Now Harry Potter is Unamerican?

Julia Turner, writing an article called 'When Harry met Osama' in Slate, reveals that some people have read the new Harry Potter book as anti-American. In fact, she says:

But close reading of the book suggests that Rowling's motives are more authorial than political. She's not using Harry to make points about terrorism. She's using terrorism to make points about Harry. Rowling culls the scariest elements of modern life and uses them as a kind of shorthand, a quick way to instill fear.

If you are a Potter-reader (and I'm not, but some of my best friends etc) then you may find the article tells you too much of the story.

So if you don't want to read the whole thing, here's her main argument:

In 1998, when the first Harry Potter book came out, Voldemort was a fantastical villain, a symbol of evil in the abstract. Today, however, as we substitute for our abstract fear of Voldemort the very real fear we've felt in our own immolated cities, the new book resonates in ways that the old ones have not....Let's hope—for Rowling's sake, if not for Harry's—that it is she, and not Osama Bin Laden, who scares our pants off in the final instalment

ASDA

I was asked by a constituent what is happening with the proposed ASDA development. Having checked this morning, the development is still with RCT Planning, who are negotiating with ASDA on community benefits through a section 106 agreement.

Porth Police Station

This morning we had the opening of the new Porth Police Station, a £1.3 million investment by the South Wales Police Authority. For some years now the police have been based in police houses in the residential area of Wyndham Street in Cymmer, so it is good to have this new operational base.

Porth Station, the main sector base for the Rhondda Fach, has been rebuilt on the site of the old Victorian Police Station that stood for more than 100 years.

Records show there had been a police presence on the site since 1886 with the former station opening in 1889 with a complement of one inspector, one sergeant and five constables policing the then 15,000 strong population of Cymmer and Porth.

The Deputy Chief Constable Paul Wood attended on behalf of South Wales Police, with local councillors Paul Cannon, Robert Bevan, RCT Council leader Russell Roberts, Police Authority Chair Cllr Ray Thomas, myself and Chris Bryant MP amongst others.

A further £1 million is being invested in the refurbishment of Ton Pentre police station, and the scaffolding has come off this week.

Readers' Photos

I have added a new Photo album with pictures sent to me by readers of the blog. I will be happy to post more pictures sent in, space permitting of course.

Digital Switchover

A few weeks back we had the inaugural meeting of what will become the Assembly's All Party Group on the Creative Industries.

Emyr Byron Hughes spoke on the analogue switch-off trials at Llanstephan and Ferryside, the first in the UK, in which he has been heavily involved as an adviser to the UK government. (Emyr is a former Secretary to the S4C Authority and ran the SDN Multiplex as well).

There is a good summary of the trials at digital-lifestyles, and the full report is available.

The good news in essence - the trial went well.

Ian McEwan on the PM

Harry and Norm have already posted comments from Ian McEwan's Der Spiegel interview in respect of his comments on Blair, the civil war within Islam and the anti-war protestors.

Harry has some of the following, but it's worth expanding on. McEwan is interesting on the press reaction to the PM after the General Election:

McEwan: Two months ago, he was the villain. The day after he won the election, the press erupted in a furious, spiteful rage. It was incredible. You would think he'd just been found guilty of child murder.

And on the success of the Labour governments since 1997:

McEwan: I take a very unfashionable view of Tony Blair. I think he's the least bad prime minister we've had.

SPIEGEL: The least bad prime minister?

McEwan: There have been gross mistakes, but for those who have nostalgia for old Labour, they must reflect on 30 percent inflation, 3 million were unemployed, public service was a total chaos, the government was constantly on its knees to the International Monetary Fund and there was a sense of real decline. Old Labour was a disaster, an absolute disaster. And I've never forgiven the right for their 18 years in power here, either. The fact that we've now got money pouring into education and we're finally beginning to restore the public health service is a real achievement. If you had told someone on the left in 1975 that there would be a Labour-led government with 3 percent inflation, a 2.5 percent growth rate, 800,000 unemployed and a minimum wage, they would think you were in fantasy land.

This reinforces a point made by E.J.Dionne in the Washington Post earlier this week: the failure of the left ('liberals' in the US argot in the E.J.Dionne piece) to acknowledge its own successes:

In the face of the attack on government since the 1970s, liberals have often fallen mute -- or pretended to be just as anti-government as their conservative rivals.

Alternatively, some on the left worry that saying certain things are working is a form of selling out because it distracts attention from all that is wrong. Ben Wattenberg and the late Richard Scammon cleverly parodied this approach more than three decades ago, when they wrote that liberals often seemed to declare: "Our programs have failed. Let us continue."

He refers to work by a US think-tank which shows that government spending focused on the poorest does in fact work:

It is thus important news that today, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the estimable liberal organization, will release a series of studies showing that programs aimed at lifting up Americans with low incomes actually do what they say they do. The reports reflect a growing recognition on the part of progressives that after years of playing defense against conservative claims, it is time to go on offense.

The fact is that every year 27 million Americans are lifted from poverty by our system of public benefits. More than 80 million Americans receive health insurance through a government program -- Medicaid, Medicare or the State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP. Without these programs, tens of millions would be unable to afford access to medical care. As the center notes, government programs reduce both the extent and the depth of poverty.

Time we all spoke upfor success, I think.

Vote Lib Dem and you get a Tory

We said it in the election, and now some Tories are confirming it: go to bed with Charlie Kennedy and you could wake up with Michael Howard.

Most of the 31 seats the Tories gained in the May election changed hands because Labour voters switched to the Liberal Democrats, not because they embraced the Conservatives, said Nicholas Boles, the director of C-Change.

Via, and full article here.

That's cleared that up then!

This morning's confusion over whether Darren Purse had been sold to Cardiff City now looked a little clearer. Albion have accepted an undisclosed offer for Purse from Cardiff, and also one from Southampton.

From here.

But Sky Sports is apparently saying we've got him.

However, the BBC says there are still some things to be sorted out.

Plaid Cymru don't want to help

One of the most important roles we have as constituency Assembly Members is the casework we undertake for our constituents. Every day I and my office are working on a wide range of cases for on behalf of people in the Rhondda. It is absorbing work, and people are usually very appreciative of our efforts.

Plaid Cymru seem to take a different view, according to today's Western Mail.

One of their Assembly Members has said there's not much point in doing casework, complaining that when Plaid Cymru held the Rhondda Assembly seat from 1999-2003, not many of the people whose cases they took up actually voted for them. The actual words were:

A very small proportion of those people indicated that they would be voting Plaid Cymru in telephone canvassing. This begs the question, 'is casework the best use of any AM's time'?

This is an appallingly cynical view, of course. Casework is an important part of our job as Assembly Members, not something to be done just to get votes. That's why I employ a full-time caseworker in the Rhondda.

Festival of Science and Drama

We have a number of initiatives to promote science in schools. A month ago, I was in Tylorstown

giving out certificates at the event organised by the Education Business Partnership.

