In-tray Gossip

If I had been neglecting my partner and son over the last several weeks, I would have been keeping an eye on my in-tray instead of neglecting the sometimes overloaded thing.

I've heard a rumour that senior civil servants working close to Ministers in Cardiff Bay were allegedly given box tickets to Welsh home matches during this year's 6 Nations championship. At least 2 of them attended the Wales v England match this year courtesy of their ministerial masters. As my source has said, "Not a bad perk of the job".

Alegedly the Union are up-in-arms over this and believe that any spare tickets at the disposal of the Welsh Assembly Government should be raffled out among all staff of the Assembly Government, and not kept by those regarded as being down the bay. I wonder what Wales' Number 1 rugby fan thinks of this staff freebie?

On another matter our old friend Christopher Glamorganshire has reappeared. The latest rumour is that the Welsh Assembly Government is allegedly chasing him for legal costs circa £28k for being too ill to turn up to an employment tribunal. Rumour has it that the case is ongoing and will conclude in the next month or two. Betsan always seems to have the scoop on this, so I'm hoping she'll keep us posted.

I'll be dipping in and out of blogging from time to time, and won't be a complete stranger to blogging or my in-tray.

Blow the whistle and they don't come running

The Western Mail's latest leaky story concerns CLAIMS made by an Assembly Government civil servant raise serious concerns about the running of the Department responsible for the Welsh economy, according to the Conservatives.

In a letter to the Western Mail, the whistle-blower lists a series of alleged shortcomings, claiming they illustrate how the Department for Economy and Transport is letting Wales down, and which include:

• Recent Ministerial refusal to meaningfully engage with the UK Government on stimulating bank lending to Wales’s businesses in favour of WAG lending of public money direct to business;


• hundreds of millions of pounds of European aid being diverted from the private sector into the continuation of longstanding, re-branded public sector schemes with poor track records;


• the much-trumpeted Single Investment Fund and WAG’s SME (small and medium enterprises) relationship manager support is only reaching a minuscule number of Welsh businesses;


• millions of pounds of funding intended for SMEs not being used and handed back;


• an expensive IT project to develop a customer relationship management system not delivering;


• major problems with the public transport concessionary fares scheme;


• ministers’ decision to reject connecting with the highly praised Business Link and Direct Gov websites, helping millions of individuals and businesses elsewhere in the UK, on the grounds that they are “too English” and would make the millions of pounds invested in WAG’s site look embarrassing;


• expensive staff events continuing at some of Wales’ best hotels regardless of the recession; and
• the department’s staff having the least faith in senior management, according to staff survey results.
  
  

Shadow Minister for the Economy David Melding said:

Businesses and workers across Wales are looking for leadership and support as the recession tightens its grip. They need to have confidence that after five economic summits and countless policy announcements the Assembly Government is delivering on its promises.

These claims, however, suggest the Assembly Government is failing to match words with delivery. They also highlight poor morale among staff at the heart of the Assembly Government and underline the concerns we have raised about ministers’ failure to implement a proper package to help businesses survive the recession. They also raise questions about the performance of [Plaid Cymru leader] Ieuan Wyn Jones as the Minister responsible.

The Assembly Government needs to satisfy the public it is doing all it can to help businesses and workers overcome the growing economic difficulties – not just in terms of words, but also by providing tangible evidence of delivery on the ground.


An Assembly Government spokesman would not respond on a point-by-point basis to the allegations, but said:

This is merely a list of unsubstantiated and spurious claims [that we wouldn't like to talk about] from an anonymous individual [coward] claiming to work for the Department for Economy and Transport [contradiction in terms]. If a member of the Department has any legitimate concerns [and are not bothered about advancement] then they are encouraged to raise them through the proper channels. *

* Correct course of action: Express concern to senior manager - senior manager rejects your concern and explains that you don't have sufficient experience in such matters - senior manager reports to colleagues - discussion takes place behind closed doors while alarm bells are silenced, hoping that no one else will stir up a fuss - problem solved.

Up a network ladder and down a slippery Facebook snake

During my prolonged absence from blogging - from reading blogs, writing blogs, talking about blogs and sometimes even dreaming about blogs or bloggers - I continued to play about with my second attempt at Farcebook membership.

