tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97382822024-03-07T18:51:38.640+00:00Leighton AndrewsAssembly Member for the RhonddaLeighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.comBlogger1244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-18067040709746942362009-02-02T16:09:00.003+00:002009-02-02T16:10:31.743+00:00DowntimeLeighton's website is undergoing a revamp.<br /><br />As a result, it may be off-line for short period of time later today.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-62526241879709764032009-01-31T11:01:00.004+00:002009-01-31T11:15:35.256+00:00Welsh Labour debateMy <a href="http://www.labourist.org/wales-points-the-way-to-our-progressive-potential/">Labourlist </a>article seems to have created a <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/01/17/labour-must-acknowledge-the-role-of-the-private-sector-91466-22712741/">mini-debate </a>on <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/01/17/we-should-not-be-frightened-of-private-finance-91466-22712730/">the future direction</a> of Welsh Labour, with<a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/01/31/differences-in-welsh-labour-of-huge-significance-for-the-nation-91466-22824287/"> an argument against it</a> by two party members in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Western Mail</span> today.<br /><br />However, they seem to have overlooked the fact that everything I cited in support of my case in my article is the policy of Rhodri Morgan's Welsh Labour-led government - policies we are actively pursuing in fact, as I have said in many Ministerial speeches such as <a href="http://wales.gov.uk/news/topic/housing/2008/081023privatesector/?lang=en">this one.</a>Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-44698147705432697112009-01-21T13:26:00.001+00:002009-01-21T13:28:45.363+00:00Assembly debates GazaUnusually the Assembly has a Foreign Affairs debate today on the situation in Gaza.<br /><br />A timely opportunity to remind people to donate to <a href="http://www.map-uk.org/">Medical Aid for Palestinians</a>.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-34091948316514735122009-01-21T09:50:00.004+00:002009-01-21T09:57:25.582+00:00Smile at the super-mutual!Co-operative Financial Services and the Britannia are to form a new super-mutual as 'an ethical alternative to shareholder-owned bank'.<br /><br />I argued in a speech in Neath back in November that the current crisis offered a moment of progressive potential that could see a re-emphasis 'on the value of mutual solutions'. A summary of some of the points in that speech was given in my <a href="http://www.labourlist.org/wales_points_the_way_to_our_progressive_potential,2009-01-15">Labourlist</a> article.<br /><br />This is a very interesting development.<br /><br />I notice that Britannia's Chairman is Rodney Baker-Bates, who was the Director of Finance when I was at the BBC in the 1990s, having joined the Beeb from the banking sector.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-42361620724570636722009-01-20T17:29:00.002+00:002009-01-20T17:32:02.001+00:00Change<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCT9Sh3WPsfUUiEklToE38w3H63jmXiK9IOEDLbm9BwuLoFy_0fMPh2YWpuEQXiG8zoO2QwO_qjZeOv6GCuXrpaebTdXBRpbXhDwI95aFsmF26rexEy2uKLhDk-4CEl8W6ZHq/s1600-h/feat_624x351_inaug_prelaunch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293429446396455202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCT9Sh3WPsfUUiEklToE38w3H63jmXiK9IOEDLbm9BwuLoFy_0fMPh2YWpuEQXiG8zoO2QwO_qjZeOv6GCuXrpaebTdXBRpbXhDwI95aFsmF26rexEy2uKLhDk-4CEl8W6ZHq/s400/feat_624x351_inaug_prelaunch.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Change has come to the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/">White House</a></div>Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-17382337280775777222009-01-20T07:55:00.003+00:002009-01-20T08:02:15.952+00:00Burberry cuts British jobs again<a href="http://www.keepburberrybritish.com/"><br /><img src="http://www.keepburberrybritish.typepad.com/burberry.PNG" /><br /></a><br />Burberry has<a href="http://www.burberryplc.com/bbry/newsrel/finnews/2009/2009-01-20/"> just announced</a> further 'cost efficiencies'.<br /><br />This actually means more British job losses, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7839200.stm">this time in Rotherham</a>.<br /><br />During the <a href="http://keepburberrybritish.typepad.com/campaign/">Keep Burberry British</a> campaign to try to save the Burberry Treorchy factory two years ago, we warned that if Treorchy went, Yorkshire jobs would be next.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-55117920879831322272009-01-20T07:46:00.002+00:002009-01-20T07:46:56.153+00:00Yes he can!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jjXyqcx-mYY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jjXyqcx-mYY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-10477798402899729792009-01-17T13:21:00.003+00:002009-01-17T13:35:53.435+00:00Debating Welsh Labour's FutureI said back in November that though I did not intend to be a candidate for the leadership of Welsh Labour, nevertheless <a href="http://www.leightonandrews.com/2008/11/welsh-labour-needs-debate.html">I intended to contribute to the debate</a>.