Fight back ????

It is perhaps a sign of the weakness in the Tory's current position that the conference is opended by the phrase "the great Conservative fight back". I cannnot see how the launch of a "fightback" ties in with speculation that this conference sits on the verge of an election. It just feels all wrong tactically from their perspective. Surely they should be sitting on top of a curve, hammering the government, and with the public sweeping in behind.

It is the absence of these forces that must make an election very attractive for Gordon Brown.

Shining new ground

Being married to a rabid Evertonian I was amused to be sent a picture of their new ground. The sender may have supported the other Merseyside team !

Being NMs guest blogger

Normal Mouth invited me to answer a few questions. You can see my responses here.

(thanks given for not mentioning Cardiff City too often after results this week !)

Entertainment in the sunshine

Not much was expected at the Oval today.A weakened Caernarfon - too many recent headbuts and punches - against table topping Llanelli.

It started badly with Llanelli scoring inside 30 seconds at the Oval before, to most people's surprise, Caernarfon bounced back to lead 3-2 at half time. The entertainment was increased by the number of errors, but Llanelli made fewer in the second half to run out 4-3 winners.

Then I come home to see Wales blow my £12 in the office sweep.

I have some feeling that Fiji were my second team out of the sweep so we are all, unfortunately, Fijians now.

Taking policy up a level

I didn't make it to Bournemouth but monitoring activities via the computer suggests I was successful in election to Labour's national policy forum. Conference approved Gordon Brown's reforms so it will be an interesting period in which to directly participate in national policy development on behalf of Welsh CLPs.

Vaughan well briefed

The BBCs Vaughan Roderick blogs about Welsh Labour's election review and I suspect is well briefed. How do I know? Well as one of those who helped the review group it became clear the Party needed an honest, open assessment so we could learn valuable lessons to strengthen our future activities. Find a translation here.

Clearly the circumstances of the next Assembly elections will be different by 2011 and we will have completed several more sets of elections before that time (Westminster, councils and Europe) but the need for a clear programme of work and activities is made in the report.

The report may well feed a short frenzy of speculation but mature responses will realise that it is valuable for a Party like Labour to reflect, learn and move forward. While Gordon's poll ratings give us a valuable short term boost we must continue to adapt our work to evolving situations.

Waiting for Leighton !

Its only a mickey mouse cup ! I can just hear Leighton Andrews winding up some obsevations on Baggies 2-Cardiff 4........

Keeping the tent large

Eluned Morgan MEP has started to unfold the debate about lessons Welsh Labour may need to absorb after May's Assembly elections. Eluned's point is well made that our electoral strategy has to maintain a broad base and a drift to any comfortable territory on the left could leave the Tories space to prosper. This is one of many difficult issues Welsh Labour must face as we move forward from May 2007.

Blogs offer coverage here, here, here amongst others.

Paul Flynn takes an upbeat view.

Advice taken

So advice taken, blog upgraded, and over the next few days various links will be added. I have got in to practise with a couple of Labour bloggers but will diversify as time allows.

So thats a yes then ?

Lord Wigley of Derby ? Valleys Man notes developments in the Lordships saga. Plaid have become so "New Nationalist" that Lord Dafydd is simply another pragmatic stage of transformation. If the support of the Plaid group is as high a test as is now necessary, then surely its a done deal - or would the Arfon-Anglesey tension in Plaid see an attempt to block Dafydd's Lordship bid ? Unlikely.

32 miles + - I am the junior partner

The Eaglestones ran 32 miles today and we were sent on our way by Colin Jackson. Nice guy. Anyway to clear up any misunderstanding I am the junior partner and it was Sue who completed the Marathon Mon-Anglesey Marathon, while I made do with the 10k.

I spoke to one man who was completing his circa 250th marathon - Madness on two legs...?

"A step in the dark"

I have been unsure how I might present today's posting. I have decided as follows.

Today I sat in the company of an IRA bomber and the daughter of a Tory MP.

