Wales
GCSE reform: “It is unlikely that the Minister’s decision on this issue would stop the current position…”
In June this year the UK Government’s Education Secretary, Michael Gove, welcomed Ofqual’s proposals for making changes for GCSE courses and, on 27 September, a consultation was launched on changes to the current GCSE specifications in England. Today the Northern Ireland Education Minister, Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, launched a consultation on on making the same changes to current GCSE specifications here. [...] more »
Scottish Labour: “Minimum unit pricing was rightly rejected by MSPs because it is effectively a tax on the poor”
The UK’s coalition government has announced proposals to introduce minimum unit pricing on alcohol sold in England and Wales. But with it being a devolved matter, Northern Ireland doesn’t have to follow. Nevertheless, the NI Social Development Minister and the Health Minister have joined forces to announce their intention to launch a public consultation on the [...] more »
Student finance goes nationalist in a four-way UK split. Can it last?
So devolution looks like producing four different solutions to the problems of student funding, at least in the short term. The latest from Scotland is to charge strangers from the rest of UK so that young Scots can continue to enjoy a no fees regime in their native land. The money follows Welsh students anywhere [...] more »
History of Wales – redux…
If you have the great fortune (or life planning abilities) to live in this wonderful country then you can buy the Western Mail. Do so today because it’s the start of what looks like being a super series. If by ill-fortune, bad planning, or inconvenient romance you have ended up elsewhere don’t worry it’s on [...] more »
General Election 2010 – Wales (1 of 2)
OK, for a change, and due to an unprecedented lack of popular demand I thought I’d post about something I know something about……. Scores on the Doors and a map from Wiki below: more »
Plaid in UK Elections – what next?
Over at Wales Home Daran Hill and Adam Higgitt discuss “Is Plaid in Crisis” As usual it’s worth reading the lot and the comments but pertinent from Darran is: more »
AV referendum stokes row with devolution
Trouble is brewing over the decision to hold a referendum on the Alternative Vote for the Commons on May 5 2011 , the same day as elections for the Scottish parliament and the NI and Welsh Assemblies, and council elections in England and NI. Despite the agreed coalition split over AV, the referendum may well become a [...] more »
The power of incumbency
OK – post election depression done with – here’s some analysis. Prior to the expenses scandal it was conventional to think that the combination of new technology and the £10k p.a. MP’s communication allowance would increase the power of incumbency. So let’s see if the incumbency effect exists. Here’s the percentage drop in Labour votes [...] more »
What’s occuring down under?
So a Barry girl is the new Australian Prime Minister: Julia Gillard Which begs two interesting quiz questions: 1) What’s the Ian Paisley Snr connection? 2) Name 2 20th century Welsh speaking Prime Ministers more »
The EBC and the debates
The latest: A BBC Hearing….oh so kind: “The BBC Trust has now written to them, asking them to prepare for a possible oral hearing between 22 and 27 April.” Great – the wonderful BBC have so many problems with their schedules that they need a 5 day window…. Me I’ve cancelled SKy last month and [...] more »
Ceredigion
The most fascinating contest this time in Wales. Here’s last time’s score: Liberal Democrat: 13093 (36.7%) Plaid Cymru: 12840 (36%) Labour: 4316 (12.1%) Conservative: 4312 (12.1%) Other: 1107 (3.1%) Majority: 252 (0.7%) A seat with a fantastic psephological pedigree. A bastion of Welsh Liberalism for 70 years it was taken by nationalist defector Elystan Morgan [...] more »
It’s only science fiction, but…
Whereas in 1990 a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “The High Ground”, boldly posited Irish unification by 2024, in 2010 the second episode of the new series of the BBC’s Doctor Who, “The Beast Below”, has featured the “Starship United Kingdom” – “Britain and Northern Ireland” as the Doctor says – in the 29th [...] more »
Don’t waste your vote on yet another Labour, Tory or Lib Dem MP to toe their London party line
The headline is a nice line from Elfyn Llwyd as Plaid seek to turnaround the wasted vote accusation. The campaign launched yesterday.There’s a nice video report from the BBC here “Let’s burst that Westminster bubble”. As a totally unbiased observer I reckon we have all the best lines…. The Western Mail’s positive report. I like [...] more »
Nationalists appeal to BBC Trust on debates.
