Twelve months ago next week, the government of Wales took on a new look. Labour and Plaid Cymru took office together with a pledge that they were “passionate about improving the lives of people in Wales and making our nation a better place in which to live and work”. 

 

This document – “20 Questions for the One Wales Government” – highlights 20 areas where the One Wales Government has failed the people of Wales. It shows areas where they are falling behind The Labour-Plaid government has so far failed to meet its own aspirations.It has failed spectacularly to meet the aspirations of the people of Wales.

 

It has failed to make an impact beyond Wales’s border.

 

 

Its greatest success has been in preserving the status quo. Keeping Labour hands on the levers of power in Wales; keeping the powers of the Assembly so limited, and stifling initiatives to such a degree that no Assembly Member applied to make a law, when given the opportunity to do so in the June ballot. The One Wales agreement has kept two parties together, but failed to stop parts of Wales falling apart.

 

 

Education is the most glaring area. While the government has prioritised populist gimmicks – free car parking and free prescriptions for the rich most notably, the education system has felt the strain. The introduction of a revolutionary new style of teaching for the youngest children should have been a cause of universal rejoicing – but the failure to fund it properly has left a bad taste in the mouth of many parents, teachers and governors. They deny the existence of a stark and growing funding gap between universities in Wales and England – despite the evidence. And there is growing unease in Further Education at the funding gap there. All this comes at a time when the future of the economy depends more than ever on raising skill levels and standards of qualification.

 

 

But the style of government is disappointing too. Wales’ government over the last year has enjoyed a thumping majority on all matters covered in the One Wales Agreement. As a result of the Government of Wales Act 2006, it is potentially the most powerful government Wales has ever had. But the test of power is not how big your majority is, but how much change it can deliver. Having a hammer is all very well, the test is whether you use it to build or to tear down. And whether what you build is significant and enduring.

 

 

By this test, the One Wales Government has failed.

 

Being in government is the greatest honour for an elected politician. But it is not a goal in itself. It is a tool to making the changes we promise at election time. There can be no greater disappointment, than failing to live up to that promise.

 

 

Michael German AM,

Leader Welsh Liberal Democrats. 

 

20 questions for the One Wales Government

 

1. If your #1 One Wales pledge is broken, what chance the rest?

One Wales committed itself to ‘proceed to a successful outcome of a referendum for full law-making powers under Part IV as soon as practicable, at or before the end of the Assembly term.’

The All Wales Convention was supposed to be the first stage in this process, but this is crawling along at such a slow pace that it seems increasingly unlikely a referendum will be held before 2011.

In order to secure a yes vote at the referendum, the campaign needs to start now. The government is in danger of listening to devo-sceptics like Paul Murphy, and forcing the referendum further and further back.

 

2. Why introduce popular infant school reforms with insufficient cash?

The Foundation Phase has attracted universal support and the pilot scheme was well received. It is now clear that its anticipated success was based on hollow promises; as the government has failed miserably to deliver this flagship initiative along with the exceptional adult: pupil ratios that are so integral to its success and to achieving the One Wales commitment to 'radically' reduce class sizes.

Despite warnings that the scheme would be highly expensive to properly implement, the government grossly underestimated the money needed. Consequently, we have been left with inadequate funding which does not allow schools to employ the necessary staff; does not provide suitable training for existing staff; does not allow schools to retain staff throughout the academic year; does not allow pilot schools to keep up their levels of funding; and does not create the inside and outside learning environment that this government promised our children.

Eventually, after much pressure from the opposition parties, the government finally admitted there were problems with the implementation of the scheme and found an additional, though arbitrary, £5 million for the pilot schools – but even with this extra cash the scheme is still greatly under-funded with unions calling for a doubling of the funding pot. The Government has now extended the roll out of the scheme by a year but without the necessary extra cash this is only kicking the problem into the long grass - a year’s delay is unlikely to give the government enough time to find the extra money and without doing so it will undermine the initiative.

One year in and we have no guarantee of funding for the future. At First Minister’s Questions last week Rhodri Morgan said that “it will be for Jane [Hutt] to make the budget bid” for future funding. This means that the Foundation Phase will have to do battle with other areas of government spending, rather than being treated as a priority.
3. Why does the government deny there is a £60m HE funding gap?

There is now a £61 million funding gap between higher education institutions in England and Wales, according to HEFCW, and this is set to grow in future. Unless properly funded, universities will struggle to attract the best lecturers and researchers, will struggle to invest in labs, libraries and facilities, and ultimately will struggle to compete with the top universities in the UK – let alone in other parts of the world.

Universities are huge catalysts for the economy, and while Wales continues to prop up the bottom of the league table for GVA, ensuring that universities are capable of doing their job should be one of the government’s top priorities. 

