7th June 2007
What Is To Be Done?
Well, the reaction to yesterday’s blog has been as varied as can be expected. Peter Black describes me as a convert to the anti-rainbow cause which is to misrepresent me (but then Peter has his agenda here, methinks). Actually his position and mine are mirror images of each other: he is against the rainbow AND a deal with Labour whereas I support both options but with a marked preference for the latter. Simple it is not, but subtlety and nuance is the price I pay sometime for having an overactive mind
Ordovicius says my blog proves why I will never be First Minister - which is fair enough though I suspect I was never his cup of tea to begin with.
By far and awy the most interesting response is Normal Mouth’s skilful deconstruction of the entire red-green thesis. S/he trenchantly disagrees with the animating idea of my proposal that Labour and Plaid spring from the same philosophical source, or at the very least drink from the same fountain. Of course, in historical terms, this is demonstrably false as the foundation of the party was intended as a rupture with Labour and the Liberal Party that had promised so much but delivered so little as regards the national question. But Plaid Cymru today is virtually unrecognisable from the Poujadist programme of Lewis, Valentine and Bebb. Under Gwynfor Evans the party began to see itself as the rightful heir of the Welsh radical tradition - and this culminated, of course, in the adoption of socialism into the party’s aims st the Carmarthen Conference in 1981, a move which Gwynfor himself supported. We even applied to join the Socialist International - I wonder who vetoed that.
He is right, of course, that Plaid’s ’socialism’ is of a very different stripe to that of the British Labour Party - decentralist, anti-statist and libertarian, it is deeply suspicous of the top-down Fabian centralising instincts of Labourism. It belongs to that other tradition of the Left - the Guild Socialists, the Co-operative Movement, and the syndicalists of the Miners’ Next Step. Thirty years before Tower, Plaid Cymru were campaigning to save a mine from closure in the Swansea Valley by turning it into a worker’s co-op. Needless to say, the local Labour Party and the NUM opposed the idea, and the mine shut.
Plaid and Labour are two parties divided by a common language (Welsh) and much else besides but - and you may say I’m a dreamer - I still think there’s mileage in the red-green project yet. And I’m not the only one. Martin Eagleastone (!!) wants to talk. And Edwina has read my blog with interest according to the BBC. So it must be right.
The mood in the Labour Party, I believe, is becoming more receptive to the ideas that I’ve set out. There was an air of “revolutuionary defeatism”, as it was described to me by a Labour companero, a few days ago - bring on ther Rainbow and let them flounder. But now I detect a definite shift towards pragmatism and a desire to remain in government “by any means necessary” up to and including a coalition with Plaid. Why? Well, one day in Government is worth a thousand in opposition.
And the mood in my own party. Well, decidedly mixed, though I am hopeful that I can convince some on the Left of the party that campaigning for Red/Green as a positive alternative to the Rainbow is much stronger than simply saying “No” to everything and everybody. There are only two games in town - a rainbow or red/green. There is no Third Option. Remaining in Opposition in perpetuity may be a comforting thought for some in the party, but will make us look weak and ineffectual and lacking the courage of our convictions. That was the Dante quote which Tomos Livingstone refers to in describing my ’stream of consciousness’ press conference yesterday: the hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in times of crisis choose neutrality. Just ask Peter Black.
5th June 2007
The Coalition Challenge
I won’t be in Cardiff today – not because I’m boycotting – that would be slightly hypocritical given the number of Queen’s Speeches I’ve attended these last few years – but because, after two months in the service of better governance in Wales, I’m back at the office in Westminster. Somehow though my mind (and my heart – of course) is still back in our own capital not this one. Westminster politics seems so dull by comparison these days.
During those long weeks slogging away at the All-Wales Accord I was happy to keep my counsel in the interests of the greater good. But now released from this self-denying ordinance I can say what I really think.
First off, I think it is pretty clear to me, if not to Rhodri FM, that his is a caretaker government. He has until September at the very latest and probably no longer than July to enjoy the curious position of being in government by default.
