

Much as I would like to have a slightly more dirigiste higher education system than we have in Wales, we cannot stop or control higher education institutions from offering bursaries They may choose to do that. What we can try to do, working with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, is to ensure that they are focused on the key elements of our agenda, including support for STEM subjects, widening access and so on. That is clearly our objective, and we will work towards it.

I am not in a position to make a statement on the issue of the graduate recruitment grant that Bethan referred to. There are difficult legal issues that we have been trying to resolve, which is why I have not been able to bring anything here today on that subject. Those legal issues are not simple—if they were, we would have brought proposals forward to you today.

We made our submission to the Browne review some weeks ago. The new Government is now taking that discussion forward and I will be looking to have conversations with the Minister for higher education in the new UK Government about that. The Browne review focuses on the situation in England, but it will have implications for us. I note that the Scots have a different approach to the question.

There is a series of issues that we have still to resolve, some of them currently unknown to us because the Browne review has not concluded, although we see a lot of lobbying by higher education institutions. As I said, when I bring forward the regulations on the Assembly learning grant, a discussion on the bursary scheme will be incorporated.

KIRSTY Williams, the Welsh Liberal Democrat leader, has remained pretty unwavering in her support for Barnett reform. In July last year, after the Holtham Commission was published, she said: “We have long argued that the Barnett formula is not fit for purpose and needs to be replaced with a fairer system”.

Some months after that, she argued that “Wales wants and deserves a needs-based formula”, asking why the then-Secretary of State for Wales couldn’t “see that the current funding formula for Wales is not working”. She went on the attack against Labour in this YouTube video too, claiming that “if we don’t act now, by the end of this decade, Wales will be shortchanged to the tune of £2,900 for every person that lives here.”

Ms Williams had a golden opportunity to address this issue directly to the new Prime Minister when he visited the Senedd and met with her on Monday. Since there was no forthcoming news on whether the annual £300 million funding shortfall had been discussed, I wrote to her on Wednesday to ask about it. Reminding her that she had urged the last Government to “act immediately” on the Holtham findings, I wrote: “Now … your party is in a position to take that step itself, and I would be interested, in particular, to find out the substance of the discussions you had with the new Prime Minister when he visited Wales on Monday.

“…If we are to expect cuts in Wales from the new coalition Westminster government, it is essential that we secure this money so that we may avoid the prospect of a double dip recession in this country.”

She replied to the Western Mail: “After the Labour-Plaid Government in Cardiff Bay have failed for so long to deliver any change for Welsh communities, I am delighted that Bethan Jenkins is looking to the Welsh Liberal Democrats for leadership.

THE First Minister has written to all Assembly Members this morning with the following:

“I wanted to inform Assembly Members that I have today written to the Secretary of State for Wales reiterating that it is our understanding that the drafting work on the Order in Council to be laid before Parliament will have been substantially completed by the end of this month.

“Secondly, we have provided a suggested question in both English and Welsh (attached) for the Secretary of State to consider.

“Thirdly, we have expressed our strong preference for a referendum to be held in late October of this year.

“It is now a matter for the Secretary of State to consider the question and the date.”

More to follow as I hear it.

This is the suggested wording from the Welsh Government on the referendum-

“Do you want the Assembly to have the power now to pass laws on all the subjects which are devolved to Wales?

I am pleased that the Welsh Government has come out strongly in favour of an October referendum, and now the ball is firmly in Gillan’s court. I will blog further about the referenda event that took place last night, but one thing to say is that I am convinced more than ever that the referendum should take place in October.

The experts speaking at the event last night did not favour a referendum on a single issue near or on the day of the Assembly election- this was backed up by research that referenda are generally more unsuccessful if they are held at a time when politicians and political parties are fighting against each other in an election too. The electoral commission will have to consult on the question, but I don’t see what should stop us during that time  getting going with the yes campaign -encouraging people to vote positively in said referendum. Getting the message right, and firing people up to get out to vote is something we must all work on, to ensure success. 

