So its all over. All the build up (or lack of it), the expected result (maybe better than expected) and we now have a proper parliament, with primary legislative powers (almost). So why do I feel slightly deflated about it all, I certainly didn't on Friday night when celebrating our much deserved win.
I think it is possibly a number of things. Firstly that for those of us interested in politics, I'd kind of been looking forward to this referendum for some time. I remember going to a Tommorow's Wales event maybe a couple of years ago where the move from Part 3 to Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 was the main topic of debate (it makes you wonder how a referendum on such a topic got even 35% of voters to the polls?). It was to me then as it is now such a painfully obvious choice, and thankfully we got the right result. But how could 36% of people vote No? I suppose the debate did become more about a number of other things as all such referendums inevitably do. It became a question of scrutiny, it became a question of competence (of the Government and the Welsh people), and finally it became a question of the devolution journey.
On a slight aside, the question of whether there is an agenda on the part of some towards a nationalist future was often raised by the No campaign (even though one of the parties makes that their clear aim). In the classic style of all conspiracy theorists they tried to plant in the public's mind the idea of a sinister and power hungry establishment that were itching to pull up anchor and sail the good ship Cambria away from England and to the promised land. It was rarely raised by Yes campaigners the equally obvious agenda of many No campaigners, often denied, who wished the assembly wasn't there or that it could slowly be eroded until it went away, no matter the consequences for Wales (if you watched David Williams post referendum TV program, one of them wanted to blow it up or burn it down. I don't think he was that serious, good old Len!).
So it is over, I feel I worked quite hard and played my part. But like all of the things in your life that you make a big deal, it soon becomes clear when its over that it wont make as big a difference as you first expect. Don't get me wrong, this is a major and important step forward for Wales. But for me my life wont in the short term be drastically altered. Hopefully we wont see a raft of legislation just for the sake of it, I'm sure we wont as our politicians aren't quite as daft as some make out. So I wont feel the primary legislative powers of our soon to be elected representatives add to the weight of needless bureaucracy already resting heavily on our heads.
What seemed more important was the shift in attitude that the results seemed to portray, as they were announced, followed by cheers it seemed that the unclothed zeitgeist of Wales was on display, well the zeitgeist of the 35% that bothered to vote, but it still seemed important. The speeches of the party leaders and Roger Lewis summed it up. Something that we had struggled for for centuries was happening, not that we were getting more power to legislate, but that Wales was uniting behind something. Not entirely, we cant get too carried away, but as county after county returned Yes verdicts it seemed, to coin a phrase we had one Wales, slowly uniting behind the institution that housed our democracy. The ancient sparring kingdoms and principalities united, the rural and the urban united, the welsh speaking and English speaking welsh united. The differences were still there if you bothered to look at the results closely, but it was fading. A transport network geared east to west could not hold back a shared and growing sense of shared history and culture. Only the apathetic spoiled the party. We may be coming to terms with Wales as a political nation, but the majority of the nation still gets its media and much therefore of its thought and culture from the British media. This is a dangerous problem in terms of Welsh democracy, and the low turnout in this poll is just one sign.
Unless you are interested in Welsh politics as I obviously am, then you probably would have voted in the referendum on a couple of very simplistic ideas. Both the Yes and No campaigns tried to make it about these simple matters in order to capture our imaginations, to varying effect. Laws that only effect the people of Wales should be made in Wales, vote No to the slippery slope, give our Assembly Members the tools to do the job, don't give them any more power they don't deserve it. We heard all these simplistic arguments, and the standard of debate was poor as a result. But it is hard to grip the imagination of people who don't really care much for what happens in Cardiff Bay unless it directly affects them, especially when the British media pretty much ignores anything going on in Wales which they might deem a bit too parochial, and not the fundamental battle of ideas that it could have been. The stronger the press and the media of a country the greater the potential for good quality debate. As in all referendums both sides normally have some good points or stumble on them accidentally, no matter how kooky or outlandish they seem, and we should take heed of them as we go forward. Wales needs better forums for its future debates if it is going to engage the majority of its people and come to good decisions. How to achieve this I'm not sure, but the online sphere played a vital role in this last referendum and if we can engage more people through it all the better. But the old fashioned mediums of TV and newspaper still dominate.
To come back to my original thoughts on why I quickly realised that we cannot celebrate for too long, and the long hard slog of politics and government must continue. We have to up our game, we always will. Those of us who try to steer public opinion through all mediums including politics have a challenge ahead. We now have a proper Assembly as some of us have long wanted. We will probably want more, more powers for Wales (or should that be “in” Wales, sorry Luke!), but we must use what we currently have well in the years ahead if we hope to go any further.
