TALKING THE TALK...

The Wales Bill 2014, despite its flaws, will go some way (despite Peter the Pains selective moaning) towards strengthening our fledgling democracy.  That said, having read through the draft bill and its amendments I find myself left thinking that the bill remains a missed opportunity when it comes to making devolution work for Wales.

The London based parties having repeatedly and regularly stated that they are committed to further meaningful devolution, yet they have failed to demonstrate any real ambition for Wales. So it comes as no surprise that Labour in Westminster, nominally a party that makes much of its claims to be focused on strengthening the Welsh economy, has tabled nothing but wrecking amendments.

It should have been possible to suggest relatively widely supportive and positive changes which could have delivered some of the tools to do the job of making Wales a more prosperous place. Plaid tabled a wide variety of amendments to improve and strengthen the bill including:

·        Devolving control over setting the number of Assembly Members,

·        Reforming the UK funding formula which sees Wales lose out on £400m a year, and

·  Granting the Welsh Government the power to issue bonds (similar to the Scottish Government).

Most reasonable observers would probably agree that the National Assembly needs more powers to help deliver a sustainable recovery for the Welsh economy and ensure that it becomes a more accountable institution. Whatever is said about the current Wales bill when it is eventually passed it will deliver some more powers, but, nowhere near enough to deliver the real and significant economic change that Wales needs.

Too many powers still remain with Westminster and too many aspects of Welsh people's lives are decided by largely indifferent Westminster based and Westminster focused political parties. We in Wales have to jump through far too many hoops (and there may be many more hoops yet to come) simply to gain the tools needed to deliver for our country economically. 

The Wales Bill could have been Labour in Westminster’s opportunity to show its support for devolution. The choice was a simple one either stands up for Wales or supports the Con Dem Government's attempts to dismantle our welfare state, justice system and meddle with other matters that remain controlled from London. 

MISSING IN INACTION

Once again the Labour Party has failed to stand up to protect our country’s natural resources from exploitation by Westminster. Labour Party MP’s put party interest before our national interests by abstaining on a key vote to devolve full control over Welsh water to the National Assembly – even though their own Government in Cardiff wants this to happen. The vote on Plaid Cymru's amendment followed a Commons debate on the final stages of the Water Bill - every single Labour MP from Wales was absent. Ironically the Labour in Wales Government in evidence to the Silk Commission noted that it wants to see the National Assembly gain full control over all matters relating to Welsh water. So much for joined up thinking and so much for standing up for Wales! 

Hywel Williams MP speaking after the debate said:

"This is an embarrassing episode for the First Minister and his Labour Welsh Government who, once again, have been let down by Labour MPs from Wales.

"Just as in the case of devolving energy projects up to 100 MW and devolving Air Passenger Duty to Wales, the First Minister says one thing in Cardiff while his London colleagues seem intent on undermining his every word.

"Water has been an emotive, emblematic and defining political matter in Wales. It is just one aspect of our nation's wealth of natural resources but our people are unable to benefit from its use due to the UK Government holding the power of veto over all matters relating to Welsh water.

"Had Plaid Cymru's amendment been carried, we would have seen control over Welsh water transferred from Westminster to the National Assembly, ensuring that any wealth generated from its extraction and export would benefit our nation.

"It is disappointing to see the Labour party in Wales yet again conform to the cosy Westminster consensus rather than put the interests of the Welsh economy and people first."

SEVERN TUNNEL CLOSED; ENGLAND CUT OFF

As a regular rail user the news that the Severn Tunnel is going to be closed for maintenance this weekend and next weekend has greeted me every morning (at Newport Station) for some weeks. I suspect that the First Minister is perhaps not a regular rail user, perhaps the government limo is too comfortable and too convenient, ideal perhaps for snoozing in whilst going to and from work.   

Severn Tunnel closed - England cut off!

The Welsh First minister’s criticism of Network Rail over the planned closure of the Severn Tunnel for maintenance, on the same weekend as the opening ceremony for the Rugby League World Cup, and the Womex music festival (both in Cardiff), might have a shred of validity if plans to upgrade the diversionary route via Kemble, in Gloucestershire to Swindon had not been dropped in November 2008, under the last Labour Westminster Government.