 I also don’t buy the argument that Cheryl has too much work to do on this issue to make October impossible to hold a referendum. The Good Friday Agreement for example was brought to the public of Northern Ireland prior to Parliament approving it, so a pre-legislation referendum here in Wales could happen too.

Reading the con dem coaltion document, I don’t see why they are hesitant on this question given that they’ve now decided to tie the issue of a successful referendum with that of fairer fuding for Wales i.e they will start work on this AFTER said referendum. Why are the two elements attached in the first place? This must be a slap in the face to Kirsty Williams who has been calling for a fair funding deal for some time, only for the new coalition of which her party is a member, to kick it in to the long grass, while Scotland will be given firm promises over Calman.

I’VE had a really busy week so far, and it’s only Tuesday. Yesterday, I was in Glasgow all day visiting eating disorders services in the city, and talking to the team and staff that run them. It was an informative day, and I found out a lot about the services they offer, and how they implement policies and treatment plans in Glasgow and across some other areas of Scotland. I went there really as part of an information gathering exercise, to see what Wales can learn from services provided in another nation where health is devolved.

I also wanted to share some thoughts with them on the way forward, and how we can share ideas on best practice in the future. I don’t want to say much more yet, as I plan to write a comprehensive article on the subject for the health section of the Western Mail, but it was worth the 10-hour bus journey up and the seven-hour journey back by train. I also enjoyed catching up with some colleagues from the SNP to talk about the election results and the way forward leading up to the Assembly/Scottish Parliament election.

On another note, I’m looking forward to the Experience of Referenda event I’ve helped to arrange, and which I will be speaking at tomorrow night at the Pierhead building. Chaired by Victoria Winckler, Director of the Bevan Foundation, the event’s speakers are:

- Dr Mads Qvortrup, leading European expert on referenda
- Nigel Smith, former Chair of the Yes campaign in Scotland
- Quintin Oliver, public affairs expert from Northern Ireland
- Daran Hill, former National Organiser, Yes for Wales campaign

I hope there will be some lively discussion. I particularly want to find out what their thoughts are on a referendum on more powers for Wales. The Electoral Commission doesn’t seem to think that a referendum in October is advisable, and I suspect that Cheryl Gillan is of that opinion, too. Many people would like to see it happen in October, as would I, but one thing is certain- it must happen before the 2011 election. What I am somewhat confused over however is how the ConDem coalition in the UK government is ready enough to have a General election in 2015, on the same day as the Assembly election in 2015, but that there seems to be an issue with a referendum and an Assembly election on the same day next year. I’m not saying that I agree with having a referendum campaign necessarily on the same day as the election, but why one rule for one, and not for the other?

And on the Lib Dems conference in Birmingham on Sunday. I tried to keep up with those Lib Dems who were tweeting from the conference while I was travelling to Scotland, as the conference wasn’t opened to the media ( so will tweeting Lib Dems be disciplined, I hear you ask?) What I found odd was how the conference took place after they had agreed as a party to the principle of going in to coalition with the Tories. It would be good to know if the changes or policies that they put forward will have to be adhered to by both Lib Dem and Tory Ministers, or whether this conference was just a token gesture to please party activists, or to calm them down a little. We’ll have to wait to see what will happen.

Right, best get back to reading committee papers for tomorrow…

Cheryl Gillan has been appointed Secretary of State for Wales, and I understand that David Jones MP is her deputy. I have read a few angry blogs about the fact that Cheryl Gillan represents an English constituency and will now be representing Wales. However, I was astonished when Peter Hain criticised her for this on radio the other day a) because his first home is registered in London and b) he was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and I don’t remember him living on the Falls road.

I don’t particularly like the fact that a Secretary of State for Wales resides in England and represents Wales, but the position itself to me just reinforces colonialism- our UK masters watching our every move. Personally I think the role is outdated, and should be scrapped. If the role changed, then I would possibly support a combined role of a Minister representing the devolved Nations. Surely the link with Westminster that our First Minister and Deputy First Minister has would suffice?

