Vote blue, free Green!

Whatever your politics, this is rocky ground for civil liberties and even worse for the institution of Parliament.

Conservative immigration spokesman (and Welshman) Damian Green has been arrested and released on bail in connection with a series of leaks from the Home Office.

He was held on suspicion of "conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office," the Metropolitan Police said.

He was questioned by police but has not been charged and has been bailed until February. He denies any wrongdoing.

It is believed to be connected to the arrest of a man suspected of being a Home Office whistleblower.

Series of leaks

The BBC understands that a junior Home Office official was suspended from duty 10 days ago over a number of leaks and the matter was referred to police. He was arrested but not charged.
It follows a series of leaks, including:

• The November 2007 revelation that the home secretary knew the Security Industry Authority had granted licences to 5,000 illegal workers, but decided not to publicise it.
• The February 2008 news that an illegal immigrant had been employed as a cleaner in the House of Commons.
• A whips' list of potential Labour rebels in the vote on plans to increase the pre-charge terror detention limit to 42 days.
• A letter from the home secretary warning that a recession could lead to a rise in crime.
  

The BBC understands Tory leader David Cameron is angry about what has happened and stands by Mr Green.

Let them [John Prescott] eat cake

He may no longer hold high office, but that doesn't stop John Prescott shouting from the roof of the 'Go Fourth' battle bus that he's still proud to be Labour.

In the last 11 years, our borrowing has created more than 3 million jobs and allowed more people to get on the property ladder.

Today I'm delighted to have seen clear red water between Labour and the Tories. The choice is between a government that will do all it can to help the poor and the hard working through these difficult times and a Thatcherite Conservative Party that would do absolutely nothing.

I can't wait to tell that to each and every voter from now until when the General Election is called.

So tell our your friends and workmates how important today was. We're going to have to fight for that Fourth Term but by god, we've got something to fight for!

Take care,

JP

Carl Sargeant, Labour Chief Whip in the National Assembly also seems to be full of support for the Westminster package and a union man through and through by commenting

As Unison say - "This is a serious package for serious times. Brown and Darling have shown their strength, courage and determination to face the economic challenge head on. Their extensive experience has kept them in tune with what the country and business needs."

The rest of us are more than slightly concerned that this is the last action of a political party that is going for broke in an attempt to 'Go Fourth' and hold on to power.

In reality, if it has all the appearances of working, it will then work for Labour under the banner of tough-times ahead. Or as we read it - I'll lend you £20bn now but will expect it back with plenty of interest after the next election. If it doesn't work, the Conservatives will be left to pick up the pieces.

I guess Gordon's premiership has nothing to lose at this stage in his greatest gamble to date, or as the Conservatives have described it - the Prime Minister's promise to end boom and bust had proved "one of the greatest deceits ever told to the British public".

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Facebook slip forces juror dismissal

A juror has been dismissed from a trial in the UK after sharing details of the case on her Facebook profile.

Apparently she was unable to decide whether the defendants in a child abduction and assault case were guilty, so thought the best course of action would be to ask all her friends and relatives.

And, given her privacy settings were apparently not activated, the whole of the internet as well.
"I don't know which way to go, so I'm holding a poll" she wrote.

Dismissed

She was obviously dismissed for breaching one of the fundamental rules of jury service, after court officials received an anonymous tip-off.

While Facebook has been the source of numerous embarrassments over the years for countless people, it has also caused real trouble for people in their jobs, including the footballer who accidentally let slip he was going for a trial at another club, and an Australian man who was caught skiving off work when pretending to be ill.

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Playing the Regeneration Game

Rhondda AM Leighton Andrews has ruled himself out as a contender to replace First Minister Rhodri Morgan as leader of Welsh Labour. The rest of us did that a year last September.

Hurry up and take the photograph David, because now we're on our own.

Balancing bookends

Since former minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas was air brushed from a picture of the Cabinet, the Welsh Assembly Government has been busy updating its photographs on their website. As well as posting an up to date Cabinet photo, there's also a complete Welsh Assembly Government shot.

The usual suspects are in the photo - First Minister, Deputy First Minister, Counsel General, Ministers and Deputy Ministers. But wait, I see more! There are also what appears to be two bookend hangers-on.

I've asked Pippa if she knows who they are. She does. She also said that I should be able to guess the one on the right.

I'm guessing the person on the right is the new Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Assembly Government Gillian Morgan from her BBC photo. But who is the person on the left? Miss Wagstaff wants me to find out for myself and is giving me no clues.