Despite the evidence to the contrary, the Labour-Plaid government believes that funding in Wales is ‘on a par with the levels in England.’

 

4. How does cutting FE funding help boost skills?

The One Wales government’s skills agenda emphasises the importance of the Further Education sector in training a skilled workforce. Though it talks the talk, the government has yet to put its money where its mouth is. This year, the FE budget increased by just 1.45% - well below inflation, and a cut in real terms. Capital investment is well below that in England. The government has also failed to introduce three year budgets, which would enable FE colleges to plan strategically – despite this being a One Wales commitment.

 

5. Why rule out any funding source when money is tight?

The One Wales government has systematically ruled out the use of PFI funding in the Health Service. The Assembly has no ability to raise its own funds, and as such, when the budget is limited – like it is this year – arbitrarily ruling out any source of funding could have a devastating effect on the ability of the Welsh Assembly Government to deliver essential services. The government is also dragging its heels on the use of other public-private partnerships.

While the use of private financing is not always the best option, the use of such funds should be based on whether or not they deliver for quality, value for money, services for the public – it should not be based on dogma alone.

As a result, tough decisions may have to be made about whether to fund future capital projects or to fund the day-to-day running of services.

           

6. Will you ever get around to the Finance Review?

Following a Welsh Liberal Democrat minority party debate in 2007, the Labour minority government at the time committed itself to reviewing the funding and finance of the Assembly – including a comprehensive review of the antiquated Barnett formula and a review of the Assembly’s ability to raise its own funds. This was then incorporated into the One Wales agreement.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Finance Director said that the Commission was expected to start its work in ‘the winter’ 2007; we are now in July 2008.

Rhodri Morgan said, “with everything you read about the [All Wales] convention, read the same for the commission, but set the timetable three months later.” The establishing committee of the Convention reported back in March. We are more than three months behind this deadline, and there is still no progress on the more important review.

 

7. When will the government get serious about renewable energy?

In 2006 only 4% of Wales' electricity needs came from renewable sources - based on this figure the total output for renewables in 2007 was 1.79TWh - nowhere near the 4TWh needed by 2010. The government claims it will meet the target with the new biomass power plant in Port Talbot, but this is not due to start operating until around 2011.

The most comprehensive renewable energy planning advice, TAN 8, was failing when the One Wales government was established. In the year since, nothing has been done to improve this advice. It is extremely unlikely that the targets set for wind energy in TAN 8 will be met by the deadline – at present we are only 107MW towards the 800MW target.

 

8. When will our children’s classrooms all be fit for purpose?

Good quality school facilities are essential for improving academic standards. The One Wales government talks about the importance of improving school buildings to create a first class learning environment, but is making slow progress. After the previous Labour administration failed to meet its target to bring all school buildings up to scratch, the One Wales government has not even bothered to set itself a target for this important task, instead offering the vague promise of continued improvements. We have seen no estimate of the scale of the task or of the amount of money the government intends to allocate to it.  

 

9. Is the government systematically under-funding local councils?

The Assembly’s budget this year saw a derisory and below inflation increase in funding for local authorities. Local authorities keep receiving additional responsibilities from the Welsh Assembly Government and the UK government, but these are rarely backed up with increased funding.

Since the Assembly was founded in 1999, the Assembly’s budget has increased by almost 100%, while local authorities’ budgets over the same period have increased by just 49%. This will undoubtedly put additional pressure on local councils and may result in council tax hikes or service cuts. Local authorities are crying out to be funded properly, but the One Wales government has ignored these calls.

 

10. Why have buses fallen off the transport agenda?

The government claims to take sustainable transport seriously, and buses should form a big part of this. Yet the government’s recent bad management of bus service grants shows exactly how seriously it takes sustainable public transport.

The Local Transport Services Grant – the principal source of funding for local authorities to deliver bus services – has been delayed for more than four months with no justification. Local authorities are now having to fund this themselves in the hope that the government comes up with the cash later in the year.

Another grant – the Bus Service Operators’ Grant – will not be increased this year to reflect the increase in fuel duty. This will put additional pressures on bus services – and the threat to ‘unprofitable’ services is very real indeed.

 

11. Will lack of planning scupper proposals for more affordable homes?

The government is already setting a firm course for failure on their promise to build 6,500 new affordable homes by 2011. The fact that they do not even have processes in place to monitor the number of houses built using Section 106 agreements and are not clear even how many homes Housing Associations and local councils are building shows that they are not taking this target seriously. Statistics researched by the Welsh Liberal Democrats show that only 1,816 affordable homes have been built by private developers under local planning agreements in the past five years. The lack of direction given to local authorities means many still have weak planning schemes in place and are unable to extract the highest amount of affordable housing from new developments. With the credit crunch slowing house building (down by a third from this time last year) it inevitably means that there will be fewer new developments from which to extract a quota of affordable housing and that the chances of meeting the 6,500 target on time becomes even more remote.