I think it suddenly dawned on me, that we cant sit idly by and let others do it. All of us who voted Yes on Thursday the 3rd of March 2011 have a duty to ourselves and our country to take responsibility for what we do next. Its quite a depressing thought really, I was quite happy for others to get on and do it for me.
To end with, I have been thinking over the last couple of days of a couple of quotes from 2 films I like (this time its the American media shaping my thoughts). A classic line in Spider-man is: “with great power comes great responsibility”, sorry about the obvious cliché I have just concerned you with. But in my favourite film of the moment Kick Ass we get this expansion “with no power comes no responsibility........except that wasn't true”.
Daniel Lawrence
Cardiff
Daniel Lawrence is a Non-Portfolio Member of the National Executive Committee. He writes in a personal capacity.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Monday, 7 February 2011
Swimming through the muddy waters of the referendum
I havent written a post for this blog for some time, so thought I should make some sort of contribution during this important referendum campaign. I fear it has kept most of us very busy lately!
Anyway, I was writing a response to a Guardian online article which I thought merited a response (which can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/07/wales-referendum-welsh-assembly?commentpage=last#end-of-comments) due to some of its illogical arguments, and realised I had got slightly carried away and that it was a bit long. I thought it may make an interesting blog post, or at least something to spark debate. So here is the very edited comment highly edited to make sense as a blog post and not just a reply to an article:
There is a problem of confusion amongst a lot of welsh people with regards to what the referendum is about. Neither the Yes or No sides help the situation with some of the comments that are made by some (although I do think the Yes campaign are doing a better job of trying to stick to the facts than True Wales who seem to be purposely muddying the water). However, referendums are rarely fought with everyone knowing the full facts, and they are regularly won or lost on very different questions to the one asked (usually the popularity of the government of the day).
Firstly, I doubt the author of the post has actually read the Western mail lately, but I read it most days and I have in the last few weeks found it difficult to find a day where the referendum hasn't been mentioned. I'm suprised WM readers arent sick of it by now (I'd imagine a number are). The main problem is as she mentions that not enough people read the WM or other welsh newspapers.
I agree that speed is not synonomous with effectiveness, however it can be very important, and can be a strength of unicameral legislatures where it means there is no possibility of legislative deadlock and it can produce a simpler more efficient system (what we have at the present is neither). Other unicameral parliaments in Europe include the Riksdag in Sweden and the Storting in Norway to name just two, and they seem to cope well enough. It is not a strange or unique set up in a democracy.
It is not a question of thinking that Welsh people are the only people who can make Wales a better place, just that they are best placed to. It is a basic principle of Democracy, and it is not something to be mocked.
I believe the author is right in some of her criticisms of the lack of dynamism in the Assembly and the poor performance in a number of areas since its set up in 1999. Their is also a critique to be made of the quality of some of our Assembly members. However, the author then illogically says we should stay with the same system which has helped produce this by voting no, before ridiculing the Welsh people's elected Assembly as a child compared to its wiser older brother in London. If we want to improve the quality of our politics we first need some confidence in ourselves and our ability to learn from our mistakes.
She then moves on in the typically cynical fashion of those who want a No vote by saying that democracy wont be improved. She may be right (I personally dont think so), but what is the alternative? A No vote would send us backwards, but how far and how fast? To the days of an all powerful secretary of state who might not represent a Welsh constituency or have even been voted for by anyone in Wales. Or even further, to the days when Wales had no institutional devolution (we're talking decades here), when the rule of the majority in the UK parliament meant that a Welsh nation couldnt exist, and if it wanted to it was powerless.
This is why this referendum is so vitally important. It is not about Independence (as True Wales wants you to think) which would require a further referendum and which would probably be beaten. It is a great shame that it is not engaging the vast bulk of the Welsh populace because it is about something very important. It is about a very basic principle of governance and democracy, that it should be clear where power lie's and the people should know this and understand it. A No vote keeps us in this state of confusion, a Yes vote makes the system simpler and makes it clearer where power lie's.
It has been said before that there is nowhere else in the world where a system like this operates (for that you have to go back to 15th century Ireland), where one elected parliament has to effectively check on another parliament in areas of responsibility it has already seceded to it. It is for a very good reason that this is the case.