Today, we had the Festival of Science and Drama organised by Phil Rowlands, Head of Pentre Primary School. He is seeking to restore an event which used to take place in the Rhondda. Phil has great ambitions for it, and wants more schools to join in. As he says, 'drama is a great way to learn science'. Today we saw presentations from schools. Two of these, 'Slime', performed today by Pentre Primary and written by Phil Rowlands, but first performed in 1981, and 'The Ear and How it works', performed by Tonypandy Primary and written by Gareth Todd-Jones, are available as resources for schools on the Science-Drama website established by Phil with backing from Barclays Bank.

Today's event was very enjoyable and I hope more schools will take part in future.

Live Parrot Sketch....

After Pink Floyd, now it's Monty Python's turn to reform - and shoot a new series.

Blair's new fan

David Cornock picks up on something that has been puzzling me ever since I read this press release. Now, where had I read these words before:

Our determination to stand together is greater than the determination of a few to cause death and destruction to innocent people

Was it here?

Or possibly here?

Ah yes, both of them. Is consensus now breaking out all over...?

City: Season Tickets Arrive

The season tickets arrived today. So did our tickets for the friendly with West Brom.

Two of our triallists scored in the friendly yesterday.

Fair play to David Jones - he is sorting out his own team. OK, we have lost some great players over the summer. But he is trying hard to get a team together that can hold its place in the division.

Useful Idiots

Last week I said I thought Tom Nairn had headed into 'useful idiot' territory.

Martin Kettle has an article today in the Guardian headed 'Useful idiots have always apologised for terrorists', and says:

We too face a revolt whose activists are often relatively prosperous young people with a romantic attachment to violence, apologised for by a surprisingly large number of the comfortably disaffected - the people Lenin once called useful idiots.

Glad to see the same message getting through here.

Continue reading "Useful Idiots" »

More 24/House trivia

The patient in House episode 14 which aired Sunday night on Hallmark, was Sarah Clarke, who played Nina Myers in 24.

On the old blog, I pointed out that Leslie Hope, who played Teri Bauer, killed by Nina Myers in 24, was the patient in House episode 10.

Just sign it!

Unite against terror - just sign the damn thing.

Not fitting the narrative

Harry is right. Aaronovitch is brilliant today:

Note how the “more recent oppression” is supposed just to be a fact. And we know to whom it refers and to whom it doesn’t. The elected Government in Iraq, the Shia majority, the new fact of Kurdish rights in that country, don’t count. All these peoples are de-Muslimified for the purposes of victimology. And that happens because they simply don’t fit the narrative. The Sunnis of Iraq are imagined to be “us”, but the Shia and the Kurds aren’t. The bombed villagers of Afghanistan are “us”, the liberated women aren’t. The Kosovan Muslims aren’t, either, though you can bet they would have been had Nato not intervened to save them. As it is, they too have disappeared from Muslimhood.

This is not some kind of rhetorical point I’m making. It simply is not an accident — in psychological terms — that anything that conflicts with the Grievance is discounted, and anything that contributes to it is emphasised. Consider the narrative of Saddam. There were basically three options. One, do business with him. That equals propping up un-Islamic tyrants. Two, use sanctions against him. That equals murdering Muslim children. And three, topple him. Ditto plus. All options, bar none, are added to the Grievance.

All populist right-wing movements, inciters to violence and hatred, are adept in the language of Grievance. The only way to fight it ultimately is to argue — again and again and again — that it just ain’t so.

It bears repeating.

No-confidence in Vice-Chancellor

Lecturers at UWIC have delivered an overwhelming vote of no-confidence in their Vice-Chancellor, Tony Chapman, by 93% to 7%.

Margaret Phelan, Natfhe regional official for Wales, has said:

July is an awkward time for an academic union to ballot its members as many have started their annual leave. Therefore a 56% return rate on a postal ballot evidences the real frustration and anger felt by our membership.

Elsewhere she is quoted as saying:

Natfhe members at Uwic have overwhelmingly demonstrated that they have lost trust and confidence in the Uwic vice-chancellor as the person who provides strategic leadership and advice to the Board of Governors

The lecturers are said to be reacting to the prospects for UWIC following the breakdown of the merger talks with the University of Glamorgan about a year or so ago and subsequent discussions on an alternative merger with Newport, which is clearly felt to be less opportune, and may not result in the same level of investment from government.

After the failure of the previous merger discussions, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales appointed its auditors to look at the aborted merger. They concluded that one of the key issues was the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the new merged University:

The UoG Chairman’s notes of that meeting indicate that the UWIC representatives proposed that the current Vice Chancellor of UoG would become the Vice Chancellor of New U for a year followed by the current Vice Chancellor of UWIC for a period of two or three years prior to proceeding to open competition for the post following this time-limited transitional period.

In other words, the Uniglam V-C would get the top job for a year, followed by the UWIC V-C for a couple of years, then open competition. It was widely rumoured that this was acceptable to the then V-C of Uniglam, but not to the V-C of UWIC.

The auditors concluded that:

none of the issues identified should have been insurmountable

They also said that failure to agree:

will also undoubtedly have an adverse impact on staff morale within the two institutions.

Well, amen to that. The lecturers clearly agree.

After the auditors' report, I wrote to the Auditor-General for Wales about the issue, saying:

The report raises serious issues in relation to the merger process,
particularly in respect of UWIC as an institution.

He responded, noting that it was 'very disappointing to say the least' that public money had been lost on an abortive merger, and saying he would keep these issues under review.

I may return to this in due course.

Clydach Vale Fun Run

I acted as starter for the Clydach Vale Fun Run today, at the event organised by Clydach Vale Communities First. 150 runners took part.

A large number of local organisations had stands. Good luck to the Cambrian Male Voice Choir, who are off on tour to Canada.

Ferndale Comprehensive

I was pleased to welcome some pupils from Ferndale Comprehensive to the National Assembly this week. They and the teachers had a number of questions and we had quite a lively session!

Getting people back to work

This week I raised the question of economic inactivity in our Valleys in questions to First Minister Rhodri Morgan. Though unemplyment in the Rhondda has more or less halved sinece the Labour Government was elected in 1997, to about 4.5%, we still have high levels of economic inactivity because people are on long-term sickness, or because employers have given them the impression that they are too sick to work. There has been a scheme run by the Department for Work and Pensions, RCT Local Health Board and the Assembly, which enables people to go back to work while still getting a portion of their benefits for a time:

Leighton Andrews: There are several important schemes to help deal with economic inactivity, such as the Department for Work and Pensions scheme being run jointly with Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Health Board, which is running a pilot programme as part of a UK-wide scheme. There is also a scheme to which the Assembly Government is starting to give additional support through additional regional selective assistance grants to companies that qualify for RSA. Do you agree that, given that the scheme is intended to take people who are currently economically inactive, it is important that the scheme is properly marketed to those companies that qualify for RSA?