Sadly (boo, hiss!), my second attempt ended up in the same black hole as my first attempt, but without all the fuss.

Hey! Ho! There's still a Blog Network to join. Perhaps I should revert to my maiden name for my third and final attempt, and slip below the radar.

Hearing on pay equality in the Department for Transport

Preperations are made for a tribunal hearing on pay equality in the Department for Transport (DfT).

The case involves Executive Officers (EO) in the Driver and vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) who are seeking equal pay with driving examiners from the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).

For information, EOs are paid up to £5k less than examiners, even though they do work of equal value. The hearing is expected to be over a few weeks with an estimate end date of 22 May 2009.

The DfT's Defence:

... is one of arguing that the DVLA and DSA are seperate organisations whose pay is determined from different sources.

The other side:

This ignores the fact that both agencies are based within the DfT which is overseen by the Treasury which controls Civil Service pay. Unions have argues that if this defence is succesful, it will be used across the civil service to block equal pay claims.

Having Scope and doing little about it

Scope is a leading UK disability organisation with more than 50 years experience in providing support to disabled people to increase their employment opportunities. The Welsh Assembly Government is a devolved government with nearly 10 years experience of falling short as an employer in the area of equal opportunities.

The development of the Leadership Recruitment Programme by Scope promotes awareness of staff diversity and the contribution disabled people can make to the workplace. It also aims to ensure that disabled people of graduate calibre achieve equality and are valued in society, rather than being overlooked.

Last month the programme marked a year since ending its first 12-month trial of running in the Welsh Assembly Government, who was one of many high-profile employers taking part.

Not a bad ongoing gesture from an organisation that seems to fail in this area, and needs to show a vast improvement when it comes to equal opportunities.

8 things women want to know*

Ever since Freud, men have been guessing about what women want. Famous for our verbal skills, women are still not about to tell you what's really on our minds. But believe it or not, we women don't have you men completely figured out yet, either. We spend a lot of time thinking about what goes on inside that non-communicative head of yours. So what do we want to know? When your girlfriend gets that dreamy look in her eye, she may be thinking:

"Why can't I drive?"
Every guy insists on taking the wheel, as if merely sitting on the passenger side might somehow sap his testosterone. Riding shotgun used to be a macho position in stagecoach days. Now all it's good for is asking directions.

"Why won't you go to the doctor?"
Most men would rather suffer at home, wracked by fever, puking their brains out, than go to the doctors. His refusal to admit any kind of vulnerability leaves it up to her to fret over that suspicious mole on the back of his leg.

"Where do you keep all the stuff we lug in our purses?"
I don't know any man who carries a handkerchief these days. But how can your pockets hold your notes, change, credit cards, photo ID, checkbook, pills, PDA, mobile, breath mints, lip gloss, tissues, a comb and condoms? Maybe that's why combat trousers are so popular.

"Do men ever really talk about the important things with their friends?"
So much of male friendship is about what you do together. When it comes time for emotional support, are you able to share that intimacy? It doesn't seem as if men work at their friendships as much as, or in the same way, women do.

"How come you can't smell your dirty underwear?"
When you put on the socks stuffed in your running shoes, doesn't it occur to you that they are the same socks you ran a 10K race in two days ago? Draping your briefs over the back of a chair is more of a territorial display than a cleansing rite.

"Why don't you call when you say you will?"
If your date was so unforgettable, why say you'll call? Are you so chicken that you can't let her down to her face? If you truly mean to call, and postpone it, is it out of shear incompetence, or are you playing a mind game? This leads to the corollary question..."What will you really think of me if I call you?" Is a woman who makes the first move, or second, or third, considered desperate or daring? Is she charmingly bold or offensively brazen?

And of course, the million pound question:

"When you say you love me, do you really mean it, or are you just trying to get into my pants?"

[*According to Marcy Barack]

Bonuses not just for banks

The following is an anonymous question from a civil servant requesting legal advice from a well-known trade union. I only wish I was making it up, or that it was sent with lashings of irony. Let's hope that the recent talk of cuts creates a dent in the bonuses of Assembly fat cats.

Q I am used to receiving an end of year bonus but I didn't get one this time. Am I entitled to it?