By Daniel Lawrence (Cardiff)
Anyway, I was writing a response to a Guardian online article which I thought merited a response (which can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/07/wales-referendum-welsh-assembly?commentpage=last#end-of-comments) due to some of its illogical arguments, and realised I had got slightly carried away and that it was a bit long. I thought it may make an interesting blog post, or at least something to spark debate. So here is the very edited comment highly edited to make sense as a blog post and not just a reply to an article:
There is a problem of confusion amongst a lot of welsh people with regards to what the referendum is about. Neither the Yes or No sides help the situation with some of the comments that are made by some (although I do think the Yes campaign are doing a better job of trying to stick to the facts than True Wales who seem to be purposely muddying the water). However, referendums are rarely fought with everyone knowing the full facts, and they are regularly won or lost on very different questions to the one asked (usually the popularity of the government of the day).
Firstly, I doubt the author of the post has actually read the Western mail lately, but I read it most days and I have in the last few weeks found it difficult to find a day where the referendum hasn't been mentioned. I'm suprised WM readers arent sick of it by now (I'd imagine a number are). The main problem is as she mentions that not enough people read the WM or other welsh newspapers.
I agree that speed is not synonomous with effectiveness, however it can be very important, and can be a strength of unicameral legislatures where it means there is no possibility of legislative deadlock and it can produce a simpler more efficient system (what we have at the present is neither). Other unicameral parliaments in Europe include the Riksdag in Sweden and the Storting in Norway to name just two, and they seem to cope well enough. It is not a strange or unique set up in a democracy.
It is not a question of thinking that Welsh people are the only people who can make Wales a better place, just that they are best placed to. It is a basic principle of Democracy, and it is not something to be mocked.
I believe the author is right in some of her criticisms of the lack of dynamism in the Assembly and the poor performance in a number of areas since its set up in 1999. Their is also a critique to be made of the quality of some of our Assembly members. However, the author then illogically says we should stay with the same system which has helped produce this by voting no, before ridiculing the Welsh people's elected Assembly as a child compared to its wiser older brother in London. If we want to improve the quality of our politics we first need some confidence in ourselves and our ability to learn from our mistakes.
She then moves on in the typically cynical fashion of those who want a No vote by saying that democracy wont be improved. She may be right (I personally dont think so), but what is the alternative? A No vote would send us backwards, but how far and how fast? To the days of an all powerful secretary of state who might not represent a Welsh constituency or have even been voted for by anyone in Wales. Or even further, to the days when Wales had no institutional devolution (we're talking decades here), when the rule of the majority in the UK parliament meant that a Welsh nation couldnt exist, and if it wanted to it was powerless.
This is why this referendum is so vitally important. It is not about Independence (as True Wales wants you to think) which would require a further referendum and which would probably be beaten. It is a great shame that it is not engaging the vast bulk of the Welsh populace because it is about something very important. It is about a very basic principle of governance and democracy, that it should be clear where power lie's and the people should know this and understand it. A No vote keeps us in this state of confusion, a Yes vote makes the system simpler and makes it clearer where power lie's.
It has been said before that there is nowhere else in the world where a system like this operates (for that you have to go back to 15th century Ireland), where one elected parliament has to effectively check on another parliament in areas of responsibility it has already seceded to it. It is for a very good reason that this is the case.
By Daniel Lawrence (Cardiff)
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
The Challenge Ahead
The year is nearing its end and yes, it’s been a heck of a year. This time of year, we look back at the last 12 months, and look forward to the next.
In May, David Cameron and his buddy Nick Clegg came to power. A government was ‘elected’ without a mandate and the Lib Dems ditched their principles. Yes, a very interesting year.
Students were betrayed by the Lib Dems; a part all of whose MPs signed a pledge that they would vote ‘no’ to any attempt to raise tuition fees. To those of them who stuck to their word, I raise my hat and say ‘thank you.’ But to the rest, those who abstained, for shame.
But, thanks to devolution, Welsh students are safe.
Although we look back, I prefer looking forward. 2011 will be a huge year for Wales – we have a referendum in March and our general election in May.
Let there be no doubt that the referendum in 3 months will be key to Wales’ future. If we do not secure a ‘yes’ vote, we know that there isn’t much hope for our devolution for a great number of years. (Look at the 1979 referendum – and the next one almost 20 years later.)
CymruX’s priority is securing a positive result in the referendum and we know how much work we all have ahead of us. We’ll be playing our part in the coming months, working hard on this all important campaign.
