The Voice of Unemployed Reasoning

Unemployment in Wales has risen sharply in the three months between July and September, latest figures indicate.

The Welsh jobless total increased by 14,000, more than half the increase for the UK as a whole, to 125,000.

It was the second consecutive three month period when Wales lost more jobs than any other UK nation or region.

Over to the comforting bureaucratic soul of WAG:

The Welsh Assembly Government said the quarterly rise was "disappointing" but a spokesperson said it did not reflect the trend over the year.

Price: Over-patriotic or playing to the Plaid pack

Here we go again! The Welsh MP for Welsh Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, in Welsh Carmarthenshire, in Welsh Wales - Adam Price -demonstrates that this alone will not be his only poor lack of judgement during his time as an MP.

Just what is it with Price and the Welsh identity?

Mr Price's latest outburst is against the Welsh National Opera company, which has an international reputation built up from years of consistent high achievement in its productions. But why does he attempt to hit yet another high note when it comes down to deciding what's good for Wales and what isn't?

Mr Price doesn't seem to be suitably impressed with its reputation for excellence, high artistic standards (considering the funding), or even the use of superb professional home-grown Welsh talent in Dennis O'Neill, Eric Roberts, Rebecca Evans, Laura Parfitt, Wynne Evans, and Bryn Terfel, to name but a few. He prefers to criticise the Welsh National Opera company for not producing enough Welsh opera. Just where does this small minded obsession come from? Mr Price claims to be a music lover but his actions show that he only wishes to see his type of real Welshness and Welsh identity in most aspects of Welsh life.

Now I'm definately not anti-Welsh, especially as I have roots in these parts ever since coal was merely plant remains (not as much as some though), but even I can fully understand that the Welsh National Opera is a world renown opera company because of its wide repertoire of international works, perfect casting and amazing production crew - both the Welsh and the non-Welsh variety.

Broaden your horizon Mr Price. Just as you saw fit to step outside Wales in your youth and continue to do so as an MP, transform this into your constricting view on the Welsh identity. If you do happen to feel the need to spew out your authority on the Welsh identity and Welshness, use your Welsh-built website in order to nitpick at what's truly Welsh and what isn't (surely a possible name of a future pamphlet of his), and stop filling up the newspapers with stories that knock Wales' achievements. Join national debates that your constituents and the general public are talking about, rather than trying to make up your own.

Wales doesn't stand out on the world stage in many walks of life. Cherish those areas where we do.

Welsh National Opera needs to do much more to prove its Welsh credentials, according to an MP.

Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price says despite the company’s strong reputation for artistic excellence, it doesn’t do nearly enough to encourage Welsh composers.

Mr Price, a music enthusiast who represents Carmarthen East & Dinefwr, said: “To what extent is WNO representative of Wales and Welsh culture? In the whole of its existence, it has not had a musical director who was Welsh.

“I am not so parochial as to suggest that its musical director should always be Welsh – like the coach of the Welsh rugby team you expect to see people from outside Wales doing the job – but as a nation we are not exactly renowned for our lack of musical ability.

“You would think that at some stage in the last half century a Welsh musical director would have had a look in now and then.”

Pointing out that WNO was the only body that received funding from both the Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council England, Mr Price said: “That explains why it spends so much of its time touring England, which is fair enough. But perhaps it would be more accurately called the English and Welsh National Opera, which happens to have its home in Cardiff. One of the problems is that it has been many years since it commissioned an original opera from a Welsh composer. In the Seventies, it commissioned an opera from Alun Hoddinott, arguably the greatest Welsh composer of the 20th century. But although it has since commissioned the occasional choral piece, it is a long time since there was a major commission of a new opera from a Welsh composer.”

In 2004 Hoddinott, who died last year at the age of 78, told the Western Mail: “Their [WNO] performance standards are first class and technically they are excellent. But I wish they would pay more attention to Welsh music.

“Their record in the production of Welsh opera is abysmal. Scottish Opera puts on a couple of works by Scottish composers every year.

“WNO has put on perhaps four or five Welsh operas over 20 years. And the record of the WNO’s orchestra as far as Welsh music is concerned is also bad. I have not seen one work by a Welsh composer in any of its concert programmes. Full stop.

“They just seem to have an anti-Welsh music bias. I am sad that they do not do something for Welsh composers, especially young ones.”

Mr Price said: “It seems clear that for commercial reasons the company chooses to concentrate on performing productions of well-known operas. Is that what we want from our national opera company? Some would say yes, but others, myself included, would like to see more original work commissioned from Welsh composers. Otherwise, doubts will continue about whether we are getting our bang for the buck put into WNO from public funds in Wales.”