The First Minster: Indeed, and, although I cannot quote an example from Rhondda Cynon Taf, I can give one from an adjoining area that is also taking part in the Pathways to Work pilot scheme, which, you were right to say, we are running, as junior partners, with the Department for Work and Pensions. I heard passionate advocacy of the successful potential of that scheme from the personnel manager of a particular company—I think it was Cooper Standard Automotive Ltd in Maesteg—who said that he was amazed and that, having participated in the scheme, he was initially a sceptic as to whether it was possible to get reasonable productivity from people coming off a special list held by the Department for Work and Pensions. However, he found that the productivity of those people was in fact above average, and not below average, and that he would recommend that every HR manager go along to the DWP to see whether they could have access to that special list, because you get extra motivation from people who have perhaps not been in the conventional labour market for quite a while.

The Assembly is also trialling another scheme whereby companies who get Regional Selective Assistance from the Assembly to get jobs can also get additional money if they employ people who have been long-term economically inactive. I pressed the Assembly Government in the Economic Development Committee to make sure that companies who qualify are aware of this and it is marketed effectively to them:

The reason that I am concerned about this, Minister, is because the Valleys communities have a high proportion of the economically inactive population of Wales. In asking about the marketing, I am reassured that you say that the major focus will be companies. Jobcentre Plus is fine as a route. However, I have not heard anything coherent that suggests that this scheme will be clarified to companies or introduced to them in a way that is going to make it attractive for them to take it up and make a significant difference in removing people from the list of the economically inactive. It is important to get this right at this stage, when you are refocusing and trying to learn the lessons of Scotland. I would just like to feel that there was a marketing plan there, and I do not, I am afraid.

I am pleased to say that the marketing initiatives for this now seem to be in place.

Welsh Muslims speak out again

Welsh Muslims have continued to speak out against terrorism and hatred this week. Dr Abdalla Yassin Mohamed lectures on the subject of Islam at Cardiff University and is director of the Discover Islam Centre, and said on Friday:

Islam holds the sanctity of human life in the highest possible regard and shedding the blood of an innocent person is seen as a crime most heinous and repulsive. Our response to the bombers and to the bombings is, 'Not in the name of Islam. Not in our name'.

Whatever our diverse ethnic or racial origins we stand together - committed to contributing peacefully and successfully to Wales.

As Muslims we have a particular God-given duty to be loyal to Wales and Britain and abide by its laws.

Meanwhile Welsh politicians have been anxious to support the Muslim community in Wales and demonstrate their opposition to attacks. Secretary of State Peter Hain visited an Islamic centre in his Neath constituency yesterday:

I value the contribution the people of Muslim faith make to Wales. We must unite against the extremists.

Whenever I have spoken to members of the Muslim community they have said they are just as horrified as we all are at this horrible terrorism.

It's worth stressing the important work that the Muslim Council of Wales has done over the last few years to strengthen relationships between Muslims and others in Wales. They have sought to do this in original and innovative ways. Last year, at their dinner in Cardiff, they invited the very funny Muslim Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed to perform. He had just won the first Richard Pryor ethnic comedian award at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. It was an excellent performance, and I bought the CD. This features the same routine he did in Cardiff, as well as the joint performance he does with the Jewish American Comedian Rabbi Bob Alper, which they have performed together in both the US and the UK. Well worth looking out for.

City: New Signings

Our new manager, David Jones, seems to have been busy in the transfer market. It has been confirmed that we have signed two new centre-backs, one on loan from Feyenoord in the Netherlands (Glenn Loovens) and one from Watford, Neil Cox.

Apparently we have also signed midfielder/fullback and former Scotland U-21 captain Jamie McCunnie from Ross County.

Update: we also appear to have signed Watford defender Jermaine Darlington, according to BBC Good Evening Wales. Apparently he's a right-back.

Now we need another striker, and possibly another midfielder. Actually, make that two strikers. We need a choice.

Ernie Zobole Exhibition

The Western Mail has an excellent feature today on the exhibition by the Rhondda artist Ernie Zobole, curated by Ceri Thomas, which is now at the Glynn Vivian gallery in Swansea. I saw the exhibition when it opened in Newport last September.

Rhondda-born historian Professor Dai Smith had this to say about Zobole's relevance in an article in the Western Mail last year:

THE life of Rhondda artist Ernest Zobole sums up the best and the worst of the South Wales Valleys, according to historian Dai Smith.

Zobole, of Italian extraction, spent 50 years until his death in 1999 painting the quirky landscapes and uniquely contoured streets of home.

His career embodied the intellectual assurance and the cultural achievements of the community that nurtured him. His art was the product of its self-confident pursuit of knowledge and the rewards of the imagination.

Zobole's paintings, vibrant with colour, reproduce the simple images of his life in Rhondda. They reflect, for example, the world as seen from his modest front door or the window of his studio. They turn the simple contents of his home - a table, a few chairs, a teapot standing on kitchen worktop - into objects of beauty.

You can find the catalogue of the exhibition on-line here. A further online collection of paintings by Zobole is here.

Maerdy Hall

The Council approved the demolition of Maerdy Hall this week, and the Western Mail has the story today.

I have seen the paper that went to the Council on the issue. It is sad to see old historic buildings going. The difficulty, as the Valleys' population declined following the closure of the pits, has been sustainability - giving the buildings a long-term future.

There has been consultation with the local community through Maerdy Communities First, and that concluded that most people felt that the building was in a dangerous state and had to go.

Maerdy is of course a historic village - known as Little Moscow in the earlier part of the twentieth century, and home of the last pit in the Rhondda. My friend and comrade, Mike Richards, the last chair of the Maerdy Lodge, and a trustee of the Hall, says this:

I have got a mixed feeling about it. In its present state it has to come down, Nobody is interested in the building and it is more or less out of date for its time.

It is a magnificent building but the longer it is left, the more dangerous it is going to become. There is a problem there.

It has served the community over the years, it has educated people and it has given people lots of pleasure and enjoyment, as most institutes have.

Nobody is interested in it, so they are pulling it down. But there are people who are saying the money being used to pull it down could go towards renovating the building.

It has always been the focal point. Not only is it a big building in stature, it has educated people in its library, the stage has held gymanfa ganu and concerts, bands used to play there.

It has all gone on in Maerdy Hall.

I wrote to the WDA to support the application for funding for the demolition and it has been secured as I understand it.

Ernie Zobole Exhibition

The Western Mail has an excellent feature today on the exhibition by the Rhondda artist Ernie Zobole, curated by Ceri Thomas, which is now at the Glynn Vivian gallery in Swansea. I saw the exhibition when it opened in Newport last September.

I will post a longer feature on Ernie Zobole on Rhondda Today.

Ads louder than programmes - official

Apparently Channel Five has been caught out and exposed for playing advertisements louder than programmes.

Rockin' Kevin

Kevin Brennan, Labour MP for Cardiff West, and his band, MP4, have released a CD. Kev takes up the story:

Since Bob Geldof and Bono are doing a bit of politics, why shouldn't we do a bit of music?

