CAMBRIA POLITICO

The new Welsh Tories

Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Politics 3 Responses »

Nov 022011

During the Falklands war, a BBC reporter famously remarked that he had “counted” Fleet Air Arm planes in and had “counted them back”. Perhaps we should start doing the same with the significantly-enhanced group of 13 Conservative AMs.

Not that there is a fear that some might be lost in combat in a plenary session, or that they might fly off to political pastures new. that’s not a risk, particularly with Plaid (very well known to some of them) in its present state. But the party now possesses a new group leader, Vale of Glamorgan farmer Andrew RT (initials to distinguish him from the former Labour minister) Davies. And Mr Davies, regional AM for South Central, is a person who will listen carefully before deciding. Which is as a politician should do. The difference, of course, is that his predecessor Nick Bourne (Mid & West) was a man with beliefs. Beliefs so strong that he managed to rebuild the group totally from the days it was led by the lively right-winger Rod Richards, who headed an extremely strong campaign for a No vote to an Assembly, and didn’t seem to have changed his opinions much after he had won election.

Nick Bourne is the most obvious casualty of the Labour Party gerrymandering which changed the rules so that a politician could stand for either a constituency or a regional seat – not both. He was unseated when Russell George won Montgomery from the Lib Dems on Mick Bates’s retirement. Labour, of course, didn’t like the idea of dual-candidacy because it could help other parties. (When Labour changed the law they didn’t need to win any regional seats; currently, they have two, because they have won no constituency seats in Mid & West).

No-one doubts the new leader’s Welshness. He has better claims than his predecessor, who was from Worcestershire, although he had been in Wales since student days in Aberystwyth. Mr Davies’s family roots are in Newbridge on- Wye in Powys. His father moved to the Vale to start farming witha 70-acre smallholding until he became a tenant near St. Hilary, Cowbridge, before buying the farm and expanding. (Into how many acres – on two holdings, the other next door to former First Minister Rhodri Morgan at Michaelston-le-Pit – he won’t say. It’s not a done-question, apparently in the Vale!) the real difference between the pair could be over political stance. Mr Bourne was a leader in the left-wing Tory Reform Group, a grouping which fails to line up precisely with the political direction favoured by the Daily Mail and its numerous friends.

Leading members of the TRG include Ken Clarke, Michael Heseltine, former Welsh Secretary and current Foreign Secretary William Hague, a predecessor in Cathays Park, Peter Walker, David Davis (who quit as MP and then fought the subsequent by-election in protest at erosion of civil liberties), the Llanelli-born MP Robert Buckland (you might remember him from the Islwyn by-election after Neil Kinnock moved on), and Rene Kinzett, Tory group leader of Swansea council. This is the group which hoists aloft the once-discarded banner of one-nation Toryism. Prime Minister David Cameron may not be a member, but he’s certainly a supporter.

Mr Bourne never trumpeted his membership, and Mr Davies is careful not to pick sides on the issue. He talks of his need to represent a group with members from David Melding (South Central) who talks of the need for federalism, to Darren Millar (Clwyd West), who uses language Margaret Thatcher would have favoured. Mr Melding, in contrast, believes Thatcher’s name cripples the party in Wales. But then Mr Millar is a fellow federalist (though, no doubt, they don’t agree completely on that topic!). New in the post, and shadowed extremely closely in the leadership contest by party Leftist Nick Ramsay (despite claims, no recount was needed – there weren’t that many votes), it is perhaps no surprise that Mr Davies is cautious in his views. He is certainly going to be cautious about the possibility of distancing his group from the Tories at Westminster. Even talking about such issues as the Assembly’s controversial voting system.

Cheryl Gillan has already opened her mind to some sort of change to the constituency/regional system. But at present the Welsh Tory leader refuses to take the chance of forging something really radical and democratic, such as the single transferable vote – a system which could produce five-seat constituencies, withall members elected, Irish-style, by PR.