WNO chief executive and artistic director John Fisher said: “Welsh National Opera prides itself on being not only a world-class flagship for Wales and Welsh culture, but also one of the world’s major international opera companies. We work with outstanding Welsh creative talent every day of the week, in Wales, England and overseas – and we’re proud to do it.”

WNO was founded in Cardiff in 1946. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main scale operas. In Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Llandudno, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Southampton and Swansea, it regularly performs to more than 150,000 people in total.

In 2004, WNO acquired its first permanent home with the opening of the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.

WNO boasts it is Europe’s busiest touring opera company and the largest provider of touring opera in the UK.

The company’s most recent published accounts, covering the 17 months to September 2007, show it had an income of £20.1m, of which £8.7m came from Arts Council England, £6.3m from Arts Council of Wales and the remainder from box office receipts and other sources.

Who's Who in Wales

Having read the comments section of a previous post, it got me thinking about the make-up of senior management within the Welsh Assembly Government.

Comments:

Very few senior staffers are actually English, and even if they were, but they were very good and competent would that be so bad? We just want good, if not the best people.

I can't help agree with the better comments above. What I'm wondering is why so many of the Assembly's Management Board are not Welsh. There must be some
talent that we can draw towards Wales or do most talented Welsh people move to
London and SE England?

I understand that when the Assembly was set up, the Management Board* [previously Executive board], could've been described as predominantly non-Welsh. Whether this means that talented Welsh civil servants had chosen to seek better careers outside of Wales is something that I'm not sure about and remains to be seen. We need to remember that the civil service is UK-wide.

This post isn't about being anti-English, and implying that only Welsh people should staff senior posts. That would be a ridiculous statement to make, and an even greater nightmare situation for the civil service to be in given the media criticism in recent years. Selection should always be about choosing the best - ability, attitude, skills, reputation, proven performance, delivery, vision etc. - irrespective of their background, gender or where they come from.

This is what I would call a 'curiosity post', and the following is what I've managed to discover. I'm positive that I'll be corrected in the comments section if incorrect.

1. Gillian Morgan (Welsh)


2. Emyr Roberts (Welsh)


3. Richard Davies (English)


4. Gareth Hall (Welsh)


5. Hugh Rawlings (English)


6. Ann Lloyd (Welsh)


7. Huw Brodie (English-born to Welsh parents)


8. Matthew Quinn (English)


9. David Hawker (English)


10. Bernard Galton (English)


11. Christine Daws (English)


12. Michael Harrington (Welsh)


13. Jeff Godfrey (English)


14. June Milligan (Scottish)


15. Tony Jewell (English)


16. Adrian Webb (English)


17. Kathryn Bishop (English)


18. Elan Closs Stephens (Welsh)
    
    

Board Membership
Board Directors are appointed at the discretion of and by the Permanent Secretary. Membership is not wholly dependent on functional responsibilities; it is designed to provide balanced advice and support to the Permanent Secretary, and collective leadership to the organisation as a whole.

The current Management Board membership is as follows:

1. Dame Gillian Morgan, Permanent Secretary


2. Emyr Roberts, Social Justice & Local Government


3. Richard Davies, Public Service and Performance


4. Gareth Hall, Economy and Transport


5. Hugh Rawlings, Constitutional Affairs, Equality and Communication


6. Ann Lloyd, Health & Social Services


7. Huw Brodie, Rural Affairs and Heritage


8. Matthew Quinn, Environment, Sustainability and Housing


9. David Hawker, Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills


10. Bernard Galton, HR


11. Christine Daws, Finance Director


12. Michael Harrington, Corporate Information and Services


13. Jeffrey Godfrey, Legal Services


14. June Milligan, Business Development


15. Tony Jewell, Public Health and Health Professions/Chief Medical Officer


16. Sir Adrian Webb, Non-executive Director


17. Kathryn Bishop, Non-executive Director


18. Elan Closs Stephens, Non-executive Director

* such a bland label that it's been changed to the more dynamic and action-sounding one of 'Strategic Delivery and Performance Board'

Senedd Blogging Debate Updated Programme

After some kerfuffle last week around the debate on the usefulness (or not) of political blogs organised by the Bevan Foundation, I've been invited to join the panel to give a blogger perspective.

This is the new agenda quoted from the Bevan Foundation website:

To Blog or Not to Blog? !!!! NEW PROGRAMME !!!!