 

12. What does it say about your ambition, when Whitehall mandarins step in to say you need more powers?

The One Wales government’s lack of ambition for Wales meant that Whitehall officials had to step in to offer the Assembly more powers. The Affordable Housing LCO was too narrow in scope and failed to realise the potential of what could be done. It took the UK Government to knock some sense into the Assembly Government.

We have also been treated to the spectacle of a Plaid Cymru minister arguing in a Committee meeting that the Assembly Government does not need more powers over broadcasting.

 

13. Why is the Environmental Protection and Waste Management LCO delayed?.

The second LCO to be put before the Assembly last June has disappeared and no-one knows why. The LCO has been held up somewhere in Whitehall, presumably because the UK government has a problem with the scope of the powers requested and WAG is failing to convince them. Apparently, ‘discussions are proceeding’, but the extent of the problem is unknown.

 

14. How many post offices have to close before the government acts?

The Westminster government has embarked on a plan to close 2,500 post offices across the UK. In Wales, the closure plan has proceeded in stages – meaning that some regions know which post offices are going to close while other regions are still waiting for their fate to be decided.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats made repeated requests for the Welsh Assembly Government to re-open the Post Office Development Fund on a region-by-region basis, so that in those areas where the plans have already been finalised, we can get on with supporting our post office network, rather than continuing to run it into the ground. The Labour-Plaid government rejected our plans at every turn.

 

15. Why is the Labour Party blocking new powers coming to Wales?

The Labour-Plaid government insists that it is committed to devolving further powers to Wales, and that Wales should ultimately have a full legislative parliament. Despite these empty promises, more than half of the members of the government voted against bringing a new power to the Assembly last month.

Peter Black’s LCO would have brought the power over local government elections under the Assembly’s control. This included the ability to change the voting system, as well as the power to decide on the number of councillors, ward sizes, boundaries, etc.

Carwyn Jones said that ‘the government does not have a view, and, therefore, there will be no formal response from the government.’ This is not what we would expect from a government that claims to be pro-devolution.

 

16. Can helping just 100 families solve the housing crisis?

The personal debt crisis, banks and building societies lending irresponsible amounts of money to borrowers (up to 5 times income levels in some cases) and reckless credit card lending have created a situation where people are unable to meet payments on their mortgages. As a result, the number of repossession orders made has increased in Wales by 26%, and the number of houses actually repossessed has also increased by a staggering 75%.

WAG plans will help just 100 families, around 10% of those in need.

 

17. Whatever happened to the Welsh Language LCO?

The One Wales government identified six LCOs that it intended to pursue this year. One of these, the Welsh Language LCO, has been quietly forgotten about. But not by us. The Minister admitted that the LCO ‘has been more complex and has taken longer than we expected.’ The last thing we heard was that the LCO was due to be put before the Assembly before the end of the summer term… three weeks from now.

 

18. How can our ambulance service meet call out targets, and save more money than other Trusts?

There were over 24,000 emergency calls, in April 2008. Only 65.1% of first responses to immediately life-threatening emergency calls arrived within 8 minutes. However, in some areas this was much worse; in Powys, less than half arrived in the 8 minutes.

The Ambulance Service is shouldering a massive burden in the form of debt which has to be repaid following overspends in previous years. Last year they had to make savings of £12m from within their budget and this year, required savings have risen to a massive £17m. This equates to approximately 9% of their budget and is proportionately the biggest saving required of any Trust in Wales.

Compare this to the way that English Ambulance Trusts have received significant extra funding, in some cases, up to 5% more, it puts the Welsh system in stark perspective. In a largely rural country like Wales, we have to accept that providing ambulances on time will cost more.

 

19. Where is the plan to close the prosperity gap?

Wales’ GVA is constantly declining compared to the rest of the UK. In 1999, with the establishment of the Assembly, Wales’ per head GVA was 78.7% of the UK average, but it has fallen to 78.1% today. The richest locality in UK – Inner London, West – had a GVA per head figure more than eight times higher than Anglesey. Now, the per head difference in GVA between Wales and the rest of the UK is nearly £4,000.

They have failed to address the regional imbalance as well. For example, the Gwent Valleys region is at just 58% of the UK average, and Anglesey at just 53%. The discrepancies across Wales are staggering. The national GVA figures camouflaged the government’s failure to change the way that economic development happens in our most needy regions.

 

20. Why is the government stifling opposition AMs from using powers?

The One Wales government seems incapable of allowing opposition members the opportunity to pursue their own pieces of legislation. In addition to Peter’s LCO being thrown out, two more Welsh liberal Democrat Measures were rejected by the government.