Mr Davies would rather see how the political-land lies. That’s why we’ve got to count his members in and out. How many of his group of 14 lean somewhat left-wards? It’s much easier to count those who don’t: just William George (SouthEast) and Darren Millar, surely. the Rights are easily outnumbered by the Lefties, ranging from the shadow minister (but then they’ve all got that position) whose ancestor faced the slashing sword blades of the 15th Hussars at Manchester in 1819 in a demonstration for Parliamentary reform, to the former Pleidwr.

I fancy the rest are in the middle. And middle-of-the road Tories always want to make whatever it is they are a member of, work, in the hope that the electorate will eventually give them their votes in gratitude. Which is why, of course, the (non-Thatcherite) Tories are the habitual governing party of much of Britain.

gan Clive Betts

Tory David Jones gets the cold-shoulder

Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Politics 7 Responses »

May 192010

EXPECT DAVID Jones, the right-wing MP from Clwyd West, to find himself slightly frozen out from key decisions in the new Wales Office, writes Clive Betts from the Assembly press gallery.

Some time ago, Mr Jones, a solicitor with one of the poshest practices in Llandudno – with offices in a big house on Trinity Square in heart of the town – put forward a plan to deal with the policy differences in Wales produced by devolution.

At the time, he claimed his intention was to ensure that devolution worked “better”.

By better, he surely meant, more like England.

Cheryl Gillan, then the shadow Secretary of State, to her shame accepted the plan and ensured it was incorporated in the party’s part-winning Westminster election manifesto. Part-winning because the Tories didn’t win enough votes to form a government and had to form a coalition with the Lib Dems.

Now, of course, Ms Gillan is the Secretary of State.

In the Wales Office.

Because she hasn’t yet got around to changing it to Welsh Office, its “ancient” title. And perhaps she’ll never make the change.

After all, it wouldn’t do to upset Darren Millar, the Tory AM for Clwyd West, who got lots of headlines not that long ago through attacking the Assembly government for spending far too much money over changing the title of some Cardiff government office or other.

Of course, Darren presumably doesn’t see eye to eye with his local MP on that essential issue of devolution. For – whisper it quietly – Darren has the dread “f” word appended to his beliefs. For he is a federalist – as is David Melding, of South Central. And no doubt others, too, within the Tory ranks.

Ms Gillan seems one of those Tories who has been truly converted to devolution. Together with David Cameron. And chancellor George Osbourne. And foreign minister William Hague.

So, what’s the position of Mr Jones ? I was told yesterday by one of those close to the centre of the party, “Things have changed. I wouldn’t worry about David now.”

Which makes the Lib Dems’ lack of a minister within the Wales Office less of something to worry about.

The press belief that all ministries possess a Liberal Democrat member was wrong, we were told by the party’s Welsh leader Kirsty Williams.

It is very early days as yet, but the feeling that Mr Cameron is using the Liberal Democrats as an instrument to turn his own party back to its former one-nation beliefs was heightened after this week’s briefings.

Mr Cameron travelled to Cardiff on Monday to meet the Assembly – in detail, apparently, the First Minister, his Plaid deputy, and the presiding officer.

Mr Bourne and Ms Williams were also involved in meetings. Those two are both hardly a part of the Assembly Government. But they are members of parties who are linked in another coalition.

How things change. You speak to both the government and to the opposition. How Continental in its arrangements.

No wonder the Assembly Government has repatriated from Brussels one of its senior officials who has been in that city for several years, linking with the European Union and its member states and their component parts (ie regions).

In early days, the Assembly’s office in Brussels was dubbed its embassy.

When Cambria proposed to the official in question that he had been brought back because of his experience in international affairs, bearing in mind the political differences between Cardiff and London, he just smiled and bowed.

Nothing is to be read into either gesture !

The Tories didn’t do too well …

Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Politics 2 Responses »

May 172010

THERE’S NO doubt that the Tories didn’t do as well as they had hoped and expected, writes Clive Betts from the Assembly press gallery.

Leader Nick Bourne had spoken of the number of seats held possibly reaching double figures, and Alun Cairns, the South Central AM who was victorious in Vale of Glamorgan, talked of adding 10 to the pre-existing total.