Given the negative publicity on equal opportunities in the Assembly, I'll be surprised if this isn't a way to get more women in the official photograph. With two women leaving in 2011, they need all the numbers they can get.

Top 10 Reasons They Don't Like You at Work

When you walk into the canteen, do the lively conversations stop? Do the groups quickly disband as everyone scrambles to head back to their offices? Do you think to yourself, "Was everybody's break really over or were they just trying to avoid me?"If any of the following situations describe you, these might be the reason you feel left out:

1. "The Sky isn't really blue - it's actually cyan"
Do you incessantly spout unnecessary or obscure information that would make a sad trainspotter jealous? Get rid of the "know-it-all" attitude or you'll make a career of lunching alone.

2. Chains of Love
Are you never around because you're always out on a "smoking break?" Limit your puffs to standard break times.

3. Workaholic Wannabe
Do you stroll in late, take extra long lunches and don't really start to roll-up your sleeves and dig into some serious work until about 2 p.m.? Then, do you make sure everyone sees you working past 5 p.m.? Well you're not impressing anyone; rather you're annoying those who already have put in a full day before you even get warmed up.

4. Hello Magazine - Office Edition
You're very good at filing away information - about everyone in the office! If you want to keep friends, learn to keep a secret.

5. Devil's Advocate
Do you feel compelled to take the other side of every argument just to make a point? Well stop it! Nothing is more exhausting for your colleagues than knowing you're always ready to challenge them no matter what they say.

6. Nattering
Do you go round the office forcing one-way conversations on your innocent victims? If the only response you receive is, "Right, umm, right," then they're not interested in your blather. Now get back to work!

7. Oh my ba-a-aby!
Related to the nattering talker is the baby babbler who incessantly gushes about her children. Only family and close friends should be privy to details about every syllable uttered, step taken or nappy dirtied. It's wonderful that you love your baby, but just keep the bragging brief.

8. Mr. Un-Clean
Leaving dishes in the sink, old food in the fridge, food splattered inside the microwave and crumbs on the break table is a sure-fire way to annoy fellow workers. Clean up your act.

9. What's that on your nose?
Do you constantly follow your boss around, laugh at all her jokes and drop her name in countless conversations? If so, then you are an arse-licker. Working in an office does require a certain amount of "schmoozing" the boss, but you don't have to tie yourself up in knots to impress her -- while alienating everyone else in the office.

10. Big mouth
Are your phone conversations loud enough to be from the speaker phone even though they're not? Dial down the volume to keep the peace.

If you recognise yourself in any of these scenarios, take heed. It's time to change your ways. Of course you can never please everyone, but healthy interoffice relationships are necessary to properly perform your duties and for future advancement in the company. So get rid of some of your annoying habits and you're sure to gain some new friends.

Complex office relationships

An acquaintance passed an internal journal to me pointing out this piece of legal advice from a submitted question [true story]. Makes you think!

Q. My manager has just told me I am to lose my job. I think this may be because I have been having an affair with one of my colleagues (although this has now ended). Please can you explain my rights?

A. If your employer sacks you because of the affair and you have worked for them at least a year, you may be able to raise a compliant of unfair dismissal with an employment tribunal.

If your affair was with a member of the opposite sex and only one of you is being asked to leave, you may also have grounds for a sex discrimination claim. This can be brought regardless of how long you have worked for your employer.

You may also make a claim if your affair was with a member of the same sex and there is evidence your dismissal was related to your sexual orientation.

If the relationship ended badly make sure bad feelings do not spill over into your working relationship, otherwise you could find yourself accused of sexual harassment or discrimination. This is a particular risk if you are in a position of seniority over your colleague. Either way, your employer will have to follow a proper disciplinary procedure, giving you a right to appeal, before they can dismiss you.

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Return of the Blair casts a shadow over Brown

Tony Blair is to co-host a summit on the global financial crisis with President Nicolas Sarkozy in January, in a move likely to infuriate Gordon Brown.

Mr Blair's office has been in in touch with the Prime Minister to invite him to the Paris conference, but Mr Brown has so far refused to accept the invitation, with an official saying last night he was still considering his "diary commitments".

Sources said that Mr Brown was "relaxed" about the event taking place. However, any attempt by Mr Blair to overshadow Mr Brown's efforts on the world stage is likely to anger Downing Street aides. He has rebuilt his political reputation by claiming to lead the world in tackling the global financial crisis – most recently with a "road map" for financial reform he presented at a G20 summit last weekend.