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Western Mail</span> has <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/01/17/we-should-not-be-frightened-of-private-finance-91466-22712730/">picked up</a> on my <a href="http://www.labourlist.org/wales_points_the_way_to_our_progressive_potential">Labour List</a> article and has published <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/01/17/labour-must-acknowledge-the-role-of-the-private-sector-91466-22712741/">an editorial</a> in support of it.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-67969374098814025582009-01-16T12:41:00.003+00:002009-01-16T12:47:53.540+00:00Digital inclusionDigital inclusion is a process not an event. We are all learning more about interactive opportunities as we go along.<br /><br />I'd given up on Twitter as having any point to it, but at the EU Digital Inclusion event in Vienna in December some people tried to persuade me that there were uses for Twitter - so I have added it as a way of updating Facebook from the mobile.<br /><br />Let's see if it makes any difference....Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-50719348659766797472009-01-16T11:22:00.003+00:002009-01-16T14:23:21.349+00:00New articleI have an article on Welsh Labour and community engagement on <a href="http://www.labourlist.org/wales_points_the_way_to_our_progressive_potential">Labourlist</a>.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-57800104040388851412009-01-15T22:10:00.002+00:002009-01-15T22:13:53.738+00:00No merger of Post and Mail...but what about Mail and Echo?I see <span style="font-style: italic;">Trinity Mirror</span> has <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7829263.stm">ruled out</a> a merger of the Daily post and the Western Mail - which doesn't surprise me, different papers and different audiences.<br /><br />But what about the <a href="http://www.leightonandrews.com/2009/01/when-will-echo-and-western-mail-merge.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Western Mail and the Echo</span></a>?Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-34349307243387245942009-01-14T16:52:00.001+00:002009-01-14T16:54:47.123+00:00Tory donor says Tories do nothing<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1111752/5m-donors-threat-Tories-Europhile-Ken-Clarke.html">Tory donor Stuart Wheeler is backing Gordon Brown</a><br /><br />‘Surprisingly, Mr Wheeler also backed Mr Brown over the economic crisis, saying: 'I'm inclined to think Labour is right. The US and virtually every other country in Europe is taking similar action. Since everyone else says it is right, my view is that Labour is probably right.<br /><u><span style="color:#800080;"></span></u><br />'The Tories are saying nothing should be done. They may be right, but it doesn't look good to say that the best thing is to do nothing.'’Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-66973777433728806692009-01-14T14:15:00.002+00:002009-01-14T14:25:59.299+00:00When will the Echo and Western Mail merge?News that Trinity Mirror has merged its Welsh operational management with that of North West England, <a href="http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=42805&c=1">leading to the redundancy of its MD in Wales</a>, (one of whose last tasks was to <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/01/09/gordon-brown-visits-media-wales-91466-22655403/">escort the Prime Minister </a>around the office) must bring closer the day when the group merges the <em>Western Mail</em> and the <em>South Wales Echo</em>.<br /><br />Over the last year, the two papers have come closer together, with journalists writing copy for both. A few weeks ago the <em>Echo</em> started appearing in newsagents in the morning at the same time as the <em>Western Mail</em>.<br /><br />Trinity Mirror's weekly titles saw recent mergers of offices and editors, ( an action we were able to fight off <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4484636.stm">three years ago</a>) and prices have gone up yet again. (The <em>Rhondda Leader</em> now costs 75p: six years ago it was 32p).<br /><br />They will deny it now I am sure, but in the near future we will see a new paper called the South Wales Echo and Mail, or something like it.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the <a href="http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2009/01/bbc_and_itv_close_to_regional_news_deal.html;jsessionid=CABA59594C6B34C3459E8CB39F07AF0A?tmcsTrackingInfo=$FaetCEAo_gGNzVTkRhiXqNcQzP6bU8vw5Fc5BPPJoEY-RTY6-d5hJ-Kq-P-aqQ6Lw2uCqk3Yssj$">BBC is bailing out ITV's regional news</a> operation.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-75604401096398741832009-01-14T09:42:00.002+00:002009-01-14T09:45:43.698+00:00Born under the Tories<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p_yJEWZqmnM&hl=en&fs=1&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p_yJEWZqmnM&hl=en&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-81680261243516052842009-01-14T09:37:00.004+00:002009-01-14T14:12:45.033+00:00Lord Davies of Standard CharteredMervyn Davies has long been cited as one of the architects of the UK banking recovery plan, so it is good to see him <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7827876.stm">joining the UK Government</a>. He has a real commitment to Wales as well and chairs the University Council in Bangor.