Well, the party ended significantly short of double figures. Reason, perhaps, for party leader David Cameron to look askance at his Welsh party colleagues ?

Oh, no, retorted Nick Bourne. The Welsh party achieved a bigger swing in its favour than the party in England.

Or in Scotland. Although the party may as well have not been fighting north of the border for all the impact they had in that country, where they hold all of one seat, precisely as they did before the election was called.

No wonder Mr Bourne was happier talking about other political parties.

Plaid Cymru “went back in almost every constituency”.

No surprise that he pinpointed Aberconwy (based on Llandudno). Plaid had talked up their chances in that seat – which is held in the Assembly by Gareth Jones.

Mr Bourne reminded us where Plaid now stands in that seat. Fourth.

But then Aberconwy seems rather a strange seat. It contains two very different regions – the coastal strip, a lot of it English-retirement; and the upland inland acres of Welsh-speaking farmers

Mr Bourne even mentioned Ceredigion. Not the Liberal Democrat vote, but his own party’s lack of support. Luke Evetts ended up with only 12 per cent of the vote. “Caught in the middle,” said Mr Bourne.

But was a squeeze really the reason ? This, after all, is a seat which has never been held by the Tories (Labour slunk in once). And the party won an almost-identical vote in 2005.

Tories demand a re-think on Barnett, and blame the Scots

Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Politics No Responses »

Mar 202010

BLAME THE Scots for the fact that the Barnett formula has not changed, despite it being so out-of-date and its failure to ensure that Westminster tax money fails to be sent to the areas which deserve it most of all, writes Clive Betts from the Assembly press gallery.

That was the line from Nick Bourne, leader of the Welsh Tories.

Wales would get about an extra £1bn per year. But it would be at the expense of the Scots.

You can spy behind the comments the name of the Scot who is causing the trouble. Surely no less than the Prime Minister Mr Brown, a person with whom Mr Bourne, you can be sure, is seldom in agreement.

And of course there is a second person who would complain, Mr Bourne reminds us. That is the First Minister in Edinburgh. And – being SNP – he’d no doubt make a hell of a rumpus.

But it’s good to note that the Tories have thought quite deeply about the issue. And that they’ve come to the sort of conclusion which has been around for some time. Even if those comments about the SNP will not often be voiced aloud by Plaid in Wales.

The Tories and how to curb Tesco

Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Politics 1 Response »

Feb 252010

A SUGGESTION BY a senior Conservative that the supermarkets should be broken up created some excitement at the briefings when the Assembly resumed after the half-term break, reports Clive Betts from the Press Gallery.

Admittedly, it was only a suggestion from one of those think-tanks which had, no doubt, been told to engage in some blue-sky thinking.

But Tory leader Nick Bourne, sitting for Mid and West – where a host of small towns could easily be adversely affected – seemed in no hurry to reject the idea.

Although he poured cold water on the break-up suggestion, he quickly followed by emphasising the problems supermarkets could bring. Although Mr Bourne did drop in a mention of the advantages …

”We do need to mention the dangers of supermarkets. But they do have their good sides.,” he said.

Mr Bourne emphasized that the problem is very much international.

But he failed to come up with the point I noticed in a book review a couple of days ago. One country which has dealt with the problem much better than Britain is Germany.

Presumably, in that country, Aldi and Lidl have not gained the massive power which currently accrues to Tesco in Britain.

You can be sure that in the massively-overcentralised state that is Britain, the closest and most-powerful of links exist between individuals on the main board of Tesco and politicians at the top of both the Labour and Tory parties.

It was because of such links that the comments by Mr Bourne were so surprising. But then the Welsh Tories are almost left-of-centre.

Kirsty Williams, when told of Mr Bourne’s comments, commented that she was glad that the Tories were catching up with a Lib Dem policy that was eight years old.

As a farmer’s wife living in rural Brecon , she quickly listed the host of problems with Tesco and their ilk cause. The basic one is that they are so big, and many of their suppliers are small.