A You are only entitled to a bonus if it is specified in your contract. If you have been receiving a bonus for many years, it may be possible to argue that it has become custom and practice and therefore an unwritten part of your contract, in which case a non-payment could amount to an unlawful deduction of wages. But you would need to have all the facts about why it has not been paid before raising the issue with your manager. Discuss the situation with your PCS rep before doing anything further.

[Source: PCS Union]

Unions achieving very little for staff in lower grades

Are Trade Unions worth joining in 2009? Do members actually see a benefit, or is it just piece of mind; the thought and probable safety you may feel in being part of a crowd; being a member of a 'safety net' organisation that is bigger than one person - just in case?

Subscriptions to the average trade union is as follows:

Gross salary/Monthly subscription
£10,000 / £5
£12,000 / £6
£14,000 / £7
£18,000 / £9
£20,000 / 10

Case Study from the point of view of a junior civil servant

After 23 years in teaching, followed by 11 years in the private sector, in 2001 I joined the Ministry of Defence.

Being over 60 I have no intention of seeking promotion, and the small pay rise that would go with it, as I simply don't want the hassle.

Although it was my decision to join the civil service I am continually shocked at how low our pay is. After seven years I take home just £1,032 a month.

I don't begrudge those who are higher paid. But I do think that to pay thousands of us so badly is a national disgrace. I am fortunate being in a 'double income - no kids' household. How on earty parents with young families survive I do not know. [name and address supplied]

[In comparison, MOD salaries are higher than that of those working for the Welsh Assembly Government]

Civil servants take 10 'freebies' each

The Daily Telegraph reports that figures to be disclosed today will show that supposedly impartial mandarins, many in charge of departments with large Whitehall budgets, have repeatedly been entertained by firms.

The Daily Telegraph has been told that around 180 civil servants will be named in a list published today. It will detail approximately 1,800 items in total that have been declared by Whitehall employees - an average of 10 trips for each official.

The hospitality mainly covers lunches, dinners and receptions. However, there is also more lavish entertainment including high-profile international rugby matches and other sporting events.

Invites to other exclusive occasions, like the opera and the Chelsea Flower Show, that make up the circuit of hospitality events, was also accepted.

Among those who have been offering the "freebies" were banks, financial consultancies and news organisations.

It comes as ministers seek to clamp down on civil servants who accept hospitality from lobbyists and companies seeking to influence legislation. The recent "Lords for hire" scandal has heightened the need for tighter control among those in Whitehall and Westminster.

In view of Wales being firmly part of the UK and its public servants largely forming part of the UK public sector/civil service, I wonder if any of the 'Cathays Park hundreds' would like to come clean as they form part of the Home Civil Service?

Welsh Assembly Government: Money for old rope

Couldn't help but post on news that has proved me, and many others right when posting back in October 2008.

The new civil service layer of Director General civil servants have now been appointed in the Welsh Assembly Government. As previously mentioned, this is part of the new Permanent Secretary's [Gillian Morgan] managment structure, which does have some merits and has seen some backing of those higher up and lower down in the Cathays Park food chain.

But of these new posts that bring an ample award of around £130,000 a year, three have rather strangely (hint of sarcasm identified) gone to internal candidates, some of who it has to be said are not exactly showered in management praise and glory. For some unknown reason a £55,000 + recruitment exercise has ended up employing three people already employed internally at the next grade down in the senior civil service [Head of Department].

One appointment does disturb me slightly.

Civil Servants are not perfect, but to appoint a man who has masterminded and single-handedly steered the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government towards a largely disappointing performance management system; the ASPB merger which led to unequal status among civil servants of the same grade; not to mention equal opportunities and other fiascos (take your pick), is largely a disgraceful act.

It is generally agreed among staff that Human Resources policy has been a disaster and particularly since 2006 - in short, a disaster since appointment. If this was a newspaper headline it would read, "Overall Head of Recruitment Gets Recruited". Surprise!

If it wasn't for my planned family holiday, this unwelcome news of neo-nepotism would have me sick to my Welsh core.

The Welsh Assembly Government has announced the appointment of new Director Generals and a Non Executive Director to its new senior management board - known as the Strategic Delivery and Performance Board.

Clive Bates (aged 47) is currently Head of the United Nations Environment Programme in Sudan and has been appointed Director General for Sustainable Futures.