Keyboards player is Pete Wishart, now an MP, formerly of the legendary Scots Gaelic band Run Rig.

Two Minute Silence

We were in the middle of the Audit Committee when the two-minute silence was due to take place, so we suspended discussion for two minutes and took part.

Skipping Ads

The latest research seems to confirm what has been said from the beginning: owners of personal video recorders (PVRs) like Tivo and Sky+ continue to skip ads, with all the implications that has for the funding of television.

However, so far only 6% of UK households have them.

Apologists and root-causers

As ever, Norman Geras gets to the heart of the argument:

Whatever the combination of impulses behind the pleas of the root-causes apologists, they do not help to strengthen the democratic culture and institutions whose benefits we and they share. Because we believe in and value these we have to contend with what such people say. But contend with is precisely it. We have to contest what they say of this kind, challenge it all along the line. We are not obliged to respect their repeated exercises in apologia for the inexcusable.

The Long Street

The BBC's classic programme about the Rhondda, The Long Street, could be back on our TV screens before Christmas.

I wrote to the BBC to point out that December was the 40th anniversary of the programme, presented by Vincent Kane. According to the BBC’s website, it was first shown in December 1965.

I also suggested that the Long Street might be shown in the Rhondda to mark the 40th anniversary. They are now looking at showing extracts from it on BBC2W. They have promised to get back to me about the possibility of a screening in the Rhondda.

Tribute to London/Depleted Brits

David Taylor's Tribute to London site has now had 2000 hits since Thursday, with 55 comments from around the world.

Frankly, I prefer the simple message of Tribute to London:

We stand in solidarity with the people of London following the terrorist attacks of Thursday, 7th July 2005.

To this from Tom Nairn:

Since the 7 July attacks, London and the world have rung with slogans of depleted Britishness: steadfast grit, business as usual, we can take it (especially Londoners). Understandable in the immediate context, these reflexes won’t do for democrats.

Maybe we should start a website called the 'depleted Brits'.

I have tabled a Statement of Opinion in the National Assembly, along the lines of the Tribute site.

The Break-up of Tom Nairn

I have long enjoyed Tom Nairn's caustic take on Britishness, although in recent years I have found it increasingly deterministic, particularly post-devolution. I believe he has failed to take account of the protean quality of Britishness and its ability to adapt.

Blogometer

I've added a link to the National Journal's Blogometer, which rounds up material from political blogs in the USA.

Thanks to Marc Cooper.

And this site organises US political commentators' latest articles by 'left' and 'right' designation. Via Buzz Webster.

Cultural Identities

One of the things I do in my spare time is act as an Honorary Professor at Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, where I was briefly a lecturer before my election. I am not a journalist, nor would claim ever to have been one. I lectured post-grad students on subjects like Political Communication, Global Media, the making of media policy, and the relationship between the media and identities.

Last week some journalists from a number of overseas countries, including Belgium, Egypt, Macedonia, Malaysia,Turkey,Poland,Nigeria, Russia and Slovenia came to Cardiff, then went to Llangollen, on a British Council visit, where they were exploring issues of Multiculturalism of the UK and Welsh society. It was of course an extraordinary week for them to come, encompassing Live8, the G8, the Olympic success and the appalling events of last Thursday.

I lectured to them - not my choice of title, on Wales in the UK. Devolution. Plural Politics and the Journalism of Respect. Essentially my focus was on the complexity of cultural identity. The lecture is attached.

Download british_council_lecture_final.doc

Wattstown Memorial

This morning we had the unveiling of the Wattstown Memorial, by the Aberllechau Community Association. The Memorial marks the National Colliery disaster of July 11th 1905, when 119 miners, some as young as 14, died. The funeral cortege stretched for five miles from Wattstown to Trealaw Cemetery.

The service started with local historian Ken Baker telling the story, a dedication by Rev Dafydd Edwards, and the unveiling by the Mayor of RCT, Cllr Emlyn Jenkins. Lionel Langford, Councillor for Wattstown and Ynyshir, has tirelessly raised funds for this project.

Survivor's Blog

BBC Online has a very moving story of one survivor's reaction to the events and her experience of their aftermath.

REM/Stipe dedicate 'Everybody Hurts'

Playing Cardiff tonight, Michael Stipe dedicated Everybody Hurts to the victims of the London bombings and their families.

OK, some may say this was an obvious thing to do. But there is scarcely a more appropriate song to act as the dedication. REM play London at the end of the week.

They rocked tonight. New songs, old stuff, and 35,000 people joining in.

Michael Stipe came back on to do Imitation of Life as the first encore, wearing a Welsh rugby shirt with Stipe 1 on the back. One of the band was drinking Brains SA, and said he thought 'Wales was strong on the organic stuff'.

One of the best gigs I have ever seen.

Of course, these days it's always reassuring when the lead singer is roughly your own age.

Nick Cohen spot on

In today's Observer:

On Thursday, before the police had made one arrest, before one terrorist group had claimed responsibility, before one body had been carried from the wreckage, let alone been identified and allowed to rest in peace, cocksure voices filled with righteousness were proclaiming that the real murderers weren't the real murderers but the Prime Minister. ...

There are many tasks in the coming days. Staying calm, helping the police and protecting Muslim communities from neo-Nazi attack are high among them. But the greatest is to resolve to see the world for what it is and remove the twin vices of wilful myopia and bad faith which have disfigured too much liberal thought for too long.

Via Norm. Exactly. That's what I believe too.

Commemoration

I went to the Wales Remembers WW2 Commemoration this morning, which began, appropriately, with a minute's silence for the victims of Thurday's horrors. Then there followed a bilingual Welsh/English service with readings from all faiths: Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh and Ba'hai. It was a moving representation of our multi-cultural, multi-faith society here in Wales.

Rhondda Lib Dems wrong again

The Western Mail carries a completely dishonest and inaccurate letter about my position on tuition fees from Karen Roberts, the defeated Lib Dem candidate in the Rhondda at the last election.

She quotes words from my post below which she says are at variance with the speech I made in the Assembly Chamber:

Eighty-five per cent of full-time Rhondda students study at Welsh institutions, so they will benefit from what is being proposed in respect of fees. Over half currently get the full public contribution to tuition fees, and 19% get partial contributions.

Far from this being at odds with my speech in the Assembly, I said exactly that in the debate:

Eighty-five per cent of full-time Rhondda students, based on first-year intake numbers, study at Welsh institutions, so they will benefit from what is being proposed today. Fifty-three per cent currently get full public contribution to tuition fees, and 19 per cent get partial contributions.

Karen Roberts should avoid half-reading my speeches and articles before writing letters about them. It’s no wonder she lost her Council seat in the Rhondda last year.

I said in the Assembly Chamber that I supported the deal on tuition fees, as far as it went, as most of it was based on the proposals of the Rees Commission, which Welsh Labour set up.

