Working Class Heroes

Check out one of the bands i am going to be working with on my new project...



Working Class Heroes

Temporary Hiatus

This is a pretty easy decision, because I am so rushed off my feet, but I fancy taking May off blogging. This only a ‘temporary hiatus’, unless something really juicy comes along, but I have like a million and one things going on;

Kyran Raymond Warner
Engineering Consent
Being the community councillor for Griffithstown West in Torfaen
Trying to write a political pamphlet with a colleague

I am cutting corners with my blog at the moment, churning it out at speed in my lunch hour and not taking the time to stew on things and think about it some more. My blog was not meant to a ‘daily’ one of essentially copy and pasting other people’s work with an attempt of a sub-Guido Fawkes ‘witty comment’ at the bottom (which is what certain bloggers do), but a few times a week attempt at commentary. I need to return it to that me thinks. I am happy to admit there are issues I have not been clear enough or robust enough, allowing this blog to slide somewhat; I hold my hand up an admit that through my own lack of care and attention to my thoughts and views, I have allowed myself to appear to lack clarity in my views. Thankfully the more thoughtful contributors to my blog have recognised this, some bone headed have decided to throw stones. Ce la vie…

So after a bit of time out, it will return with the mantra ‘more is less’;

Bread of Bevan.

The Bevan Foundation has produced what appears to be (I promise a subscription will be coming forthwith on pay day) a damning report on the Welsh Assembly Government’s investment in the ‘Heads of the Valleys’ area of Wales. Cue much debate, a cornucopia of different political interests jostling for position, and a new announcement by Leighton Andrews AM restating investment and commitment to tackling some of the worst deprivation in the UK.

In my humblest, the most difficult debates to have and problems to solve are when all the views are partially right in some way. So while the ‘chain of weatherspoons’ quip from the Bevan Foundation not only makes good copy but is on the whole correct, also is the view that the Welsh Assembly Government has invested heavily in the area. Coupled with this is Dai Davies MP’s view in today’s South Wales Argus that funding should be in the hands of the ‘people’ who it is aimed at, which again seems to be eminently sensible up to a certain point.

I think one excellent point made by the Bevan Foundation is about the reference to the ‘Wales Millennium Centre’, something I believed was pointed as a ‘the WAG have chucked money at this cultural white elephant while not spending it on the abject poverty twenty minutes away’ message.

The problem is that we are in the grip of a wooly ‘cultural’ mindset permeating through our welsh political elite; let’s cut the waffle, I am more than happy to cut the funding to these ‘cultural’ investments to use them to alleviate poverty. The problem is that no one will dare utter those words in the Senedd, although I have heard this view expressed in private.

I know I am being over simplistic in this; who should get £600,000 over three years? The setting up of Y Byd vs. Communities in poverty in Blaenau Gwent? Or the Wales Millenium Centre Bailout vs. regeneration of the valleys?

Of course, there will be those who will, perhaps with some justification, fudge the issue to say it is not ‘either/or’; but my understanding is that you can only spend money once, and particularly in a governmental institution with a fixed budget. Whereas the issue of tax is the lifeblood in how we tackle poverty and the like in Westminster , the meat on the bone in Wales is whether we need to make real tough choices in a tight, fixed budget. I know people will mention that it is this that is the real problem, but that is another debate.

One of my objections to the ‘One Wales’ agreement was the watering down of Welsh Labour’s ’25,000 apprenticeships’ commitment, but the ease in adding a “Higher Education Network - the Federal College - in order to ensure Welsh-medium provision in our universities.”

I want to make clear it is not about whether such things are inherently wrong, indeed many of them seem correct, but it is about priorities. As mam used to say; “You can’t spend money twice son.”


Ultimately, and I made this point on the child poverty targets; we need to spend big and go long to really make a difference

My new record label...

My blogging has been on the back burner at the moment because of my new project;

Engineering Consent

Anyway, check out the website, listen to the bands I am working with and support the label once it starts releasing. Needless to say this whole venture is going to ‘buy local’ where it can, be that studio, pressing, design and the like.

I believe that the creative industry is an industry Wales’ is missing a trick on;

I will be articulating this view on the ‘Wales @ Work’ programme on Radio Wales in June, which will focus on the future of the welsh music industry.

Blogroll

Right i am being lazy here, because i am rushed for time;

Can people please leave links to blogs for me to add to my list, i keep reading amazing blogs (cynical dragon, welsh lobbyist) and due to me typing this in work i cannot be arsed with sorting it all out.

Any blogs who want adding, any recommendations, leave a comment.

There will be blood...

There seems to be the delayed reaction to the drubbing Welsh Labour took in the local elections and I must admit I find the lack of Assembly Members coming forward to me highlights the lack strategic direction needed post Rhodri Morgan within the Welsh Assembly group. I know this not to be true, however confining it to internal party discussion, and worse leaving it until the leadership election, is simply not sufficient in my view.



Lynne Neagle, for the all accusations that she is speaking on behalf of someone else, has more or less raised what is a pretty hard to argue against case. Of course, Lynne is my AM in Torfaen, which probably took the biggest battering in Wales. I am great believer that in the road to recovery shake up, then everyone takes a bit of blame, so I feel the lack of mention of Torfaen slightly colours her view somewhat. In the same way we cannot blame Gordie for the problems for Labour in Wales, we equally cannot blame Rhodri Morgan for the massive losses in Torfaen.