Christine Daws is being promoted from her current post as Director of Finance to the Welsh Assembly Government to the new Finance Director General position.

Emyr Roberts will take up the post of Director General for Public Services and Local Government Delivery. He is currently Director of the Department for Social Justice and Local Government and has extensive experience which includes a period as Chief Executive of the Welsh European Funding Office.

Bernard Galton has been appointed as Director General for People, Places and Corporate Services following five years as Director of HR at the Welsh Assembly Government and a long career as an HR professional, primarily within the Ministry of Defence.

James Turner will replace Sir Adrian Webb as a Non Executive Director. Mr Turner has had an international business career and joined the Welsh Development Agency in the mid 1990’s as International Managing Director. Ten years ago, he established his own consultancy business undertaking board-level interim assignments and in this capacity was interim Chief Executive at the Arts Council of Wales during 2007. An experienced Non Executive Director, James Turner has served on the boards of a number of private companies and public sector organisations.

The appointments follow a tough recruitment process involving external assessors and complete the new, smaller and more focused Strategic Delivery and Performance Board which Permanent Secretary Dame Gillian Morgan announced in October 2008.

Gill Morgan said:
I’m really pleased to have completed recruitment to this new, smaller Board with the appointment of very high calibre people. I believe a smaller senior team will help us reduce complexity in the organisation and make it easier for us to join up across portfolios. Now more than ever we need to be able to support Ministers in tackling the things that make the most difference to the people of Wales.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan said:
My warmest congratulations to Emyr and Bernard. Their appointments complete a line-up of strong management serving the Welsh Assembly Government through the challenging times we face.

The new Board will be in place by the beginning of April. Chaired by the Permanent Secretary, the Board will include six Director Generals (DGs), together with the Chief Executive of the NHS.

The changes will be accomplished within existing resources and there will be no additional cost to the organisation's running cost budget.

A possible return to blogging and keyword activity fun

All bloggers need to take a break from time to time. Have you noticed? I've enjoyed mine and will continue to do so until I feel the compulsive urge to get back into the swing of things and post on a regular basis again.

All main contributors haven't posted for a while by mutual agreement. This has left some thinking that the blog is dead to the world, including the shy and retiring Assembly types (Lol... not dead, but resting). However, there has been a lot of interest lately in one particular post thanks to a link from Betsan Powys of the BBC.

Like Betsan, I was disappointed to hear that Christopher Glamorgan had pulled out of the tribunal against the Welsh Ministers/Welsh Assembly Government. I'm sure he had his reasons, but I can't help thinking that we've missed something special and even I was hoping to attend the hearing as a member of the public. Christopher has yet to answer my email and concern for his case, but I'll keep you posted when I return. Remember Christopher, the offer still stands and I'm sure that Matt Wardman also supports my view on this.

I got slightly bored of blogging and if I'm honest, of Welsh politics, although ongoing fiascos and the reckless should inspire posting if I had the time. Family has always been important, and also making a success of business. After all, as a self-employed person no one else is going to support me - right??

Following the large number of hits to the one post, it got me curious about blog stats, so I decided to take a look for myself. Most interest on the Christopher Glamorgan post came from the Assembly itself which was to be expected, and from local government. A look at 'visitor paths' also made me realise how widely read Betsan's blog is in the UK, which was surprising considering the topic of Welsh politics. This must be testament to the blog being hosted by the BBC and Betsan's writing style.

Another blog stat that caught my attention was that of 'keyword activity' and the interesting, sometimes strange, and frankly bizarre search terms used. One slightly controversial search term was 'Tomos Livingstone bias' and made by someone in the office of HSO Trinity Mirror Group.

These are some of the Internet search terms used (in no particular order) which ended up with the inquiring minds clicking on a link to this blog. Some are obvious. Some are amusing. Others are simply mind boggling.

