Time's Up

I could feel the wings of history on my tweets. The last Welsh Question Time at Westminster before the general election featured farewell appearances from MPs on both sides of the chamber.

If it was to be Peter Hain's last Question Time appearance as Secretary of State then he could not have wished for some softer questions to smooth him on his way.

Tom Watson kicked off with a penetrating "Can my right honourable friend assure me that he has no plans to axe or cut tax credits?" which prompted Peter Hain to claim there is a Tory "sword of Damocles" hanging over tax credits.

Sian James put him on the spot with her follow-up: "Can the Minister tell me how many families in total have benefited through the policies of this Government on this important issue?"

Mr Hain looked pleased although hardly surprised to be asked a question that allowed him to claim that the Conservatives would axe free school breakfasts.

Betty Williams wanted to know whether he agreed with her constituents that "the tax credit system is certainly not a gimmick?" Tough one, that.

Tory Peter Bone, late of Islwyn but now of Wellingborough, wanted to know how many constituents Mr Hain had had in tears in his office because of the tax credit system.

Mr Hain told him there were people in his constituency office in tears about the threat to their tax credits, although the sight of people in Neath weeping over an opposition party's manifesto is as yet uncorroborated.

There was barely a dry eye in the House as Ministers paid tribute to three Labour MPs taking part in their last Question Time - Betty Williams, Martyn Jones and Don Touhig.

Plaid Cymru's Adam Price bowed out with: "Why is it right for an ENGLISH Minister to sit as judge and jury on the question of bilingual juries?"

The shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan accused Peter Hain of delaying preparations for a referendum on Welsh Assembly powers until it could be taken by an in-coming Conservative government?

It may be a rare example of an in-coming Minister hoping that Labour will take a decision before it arrives in office, allowing Cheryl Gillan to remain on the fence ("neutral") on an issue that divides her party more than most.

Peter Hain told MPs: "This is a matter for consideration after the general election. All the parties agree with that."

And that was more or less that. Historic or otherwise, it was probably an accurate rehearsal of the campaign to come.

Colonial corner

Most Westminster reporters are spending today working our way through MPs' expenses, or at least the heavily-censored version available on the parliamentar website.

While there, why not drop into Hansard for this written exchange between Plaid Cymru's Adam Price and the new Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant.

Price: "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek the addition of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to the UN's list of territories in the process of decolonisation."

Bryant: "The arrangements of Chapter XI of the UN Charter (Declaration regarding Non-Self Governing Territories) relate to former colonies for the purposes of domestic and international law. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are part of the UK.

"As far as the overseas territories are concerned we remain committed to modernising our relationship with them, while fully taking into account the views of the peoples of the Territories."

Question Time

Question Time was a pretty sombre affair today, even without the Prime Minister.

Gordon Brown is in Brussels so Harriet Harman stepped in for 30 minutes dominated by today's unemployment figures.

William Hague, deputising for David Cameron, appeared to pull his punches as the Tories decide this is not the time for political knockabout.

He did attempt to link Gordon Brown with the crisis, based on the PM's claim to have avoided a return to boom and bust.

Sharper questions about whether the Government would take responsibility for the state of the economy came from the backbenches.

Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price suggested Harriet Harman apologise over "the failures in policy and the weakness in regulation that have contributed to the current economic crisis".

In response, Harriet Harman read out a (slightly surreal in the circumstances) prepared reply to a different question - about Iraq.

Perhaps Ms H was too embarrased by Britain's economic problems to remind the Commons of those MPs who have trumpeted economies that are currently in an even bigger mess?

Strings attached?

The strange political ceasefire over the financial crisis and the Government's rescue package announced today appears to be operating in parts of the Welsh Assembly too.

Here's the view of the Plaid Cymru leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones: "I do support the package. I understand the concerns of taxpayers...when there's so much public money being set aside for the banks. But I do think it's necessary because the economic situation is unsustainable, with share prices plummeting.

"And it's not only a problem for us here in Britain...it's a problem that's affecting people all over the world. And it came to the point, where the Government in Westminster had to react in this way and I do hope this will help the situation on the stock markets, and will encourage banks to lend to each other."