The Government of Wales Act gives the power of veto to the Secretary of State over the LCO process- Peter Hain obviously didn’t look far enough ahead to a Tory government when drafting that one. Time will tell whether or not Cheryl Gillan will use this power- which in my eyes can only be used adversely. The main priority for Cheryl Gillan should be delivering on a referendum on more powers for Wales. We need a time scale for that referendum, and it needs to be announced soon given that the Tory/Lib dem coalition document says that it supports such a referendum. I am hosting an event next Wednesday evening at the Pierhead on the experience of referenda, and no doubt the future of Wales in the context of the newly formed Tory/Lib dem coalition will be a topic of discussion by the panelists.

Some commentators have speculated that Cheryl Gillan has been appointed due to the fact that there are not many women in the cabinet. I think its a little insulting to women to suggest they’ve only appointed her to make up the female numbers. No, there aren’t enough women in the cabinet, that is true, but I hardly think that the Cameron and Clegg chose the women randomly so as to appear more balanced. We will have to see if Cheryl Gillan is cut out for the job. Her media performances up to this point have been poor, and the fact that she did not know that Rhodri Morgan is no longer the First Minister is very worrying indeed. It may be a case of Cameron and Clegg not really prioritising Wales in choosing Gillan for the role. Or as one AM suggested to me yesterday, she could be given a chance at the role, to be replaced at a sooner rather than later date…

Nonetheless, I am surprised if it is confirmed that David Jones is her Deputy. I truly expected a Lib dem to be allocated that position.

I will blog about the coalition document between the Tories and the Lib dems at a later date, when I see a more detailed version. Peter Black AM stated yesterday in the Senedd that this was a ‘draft’ version at the moment. Its very worrying if his party has signed up to a draft coalition document, that’s for sure- especially when its been in the public domain before a wider discussion has taken place within both parties respectively. At a glance there seems to be a lot of independent commission’s being set up ( a commission on the banking industry for example) and Lib dems will be able to abstain on issues like nuclear power.

There is a short paragraph on immigration, and nothing at all on human rights/ social justice ( as members of the cross party group on human rights noted last night at our meeting). I am also deeply concerned about the fact that it appears that the Independently Financed News Consortia will be kicked in to the long grass, as well as the in year cuts that we now face….

I’M DRIVING home from a meeting, and I hear on the radio that David Cameron has now become Prime Minister. Talks were moving so slowly, and then it all happened so suddenly. Brown resigning, going to see the Queen, Cameron arriving at 10 Downing Street…

Already on Twitter and Facebook, the Labour party is warning against the savage cuts from the Tories.I think this is mighty fine coming from them at this stage, given that the Labour-Lib Dem – or progressive – coalition with Plaid and the SNP fell at the first hurdle. It’s clear that they were putting party priorities of a new leader before that of governing.

The strategy employed by Brown of standing down to facilitate the Lib-Lab talks clearly did not work. Now he is jobless, and will go down as a failed Prime Minister in the history books ( or at least he should be remembered as such)  There could have been an opportunity to discuss a fair funding deal for Wales, but all of this is now up in the air. The Tories say the will not cut the Welsh budget in the first year, but will they actually keep to this? And if not, will we experience double the cuts the following year?

Of course, if the Tory-Lib Dem coalition takes place then that dynamic in itself will be very interesting indeed. It was being reported last night that former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown is going to be joining the Cabinet, perhaps as National Security Advisor, even though he no longer holds a seat in the Commons. Who will be Secretary of State for Wales? Will they keep the role, or have one post for the devolved nations?

One thing is certain – the relationship between the Plaid-Labour coalition in Cardiff Bay, and a Tory- Lib Dem coalition in London will be intriguing. One Labour AM has already told me today that Plaid can carry on criticising the UK Government decisions, and now Labour will join us in that criticism of Westminster.  Some Tory AMs were hoping for a Lib-Lab pact for the very reason that they did not want to be delivering on the cuts agenda, even though I mentioned that surely they would like to be in government after being in the dark for so long. Clearly not, it seems.

I sincerely hope that we still can push forward with a referendum on more powers for Wales nonetheless. But again, everything is now up in the air.