1. Miss Wagstaff
2. Cardiff political issues
3. Pippa Wagstaff
4. One Wales Government
5. Gareth Hall Welsh Assembly Government
6. Leadership of Welsh political party
7. Mike German Jane Hutt affair
8. Biggest wastes of public money
9. Chocolate cheese Switzerland
10. Jolly roger
11. Office relationships
12. Welsh Labour communications officer
13. Jonathan Evans Julie Morgan
14. Cornock Steve Morgan campaign
15. Welsh Assembly Llandudno jobs
16. Swiss known for
17. Welsh civil servant
18. Paul Murphy sentenced Pontypridd
19. 32% of welsh women prefer to do after 18:00
20. Mistress Services Wales
21. Ellis, luke amss carwyn jones
22. Ellis, luke (amss carwyn jones)
23. Carwyn jones luke ellis
24. Carwyn jones luke ellis
25. Petite welsh woman 60
26. Matt Withers surfing
27. Civil service dress code uk foreign office
28. Cocks that don't fit
29. Top ten reasons to limit debate with a troll
30. Martyn Williams Miss Wagstaff
31. Welsh Labour Europe nonentity
32. Jane Wagstaff porn
33. Jane Hutt quote
34. Tomos Livingstone bias
35. Alun Davies AM blog
36. Human Resources email Welsh Assembly
37. Rhodri Morgan dress sense
38. Sacked civil servant
39. Facebook farce blog
40. Failing Welsh civil service

All I can say is keep blogging. At best, we all find it fun and informative, at its very worst... you can guess the rest.

Move the goalposts and score an own goal

As mentioned in my previous post. We're in need of a good story that not only demonstrates the inconsistency of those running the WAG machine, but also an example of the civil service not getting their own way and yet again promoting one of their own numbers from within.

The Western Mail reports the appointment of a freemason as the head of the NHS in Wales was attacked last night as inconsistent.

Paul Williams left his post as chief executive of Abertawe Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust at the end of last month on a two-year secondment during which he will be in charge of the Welsh health service. He is currently working a handover period with Ann Lloyd, his predecessor, who is retiring.

But a civil servant who contacted the Western Mail contrasted the appointment of Mr Williams with an earlier decision to block the appointment of Gerard Elias QC as the Welsh Assembly’s counsel general – partly because he was a freemason.

In 2004, Mr Elias, one of the best-known barristers in Wales, was personally vetoed by First Minister Rhodri Morgan after he was recommended for the post of top legal adviser at the Assembly by Civil Service Commissioners.

Mr Morgan’s refusal to appoint Mr Elias – and the revelation that he had unsuccessfully sought approval from the commissioners to appoint the candidate who came second, a former Labour parliamentary candidate – created a political storm at the time.

The Western Mail received a typewritten letter saying:

I am afraid this note has to be anonymous as I am a civil servant.

You might find it useful to ask the Welsh Assembly Government why it saw fit to debar Gerard Elias from the counsel general post on the basis of his rather inactive freemasonry but now sees no problem in appointing Paul Williams, a very senior and active freemason, to the post of head of NHS Wales.

No doubt the excuse will be that the counsel general offers advice on legal issues but there is no more sensitive post than head of NHS Wales.

I am not a freemason but I have no quarrel with that organisation. I have no axe to grind for or against Mr Elias, unknown to me, or Mr Williams, known to me but not well-known.

My beef is really with the inconsistency and – let’s face it the dishonesty – around decisions like this which devalue the whole Assembly position.

An Assembly Government spokeswoman said:

We appoint on merit and the best person for the job based on skills and experience. We do not have a policy of excluding individuals based on membership of the freemasons.

Candidates are not obliged to declare membership of the freemasons. The issue of Paul Williams’ membership of freemasons is viewed as a private matter.

I couldn't help but contact one anonymous insider that contacted me a while back on another issue. I was told that "one senior civil servant didn't get what they wanted for Christmas" which I think amusingly falls foul of the tradition of Secret Santa.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[Pippa Wagstaff is currently on a blogging break and hopes to return in the New Year]

Dead tree press can't see the wood for the trees

At this time of the year we're in need of a good story that not only demonstrates the inconsistency of those running the WAG machine, but also an example of the civil service not getting their own way and promoting one of their own numbers from within.

This story also makes a refreshing change from the media ignoring what other AMs have claimed in expenses. Instead, they choose to turn the rack on the Conservative leader Nick Bourne over a piddling iPod in a desperate attempt to make the story run and run until his resignation as group leader. Hoping then to happily turn the story into a column stocking filler by running another series of leadership election stories that saves them from having to examine and attack the policies and politics of the Welsh Assembly Government.