After that comes the Assembly elections and let’s hope that the new Assembly – the 4th Assembly – will get to legislate without England’s consent. Let us also hope that Ieuan Wyn Jones will lead the 4th Assembly as First Minister for Wales.
Yes, there’s quite a bit of work to be done and it’s important that we don’t neglect that, or become complacent. The next few weeks and months are of immense importance to our country and our people and indeed, CymruX is ready for the challenge ahead.
But for now, we must relax... Goodness knows we’ll appreciate it!
In that respect, we hope that you enjoyed Christmas and we wish you all, our supporters and our colleagues elsewhere, a happy, prosperous and successful 2011 – Wales deserves no less.
For Wales,
Cerith Rhys Jones
On behalf of the NEC of CymruX – Young Plaid Cymru
P.S. To those of you who wish, the launch of the Yes for Wales campaign is in Cardiff on January 4th. Email post@yesforwales.com for details. Email that same address for details of how you can be part of the campaign! You can also donate to the campaign by visiting http://www.yesforwales.com/site/?page_id=46. Thank you!
In May, David Cameron and his buddy Nick Clegg came to power. A government was ‘elected’ without a mandate and the Lib Dems ditched their principles. Yes, a very interesting year.
Students were betrayed by the Lib Dems; a part all of whose MPs signed a pledge that they would vote ‘no’ to any attempt to raise tuition fees. To those of them who stuck to their word, I raise my hat and say ‘thank you.’ But to the rest, those who abstained, for shame.
But, thanks to devolution, Welsh students are safe.
Although we look back, I prefer looking forward. 2011 will be a huge year for Wales – we have a referendum in March and our general election in May.
Let there be no doubt that the referendum in 3 months will be key to Wales’ future. If we do not secure a ‘yes’ vote, we know that there isn’t much hope for our devolution for a great number of years. (Look at the 1979 referendum – and the next one almost 20 years later.)
CymruX’s priority is securing a positive result in the referendum and we know how much work we all have ahead of us. We’ll be playing our part in the coming months, working hard on this all important campaign.
After that comes the Assembly elections and let’s hope that the new Assembly – the 4th Assembly – will get to legislate without England’s consent. Let us also hope that Ieuan Wyn Jones will lead the 4th Assembly as First Minister for Wales.
Yes, there’s quite a bit of work to be done and it’s important that we don’t neglect that, or become complacent. The next few weeks and months are of immense importance to our country and our people and indeed, CymruX is ready for the challenge ahead.
But for now, we must relax... Goodness knows we’ll appreciate it!
In that respect, we hope that you enjoyed Christmas and we wish you all, our supporters and our colleagues elsewhere, a happy, prosperous and successful 2011 – Wales deserves no less.
For Wales,
Cerith Rhys Jones
On behalf of the NEC of CymruX – Young Plaid Cymru
P.S. To those of you who wish, the launch of the Yes for Wales campaign is in Cardiff on January 4th. Email post@yesforwales.com for details. Email that same address for details of how you can be part of the campaign! You can also donate to the campaign by visiting http://www.yesforwales.com/site/?page_id=46. Thank you!
Yr Her O'n Blaenau
Mae diwedd y flwyddyn ar fîn cyrraedd ac ydy, mae hi wedi bod yn flwyddyn ddiddorol tu hwnt. Amser yma’r flwyddyn, ry’n ni’n edrych yn ôl ar y 12 mis diwethaf ac ymlaen at y 12 mis sydd i ddod.
Fis Mai eleni, daeth David Cameron a’i gyfaill Nick Clegg i bŵer. ‘Etholwyd’ llywodraeth heb fandad; anghofiodd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol eu hegwyddorion. Do, bu’n flwyddyn ddiddorol.
Bradychwyd myfyrwyr gan y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol; plaid wnaeth bob Aelod Seneddol ohoni arwyddo datganiad y byddant yn pleidleisio ‘na’ i unrhyw ymdrech i godi ffioedd dysgu. ‘Dw i’n codi ‘nghap at y sawl wnaeth gadw at eu gair, a ‘dw i’n eu diolch. Ond i’r eraill, y rhai wnaeth ymatal, cywilydd.
Ond, diolch i ddatganoli, y mae myfyrwyr Cymru yn ddiogel.
Er ein bod yn edrych yn ôl, mae’n well gen i edrych ymlaen. Bydd 2011 yn flwyddyn enfawr i Gymru – mae gennym refferendwm ym mis Mawrth ac etholiad cyffredinol fis Mai.