The element of the deal which I objected to was the notion that the fee remission grant should not be means-tested. This would mean that, for example, if a Welsh-domiciled multi-millionaire chose to go to a Welsh university after 2007, then the Welsh tax-payer would have to pick up the bill for £1800 of their fees each year. That is money which could have been spent on the poorest, or on other priorities within the education budget, such as the under-5s.

The Politics of Paranoia

In the inimitable words of Harry's Place:

Liberty, if it means anything, is the right to tell people what they don't want to hear.

I seem to have upset Blairwatch with this post. Well, good. It is absolutely clear that some people are not used to having their cosy little worlds and their cosy self-centred self-righteousness challenged with robust comment. Meanwhile, it is also right to condemn the sick comments reported to have been made by Fox News journalists.

According to Blairwatch, the London bombings were the PM's legacy (mine too, apparently). We are, apparently against dissent and rushing headlong into ''a totalitarian state, where protest is curtailed or banned.' This, of course, is paranoia.

I have friends, close relatives, party colleagues, and local party members who disagree with me on a number of issues, including Iraq. I have no wish to curtail or ban anyone's right to protest. I was pleased to welcome G8 protestors from the Rhondda to the National Assembly this week and to sign their petition.

But most of them, and indeed, most of my political opponents in Wales, including, let me say, Plaid Cymru, would know what is right to say and how to behave on a day when atrocities like those of Thursday occur.

That, amongst other reasons, is why I am with David T. at Harry's Place, with Labour Friends of Iraq, and with Norm.

There is a very good article by Mary Kaldor in Open Democracy, by the way:

what kind of revenge is it to attack the city where 2 million people marched against the war in Iraq? Surely this is not the way to get the British out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Some argue that the aim is to divide our city; the terrorists want Muslims to stay at home. They want to create an idea of jihad. But even this hypothesis implies too much rationality. The most that can be attributed to these insane criminals is a desire to be important. They have no other way to make us take notice except violence. They are small people who want a moment of global action.

This is why the best reaction to this crime is to ignore it – to refuse to allow its perpetrators their moment of notoriety. Of course, it is important to strengthen protection of innocent people, and to track down the criminals and bring them before the courts. But the crime should not be allowed to derail everyday plans and projects.

So far, the response from the emergency services, from political, religious and civic leaders, and from London’s population has been exemplary. They have offered solidarity to the victims and emphasised the need for Londoners to stick together. The crime has not produced terror or panic. Where possible, people are continuing with whatever was on their agenda where this is not disrupted by transport or by the hideous effects of the explosions.

RCT Housing (updated)

The Echo carries details of options to be discussed by RCT Council for the future of its housing stock. These boil down to 3 - prudential borrowing by the council, which could prove expensive for tenants and council tax-payers alike; a mix of retaining some council housing but some stock transferred to a housing association;or transference of all council housing to a single housing organisation.

The Council is obviously committed to improve the quality of housing in Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC, and has a strong commitment to delivering the best possible service to residents. However, it cannot achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard in the current circumstances, and needs to make a clear decision about the way it will find the investment needed and report to the Welsh Assembly on its plans.

The next stage will be to consult more widely with all Members, tenants, staff and other key housing providers and carry out more detailed work on the condition of the stock, costs, and financial options in order to have a full debate about the best way forward. This will end in December 2005, when the Council will need to make a clear decision about the way it will find the investment needed and report to the Welsh Assembly on its plans. The final stage will work up that option in detail and consult with tenants and staff about their rights, rents and the improvements to the services and stock

The two key issues are:
1. The cost of meeting the Welsh Housing Quality Standard in RCT is currently estimated at approximately £488 million. Over a thirty year timeframe the estimated shortfall would be well in excess of £250 million. The Welsh Housing Quality Standard has to be met for all council stock by 2012. The Council does not have the core funding necessary for this investment.

2. The Housing Revenue Account is likely to run out of reserves in 2008. If new income is not identified, significant savings and a decrease in services to tenants will be required.

The Council would not support any reduction in services to tenants or raising rents above WAG benchmark figures.

There are three options open to the Council to find the necessary investment.
• To identify funds through raising rents and ‘prudential’ borrowing opportunities
• To transfer some stock to a Registered Social Landlord(s)
• To transfer all stock to a new Company, which may be a Community Mutual giving each tenant a share and right to vote at an AGM or EM.

I would be keen to get people's views on this.

WW2 Commemorations

I will be attending the all-Wales World War Two commemoration on Sunday morning at Cardiff Castle.

Rhondda Calendar Photographs

I was over at the Rhondda Leader today with the Editor and Chief Photographer choosing the selection of pictures from which readers can choose the final twelve.

As ever, it was a difficult choice to narrow them down. Our selection will appear in a couple of weeks.

More Muslim reaction (Updated)

Global Voices, a site I didn't know about, but will add to my Typelists, has surveyed some Muslim reaction globally to the London bombings.

Also Tom Friedman, whom I heard at the Hay Festival, has a good, if hasty, article in the New York Times.

Both of these via Instapundit.com

Later....

I wanted to update this post because the commentator below rightly points out a problem with Tom Friedman's column identified by Juan Cole. Where I agreed with Friedman was in his warning of what this bombing must not become:

But when Al-Qaeda-like bombings come to the London Underground, that becomes a civilizational problem. Every Muslim living in a Western society suddenly becomes a suspect, becomes a potential walking bomb. And when that happens, it means Western countries are going to be tempted to crack down even harder on their own Muslim populations.

That, too, is deeply troubling. The more Western societies - particularly the big European societies, which have much larger Muslim populations than America - look on their own Muslims with suspicion, the more internal tensions this creates, and the more alienated their already alienated Muslim youth become. This is exactly what Osama bin Laden dreamed of with 9/11: to create a great gulf between the Muslim world and the globalizing West.

So this is a critical moment. We must do all we can to limit the civilizational fallout from this bombing.

Juan Cole takes Friedman up on his claim that no Muslim leader has ever issued a fatwa against Osama Bin Laden. Cole refutes that here, saying:

A "fatwa" is simply a considered opinion of a Muslim jurisconsult. Such opinions are numerous.

He then lists them. He ends with this:

Friedman also does refer to a major conference of Muslim clerics, thinkers and notables wound up just Wednesday that made a powerful statement about religious tolerance and condemned everything Osama Bin Laden stands for. But he seems oddly unaware of the significance of having Grand Ayatollah Sistani, Grand Imam of al-Azhar Seminary Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, and many other great Muslim authorities sign off on this epochal statement of Muslim ecumenism.

The statement forbids one Muslim to declare another "not a Muslim" if the believer adheres to any of the mainstream legal rites of Sunnism and Shiism. The whole basis of al-Qaeda is to call the Muslim leaders of countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as Shiites, "not Muslims." The statement also demands that engineers should please stop pretending to issue fatwas, which should be left to trained clerical jurisconsults. This para. is also a slam at Bin Laden.