So what should happen next? Well, the Tories and, very, very belatedly, the Lib Dems have now made their intentions clear. Which leaves my party in a position to decide the political complexion of Wales for the next nearly-four years. The hand of Welsh history is certainly on our shoulders. To say we need to think carefully is something of an understatement.
This week I am going to try and map out the path by which I think the party should come to its decision.
As a taster I’ll set out my conclusions in advance:
Position number One: A deal with Labour is preferable to a deal involving the Conservatives.
Position Number Two: A deal with Labour must have three non-negotiable conditions.
Position Number Three: If Labour refuses these conditions, then we should go ahead and form a government with the other opposition parties based on the All-Wales Accord.
This is not a pro or anti-rainbow coalition position. It’s more like STV. All that time spent reading Lib Dem manifestos has clearly come in handy
7th June 2006
Gwneud y chwedlau’n fyw
Newydd ddychwelyd o Seoul ar ymweliad i ganfod y rhesymau dros llwyddinat ysgubol diwydiannau cyfynge newydd yn Ne Korea. Mae’r wlad i weld yn mynd trwy ail don o adfywhau. Mi oedd y cynta yn dilyn rhyfel cartre y 50au a’r olion dal i weld mewn prifddinas sydd ar wahan i ambell i deml bron i gyd wedi ei ail-adeiladu yn ei sgil. Mi gafwyd llwyddiant aruthrol wedyn trwy’r cwmniau teuluol enfawr y chaebol - Samsung, Hyundai, Daewoo, LG ac ati - gyda chefnogaeth gref gan y wladwriaeth ganol nad oedd yn ddemocrataidd tan 1997.
Ond dyma flwyddyn hefyd y chwalfa economaidd a chwestiynu yr hen drefn gyda phennaethiaid dau o’r cwmnie mawr bellach yn y carchar o herwydd llwgrwobrwyo.
Y triawd newydd ‘na o ddiwylliant, technoleg ac entrepreneuriaeth sydd yn gyrru tyfiant y Korea. Technoleg o du Samsung sydd wedi llwyddo i oddiweddyd Sony bellach fel arweinydd marchnad ym maes electroneg a chydgyfeiraint ffonau mudol, cyfrifiduron a theledu. Diwylliant trwy’r “don Koreaidd” sydd yn llifo trwy Asia gyda phoblogwrydd K-pop (sef cerddoriaeth poblogaidd boy-bands Seoul), ffilm Koreaidd ac yn arbennig gemau cyfrifiadurol (mwy am hyn isod). O ran entrpreneuriaeth, mae’r llywodraeth yn ceisio creu’r hinsawdd - o ran amodau byw (mwy o lefydd gwyrdd) a threthi (dim treth incwmn o gwbl a 5 mlyneddd i ymchwilwyr) o fewn eu Digital Media City hynod argraffiadol mewn datblyiad newydd ar hen safle gwastraff ar gyrion y ddinas.
Tybed a oes ‘na wersi fan hyn i’r Gymru ol-ddiwydiannol sydd ei hunan wedi colli swyddi yn eiddo i gwmnie’r don gynta o Koreaid (cofier LG?).
Ar ymweliad i gwmni Nexon, un o brif ddatblygwyr gemau cyfrifiadurol rhyngweithiol MMORG (massively multi-player on-line role-playing games os oes rhaid i chwi wybod) dyma fi’n cael tipyn o sioc i weld mai gem o’r enw Mabinogi, ie wedi ei seilio ar ein chwedlau ni, ydy un o’i brif weithiau gyda 2 filiwn o chwareuwyr yn Korea yn unig a mwy fyth yn Tseina, Taiwan a Japan. Un o brif drefi’r gem ydy Bangor - ac yn wahanaol iawn i wneuthurwyr eraill, does dim trais yn cael ei ganiatau yn y gem o gwbl.
Pan ofynnais i pam y Mabinogi fe ddwedodd y cwmni o herwydd nad oedd hawlfraint arno fe. A beth yw’r wers: beth am i ni ddechrau magu’r math o hyder ym mhotensial ein diwylliant ni yn y byd cymhleth, newydd, syfrdanol o amrywiol hwn a chwmni hanner ffordd dros y byd sydd erioed wedi bod ‘ma?
