Blogging off for a break

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 1:24 PM | add or read comments (4)

UPDATE Saturday: Just received a text from a pal that says 'Plaid NEC overwhelming endorsement to Red-Green'.
But with a Labour special conference and Plaid national council still to come, he adds: "It ain't over till the fat lady sings.'
What have I missed?
> No blogging here for a few days, while I log off to Berlin for a break arranged in those distant days before the Assembly elections.

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Groundhog Day

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 10:33 AM | add or read comments (0)

Labour MPs told first minister Rhodri Morgan to do 'everything possible' to reopen coalition talks with the Liberal Democrats, voicing 'strong reservations' over a deal with Plaid Cymru.
It seems to me that the Labour Party is facing the same tensions and dilemma outlined here on May 4, just a day after the elections.
Can this go on much longer Ieuan/Mike/anyone?
There is a Tory view here; a Plaid view here; a nationalist view here; and a Lib Dem view here.

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• coalition
• conservatives
• labour
• lib dems
• plaid

North HQ Hitch

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 10:19 AM | add or read comments (2)

Aberconwy AM Gareth Jones is busy trying to establish the reasons for the delay in building the Welsh Assembly Government headquarters in Llandudno Junction.
He has written to First Minster Rhodri Morgan with a host of questions after the Daily Post's exclusive revelation that the prestige offices won't now open until 2009.

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• assembly
• north wales

Tough on grime...

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 5:09 PM | add or read comments (0)

A ban or levy on supermarket plastic bags could be imposed in Wales under new green laws.
Sustainabilty minister Jane Davidson is seeking new powers from Westminster for 'green switch' legislation on environmental protection and waste management.
Clwyd West Tory AM Darren Millar said “I can understand why the minister wants to appear tough on grime, tough on the causes of grime, but I’m not so sure this will make a great deal of difference.”

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• environment
• tax

Special Brew-ed

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 7:07 PM | add or read comments (0)

Labour's Welsh executive sanctioned a special party conference to rule on a coalition deal with rivals Plaid Cymru to run the Assembly government.
Saturday Update: Plaid's executive also agreed to continue talks with Labour.
So far, so good/bad/mediocre. You choose.

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• labour

Special Brew-ing

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 5:22 PM | add or read comments (3)

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain is putting about the case for a special Labour conference to consider any proposed coalition deal with Plaid Cymru.
Mr Hain's aide spread the word as Labour MPs were preparing to be briefed tonight by first minister Rhodri Morgan on the latest 'twists and turns'.
Surely this sudden outbreak of democratic fervour within Labour could have only one purpose - to defeat the notion that a deal could be done with 'the Nats' at too high a price.
Lib Dem coalition refusenik Peter Black has an interesting view of the Plaid-Labour talks from the outside.
Former Tory AM in mid and west Wales Glyn Davies laments why no-one seems to love his party.

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• peter hain

Ieuan is talking to Rhodri (again)

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 8:13 PM | add or read comments (0)

PLAID Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones will hold talks with Labour over a formal coalition deal to run the Assembly government.
First minister Rhodri Morgan offered enough prospects of more last-ditch concessions on policy to tempt Mr Jones into further discussions and hold out a slender lifeline for the minority Labour administration.
But the Ynys Mon AM insisted that the Rainbow Alliance with the Conservatives and Lib Dems and a Plaid-led government also remained on the cards and was not withdrawn.

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• ieuan wyn jones
• rhodri morgan

Dead man walking...?

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 11:31 AM | add or read comments (0)

The forces standing against Rhodri Morgan in the Assembly took another couple of steps towards ousting the first minister.
Both the Plaid and the Lib Dem leaders effectively rejected Mr Morgan's initial offer of an olive branch in separate letters.
Then the Labour leader asked to resume 'formal talks' with Plaid Cymru, including the prospect of formal coalition, and seemed to suggest that an anti-Labour coalition would struggle to get approval for its legislative programme from Labour at Westminster.

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• coalition
• nick bourne
• rhodri morgan

Farewell Giggsy

• Posted by Tom Bodden at 9:54 AM | add or read comments (0)

As Wales’ Ryan Giggs jogged off the Millennium Stadium pitch on Saturday to deserved applause for a man of the match display, I couldn’t help thinking of all those friendly match tickets I had bought over the years when the Welsh star was pulled out of the squad at the last minute.

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• football
• ryan giggs
• wales