Plaid's Treasury spokesman, Adam Price, has a slightly different take on things, suggesting political hostilities have yet to be suspended throughout Westminster. (Some people may find it refreshing that some MPs are still asking awkward questions):

"By calling for the restructuring of the entire banking sector the Government is tacitly admitting a systemic failure at the heart of banking caused partly by poor regulation, partly by the recklessness of the bankers themselves. But how do you restructure when the Government says it doesn't want to run the banks, won't put anyone on the Board, will leave the management intact and won't even place a real cap on executive pay?"

"The taxpayer is now the biggest sleeping partner in economic history. The Government says there are strings attached to this bailout but in reality they are so weak and so few that the Government's credibility, and that of the entire financial system, are hanging by a thread."

UPDATE: Plaid have been in touch to say that IWJ agrees with Adam Price's analysis. "No split". Perhaps he ran out of time during his Radio Cymru interview this morning to offer similar criticisms on air.

Life begins.....

What did you get for your birthday? I got a leather jacket for my 40th to help me cope with the inevitable mid-life crisis. (Still waiting for the little red sports car).

For others, turning 40 is a national event on a par with royal weddings and bank holidays. Working in Manchester during the last few days, this milestone in Welsh politics somehow passed me by.

(I am assured that Labour's scheduling of its conference during this week is a coincidence and not a deliberate attempt to overshadow the birthday celebrations).

Perhaps Plaid Cymru will issue Adam Price mugs and teatowels for his 50th. A belated penblwydd hapus, Adam.

Zombies, Margaret Beckett and open doors

It's a story that arrives regularly with the onset of summer: the proposed merger of Whitehall's territorial departments. It fills newspapers and blogs as the silly season approaches and journalists run out of plots or other reshuffle rumours to report.

I first wrote about this at least seven years ago and one day, perhaps soon, it may well come true. The Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland offices may be combined under a "Secretary of State for the Nations".

A red-top Sunday newspaper reported a fortnight ago that Paul Murphy and the Wales Office were not long for this world. The Times wrote about it last Thursday - and predicted a Margaret Beckett comeback here. Wales on Sunday followed up the story on Sunday.

It set the scene for a slightly surreal debate on the Richard Evans show yesterday. A Labour MP argued passionately for the Welsh job to be scrapped; Plaid Cymru's parliamentary leader argued equally vehemently for the job to survive.

Paul Flynn says Paul Murphy has nothing to do in a "zombie ministry".

"It’s a mass delusion. The Wales Office and Scotland Office have virtually died. There is an occasional flicker of life but there is no hope that they will ever recover from their deep comas.
Yet politicians happily play the game of the living dead and cling on to the offices of Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland.

"There is a danger that these posts of Secretaries of State will become as meaningless as the Warden of the Cinque Ports. Grand titles, nice uniform but everyone will have forgotten what job they are supposed to be doing."

Elfyn Llwyd argued that scrapping the post now would "slow down the democratic process" - not a view shared by his colleague Adam Price.

Mr Llwyd praised Paul Murphy's work in the job - "his door is always open". Cue this response from Paul Flynn: "Understandable. The poor chap hopes someone will drop in for a chat because he has nothing to do."

Perhaps someone should design a uniform for Mr Murphy before it's too late. As a papal knight, he could always save the taxpayer some cash by borrowing his uniform from that role while carrying out his Welsh duties.

Snub to England?

Is it 'cos we is Welsh? British embassies abroad are more than twice as likely to celebrate St David's Day as they are to mark England's national day.

The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, says 13 British embassies held events to mark the Welsh patron saint this year.

Only five embassies held events to mark St George's Day, seven marked St Andrew's Day, and four celebrated St Patrick's Day.

Mr Miliband released the figures in written parliamentary answers to the Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price. They were possibly not what Mr Price was expecting.

A snub to England or a slap in the face?

Celts across the sea

I wrote on Monday about the implications of the Irish referendum vote for Wales. As EU leaders meet to discuss the fall-out, my BBC colleague Betsan Powys has returned to the theme in more depth.

It is difficult for the political establishment to win votes on anything at the moment but a referendum on full law-making powers for the Welsh Assembly in or before 2011 is an integral part of the Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition in Cardiff Bay.

People vote in referendums on various issues, not all of them linked to the subject of the vote. A plebiscite on law-making powers could offer the chance to kick the political establishment in uncertain economic times.

Plaid MP Adam Price has said that "parties have to stand by their agreements or continuing with a Coalition becomes impossible".

You wouldn't bet your house on the coalition partners winning a vote between now and 2011 (although a Tory Government elected at Westminster in 2010 might help).