<br /><br />A summary of the media coverage can be found <a href="http://news.google.co.uk/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&q=mervyn%20davies">here.</a><br /><br />Robert Peston <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/">says</a>:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>Mervyn Davies is almost the only banker to emerge from the mayhem of the<br />past few years with his reputation enhanced.<br /><br />He revived Standard Chartered as chief executive and latterly as<br />chairman. And this British-based international bank has avoided the horrendous<br />mistakes of its bigger, prouder peers, such as Royal Bank of Scotland and<br />HBOS.<br /></blockquote><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/"></a>Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-28179967149369651602009-01-13T10:41:00.003+00:002009-01-13T10:43:24.551+00:00Labour List<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ADFhwDxkTRU/SWxv4yRUqOI/AAAAAAAABj4/kmeIL_X_EAs/s1600-h/Mandy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290726683611277538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 276px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ADFhwDxkTRU/SWxv4yRUqOI/AAAAAAAABj4/kmeIL_X_EAs/s400/Mandy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p>Welcome to <a href="http://www.labourlist.org/">Labour List</a>. The Mandelson avatar amused me.</p><p>It is good to see the party going on the offensive.</p>Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-28493484305711030602009-01-12T06:40:00.002+00:002009-01-12T06:43:36.635+00:00Water off againI was rung yesterday by Cllr Ceri Jones who told me the water was off again in Ferndale and Blaenllechau: it is believed that this is because of another water burst as the thaw sets in.<br /><br />Bluntly, however, this illustrates what I have been saying since<a href="http://www.leightonandrews.com/2009/01/water-update-here-we-go-again.html"> last week</a>: Welsh Water's infrastructure in the Rhondda isn't up to it.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-53956995094492963642009-01-11T12:19:00.001+00:002009-01-11T12:21:16.976+00:00Llwynypia Sunrise Today<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ADFhwDxkTRU/SWnkMG5Mx7I/AAAAAAAABjw/svzk47jtCQA/s1600-h/Sunrise+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ADFhwDxkTRU/SWnkMG5Mx7I/AAAAAAAABjw/svzk47jtCQA/s400/Sunrise+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290010133983446962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtAZNW1hLZOLZwGRNCQC8_M1goFARGEbJfqpqRwcMIfu8Q1Egx7MtP7avUnen2_2DX20B39HbD-Wm1yhcRCWO-9-3TYgAAtQTYMXHiPGFjnlMvT4AMZ-8qJJzHonSDKhe25in/s1600-h/Sunrise+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtAZNW1hLZOLZwGRNCQC8_M1goFARGEbJfqpqRwcMIfu8Q1Egx7MtP7avUnen2_2DX20B39HbD-Wm1yhcRCWO-9-3TYgAAtQTYMXHiPGFjnlMvT4AMZ-8qJJzHonSDKhe25in/s400/Sunrise+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290009951363284418" border="0" /></a>Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-33390525373406174042009-01-09T13:37:00.003+00:002009-01-09T13:38:51.906+00:00And it goes on100 homes in Maerdy out of water today because of a burst pipe. Welsh Water are distributing bottled water.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-70465160741185801772009-01-09T09:45:00.001+00:002009-01-09T09:46:50.410+00:00My letter to Welsh WaterI have written to Welsh Water calling on the company to bring forward investment in the pipes and infrastructure supporting the Maerdy Water Treatment Centre.<br /><br />I also raised questions concerning the supply of information to residents on the first day of the recent disruption.<br /><br />I told them that water bowsers needed to be replenished more quickly as residents often found that they had run out.<br /><br />In my letter to the Managing Director of Welsh Water, Nigel Annett, I said:<br /><br />‘Can I raise some issues which have been brought up by constituents as they might have a bearing on how you respond to similar eventualities in future? I also want to raise the bigger issue of investment in the Maerdy Treatment Centre and the pipes supplying it.<br /><br />‘The first point relates to the information supplied to residents on the Tuesday. Constituents have said that they would have found it helpful if on the Tuesday Welsh Water had alerted them earlier, and if the message could have been got out through mobile loudspeakers touring the affected areas, as well as through the conventional media. Some have said to me that if they had understood earlier that the discoloured water could be used eg for flushing toilets, then they would have stored this at the time.<br /><br />‘There was clearly a problem on the Wednesday with bowsers not being replenished quickly enough. I saw for myself people trying to get water from empty bowsers. Again, I think this needs looking at for the future.