4th May 2006
Y ni a nwy
Ynni yw cyrrensi grym yr oes sydd o honi.
Nol ym mis Ionawr ces i’r ateb isod gan Malcolm Wicks yn esbonio na fydd hawl gan gwmni’r National Grid i brynu tir yn orfodol gogyfer eu piben LNG o Felindre i Tirley nes iddyn nhw cael caniatad cynllunio. Syndod felly oedd gorfod delio yn ddiweddar gyda achos etholwr oedd wedi derbyn llythyr cyfreithiol gan y cwmni yn bygwyth cyfarwyddeb prynu gorfodol. Mae’r cwmni wedi gorfod camu nol nawr o’r tacetegau bwlian yma ar ol pwynto mas iddyn y sefyllfa cyfreithiol.
Ar raddfa fwy, mae’n pery gofid i ddarllen am ddiddordeb Gazprom, y cwmni ynni gwladoledig enfawr o Rwsia Ymerodrol, mewn cymeryd Centrica, rhiant gwmni British Gas, drosodd. Dyma’r cwmni sydd wedi bygwth Belarus dros yr wythnose diwetha’ gyda threblu eu prisiau nwy os na chawn nhw rhagor o gonsesiynau gan y Belarwsiaid. Y llynedd gofynon nhw am berchnogaeth o ran Belarws o’r biben o Yamal i Ewrop a chwpl o “booster stations” ar hyd y ffordd tebyg i’r un yn Felindre. Y Cymry, yn amlwg, ydy Belarwsiaid y cyn-Deyrnas Gyfunol.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which alternative routes were explored before the 1km corridor for the liquid gas pipeline proposed by the National Grid from Felindre to Tirley was chosen; on what basis these alternative routes were not chosen; what consultation there has been between National Grid, Carmarthen county council and the general public on the pipeline; and whether a compulsory purchase order will be granted for the land owned by those who refuse to accept the terms offered by the National Grid. [43171]
Malcolm Wicks: National Grid have not applied for consent to lay a pipeline from Filindre to Tirley. If and when they do then an explanation of the alternative routes considered, the reasons for the preferred route and justification for the discounting of others will have to be given. Any such application will be advertised and an opportunity given for representations to be made to the Secretary of State.
In view of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial responsibilities for confirming compulsory purchase orders, I cannot give an indication as to whether or not such an order would be confirmed.
26th April 2006
Return of the People’s Bank
An excellent report on financial exclusion by the Welsh Consumer Council from November last year showed that an incredible one in seven people in Wales don’t even have a bank account and more than half don’t save regularly. The problem is much deeper in Wales than the rest of the UK with our historically higher levels of deprivation.
In its policy recommendation the report concentrates on improving financial literacy – and we all could certainly benefit from a little more of that. But it’s often not so much a question of people excluding themselves through ignorance but more a case of the financial instituions failing to target the needs of low-income individuals in their marketing strategies and product design.
The needs of the financially excluded are fairly clear according to earlier research by the “Joseph Rowntree Foundation”:http://tinyurl.com/gq233
“For day-to-day money management they required a simple account which would allow them to retain tight control over their money. It should offer basic money transfer facilities, including a facility for spreading the cost of bills. It would offer no credit facilities but have a ‘buffer zone’ to allow flexibility. Ideally, it should also be designed so that access is not dependent on credit scoring.”
There may just be a solution on hand from the early decades of the last century: the municipal bank. First created in Birmingham in 1916 and popularised by the Independent Labour Party and the Co-operative Movement as a means of promoting financial independence among the working class, there are six municipal banks currently in existence, though none currently in Wales. But we do have the power to create them under the Banking Act 1987. A municipal bank is essentially a savings bank linked to a local authority which allows you to make deposits, pay bills etc – but without credit facilities, though these can be provided by an associated credit union.
Perhaps it’s time to dust down those early socialist banners and build the people’s bank in council estates up and down Wales.