When the Severn Tunnel is closed for maintenance rail traffic from South Wales is diverted via a single-track 12-mile section of line between Swindon and Kemble (in Gloucestershire). Plans to upgrade this section to double track as it is the only diversionary route between Wales and London were conspicuous by their absence from Network Rail’s plans in 2008/2009. This is a vital link between Wales and London (and Europe) and the only alternative to using the Severn Tunnel.

The origins of the present problems date back to November 2008 (when Labour were in office at Westminster) when the Office of Rail Regulation’s settlement for Network Rail allocated £26 billion pounds - 2.4 billion less than requested; forcing Network Rail to drop a number of projects. Lost amidst the small print of this decision was the decision to drop a plan which would have restored of the 12 miles of single track to double from Kemble to Swindon.

In the event of a major accident or incident in the tunnel, perhaps a crash, a fire or even flooding, then we need a fully operational alternative so that passenger and freight services to London are not affected. Talk to anyone who works the rails (or anyone who has relatives who work on the rails) in the south and they will tell you that the aging Severn Tunnel is going to require more maintenance as time passes, it remains a vital transport link, but it ranks pretty low on Network Rails or Westminster’s list of priorities.

We badly need some original thinking to solve this potential block on our rail links; the construction of a railway bridge / tidal fence close to the Second Severn Crossing should be seriously considered as part of any plans to harness the enormous renewable energy potential of the Severn Estuary. This could carry the main rail link from South Wales, solving the problem of the Severn Tunnel, enhance rail services from Severn Tunnel Station and generate sustainable energy, which we will need in the near future.

ED SPEAKS OUT...

According to Ed Miliband a newly elected Labour Government would freeze gas and electricity bills for every home and business in the UK for 20 months if Labour wins the 2015 election. The big energy firms would also be broken up and would be governed by a new tougher regulator to give people "a fairer deal". Eds says that this plan would will save average households £120 pounds and businesses £1,800 pounds per year and cost the energy giants some £4.5 billion pounds. Apparently the Labour leader said that energy firms had been overcharging "for too long" and that it was time to "reset" the market.

It sounds good, save for the fact the energy market that now exists under the control of the big 6 energy cartel members  came into existence when Labour were last in power (with a significant majority). Gordon Brown, initially as Chancellor and then later as Prime Minister did nothing to curb the excessive profits of the large monopolistic energy companies, so why would we seriously expect Ed do anything different.

 Potentially this is the first real break in the consensus on the profitable privatised nominally ‘free’ energy market by the Westminster focused political parties – since the late 1980’s. The big 6 have kicked off with warnings (threats) of power blackouts and a lack of investment in the energy sector and the usual former fleet street suspects have kicked off big time with ‘Red Ed’ like headlines. The ‘policy’ may have sounded good on the conference platform yesterday (naturally it did not go down well with the big 6 cartel members) but it (and Ed) did not quite have sounded so good or so convincing on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme this morning.

The adoption of this new Labour position on energy, may seriously stir things up a bit as Cameron whatever his private (or some of the Conservative Party) feelings are on the matter cannot afford to look like the best mate of the ‘Big 6’ energy cartel members in the run up to the next Westminster General election. The problem is that in office Labour (under Blair and Brown) adopted not so much ‘a hands off approach’ as ‘a look the other way approach’ to the increasingly excessive profits raked in (at our, the energy customers expense) by the cartel members as long as the Treasury continued to receive its share of the profits in the form of extra tax.

The applecart may well be truly been upset if  the power companies cozy relationship with the political parties ends. Over the years some of the Political parties have got used to some of the perks of having a close relationship with the Power Companies – who sponsor free food at funded functions, glossy paid adverts in conference brochures, etc. One very old rule that Ed may have forgotten is that once you sell your virtue it stays sold, and once you sell your principles they stay bought and the end result is that the fabric of our democracy is damaged or tainted.

IF WISHES WERE HORSES...

There is an old saying; if wishes were horses then beggars would ride. And if the Labour in Wales Government was capable of any original thought then it might consider purchasing the Welsh share of the Post Office and running it on a not for dividend model as per Dwr Cymru. The problem is that that their masters, Labour in Westminster remain ideologically comfortable with the idea of privatising the post office. When Labour in Westminster were last in Government, Lord Mandelson tried to privatise the post office and failed due to a combination of union discontent and public unhappiness with the idea.  When Labour in Westminster were in power they presided over the largest Post Office closure programme in history, following a policy begun and continued by successive conservative governments. Labour in Westminster, if they care to remember publically stated that they would have privatised the railways once elected, if they had not already been privatised. The Con Dems have pretty much continued in the same vein pursuing a programme of privatisation that even Mrs Thatcher would have thought twice about including the forensic science laboratories (something that may yet out the cold case archive at risk) and the air sea rescue service. 