Lack of equity between the two sides was a major problem. The little men were unable or afraid to complain about their treatment because of fear of losing contracts.

A supermarkets ombudsman would be a first step in reform. And what about breaking up – “An ombudsman is the first step,” she said.

Is this why Bourne is threatening to abstain?

Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Politics No Responses »

Feb 032010

THE WELSH Tory group at the Assembly is being faced with a terrible conundrum over the referendum on extra powers for Wales which the Labour-Plaid government plan to hold either later this year or in the first half of next year, writes Clive Betts from the Assembly press gallery.

The party seems to have only one demand. This is that the referendum is NOT held on the same day as next year’s Welsh general election.

But what is their true reason for threatening to abstain when the “trigger motion” is debated and voted on next Tuesday ?

Their abstention – if combined with the Lib Dems – would cause the motion to be lost as it would fail to gain the necessary enhanced majority which the Government of Wales Act demands.

One reason for taking this attitude is that they are looking over their shoulders towards the hoards of devolution-sceptics who lurk within that party’s undergrowth.

Mr Bourne is acting in the way that a leader really should act – he has decided that the only way forwards for his party is to turn its back on its years of opposition to devolution; instead, it must embrace the concept.

Both Mr Bourne and David Cameron, his party leader in London, have emphatically stated that they would not stand in the way of the holding of a referendum

But, faced with a definite demand that he put his name to an advance in that previously-abhoured policy, Mr Bourne may feel that he has to demand a price from the two government parties

That price seems to revolve around the date of the referendum.

Questioned by Cambria at the weekly press briefing on why he was taking this stance, Mr Bourne gave a reason very similar to that touted by the Lib Dems – who are making a very similar demand.

He talked of the difficulties of running a Yes campaign, and also of the dangers of finding that campaign muddled both with the practicalities of a Welsh general election campaign, with the very different policy arguments being put forward in that battle.

But there could be another reason why Mr Bourne and the Tories are opposed to the referendum and election both being held on the same day.

When Cambria put that particular reason to Mr Bourne, he was honest enough to admit that this particular idea had indeed crossed his mind. But he had rejected it.

Yet when Cambria asked a very senior figure in Plaid Cymru why the Tories might be so opposed to the use of the same date for two elections, he (or it could be she) was extremely blunt.

“Because they would lose votes in the Assembly election,” this individual said. This would happen, it is argued, because of voters linking a Yes vote in the referendum to a vote for one of the three obviously pro-Assembly parties.

Equally, of course, No voters would be more likely to turn to the Tories. But the first group of voters would outweigh the second in terms of numbers.

Which means that the Tories in London have likely laid down the law to Mr Bourne – separate the two polls, or you’re in trouble with us. Which explains the strength of his threat to abstain – and, with luck, kill moves for a double vote on one day.

Of course, any No vote to the trigger-vote proposal – and that is how an abstention would be portrayed by other parties – would risk undoing so much of the good pro-Welsh work which Mr Bourne and some of his colleagues have been achieving with his group and party over the past few years.

It would risk the Tories seen yet again as the “English party”. Which is the last thing which they would want. Even if some in the grassroots would be unconcerned.

The four day blow-in

Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Politics 1 Response »

Jan 152010

The parachutist from leafy Surrey

WELL, HERE’S the reply from the short-suffering candidate to Cambria’s blog about the blow-in chosen by the Tories to fight the once-winnable – but now no longer – Ynys Mon seat at Westminster.

The new candidate tells us he has spent all of FOUR DAYS on Ynys Mon [see in point 2].

He’s also got a Welsh grandmother. She was from Pontycymmer. Which means she voted Labour. Or did she own the pit ? Or at least enough shares to be able to go on a foreign holiday every year ?

I’m glad to note the candidate used to spend holidays in south Wales. But clearly Wales hasn’t been top of his mind. Because he admits he’s applied for loads of seats in Wales and England. But why not Scotland, as well ?