As I’ve said before, I will certainly let the Welsh electorate know if the Tories decide to defer cut for a year to cushion the blow in the Assembly elections next year. They are in government now, and must not take people for fools. One thing I know for sure, though, is that Kirsty Williams will not be happy about this decision. Time will tell if this coalition lasts.

TODAY, like yesterday, we are still waiting to see who will form the next UK government. I am not concerned at the time it is taking to form a coalition per se, as I was part of the talks to set up the One Wales Government agreement, and understand that it is a long process. For coalitions to work, they take time and patience to set up and to administer.

Today Gordon Brown has announced that he will step down as PM and leader of the Labour party to allow for negotiations to be initiated between Labour and the Lib Dems. It seems that Gordon Brown as leader of Labour meant that there was little luck of wooing the Lib Dems (or Clegg anyway).

Brown has recognised that he cannot remain leader under a Lib-Lab coalition. This is despite the fact, of course, that the Lib Dems are still talking to the Tories, with murmurings from individuals from within both parties about the viability of such a coalition.

All the talk from Lord Adonis, Kevin Brennan, Peter Hain and the like is about a ‘progressive’ coalition (although I’m led to understand that this does not at this point in time include Plaid Cymru or the SNP – or, more correctly, Labour has not contacted Plaid Cymru to initate any discussions. Yet).

Anyway, from the online dictionary, the definition of progressive in political terms is termed as the following-

‘ Favouring improvement, change, progress, or reform, especially in a political context; — used of people. Contrasted with conservative.

Note: The term progressive is sometimes used to describe the views of a politician, where liberal might have been used at one time, in communities where the term liberal has come to connote extreme views.

Disposed toward adopting new methods in government or education, holding tolerant and liberal ideas, and generally favoring improvement in civic life; — of towns and communities.’

The term was used by many, including myself, during the coalition talks on an Assembly level in 2007 to set up a progressive, left of centre coalition in Cardiff Bay.

Yet, what is interesting in the UK context is how the Conservatives are seeking to take this ground away from the left, by claiming that they are now the ‘new progressives’. George Osborne set this out in a speech before the General Election-

‘Whether it is pioneering open primaries to select our parliamentary candidates, or using new technology to give the public power through access to government information, or our commitment to a radical localisation of power, we are the ones setting the progressive pace in politics.

Some now say that the economic problems facing the country, and in particular the ballooning budget deficit, mean that the Conservative Party must put our interest in public service reform, localism and environmental improvement on the back burner.

They say that the progressive priorities that motivated the Conservative Party in the first couple of years of David Cameron’s leadership are luxuries that cannot be afforded an age of austerity.’

George Osborne is claiming that it is the Conservatives who are now progressive, as they are the party putting forward new ideas, seeking to localise power instead of centralising it like Labour. I am raising this point on ‘progressive’ politics, as it seems that the term is being used by Labour and the Lib Dems to push the Conservatives to the periphery as a backward looking, regressive party despite the fact that it is the Conservatives who have won the most seats. However, if you analyse the speech above, it seems the Tories are the party that are seeking to take the progressive mantle away from Labour and the Lib Dems. I am not saying that I agree with the fact that the Conservatives are progressive, but it was a strategy to triangulate Labour prior to the election, and seems to have been shelved.

Now that parties are in talks of forming pacts and coalitions, I think that unless the Tories counter attack the Labour and Lib Dems line on progressive politics, the possibility of a Tory-Lib Dem (or ‘Condem’, as some have labelled it) coalition could appear less likely- especially in the eyes of  the membership of the Lib Dems, who will be mindful of the potential damage to their party if they join a coalition with a Conservative party that is being spun by other parties as having changed little over the years. This, coupled with the fact that many people voted Lib Dem across the UK to keep the Tories out will make any formal pact with the Tories very difficult for them indeed.

My main concern is the fact that the Tories have said that if they form a government there will be no cuts in Wales for the first year. I think this is very disingenuous. In my opinion, this would merely mean that they would be deferring the cuts until after the National Assembly elections, so that they do not have to enter an election here in Wales with a bad record. I think they should be upfront about their plans – not take Welsh voters for fools.