Lawyers don't ask questions to which they don't already know the answer: would politicians really ask the voters if they thought they might get an answer they don't like?

Runners and riders

"Too posh, too Plaid, too anti-Plaid, too boring, and too clever by half". That's the analysis of Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price on internal Labour assessment of the candidates to succeed Rhodri Morgan as the party's leader in Wales.

You can probably put faces to the labels yourself.......

Mr Price also dashed any hope that the Assembly Government might follow the example of the self-styled Scottish Government on Berwick and annex somewhere east of Offa's Dyke.

Oswestry, he says, is safe in English hands.

Political cross-dressing

The season of goodwill may be officially over (although I like to think it continues 365 days a year on this blog) but the bonhomie generated by the Plaid/Labour coalition in Cardiff appears to extend to their comrades at Westminster.

Political anoraks will spot not only a Plaid Cymru MP but also several members of Peter Hain's staff, whose names I'll withhold to spare their blushes.

The photo, first published on Facebook, was taken at a London club called the Tranny Shack. I don't know it myself (being more familiar with Madame Jojo's)but they all seem to be having a good time.

Breaking news and more..

News that may send the Elfynometer soaring......Plaid Cymru MPs have been reprimanded by a House of Commons committee for using taxpayers' money to pay for newspaper adverts in the run-up to the Assembly elections earlier this year. Parliament's standards and privileges committee has told Hywel Williams, Elfyn Llwyd and Adam Price to repay the cost of the adverts which were funded by an allowance set up to allow MPs to communicate with their constituents. The MPs said they acted on the advice of parliamentary officials.

You can read the report here.

The Plaid MPs say they will repay the money - either from party funds or their personal bank accounts.

The adverts will now count as campaign spending, pushing Plaid over the limit for the Assembly election, although parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd says the Electoral Commission will accept that.

He won't be taking up Labour's invitation to apologise for the misuse of public funds, as this was not demanded by the report:"Why should we?"

Channel hopping

Could responsibility for S4C be among future powers devolved to Cardiff Bay?

Here's an extract from question time yesterday and an insight into the views of the Culture Secretary James Purnell:

Adam Price (Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr) (PC): After a quarter of a century of Sianel Pedwar Cymru, the Welsh language fourth channel, being overseen from Wales and Westminster, does the Secretary of State agree with Plaid Cymru and the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) that responsibility for it should be transferred to Wales, where the majority of Welsh speakers live?

James Purnell: If the hon. Gentleman wants to submit a proposal on that, we are happy to look at it. Traditionally, the process has been dealt with at the UK Government level because broadcasting has implications throughout the UK. In the same way, digital switchover involves spectrum planning throughout the whole of the UK, and the use of the licence fee or the use of public funding has UK-wide implications. I am happy to discuss that issue with him and the authorities in Wales if they want to submit that proposal.

Adam Price says informal talks have already taken place between Cardiff and Whitehall about the prospectn so perhaps we should watch this space.

If it happens, Plaid say S4C's budget should be "ring-fenced" to protect its programming. Would that not lead to Ministers at Westminster dictating how much the Assembly Government could spend in a particular area? The road to devolution has many twists.

W(h)ither the Wales Office?

Adam Price's suggestion that the Wales Office be abolished has sparked a bit of a debate on Peter Black's blog.

One Price supporter questions whether there is a single example of Peter Hain changing Westminster opinion in the Assembly's favour.

Well, it's not this blog's role to defend Peter Hain but even his enemies would admit that he overcame the odds to deliver the last Government of Wales Act. The history of devolution is the history of compromise but the Act goes a lot further than some sceptical Labour MPs would wish.

Adam Price says his are personal views, not party policy. Indeed, four years ago Plaid Cymru issued a press release criticising the then apparent demise of the Wales Office.

"The Wales Office is presently central to the success of the Assembly", said parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd at the time. "Only when Wales gains a full parliament with law-making powers should the Wales Office be abolished."

That day may be still be some time off, despite the optimism in Assembly Government and newspaper circles.

Adam Price is also calling for the running costs of the Assembly - he estimates them at £40m a year - to be paid above the grant supplied to Wales by the UK Government.

It's a point also being made by the BMA, who say the cost of running Parliament isn't taken from the budgets for health and education.

For Wales, see England

Some interesting thoughts from the ever-thoughtful Adam Price, faithfully reproduced by the Western Mail this morning.