Does dim amau fod y refferendwm ymhen 3 mis yn allweddol i ddyfodol datganoli Cymru. Yn yr achos taw ‘na’ yw’r ateb, gwyddom na fydd fawr o obaith i’n datganoli ni am nifer fawr o flynyddoedd. (Edrychwch ar refferendwm 1979 – a’r un nesaf bron iawn 20 mlynedd yn hwyrach.)
Blaenoriaeth CymruX yw sicrhau pleidlais bositif yn y refferendwm ac ry’n ni’n gwybod faint o waith sydd gennym ni i gyd i’w wneud – pob un ohonom. Byddwn ni’n chwarae’n rhan ac yn y misoedd nesaf mi fyddwn ni’n gweithio’n ddyfal ar yr ymgyrch hollbwysig hon.
Wedi hynny, daw etholiad y Cynulliad a chawn obeithio y bydd y Cynulliad newydd hwnnw – y 4edd Cynulliad – yn cael deddfu heb ganiatâd Lloegr. Cawn hefyd obeithio taw Ieuan Wyn Jones fydd arweinydd y 4edd Cynulliad fel Prif Weinidog Cymru.
Oes, mae gennym cryn dipyn o waith i’w wneud ac mae’n bwysig nad ydym yn esgeuluso nac yn troi’n ddi-hid. Mae’r misoedd nesaf o bwysigrwydd aruthrol i’n gwlad ac i’n pobl ac y mae CymruX yn barod am yr her o’n blaen.
Ond, am nawr, rhaid ymlacio... Duw a ŵyr y byddwn yn ei werthfawrogi!
Yng ngolau hynny, gobeithiwn eich bod wedi mwynhau’r Dolig a dymunwn ichi oll, ein cefnogwyr a’n cydweithwyr o bleidiau eraill, 2011 sy’n hapus, yn llewyrchus ac yn llwyddiannus – mae Cymru’n haeddu dim llai.
Dros Gymru,
Cerith Rhys Jones
Ar ran Pwyllgor Gwaith CymruX – Plaid Cymru Ifanc
O.N. I’r sawl ohonoch sy’n dymuno, mae lawnsiad ymgyrch Ie Dros Gymru yng Nghaerdydd ar Ionawr y 4edd. Ebostiwch post@iedrosgymru.com am ragor o wybodaeth. Ebostiwch y cyfeiriad hwnnw hefyd am fanylion ar sut ellwch chi fod yn rhan o’r ymgyrch! Gallwch rhoi’n ariannol at yr ymgyrch hefyd - http://www.iedrosgymru.com/safle/?page_id=43. Diolch!
Fis Mai eleni, daeth David Cameron a’i gyfaill Nick Clegg i bŵer. ‘Etholwyd’ llywodraeth heb fandad; anghofiodd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol eu hegwyddorion. Do, bu’n flwyddyn ddiddorol.
Bradychwyd myfyrwyr gan y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol; plaid wnaeth bob Aelod Seneddol ohoni arwyddo datganiad y byddant yn pleidleisio ‘na’ i unrhyw ymdrech i godi ffioedd dysgu. ‘Dw i’n codi ‘nghap at y sawl wnaeth gadw at eu gair, a ‘dw i’n eu diolch. Ond i’r eraill, y rhai wnaeth ymatal, cywilydd.
Ond, diolch i ddatganoli, y mae myfyrwyr Cymru yn ddiogel.
Er ein bod yn edrych yn ôl, mae’n well gen i edrych ymlaen. Bydd 2011 yn flwyddyn enfawr i Gymru – mae gennym refferendwm ym mis Mawrth ac etholiad cyffredinol fis Mai.
Does dim amau fod y refferendwm ymhen 3 mis yn allweddol i ddyfodol datganoli Cymru. Yn yr achos taw ‘na’ yw’r ateb, gwyddom na fydd fawr o obaith i’n datganoli ni am nifer fawr o flynyddoedd. (Edrychwch ar refferendwm 1979 – a’r un nesaf bron iawn 20 mlynedd yn hwyrach.)
Blaenoriaeth CymruX yw sicrhau pleidlais bositif yn y refferendwm ac ry’n ni’n gwybod faint o waith sydd gennym ni i gyd i’w wneud – pob un ohonom. Byddwn ni’n chwarae’n rhan ac yn y misoedd nesaf mi fyddwn ni’n gweithio’n ddyfal ar yr ymgyrch hollbwysig hon.