Mike German’s measure on school closures was voted out, despite the government agreeing that what the Measure was trying to do was needed.

Peter Black’s Measure on youth services was thrown out – again, the government didn’t have a bad word to say about it. In fact, Jane Hutt intends to take Peter’s ideas and incorporate them into their own guidance to local authorities next year.

Allowing backbench members the chance to legislate is a tradition that we have inherited from Westminster – but when the One Wales government sees a good idea coming from the opposition benches, it is reluctant to allow the opposition any part in proceeding with the legislation.

 

 

Welsh Liberal Democrats will be raising these questions in the Senedd over the final weeks of term.

 

For up to date news on the Welsh Liberal Democrats visit www.welshlibdems.org.uk

Fair green future
Dyfodol teg, dyfodol gwyrdd
Embargo: Immediate, Monday 30/6/2008
Contact/Cyswllt: Gareth Price on 07976 898285

20 Questions for the One Wales Government

Welsh Liberal Democrats today launched a study of the first year of the Labour-Plaid coalition, highlighting 20 areas where the One Wales Government has failed the people of Wales.

The document – “20 Questions for the One Wales Government” – highlights 20 areas where the Labour-Plaid government has so far failed to meet its own aspirations, failed to meet the aspirations of the people of Wales and failed to make an impact beyond Wales’s border.

Mike German, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: “Twelve months ago next week, Labour and Plaid Cymru joined together with a pledge that they were ‘passionate about improving the lives of people in Wales and making our nation a better place in which to live and work’.

“Sadly, we have seen all too little improvement.

“Its greatest success has been in preserving the status quo. Keeping Labour hands on the levers of power in Wales; keeping the powers of the Assembly so limited, and stifling initiatives to such a degree that no Assembly Member applied to make a law, when given the opportunity to do so in the June ballot.

“The One Wales agreement has kept two parties together, but failed to stop parts of Wales falling apart – particularly in education where there are major issues surrounding the introduction of the foundation phase, funding of FE, funding of HE, and the backlog in building repairs.

“The style of government has been disappointing too. The Labour-Plaid government enjoys a thumping majority. As a result of the Government of Wales Act 2006, it is potentially the most powerful government Wales has ever had. But the test of power is not how big your majority is, but how much change it can deliver.

“By this test, the One Wales Government has failed.”

Notes:
The document, 20 Questions for the One Wales Government, is attached, and will be available to download from www.welshlibdems.org.uk this afternoon.

<<08 06 25 - one wales anniversaryFINAL.doc>>

Gareth Price
Head of Communications - Pennaeth Cyfathrebu
Welsh Liberal Democrats - Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru
029 2089 8426
07976 898285
Gareth.price1@wales.gov.uk
Fair green future Dyfodol teg, dyfodol gwyrdd
WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DEMOCRATIAID RHYDDFRYDOL CYMRU

 

Denbighshire CAB

 

AGM

 

3^rd July 2008 at 7:00pm

 

Venue:

Denbigh Town Hall , Crown Lane Denbigh, LL16 3TB

 

Speaker:

M.P. Lembit Opik

 

 

ALL WELCOME

 

LIGHT REFRESHMENTS

 

Dear friends Just a brief note to thank everyone who helped our campaign in Henley yesterday. We increased our vote and reduced the Conservative majority – but I would obviously preferred to have won ! The Conservatives also failed in their hope to reduce our share of support. Labour suffered the most humiliating result losing their deposit and coming fifth. Overall I would say that we held our own against the Conservatives in spite of their very high opinion poll ratings. We are clearly very well placed to make gains from Labour in future. Thanks again to everyone who helped in so many ways. Stephen Kearney gave an excellent speech from the count – he did us proud. You can read the main parts of the speech, watch his post-result reaction and get details of the result from our website: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/henley-by-election-result.14567.html With best wishes, Chris Rennard Chief Executive, Liberal Democrats

 

 

Welsh Lib Dems launch campaign for rural fuel rebate

Trust in Wales Ymddiried yng Nghymru
WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DEMOCRATIAID RHYDDFRYDOL CYMRU

Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Roger Williams MP & Mark Young PC for the Vale of Clwyd are calling on the Government to obtain a derogation from the EU so that they can introduce a fuel rebate for those living in rural areas, as new Welsh Liberal Democrat research shows that parts of Wales are paying more for their petrol.

 Williams & Young our spearheading a campaign for the Government to cut rural fuel duty in recognition of the fact that cars are an essential part of life in rural communities, due to their lack of public transport, and the greater distance needed to travel to obtain goods and services. France, Portugal and Greece have obtained derogations from the EU so that they can apply a lower rate of fuel duty in rural and inaccessible areas.

