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Welsh Assembly election

Election 07 graphic

Fun at the fair

  • Betsan Powys
  • 6 May 07, 11:08 PM

A day in Barry Island reminding the children they have a mother. The two year old was oblivious to the election and had no idea his pal William's Mum was an agent for a candidate in the Vale of Glamorgan. We've never really spoken but I'll be checking first thing Tuesday morning whether she has any nails left.

The three year old had grasped there was some kind of race going on.

"Pwy 'nillodd y ras 'te?" "So who won?"

"Mr Morgan. Then Mr Jones, Mr Bourne and Mr German came fourth".

She's disappointed. Her best pal's Dad wanted Mr German to win and so she did too.

"Ah well, don't worry because Mr Morgan did win but he didn't win by that much so he might ask Mr German to help him a bit".

Silence.

"So is he friends with Mr German then?"

I buy her a Fab.

Mr German's a bit short of friends these days.

The Lib Dem shp is not a happy ship. That much is obvious. When stories emerge about pre-meeting meetings between the six AMs turning into slanging matches, then things are not good.

The group and the National Executive meet again next Thursday. Between now and then Mike German has been given the go-ahead to speak to all parties to find out what is on the negotiating table.

He's got to do that with one AM, Peter Black, openly calling for his head. No other AM has joined in the hunt and if they're straight, they're not doing so quietly either. Now, they say, is not to the time to start undermining your leader. Yes the election was a disaster. Yes he has to take responsiblity. But when the party should be concentrating on getting the right deal, or accepting that no deal is the best deal, now is not the time to ditch your leader.

When then?

The message coming from Kirsty Williams is that she is not about to throw her hat into the ring. Mr Black is fighting his own corner - not hers. Should Mike German stand down, or should he decide not to stand for re-election as group leader - and remember, according to the party's rules he must do that 'within a year' of the Assembly Election - then she may well go for it. But while he's there? No.

What would the Lib Dems want from Labour? Or more significantly, what would they be confident of getting through a special conference?

Could Mike German come home with less than a promise on PR in local government? To force agreement on that 'deal-breaker', being seen to have Labour over a barrel and forcing them to give in ... now that would help. It would be a clever move to insist on a referendum on greater powers for the Assembly. Plaid would be bound to do the same. No harm in heading them off. And then something for the voters who put their faith in the Lib Dems and who don't care one bit about PR or referenda. Something on hospitals?

The Lib Dems could, of course, go into coalition with Plaid, then strike some sort of a deal with the Tories. Hey there's no end of New Zealand models available. What's the favourite amongst Lib Dems? Deal with Labour, deal with others, no deal? "Finely balanced" I'm told.

By the way how does this strike you: Dafydd Elis-Thomas as Presiding Officer, Gwenda Thomas as his deputy? Not sure what sort of model you'd call that but it's what I'm hearing.

Comments   Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 11:01 PM on 07 May 2007,
  • Dai wrote:

Gwenda Thomas as deputy Llywydd?

If I recall correctly, the pinnacle of her political career was calling for the freedom of the Borough of Port Talbot to be withdrawn from Anthony Hopkins because he became an American citizen?

So we're about to get someone who can't get their head around the fact that US citizenship doesn't exclude you from UK citizenship - indeed, the UK has no limit on other citizenships.
I know that wonderful cliche about getting the government you deserve, but are we truly this awful?

Let's have the rainbow option - we've had the best part of a hundred years of Labour Party "leadership" and what do we have to show for it? we are the poorest region in the UK and getting poorer ....

Time to bang the "ofn mentro' on the head and go out on a limb, IMHO. It's not like football - you won't get relegated (if that were the case, we'd be in the Isthmian League ....
;-o)

  • 2.
  • At 03:07 PM on 08 May 2007,
  • Eluned wrote:

My nails are fine, thanks!

I have to say as one of the 'root-and-branch' members of the Lib Dems, I'd appreciate it if some of the heads above the parapet would stick them back down again until we've had a chance to consult with a broader cross-section of the membership. Here in the Vale, we've got a meeting tonight to do exactly that.

In terms of bargaining, the truth is that there isn't a 'tasty' option for anyone, but the best thing we can do is put personalities aside and try to make this Assembly work in accordance with the wishes of the people of Wales. We have proportional representation here, and four main parties. It isn't likely that any one party will consistently poll more than 50% of the vote and get a majority, so we'll have to learn to co-operate with one another. Surely that's not a bad thing.

  • 3.
  • At 08:50 PM on 08 May 2007,
  • Alexa wrote:

Talking of a bargain between the parties and the main carrot being the referendum on greater powers in lawmaking and tax - what is the Tories position on this? The Lib Dems and Plaid are very pro this measure but what about the old foes of Welsh devolution the Conservatives?

Cameron tries to tell us that the Assembly is here to stay but it is pretty obvious that many Tory MPs still want this institution abolished!

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