Star gazers note Jupiter ...

... , the Bringer of Jollity is setting in the west, whilst in the east Mars, the Bringer of War, is rising, closer to home Syniadau compares Slovenia with Wales in an attempt to convince the Plaid converted that Wales could go it alone.


MH of Syniadau, the "Bringer of Stupidity", wrote "Those who argue against independence for Wales say that we can't afford it.".


Wrong, those who say no to Plaid, that's more than 9 out of every 10 people, say no because we are not interested in what is on offer;  from wannabe Plaid leader Wood it is a return to 1940's socialism, from the other 3 it is "much ado about nothing"; the argument might better said "Wales cannot afford Plaid" or "Wales doesn't share your views".


Peter Black wrote yesterday of Plaid navel gazing, he might like to lookup Slovenia, in amongst the current depression found within its borders there is a major success, it is with education, Slovenia has 99.6 per cent literacy and the Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Slovenia's education as the 12th best in the world and 4th best in the European Union, being significantly higher than the OECD average, significantly higher than we achieve in Wales.

Something to work at Mr. Black, and your chums.

It's a roller-coaster world that a life-changing ...

... condition presents to the unwary, it focuses the mind, cutting through the crap and identifying those that would have you change your life to suit their unbecoming style, particularly politics, and it is here I would start.

There exists in cyberspace an anonymous creature that uses the penname "Welsh Ramblings", he writes here of Wales and his vision of a very socialist society, to give credit, there is consistency, a single minded purpose to drive Wales into the arms of a Albanian style dictatorship of the 1950's.  The latest diatribe consists of an attack on the WAG Labour administration entitled "Labour: against Welsh democracy", it is because the penny has dropped amongst the Cardiff Bay politicians that "First Past the Post" produces stronger government, I wrote following the last election that the Labour Party would have a governable majority were it not for the system that introduces losers into the political equation.

Democracy is left at the ballot box as the electorate make their choice, what comes after should be "winner takes all", who wants anything other than winners at the Assembly.

Peter Black today wrote ...

In fact the mandate for the Assembly's voting system lies in the 1997 referendum, when voters supported a partially proportional system of electing AMs, in which the constituency boundaries were tied to those for Westminster.

... Liberal Democratic bullshit, the electorate were given two choice questions:

• I agree that there should be a Welsh Assembly.
• I do not agree that there should be a Welsh Assembly.

... no mention of voting systems on that particular ballot paper, the recent referendum did ask the electorate whether it was their wish to move from the FPTP currently used for National Elections, the electorate made a categoric choice, it wishes to keep FPTP rejecting second place politics.  It was politicians and their familiars that created the Wales voting system, not the people.

... a message to Peter Black goes something like "........... the electorate, we do not like lies."

And to finish my Sunday night post, I was diagnosed as diabetic just three weeks ago, I am fortunate it is only Type 1; medication, diet and exercise has taken over my life, fortunately it doesn't affect the mind, not just yet anyway.

... and congratulations to Jon and Miranda on the arrival of Amelie, a pretty little girl.

Peter Black had an interesting post ...

... when he listed 6 questions asked of Michael Ellis, the MP for Northampton North.


I felt the answers to questions 2 through to 6 were predictable, how else would a politician answer other than to let the world know his constituency and its electorate were as important as family.  But question 1 was different ...


... it enquired of the politician who was his Biggest inspiration.  ......... the answer he gave, "Winston Churchill" tells us a little of the MPs character, or does it, Churchill has been described variously as an exceptional statesman and orator, an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist, the only British prime minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature, and he was the first person to be made an honorary citizen of the United States, he was also considered to be a fair bricklayer.  So exactly what inspired the politician.


I wonder how our Assembly politicians might have answered, I would have modified the question slightly too ...

...  who was your biggest inspiration, and why ?

How might the part leaders have answered, how might the members of the government have replied, and how might the remaining Assembly members answered the very simple but searching question.


I did leave a comment with Peter Black asking how he might have replied to the question, having spoke to some of his constituency there is no doubt the man is held in high esteem, certainly he is not afraid to hold the Assembly Government to account, but I wonder who inspired him and why ........

... democracy Peter Black, a reminder ...

... from the great political thinker de Tocqueville.

"Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom," he said. "Democracy attaches all possible value to each man," ............ "while socialism makes each man a mere agent, a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude".  Said in 1848.

... and today in his blog Peter Black, I thought him the voice of the liberal tradition in Wales, became a tyrant when he wrote ...

"... that raises questions over Murdoch and his company being fit and proper people to own any media in this country. The Americans may be content with Fox News setting the agenda and targeting individual politicians but such practises are anti-democratic and need to be stamped out." ............... restraint and servitude of the left leaning politicians.

... it was the "fit and proper ... and ... stamped out" that quickened my pulse, a term that might be expected from a dictator but not the Welsh Assembly, or is PB taking notice of arch-dictator Edwina Hart.

I'm afraid any media organisation that might bring to book politicians and their associated party is a welcome addition to our fragile pseudo-democracy, such action is not anti-democratic, it is part of democracy, holding to account our elected representatives, if there is a problem  ...