Wedi hynny, daw etholiad y Cynulliad a chawn obeithio y bydd y Cynulliad newydd hwnnw – y 4edd Cynulliad – yn cael deddfu heb ganiatâd Lloegr. Cawn hefyd obeithio taw Ieuan Wyn Jones fydd arweinydd y 4edd Cynulliad fel Prif Weinidog Cymru.
Oes, mae gennym cryn dipyn o waith i’w wneud ac mae’n bwysig nad ydym yn esgeuluso nac yn troi’n ddi-hid. Mae’r misoedd nesaf o bwysigrwydd aruthrol i’n gwlad ac i’n pobl ac y mae CymruX yn barod am yr her o’n blaen.
Ond, am nawr, rhaid ymlacio... Duw a ŵyr y byddwn yn ei werthfawrogi!
Yng ngolau hynny, gobeithiwn eich bod wedi mwynhau’r Dolig a dymunwn ichi oll, ein cefnogwyr a’n cydweithwyr o bleidiau eraill, 2011 sy’n hapus, yn llewyrchus ac yn llwyddiannus – mae Cymru’n haeddu dim llai.
Dros Gymru,
Cerith Rhys Jones
Ar ran Pwyllgor Gwaith CymruX – Plaid Cymru Ifanc
O.N. I’r sawl ohonoch sy’n dymuno, mae lawnsiad ymgyrch Ie Dros Gymru yng Nghaerdydd ar Ionawr y 4edd. Ebostiwch post@iedrosgymru.com am ragor o wybodaeth. Ebostiwch y cyfeiriad hwnnw hefyd am fanylion ar sut ellwch chi fod yn rhan o’r ymgyrch! Gallwch rhoi’n ariannol at yr ymgyrch hefyd - http://www.iedrosgymru.com/safle/?page_id=43. Diolch!
Saturday, 25 December 2010
Nadolig Llawen! Merry Christmas!
Wrth bawb ar Bwyllgor Gwaith CymruX, dyma neges cyflym i ddymuno Nadolig Llawen tu hwnt ichi oll a gobeithio y cewch chi ddiwrnod bendigedig.
From everyone on the National Executive Committee of CymruX, here's a quick message to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope that you have a wonderful day.
Dros Gymru!
From everyone on the National Executive Committee of CymruX, here's a quick message to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope that you have a wonderful day.
Dros Gymru!
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
The value of devolution - fairness for students
Cerith Rhys Jones (Executive Non-Portfolio Officer and Public Rep) writes:
"Today’s announcement from the Labour-Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly Government regarding tuition fees comes as what can only be described as a relief for students and prospective students like myself especially. One Wales has shown the value of devolution this afternoon, in declaring that Welsh students will not have to pay any more than £3,290 a year for their Higher Education – wherever they study in the UK.
"Students who are currently in University and who will go to University next year will not be affected by the announcement, meaning that they will still pay £3,290, but today’s news will affect 2012/13 students who would otherwise have to pay upwards of £6,000 for their HE – thanks very much to the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in London.
"This move from WAG really does show our commitment to HE here in Wales, and more than that: that we believe in our young people and believe that they don’t deserve such extortionate costs. Supporters of the ConDems’ plans ask why it matters – we don’t repay until after graduation anyway! Let me tell you: if I went into Uni knowing that I would leave with £30,000 or £40,000 worth of debt, I really would question whether it’s worth it.
It is.
"The difference between Cardiff Bay and Westminster is that we here in Wales have made the right decision to make it possible for students and prospective students to what is right for them in the long-run.
"That’s what our Education Minister Leighton Andrews AM had to say today. He’s darned right. A strong and accessible HE sector will benefit our country in more ways than simply meaning that more people can afford to go to Uni. What Wales needs is a strong, forward-looking and innovative economy, and a good HE sector will stand us in good stead for achieving that.
"Plaid is proud of its socialist principles and so am I. I am proud to be a citizen of a country whose government cares; whose government recognises its responsibility to ensure that education is indeed a right and not a privilege.
"Of course, on that note, we’re not quite there, but CymruX is committed to fighting for free HE because we believe that a cost of even £3,290 shouldn’t stop anyone from going to University. (Naturally, if cuts weren’t coming from every angle thanks to David and Co. that’d be a rather more realistic aim.)
"For now though, we are happy with the best that’s on offer: fairness. Something that Wales can offer, and the ConDems seem not yet to have grasped. Will they ever? Doubt it.