But he may now have to contend with Mr Blair taking on a formal role in the global response to the economic crisis.

The summit will come days before Barack Obama is sworn in as US President on Jan 20, and threatens to upstage a follow-up G20 summit that Mr Brown is expected to host in London in April.

Early Christmas present for Minister's constituents

Counsel General and Leader of the House Carwyn Jones AM has new office in town [Bridgend].

According to the Glamorgan Gazette, Minister Jones (unsure if we're allowed to call him Minister - not officially) is aiming to become Bridgend’s most accessible politician by taking up a new office in the town centre.

He is dipping into his own pocket to rent the former Mortgage House premises, at the top of pedestrianised Caroline Street, from landlords Compute Bridgend.

Mr Jones’ office is currently to be found at the top of a steep flight of stairs above Townsend Florist in Queen Street, Bridgend.

He said:

I’ve had a very generous landlady until now but I need somewhere more accessible as people have been struggling up the stairs to see me.

It’s important to be in the centre of Bridgend and I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity, which was too good to turn down.

I’ll have to finance some of it myself given the present state of allowances but it will give the accessibility people need.

I’ll still come out and visit people in their homes and hold surgeries in the community.

Welsh Labour members take note when voting for your new leader next year (if the main man doesn't stay on a while longer). Bridgend constituents take note while out Christmas shopping and overcome with the urge to reciprocate the Christmas cheer when passing Carwyn's new office.

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Final words ringing in deaf ears

Before Sir Jon Shortridge retired from his position as Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government [April 2008] he had a few words to share with staff:

Since I became Permanent Secretary, we have worked hard to become more responsive to democratic political leadership, more focused on delivery and more dynamic in the way we operate. This has been underpinned by strong governance and there has never been any significant criticism of our organisation for the way in which we have spent public money or undertaken our responsibilities.

As was explained by one observer at the time, "Spending time with your head in the sand is not marginally better than with it up your own ar*e".

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

The Prince of Wales at 60

The Prince's Trust was his idea and, in the 32 years of its existence, it has helped more than 500,000 disadvantaged young people to improve their lives. That alone would entitle him to credit. But Charles has involved himself in very much more than the Prince's Trust.

He believes he has a duty to use his position as Prince of Wales to bring together people of wealth and influence to focus on some of the major issues which face us. This is a role which he describes as his "convening power".

The Prince of Wales title carries no established or formal role, so Prince Charles has had to forge his own path. He is patron or president of about 400 organisations, but is best known for the Prince’s Trust, which he set up in 1976 with his Navy severance pay of £7,400.

Prince Charles set up the Prince's Trust because he felt many young people were excluded from society through lack of opportunity.

The Trust gives training, mentoring and financial support to people aged 14 to 30, focusing on those who have struggled at school, been in care, are long-term unemployed or are young offenders. To date, it has helped more than half a million young people change their lives.

The Trust appears to embody the prince's desire to heal society's many modern-day ills.

Relaxed and informal, the Prince of Wales cuts a dashing figure in his uniform as Colonel of the Welsh Guards in his official birthday photograph released today.

Happy birthday, Your Royal Highness.

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Sights you don't see in the Senedd

Part 6:

Politicians scuffled and threw punches at each other in the Ukrainian parliament ahead of a vote on whether to dismiss speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Mr Yatsenyuk, an ally of President Viktor Yushchenko, is setting up his own political force.

No comparison with Dafydd Elis-Thomas (wink).

Burma blogger jailed for 20 years

A Burmese blogger has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for posting a cartoon of the military leader Than Shwe.

Nay Phone Latt, 28, was sentenced by a court in Rangoon's Insein prison, said his mother, Aye Than.

Nay Phone Latt's colleague Thin July Kyaw was sentenced to two years imprisonment, Aye Than reported.

Another dissident, Saw Wai, was sentenced to two years in jail for publishing a poem mocking Than Shwe in the weekly Love Journal.

The first words of each line of the Burmese language poem spelled out the message "Senior General Than Shwe is foolish with power".

This specific cartoon idea is by Dr. David Law.

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Promoting from within since devolution

Assistant to the Chief Executive and Clerk

The salary range is £25,000 to £32,100 (Band D)
*Please note that recruitment will be at the minimum of the range.

Primarily to support the Chief Executive in her functions and to act as first point of contact in relation to all aspects of her duties, working with Directorates to organise briefing and resolve issues as appropriate, to manage the interface with Assembly Members, external stakeholders and staff. To provide secretariat support to the Assembly Commission on all aspects of its work, and to manage the work and diary of the Deputy Presiding Officer as required.