Normal Mouth, with the usual skill he is known for, nails the key argument; an argument that I have made previously a number of times. Labour needs to give up on the notion that the hegemony of yesteryear is going to return, it isn’t; pluralism is not only the product of the electoral system at Welsh Assembly level, it is the will of the electorate who actually do not mind politicians actually working together to get the job done. The quicker we as a party realise that we need to ditch, as I have heard come from a Welsh Labour MPs mouth, ‘if we didn’t have this stupid voting system we wouldn’t be in this mess’ chip on its shoulder the better. You know what, I am not afraid to sometimes admit where others have got it right, and also that people aren’t voting for Plaid, Conservative, Lib Dem and Independent to be ‘anti-labour’, soon to return to Labour. They are using their vote positively because they believe they offer them something they like, and in the case of the independents I think it is a sign that local council level parties are not always the best way of delivering such localised politics.



Peter Hain I think also made a telling contribution, one which is well thought out and I think has its finger on the pulse. Wales is changing, the old ties are disappearing, the ones that still exist are weakening, it is time to consider that reality.



My one final point is about the non appearance of ‘Idea Wales’;



I was encouraged by its creation, I emailed to try and get involved, I received no reply. Wait a go hey?

Hello...

The great benefit I see in blogging is not the virtual soapbox it gives you to impart your wisdom on the world (well, the 50 people the who read welsh political blogs), but the fact that it is a forum to not only give my own views but see them challenged and in turn amend them accordingly. What was so enticing about ‘The Future of Socialism’ by Tony Crosland was its commitment to being revisionist and taking agreed values but amending them to the time you are currently in. Political and societal realities change, even electoral realities have a part to play, but one thing this blog will never be is an ideas factories that will stick dogmatically to a view regardless of reasoned debate. For me, ideas should be fluid, not without substance, but not stuck in stodgy dogma. If I see a well argued idea or view, I will take it on board, digest it with a view to injecting into my fermenting of views.

So, what is he waffling on about I hear you ask? well I feel that there is much to chew on regarding my posts on the welsh language; including me needing to take on board some of the different views (not attempts at ‘witty’ comments from some) and considering my own. I think firstly, as is always the case, I have been slightly misrepresented, deliberately by some, others are my own fault. I honestly believe I am a far better ‘post’ writer than ‘comment’ writer, that is not because I do not like my view challenged, but because I am often too hasty and too prickly to take the time to think. In person I believe I am far more likely to show my true colours and be more thoughtful and diplomatic.

Moving forward, I think there will always be people looking to go after me, I accept that; I have been called ‘a kid’, a ‘Anti-Welsh Labourite’ (something like that anyway) as well as being challenged with some very thoughtful and pretty convincing opposing arguments. I think there will always be ‘truths’ that can never be decided within debates, that is the ebb and flow, the lifeblood of political debate. I want to make clear a few points on the welsh language, because I think through my own lack of skill in expressing my views, and some baying for blood from others I haven’t been clear enough.

• The overriding point I wanted to make was that in the comments section I was rehearsing arguments I have heard many times, I feel that although I may not agree with those views sometimes, there deserves to be an honest debate.
• I was the first year in school to ever be taught welsh at year 7 level, I threw myself into learning the language, got myself an a* no less only to be frustrated by the simple lack of avenues for me to learn further and develop the language.
• S4C- my point was about Rhodri Glyn Thomas not wanting to devolve it, and also I have yet to hear any of the posters on my blog answer the ‘most subsidised, per viewer, channel in the world’ point. I was in no way advocating it being abolished or losing public subsidy, but I cannot believe the WAG are demanding a welsh language LCO but not for S4C.
• Ultimately I am calling for a debate on where we go with welsh language policy, One Wales, indeed all politicians will tell you they want ‘a bi-lingual’ society, but that simply will not happen. Firstly because people haven’t the inclination, and secondly because the cost to try and implement that will be great. I am happy the WAG supports the welsh language, I am less happy about the fact that there is no questioning about whether it is prudent to merely carrying on investing more and more.
• Also, my ire was directed at the ‘economic’ point- the welsh language doesn’t have an economic benefit in terms of us competing, that in turn does not mean I think everything has to be ‘economically’ beneficial to be correct.
• However, the one gentleman’s comment about the economy of S4C in terms of the local media companies that survive because of S4C’s grant is one I haven’t considered, and I am glad to say it is a very good point. Like I said, job done.
• Ultimately I think that ‘linguistic diversity’ is a two way street, I think to impose a language policy that is about compulsion on a wales-wide basis is not correct because there are massive amounts of Wales who would struggle to meet those demands. Why should any business, regardless of size, in Chepstow have to deliver the same amount of welsh language services as somewhere in a welsh speaking area? If you take that to the Nth degree then we don’t actually have enough welsh speakers to physically service that policy.

The salient message is this, I am still looking at my views and revising them, some of you are very welcome contributors and I thank you.

Alwyn, a man who is hardly ‘anti welsh’ makes a very good point about educating in Welsh…

“Sir Wyn's policy seemed to be good idea at the time, but if it isn't working it must use up a huge amount of resources (not just financial) which might be better used to support the language in more effective ways.”

It is about questioning and revising our approach, not being scorched earth about it….