Diolch, Leighton, a diolch, Llywodraeth Cymru.
Thank you, Leighton, and thank you, Welsh Government.
To read the Welsh Assembly Government’s statement on-line, go to the Welsh Assembly Government's website.
And remember that you can now follow @yesforwales and @iedrosgymru on Twitter, as well as add a Yes4Wales badge to your Twitter and Facebook avatars. More powers for Wales next March combined with a successful election for us means more fairness and indeed more actions like today’s!
"Today’s announcement from the Labour-Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly Government regarding tuition fees comes as what can only be described as a relief for students and prospective students like myself especially. One Wales has shown the value of devolution this afternoon, in declaring that Welsh students will not have to pay any more than £3,290 a year for their Higher Education – wherever they study in the UK.
"Students who are currently in University and who will go to University next year will not be affected by the announcement, meaning that they will still pay £3,290, but today’s news will affect 2012/13 students who would otherwise have to pay upwards of £6,000 for their HE – thanks very much to the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in London.
"This move from WAG really does show our commitment to HE here in Wales, and more than that: that we believe in our young people and believe that they don’t deserve such extortionate costs. Supporters of the ConDems’ plans ask why it matters – we don’t repay until after graduation anyway! Let me tell you: if I went into Uni knowing that I would leave with £30,000 or £40,000 worth of debt, I really would question whether it’s worth it.
It is.
"The difference between Cardiff Bay and Westminster is that we here in Wales have made the right decision to make it possible for students and prospective students to what is right for them in the long-run.
'We have a responsibility to Welsh-domiciled students, wherever they choose to study. We also have a responsibility to ensure that Wales benefits, economically, socially and culturally, from the investment that the Assembly Government makes in higher education in Wales.'
"That’s what our Education Minister Leighton Andrews AM had to say today. He’s darned right. A strong and accessible HE sector will benefit our country in more ways than simply meaning that more people can afford to go to Uni. What Wales needs is a strong, forward-looking and innovative economy, and a good HE sector will stand us in good stead for achieving that.
"Plaid is proud of its socialist principles and so am I. I am proud to be a citizen of a country whose government cares; whose government recognises its responsibility to ensure that education is indeed a right and not a privilege.
"Of course, on that note, we’re not quite there, but CymruX is committed to fighting for free HE because we believe that a cost of even £3,290 shouldn’t stop anyone from going to University. (Naturally, if cuts weren’t coming from every angle thanks to David and Co. that’d be a rather more realistic aim.)
"For now though, we are happy with the best that’s on offer: fairness. Something that Wales can offer, and the ConDems seem not yet to have grasped. Will they ever? Doubt it.
Diolch, Leighton, a diolch, Llywodraeth Cymru.
Thank you, Leighton, and thank you, Welsh Government.
To read the Welsh Assembly Government’s statement on-line, go to the Welsh Assembly Government's website.
And remember that you can now follow @yesforwales and @iedrosgymru on Twitter, as well as add a Yes4Wales badge to your Twitter and Facebook avatars. More powers for Wales next March combined with a successful election for us means more fairness and indeed more actions like today’s!
Sunday, 28 November 2010
The trials and tribulations of S4/C continue...
Cerith Rhys Jones, CymruX Non-Portfolio Officer writes:
"S4/C is having a tough time of it, of that there is no doubt. We all know about the cuts that are coming to it, and the fact that its independence is in jeopardy; and now, its former Chief Executive, Iona Jones, has filed notice to take the broadcaster to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal, after her sudden departure earlier this year.
"Let me first clarify my position on the broadcaster’s funding. From where I stand as a Welsh-speaking Welshman, having a Welsh-medium public service broadcaster is essential to the future of the Language, and the Language is a fundamental cornerstone of our Nation’s culture. Unfortunately, the Welsh language is still seen by many people as something for the ‘crachach,’ and that it isn’t a ‘real’ language. Of course, the role that S4/C plays in all of this is the normalisation of the Language and showing that she is still alive, and is still growing. With huge cuts coming its way, S4/C will find it even harder to do its job. The Coalition in London has shown a breath-taking lack of respect for our People and our Language in dropping the axe square on our national broadcaster’s head, and adds insult to injury by transferring S4/C funding to the BBC. When we as a Party are calling for broadcasting to be devolved to Cardiff Bay, the Con-Dems seem to want to bring more responsibility back to London. Dim diolch. Funding S4/C directly from the BBC will only lead to more pressure being put on the broadcaster to have English-language programmes, and will, in my view, lead to the broadcaster’s decline (or at least, the broadcaster as we know it.)