Perhaps because Englanwales is just one uniform country, but Scotland’s something different …

The candidate doesn’t answer my question about the immoral right of MPs to overrule decisions by the democratically-elected Assembly. Perhaps because he had never heard of that wee problem before.

The candidate boasts of his Worcestershire roots and talks of the link to Wales. Well, some of them may be able to see the Welsh hills, but the people of Worcs know nor care no more about Wales than the people of Wales know or care about Worcs.

Few Welsh towns know or care about Wales; the exceptions could be Chester (they get hit on the head in their own suburbs by bilingual signposts), possibly Shrewbury and Hereford, and more likely the Forest of Dean.

Anyway, now follows the candidate’s statement.

“I’d like to take the opportunity to clarify some of the inaccuracies that are being banded about the blogosphere and in the press.

1) I was not parachuted in to the Ynys Mon seat. I was shortlisted and elected by over 35 Association members on the first ballot with 50 + 1 of the vote. I worked extremely hard before my selection. I spent 4 days in the Constituency and had a team of researchers. At the selection meeting even the sceptics, as per my previous email, said that I was “head and shoulders above all other candidates”, even the potential local one – he himself said that to me.

2) I am not one of CCHQ’s favoured sons - I only wish I were! If fact, during the process of submitting my CVs I felt bottom of the pile. I applied for numerous Welsh and English seats and was declined for all of them, except Anglesey.

3) From “leafy Surrey”!?!? – I have been in Surrey on and off all my life due to education and work, but I have lived all over the UK and US. I have only been back in Surrey for two years. Before that I was in Worcestershire caring for my dying mother, before that Devon and before that Florida at the US Geological Survey. I have a lot of national and international experience in the environment and business that is directly applicable to Anglesey. I grew up in Worcestershire – which is close to the Welsh border – not Surrey!

4) I might not have it bucket loads of it, but I really am proud of my Welsh heritage. I have spent most of my free time all over Wales. And I am truly excited to be finally moving there full time – as I have tried to on many other opportunities.

I have been clear that I did not grow up in Wales, but my family home is not far away in Worcester and I spent much of my leisure time in Wales, in the Brecon Beacons and on the Gower mostly.

For many personal reasons, my family roots in Pontycymmer are very special to me and my late mother. If I had been a girl (no jokes please!) my mother would have named me after my Grandma Rachel Williams who was born and grew up on Cuckoo Street, Pontycymmer. My cousin (the first girl of my generation) got the honour instead. The last time I was there, was not long before my mother died. She wanted me to take her there for obvious reasons. Every time we go there, it becomes more like a ghost town. This has saddened me and is what has inspired me to get involved in the future of Wales. Politics aside, I would be grateful if you would update your blog to give a fairer description of my heritage and links to Wales – they are important to me and I would like to be fairly represented.

I really am passionate about making a difference in Wales. I am in the process of moving to Anglesey – full time. I am learning Welsh and intend to work tirelessly for the people of Anglesey. Please give me at least a chance to show you what I have to offer first – that is all I ask. I believe it is about getting the right candidate to sort out the island’s economy. It shouldn’t be about where the candidate grew up – the people of Anglesey cannot afford it to be at this time.

I agree that Trefor Jones is a great guy, as is the other local chap who wanted to stand, but was not on the Party list. They are both supporting me and are great assets to my team. And those members of the Association, who wanted the local chap to stand, told me they are glad things turned out this way, because they believe they have found the right candidate in me. This is of course a great feeling.

Trefor was simply worried about losing his job – so he decided to stand down. Just like many others on the island who are worried, or are actually losing their job right now. This is the main reason I want to win this election – I want to help rebuild a stable economy on the island and regenerate the key towns. If we have a Conservative administration (which we know is most likely) – Anglesey will need a strong voice within the Conservative Party to draw attention to its urgent needs. I am going to work tirelessly to be that voice. Not for me, but for the people of Ynys Mon.”

Blow away the Ynys Mon blow-in

Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Politics 11 Responses »

Jan 132010

The parachutist from leafy Surrey

ARE THE Tories committing political suicide in Anglesey, writes Clive Betts from the National Assembly press gallery ?