The Government have yet to apply for a similar derogation that would see some of the burden lifted on rural communities. Figures calculated by the Welsh Liberal Democrats show that Welsh fuel prices are typically higher than in England. This is particularly true of rural areas where people in Brecon, Carmarthen and N.Wales have to pay around 2p more for a litre of unleaded than in places such as Bristol, Shrewsbury and Birmingham. A similar picture emerges from looking at the price of diesel.

The Liberal Democrats have in the past two years proposed amendments to the Finance Bill to seek this derogation, but the Government have always rejected these moves. The Conservatives have abstained on these measures.

Commenting, Williams & Young said: “In rural areas, cars are a necessity not a luxury because of the way people lead their lives. People in rural areas are being stung because they simply have to buy more petrol than people in cities.

“We are calling on the Government to apply for a European derogation similar to that which France, Portugal and Greece have already secured, so that they can cut fuel tax in rural areas. “We know that rises in prices at the pump are driven by the global oil price, but why aren’t the Government taking all the action available to them to ease the pressure on rural communities. “I am launching this campaign to send a message to the Prime Minister that he has to take action to help people in rural areas who are struggling to make ends meet. Ultimately this is a test of whether the Government care about rural communities or not.”

On new figures that show that in many parts of Wales petrol is more expensive, they added: “Not only do we have to pay more for fuel because we use more, we also pay a higher price at the pump because of the extra costs involved in distributing petrol to more remote areas.

“3p might not sound like a lot, but it works out at around an extra £30 a year for the average UK car, and that figure would of course be even higher in rural areas. “These extra costs further demonstrate the need to take urgent action to reduce fuel costs for people living in rural Wales.” 

 

The UK is falling behind in its efforts to switch to renewables, the MPs warn The UK government is unlikely to meet its target of 10% of electricity being generated by renewable sources by 2010, a committee of MPs has warned. The Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee called the policy inadequate and was disappointed by an apparent "lack of urgency". It added that the wait for planning consent was "too lengthy", and access to the national grid was "too limited". In 2006, 4.6% of the UK's electricity came from renewable sources. "Throughout this inquiry we have been consistently disappointed by the lack of urgency expressed by the government, and at times by the electricity industry, in relation to the challenge ahead," said committee chairman Phil Willis. "It is immensely frustrating that, on the one hand, the government is encouraging the deployment of renewable technologies," he added. "But on the other, these technologies are unable to commence electricity generation due to a poorly conceived transmission access regime." The MPs said that there was already a waiting list for projects to be connected to the national grid. The UK, while currently at a low base for renewables, has a fantastic opportunity to fast-track the development of a number of key technologies Dr Mark Williamson, Carbon Trust In Scotland, for example, there was 9.3 gigawatts of wind energy capacity waiting to be connected. They also warned that there was a shortage of skills needed to construct installations, which could also threaten efforts to have 10% of the UK's electricity coming from renewable sources by 2010. Dr Mark Williamson, director of innovations at the Carbon Trust, said he was hopeful that the push for more renewables would gather pace. "The UK, while currently at a low base for renewables, has a fantastic opportunity to fast-track the development of a number of key technologies, such as offshore wind and marine energy," he observed. "Not only will this deliver significant carbon reductions but it should also deliver significant economic returns." Off target In March 2007, the EU adopted a common energy policy, which committed the bloc to generating 20% of its total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020. At the beginning of 2008, the European Commission proposed that in order to meet this goal, the UK needed to derive 15% of its energy from renewables by 2020. In their report, the MPs said that if the government was to meet this goal, then about 35% of the UK's electricity would have to come from technologies such as wind, wave and biomass. "It is therefore critical that the government takes steps to support the widespread deployment of renewable electricity generation technologies as a priority, both at a level of macro and microgeneration," they concluded. Ministers are expected to issue a formal response to the committee's findings in the coming months.

Trust in Wales Ymddiried yng Nghymru
WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DEMOCRATIAID RHYDDFRYDOL CYMRU

After reading recent article by the Daily posts David Jones, Local contractors losing out on tenders and the comments by Plaids two AMs on how they wish to help - can I make the following comments. Plaid are in Government now. They  must  take responsibility and  share the blame. In doing this, they will show  real leadership .Blaming the local Authorities is plain weak. 

The facts are -  Wales hands out £4 billion worth of public sector contract money every year . Yet Welsh business only received just over a third of this money in 2006.  

“If we want to stimulate the North Welsh economy and encourage home-grown industries, shouldn’t we be encouraging bids from local companies?  Firms shouldn’t need massive legal or accountancy departments to apply for public-sector contracts.  Local suppliers know the area, know how to source local materials and have a personal stake in seeing that any work is done well. 

“This isn’t the complete answer.  North Wales needs better transport infrastructure and better broadband services too.  But if the Plaid & Labour Government  made a commitment to providing better opportunities for Welsh SMEs, it would be a real start.”