Price points out that public spending per head is slightly higher in the North East of England than it is in Wales and draws the conclusion that Wales would be better off as a region of England, although presumably he's not proposing a redrawing of national boundaries.

It's an interesting contribution to the debate over how Wales is funded, although I had hoped to make it through September without referring to the Barnett formula.

The source of his figures is the Treasury. The difference between Wales and North East England in 2006/7 is estimated at £38 per head - spending in Wales is higher than in seven of the other eight regions of England, London being the exception.

Spending on health is £110 higher per head, education is £32 per head higher in the North East, a region thought comparable to Wales due to its heavy industrial past and the consequences of that.

The difference in health spending can't be attributed solely to the overall level of funding - it's a question of priorities for the Welsh Assembly Government (and its new Plaid Cymru Ministers?).

Price poses interesting questions too for the UK Government and the Wales Office. Its response: “The Barnett formula delivers a stable funding base for Wales - £14 billion this year - and there is no guarantee that replacing it would provide a better deal for Wales.

“Spending per head in Wales is 11 per cent higher than the UK average and 14 per cent above the average for England - that is £1,000 a head more in Wales than across England."

Welcome to the silly season

Today is the last day of term at Westminster, quite possibly the official start of the silly season.

Or has it already arrived? Here are a few tell-tale signs gleaned from reading, watching and listening during the past week:

The prime minister's preference for a Labour government rather than a coalition with Plaid Cymru is presented as news.

Sunday newspaper columns blatantly lift diary stories from other papers without checking them.
The Western Mail devotes a whole page to the Barnett formula.

Traffic news replaces real news.

Adam Price says he's "demob-happy" on his Facebook profile.

You don't recognise the bylines in newspapers.

I'm blogging about the leadership of the Welsh Lib Dems.

Other tell-tale signs that the silly season is here gratefully received.

Read all about it

Alastair Campbell's diaries may have made it to number three in the Amazon best-sellers chart but he may soon have a literary rival from Welsh politics.

Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price is writing a book on the events of this year that have led his party to government.

So how nervous should leading figures in Plaid about the prospect that the party's director of elections will reveal sensational details of life behind the scenes in Labour's junior coalition partners?

Probably not that nervous. As of yet, the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP doesn't have a publisher and his tome may end up as half a book (the other half written on Scotland).

Finding a publisher shouldn't be that difficult given Price's closeness to the action during the negotiations that led Plaid to power.

But having warned his party that Gordon Brown could announce a snap general election within the next year, he's unlikely to include enough salacious details in his book to excite Wales on Sunday, let alone the News of the World.

It may not make the best-seller lists but it could be the book every political anorak hopes to find in his or her Christmas stocking.

A government of all the talents

Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones is likely to be appointed deputy First Minister tomorrow - a remarkable development in Welsh politics.

He'll join Rhodri Morgan's cabinet and is unlikely to run out of things to talk about with his new colleagues.

Back in March, Mr Jones described Mr Morgan's administration as one that "is devoid of ideas and has run out of steam. Across all policy fields we are witnessing an administration that is happy to meander from crisis to crisis."

Rhodri Glyn Thomas may join the cabinet. This is his view of his probable new colleagues, expressed as recently as May 31: "We have here the same old tired faces; it is unlikely this cabinet will contain renewed ambition for Wales to go with the new powers of the Assembly." Presumably life will change once Mr Thomas's youthful, fresh visage joins the "same old tired faces" around the cabinet table.

And this is the assessment of Plaid president Dafydd Iwan on his party's new coalition partners:
“The real choice facing the people of Wales on May the 3rd is a straight choice between a weak, narrow minded, and centralist Labour Party which has run out of steam; or a forward looking Plaid with a vision to build a modern and successful nation."

Having denounced "8 years of incompetence by Labour in Cardiff", Mr Iwan called for "an end to twenty-eight years of right wing rule.”

Here's a headline from an Adam Price press release in February: "Plaid Accuse Labour of Basing Election Campaign on Lies, Smear and Innuendo."

One of the consequences of Plaid's move into government is that the Conservatives become the official opposition, with their leader Nick Bourne netting a 40k pay rise in the process.
Judging by the above material he won't have to work too hard for his money.

Ieuan Wyn Jones told reporters today that he didn't expect there to be a full cabinet meeting before the autumn.

Perhaps that's just as well.