After the Deal
So the deal is done. Later on today, Wales will have a Labour/Plaid Cymru Coalition Government running the National Assembly. Yesterday, the Labour Party signed up to this deal by a bigger majority than many of us expected, and Plaid are going through the motions this afternoon. So One Wales it is.
This deal is a very significant event in the development of Welsh politics. If we Tories get it right, Labour's historic tendency to arrogant hegemony will be gone for ever. You can't blame me for wanting to push us into this special moment! I'll post on this aspect of the new arrangements later - probably tomorrow night when I'm back home.
So who's going to be 'in' and who's going to be 'out' of the Cabinet come Tuesday night. I expect Plaid leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones to take a 'core' brief, possibly Finance. I expect Rhodri Glyn Thomas, his deputy to take the 'Culture' brief - he likes an easy life and he could do that job standing on his head after a bottle of wine. The 'Education' part of the current Education and Culture job could emain with Carwyn Jones - be too much work for Rhodri. I still think that Jocelyn Davies could be the third Plaid Minister - but only if its the 'Business Manager' role. Ieuan may prefer to bring Elin Jones in to do the 'Countrtyside' job - and soften the pill for where the main disillusionment in Plaid with the deal is centred. If Elin is in, then I would expect Alun Ffred Jones to be Deputy Minister rather than Jocelyn.
And who's 'out'? It looks like Brian Gibbons to me. Pity, because I like him - but that's the way it goes. I really don't know which current Deputy Minister gets the chop. I had expected Huw Lewis to resign - but perhaps the extra £25 k has helped persuade him to stay inside the tent. I suspect Rhodri will be tempted to leave him there ( direction in which he will be p***ing etc.) Can't see Leighton getting the push so soon after his deserved elevation. So its got to be John Griffiths or Mrs Gwenda Thomas. Sorry John, but my money's on you. Anyway, we'll know by Tuesday night.
16 comments:
The cabinet was shrunk down to 7 members due to the diminished number of Labour AMs. Now with Plaid we will see the cabinet return to 9 or 10 ministers. We may not see any of the current ministers returning to the back benches. At the most I'd say perhaps one will have to stand down, but I wouldn't stretch it to two.
Don't see Huw Lewis losing his post either - it would be foolish to push him now he's chosen not to jump. I had also put my money on Brian Gibbons being the only major casuality. I agree with Ordo that the cabinet will be enlarged, so the ministerial net loss will probably end there.
Wide measue of agreement here. Hope it doesn't cause IWJ or RM to change their minds - just to be bloody
it has to be John. he would be stupid to sack huw and having pissing in the tent.
Leighton has made him self indispensable, which we all knew he would as soon as he got the job, he will be on the Labour front-bench now until he decides to retire.
Gwenda will stay I think.
Not convinced Brian will go, just becuase he isn;t in any "camp". there may be a few surpirses there.
Leighton has made him self indispensable, which we all knew he would as soon as he got the job, he will be on the Labour front-bench now until he decides to retire.
I guess that means we're stuck with the obnoxious David Taylor as well then. Funny how they both embarked on the road to Damascus when they thought they might get sacked. DT has been telling everyone who will listen to him over the past two weeks what nice people the "nats" really are. Yuck.
I just hope that the Plaidians who go into the cabinet are given fair play.
I also hope that the gang of four harridans who were so vociferous about the coalition ger sacked - they should loose the whip and be consigned to oblivion
Huw lewis is out for himself he's seen the gravy train and knows its smell to well. His dream of wesminster is just that. However, as long as he keeps up the insults towards plaid and conservatives he draws strength from that tribalism which has caused so much death and destruction which history has told us we should learn from.
P.S. Glyn what do I have to do to get a link on your blog roll?
huw - David Taylor is OK. He has a good sense of humour which, in my opinion warrents forgiveness for his considerable other faults!!
Valley's mam - harridans is too strong a word for this blog. Helen Mary is a Montgomeryshire girl and a friend of mine.
view from the glen - will do this week
So Huw Lewis, Leighton Andrews and David Taylor are going to be working side by side with Plaid?
While I think that's wonderful news for humankind getting along etc I can help wondering what their voters will say after such dirty elections campaigns against the "nats".
Valley's mam - harridans is too strong a word for this blog. Helen Mary is a Montgomeryshire girl and a friend of mine.
Hey Glyn I was talking about the Labour four, not the Plaid women who I actually respect, especially Helen Mary who is also a friend of many years from her time at the E.O.C
guess that means we're stuck with the obnoxious David Taylor as well then.
Didn't someone say that he'd resigned?
There are a lot of people who are going to be disillusioned when the reality of both the coalition and government sink in. Wigley's demands for finance and economic development suggest that he has been on the Wincarnis. Plaid is very much the junior party in a deal which promises a referendum sometime in the distant future and nothing else.That's why some of the brighter Labour MPs are noth that worried. It will be very interesting to see the first budget in the light of the new comprehensive spending review. The assembly has had it easy over the last 8 years as public expenditure has increased by about 5% per annum. Let's see how they handle 2 % increases. the first hurdle willbe to deliver a reasonable local government settlementy with elctions next year. Another year of capping at 5 % could see some interesting cuts in a number of authorities. Glyn if the Tories play this one right you could have a field day in the next few years.
anon - its going to be fun to watch.
Sorry Valley's mam - Karen Sinclair's not so bad though. She rang me to comiserate after my removal from the Assembly on May 3rd. The girl's got a heart of gold.
sanddef - somebody did post a comment on my blog (and Blamerbell's) claiming that DT had resigned - but it was a lie.
anon - I agree. It becomes increasingly clear to me that Plaid Cymru have made a huge mistake. The ball is now in our court to capitalise.
huw jones - had to delete your comment. Could have got me into trouble. But I can only speak as I find. I have had comments posted about DT before which were untrue - not that I am suggesting that you are lying of course. He certainly generates strong feelings
There was nothing untrue in my post. Let Taylor deny it before you delete it - he won't because he can't.
He got two "nats" (his new best mates) sacked from their jobs and shamelessly dragged it through the media. One was an Information Officer at Gwynedd Council and another was Business Development Officer at Menter Iaith. Read the Daily Post approx. two years ago for the details.
His conduct on campaigns, particularly by-elections, has been disgraceful. I believe he and his then boss Adrian McMenamin were spoken to by the police because of their underhand methods in Hartlepool in 2004.
The most disgraceful thing is that Labour hired him to do this, now Leighton Andrews has done the same. It's absolutely disgusting and I don't know why more people don't speak out.
He treats the Assembly with utter contempt and throws his considerable weight around the place. There is no place for his dirty under-hand tactics in Wales. He gives the Assembly a bad name.
and the tax-payer is funding his diry tricks operation. that's the biggest outrage.
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