A very informative exchange.

Later still: History News Network has more.

From Broadcast to Broadband

The BBC is to trial some programmes over broadband in advance of broadcast.

Meanwhile Channel Four has also announced this week that all its programmes will be aired over broadband.

And apparently, Homechoice wants to be seen as an essential home utility.

Anyone explain this?

According to Brand Republic, the magazine PR Week is saying this:

The Olympic Bid: Why London fell short

PR Week UK 8 Jul 2005 17:19

The capital's epic PR campaign to host the 2012 Olympics has ended in disappointment. Peter Crush examines an uphill struggle

In my world, London won. And PR Week's website says:

London's victory in the battle for the 2012 Olympics will prompt a jostling of brands, agencies and PR staff - all striving to work for the London Organising Committee of the Games (Locog).

Surely PR Week didn't write two stories? I think we should be told....

London Pride

I guess we'll be drinking more of this. Via

Iraqis and Muslims in Wales condemn bombings

Iraqis and Muslims in Wales were amongst the first to condemn the attacks in London. Harith Ibrahim, chairman of the Iraqi Community Association in Wales, said:

We are in a united front with the British people against terrorism in Iraq and worldwide. We believe the attack is against the working class, innocent people and civilised societies world wide.

Saleem Kidwai, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales, told BBC Wales:

Terrorism has got no religion. All Muslims throughout Wales and Britain will pray today, Friday, our special day, for the people.

Watch out, nationalists about....

A new political 'watch' site has been created:

NatWatch has been set up to keep an eye on the nationalists in Wales and Scotland.

It already has a number of stories.

London

I heard Dr Andrew Dearden, Chair of the British Medical Association in Wales, telling BBC Radio Wales how he was at the BMA yesterday and was rapidly involved in treating people on the bus. He said it was like doing 6 months of accident and emergency in 3 hours.

My brother told me last night his flat in Woburn Place is basically cordoned off, since it lies between two of the police investigation areas, Tavistock Square and Russell Square. Last night residents were having to be escorted if they wanted to go out.

Slate has a round-up and points to technorati's collation of blog-posts on London. BBC Online sums up today's newspaper coverage. Digital versions of some of the tabloids are available here.

Things I love about London

In no particular order, a first stab:

The Thames at night, from either embankment.

The National Film Theatre, the Renoir, and the Curzon Soho.

Tate Modern.

Cabbies who have been to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Ronnie Scott’s.

Gaby’s in Charing Cross Road.

Battersea Park.

Brick Lane.

Westminster Abbey, again at night.

The Pied a Terre restaurant, in Charlotte Street.

Murder One, the crime fiction bookshop.

The Hayward.

West Ham’s two new centre backs, Danny Gabbidon and James Collins, bought far too cheaply from Cardiff City.

Walking in central London.

Orso in Covent Garden.

Red Buses.

Bhel puri in one of the restaurants near Euston.

St James’s Park.

And of course….

My friends.

My brother.

Tribute to London

The Tribute to London website has now had over 1000 hits since it was set up this afternoon.

London: don't blame Iraq, and other stuff

Christopher Hitchens in Slate strongly reinforces the point that Iraq is not the issue here:

The first British citizens to be killed in Afghanistan were fighting for the Taliban, which is proof in itself that the Iraq war is not the original motivating force. Last year, two British Muslims pulled off a suicide attack at an Israeli beach resort.

However, I don't agree with all his points in relation to the Muslim community and, for example, the proposed law on religious discrimination.

The reaction of the stock markets to terrorist attacks is also examined by Slate, with the following conclusion:

But it seems that the knowledge of what happened in the markets after Sept. 11 may be playing a role in making the market reaction to the attacks of July 7 calmer and less dislocating.

My comrade, Ian Lucas MP, has reported on the 'incredible calm' he found while trapped on the tube.

The Times recalls terrorist attacks in London going back 25 years.

The WSJ has a good summary of bloggers responses, and so does The Times.

Tribute to London

My researcher, David Taylor, has set up a Tribute to London blog.

Sick Bastards

Blairwatch Scum.

And Norm points out others with the same contemptible instincts.

Charles Clarke Statement in House

As the House will know there has this morning been a number of terrorist attacks in central London.

The situation is developing and I am not yet in a position to give a conclusive account of all that has happened, but I wanted to keep the House as fully informed as possible.

I want to begin by expressing on behalf of the whole country our sympathy for those injured and the friends and families of those who have died or been injured. I am not in a position at this time to give precise details but I can at this time say that four explosions have been confirmed.

First, on a tube train between Aldgate East and Liverpool Street; second, on a bus in

Woburn Place; third, on a tube train between Russell Sq and Kings Cross and fourth on a tube train at
Edgware Road station. As yet we do not know who or which organisations are responsible for these criminal and appalling acts.

Of course, our first responsibility is to protect and support the public at this time. The Metropolitan Police are in operational command, using well established and tested procedures. The health services are providing first class care and support.

On transport - the underground is closed and will remain so for some time. It will certainly be closed today.

There are no buses in central London. Transport for London will decide when to resume services later today.

Over ground services are subject to substantial delays. Most stations are open, but some are closed. Network Rail will try and re-open them as soon as they can.

Airports are operating normally.

People are strongly advised not to travel in to central London as the emergency services must be allowed to do their work in the most effective way they can.

The Cabinet was informed this morning and since then I have chaired COBR meetings to ensure that the whole Government commitment is properly co-ordinated and any necessary support is provided. The PM is returning to London from Gleneagles to chair a COBR meeting later today.

I will continue to keep the House fully informed.

In solidarity with London

We've been watching the news all morning. I eventually got through to my brother who was in his flat in Bloomsbury, down the road from Tavistock Square, and he's fine. Also spoken to some friends. This time last week I was back in London on a few day's holiday. I lived and/or worked there during the eighties until the mid-nineties of course, and continued to work there until 2002 during the week while living in Cardiff the rest of the week. I remember how eerie it was in London on the night of September 11 2001.

Londoners - everyone who lives in London, I mean - will not let this stop them going about their normal business. In the 80s and early 90s we had occasional IRA bombs - usually, of course, there were warnings with those, but not always. There was a period I lived outside London but worked in London, and I can remember arriving in Victoria, getting to the office then finding an IRA bomb had gone off shortly after where I had been, which prompted calls from friends.

Norm has a good summary of the news. The Guardian is carrying people's accounts. The BBC has eyewitness accounts, and a reporters' log.

Jo Salmon has a round-up of the international coverage.

The Prime Minister on the bombings

It is reasonably clear that there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London. There are obviously casualties, both people who have died and people who are seriously injured, and our thoughts and prayers, of course, are with the victims and their families.

It is my intention to leave the G8 within the next couple of hours and go down to London and get a report face-to-face with the police and the emergency services and the ministers who have been dealing with this and then to return later this evening. It is the will of all the leaders of the G8, however, that the meeting should continue in my absence, that we should continue to discuss the issues that we were going to discuss and reach the conclusions that we were going to reach.

