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A political blog of Welsh origin. Analysing - among other things - the 'One Wales Agreement/Government' and whether it is serving the people of Wales or merely a convenient way for Labour to stay in power and for Plaid Cymru to gain ministerial exper
Recent Posts Tagged With 'rhodri morgan'
Blast from the Past: Wigley on Morgan
Slow-retiring First Minister Rhodri Morgan made two big mistakes during his near decade in office, according to former Plaid Cymru president Dafydd Wigley.In an article written for Ninnau, the North American Welsh newspaper that is largely compliment...
The Greatest Show on Earth*
The winner of the race to succeed Rhodri Morgan as leader of Labour in Wales and first minister in the Welsh assembly will be announced later.The result will be announced at about 1730 GMT at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.Eligible to vot...
The friend or foe debate
The final Labour party debate between the three candidates hoping to succeed Rhodri Morgan as leader in Wales will take place in Cardiff later.The winner, announced in December, will also become Welsh First Minister.Health Minister Edwina Hart, Couns...
Three leg race to replace a three legged duck
Perhaps there are simply three legs to any race, even if three's a crowd:Leg 1: Speculation surrounding who will put themselves forward for leadership.Leg 2: Hopefuls dropping out and rallying round their favourite.Leg 3: One contender entering conte...
Quote of the Week
Expenses probe will cost £129,000A review, by auditors KPMG, followed revelations in July that officials flew first class and charged nearly £750,000 to corporate credit cards in a year.Mr Bourne said he was "astonished" Mr Morgan was spending a "s...
Rhodri Morgan\'s legacy: The failure of a government department
While we hear news that the number of unemployed people in Wales has gone up by 24,000 - the largest rise of any part of the UK [There are now 130,000 jobless in Wales. The unemployment rate is 9.1%] and the only regions with a worse figure are the N...
Another AM understandably retires at next election
Karen Sinclair AM, a former cabinet minister in the Welsh Assembly Government is to stand down at the next elections in 2011. She has served as Labour AM for Clwyd South for 10 years, and told her constituency party on Tuesday she would not be seekin...
Silly season comes home to leadership battle that hasn't begun
It's what Rhodri Morgan would want and hope for, but only gives journalists something to print during quieter times. Jane Hutt seemingly lays out her stall, however, pundits know that she's nothing to sell, no cash in the till, and not as personable ...
Sights you don't see in the Senedd
Part 8:A breakdown in communication between civil servants and the First Minister (on second thought..,)"Because I holiday in my caravan in west Wales, I don't delegate authority to anyone else as I'm available to make any emergency decision as and w...
Rhodri Morgan Appreciation Society revisited
From time to time I keep my eye on Rhodri's fans on Facebook. You may remember my report back in August 2008:Back in September 2007 a Facebooker set-up the group 'Rhodri Morgan Appreciation Society'. The group had 20 members when the above snapshot w...
Civil servants 'lie' to Rhodri Morgan in expenses row
Following on from three earlier posts on developments in the civil service expenses scandal - It gets worse - Wales' First Minister, who also happens to be Minister responsible for staffing and civil service matters - has apologised after it emerged ...
Rhodri Morgan's urges hit American shore
Welsh culture (and our First Minister) will make a huge splash in Washington DC for ten days starting today.And 80 trade ambassadors will be there to drum up businesses for Wales. The nation will be taking centre stage as the featured country at the ...
Slow Rejuvenation for Welsh Labour?
With the recent announcement of Local Government and Social Justice Minister Dr Brian Gibbons standing down as an assembly member at the next election, is Welsh Labour looking for new blood to rejuvenate its fortunes?To date, Cardiff West; Cardiff So...
In-tray Gossip
If I had been neglecting my partner and son over the last several weeks, I would have been keeping an eye on my in-tray instead of neglecting the sometimes overloaded thing.I've heard a rumour that senior civil servants working close to Ministers in ...