The successful applicant will be a part of the Corporate Unit and work most closely with:
The Chief Executive, Head of Corporate Unit and Deputy Presiding Officer.
Members of the Presiding Office Team
Directors, Service Heads and managers from across the organisation
Please quote reference number AC/028/08
Closing date: November 14 2008

So sure that this job will go to an insider that I will give up blogging if it doesn't.

The Welsh Assembly Goverment and National Assembly, promoting from within since the dawn of devolution.

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Government deserves to fall on data loss alone

Two reports have concluded that no individual member of staff was to blame for last year's child benefit data loss.

Reports by the Independent Police Complaints Commission on the original data loss, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (the 'Poynter' review) on the wider question of data protection, revealed systematic and institutionalised failings within the HMRC department.

The Poynter review identified low morale in HMRC; said there needs to be a better focus on engaging with staff; and recommended HMRC should consider redeploying staff to improve services and increase tax yield rather than continuing with job cuts.

The Chancellor Alistair Darling announced at the time that £155m will be needed over three years to implement the Poynter recommendations. But, unfortunately, no new money is being provided by the Treasury.

Government data loss

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Remembrance

Double Standards

Industrial action has been the talk for some time and civil servant members of the PCS union voted by a majority to take industrial action to defend pay. Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the PCS union has this to say:

For years we have heard ministers and business leaders urging us to be restrained over pay claims. We were told that low pay rises are the key to low inflation and a stable economy. But now we have rising inflation, rising unemployment and a serious economic crisis.

Surprise, surprise, the Chancellor's answer is still pay restraint, or more accurately, pay cuts. Sir Gus O'Donnell, head of the civil service, and the permanent secretaries, tell us that there is no money for fair pay rises because of the current problems in the economy.

What angers me about this argument is how one-sided it is. In the first place, it clearly doesn't apply to the five figure bonuses* some senior civil servants have received.

* Senior civil servants can get as much as £40,000 in bonuses

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Liberal Democrats are thankful for small mercies

In a one-liner, "Gossip mag Opik loses presidential bid".

The vote though might well be remembered more for who lost, than for who won.

In the running were two relative unknowns and one all-too-well-known.

The winner was Baroness Ros Scott, the former group leader of Suffolk County Council.

Businessman Chandila Fernando promised to modernise the party's machinery. And the most recognised name of the three, Lembit Opik, offered a presidency painted in "primary colours".

The party leader, Nick Clegg, will be sighing with relief.

It was widely thought that Baroness Scott was his preferred candidate. In fact, the deputy leader Vince Cable officially endorsed her.

The result:

Ros Scott: 20,736 votes (72%)

Lembit Opik: 6247 votes (22%)

Chandila Fernando 1799 votes (6%)

One thing's for sure - Randerson won't be sleeping soundly tonight.

Court frees Malaysian blogger

A Malaysian court has ordered the release of a prominent government critic free from detention on grounds that his arrest under a colonial-era security law was unlawful, local media and his lawyer have said.

Raja Petra Kamarudin, a high-profile political blogger, was detained in September for allegedly stoking racial tensions by publishing articles that the government said insulted Islam, inflamed racial tensions and tarnished the country's leadership.

But the high court in the state of Selangor ruled on Friday that the Malaysian home minister had acted beyond his powers in having the blogger arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, Raja Petra's lawyer, said.

He quoted Judge Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad as saying that the grounds given for Raja Petra's detention were insufficient and that his arrest under the ISA was unlawful.

"It's a historic ruling and definitely a wonderful step in terms of civil liberties in Malaysia," the lawyer said.

Some of Malaysia's most popular blogs offer stinging anti-government commentaries and present themselves as a substitute for mainstream media, which are controlled by political parties or closely linked to them.

According to government estimates, there are more than 700 Malaysians who blog on social and political issues.

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break]

Sights you don't see in the Senedd

Part 5:

The caption could vary.

The forgotten by-election

With the combined excitement of Bonfire Night and a sweeping change in American politics, we seem to have forgotten the probable done deal by-election in Scotland - Voters are going to the polls in Glenrothes to choose a new MP.

Labour is defending a majority of 10,664 in the Fife constituency which was made vacant by the death of John MacDougall in August.

The polls opened at 0700 GMT and will close at 2200 GMT. The result should be known by the early hours of Friday.

The turnout at the last election in 2005 was 56.1%. The seat borders Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency.