<br /><br />‘More substantially, I think you need to accelerate your investment in the infrastructure, including pipes, supporting the Maerdy Treatment Centre. It is clear that the pipes are old and not fit for purpose. While these were exceptional weather conditions, it seems to me wise for all organisations to plan on the basis of more extreme weather conditions. I know that there are plans to invest at a future date in the infrastructure supporting Maerdy, but I hope that given what has occurred you will bring the planned investments forward.’<br /><br />These were difficult circumstances but I hope that Welsh Water will learn lessons for the future. We need new investment in the pipes and infrastructure supporting the Maerdy Treatment Centre and they should now bring this forward.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-13550472162816960482009-01-08T18:20:00.006+00:002009-01-08T19:09:37.201+00:00Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drinkThe latest at 18.10 Welsh Water time is that Welsh Water has carried out two repairs in Trehafod and they think most people there should have water again.<br /><br />They also tell me the Maerdy reservoirs are stabilising. They say most people in Maerdy should have water back during the evening. They will be supplying bottled water to people but not topping up bowsers. Their emergency number is 0800 052 0130.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7817888.stm">Chris Bryant MP has also written to the MD of Welsh Water about the investment in water infrastructure. </a>Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-45470026996089963162009-01-08T17:24:00.004+00:002009-01-08T17:48:33.501+00:00Water update: here we go again....Now there is a burst pipe in Trehafod affecting 600 homes. Welsh Water are trying to get this back on now. They now tell me that a temporary connection has been established to ensure people have a supply.<br /><br />And Welsh Water now tell me are 400 homes that may be without water in Maerdy tonight. They say they have taken over 100 loss of supply calls.<br /><br />I have already written to Welsh Water asking them to bring forward their investment in the water infrastructure and I have repeated this message to the Operations Director on the phone.<br /><br />Anyone who knows different please email me at <a href="mailto:leighton.andrews@wales.gov.uk">leighton.andrews@wales.gov.uk</a> !Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-38262075362913879292009-01-08T16:20:00.003+00:002009-01-08T16:23:25.616+00:00Water UpdateWelsh Water have just been in touch to say that some residents in Maerdy will experience a reduction in water pressure - they tell me this is not a recurrence of the problem, but is because they have not today yet had the network at full-flow.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-14329217360316455842009-01-07T16:38:00.002+00:002009-01-07T16:40:57.888+00:00What Welsh Water was contending with<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ADFhwDxkTRU/SWTa92e7AnI/AAAAAAAABjg/U006pjZbNh4/s1600-h/WElsh+Water+Manganese.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ADFhwDxkTRU/SWTa92e7AnI/AAAAAAAABjg/U006pjZbNh4/s400/WElsh+Water+Manganese.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288592618571891314" border="0" /></a><br />The manganese contamination that affected the water supply to the treatment centreLeighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9738282.post-23230490200834204082009-01-07T16:35:00.000+00:002009-01-07T16:37:00.380+00:00Water Situation in the Rhondda Fach 2 updatedI have been in Maerdy and Ferndale this morning. I visited Welsh Water's Maerdy Treatment Centre with representatives of Welsh Water. I met local residents who have been without water since yesterday. I also visited a local business that had been affected by the problems. I took a Welsh Water representative to the business, Avon Engineered Rubber, so that a solution could be found to get the factory working again. I understand that the water supply has now been reconnected and the 6 o'clock shift should be able to work there tonight.<br /><br />Welsh Water tell me they are hopeful that by this evening most properties in the Rhondda Fach should see their water flowing again though there may be some around Ferndale on hillier areas with problems.<br /><br />Welsh Water tell me that they will have the tankers running throughout and there will be bottled water for elderly and vulnerable people who need it. Obviously they also need to keep the water bowsers replenished.<br /><br />I have spoken with the Chief Eexecutive and the Operations Director of Welsh Water who have had staff working throughout the night in order to improve supplies as soon as possible. Obviously a lot of activity has been going on since last night. Welsh Water tell me the situation they are facing is virtually unprecedented. I have discussed with them what might be done if similar circumstances arise in future.Leighton Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06280181937184212029noreply@blogger.com3