Each of the countries round that table have some experience of the effects of terrorism and all the leaders, as they will indicate a little bit later, share our complete resolution to defeat terrorism. It is particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in Africa and the long term problems of climate change and the environment.

Just as it is reasonably clear that this is a terrorist attack or a series of terrorist attacks it is also reasonably clear that it is designed and aimed to coincide with the opening of the G8. There will be time to talk later about this. It is important, however, that those engaged in terrorism realise that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire impose extremism on the world. Whatever they do it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilised nations throughout the world.

Legal Movie Downloads

The actor Morgan Freeman has teamed up with Intel to offer a new service providing legal movie downloads, according to Wired.

The UK is the home of illegal TV downloads, and it will be interesting to see what legal services develop for TV.

Animated Atlas

Thanks to Political Wire, I came across this fascinating animated atlas of the growth of the United States historically. Like all history it will of course be contested, and I'm not sure what Native Americans would make of it. But as a concept it is very clever. It would be great to see the growth of South Wales as an industrial and economic force from the late 18th century being depicted in a similar way.

The section on the American Civil War reminded me of those civil war cards we used to collect as kids in the 1960s. I was at Barry Island primary school at the time, and I remember there was something of a moral panic about whether the scenes they depicted were too violent for us kids to view. Anyone else remember that?

Support for students

Eighteen months ago the Assembly Government appointed Professor Teresa Rees to lead a Commission looking at the issues of funding higher education in Wales and how to support our students.

Two weeks ago, the Assembly adopted a policy based on the Rees Commission proposals. The key elements are:

• Currently, students in universities pay fixed annual fees of £1200 upfront before they start their courses. From October 2006 these fees will no longer have to be paid upfront – students will get a loan to cover them, which will be paid back over time after they graduate but only when they earn £15,000 or more.
• Again from October 2006, the poorest students with family incomes below £15,000 a year – whether they are studying in Wales or England– will get the Higher Education Grant of up to £2700. Partial grants will be available for those with a household income of between around £15,000 and around £33,000. Around half of all new full-time students are likely to be eligible for a full or partial grant.
• From October 2007 Welsh universities will be given the flexibility to charge fees of up to £3,000 - £1,800 more than the existing £1,200 fixed fee, but Welsh-domiciled university students will be eligible for a £1,800 fee grant which entirely covers these additional fees.
• A National Bursary scheme will be introduced in Wales and funded from the additional income generated by fees.
• Students will also still be able to apply for low-interest student loans to help with living costs.

As I pointed out the other day, the number of full-time students from the Rhondda starting at higher education institutions increased by nearly 60 per cent between 1998-99 and 2003-04 from 235 to 405. Eighty-five per cent of full-time Rhondda students study at Welsh institutions, so they will benefit from what is being proposed in respect of fees. Over half currently get the full public contribution to tuition fees, and 19 per cent get partial contributions.

435 people from the Rhondda each year study part time in higher education. Further work is to be done to look at ways of assisting those studying part-time.

Welsh Labour was elected in the 2003 Assembly elections on a pledge not to introduce top-up fees in Wales before 2007. We have kept that pledge and gone beyond it.

Older People's Forum

I was very pleased to see representatives of the Rhondda Older People's Forum at the National Assembly yesterday. I am told there are now plans for an Older People's Forum for the Upper Rhondda Fawr, and I look forward to helping get that established in due course.

Internet & Politics

According to a new Hansard Society Report, while the Internet was more important at this year's election, there was still no great breakthrough.

Steve Ward of the Oxford Internet Institute is quoted as saying:

In the UK, well-entrenched party machines and the relatively localised nature of election campaigning mean that currently traditional communication tools work just as well if not better

However, it is clear that the Internet is becoming a more important source of election information.

Democrat Hopes

Democrat campaigners James Carville, Stan Greenberg and Robert Shrum are more optimistic about their party's chances. Via Political Wire

New Statesman Blog Contest backfires

After failing to shortlist the political blog with the most nominations, the New Statesman judges in the end decided not to award a prize in the elected representatives' category, saying:

ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE AWARD
For the first time in the history of the New Media Awards the judges have decided not to award a winner in this category. After much discussion and a considerable amount of thought they decided that none of the shortlisted nominations deserved the accolade. It was recognised that the elected representatives who have made massive efforts in creating an interesting online presence have done so with little official help and are often in a fortunate position to draw upon the technical and communication skills required. The result of this creates a lottery for citizens who wish discover and communicate with their elected representatives online. There have been some efforts to redress this balance by with the creation of tools such as Read My Day, Councillor.info and by the main political parties, however this is still not enough.

The judges believed that this is an area where elected representatives need more support, training and advice in helping them to use this media more effectively. In doing so there is a real opportunity for the UK to lead the way in communication between the representative and the represented.

Duhhhh!

Site for News Junkies

News junkies can now read full digital replicas of 225 newspapers from 55 countries.

Via Political Wire.

Bloggers in US Local Government

Governing magazine in the USA has this article on the impact of blogging on local Government in the USA. Fascinating to learn this:

The Texas legislature convenes only in alternate years. The last time lawmakers met, in 2003, nobody had even heard of blogs.

Hat tip to Martin Stabe.

Meanwhile, Congress Online has a feature on blogging in congress - as with the UK, few elected officials use blogs:

Their hesitance is understandable given the unfiltered nature of blogs and the high workload demands already placed on Members and their staff

Via Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

Virtual Demo

Now here's something that almost defines the phrase 'armchair activist' - although I suppose 'desktop activist' is closer.

Apparently you can sign up to join the Gleneagles G8 demo online and appear there virtually. Just think of all that shoe-leather we've wasted over the years....

However, I have to say when I tried the site it seemed to be frozen. Perhaps it's crashed. I'll try again later.

Money! For Pink Floyd

Apparently, and not surprisingly, Pink Floyd album sales have rocketed since Live8.

Congratulations London!

So the Olympic Games are coming to London. There will be spin-offs for Wales, with some of the football likely to be played at the Millennium Stadium. We will need to market Wales actively to those visitors coming to the UK for the Olympics.

Dysgu Cymraeg/Weflogiau Cymraeg

Dysgu Cymraeg/Weflogiau Cymraeg

Siaradais i yn Gymraeg yn y siambr ddoe, yn ystod y dadl blynyddol 'Iaith Pawb':

Pan ges i fy ethol I’r cynulliad, roedd fy Nghymraeg I ddim o safon ddigon uchel I siarad yn y siambr. Felly, mae’n bwysig i ddechrau gan diolch i fy athrawes cymraeg, Elaine Senior. Fi’n hapus iawn i barhau fy addysg gan astudio cymraeg. Engraifft o ddysgu Siaradais i yn Gymraeg yn y siambr ddoe, yn ystod y dadl blynyddol 'Iaith Pawb':

Pan ges i fy ethol I’r cynulliad, roedd fy Nghymraeg I ddim o safon ddigon uchel I siarad yn y siambr. Felly, mae’n bwysig i ddechrau gan diolch i fy athrawes cymraeg, Elaine Senior. Fi’n hapus iawn i barhau fy addysg gan astudio cymraeg. Engraifft o ddysgu gydol oes.