I am going to reserve my full analysis on another form of coalition until after the Tory-Lib Dem discussions have been finalised or come to an end, due to lack of agreement. I was surprised however that Caroline Lucas has already announced that the Green Party does not want to be part of any ‘progressive’ coalition with Labour and the Lib Dems. Perhaps she wants to keep away from any governmental responsibilities so as to build up the Green vote.

It is very interesting to watch the coalition negotiations take place. Nonetheless I am an a little angry at how the media seem to be selling this as something unusual and new for these isles. Perhaps if they had taken a little more interest in the coalition discussions that took place in Wales in 2007 they would be more rehearsed  in these discussions, and  understand the dynamics of coalition a little better.

It’s fair to say that the election result wasn’t the best result Plaid Cymru has ever had, though on a purely local level, I am very pleased for Alun Llewelyn who increased his vote substantially in Neath. All the candidates in South Wales West where I am a regional AM worked very hard, and we had a great team spirit throughout the campaign.
Perhaps detailed analysis of this election will be a little later than usual given that people are rightly concerned at the moment about who will form the next government. A Liberal Democrat / Tory coalition is being talked about, but whether the Tories can compromise on electoral reform is another question altogether. Gordon Brown has today left 10 Downing Street for the comfort of his Scottish home- make of that what you will, especially in light of Labour MP John Mann calling for Brown to go. Others are talking of a ‘progressive’ coalition of the left with SNP, Plaid, SDLP, Lib Dem and Labour, though Plaid supporting policies or reforms on a case by case basis could be more realistic within a structure of the above parties co-operating. A formal coalition with Plaid involving the Tories cannot happen in my opinion; indeed our Celtic Alliance partners in the SNP have already ruled that out. What I hope for is that we discuss the way forward as a party, and ensure that we can get the best deal for Wales.
So, I think we need to take stock, assess the results, and mobilise for the National Assembly elections. Of course Plaid lost out due to not being part of the UK leaders debates, from the personality politics that ensued, the 24 rolling news and newspaper analysis of the televised debates. The dynamic of fighting a UK election/ Assembly election is also something we need to look at for planning future strategies. Peter Hain pushing the Tory bogeyman in Wales seemed to have worked. I agree with John Dixon our party chair who refers to the fact that the big 3 parties clearly had more financial support to run targeted election campaigns.

The crucial thing is not to panic. We still hold the seats we held. Those seats must continue to stand on their own two feet. I believe that teams locally should be working hard throughout the term to keep Arfon, Carmarthen East and Meirionydd seats as Plaid seats. Plaid itself needs to go in to new areas, and put resources in to areas where we are looking to make gains on an Assembly and Council level. Neath and Cynon spring to mind, as well as to continue supporting Llanelli. We must also look to a strategy for Cardiff, where we had previously made meteoric gains.

An area for concern for me is how we predicted as a party where we would potentially make gains, and how well we were doing in key target seats. We lost Ceredigion by a significant margin, Ynys Mon and Aberconwy. Perhaps we just couldn’t predict UK trends during what was a very unusual election, but this skewed where we prioritised resources during the election in my opinion.
Some people have complained about us going on about being excluded from the leaders debates, but if they are here to stay, then they will push Plaid even more to the periphery. We would be silly to ignore this factor. Should we pay our license fees, or should we say to the BBC, “ no taxation without representation?”
I also think that the Celtic block push was an asset for Plaid, though the fact that the SNP took legal action against the BBC on the leaders debate and the fact that we did not put the strength of the Celtic block in question somewhat. I hope that we can sustain our links with the SNP now even more so, given that we are facing a referendum on a parliament for Wales. We would welcome their help in said referendum!
It is not all doom and gloom for Plaid. There are discussions on a coalition government on a UK level, and Plaid has its role in those discussions. We need to think ahead positively to the Assembly elections, show that we are working hard in Government in Cardiff Bay, and that we are the true party of Wales.