Candidates:

• Morag Balfour, Scottish Socialists
• Maurice Golden, Conservative
• Peter Grant, SNP
• Lindsay Roy, Labour
• Kris Seunarine, UKIP
• Harry Wills, Liberal Democrats
• Louise McLeary, Solidarity
• Jim Parker, Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party

Update (10:04 November, 7 2008):

Labour has won the Glenrothes by-election, comfortably holding off a challenge from the SNP. Lindsay Roy was elected the new MP with a majority of 6,737 over the SNP's Peter Grant, although the Nationalists increased their vote by almost 4,500.

"This is a substantial setback for Alex Salmond", Brian Taylor BBC Scotland political editor

Guido up to his old tricks

No blog posts are guaranteed to be expected today from Mr Fawkes as he's been up to his old tricks again.

Not a safe time of the year to be walking through Westminster and its always good to have a day off after your anniversary.

President-elect Obama makes history and a rousing speech

Democratic Senator Barack Obama has been elected the first black president of the United States.

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight... change has come to America," the president-elect told a jubilant crowd at a victory rally in Chicago.

• Acceptance speech in full


• Election results in full

The man has come a long way in two years since a 2006 poll predicted McCain would win landslide against him. At the end of an extraordinary 21-month campaign that has seen him inspire millions of people into political involvement, simple enthusiasm was on Senator Obama's side. About six in 10 of the Democratic candidate's voters said they were excited about what their man would do as president. Crucially, fewer than three in 10 people who voted for Mr McCain felt the same way about him. Now there's a black family in the White House.

Christopher Glamorganshire: The story so far (as seen on the blogs)

At the risk of upsetting the sensitive souls of those in power [in Wales anyway], I wondered what I could do next. Shall I talk further about a well-known catchphrase of all talk and little action or failures that have left Wales firms 'poor cousins'? The economy in crisis seems to be a popular topic for the foreseeable future and has been for some time. Not today.

Standing up for a blogging brother. This will do for now.
Following the original article in the Western Mail by Martin Shipton, 9th July 2008 there clearly has a lot more mileage to go in the story of Christopher Glamorganshire, with the latest from the real journalists being that of the BBC, Political Editor Betsan Powys on 18th September 2008.

Betsan clearly has the insider's view looking at the detail of information provided, but we still haven't heard from the Glamorganshire blogger despite numerous attempts from the media to get a message to him. Both Matt Wardman and I have been contacted over the last few months to see if we can get a message across [mediums in the blogging world], and I can only imagine that other bloggers have also been contacted this way. We both are unsure as to whether we are doing this former blogger the power of good by documenting his case in this way, nevertheless we support you, and the best of luck to you Christopher.

My sources in the Welsh power-hub tell me that the tribunal is set for January 2009 [not confirmed].

The following is a list of blog posts to date that cover discussion [those I can find] on the "neutral" blogger that was sacked by the Welsh Assembly Government:

1. One law for the rich, 9th July 2008 Socialist Party Wales
2. All the best Chris 9th July 2008, Miserable Old Fart
3. Chris Glamorgan goes to Court 9th July 2008 Valleys Mam
4. Welsh blogger's legal action 9th July 2008, Ordovicius
5. Freedom of Speech: Standing up for the right to blog 9th July 2008, Miss Wagstaff Presents
6. Christopher Glamorganshire: What a price to pay for freedom of speech 10th July 2008, Miss Wagstaff Presents
7. LITERATURE - Christopher Glamorgan's Blogging 10th July 2008 Damon Lord Linguanaut
8. Dooced Welsh Civil Service Blogger goes to Industrial Tribunal Today 11th July 2008 Wardman Wire
9. In Wales they sack bloggers, don't they? 11th July 2008, The Daily Telegraph Blogs
10. Welsh Civil Service Blogger goes to Industrial Tribunal Today 11th July 2008, Matt Wardman for Our Kingdom
11. Inside the Assembly jail 11th July 2008, Cambria Politico
12. On Exams, Christopher Glamorganshire and blogging 11th July 2008 On a Hill
13. Tidbits electronig 12th July 2008 Dancing the Polka with Miss El Cajon
14. What a price to pay 12th July 2008 Facebook Causes
15. Risk worth taking? 12 July 2008, David Jones MP
16. Welsh Assemby sacks blogger 12th July 2008 Paul Canning
17. Christopher Glamorganshire sacking story cut and paste Promotional Tour 13th July 2008 Wardman Wire
18. Civil servant who blogged about government dumped 13th July 2008, So Said the Organization
19. Seen Elsewhere (7) 13th July 2008, Question That
20. Blogpower Roundup - Ian_QT 13th July 2008, Blogpower
21. Should you be fired for blogging? 13th July 2008, Dube
22. Setback for public sector bloggers 13th July 2008 Dave Press
23. Christopher Glamorganshire: Questions to be Answered, 15th July 2008, Wardman Wire
24. Christopher Glamorganshire: Questions to be Answered 16th July 2008, Miss Wagstaff Presents
25. Previous Welsh bloggers who lost their jobs: This is a new ballgame 16th July 2008 Wardman Wire
26. Welsh Blogger Fired from Assembly, Sues 16 July 2008 Committee to Protect Bloggers
27. Previous Welsh bloggers who lost their jobs: This is a new ballgame 17th July 2008, Miss Wagstaff Presents
28. Matt Wardman on Radio Wales Good Evening Wales 4th August 2008, Wardman Wire
29. Blogging civil servants 4th August 2008, Peter Black AM
30. Matt Wardman on Radio Wales Good Evening Wales about Civil Service Bloggers 4th August 2008, Wardman Wire
31. POLITICS - Did I kill Pippa Wagstaff [includes section on CG]? 11th August 2008, Damon Lord
32. WAG and the Assembly Commission catching up with the times...eventually 12th September 2008, Miss Wagstaff Presents
33. Free speech, huge bills? 18th September 2008, Betsan Powys (BBC)
34. A Betsan by any other name would smell as sweet 18th September 2008, Miss Wagstaff Presents
35. Betsan has the inside on this one, 18th September 2008, Valleys Mam
36. Still Supporting Chris! 19th September 2008, Miserable Old Fart
37. The 'Welsh' Civil Service Code v Christopher Glamorganshire's Blog, 19th September 2008, Miss Wagstaff Presents
38. Christopher Glamorganshire Back in the News: Welsh Civil Service Code, 19th Sept 2008, Wardman Wire
39. This was Christopher Glamorgans profile - good sense of fun, 19th September 2008, Valleys Mam

Matt Wardman's entire series can be read HERE, and my own can be viewed HERE.

If you have seen any articles that are not on the list, please let us know in the comments section.

Lower-grade recruitment has started and finished

Team Supports (North Wales) - Ref:1083092
Team Band £15,500 - £19,000
Division: DE&T, CISD, DCELLS, Rural Affairs & Heritage
North Wales various - Majority will be relocating to Llandudno Junction 2010
Actual starting salary : £15,500

Work Pattern:
Applications from candidates who wish to work full-time, part-time or on a job-share basis will be considered.

Purpose of post:
Individuals recruited will have a flexible approach and a willingness to contribute to the business of the Welsh Assembly Government. The postholder will provide administrative support to the team. This may include dealing with clients, liaising with partner organisations and professional advisors, and carrying out the administrative functions such as maintaining databases, managing enquiries, producing reports and raising the required Purchase Orders and processing invoices. The Welsh Assembly Government values diversity highly within the workplace and welcomes applications from individuals of all genders, ages, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, disabilities, faiths and religions so that it can be more representative of the people whom it serves. The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to the employment of disabled people and is fully committed to the ‘positive about disabled people’ two-tick scheme it employs. Applications from Welsh speakers and under-represented groups are particularly encouraged.

Key tasks:
The key tasks will depend on the post to which the successful candidate will eventually be appointed. Jobs could be available in any of our North Wales offices based in and around St Asaph Business Park, Colwyn Bay or Caernarfon initially with the post and postholder required to relocate to the new Llandudno Junction Office in 2010. Most team supports working in the Welsh Assembly Government undertake the following tasks: Undertake general administrative activities such as drafting emails; letters; filing etc; Use a variety of Microsoft Office packages such as Word, Outlook and Excel; Respond and offer solutions to customer queries quickly and effectively; Undertake projects as delegated by their line manager; Arrange meetings and undertake the role of minute taker;

Don't rush to apply as the deadline was 31 October 2008. The jobs were previously advertised here.

Anniversary

Today is my blogging anniversary or birthday

12 months
330 posts
368 labels

63,102 hits
2,556 Facebook friends before disablement
5 awards
3 bans

5 offers of coffee by the bay
2 threats of legal action

1 offer of dinner
1 offer of marriage

and countless cases of abuse and sexual harassment

Whoever said blogging is dull?

Short blogging break

Pippa Wagstaff is taking a short break to deal with a family issue. Posts have been drafted and will be published at set intervals until she returns.

Senedd Whip