Trying to work every possible alternative to legal action Plaid Cymru and the SNP appeal to the BBC trust for a fair outcome. “…A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said: “As the scheduled date of broadcast nears, the exclusion of Scotland and Wales from these debates has become all the more pressing. “Both Plaid and the SNP [...] more »
Nationalists approach to Hung Parliament
The BBC report on Plaid and the SNPs hung parliament strategy. From Ieuan Wyn: “”In their race for the keys to Number 10, the London parties have forgotten about what really matters to voters in Scotland and Wales, but the SNP and Plaid Cymru have not. With the prospect of a balanced Parliament becoming more [...] more »
Nationalists approach to Hung Parliament
The BBC report on Plaid and the SNP’s hung parliament strategy. From Ieuan Wyn: “”In their race for the keys to Number 10, the London parties have forgotten about what really matters to voters in Scotland and Wales, but the SNP and Plaid Cymru have not. With the prospect of a balanced Parliament becoming more [...] more »
UTV to provide Welsh ITV news.
News from Wales is that UTV are part of the consortium on the verge of clinching the ITV franchise for News broadcasting in Wales. There’s the Western Mail report. the video on their website seems to press all the right buttons. Service any good with you? Update – plot thickens – via Google translate here’s [...] more »
BBC agree to meet Plaid and SNP on the election debates – very kind.
The Western Mail reports the latest on the election debates. From Ieuan Wyn: “Unless broadcasts are held in a fair, impartial and accurate way, the legitimacy and integrity of the general election results will be called into question. That cannot be an acceptable state of affairs for anyone. The action the BBC has taken in [...] more »
Nationalist Response to the “Prime Ministerial” Debates…
Here’s the Western Mail report on the joint Plaid / SNP response to the broadcasters debates plans. From Elfyn Llwyd: “It is unacceptable for the people of Wales and Scotland to be short-changed in this way and for the leaders of London parties to be given an additional 90 minutes of prime-time exposure. “Canada’s state [...] more »
53-0 in favour of referendum on legislative powers to the Welsh Assembly..
OK it’s not my prediction for Wales Scotland on Saturday (but won’t be far off…) but today the National Assembly have voted 53-0 in favour of a referendum to transfer legislative powers to Cardiff. Here’s Betsan on the vote. Probably the most ridiculous referendum in UK history in terms of the constitution – but in [...] more »
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The Creative Class and Northern Ireland
As part of NICVA’s series of masterclasses from its Centre for Economic Empowerment project, there was a morning seminar on the topic of the “creative class” (as popularised by Richard Florida) and its applicability to Northern Ireland. The agenda was to: Explain Richard Florida’s idea of the “creative class” and the link between economic outcomes [...] read our review »
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“I loathe Ireland and the Irish.”
In the Irish Times, Brian Cosgrove takes up temporary residence in An Irishman’s Diary in the hope that, with the lifting of European copyright restrictions on James Joyce’s major works, a greater familiarity with Joyce’s ”sometimes ruthless realism” may change the nature of the “annual Edwardian charade” that is Bloomsday. From the Irish Times The devastating cultural effects [...] read our review » -
Christopher Hitchens, 1949 – 2011
Writer Christopher Hitchens has died aged 62. He was as contrary as he was brilliant. Here is a brief In Memoriam from Vanity Fair (his outlet of choice since 1992) and, here, a longer tribute from his friend Christopher Buckley Stanley in The New Yorker. Better, perhaps, though to post one of Hitchens’ own writings in [...] read our review »
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