WAKING UP FOR WALES?

News that the Labour in Wales Government in Cardiff Bay has woken up for Wales by belatedly calling for Wales’s share of the UK capital funding being committed to the HS2 Rail project (in England) should be warmly welcomed. Plaid Cymru is absolutely spot on to criticise the hitherto lethargic approach pursued by the  Welsh Government's when it comes to standing up for Wales.

This somewhat belated u-turn on HS2 consequential for Wales should be welcomed Labour in Wales, previously their standing up for Welsh interests has resembled sleeping in the armchair for Wales. Plaid Cymru has rightly accused the Welsh First Minister and his party of being "all over the shop" and correctly drawn attention to the fact that Labour MPs from Wales failed to vote against the paving bill for HS2 when it was being discussed in Parliament.

Labour in Wales sudden interest in the Welsh percentage (potentially we are talking of a figure of some £4 billion pounds) of the HS2 UK capital funding is in itself interesting. It coincides with the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee’s public criticism of the planned HS2 high-speed rail link as estimated benefits dwindle and estimated costs soar.

Coincidentally Labour in Westminster may be positioning itself to ditch the much criticised HS2 project. Hence the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) suggestion that theDepartment for Transport was failing to present a "convincing strategiccase" and added that it was instead based on "fragile numbers, out-of-date data and assumptions which do not reflect real life".

The PAC said there was no evidence the line would help the growth of regional cities and would instead draw even more business to London. A target of getting the required legislation in place by 2015 was criticised as unrealistic and the committee wanted to know how quickly the department would fill gaps in commercial and major project expertise among its personnel.

Additionally the PAC said that out-of-date assumptions for the high-speed line had been made including failures to take into account technological developments that enabled people to work on trains using laptops and other mobile devices. The case for HS2 still needs to be made and there is a valid line of argument that suggests that the potential £80 billion pounds (HS2 costs) could go a long way towards making significant improvements to significant portions of our aging railway infrastructure.

What concerns me is that the Labour in Wales government in Cardiff may be cynically asking for something that it knows it won’t get. While the skids are not necessarily under HS2, as the PAC’s criticism may owe more to Labour in Westminster mischief making, serious questions do need to be asked about the actual economic benefits of large scale infrastructure projects be they M4 Relief Roads, the LG Development or High Speed Rail projects.

The one mantra often forgotten by failing midterm governments and opposition parties is that when you are spending public money it is important to work it exceptionally hard. As we begin to stagger out of the worst self inflicted economic downturn in recent history we need to squeeze every single possible benefit out of it and putting all the eggs in one basket with one off massive infrastructure projects may not be the best way to maximise the economic benefits.

SIMPLY A BAD IDEA...

Even the news that the Post Office profit rose from £ 152 million pounds to £ 403 million pounds (in the 12 months up until the end of March) made little difference; the Lib Dems (notorious locally for campaign to keep open local Post Offices that were not under threat of closure) have with their Conservative collation partners decided to privatise the Post Office. Labour in Westminster has been busy crying crocodile tears, as they tried and failed (under Peter Mandelson) to privatise the Post Office themselves during their largely wasted 13 years in government.

Privatisation of the Post Office - simply a bad idea...

Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no problem with the Post Office being given the maximum amount of commercial freedom to go out and diversify and to make money (as happens in the Netherlands) but firmly believe that this is an ideologically driven and unnecessary privatisation  A major concern should be about the longevity of the unprofitable rural postal operations – how long will it be before they are dropped because they don’t make enough profit?

The Post Office, rather than be simply sold off to a private company will be floated on the stock market, with shares being sold off. The business has been valued at something between £ 2 billion and £ 3 billion pounds with up to 10% of shares being set aside for postal workers. Not surprisingly, probably along with most people, the members of the Communication Workers Union are understandably firmly opposed to the privatisation of the Post Office.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson on Royal Mail, Jonathan Edwards MP, said:

“Plaid Cymru is wholly opposed to the privatisation of Royal Mail. 

