Welsh Lib Dems back Rally GB

It gave me a fair amount of pleasure to be one to the 10 reps signing the emergency motion calling on the Nat/Lab government in Cardiff to reverse its decision to break its sponsorship of Wales Rally GB.

What am I talking about. Well for the measly sum of £2.4m that expert on rural tourism IWJ decided last week that the event which the government are contracted to support is not worth the investment. Now take away the legal costs we are likely to face but what does the event bring.
Four days of visitors in Cardiff AND rural mid Wales, four days OUT OF SEASON where the local trade gets a major boost. National and international coverage on Eurosport and local media across Scandinavia and other countries where rallying is as big as F1 is in the UK.

At a time when we as a nation are trying to grow our cultural tourism the "most excellent" leader of Plaid Cymru has shown it is not only his own party policy he is prepared to ignore but also binding legal agreements.

How can he and hence Wales expect any major business or sporting event to even consider coming here now when they know that a WAG contract is viewed as being as watertight as a chocolate teapot.

What is the point of Plaid in government?

On the day when Labour drove a coach and horses though the devolution settlement in Wales what is the response from the supposed Party of Wales?

Well according to their web site at 1 minute to midnight the only thing they have to say today is a press release from one of thier AMs in a cross party role challenging Wales to produce role models that challenge size zero and hence reduce the prevalence of eating disorders.

Now don't get me wrong I work hard to give my 6 year old daughter positive role models and applaud this initiative put wasn't something more important going on today?

Something about the secretary of state having a right under legislation to block the will of the Assembly in Cardiff over housing policy

Isn't this the very thing that Plaid told us wouldn't happen. Sure they may have kept their powder dry for the Welsh Language LCO but now they not only have to fight Labour on that one they have to fight the precedent they themselves as part of government have set by accepting this draconian oversight on this order.

So I ask myself again what is the point of Plaid in government? The more I see of it the answer seems to be none

Plaids identity Crisis

Dear oh dear Plaid dont seem to have got the hang of this being in government bit do they.

No sooner is the change to the budget for local government announced than we have Dai Lloyd on the floor singing the praises of his party in securing the change.

Plaid Cymru AM Dai Lloyd welcomed the final budget, saying, “Today’s announcement comes after weeks of intense activity by Plaid Cymru AMs and ministers. Ever since we realised that this year’s settlement would be tight, we’ve argued the case for a floor system that would ensure more funding for the worst affected councils.”

No mention of course of the lobbys led by Powys AMs involving councillors from Powys CC and similar from other councils badly affected.

But perhaps more cynically no mention that it was Plaid Ministers who were quite prepared to allow their government to submit the draft budget in the first place.

Where were Elin, Rhodri Glyn and Ieuan on the day the draft came before cabinet?

Why was it they were happy to let this it pass then and then scream about it later?

Yet most important of all when will Plaid finally realise that they are in government too?

The draft budget was theirs as much as Labours, was it only when they went back to their constituencies that they realised the price of some of their pet policies was their own councillors being short changed.

However what are they celebrating now

The extra £4.7m consists of £2.2m from reserves and £2.5m from elsewhere in the Social Justice and Local Government budget.
according to the Western Mail

So that is over half that was in the local government arena in the first place and the rest from a resource that wont be available next year.

But why worry about the 09-10 local government settlement Dai the only scheduled elections that year are the Euros and Rhodris replacement. :-)