6.00pm to 7.30pm on Tuesday 21st October 2008

Conference Rooms C&D, Ty Hywel, National Assembly for Wales

The line up now is enthusiastic bloggers Peter Black AM, Matt Wardman and Betsan Powys, Political Editor of BBC Wales, along with scepticism and commentary from Eleanor Burnham AM, Annabelle Harle from the Electoral Reform Society, and Victoria Winckler, Director of the Bevan Foundation. The discussion will be chaired by Daran Hill, MD of Positif Politics.

This event is being held in the Assembly with the support of Peter Black AM. Refreshments are provided with the support of Positif Politics. We are trying also to get the discussion streamed.

All welcome - please confirm your attendance can you email Daran Hill on daran@positifpolitics.co.uk

I'll be going down for early afternoon on Tuesday on the train. If anyone is going to be around drop me a line on mattwardman AT gmail DOT com and we can meet up for a coffee.

During the afternoon I may make a couple of videos around the Bay area. If you see someone holding a balloon at arms' length in protective gloves, that will be me trying to find out whether it is a threat to life and limb as reported by Betsan Powys back in the Spring. (*)

I'm also hoping to get cameo interviews with as many Welsh bloggers as possible, and I'll be looking for recommendations of Welsh Blogs that us uncivilised oiks on the other side of Offa's Dyke should be reading for self-improvement purposes.

Unfortunately it is a steam powered video recorder which records to a small 1Gb hard disk. So I won't be attempting to record the debate itself, as I hope that somebody else will be doing that.

In the debate I'll be focusing on specific examples where blogs have achieved things that would not have been possible - or at least would have been very difficult - if they did not exist.

I am told that bookings are OK to give a decent debate, but there is still some room left for more.

(*) For the record, Latex allergy is a problem worth taking very seriously but banning children's balloons is totally wrong-headed in my view, unless you are going to ban a whole lot of other things as well - including stress balls, rubber keyboards on calculators/computers, bananas and the wrong sort of carpet underlay.

Self-appointed Lord Protector speaks out (yet again)

Catching up with the news while I have five minutes, I can't believe how short-sighted our Presiding Officer (or as Alwyn calls him - Lord President) can be at times. Cardiff Bay regulars have always seen him as being self-serving when it comes to his role in Wales, and this also happens to be the viewpoint of some in his party. All the while, pomp and ceremony is meat and drink to his lordship, and this is hardly a well-kept secret.

It seems the Lord Elis-Thomas [Lord Protector] in an effort to get back in the news, can't help himself - yet again - when it comes to his 'position' in the National Assembly and Wales.

Elis-Thomas - in HIS latest political stunt - states that the role of the Prince of Wales should be redefined. He has questioned whether the Prince of Wales title was relevant to the "constitutional development" of 21st Century Wales. Elis-Thomas is no stranger when it comes to ceremony, including his own procession before each Assembly, and the renowned hypocrite should know better.

He also said there should never again be an investiture ceremony like the grand one for Prince Charles at Caernarfon Castle in 1969. But a historian has said a future event could bring global attention to Wales.

In an interview for BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye, Lord Elis-Thomas praised Prince Charles as "Cymrophile" [a desperate bid for more baubles in due course] but said "all constitutional conventions require a bit of refurbishment and re-examination".

He said he would argue that the title of the Prince of Wales was no longer relevant to the constitutional development of Wales in the 21st Century "...because the constitutional development has shifted to Wales' own institutions and obviously to the first minister and to devolved government in the National Assembly itself," he said.

"I haven't discussed this directly with the Royal Family and it's not my place to do that but if they were to ask me what should happen I would say that the role of the prince needs to be redefined if that title is to be continued."

But John Ellis, associate professor of British history at the University of Michigan, Flint, who has written a book on the 1911 and 1969 investitures, said the latter event was the most globally recognised event in Welsh history with television coverage across the world. "This was a huge event, that projected Wales across the world. Wales hasn't had a very high-profile image and I do think it did succeed in that aspect," he said.

He added there were risks attached to any future investiture, but said he could imagine it as an opportunity to promote Wales like in 1969 particularly with the worldwide media attention Prince William attracts. "I can definitely see how events like the investiture could put Wales back on the map like in 1969 but I do think it would invite a certain amount of controversy and debate," he added

In my opinion we have to accept certain arguments and facts. That being - our monarchy, or monarchy itself, is popular in the United Kingdom, and that happens to include Wales.