 

Fair green future
Dyfodol teg, dyfodol gwyrdd

Embargo: Immediate, Tuesday 17/6/2008
Contact/Cyswllt: Gareth Price on 07976 898285

“Wrong button” Rhodri is holding Wales back

First Minister Rhodri Morgan has confessed he pressed the wrong button, when he voted for a Welsh Liberal Democrat proposal to give the Assembly more powers.

His confession came at First Minister’s questions, as Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Mike German quizzed him on why the Labour Party is blocking the devolution of powers to Wales. Powers which the devolved governments in Scotland and Northern Ireland already have.

Mr Morgan told AMs: “I didn’t intend to vote for the measure (sic). I had a computer malfunction. I apologise, I voted the wrong way.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr German said: “Given that Rhodri and Jane Hutt both pressed the wrong button when it came to a vote, I’m only glad that Wales doesn’t have its own nuclear deterrent.

“But the failure of the Labour Party to support Peter Black’s bid for more powers shows that the Labour Party are now the road block when it comes to devolution. They are holding Wales back.

“Rhodri’s claim that he intended to vote against, means that every Labour AM intended to vote en bloc to reject more powers. What other institution in the world votes not to take powers available to it?

“It seems that Labour have abandoned devolution at the exact point we should be going further and faster to make a positive difference to life in Wales. They seem to believe that uniquely, the people of Wales can’t be trusted to decide how to elect their own councils.

“If Labour AMs intend to argue that Wales should have more powers in a future referendum, rejecting more powers as the opportunity arises seems a funny way of going about it.”

Notes:
On Wednesday 13 June, Peter Black AM brought forward a proposed LCO to devolve powers over local government elections.
The motion was supported by Welsh Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru. Rhodri Morgan and Jane Hutt also voted in favour. The motion was defeated by three votes, as the remaining Labour AMs voted against, and Tories abstained.

Gareth Price
Head of Communications - Pennaeth Cyfathrebu
Welsh Liberal Democrats - Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru
029 2089 8426
07976 898285
Gareth.price1@wales.gov.uk
Fair green future Dyfodol teg, dyfodol gwyrdd

Stop hammering Davis, says Clegg

Nick Clegg on David Davis Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg says the Tories should stop "hammering" David Davis over his surprise resignation. Several Tory MPs have criticised his resignation as an MP and shadow home secretary, in protest at the extension of pre-charge terror detention limits. But Mr Clegg said it was "pretty rich" to brief against the architect of Tory policy on civil liberties issues. Mr Davis said Gordon Brown should put up a Labour candidate against him, and accused the PM of "gutlessness". Meanwhile Labour rebel Bob Marshall-Andrews said he would support Mr Davis - and said his party should join the contest. Mr Davis stepped down on Thursday - the day after MPs voted by a narrow margin to extend the maximum time terrorism suspects can be held, before they are charged, from four to six weeks. 'Foolish' decision His resignation forces a by-election in which he will try to regain his seat, campaigning on civil liberties issues. But the announcement, apparently against the wishes of party leader David Cameron, has been criticised by some Conservatives. Former defence minister Nicholas Soames told the Sunday Times it was "foolish". Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told the Sunday Telegraph: "It's clearly a decision he made for himself." The way in which he is now being hammered by some really nasty briefing from his own side is pretty rich Nick Clegg Defending his decision not to stand a Lib Dem candidate against Mr Davis - whose Haltemprice and Howden constituency had been a top Lib Dem target - Mr Clegg, whose party also opposes the extended detention limit, said some issues "go beyond party politics". He added that without Mr Davis the Conservatives might not have opposed extended detention limits and ID cards so strongly. He told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "The way in which he is now being hammered by some really nasty briefing from his own side is pretty rich given that he has done quite a lot of heavy lifting in the Conservative Party on these kind of issues." 'Leadership row' Shadow foreign secretary William Hague told Sky News the Conservative Party was "united" on opposing the 42-day detention limit. "Do we wish that he had stayed in his post as shadow home secretary? Well, yes we do - certainly I wish that very much. But I hope he is safely returned to Parliament with a good majority. I think we have taken this in our stride." But Labour's Chief Whip Geoff Hoon told Sky News: "I think it's more to do with the row inside the senior leadership of the Conservative party than it has anything to do with a Parliamentary process." I think he is being self-indulgent and has made a wrong decision that will backfire on the Conservative Party Andy Burnham Culture Secretary He said he was surprised that, with the House of Commons having voted on the issue, Mr Davis believed it "appropriate to hold a by-election in his own constituency". Labour has not yet announced whether it will field a candidate, but Gordon Brown has already dismissed Mr Davis's challenge as a "farce". The proposal to extend maximum detention limits passed through the Commons last week by a margin of nine votes, with 36 Labour MPs joining the Tories and Lib Dems to vote against it. 'Gross offence' Among the Labour rebels was Mr Marshall-Andrews, who told the BBC: "I think David Davis is absolutely right to take this step, we need to have this debate and I'm very sorry my own party isn't going to field a candidate." He said he thought other Labour MPs would join him and said civil liberties was an issue "worth fighting for, whatever your party". Earlier Mr Davis told the BBC he believed the Lords would reject the 42-day limit but that the government would use the Parliament Act to eventually force through a piece of law he described as "a gross offence to justice". He said it would be "gutless" if the prime minister "bottled it" and did not field a candidate to stand against him. But even if no mainstream party stood against him, he said: "We will make the arguments anyway", saying the Iraq war veteran Col Tim Collins would be among people joining "a huge campaign". Asked about criticism of his decision he said: "I knew it would do me harm - that's self-evident." But he said he did not believe it would harm the Conservatives and said a Sunday Times poll suggested they had gone up two points in the polls since Wednesday. "This is not about an issue between me and the Conservative Party - it's an issue between me and the government," he said. But Culture Secretary Andy Burnham told BBC One's The Politics Show: "I think he is being self-indulgent and has made a wrong decision that will backfire on the Conservative Party."