"When the last Labour Government thought that part-privatisation was a good idea, Plaid Cymru fought to defend Royal Mail in the House of Commons, and will do so again against this Tory – Lib Dem decision.

“Plaid Cymru is very concerned about the Government’s decision to press ahead with privatisation of the postal service that threatens to put jobs and services at risk.

“The reasons for keeping Royal Mail in public ownership are numerous, and the Government has not been able to give sufficient reasons for privatising it.

“In May this year, it was announced that Royal Mail had posted a profit of over £400 million in the preceding year and lays to waste the Coalition Government’s claim that it must be sold off to survive.”

HAVING YOUR CAKE AND EATING IT?

Oops - a case of forgetting that they are in Government?

It can rightly be said sometimes that a picture is worth a thousand words. Here we have a group of Labour AMs and MPs protesting about the threat to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. While there is nothing wrong with that, they are protesting against their own government in Cardiff’s polices. This is classic Labour in Wales having their cake and eating it. While there may be a faint whiff of hypocrisy about it, there is nothing new here, more locally the Labour MP for Newport East spoke out in Newport against Post Office closures while quietly voting in the lobbies in Westminster to support the closure programme and hoped that no one would notice. Likewise, in relation to the resignation of Gwent Chief Constable we have had a row of Labour in Gwent MPs lining up to condemn the elected Police Commissioner should be put in its proper context, had such an event taken place under the rule of an elected Labour Police Commissioner I suspect that all we would have heard was silence.  

THE PROBLEM

It was the Wrecsam Plaid blog entry the other day on Labour in Wales’s belated support for Welsh farmers that got me thinking. Perhaps the reason for this failure to step in to support our farmers (after a particularly bad winter) may be down to a combination of poor advice from civil servants to ministers, or a marked indifference towards agriculture. The later is something that has been manifest in recent decades at various levels of government in the UK. These may all be reasons for the blatant neglect and belated support but I think that the real reason is because Labour in Wales (and its various elected representatives) have a real problem with other parts of Wales that fall outside what they perceive to be their home turf.

The real reason may well be down to a quiet disbelief in the very concept of Cymru / Wales, let alone devolution. Over the years (reluctantly at times) Labour in Wales (and some of its elected representatives) have talked the talk and walked (more stumbled) the walk with the rhetoric of devolution. They have talked up their own frenzied inertia with devolution into what they describe as ‘standing up for Wales’. It sounds good, but, actually delivers little for our country and our people, something that accurately matches Labour in Westminster (and Wales) record of delivering for Wales.

The Labour Party (formerly known New Labour) in Westminster (and Cymru / Wales) are quietly hoping that people will forget the terrible mess they created when they were in power at Westminster and the cuts they would have implemented had they not been battered by the electorate. New (and Old) Labour were pretty good on sound-bites but short on delivery, Harold Wilson, once talked about "The white heat of the technological revolution" (October 1st 1963). Yet once the dust had settled after six years of Labour Government very little changed and very little was delivered as vested interests in the Labour Movement thwarted any real economic reform.

As for delivering for Cymru / Wales, it took the best part of 11 of the 13 years in office at Westminster before Labour in Wales woke up to the concept of electrifying the Great Western from Swansea to London, and then reluctantly. It was only after Plaid (and Ieuan Wyn Jones) put them in a situation where they had no other option to commit as originally they planned to electrify the Great Western from Bristol to London - perhaps they hoped that no one in Wales would not notice (as per the subsidy for the Humber bridge). 

So  three years down the line from losing office, after 13 years in power the Labour Party in Westminster (at least) is now wallowing in its comfort zone, safely out of office at Westminster, safely free from responsibility, they are enjoying what they love to do best – attacking the Tories. Faced by any election (in Cymru / Wales) they will talk up the Tory threat (as well practised by Peter Hain) – this is Labour in Wales's bottom line and works along the line of if you tell a simple big enough lie often enough then people will eventually believe it. 

At one very basic level, from their point of view why not? There is certainly plenty to attack the Tories (and their Liberal Democrat little helpers) for, especially when it comes to our public services and our economy. But do Labour (New or Old or whatever they choose to call themselves) actually have any real credibility when it comes to attacking the Tories on these issues?

