Nick Bourne takes a cool view

Pierhead - Welsh Politics
Tory leader Nick Bourne takes a cool view of the latest stream of ravings produced by one of the most extreme right-wing Tories in Westminster after their usual uncritical reproduction by an organ of the Welsh press.

David Davies, once AM for Monmouth, is regarded as a blast from the past, whom leaders of the Tory Party in both Cardiff and London would gladly be rid of as an unwitting agent for Gordon Brown's re-election.
Welsh Tories are rapidly moving on from the Thatcherite era, with the Welsh party being praised from London for its success in rebuilding. Asked for evidence of a change, Mr Bourne lists the team who fought last May's election without being returned, such as Glyn Davies and Guto Bebb.
While admitting that Mr Davies's two Westminster colleagues - both chosen much closer the days of Mrs Thatcher -are also devolution sceptics, he points to the mass of newer candidates. Figures such as Susie Davies, seen as a strong hope for winning Brecon and Radnor - she voted 'Yes' for devolution as long ago as 1979.
Within days, Angela Burns, newly-elected for Carmarthen West and South Pembroke, was out-devolving Labour's arch-devolutionist Carwyn Jones. She asked what discussions he had had widi London on Wales having its own High Court. None, he replied, at which she blurted out her amazement. A more balanced view of the Tory party would occasionally highlight Mrs Burns, rather than always concentrating on the friend of lost Thatcherite causes and a possible aid to another Labourite victory.

Three cheers for Lib Dem Peter Black

Pierhead Welsh Politics
Three cheers for Lib Dem Peter Black for ridiculing the Commission for Racial Equality for proposing to prosecute a local resident for petitioning Swansea council objecting to a possible travellers' site near his home. The CRE, using Marxist double-talk, justified prosecution because the petition was preventing people "understanding how proper solutions to gypsy accommodation needs are to the benefit of all."
Mr Black, South West, said such action against legitimate democratic action "will set a dangerous and unwelcome precedent." "This is a fundamental freedom of speech issue."
The commission argues diat any use of the word "travellers" means "gypsies", and is therefore racial. But travellers are not necessarily gypsies. Apparently it is all right to complain about setting up a "dirty" caravan site. Which begs a question as to whether "dirt" is synonymous with gypsies in the eyes of the commission.
Establishing new sites for gypsies is a problem which has exercised the Assembly - not much has happened beyond proposals to adopt the solution designed for England - where it has not worked. Difficulties certainly exist, but the wrong way to sort them out is by use of the current legal sledge-hammer. That way democracy is down-graded - which could lead to the adoption of illegal methods, which presumably the CRE's successor would hardly favour.

It is dangerous to pigeon-hole Huw Lewis

Pierhead Welsh Politics
It is dangerous to pigeon-hole Huw Lewis, the leader of the five Labour rebels who are the strongest opponents of the current coalition with Plaid Cymru.
Sure, Irene James, of Islwyn, hails from the Nationalist-hating wing of the party; Huw's wife, Lynne Neagle, (Torfaen), seems to be keeping too close an eye on ensuring the Assembly mimics Whitehall policies; Karen Sinclair (Clwyd South), wants to keep local planning policies lined up with what's happening in Cheshire, while, both she and neighbour Ann Jones managed to stretch Assembly patience with their apparent inability to ensure their fingers delivered the voting result they had intended from their voting machines.
Hopes of a full-scale rebellion against the coalition seem doomed after the party conference's strong vote. But Mr Lewis has spent much of his life campaigning as, eventually, Welsh Labour's Assistant General Secretary, and you can be sure his campaigning won't cease. "We are the conscience of the One Wales Agreement," he told CAMBRIA. Mr Lewis's main work will be behind the scenes, ensuring that the group's pet projects don't suffer in the budget-making.
Topics such as the dualling of the Heads of the Valleys Road (work has still to be fully timetabled); the eradication of child poverty; and investment in deprived areas. Yet Mr Lewis's favoured topics do not derive entirely from the hard-Left. He has been a strident critic of Labour-run Merthyr council's failure either to fund an arts centre or resurrect the Victorian theatre at Pontmorlais. And when it comes to the forthcoming Welsh-language daily, he doesn't object to an annual one-million subsidy, fearing only that such cash may hobble criticism of Cardiff Bay!

Jane Davidson normally had it easy

Pierhead - Welsh Politics
Jane Davidson normally had it easy when she was Education Minister. A former teacher, the Pontypridd AM knew the territory well, was a radical in belief, and was intensely involved. The education world loved her.
Now Minister for Sustainability and Housing - which includes planning - she has for years been intensely involved with parts of her new brief. For which she is more likely to receive brickbats than the praise she has been used to.
She is former vice-president of Ramblers Association Wales, which has coastal footpath demands which extend tar beyond past practice or farmers' wishes. And as planning minister, Plaid's Arfon member Alun Ffred Jones has handed her a challenge which Labour has successfully dodged for nine years.
Mr Jones asked her, "Technical Advice Note 20, on the Welsh language, has been under review for years - it feels more like decades. As far as I know, it has been used only once or twice. When will its review be completed?"
Ms Davidson gave a half-answer. Next year, she will commission a "research project". As this is an issue which is seriously undermining Welsh in its few remaining heartlands, will the Minister subsequently manage to discover the courage -which Labour has never previously possessed - to write tfie "guidance", whose lack leaves the TAN as a dead letter ?
The Minister has learnt Welsh to a very high standard. Let us hope that she realises that, without a heartland, that language has no future.

Games blamed as Lotto sports cash plunges by £30m | Evening Standard

So we can see where all the Welsh Lottery funds have gone.
Games blamed as Lotto sports cash plunges by £30m | Evening Standard

BBC NEWS | Wales | Mid Wales | St David's Day left off calendar

What's wrong with these people in Ceredigion Council! And note that they are using a printer in Lancashire when there are at least three good printers in Ceredigion that could do this. They must be mad!

BBC NEWS | Wales | Mid Wales | St David's Day left off calendar

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In this new issue we are introducing a couple of new sections; in response to a number of requests, from now on we will be doing travel features, we will cover places we feel will be of interest to our readers, and where better to start than a city which is a monument in itself, Venice. We will also have a regular opera column, and have pleasure in welcoming Norma Lord, who has many years experience as an opera critic. As you can see we have given the magazine a new look on its tenth anniversary. The publisher decided to give the publication a fresher appearance, while keeping the classical feel for which cambria is renowned. I hope you like it.

In contrast to this rather light-hearted opening, I am very conscious that there are those for whom Christmas will not be so happy. All at cambria sincerely hope that the family of Ray Gravell can find some comfort in the various manifestations of the affection and esteem in which he was held. He was one of those rare people of whom no one has a bad word to say. Reading through the many thousands of comments on the Cambria Ray Gravell/South Africa Cup petition, it is clear that here was a genuine hero who was the embodiment of the Welsh spirit. As Hywel Teifi Edwards said in his phenomenal eulogy to the 10,000 people attending Ray’s funeral, stories about Ray Gravell were written centuries ago. He represented that heroic spirit which has echoed down the ages of the nation’s story. I am sure Ray would have been both stunned and thrilled by the outpouring of unalloyed affection and admiration.

It just remains for me to say Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi i gyd - A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers.