Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Sorry for the failure to blog after the beginning of last week. My phone signal in the heart of Ireland was an issue, and also I had very little time in between meetings and events to blog. The Transatlantic Network 2020 summit was superb. I met so many interesting people, and had such a great experience, that I would urge any new up and coming young leaders in any field to apply. It is set to grow in number every year until 2020 so that people from all backgrounds and ages can experience the network and what it has to offer.

We went to see the drama Black Watch on Friday night in Dublin- a drama about the experiences of Scottish soldiers fighting in the Iraq war. It was very moving, and any words to describe it would not do it justice here on this blog. We also had a chance during one of our sessions in Wicklow to meet with an ex IRA member and a UVF member who are now working with the Glencree team for peace and reconciliation to share their experiences and work towards conflict resolution in the North of Ireland. I also had a quick chat with Mary McAleese, the president of Ireland while at the Guiness Storehouse. She is a true inspiration to young women who are entering politics- that and the fact that she went to school with my mother in Belfast. Its a small world…

The next summit is to take place somewhere in North America. I sincerely hope that I am one of the chosen ones that will take part in the network next year…we shall see!

Back in Wales, the political scene is rife with gossip about the future of Nick Bourne’s position as leader of the Tories in Wales. It was somewhat ironic to watch the Politics Show in the UK, with Cameron stressing  the secret to the success of the shadow team  at the moment is their unity, when in Wales this is the very opposite reality!

This is one of the elements of politics that I hate the most- backstabbing and childishness. It was unacceptable for Nick Bourne to attack Rhodri Morgan for his personal appearance ( despite the fact that Bourne obviously didn’t write it himself) but if we are going to pull someone apart for such attacks, can we not be consistent? Some of us have had far worse said about us.

What this says about the Tories is less about the content of the dossier on Rhodri Morgan itself but on the instability within their group at the Assembly. There are individuals there who are blatantly trying to undermine their leader to force a leadership election in Wales. I don’t think that it is necessarily motivated by the Lord Roberts report on the Tories’ perception of devolution, but it is certainly a signal that many believe that Nick Bourne is not the leader to catapult the party to instant success in Wales.

So, I am glad to be back in Wales, but one lesson that the TN2020 summit has taught me quite clearly is the importance of co-operation and of listening to others. Welsh politicians could learn so much from those 100 young people from across the globe, if only they wanted to!