Shadow Secretary of State, Cheryl Gillan was in Montgomeryshire today. We were meeting representatives of several local town and community councils to discuss wind farms - specifically the implications for transport in the area. This is an issue in which I've taken an interest over many years. Its easy to assume that others share the interest, and knowledge about where responsibility for decisions lie. Truth is that very few people do understand where decisions are taken. Its why I've said consistently that liaising between Westminster and Cardiff Bay would be my main role as an MP. were I to be elected. There's so much liaising to do.
Another issue where devolution has been badly misunderstood, is the current public furore about secondary schools reorganisation in Powys. Now we run the Conservative Office as a 'team' of councillors and prospective candidates at all levels - so when the infamous 'leaked report' was discussed, it was a consensus decision that I would go public with it (after giving the Council three days notice)- in part because I knew the issue so well. The 'team' then decided to arrange local discussion meetings for me, while I was away on a three day break - and I was utterly astonished that so many people came along. After a huge public meeting (of 400 people) in Llanidloes, I began telling everyone concerned that they should be concentrating their attention and efforts on Councillors and Assembly Members - because MPs and wannabe MPs have no influence whatsoever, except through other tiers of Government. I. myself went to Cardiff last week to discuss the issue with Conservative AM, Nick Bourne, and asked him to table a Statement of Opinion in the National Assembly to raise awareness of the issue - where it mattered. And it was Conservative Councillors, uninfluenced by me who have taken the issue forwards within the Council since. All of which brings me to something both odd and ridiculous.
Montgomeryshire's MP tabled an Early Day Motion on the issue at Westminster. No problem - even if the issue has nothing whatsoever to do with Westminster. But the content was interesting. It was exactly the same as the motion put forward by the Conservatives at the recent Emergency Meeting of Powys Council - which every single Lib Dem Councillor opposed!! Not only opposed, but were openly hostile to - and as far as I know remain openly hostile to. So the MP is trying to persuade other MPs, who have absolutely no say on the matter, while doing nothing to persuade Lib Dem councillors in his own constituency, who do, to back him. You can choose your own word to describe this weird behaviour.
And by the way, the Lib Dems in Montgomeryshire have chosen Mr Wyn Williams as their next Assembly election candidate. I know Wyn rather well, and unfortunately cannot think of a single negative thing to say against him. Like me, he's a man of Welsh hill farming stock, and with roots planted into the same wonderful part of Montgomeryshire. He's employed or was (or owns? or did) a meat company called Dunbia in Llanybydder, and for the last few years bought most of the fat lambs that my farm produced. How about that for coincidence. Daresay I'll find something critical to say about Wyn by the time the Assembly election comes around in 2011!!
9 comments:
Glyn,
The behavior, tactics and general tone of the debate from the LibDems and the closet bedfellows in the so called alliance was quite disgraceful. It was clearly antidemocratic and made a nonsense of local representation. That they then try to take the moral high groung is quite simply astounding.
However, this behaviour is typical of the Party nationally they try to be all things to all constituents, swaying in the breeze with the opinion being expressed before them and making unprincipled claims about the views of their opponents.
Work hard Glyn and with a bit of luck we shall be rid of them by 2011.
You would be a disastrous MP if you insisted on mucking about in Cardiff when you should be in Westminster.
Leave the assembly to the tiddlers and swim with the big fish for heck's sake.
"You can choose your own word to describe this weird behaviour."
Three words: VOTE GLYN DAVIES
Oh how typical of the MP for Hello to be so very duplicitous. It's all aboout being seen and heard as far as he's concerned. He's a laughing stock in parliament, not only because of his lifestyle problems, but because he's ALWAYS interrupting in order to get his mention in Hansard. This is more of the same. When oh when are the good folk of Montgomeryshire going to see him for the mega hypocrite he is....?
lies, damned lies and Lembit Opik....
JB - This time its so breathtakingly hypocritical that people have noticed.
Anon - I really do not understand your thinking. I did my best to dissuade the good people of Montgomeryshire to vote against devolution (I was the only person who did try) and they did. But the people of Wales voted otherwise - and created an constitutional instability within the UK. The second Governemnt of Wales Act in 2006 delivered an even more unstable constitution. Its a recipe for constitutional chaos. I can understand why you might wish to abolish the Assembly, but not that you would want the current shambolic position to continue. Until some sense, based on logic, is brought to the position, there is a real need for at least some MPs to be commited to making the system work.
Anons 2 and 3 - Looks like both Lembit and I are catching it today.
Glyn - the Welsh Assembly is an irrelevance. Stop fixating about it.
"Until some sense, based on logic, is brought to the position, there is a real need for at least some MPs to be commited to making the system work."
Are you suggesting our current Welsh Tory MPs are not doing that? The Conservatives on the Welsh select committee seem to be doing a very good job.
Having attended the LibDem hustings at Newtown, it was clear to many of us (who were not farmers) that the wrong candidate was selected - for the wrong reasons. The current 'disgraced' incumbent AM's preferred candidate, was selected largely by the Banwy Valley mafia and farming fraternity. A nice chap maybe but Wyn's submissions appeared to be prepared by the AM; it was poorly delivered and if he eventually arrives at Cardiff Bay, his lack of charisma and intellectual ability will be exposed. But then as many observers suggest, the Assembly is no more than a County Council. No, the candidate who came second was probably handicapped by being a Welshpool man, unconnected with agriculture. The Lib Dems have shot themselves, once again, in the proverbial foot. Luckily for you farmers, the third choice wind farm hater received short thrift! We wouldn't have wanted the over emotional outbursts that have dogged her campaigns of late to have spilled over onto the Senedd!
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