I've noted in the past that one of the things that angers me most about politics is the fact that so many politicians devote their time to attacking other parties and scoring petty political points instead of actually debating things that will actually help us.
While welcoming Brother Tecwyn I mentioned Huw Lewis and this had me thinking again about the changes we can expect when Rhodri Morgan retires. There was a lot of talk last year of the Unionist v Devolutionist battle within Labour, with many placing Huw in the former camp along with most MP's, with Carwyn Jones in the latter camp. While Carwyn is odds on to win the prize there's no doubt that Huw Lewis has plenty of support. The consequences of a Carwyn victory is pretty easy to predict - business as usual as Carwyn is very much a Rhodri man. But what if Huw wins? What becomes of the One Wales Government? Can Plaid stay in cahoots with a party led to a man who, rightly or wrongly, is considered to be more of a Don Touhig/Llew Smith character than a Rhodri Morgan type?
This reminded me of a Hansard transcript I came across a while back. It dates back to 2002. While it was 6 years ago the names of those speaking will be familiar to you all - I think I'm correct in saying that all but 2 of them remain MP's. It's of a debate on Racism and Welsh Politics and is led by Llew Smith, Wayne David and Don Touhig. Have a guess how many times they mention racism against black, asian or muslim people and how long they preferred to spend playing party politics? Check it out.
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6 comments:
good post Hen, i think Carwyn will be Rhodri'd successor, but if Huw Lewis became FM we would certainly see fireworks in the Bay no doubt, being objective he's like marmite (you either love him or hate him) and maybe it would be the shot in the arm that welsh politics and the parties need to get out of this cosy consensus we currently have and start some real debate about the way forward for Wales, who knows im just thinking outloud :)
True, while petty party politics angers me I also get annoyed listening to a debate, or worse still, FMQ in the Assembly. Watching the Scottish or London equivilient is interesting TV (to anaraks anyway!). I can't say that single FMQ has exited me in since Alun Micheal wasa given the boot.
Maybe a bit of fireworks is what we need, even if it does have a bit of additional party politics attached to it.
Oh for fireworks anything rather than this anodine nothingness we have at present
Well, there's a coincidence. The same Hansard extract was quoted by Jolly Roger over at Paul Flynn's on 10th. August. This discussion was a little different though.
Reading the extract from Hansard reminds me of George Orwell's description of political language being designed to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind. But what strikes me most is the contempt which David, Touhig and Smith evidently have for us voters - quite a combination of arrogance and hypocrisy from such feeble 'representatives'.
anon - the transcript's been around for years, it always comes up when you look back at the Welsh Mirror/Paul Starling era.
I've seen it highlighted on a BNP blog as well recently (not in any mood to post links to such a site here!)
I'm afraid that while I occassionaly look at Paul's blog, I rarely delve into the comments on it and only know of the Jolly Roger as the guy who's poem Paul quoted and ripped apart on the 11th.
(and anon, it takes two seconds to type in a false name so we can identify you from other anons, go on!)
Steffan - at the time Smith and Touhig were at the front of a big Labour charge against Plaid, trying to link them to racism at every opportunity. It was the time when Ieuan Wyn Jones got humiliated on Question Time and Paul Starling of the Welsh Mirror found a new "welsh speakers are racists" story ever 5 minutes. It led to Plaid's losses in 2002 and their infamous "curry conspiracy". It was the low point of petty politics in Wales.
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