And even if the party is not committing suicide on the island, their choice of a rank outsider who has probably hardly been to the island, or indeed to Wales, demands that the gent concerned must be politically neutered before he sets foot in parliament.

According to the way that the Commons is currently operating, any MP from Wales can help strike down law-making proposals produced by the democratically-elected Assembly in Cardiff.

Unless Mr Anthony Ridge-Newman, the newly-selected Tory candidate from Surrey, can reveal that he knows a hell of a lot about Wales, he should take a string of cotton to the Commons when (more probably, if) he ever enters it. With the aid of a needle, he should tightly sow his mouth shut so that he never has any effect on anything to be with the governance of this country.

After all, Ynys Mon is considered a winnable seat at the Westminster election by the Tories both in London and Cardiff.

It has been held before by the party and seems to many commentators a prime target – provided the right candidate is chosen.

Unfortunately, fate is not dealing well with the local right-wingers. An excellent local candidate who was hoping to be picked had to drop out because too little time had been left for all procedures to be completed – although the individual might put his name forward again for the Senedd seat.

With an election due by June, no time could be lost in finding a replacement. But the party has run into a major mess finding a suitable one.

They have ended up picking a rank outsider, who with any luck will likely to perform exceedingly badly. Anthony Ridge-Newman comes all the way from Surrey. If he knows anything about the island, it may be about how to find a decent beach.

Mr R-N is described as a researcher into “internet democracy” – whatever that is. He’s aged in his 30s, and gossip is that he is one of London Central Office’s favoured sons, although that is denied by the Tories’ spokesman in Wales, who says he performed well from a decent-length short list.

This is not the first time the local Tories have made a total hash of finding a candidate – presumably too many on the selection committee are either blow-ins, or are aiming to gain the blow-ins’ votes.

Perhaps they are thinking of following the line taken by some Labour constituencies – pick a Welshman or someone with Welsh orientation for Cardiff, and someone as English as they come for London.

Some years ago the Ynys Mon Tories parachuted into the seat a candidate from Monmouthshire. In fact, he was a good candidate – but only for somewhere else. Such as Monmouth, which he won and held for a time.

I covered that election for the Western Mail at the time. As Roger Evans went around the constituency, he had to put up with local people (generally of the younger voting generation) physically laughing at him (from a distance, of course).

I thought the Tories had passed the stage that they treated Wales as an offshoot of the Home Counties for promising candidates. So did Nick Bourne when he was questioned at the first press briefing of the new term.

Under questioning, he made it clear that he was concerned about a parachutist taking over the seat. Mr Bourne had checked with London about another Surrey gent who had been named as favoured by London Central Office for Anglesey –- but he was not even on the candidates’ list.

So there was a second blow-in being considered by local Tories…

Not that the party’s press spokesman in Cardiff would agree with concerns about the Englishness of his own party’s candidates. ‘Ninety per cent are either of Welsh background or living in the country’, he said.

Whether that figure includes Ynys Mon’s new blow-in, I don’t know. Whilst one has to put up with trainees standing in unwinnable seats, it’s pretty unacceptable that any total outsider could potentially second-guess decisions already taken by the Assembly.

Should he ever win the seat, he should be formally barred by his party from saying anything at Westminster about any policy which comes under the remit of Cardiff.

Mind you, not all parachutists need be total failures. The previous Tory MP for the island was Keith Best, who was broad-enough minded to turn out one of the best … in many ways.

The problem is that the Labour Party in London has left Wales with a potentially-dangerous constitutional non-settlement. Quite clearly, no party should now be allowed to choose outsiders to contest winnable Welsh seats, from which basis they can proceed to overrule democratic decisions by Cardiff.

Older Entries

The new Welsh Tories

Tory David Jones gets the cold-shoulder

The Tories didn’t do too well …

Tories demand a re-think on Barnett, and blame the Scots

The Tories and how to curb Tesco

Is this why Bourne is threatening to abstain?

The four day blow-in

Blow away the Ynys Mon blow-in

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