Joe Calzaghe is undefeated in 45 fights Father's pride in Calzaghe honour MBE for long lifeboat service Stars who have lit up Welsh sport and screen have been commended by the Queen in her Birthday Honours List. World super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe becomes a CBE, while leading cricket official David Morgan is appointed an OBE. Russell T Davies, who is credited with resurrecting Doctor Who for BBC Wales, is also appointed an OBE. They are joined by community champions, volunteers and academics from across Wales who have been honoured. Boxer Calzaghe, from Newbridge, said he was "knocked out" by the news that his decade-long reign at the top of his sport has been recognised. He had previously appointed an MBE in 2003 but said he news of his further award - for services to sport and voluntary services in Wales - had come completely out of the blue. "For the first time in my life I was knocked out," he said. I hope it does the whole industry a bit of good, for the writing of television drama to be recognised Russell T Davies, TV drama producer and writer Ex-chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) David Morgan has stepped down to take over as president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on 4 July, the most powerful job in world cricket. Also a former chairman of Glamorgan, who lives in Newport, Mr Morgan is appointed an OBE for services to the sport. Tredegar-born Mr Morgan, 70, said: "I am obviously delighted to be honoured in this way but I have been fortunate at the ECB to have had the support of both its administration and its board members. "And with that support we have achieved a great deal within the game of cricket in England and Wales from the playground right up to the Test arena. David Morgan OBE is the incoming ICC president "This award is for all the hard work that everyone has put in." Swansea-born writer Russell T Davies was honoured for services to drama and said he was "chuffed". "I'm delighted to accept, and I hope it does the whole industry a bit of good, for the writing of television drama to be recognised." A BBC spokesman said: "We are delighted for Russell - he is one of this country's greatest writers and it is fantastic that his talent has been recognised in this way." Davies announced he was quitting from his role as executive producer and lead writer on Doctor Who last month. He is also known for other dramas, including Torchwood for the BBC, The Sarah Jane Adventures for CBBC, along with Casanova and Queer as Folk. Elsewhere, honours were given to those who have served their community or have been recognised for their work. Peter Backhouse, who has been a scout leader in Cardiff for 30 years, becomes an MBE and said he accepted the honour "on behalf of of all these wonderful people in scouting and in youth work who give up all their time". Scouting is a wonderful family. We as leaders have been privileged to work with wonderful children Peter Backhouse MBE Mr Backhouse, who is group scout leader of First Llanedeyrn Christchurch, said he was "shocked and overwhelmed" to be honoured. "It's an amazing situation. I'm extremely proud," he said. "Scouting is a wonderful family. We as leaders have been privileged to work with wonderful children. It's all about having an adventure." 'Staggered' The father-of-three, 62, has helped run the beavers, cubs and scouts since 1978, ever since his eldest son Andrew, 39, came home and said his cub group needed a new Akela. "Hopefully scouting is the same now as it was then," he added. "I've got the children of the children now and it's all still fun and exciting." Meanwhile, Elizabeth Murphy, who founded the Beacon of Hope charity in 2000, has received an MBE for services to the community in Ceredigion. The charity has two offices in Aberystwyth and Cardigan and helps people with terminal and life-limiting illnesses. "I must confess I was staggered when I found out I'd been awarded the MBE," said Mrs Murphy. "It's a great honour and I was prepared to accept it to further raise the profile of the charity." Stephen Gamgee, who is chief executive of The Wallich homelessness charity in Cardiff, was appointed an MBE for for services to homeless people. Mr Gamgee, 57, from Penarth, who has worked in the homelessness field for 25 years, said: "I'm quite humbled by it actually. My wife was very proud. "I have a lot of people working with me on this. It's their award as much as mine. I think they will probably take the same view as me that it is good for the organisation to get recognition like this." Also honoured was lifeboat coxswain Robert Wright, from Pwllheli, who has been given an MBE for voluntary service to maritime safety.

