Nick Bourne AM

I found this year’s Eisteddfod well organised and welcoming. It reminded me of the very successful one at Newport a few years ago. It is amazing how the Eisteddfod really is Wales the national village. It is just like that cafe– Cafe de la Paix in Place de l’ Opera. In Paris .Here I believe it is said that here. If one sits with an expresso reading. Le Figaro long enough you see everybody you know walk by (or drop in I suppose) There was David Williams looking well and as incisive  and amusing as ever bemoaning the fact that after years of covering matters like discussions on the impact of the asparagus directive on Wales he retires and along comes a shake up in Welsh politics ( a shifting of John Prescott’s tectonic plates) , prospects of rainbow coalitions and Rhodri Glyn as Minister of Fun ( actually he didn’t mention the last one but clearly it beats the asparagus directive).

 
Labour announced this week that it is launching a campaign to win back votes from areas in North and West Wales where the language and cultural identity are particularly prominent. Labour spokespeople state that they cannot understand how it has lost this support. At the same time they have no stand at the Eisteddfod… Could just be a connection there but I won’t tell them if you don’t!
I begin to favour the idea of some fixed sites for the Eisteddfod - perhaps three?

 
 That evening Aberystwyth Town were playing Everton in a friendly at Park Avenue. Everton even fielded a couple of players who have had first team experience. Wisely Aber did the same… Aber were not overawed .Behind the away goal I had the pleasure with a group. of friends of seeing the ball hit the back of he net in the very early stages. The Mayor, Jim Griffiths our excellent town clerk and I could scarcely believe it! And so it remained until the 84th minute when Everton snatched a late equalizer. Tony Bates the club chairman was rightly proud of the team’ performance. It is a good omen for the season ahead.

 All other news has been overshadowed this weekend by the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Surrey.

 
 When I first heard the news, I had said to Brynle that it was probably connected with the nearby Foot and Mouth institute and that does indeed appear to be the case.

 
Our own animal welfare department in the Assembly is by now very used to dealing with  crises and our own Chief Vet is superb in getting key messages across to the media  ( the London based one seems fine too ).

 
This weekend I met up with David Melding and Lee Waters for what, I hope, is becoming an annual event — a walk along a stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coastal path. In fact the athletic pair had already completed a cycle ride when I arrived after visiting the Aberystwyth Farmers Market and the Cardigan Food Fair. We were staying just outside of Porthgain - an extremely attractive village near to St David’s, though not attractive in a traditional chocolate box way. It was obviously an industrial centre for the manufacture of bricks in the early part of the last century and seemed in some ways evocative of Daphne du Maurier’s industrial archaeology in Cornwall.

 
We were staying just outside of the village which was conveniently situated for the restaurant - the Shed - and the pub, the Sloop Inn. We enjoyed two excellent evening meals, my own preference for the Inn. Lee and I were content to leave the choice of wines to David’s superior knowledge, just as well probably as he didn’t seem to be in consultative mode! Less wise to allow him to be pathfinder back to our accommodation at the end of the evening. In the dark I couldn’t see his face when I recalled that I had a torch in my luggage but I could sense a look of exasperation…

 
We enjoyed a coastal walk from Porthgain towards Strumble Head finishing at a woollen mill just north of Abermaw.

 
It was good to see people around enjoying the countryside. The last thing Wales needs is for a message to get out that the countryside has shut down because of foot and mouth although, of course, sensible precautions need to be followed.

 
Lee Waters has clearly thrown himself with gusto into his role as Head of Sustrans in Wales — committed to encouraging people onto their bikes. (Not in the Norman Tebbitt sense, Lee will shudder at the thought.) Despite the new posting Lee continues to cast an astute and amused eye over the political scenario.

 
  Hearty breakfasts were provided at the Sloop Inn — not as good as the dinner the previous night, although they had then been docked some serious points by our own Gordon Ramsay for providing a fish knife with filleted fish. Apparently had their been a list of eight deadly sins this would have made it in as number 8 and in the view of some commentators should be in the top five.

