Rhodri's Tingle
Rhodri Morgan has just been doing the Politics Show and Maniffesto round.
Will he have to rely on the unions to shove his party towards 'One Wales' on Friday? No, says the First Minister, who calculates - and must be desperately hoping - that the constituencies will vote 50:50 for and against at the very least. He needs them on side. The irony of this First Minister relying on union muscle is pretty clear.
Torfaen and Caerphilly CLPs have already voted against, as have Islwyn. No surprises there. Other constituencies will vote positively, quietly. Other fascinating results will come in from CLPs where the AM is for and the MP against. May be best man win.
Meanwhile Labour MPs haven't given up on the hope of a meeting with AMs. So far the First Minister has only agreed to a meeting of the officers - Wayne David, Mark Tami and Julie Morgan. Has that appeased seething MPs? (Try saying that after a late night)? No.
So how are the First Minister's nerves? He admits to a certain 'tingle'.
What if the vote goes against next Friday? Rhodri Morgan wasn't playing. But he did say one thing clearly enough: in his view, a minority Labour government wouldn't survive the Summer recess.
I'm Betsan Powys, 大象传媒 Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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Did Rhodri mention the Western Mail scoop about Nat activist Hayzell David advocating that Plaid merge with Labour?
Yep Hayzell David or Lazy Devil .. Had! as the ceredig blog insists on spelling it.
It may well happen that later Rhodri will secretly congratulate Plaid on saving his bacon. If Labour's supporters wish their party to stay in power and not dwindle away, they should back Rhodri now. As for Torfaen and Caerffili yesterday's politics is alive and well. My grandfather born in 1855 was from Torfaen and he emigrated to England. I like to think it was because he wanted to get way from the politics but he was probably motivated by the need to seek work (in steel). Poverty and lack of funding are still the reason for the strength of the donkey with a red rosette.
For Rhodri to say that a minority govt would not last until the summer recess is obviously disingenuous. It might not - but the rainbow deal that took its place would last for an even shorter period. Rhodri knows that, given a straight choice, very few parts of his Party (bar his Cabinet acolytes) would back a deal. Thus, he has to invent these absurd propositions to strong arm his membership. Deceitful and disgraceful.
I just hope when the Labour votes come in that they have paid due attention to an internal paper written by an unnamed Labour activist, as reported by Martin Shipman on icWales 30/06.
"The activist goes on to liken Plaid鈥檚 operations in North Wales to the Nazis in 1930s Germany, before concluding, 鈥淭hey remain abhorrent to socialists in the North; Plaid are more likely to be accepted by Blairites, who want power no matter what the cost.鈥"
That looks like a very succinct and accurate description of what Labour is really buying into. The paper lists a series of other very good reasons why Labour should not deal with the Welsh Nationalists...
One key issue which does not seem to have raised its head so far is the real motive behind Rhodri Morgan's willingness to enter a deal with the Welsh Nationalists.
Has everybody forgotten that Peter Hain described Rhodri Morgan as a 'closet nationalist' back in 1999?
What is really going on here - a piece of short-term expediency or part of a longer term plan to sell the UK down the river?
It is pretty clear there is a determined effort from some people within Labour to scupper this deal and I hope they succeed for everybodys' sake. But since they have done almost everything else wrong since 1999, I am not holding my breath...
I find it peculiar that the linguistic hobbyists insist upon misspelling Caerphilly. This is a perfectly good Latin stem, and is not an English Translation.
Sorry Alan, Caerphilly is looking forward not back. Despite the intervention of a disgraced former Governor General, the Nationalists have received an electoral kicking in the Borough over the last few months, to the extent of not putting up candidates in bye-elections.
No way am I or any other members of the election organisation team here in Caerphilly letting the Nationalists off the hook of public opinion.
We have seen how bad a Nationalist administration can be with soaring Council Tax and failing achievements. We shall continue to expose the policies for what they are, divisive and right wing.
Rhodri may sign any number of concessions to the Nats as he wants, politically he can not deliver the active members.
I find it peculiar that the linguistic hobbyists insist upon misspelling Caerphilly. This is a perfectly good Latin stem, and is not an English Translation.
Sorry Alan, Caerphilly is looking forward not back. Despite the intervention of a disgraced former Governor General, the Nationalists have received an electoral kicking in the Borough over the last few months, resulting in the Nationalists not putting up candidates in bye-elections.
No way am I or any other members of the election organisation team here in Caerphilly letting the Nationalists off the hook of public opinion.
We have seen how bad a Nationalist administration can be with soaring Council Tax and failing achievements. We shall continue to expose the policies for what they are, divisive and right wing.
Rhodri may sign any number of concessions to the Nats as he wants, politically he can not deliver the active members.
Western Mail scoop? I think not. I'm surprised that the Western Mail and the 大象传媒 have stooped so low as to create a story from a 'report' written by an 'activist' who does not exist.
Paul Murphy's statement that he is against Plaid and Labour working together. Was he against the Good Friday Agreement? I can see why he failed in Northern Ireland. Listening to Paul Murphy talking he is almost racist. Any policy put to Westminster by the AM's from Cardiff Bay has to be voted on by MP's in Westmister, so what is the problem they vote for or against, or are they afraid of losing their seats at the next election if they vote anything down? Grow up MP's and stop being childish.