 

You may have heard the news that David Davis, Conservative MP for Haltemprice & Howden, has announced that he will resign his seat on Monday and fight a by-election to return to Parliament. He will fight specifically on the basis of his opposition to the 42 day detention proposal which the Government gained a 9 vote majority for in the Commons last night.

Late last night David Davis told Nick Clegg of his intention.

This morning, Nick Clegg and I spoke and formed a common view that, in these exceptional circumstances, it would be best not to put up a candidate in this by-election. I then consulted with the local and regional party chairs, explained the position and obtained their agreement to this course of action, which the Chair of the English Party also understands and supports.

Haltemprice & Howden is of course an important seat for us in a strong and important region. We fought the last General Election very hard and we will fight the next General Election equally hard in this seat. But just as in Tatton in the recent past I believe there are times when we can justifiably stand aside on a one-off basis. 

David Davis has said publicly that he will stand on a platform of opposition to 42 day detention. This is exactly the position we have unanimously taken. If David Davis is reelected it will not change the balance in Parliament between those who support the government on this issue and those who oppose. Last night every Liberal Democrat voted against the Government both on the 42 day issue and at 3rd reading of the Bill. We shall seek to defeat the Government in the House of Lords on this issue and therefore get rid of this policy before the Bill becomes law.

In the meantime, with many others I shall go on fighting in the campaign to win Henley from the Conservatives on the 26th June. The Henley by-election is and must be the immediate campaigning priority for the party nationally – where we can oppose the Conservatives on so many policies and on the many gaps in policy which they also have. We are also working to make a big dent in the Labour vote.

These decisions are never easy, not least for local party members and supporters who want to take every opportunity to remove Conservatives from the House of Commons and replace them with Liberal Democrats.

I share absolutely this objective.

But I hope you will understand that, very rarely, exceptional decisions are the right ones. The battle to challenge the Labour Government’s regular authoritarian tendencies means that a decision not to split the anti 42 day vote on this occasion is, I believe, the right judgement in difficult and unexpected circumstances.

 

 

The assembly government should reopen the Welsh Assembly Government Post Office development fund. Unlike other European countries we are not doing enough to protect our vulnerable town and country communities. The government claim to be working to prevent closures where possible, however, one of the key factors in the decline of post offices is the removal of government business from them. In 2006/07 the value of services withdrawn by the government equalled £168m whilst post offices made an operating loss of £111m. There are an awful lot of postmasters whose businesses are going to the wall because they do not have enough work.

Nick Clegg says his higher road tax rate would only be temporary Road tax and fuel duty would be axed - but drivers would be charged up to 12p a kilometre - under plans put forward by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. The most polluting vehicles would incur a higher "showroom tax" and hauliers face a national lorry road user charge under a "sustainable and fair" system. Mr Clegg also promised more high speed rail links and surcharges on most flights under a Lib Dem government. He said the UK was "grinding to a halt" as travel costs continued to rise. Mr Clegg's plans for a transport revamp come as Gordon Brown faces pressure over plans to increase road tax on more polluting cars bought since 2001 However, Mr Clegg said his own higher VED rates - rising to £2,000 a year on the most polluting cars - would only be a temporary measure until the tax was scrapped altogether within 10 years of a Lib Dem government.   At that time, fuel duty would be cut as well and road charging introduced at 8p a kilometre for motorways and trunk road. This could increase to around 12p for cars that pump out the most greenhouse gas emissions, while the most efficient vehicles would pay nothing. But Mr Clegg also proposes an immediate road user charge for lorries on all roads, rising according to how much fuel they use. Lorry drivers say diesel prices topping 120p a litre, plus the planned 2p fuel tax rise, will drive firms "to the wall". Domestic air travellers would also face a new surcharge, raising £500m a year, to encourage people to take the train, under the Lib Dem plans. And there would be a 15-year priority programme of improvements to the rail network, including the introduction of high speed links between London, Heathrow Airport, Birmingham and Manchester. Only the Liberal Democrats are setting out how to make our transport system sustainable, affordable and fair Nick Clegg Lib Dem leader They hope the work will extend into the West of England and Scotland and be funded by developers. "Britain's grinding to a halt. Promises made over 10 years ago by the government about the revamp of the public transport system have comprehensively failed, " said Mr Clegg. "At a time when families are feeling the pressure of the rising cost of travel, only the Liberal Democrats are setting out how to make our transport system sustainable, affordable and fair," he said.