"But do we want an S4/C which broadcasts in English? Some may want that. I don’t. All those years ago when Gwynfor did what we did so that we could have a channel of our own, the purpose of it was not for it to be a bit of this and a bit of that – a mish-mash of Welsh and English; S4/C is a Welsh-language broadcaster.
"As much as I support S4/C and totally condemn (get it?) the Con-Dems’ actions, S4/C really does desperately need to have a sit down and get its act together. It’s just not good enough for many of its programmes to have been rated as having zero viewers. It isn't good enough for the S4/C Authority to announce the resignation of its Chair, only for the Chair himself to announce separately that he would stay on until spring 2011. It isn’t good enough for the circumstances surrounding Iona Jones’ departure (or is the word ‘dismissal’ more appropriate?) to be totally hushed up (and supposedly never to be spoken of again).
"We recently saw how excellent S4/C can be with Pen Talar, the 9-part series following a set of people from before Gwynfor’s election up to the modern day where we have our National Assembly. We need more of this! I sat down with my non-Welsh-speaking mother to watch Pen Talar every Sunday night for over two months, and it really did showcase what S4/C can be. After the series finished however, we’re back to the same old programmes which, quite frankly, don’t draw new viewers in.
"My message to all concerned, including Jeremy Hunt at DCMS, and at the S4/C Authority: ‘For God’s sake, wise up. The future of our Language could very well be in your hands.’
"And so the trials and tribulations (Chief Exec-orientated play on words, there) continue…"
"S4/C is having a tough time of it, of that there is no doubt. We all know about the cuts that are coming to it, and the fact that its independence is in jeopardy; and now, its former Chief Executive, Iona Jones, has filed notice to take the broadcaster to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal, after her sudden departure earlier this year.
"Let me first clarify my position on the broadcaster’s funding. From where I stand as a Welsh-speaking Welshman, having a Welsh-medium public service broadcaster is essential to the future of the Language, and the Language is a fundamental cornerstone of our Nation’s culture. Unfortunately, the Welsh language is still seen by many people as something for the ‘crachach,’ and that it isn’t a ‘real’ language. Of course, the role that S4/C plays in all of this is the normalisation of the Language and showing that she is still alive, and is still growing. With huge cuts coming its way, S4/C will find it even harder to do its job. The Coalition in London has shown a breath-taking lack of respect for our People and our Language in dropping the axe square on our national broadcaster’s head, and adds insult to injury by transferring S4/C funding to the BBC. When we as a Party are calling for broadcasting to be devolved to Cardiff Bay, the Con-Dems seem to want to bring more responsibility back to London. Dim diolch. Funding S4/C directly from the BBC will only lead to more pressure being put on the broadcaster to have English-language programmes, and will, in my view, lead to the broadcaster’s decline (or at least, the broadcaster as we know it.)
"But do we want an S4/C which broadcasts in English? Some may want that. I don’t. All those years ago when Gwynfor did what we did so that we could have a channel of our own, the purpose of it was not for it to be a bit of this and a bit of that – a mish-mash of Welsh and English; S4/C is a Welsh-language broadcaster.
"As much as I support S4/C and totally condemn (get it?) the Con-Dems’ actions, S4/C really does desperately need to have a sit down and get its act together. It’s just not good enough for many of its programmes to have been rated as having zero viewers. It isn't good enough for the S4/C Authority to announce the resignation of its Chair, only for the Chair himself to announce separately that he would stay on until spring 2011. It isn’t good enough for the circumstances surrounding Iona Jones’ departure (or is the word ‘dismissal’ more appropriate?) to be totally hushed up (and supposedly never to be spoken of again).
"We recently saw how excellent S4/C can be with Pen Talar, the 9-part series following a set of people from before Gwynfor’s election up to the modern day where we have our National Assembly. We need more of this! I sat down with my non-Welsh-speaking mother to watch Pen Talar every Sunday night for over two months, and it really did showcase what S4/C can be. After the series finished however, we’re back to the same old programmes which, quite frankly, don’t draw new viewers in.
"My message to all concerned, including Jeremy Hunt at DCMS, and at the S4/C Authority: ‘For God’s sake, wise up. The future of our Language could very well be in your hands.’
"And so the trials and tribulations (Chief Exec-orientated play on words, there) continue…"
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