Assembly debates Gaza

Unusually the Assembly has a Foreign Affairs debate today on the situation in Gaza.

A timely opportunity to remind people to donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians.

Smile 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'.

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 Labourlist article.

This is a very interesting development.

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.

Change

Change has come to the White House

Yes he can!

Born under the Tories

Lord Davies of Standard Chartered

Mervyn Davies has long been cited as one of the architects of the UK banking recovery plan, so it is good to see him joining the UK Government. He has a real commitment to Wales as well and chairs the University Council in Bangor.

A summary of the media coverage can be found here.

Robert Peston says:

Mervyn Davies is almost the only banker to emerge from the mayhem of the
past few years with his reputation enhanced.

He revived Standard Chartered as chief executive and latterly as
chairman. And this British-based international bank has avoided the horrendous
mistakes of its bigger, prouder peers, such as Royal Bank of Scotland and
HBOS.

Labour List

Welcome to Labour List. The Mandelson avatar amused me.

It is good to see the party going on the offensive.

Medical Aid for Palestinians

To do something practical, you can donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians here

The charity's main website is here.

David Cameron fails his homework

Honesty about 1968

I was ten getting on for eleven in 1968 and the big event for me in May of that year was Cardiff City playing SV Hamburg in the European Cup-Winners Cup semi-final. So it's good to read some sober and honest analysis of that year from Fred Halliday rather than the over-rated nostalgia on offer from many of the superannuated ultras.

Thanks, Mohammad

I have received a nice email back from Mohammad Asghar AM which reads as follows:

Your comments are perfect, encouraging and helpful Kind Regards Asghar

The Presiding Officer and Israel

It's been reported in a few places that the Presiding Officer has summarily announced he will be boycotting the visit of the Israeli Ambassador in two weeks time. The Ambassador is being invited by the Plaid Cymru AM Mohammad Asghar.

I cannot be at the event because of a prior commitment, but I have emailed Mohammad as follows:

I am unlikely to be able to attend the meeting with the Ambassador as I will be travelling to an evening engagement in West Wales.

However, I do not want my absence to be seen in any way as part of the juvenile gesture politics provoked by the Presiding Officer. I think his response to the invitation to the Israeli Ambassador is discourteous to you, insulting to the people of Israel, and demeaning to the National Assembly.

UK Government policy recognises the role of Israel as a liberal democracy and also recognises the need to safeguard Israel’s security, as well as seeking to achieve justice for the Palestinian people. As the Foreign Secretary said yesterday ‘There is evidence of the possibility of reaching a solution to the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians based on the two-state idea….the solution lies in achieving justice for the Palestinians and guaranteeing security for the Israelis.’

Were I able to attend the event, I would want to convey to the Ambassador my concern about the situation faced by the Palestinian people.

I have supported the rights of the Palestinians for decades. Thirty years ago I attended the funeral of the assassinated PLO Representative in London, Said Hammami, at the invitation of Palestinian friends who were students with me at Bangor University, one of whom is now the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and was involved in the drafting of the Oslo Accords in 1993.

I believe that we will only see peace in the Middle East if there is a viable Palestinian state based on the boundaries of 1967 – and equally an Israeli state free from terror, recognised by the Arab world. That means dialogue, not pointless gestures.

Regards

Leighton

Over there

I want the Democrats to win the US election - no surprise there - and though I am alarmed about the number of pro-Obama Conservatives in the National Assembly, I am glad that the contest is finally settled.

Justin Webb points to a campaign to get Hillary as Vice-President, and also draws attention to Andrew Stephen's analysis on the New Statesman blog.

Twitter

I am now on Twitter, but I remain to be convinced.

In the summer I will write more about the value or otherwise of certain kinds of online communications to politicians and their constituents.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris Bryant MP has launched a pamphlet today on teenage pregnancy, and set up a website to provoke debate on the subject.

Campaigning in poetry, governing in prose

Much is being made this morning of the second New Hampshire Clinton Comeback.

Justin Webb mentions Hillary's use of the line 'You campaign in poetry, but you govern in prose'.

In fact, of course, it's an adaptation of a line from former New York State Governor Mario Cuomo .

Waiting for Iowa

The 2008 US election gets properly into gear today with the Iowa caucuses.

The Washington Post summarises the Democrat race here.

The latest poll has Obama ahead.

They have some extracts from Hillary's stump speech here.

Thirty Years On....

The National Archives material released today includes:

• Thatcher locked in loo
• Callaghan says let there be light - for the Queen's Silver Jubilee
  
• SAS invades Ireland
  

You can get more from the National Archives site itself.

Peter Black - the movie....

I see Peter Black AM has launched his campaign to be the Welsh Lib Dem leader.

Da Iawn, Gordon

Mae swyddfa'r Prif Weinidog, Gordon Brown, wedi lansio tudalen Gymraeg ar ei safle we.