There is a long history of the Labour sound-bite, Harold Wilson said in his 1961 Labour Party Conference speech "The Labour Party is a moral crusade or it is nothing". It seems that the answer is that it is nothing. More recently Tony Blair (a man who could perhaps have been said to come within 45 minutes of finding his principles) said "It is not an arrogant government that chooses priorities, it's an irresponsible government that fails to choose". Yet they consistently failed to choose to act to make Wales better and consistently put Party interest before principle and the interests of our people. 

If I was being kind, then certainly the party formerly known as New Labour's recent history is marked by a series of opportunities wasted by Labour in government. There is a pretty long list of things (large and small) that they could have done, that they were supposed to fight for, but chose not to. They have displayed a bigger and more public commitment to ‘Fair funding for Wales’ since being out of office (at Westminster) than they ever displayed when they were last in office (at Westminster). 

As far as we in Wales are concerned, they are those 'friends' who are never around when you actually need them. Labour was the friend that the people of Wales turned to for the best part of one hundred years when faced with economic and political adversity. Through strikes, recession, the Thatcher and Major years the people sought comfort from their natural political home and got scant reward for it during the 13 years of Labour Government. The problem has been that Labour since the 1920’s (with the exception of the 1940’s) has been more concerned with keeping its collective nose in the trough than anything else.

New Labour did nothing to curb the irresponsibility of the bankers and little to support our manufacturing industry and small to medium sized businesses, that are (and should be) the lifeblood of much of the Welsh economy. When presented with the opportunity (and Westminster majority) to implement real and lasting improvements to the lives of its loyal supporters, New Labour offered warm words, but was never there when we really needed them. When they actually had the power to deliver for the Welsh people, we should remember that they made the decision not to. 

AND SPEAKING OF BRIDGE TOLLS

No it's not the Severn Bridge!

Towards the end of February, a few Westminster MP’s gathered to back a private members bill which aimed to allow hospital patients free travel (to and from treatment) across a toll bridge across a wide river estuary (it was the Humber Bridge, not the Severn bridge(s)). Patients in northern Lincolnshire have no choice other than to use the Humber Bridge to access medical treatment at hospitals in Hull and East Yorkshire. The Bridge tolls were cut by half in April 2012 by a Westminster Government subsidy, falling from £3 each way for cars to £1.50 per crossing (interesting that a Conservative dominated coalition government can do this for a toll bridge in England but is quite unprepared to even consider attempting to reduce tools on the Severn bridges. Despite the reduction in tolls, local campaigners say cancer sufferers who need regular chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions are continually being hit by the £3 return toll charge. The proposed private members bill would give the Humber Bridge Board greater financial freedom and may potentially pave the way for toll-free crossings for hospital patients. A bill was introduced to parliament in January, its passage was however delayed after the Tory MP and former Transport Minister Christopher Chope (Christchurch, Dorset) raised an objection in the House of Commons. The Humber Bridge which was opened to traffic in 1981, has often been at the centre of political controversy over the rising cost of tolls, something that has been blamed on the legacy of spiralling debt from its construction. The Humber Bridge Bill has reached the second reading stage in the House of Commons and will to pass through the various stages of parliament over the next six months. So what exactly are those MP's from the South East doing with their time?

BENEFITS BILL WARNING FOR WALES

Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesperson, Jonathan Edwards MP, warned that the Welfare Uprating Bill, debated in the House of Commons yesterday, will create lasting and disproportionate damage to the Welsh economy and widen the wealth gap between the nations and regions of the British state. Plaid  has repeated its call for investment in growth and the creation of meaningful jobs to counter the demand that's being sucked out of the economy as ordinary people are forced to budget more and spend less in their local areas. The Westminster based Labour and Tory parties' obsession with out-flanking each other on the right means that the real challenge of dealing with the underlying causes of unemployment and poverty are simply being ignored. The debate was a clear and simple reminder that the interests of the Welsh people and Wales will never feature high among Westminster’s priorities.

On Tuesday, Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesperson, Jonathan Edwards MP said:

"There is no question that the proposals included in the Welfare Uprating Bill will have a disproportionate impact on the nations and regions outside the South East of England.

"Wales will be hit particularly hard as a far greater percentage of our population are recipients of Tax Credits and/or benefits.

"Therefore, the real-term cut in these entitlements will inevitably have a dramatic effect on the amount of money spent in local economic across Wales, clearly highlighting the entirely self-defeating nature of the Coalition's economic experiment.