I happen to think that it works well for us, and can't foresee the idea of monarchy dwindling in popularity in the near future, or in my lifetime for that matter.

Prince Charles, the current Prince of Wales has his critics [don't we all], but is well-liked and has done some remarkable work through the Prince's Trust and its constituent organisations. His son, Prince William, will undoubtedly outshine his father in the popularity stakes and will be a great asset for Wales when his time comes to take on the role of Prince of Wales.

As long as you are a person, objective in nature (and not a republican for that matter), it would be difficult not to come to this conclusion. Unless you come to the ridiculous conclusion that the office is a symbol of our oppression and shouldn't be part of a modern Wales, with its shiny new symbol of clear-glass-democracy down the bay [yawn].

Wales, and its institutions will be stupefyingly ignorant to think that Prince William's tenure will not benefit Wales, particularly on the world stage. Whether you agree or not with the idea of monarchy, or the role of Prince of Wales, you have to agree that it is a position that would obtain instant recognition in the world, and can only do more good than harm for our reputation, and also providing a unique marketing strategy. The National Assembly and Assembly Government simply haven't made best use of this since its inception. Those, republican in nature, should simply put aside their issues of 'class equality' and chatter of 'monarchical primacy' for the good of Wales.

We shouldn't be naive on this and cut off our noses to spite our face. Embrace our past and its rich and sometimes controversial history; embrace the popularity of our institutions and certain members of the royal family; and make them blend well with the constitutional development of Wales for the benefit of Wales.

Is Coe harassed for being a Tory?

Understandable uproar in Wales, and particularly the Welsh Blogosphere about the alleged comments of Seb Coe in London's press, covered by Ian James Johnson, Miserable Old Fart, Amlwch to Magor, Ordovicius, Up the Valleys and Peter Black.

As Damon Lord sums it up:

It is also covered by Nick Webb, who justifiably asks did Coe really say it?

There is further mystery to the story, however. Did the paper actually print the story? I don't doubt Ian James Johnson's comment that he saw it on page 5 in the paper, so here's a link to a jpg of thelondonpaper's story (Hat tip to Dougthedug's
comment on Welshfootball.net).

The article however has now curiously disappeared from thelondonpaper's website, and also from the Metro's site, but I've managed to track down an online cached version of the Metro story. So, in probable breach of some copyright law, I'm reproducing the text of the Metro article below, so people can see what exactly was printed and reported before the cached version disappears as well.

As we aren't sure that Seb Coe actually made this comment, isn't most of this fuss in Wales down to the fact that he is a Tory?

Politics Show: Wales and the West?

I'm a woman of routine and was surprised to discover that 'Wales' will not be broadcasting today as part of the Politics Show. As much as I like the West, I'll miss his cheeky little face today.

Will have to get back to cooking Sunday lunch.

A Paralympian Congratulations and Welcome Home

Members of the Welsh contingent of the Great Britain Paralympic team will be attending a welcome home celebration in Cardiff Bay today.

At the games, Dave Roberts equalled Tanni Grey-Thompson's record of 11 golds by winning the 50m freestyle; and 13-year old Eleanor Simmonds, won 2 gold medals and achieved a World Record in the pool.

The event will take place outside the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay at 12 noon, with a procession to the Senedd led by a traditional Chinese Lion. Another excuse to pop down to the bay for a lunch-time coffee.

Congratulations and Welcome Home

Members of the Great Britain team arrived back in the United Kingdom from China on Monday following their best Olympic performance for 100 years.

We'll be seeing some of you down the bay tomorrow!

Farewell Bob (1952-2008)

Former BBC Wales sports correspondent Bob Humphrys has died two months after he confirmed he had cancer.

Mr Humphrys, who was 56 and lived in Cardiff, passed away with his family at his bedside.

He had presented Wales Today's sports coverage for 20 years before taking early retirement this year. He was married with three children, and revealed his illness in an article written for the Daily Mail newspaper in June.

His brother John Humphrys, presenter of Radio 4's Today programme, said:

He was a great journalist and a great man and we will all miss him so much.

Pippa met him in the City Centre years ago and thought he was very charming and down to earth. A much-missed personality from Welsh television. Farewell Bob. Rest in Peace.

Wales' and Britain's New Olympian

Congratulations to Nicole Cooke on winning the gold medal in the Women's Cycling Road Race today, doing Wales proud in the process. We've known it for years, and today the world also knows just how good she is as an athlete. This Bridgend girl deserved to win an Olympic Gold Medal, and Britain's first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics.