Chatter ye not

FIRST minister Rhodri Morgan wants to attract people outside the ‘chattering classes’ to help to chart the next stage of devolution.
The Welsh Government is seeking applicants from across Wales to sit on a committee to test the appetite for a full law-making Assembly.
Are you up for it? You can apply for one of four seats on the executive of the All-Wales Convention here. But you had better be quick.

Four seats will be available on the 17-strong All Wales Convention executive to members of the public.
The deadline for applications is May 27 as ministers aim to drive forward the process, led by former UN diplomat Sir Emyr Jones Parry, to advise on the next move on a referendum by the autumn 2009.
Eight members of the group will from interest ‘stakeholder groups’, including trade unions, employers, local authorities, women and youth organisations.
The remaining four will be nominated by the Assembly’s main political parties, but no MPs, AMs or councillors.
The £1m convention is a key part of last year’s coalition deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru.
It must assess whether a referendum on a Scottish-style settlement can be won by 2011.
Sir Emyr Jones Parry said he wanted all shades of opinion represented.
“I want now to crack on with the job, to do that in an open way, open to all people, in all parts of Wales, open to al the arguments,” he said.
Mr Morgan said: “This is not going to exclude the chattering classes, but it is an attempt to get away from the chattering classes if you like.”
Instead, he referred to the 8,000 fans who travelled to the Joe Calzaghe fight in the USA as the ‘clattering classes’.
The First Minister said it was “difficult to say” whether a referendum - which needs a two-thirds majority in the Assembly and the blessing of Parliament - would go ahead if the Conservatives win the next General Election.
“Nobody is ignoring what happened last Thursday (the council elections), but we have to crack on with our commitments in the expectation that any changes that could happen after the next general election won’t us greatly in the process we are talking about,” he said.
But deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones insisted it would be difficult for a UK Government to block a referendum if there was a clear will for one in Wales.
“I think it’s very important that we get the right people on the executive committee and we want the committee to be balanced and representative of all Wales,” the Plaid leader said.
Sir Emyr defended the £500,000 annual cost of the exercise, given that the Richard Commission called for a bigger and more powerful Assembly when it published its report in 2004.
“If you’re talking about the future governance of Wales, taken over two years, £1m doesn’t seem excessive,” he said.
Does anyone else think that the idea of a referendum by 2011 is now wildly optimistic?