More effort should be placed on looking into the National Assembly rules and regulations on expenses that allows what may seem by the general public to be inappropriate claims being made by elected politicians. We need to remember that no politician has broken the rules of the Assembly as laid down by Assembly Commission staff.

Have the Western Mail also gone soft on the Assembly Government since coalition? Fear appears to have set in when it comes to taking on the Labour establishment and particularly since forming a coalition with Plaid Cymru. This needs to change.

The Western Mail's latest column filler - iPodGate - should go a long way to guarantee Nick Bourne's short term survival as leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly. Welsh politics and political parties are not led by small Welsh media outlets, and no one is going to have the stomach to oust a leader just because a campaign is being run by a Welsh newspaper.

The Welsh Conservative party and group in the Assembly shouldn't follow the Western Mail's lead. It wouldn't be good for party politics in Wales whatever party you support.

Anyway. Enough of my rant before Christmas and back to the other Welsh politics story in the Western Mail that isn't classed as 'iPodGate' or 'a soapbox for Adam Price MP'.

This story of Christmas cheer can be read in the next blog.

Welsh Political Awards and National Assembly bias

Strange that there are 3 non-government Assembly Members among the winners of ITV's Welsh Political Awards, and the website of the National Assembly for Wales only manages to announce Dafydd Elis-Thomas as a winner.

Just who clears press releases from the National Assembly these days? Seems clear to me who runs the show at the Senedd.

Wales Yearbook 2008 Political Awards Results (Pippa Wagstaff too shocked to return)

According to the Western Mail the winners of the Wales Yearbook 2008 Political Awards (sponsored by ITV Wales), are:

LORD Elis-Thomas, Presiding Officer of the National Assembly, was last night named Welsh Politician of the Year at a ceremony in Cardiff City Hall.

The former Plaid Cymru president got the award “for his role in the Assembly’s transformation into a true legislature, passing Welsh laws under its new powers”.

The citation went on to say: “As the Assembly’s first, and so far only, Presiding Officer, he has had no precedent to guide him – something he has seen as an opportunity rather than a problem.

“Dafydd Elis-Thomas has never been afraid to revise his opinions to reflect changing circumstances.

“A radical republican when first elected to Westminster at the age of 27, he has been keen to involve the Queen and Prince of Wales in the Assembly’s ceremonies as he works to weave devolution into the constitutional fabric of the nation.”

Other winners were:

MP of the Year: Paul Murphy.
AM of the Year: Edwina Hart.
MP to Watch: Jenny Willott.
AM to Watch: Andrew RT Davies.
Local Politician of the Year: Councillor John Davies, Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Local Government Association.
Campaigner of the Year: Nerys Evans.

Dafydd Wigley, the Honorary President of Plaid Cymru, received a Lifetime Achievement award.

Elis Owen, National Director of ITV Wales, said: “We are delighted to support these awards, which are one of the ways that we celebrate the hard work politicians do for us in Wales.”

The awards will be shown on ITV Wales in a special programme on Thursday December 18 at 11.05pm, hosted by Wales Tonight’s Jonathan Hill and Sharp End’s Mai Davies. All winners received a personalised cartoon by Mumph and a bottle of Penderyn Welsh whisky.

Is it me or are some of the award results highly questionable and could be described as scraping the barrel? No wonder Pippa Wagstaff is on a break from blogging. At this rate she won't have the will to return!

Taking one step closer to a new Welsh Assembly Government

Turnout in the ballot for the new Welsh Liberal Democrat leader is expected to exceed that of the party's other recent leadership elections across the UK.

Not only will the National Assembly have its first female leader but can we expect a new Welsh Assembly Government to be formed in the not too distant future? After all, new leaders come equipped with new bridges and opportunities.

The ballot to replace Mike German closes at noon and the winner will be announced later today.

A total of 62% of ballots had already been returned to the party's Wales HQ in Cardiff Bay by Friday afternoon.

The two candidates are Cardiff Central AM Jenny Randerson and Kirsty Williams, Brecon and Radnorshire AM.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats 'outgoing leader' Mr German welcomed the arrival of a female successor, saying: “I believe it will be very significant and should bring a change of character to the Assembly.”