"In recent years, we have seen a significant drop in how benefit rises are calculated - from RPI to CPI to just 1%. Against a backdrop of soaring prices for daily essentials such as food and fuel, this change has created a devastating spiral of decline that is polarising wealth across the British State at both regional and individual level, and institutionalising poverty and unemployment in many areas.

"The Bevan Foundation has today announced that over £100m will be lost from the Welsh economy in benefits payments alone if this flawed Bill is passed. This will be a significant blow to local economies throughout Wales and will inevitably hit local cash circulation.

"Plaid Cymru has recently delivered on its promise to create thousands of apprenticeships in Wales and repeatedly called for the immediate implementation of the Silk Commission recommendations. The economy remains our main priority and we will continue to offer progressive plans that challenge Westminster's destructive agenda."

LABOUR CONFUSED OVER POLICING

Plaid Cymru has described the Labour Welsh government’s view of policing as "confused" and "lacking any clear thinking" after the relevant minister seemed unable to answer questions on the issue during questions in the Senedd.　

Plaid Cymru AM Jocelyn Davies had asked the Minister what actions he would support in order to protect policing in Wales from UK government cuts, and why he believes the issue should remain in the hands of the Conservative Secretary of state in Westminster, rather that being under Welsh control.

Under questioning from Ms Davies, the Minister refused to back the devolution of policing to Wales.

Plaid Cymru AM, Jocelyn Davies, said:

"Both Police officers and the general public are very concerned about the impact that the UK government cuts will have on policing on the ground. Those concerns have been repeated by the minister himself who has been more than happy to criticise the way our police service is being run.
　
"In light of that I asked the Labour Minister whether he would support devolving policing to Wales, thereby taking it out of the hands of Theresa May and bringing it under the control of his government here in Wales. However the Minister, clearly unwilling to give a clear answer, gave a rather confused answer about budgets.　

"It is high time that the Labour government here in Wales clarified its position on this matter as it appears they currently lack any clear thinking on the issue. Either they are content to leave policing to be torn to shreds in the hands of the Tories in Westminster or they should be prepared to stand up and take responsibility for it here.　

"Plaid Cymru wants to see the powers and budget for policing devolved to Wales in order to ensure that Welsh communities get the service most suited to their needs."　

WAKING UP FOR WALES – PERHAPS NOT?

There may be some signs the Labour in Wales is finally waking from its self induced slumber? First Minister Carwyn Jones claimed that Wales is losing out on jobs and investment because it lacks the same powers over renewable energy enjoyed by Scotland. He has called for control of energy projects up to 100MW to be devolved to Wales.

Now I have no problem with that, it is worth noting that when Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards (31.01.2012) introduced a bill in Westminster which would have given the Welsh Government powers over energy generation in Wales – something both Labour and the Conservatives included in their respective Welsh general election manifesto's last year - its clear that Labour in Wales’s Westminster representatives were not prepared to play ball.

Mr Edwards argued not unreasonably that the proposal would lead to equality with Scotland and Northern Ireland and that it would mean that we would be better placed to fight fuel poverty with responsibility for our own resources. This entirely reasonable proposal was voted down by Labour MPs, who were more than happy to team up with Conservatives MPs to stop their own party in Wales taking these powers. The proposal was defeated by 239 votes to 44 after Labour and Conservative MPs teamed up against the Bill.

Waking up for Wales perhaps not? Carwyn is on record as saying that he wants decision-making powers for renewable energy developments up to 100MW to be devolved to Wales. So what about any projects that come in over the magic 100MW figure? That according to Carwyn's logic would get decided upon in London by Conservative / Lib Dem Ministers.

Now oddly enough this position may not quite be as ill-thought out as it first appears as it would mean that all of Wales' offshore wind farms, large-scale tidal developments (including any proposed re-badged Severn Barrage) and some of the biomass plant proposals that are floating about would all be excluded. Obviously from a developmental, strategic or practical point of view this is complete nonsense.

Anything for a quiet life and nothing controversial to disturb ones sleep perhaps? And anyway as Labour in Wales representatives in Westminster are totally opposed to any plans to devolve more powers to the National Assembly anyway perhaps this is the ideal solution to the problem as it puts party interest before the national one? Perhaps Carwyn hopes that no one will notice...