Move the goalposts and score an own goal
At mentioned in my previous post. We're in need of a good story that not only demonstrates the inconsistency of those running the WAG machine, but also an example of the civil service not getting their own way and yet again promoting one of their own...
Anniversary
Today is my blogging anniversary or birthday12 months330 posts367 labels63,102 hits2,556 Facebook friends before disablement5 awards3 bans5 offers of coffee by the bay2 threats of legal action1 offer of dinner1 offer of marriageand countless cases of...
A picture paints a thousand words
Welsh Economic SummitWelsh Assembly Government met business and union leaders in a yesterday between 9 and 12, with 15 mins for coffee.First Minister Rhodri Morgan said the summit was "remarkable" and showed Wales was "stepping up to the plate".There...
What if...
Following on from Senedd Whip's earlier post speculating on Eluned Morgan MEP's gap two-years, my mind started to wonder or even wander over a glass or two of wine.What if... Welsh Labour have designs on Eluned Morgan becoming leader in Wales. She is...
Eluned Morgan MEP: Open parachute
The plane is flying over from Brussels and the cargo door is clearly open. Everything depends on how good the pilot's skills are, and the need to take into account his vision. The parachute is also visible and open. It's all down to how safely she ca...
Switzerland is known for chocolate, cheese, taxation, and banking
In light of the Icelandic issue, Nick Bourne AM recalls a question from a recent meeting of the Assembly Finance Committee that was raised by Labour AM Huw Lewis."Astoundingly, though money tends to be drawn down from Whitehall, neither the minister ...
Welsh business not confident in Assembly Government
Since we grow deeper and deeper into despair as the weeks roll on, it seems that the Welsh Assembly Government has taken on board the ideas of a Welsh Conservative, Dylan Jones-Evans in his review of 2007, as highlighted by a renowned commentator on ...
First Minister proved wrong within 72 hours
As if by magic, a comprehensive example has been given in today's media which inadvertantly responds to a previous post of mine, and point the finger firmly in the direction of Rhodri Morgan's Welsh Assembly Government.Just days ago, First Minister R...
Define "I have led a government without any scandals"
Scandal:Offense caused or experienced; reproach or reprobation called forth by what is regarded as wrong, criminal, heinous, or flagrant: opprobrium or disgrace. Speaking on BBC Radio Cymru discussion programme Wythnos Gwilym Owen, Rhodri Morgan said...
Short-term volunteer required
Her husband may have joked about "no member of my family is available to work for me" in a job advert for a part-time/full-time position in his constituency office back in February 2008, but that hasn't encouraged Julie Morgan MP to follow suit.Mrs M...
What nasty attack?
The Conservatives were accused of being “the nasty party” after marking Rhodri Morgan’s 69th birthday tomorrow by publishing a highly personal attack on every aspect of his leadership – right down to his dress sense and hairstyle [join the qu...
One day of the year when you can be seen as special
It just happens to be a long solitary walk to retirement and a handsome pension waiting for little achievement, and an even lower public and political respectability from your peers and critics, for one person.It also happens to be the the First Mini...
Whatever happened to Quid Pro Quo?
Matt Withers has reported on the first day back this week for the Assembly. There weren’t even any good jokes from First Minister Rhodri Morgan, although he did manage an aside at Conservative leader Nick Bourne, who – following an incident with ...
Most recognised man on the planet
You rarely see them together, and some say that they have merged to a certain degree. I say, if you work together, then why not holiday... I mean, represent Wales together. Yes... the First Minister and Deputy First Minister for Wales have held hands...
Whatever it takes is too little, too late
Gordon Brown has opened Labour's annual conference in Manchester with a pledge to do "whatever it takes" to sort out Britain's financial system.One delegate stood up to urge party unity - a reference to the 13 Labour MPs who have publicly called for ...
Quote of the Week: Party differences
Ministers congratulate Welsh Athlete on Olympic Gold MedalFirst Minister Rhodri Morgan and Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones have congratulated Nicole Cooke on her historic Gold Medal at the Beijing Olympics.The First Minister said:Nicole Cookes' Go...