It was a priviledge because the people concerned were Jo Berry and Patrick Magee who spoke at the All Wales Peace Festival at Y Galeri in Caernarfon. "A step in the dark" was a phrase used by Prof Nick Wheeler at the event to describe that moment when people take a step the consequence of which they cannot be sure, but which can open the door to peace and reconciliation.

Jo Berry is the daughter of Tory MP Sir Anthony Berry who was killed by Patrick Magee with the Brighton bomb in 1984. They stood together to explain how their journey had taken them to find the human face behind the conflict but I'm not sure any words in a blog can convey the power of being present before such witness.

10,000 plus - but time to be more communial

It seems that over 10,000 visits have been made to read over my musings about politics, the Baggies etc etc. I however realise I have not been very communal in my links so over the next week I am taking advice (yes I need techie support) to add some more links. Blogging is simple but I don't find the making of links easy. How sad.

I also think we need a North West Wales/North Wales bloggers get-together, even though it may prove more risky for a Labour blogger!. However I might get a chance to gather some spectrum of views, over a drink, for my pamphlet on Labour, language and rights.

Let me know what you think ?

Galeri bar ?

Are you dancing ?

Well its High School Musical II so I hope you are tuned in and dancing ?

Belgium on the BBC

My thoughts about beer and chocolates are shared here. If beer is one of the few things keeping them together then Welsh seperatists should presumably produce lots of crap beer ?

10 years ago

Lots of recollections about where people were ten years ago. For my part it was delivering pre-breakfast 'vote today' leaflets in the Maes Barcer estate,Caernarfon and at the end of the day at the Gwynedd area count at Arfon leisure centre. I think someone has footage of Tom Jones (T&G) and myself jumping arm in arm as the 'yes' vote was announced. One of many memories I have with Tom over the years of union/political work.

Prior to that point I also recall the atmosphere going a little colder when some of our nationalist friends thought it was slipping to a 'no'. ? But we are all friends now.

Inside the tent

Glyn makes use of some leaked info which I find perfectly illustrates why the dynamic of Welsh politics changed with the One Wales agreement.

If IWJ and other Plaid politicians now find themselves speaking to official stats rather than the former tactic of pursuing people like Andrew Davies then I see that as a benefit if having them in the tent. Their former motives (perhaps just the role of opposition?) can be queried but what do their activists think - surely their world didn;t improve that quickly ? Or is was never too bad in the first place ?

Oh well welcome to Government and a new maturity.

1-1 and then another Cofis win

Well Bristol City fought back and took an honourable draw with the Baggies. In truth a point away from home against a team high on the adrenelin of promotion is okay.

Meanwhile Caernarfon returned to winning ways away at new entrants Llangefni. My place of campaigning against my place of work.

Now as for Mourinio - well I think he'll land on his feet, and suspect the new manager(s) know the rules (i.e Chamions League within two seaosons or out) .

Nice compo cheque I'm sure !

An unwritten rule of capitalsim - they write the rules

After the financial events of the last few days many people are left in wonder at the situation where those people who have earned huge incomes (in various forms) for many years telling all us ordinary folk - for which I will include politicians for now - that the power of the economy is best left to the unfettered private finance, and all will be well.
Keep away you state/politicos as we knows wots best.

Now it seems that state support, and semi nationalsition of debt, (I am sure it is not described as such in our Treasury announcements) is best for all.

In my younger days I would have ranted and raved at such situations but I now just accept that one unwriten rule of our system is that they will at critical times re-write the rules to suit them. And it is probably in all our best intererests that the economy on which we now depend for so much does not throw an even bigger wobble.

No doubt someone has today been cashing in as some investor confidence was restored and share prices increased - will that be handed to us the taxpayers who underwote the cheque called "confidence" ? I somehow suspect not.

Long way to go yet

I didn't manage to get to the Oval on Saturday and therefore missed Caernarfon's first loss of the season. Glyn makes comment but loosing to Rhyl 1-0 is not a disaster and perhaps, in a way, shows some of the improvement made. Still there's a long way to go and everyon emay now be finding their feet.

Meanwhile the mighty Baggies bang in 4 and I say bring on Trundle, Bristol City and all that tomorrow night.