Fair green future
Dyfodol teg, dyfodol gwyrdd

 

 

 

 

Campaign for full powers must not wait for Rhodri's rocketMike German has written to the leaders of all the main political parties in Wales calling for urgent discussions to begin on a campaign for full powers.
Mr German, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said he was moved to get the ball rolling after he realised that the First Minister was not prepared to make a start.
He said: "My experience of referenda is that, unless you prepare early for a referendum, and unless the political parties are geared up for it, then you will not get a 'yes' vote. That's why I believe that those of us who want the Assembly to have the full range of powers it needs, have to get started. We have to agree a way forward, to persuade people that a more powerful Assembly will be better for Wales."
On Tuesday at First Minister's Questions Rhodri Morgan spoke of a three stage process to get to a referendum.
In response to questions from Mr German, Rhodri Morgan said: "You could think of this as a three-stage rocket: we having the establishing committee now, then the convention runs for a year or two or whatever, and then, in the final stage, campaign organisations would work for a 'yes' vote or a 'no' vote."
Mike German added "Rhodri's 'three stage rocket' analogy risks turning in to Apollo 13 - sure the campaign would get off the ground, but there'd be no guarantee of happy landings.
"If we are to win a referendum, we have to convince the people of Wales that the Assembly is working for them and making a difference to their lives. That will require a well-organised and well-prepared campaign. It will also require a degree of co-operation across party boundaries, as the pro-devolution elements of the Labour and Conservative Parties cannot rely on all their colleagues to back a Yes vote.
"If we fail to prepare, we will be preparing to fail. This question is too important for that. That's why I will be writing to all party leaders calling for an early meeting to set the wheels in motion."
Notes: Full text of Last week's exchanges at First Minister's Questions can be seen at
http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=70987&ds=1/2008#a1
Extract
The First Minister: You could think of this as a three-stage rocket: we having the establishing committee now, then the convention runs for a year or two or whatever, and then, in the final stage, campaign organisations would work for a 'yes' vote or a 'no' vote.
Michael German: The important point that you state there is quite clear: the convention is not a campaigning body. I agree that Sir Emyr Jones Parry would not be the right person to lead a campaigning organisation. I am sure that your experience of the referenda in the 1970s and the 1990s tells you that, unless you prepare early for a referendum, and unless the political parties are geared up for it, then you will not get a 'yes' vote.
My party is committed to acquiring full powers for this National Assembly; it always has been, and we maintain that position. However, we believe that you have to campaign for those votes, and early preparation is important. That is why it was so tough for us in 1997-we did not have that ground to build on. The political parties had less than six months to prepare the ground together in order to fight the referendum campaign that led to the establishment of this Assembly.
Would you therefore agree that we should start the campaign now, and that it should be a political campaign based around the political parties? I invite you and the other party leaders to join us, to ensure that we start that political campaign right now, so that we will have prepared early enough. We should not wait until the few months that seem to be left between the end of the convention and the potential vote in 2011, if that is the likely date.
The First Minister: I would define the function of the convention under Sir Emyr's chairing as preparing an informed electorate. There is nothing to stop political parties from choosing to start campaigning now, or, indeed, from seeking to meet other parties and forming campaign organisations, either locally or on a pan-Wales basis. There is nothing to stop that from happening now, but I do not want it to cut across, or vitiate, the work of the convention, which must have a reasonably free run when it starts, in six months' time or thereabouts. It needs to try to ensure that it knows what is missing with regard to having an informed electorate, and to then ensure that, by the time it finishes its work, we do have an informed electorate.

