Finance Settlement

So NPT is just getting a 2.1% increase in the budget settlement - way behind the rate of inflation. Fab. Well done guys. Well done in particular to Brian Gibbons, AM for Aberavon of course.

What does this mean? Well savings of course, aka "cut backs", "job losses", "reduced services" etc etc - all those things that politicians will NOT say when there's an election in the offing, if ever.

Derek Vaughan, Leader of NPT, has already blamed the "Plaid led Assembly" for this (blimey his maths is bad) so now despite Labour ministers making all of the key decisions (exlcuding the future of the Wales MC and rural issues which have been made by Plaid AMs) this is Plaid's fault. Apparently. Next they'll blame it on 18years of Tory rule, that ended a decade ago.

Salaries are a major cost to all Local Authorities. May I be the first to suggest that first of all County Councillors are not awarded a pay increase this year and encouraged to contribute 10% of their salaries back to the council tax payer (£1,200 in my case - £4,800 for the leader) and that others are encouraged to do likewise - for the sake of the community!

Most County Councillors are receiving pensions in addition to their allowances, and those who don't are working. I propose we make this minimal contribution and show unanimty in this case!

Election on the way

Today's Western Mail carries a letter from the Parliamentrary Spokesperson from the Liberal Party in Wales, whoever the hell they are.

He makes great effort to complement the Cleaner or Caretaker of the public toilets in Barry. Is there an election afoot or did the WM hang onto this letter so long that it makes it pointless?!?

New Leader for Lib Dems

Isn't that a bit like appointing a new captain for a ghost ship without a rudder?

Plaid and Airbrushing

Naughty naughty isn't it - I mean airbrushing Rhodders out of the send-off photo of the Welsh squad on the Plaid website, as advertised recently.

As the king of tussled hair pointed out on Radio Wales lunch time - he doesn't care and finds it funny.

Had they replaced him with Huw Lewis it might have been funnier still...

Too cold for the Lib Dems

Is it me or... the back page of the Western Mail today shows a send off of our Welsh rugby hopefulls with Rhodders and Ieuan WJ holding a flag behind Alfie, coupled with Jonathon Morgan and what looks like David Melding...

My word the Lib Dems really are out in the cold.

Peter Black, Lib Dem Leader

Peter's been hinting for some time that he isn't happy with Mike's rule. It's a fair comment but I do wonder about him doing this so publicly. He has an interesting article in the Western Mail today. He says "we have spent too long mistaking our activities in the Assembly for campaigning." I suspect this is true of all parties. Those of us interested in the Assembly hang on every hallowed word while those who are not - well are not.

I know when I'm out thumping the streets people still blame the Assembly for everything - even when it's a community / town, County or Westminster issue. At the same time AMs don't help matters when they write letters, commit to support causes or get involved in issues which are County Council issues or relavent to the Westminster Government only. My local AM is excellent at doing this. She is constantly associating herself with vote winning campaigns that she has no say on.

It's no wonder then that so many of her constituents blame the Assembly for not only matters it has powers over, but those that it does not.

It's good to see though at least some AMs have the balls to raise their heads above the parapet. Even if it is being sniped at.

Tories not so full of shit

Interesting to read on Alun Cairns' blog that he was emptying his parents' chemical toilet at the Steddfod this week. The things us mere mortals are expected to do! I shovel my dog's faeces on a daily basis. It's such a joyless task but it does keep your grubby feet on the ground.

Who said life is shit?

Huw

Foot in Mouth

So here we go again then. FMD comes back to blight us. Da iawn Elin for returning from Seland Newydd to deal with the issue here in Wales. It was strange this morning to hear Radio Wales refering to two Plaid AMs as "Ministers". I hope Rhodri G&T is enjoying his spell of camping in Fflint.

Western Mail - M4 Crash

Yesterday's tragic event, where a man lost his life in a RTA on the M4, are covered elsewhere.

But what struck me was the Western Mail's front page editorial. The photograph on its front page is striking for one reason only (at least in my mind), as 90% of the vehicles are commercial and haulage vehicles.

I'm guilty of using the M4 every day so accept my guilt but surely we should be able to get some of the products transferred by these vehicles off our roads and onto rail or moved by sea.

It's no wonder that our environment is suffering so.

Things you don't hear...

School reunions. Now there's an issue. My wife was at hers recently and not only was there an AM there, it's reported by those who were vaguely sober that he was the most popular guy there - one mocked for his political beliefs he now commands respect through his genuine niceness, confidence and humour. Blimey, how the tories have changed. It just makes you want to go all blue. Well almost. Good on him. He'll be an MP soon too. Hope he doesn't forget those of us at the bottom of the food chain.

Where do all our AMs go?

The answer? Royal Welsh Show. The place was awash with them yesterday - opening things, talking about things, announcing things... and they'll be back to do it all over again at the Eisteddfod.

Good to see that the country's in safe if occasionally absent hands.

Brown down amongst the enemy

So Gordy today meets with the leaders, or in our case deputy leader, of the minor nations. Without a single Labour colleague he will be sure to enjoy his experience of meeting the little people from the various Isles, his native Scotland and the "Principality". Their 1hr 45minute meeting is set to throw up no surprises as they are already well covered on BBC Radio Wales so no doubt he will go there safe in the knowledge that he's sage in the knowledge. Good old democracy. Shame it doesn't work with Labour though. As Paul Weller sang, "the people want what the people get..."

Lunch in the Bay

It was hard not to notice that a certain restaurant in the Bay is attracting the Taffia in their droves, or should I say "yn eu llu"?

Good Morning Wales presenters were rubbing tables with at least10 lobbyists, a crotch of tv presenters, a gaggle of Dr Who actors and even the odd tourist or two, no doubt, who were oblivious to the great and good around them. No doubt it was only the tourists who couldn't claim their tete-a-tetes against expenses or taxes.

Better still the tales of woe of those who think they are part of the great and good but are not.

These are the ones who wandered is and couldn't get a table. Poor souls.

Still, I had a hearty meal, bilingual too, which is always nice.

History is made

So, a new day a new dawn in Welsh and UK politics. Ieuan WJ takes (temporary) control of Wales in Cardiff while the SNP are hugging the dashboard of politics in Scotland.

Peter Black on his Blog has become increasingly bitchy in his reaction to this - largely due to the evident split in the Lib Dems and their demise to the behind the bike shed benches (the tories have the back benches to themselves now).

IWJ calles for a continuation of inclusive politics and quite rightly so - in fairness Labour, Plaid and the Conservatives are showing maturity. What's happened to the PR-loving Lib Dems though?

Having been once in the running as the second party of Wales they're now building snowmen in the cold.

Interesting times ahead. A gwellan'n fuan Rhodri

Do we have a government or not, that's the question the disinterested bingo-hall-fag-smelling proletariat aren't asking today.

Suddenly Paul Murphy is on Radio Wales in his poshest of upper middle class voices and huge salary telling us that socialism is best, and not just West, but everywhere.

He's correct of course but his accent suggests he's more likely to be eating at Momo than McDonalds tonight.

So Rhodri is ill and now we have another delay.

Following this formation of non-government has turned out worse than the Titanic (the film). It started well and then it just went on and on and on and on and on.... until you don't care what the outcome is - but you want it to end!

Personally I feel sorry for the Lib Dems who are left without a boat, let alone a rudder.

Still there's always tomorrow...