Fi mwyn diolch rhein sy’n helpu mi ddysgu. Fi ddim yn deall pawb sy’n siarad cymraeg yma, ond weithiau fi’n hoffi gwrando yn y Gymraeg yn y siambr neu yn y pwyllgor, heb clusffonau.

Yn anffodus, dw’i’n credu bod rhai pobl yn wneud mwy o synhwyr yn cyfieithiad.

Wedyn, trafodais i weflogiau:

Mae llawer o moddau I ddysgu Cymraeg heddiw. Mae’n diddorol I weld pobl sy’n defnyddio Cymraeg yn y maes technoleg. Mae’n defnyddiol I ddarllen weflogiau yn Gymraeg, er engraifft. Mae erthygl bwysig ar y pwnc hwn gan Tomos Grace yn y cylchgrawn Agenda.

For English, click below

I spoke some Welsh in the Chamber yesterday during the annual debate on the Assembly's language policy:

When I was elected to the Assembly, my Welsh was not of a high enough standard for me to speak it in the Chamber. Therefore, it is important that I thank my Welsh tutor, Elaine Senior. I am happy to continue my education by learning Welsh. That is an example of lifelong learning. I would like to thank those who are helping me to learn. I do not understand everyone who speaks Welsh here but I sometimes like to listen to the Welsh spoken in the Chamber or in committee, without using headphones. Unfortunately, I feel that some people make more sense in translation.

Then I discussed weblogs:

There are many ways of learning Welsh today. It is interesting to see people using the Welsh language in the field of technology. It is useful to read weblogs, for example, in Welsh. There is an important article by Thomas Grace on this issue in the magazine, Agenda.

Blog Draws Blood...

The Opposition got a bit worked up about yesterday's Silly Season post. One of the Lib Dems mentioned the blog, claiming I clearly did not see a debate on the WDA as important. Duh!!! I think debating the WDA is very important - it will allow us to demonstrate that we are serious about abolishing the quango state. Anyway, I got in after that:

I am delighted to know that my blog is so well read on that side of the Chamber. However, they clearly did not read it closely enough. I congratulate the Business Minister for tabling a debate on the WDA. What I said was a Pontcanna issue was the scrutiny of the minutiae of what is going on in respect of the WDA. They are not interested in the real issues and in making the WDA more accountable. Those are the issues that we are interested in on this side of the Chamber. We are delighted that the WDA is being abolished and we can debate that properly next week.

I'm pleased to see that the Western Mail got that right this morning.

City: The Exodus

We knew that players would have to go to reduce the wage-bill. Now the exodus has started: Thorne to Norwich; Bullock to Hartlepool; Williams released; Vidmar and McAnuff already gone of course. Rumours that Gabbidon, or Gabbidon and Collins, will go to West Ham. Forest are said to be interested in Barker. Thorne apparently has gone on a free, with the club to get £200,000 if Norwich are promoted. Thorne has performed well with us, and worked well with Earnie and latterly Jerome. But he was expensive to buy and expensive to pay. We paid well over the odds for him, frankly. He was also injured a lot.

Even Sam Hammam is now saying it is probable that Collins will go, in an article on the official club website, which indicates that the financial issues may be even more pressing with regard to monies owed to the Inland Revenue. It's an honest and self-critical piece - there are a lot of mea culpas in the article -but it also raises lots of questions. I hope I'm reading this wrongly, but some of it suggests worrying signs of a bunker mentality developing.

On the positive side, Jeff Whitley has now joined us and there is talk of getting Koumas on loan. But next season already looks as if it's going to be another bumpy ride.

Last Train to Treherbert

I have been pressing Assembly Ministers for some time about train services back to the Rhondda from Cardiff. I was pleased last week when Alun Pugh AM, Culture Minister, confirmed a later train back would come into operation in due course:

When Arriva introduces its new standard pattern timetable, trains serving destinations in the Rhondda Valley for example, will be re-timed; the last train from Cardiff Central to Treherbert will leave at 10.45 p.m.

That's a step forward, but I will continue to press for later services.

Rhondda Students

According to answers I received from the Education Minister Jane Davidson recently, the number of full-time students from the Rhondda starting at higher education institutions increased by nearly 60 per cent between 1998-99 and 2003-04 from 235 to 405. Eighty-five per cent of full-time Rhondda students study at Welsh institutions. Over half currently get the full public contribution to tuition fees, and 19 per cent get partial contributions. Meanwhile 435 people from the Rhondda each year study part-time in higher education.

Rhondda Calendar

I'm pleased to say that we already have the first six sponsors for next year's Rhondda Calendar. There are six more sponsorship opportunities, so if you know of a business or other organisation that would be willing to sponsor a page, please get in touch.

In 2004 and 2005 we raised getting on for £5000 per annum for local charities. We hope to repeat that in 2006. We hope to have the calendar on sale in early autumn.

Blog now live

We have been testing this weblog over the last few weeks before we were happy to launch it.

The idea is to create a Rhondda-focused weblog which can be a forum for direct dialogue with constituents.

We built up some test posts in June which you can check out below just to give you some idea of the things that the weblog will cover.

Rhondda Weblog

Check out my other weblog on Rhondda constituency matters.

Shoot That Crazy Frog

I'm still wasting time shooting that irritating Crazy Frog. See the old blog for references.

The blog is moving!

I have finally decided to move over to Typepad.

For reference, the blog will be going up here:

http://www.leightonandrews.org

I am also starting a new Rhondda constituency-focused blog at this url:

http://www.rhonddatoday.co.uk

Finally, the old website has gone and has been replaced by a portal including the two blogs.

New Assembly Building

I came down to the Assembly building to pick up mail, deal with paperwork and use the library and saw in the Echo that the new building could now be properly viewed from the front, so I took some pictures. Clearly not all the work is finished yet, but it is possible now to get a view of how the whole structure will blend in with the rest of the waterfront on Cardiff Bay.

Certainly, you get a sense of the magnificence of the building now, and the quality of the design and the craftsmanship that has gone into it.

The building itself, remains controversial, of course, and I wouldn't claim it was popular. But I think as people get to see it they will increasingly come to appreciate it. It is a dramatic building and makes a clear statement about a modern democracy.


The picture to the left here is taken from the edge of the dock looking up. This gives a sense of the openness of the development to the public - or it will when the fencing has gone!


Finally:

I am already getting bookings for school visits in my constituency in the autumn, and I guess that the building will be open to visitors sometime in October or November.

The Education department already does a very good job explaining how the Assembly works. With the Chamber next door to their operation at the Pierhead, this should also slightly speed up school visits.