The outbreak resulted in restrictions on movement and trade of animals The foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2007 may have cost Welsh farmers more than £40m, a Welsh assembly committee has found. The finance committee also highlighted an ongoing dispute between the governments in Cardiff and London over who should pay any compensation. A separate assembly report concluded the UK Treasury should compensate Welsh farmers. The foot-and-mouth outbreak was discovered in Surrey in August, but there were no cases in Wales. However, the outbreak had an impact on the rural economy across the whole of the UK. Restrictions were placed on the movement and trade of animals following the August outbreak and a second one in September. Farmers in Wales did not automatically receive compensation because no animals were slaughtered due to the disease, but the Welsh assembly's finance committee said "the effect on the Welsh farming industry was immediate and severe". The restrictions meant animals could not be sent to the abattoir which lead to a loss of income and the additional cost of feed. Hill farmers are facing a winter having lost half their income Dai Davies, NFU Wales president The National Farmers' Union (NFU) Wales put the cost "in excess of £40m". The finance committee, which is made up of AMs from all parties, pointed to evidence the outbreak came from a research facility at Pirbright that was licensed by the UK government. The assembly government has already agreed extra funding for aid schemes including one to promote red meat. But the AMs noted that just over half of the £7m allocated to the schemes had actually been spent. The finance committee recommended the assembly government undertake a "full and detailed assessment of the costs of the outbreak" and that ministers make "significant additional funding available". The AMs were concerned the level of support being offered to Welsh farmers seemed to be far less than their counterparts in Scotland. Compensation package The Scottish government made payments to farmers that, if copied in Wales, would amount to the equivalent of £27m, almost £20m more than the assembly government has pledged. Ministers in Edinburgh are now trying to reclaim that money from the UK Treasury. The assembly's rural development committee also released a report that echoed much of what had been concluded by their colleagues. It said the assembly government should consider providing a compensation package to farmers in the short-term, funded from its cash reserves as Scottish ministers had done. The report then recommends the assembly government continues to pursue the UK Treasury for the costs of the outbreak. Dai Davies, president of NFU Wales, said they were asking for similar compensation for farmers as in Scotland. "Farmers in Wales have received just under £2m from the Welsh assembly. Farmers in Scotland will be receiving £27m," he said. "The sheep industry in Wales is a far bigger industry than it is in Scotland. We face the same problems. "Hill farmers are facing a winter having lost half their income, why should we be treated any differently?"

 

Trainee plumber Webster earned £85,000 for his BDO victory World number one Mark Webster beat Simon Whitlock 7-5 in a rousing final of the BDO World Championships. The Denbigh,North Walesman, 24, was never behind as he took a 3-0 lead but unseeded Whitlock pegged him back to 3-2 and was in touch right up until the final set. Webster won the next set to take a 4-2 advantage into the break and continued his formidable form on his own throw by sealing the victory with a double 10. "I can't believe it," said Webster, who earned a winner's cheque for £85,000. "That winning double I shook it in I think," the left-hander added. "I don't think I could have handled another leg." He is awesome, his counting was awesome. It was a brilliant game Webster on Whitlock Webster also paid tribute to his Australian opponent who enjoyed a dream run to the final and earned £30,000 as runner-up. Webster said: "He is awesome, his counting was awesome. It was a brilliant game." It was a final full of high quality darts at the Lakeside, the duo sharing 28 180s between them with Whitlock responding to Webster's every surge. The Aussie took two out of three sets following the interval to make it 5-4 and the pair traded the next two sets suggesting the final might go all the way. But Webster kept his nerve with an 11-dart finish in the opening leg of the deciding set. And although Whitlock hit back with one of his own, a strong Welsh crowd roared on Webster as he eked out the next two legs to clinch the title in style.

It was interesting to read your Tide Turning article about wave energy versus windfarms.  This is something that I am especially interested in and have been campaigning for quite some time.  In fact,  April last year myself and our former Leader Lembit Opik MP  campaigned on this  EXACT very issue in Rhyl Town Centre, filmed by BBC Wales. What is sad and disappointing  is at that time none of the local papers supported or  featured our  press release  on wave energy.
 
While I welcome our new Environmental expert? Matt Wright to this environmental issue for the first time, I can't help feeling that he is only jumping on our environmental  band wagon as it is now becoming a more high profile, local issue.
 
Now for the real issues;  the first task is to embark on a massive energy saving programme as we waste nearly 50% of our energy.  We must boost all renewables, such as wind, tide, hydro, solar etc.  They all have a role and a place in our green energy plans for the future.
 
Climate change is about saving our planet for future generations and not just about when it is trendy to be involved!
Green energy is the only way forward,  and must become a joint business and community effort in order that we succeed.