What’s happening in Blaenau Gwent?
Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 2:05pm
9 responses
Like other people, I was quite shocked when I heard Alun Davies AM announce this week that he is seeking the nomination of the Labour party to stand in Blaenau Gwent for the next Assembly election. Fair play to him if he wants to go back to the ‘area that made him’, and to his roots in South East Wales, but I can’t understand the logic of building up a base of support for only four years in Mid and West Wales, to move to another seat where Labour are clearly struggling with recent resignations of Councillors, and lack of moral.
If support for Labour was on an upward spiral then I could see a strong argument for Alun Davies fighting it out with Trish Law and her supporters, but if current polls are anything to go by, this is surely not the case. One thing I think is certain is that he didn’t make the decision alone. But why advise this course of action? Does he need to prove his worth by fighting a constituency seat?
The difficulty Alun Davies has now though is that people will associate him not with the area that he currently represents, but with the campaign in Blaenau Gwent. It has already started in the Senedd- when he asked a question to a Minister on the Western Valleys Initiative, AMs heckled ‘Don’t you mean Eastern Valleys, Alun?’ It will be difficult to represent a certain area, and then try and run a campaign in another- despite the local links involved.
What I haven’t appreciated about this announcement is the hint at personal attacks by Alun Davies on Trish Law’s performance as an AM, describing her as ‘woeful’ and ‘invisible‘. How do you measure that? I am sure that people have their own personal opinions on the performance of various AMs and the way they represent constituents, but I don’t think its proper for fellow AMs to do that judging in the public arena in this manner, at least.
I can see it getting very nasty indeed. One thing is sure, there will be momentum behind the campaigning yet again in Blaenau Gwent for the Assembly elections, and it doesn’t look as if Trish Law is ready to give in any time soon. Well, that’s if Alun Davies actually gets the nomination. If not, will Mid and West still want him?…
“I am sure that people have their own personal opinions on the performance of various AMs and the way they represent constituents, but I don’t think its proper for fellow AMs to do that judging in the public arena in this manner, at least.”
Bethan that is ridiculous to say the very least, every time a politician goes for an election they are basically saying ‘I will represent the constituents better than the imcumbent’
That really is a rather lightweight argument. I dont care what you say about Alun Davies, i think he is a prat too, but it frustrates me that you cannot make a better case as to why than the one you just put forward.
I thought I made it clear- personal attacks. I know that we go in to elections attacking others for their policies, but I don’t appreciate the way Alun Davies is lowering the tone already against Trish Law. Is that clear enough?
We all accept that we are free to criticise the ideas and polices of politicians. But why should politicians not be criticised if their performance is poor? There are a number of different skills needed to be an effective AM but I believe that if an AM is lacking these skills or performing badly then there should not be a code of silence. Why do you think it’s ok for AMs to criticise each other in private but not in the public arena to the constituents they represent? If Trish Law is an effective politician she should have no trouble at all rebutting Alun Davies’ attack.
I was merely stating that the way in which this argument is starting to play out is not very constructive. I don’t believe that AMs should be attacking each other personally, mud slinging in public. Other AMs can do it, I don’t want to be part of it.
Fair enough. I can understand your point of view but I disagree and think that elected AMs and MPs should be held accountable for their performance as well as their policy beliefs. Keep up the blogging.
I’m not really sure what Trish Law has been doing — but then she hasn’t been on any committees.
it will of course be for the voters of bleanau gwent to determine who will be the most ‘effective’ politician to represent them!
Will it be the highly popular and hardworking trish law or somebody who abandoned everything he ever believed in in order to secure a assembly seat with a party he had spent years denouncing?
hmm… im not normally a betting man but think i’ll maybe make an exception this time…..
“I don’t believe that AMs should be attacking each other personally…”
So your “Gwenda ‘out of her depth’ Thomas” attack in April 2007 was…what? Not a personal attack? Hypocrisy knows no bounds when it comes to you, does it?
Look, I think Politicians should attack other politicians based on their policies and their delivery of such policies. There’s not denying that I attack opposition politicians, and Ministers if I believe that they are taking the wrong direction. They are there to be scrutinised after all. I’ve said when I don’t think it is appropriate, make of that what you will. I am not trying to suggest that polticiains shouldn’t engage in healthy arguments, this happens all the time and rightly so. I think, yet again, that my comments are being taken way out of context.