Knit one, purl one (drop one ...)
Spring is in the air and Rhodri Morgan was in full flow at this morning's lobby briefing.
The drawing pins had been out and the Welsh flag stuck up as a backdrop. There were daffodils on the desk and the Welsh/English interpreters - an innovation under the Labour Plaid coalition - were in their seats.
It was an 'ask me another one' kind of lobby briefing and the questions and commentary came thick and fast.
Warren Gatland and his boys had done good. What marks out a great coach - a great leader - from a merely good one? The ability to give clear, thought-through instructions. We all scribbled a quick note, not that anyone is looking for a leader at the moment of course.
Should St David's Day be a bank holiday? Ah well yes, in principle but don't think it's simply a case of devolving to Wales the right to determine the number of bank holidays. Ah no! Fiddling with the "WorkingTime Directive 1998" is a complex business. What about giving us the Monday closest to March 1st off instead of a bank holiday later in the year? The First Minister's not convinced most of us want that, only those who are "sufficiently patriotic".
Wouldn't Gordon Brown baulk at the thought anyway? Isn't he thinking more in terms of celebrating and promoting Britishness, ? Ah well it may be that creating a bank holiday that each nation can celebrate when it chooses would in itself be a way of celebrating how devolution has 'created something different' ... but let's see how things go.
Questions about Rhodri Morgan's trip to China to sign phase two of the memorandum of understanding between Wales and Chongqing, his responsiblity to raise human rights abuses, advice to Welsh athletes hoping to head off to the Olympics, all were asked and answered.
One more before we go? "Can we have a progress report on the Welsh Language LCO?"
There had, after all, been plans behind the scenes to have it done and dusted and ready for the off by March 1st.
His response was curt. It's hard to give a running commentary on something that is still "ar y gweill" - literally, still on the knitting needles - meaning still a work in progress. And that was it.
Which rather gave credibility to the rumours that the First Minister and his Deputy are having trouble hammering this one out.
Plaid have just rocked the boat once - and rocked it good and proper. How? Well take your pick:
- by failing to honour the promise in the One Wales Agreement to support the establishment of a Welsh language newspaper (decide for yourself whether "we will expand the funding and support for Welsh medium magazines and newspapers, including the establishment of a Welsh-language daily newspaper" is a pledge to come up with enough money for the establishment of a Welsh language newspaper)
- by coming up with too little cash and therefore killing off the Welsh language newspaper "Y Byd" that had been "on y gweill" for years
-by not taking a risk, when they should have done, on a venture that may well have failed
-by doing the right thing but becoming embroiled in an argument with prominent supporters who are convinced they got it wrong
Take your pick, come up with your version but rest assured that Plaid minds are concentrated on delivering a Welsh Language LCO that will please some of those who are so displeased and disappointed with them.
And rest assured that persuading Labour to move towards compulsion on the private sector to deliver services in Welsh will have been 'on y gweill' for a while and will take more than a few nifty knit one, purl ones to sort out.
I'm Betsan Powys, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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Can see that you have never done any knitting in your life, Betsan. It should be 'knit one, perl one...' Now there's a pearl of wisdom for you.
Y Byd should never have factored in support from government as part of their planning. In the first place, where would be their editorial or financial independence? And in the second place, they would be constantly subject to the vagaries of political promises never met (as has happened here)and pressure to conform to unachievable political correctness.
Anyway, nobody in their right mind would consider setting up a new daily newspaper in these days of internet, blogs and so on.
A new Welsh language periodical or magazine containing comment and thoughtful articles might do OK but it would hardly be 'popular' or a good place for businesses to place advertising. It would certainly need financial support.
I totally agree that the Welsh language should have a popular means of expression, like a newspaper, in order to become more a part of daily Welsh life, however it is far too late for that in print. New Media, TV and film is the way to go. This is the new frontier.
I think government should stay completely out of the Media whether it be old or new Media and concentrate on improving the business climate and by reducing red tape, tax and rate burdens.
I hang my head in shame and admit to having dropped a stitch/clanger. I did once have to knit a scarf in form 3 but that's about it. I gather it should be purl one/perl one but certainly NOT pearl one. My mother will be disappointed in me C.Jones.
C.Jones said: "I think government should stay completely out of the Media whether it be old or new Media"
Please stop using the ´óÏó´«Ã½ media resources to put your point across then!