... it is a question of monopoly in the UK media, as has been ably demonstrated by the Murdoch tribe, but monopoly is the enemy of both economics and democracy, and as such can be discouraged through strong monopoly legislation that also encourages competition, good legislation could cover all economic activity

Fortunately for the electorate PB is not involved in this particular legislative arena, else he might "stamp out" other freedoms we value so much.

If the monopoly question is addressed without fear or favour what happens to the BBC .....

Returning to "fit and proper", PB might like to consider the question of "requests for information", by and large ignored by certain ministers, would a WAG minister refuse a request from the Sunday Times I wonder.

Carl Sargeant, and politicians like him are ...

... the reason democracy needs a system of recall, the ballot box is to far away in terms of time.

Our home grown democratic dictatorship demonstrates why we need to insist that politicians such as Plaid Cymru's, that was difficult to write, Leanne Wood, even more difficult to write, are given the tools to demand public opinion when government is judged to have gone beyond the political pale.

Is it time to present the petition ....

We call upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to petition the UK government to modify the Government of Wales Act 2006 to include the following Legislative Recall and Referendum option.

Where a Bill has been passed by the Welsh Assembly, one-third of the members of the Welsh Assembly may, within five weekdays from the final passing of the Bill, request of the Plenary Chair that the Bill be submitted to a referendum. Such request shall be made in writing and signed by the members making the request.


At the referendum votes shall be cast for or against the Bill. For the Bill to be rejected, a majority of the electors who vote, and not less than thirty per cent of all persons who are entitled to vote, shall have voted against the Bill.


Finance Bills, Salaries and Pensions Bills, Taxation (Direct and Indirect) Bills, UK and European Union government Bills, as well as Bills for the purpose of discharging existing treaty obligations shall not be submitted to decision by referendum.

Would the likes of Peter Black, Leanne Wood or a Conservative radical be able to use such a tool to democratise our democracy I wonder.

Contrition not wanted on ...

... this particular political journey.

For those who do not follow Wales political events, a recent event highlights the need for politicians to be cleaner than clean.  It is a rule that to stand for election the the Welsh Assembly, certain occupations debar a person, the list is quite clear, the political party's are very aware so there should be no excuse.  The first was a member of the Care Council for Wales, which regulates social care workers, the second was a member of the Valuation Tribunal for Wales, which deals with appeals about business rates and council tax.  You can understand immediately the reason for debarment, a conflict of interest.

Unfortunately two Liberal Democrat candidates employed by these two separate organisations failed to resign from post prior to the election, was this to allow the persons to return to post if they failed in their election bid, who knows other than the candidates.  As it stands both are in breach of the constitution so are unable to take their place at the Assembly, there is no problem, using the list system there are two other candidates waiting in the wings.

Liberal Democrat Assembly member Peter Black has said ...

Lib Dem AM Peter Black told BBC Wales AM/PM programme: "I think it's appropriate that there is a period of contrition because clearly this has put everyone through a difficult period and the members concerned obviously have responsibility to ensure that they are eligible to stand when they stand and so I think we need to sort those issues out first.

"It is a bit embarrassing and it is a bit of a distraction. It's very important that we sort this out.

"We have two very high calibre assembly members who need to be able to take their seats - I need to work with the other parties to persuade them to support that."

Such a statement brings into doubt the thought process of Peter, I have found him to be a good AM in the past, his outpourings certainly bring his thought process into doubt, is he as good as I thought?

So Peter thinks contrition and distraction are appropriate expressions, sorry Peter you are way off the mark on this one, the Liberal Democrats need to tighten the selection procedure and the only words appropriate are "expulsion" and "replacement".

We need good scrutiny at the Assembly, and for that we need good people to do the work ......

... a very personal reply to Julius, who wrote ...

... to me via email "Kirsty Williams , dunno what to make of her , hope she is re-elected though ..."

You are absolutely right Julius, we need Kirsty Williams in the Assembly, we need Peter Black in the Assembly, we also need every other Liberal that the public will elect; there aren't many, more is the shame, and we can find a Liberal wearing many different political suits, including no suit at all.

One of the greatest no suit Liberal, in my opinion, was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, he took opposition to new heights when he pioneered satyagraha ( resistance to tyranny through mass peaceful civil disobedience),

... the image is Gandhi beginning the great march against the salt tax.

... now I'm not suggesting that every country needs their own Gandhi, but I do believe we can find tyranny in every country of the world, if we look hard enough we can even tyranny it in our local communities and in our places of work.  The difficult part is defeating the tyrant without destroying life of those dependent upon yourself, some might say "cutting your nose to spite your face".

In Wales we have the Welsh Assembly Government and though it has few restraints on its actions, there is a world of difference when we compare our politics to the politics of Iran where the leader is elected by a "Council of Experts" ( 86 Islamic scholars) and they execute people who find a new form of worship in Christianity, so I look to Switzerland and Denmark for inspiration for political reform in Wales where politicians are held to account through a persistence of referendum, the belief that people should be able to control or limit politics.

I digress, thanks for your email Julius ....