Brecon & Radnorshire
As well as weekend surgeries, I have a visit to the Wyeside in Builth Wells.
The Wyeside is a superb institution offering arts, including a cinema, to the people of Builth and Mid Wales. It is having a funding problem at the moment having cleared a massive overdraft and refurbished the centre. It also, of course, has a problem with insurance being right next to the River Wye (hence the name!). I promised to do what I can by raising the issue again with Powys County Council and the Arts Council for Wales.
In the evening I attend a social function in Boughrood. It is a beautiful evening and the function is held by the side of the river. It is a good attendance. Glyn is also there and it is a good opportunity for a chance to talk about the situation in the Bay and to get the perspective of somebody who’s very much been an insider but now perhaps has the perspective of looking at it from outside. Glyn, of course, is soon to come up in the primary in Montgomeryshire – a Glyn Davies/Lembit Opik tussle for Montgomeryshire will be fascinating given the present political situation.
It is interesting how much the situation in the Assembly has galvanised activists in the Party throughout Wales. It is a long time since there has been a massive anti Assembly feeling in the Party in Wales, and the prospect of actually sharing in government and being a part of trying to put things right in Wales and doing important things for our nation certainly makes a difference. People are even talking about the government in Cardiff. We wouldn’t have heard it referred to in that way in the Party until recently!