 
 A good weekend of food, walking and especially fellowship.

At about 9.30pm on Friday I hear that there has been a confirmed outbreak of Foot and Mouth near Guildford in Surrey. I ring Brynle to discuss it – he hadn’t heard. We speak and then again later and, of course, we will support appropriate action in Wales. It has to be decisive and draconian in my view as we cannot afford the rapid spread that occurred last time. I am not certain who will be representing Welsh interests in any emergency planning as I believe Elin Jones is overseas. We will need to ensure our interests are being taken care of.

On June 28th on my blog I had said I would return to look at the dealings of the parties in the run up to the Labour/Plaid deal after some water had flowed under the bridge- and so I do so now.

 
Since about the middle of the last Assembly, and certainly very clearly after the St David’s Day lecture which I gave in 2005 on the need for a non Labour alternative in the National Assembly,  I was very committed to the project of trying to develop a non Labour programme. Initially there were few other advocates in my own party. Only David Melding can lay legitimate claim to have argued the case. Others were open minded, some like Alun and Glyn were initially  sceptical, though to be fair as time wore on they rowed in behind the idea- in Glyn’s case very powerfully.

 
 The media were, for the most part, with some honourable exceptions, sceptical of the whole idea - they saw  the difficulties and did not see the possibilities.

 
 There were, in the second Assembly, periods of intense and constructive opposition with   co- operation on such issues as top-up fees (against ) and the 2005 budget. This co-operation was assisted by an easy relationship for the most part with the other two opposition leaders - Ieuan Wyn Jones and Mike German. Certainly there were many policy differences, occasionally profound ones, but I always felt that the goodwill that generally existed contributed to narrowing the areas of significant dispute.

 
 Much work went on at this time in trying to identify areas of agreed policy, areas where compromise was possible and areas which were off limits where no likely agreement could be forged- most obviously on Welsh independence. This work was carried on on the basis of identifying areas of agreement in opposition but for my part there was no doubt that this work might come in very useful at a later date.  I don’t doubt that view was shared elsewhere.

 
After the inconclusive Election this May, I made it clear in statements to  the media and, consistent with what my Party had said in the election, that I was very happy to talk to Plaid Cymru and to the Liberal Democrats but not to Labour.. The clear message being that Ieuan as the leader of the party with the second most seats should pick up the phone. He did. I made it clear that we could consider a role in  government but not supporting a government from outside of the government (the so -called New Zealand option) as I said ” We do government. We do opposition  but we do not do limbo .”

 
I met with Ieuan, a good meeting. Another was then arranged with Mike there as well– this time  in Aberystwyth. I remember saying whilst we could just about explain a chance meeting with the three of us in Cardiff it would be much more difficult to explain how the three of us happened to bump into each other in  Aberystwyth.. No excuses were needed.  It was a good meeting and from this time on activity intensified with policy discussions , productive ones carried on in goodwill with give and take on all sides.

 
Some memories are abiding ones. The Plaid team was led by Ieuan and Adam Price.. Adam is engaging,  able and  effective but I do recall saying to our own team that if a Westminster politician featured as prominently in  our team we would be accused of being run from Westminster.! I did receive  support from Cheryl and met with David Cameron to discuss the wider implications of any deal. He was incisive and supportive.

 
What was the turning point ?– undoubtedly the fateful Wednesday in Llandrindod Wells when there were two crucial meetings : the Management Board of the Welsh Conservative Party and the Executive of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. I was confident of the endorsement of my own party particularly with Cheryl’s strong support along with that of our Chairman, Lyndon Jones and the message of support from Jonathan Evans in Brussels, although the unanimous vote was gratifying and unexpected. I let Ieuan and Mike know the good news. I made an announcement to the media outside the Metropole  in English  and Suzy Davies did the same in Welsh and we had a brief celebration at the new opportunity  with the party’s officers and Cheryl.  I then left for Cardiff with Cheryl and Matt Lane, our director.

 
En route I took a call from Ieuan- it was a bombshell - the Liberal Democrat Executive had refused to back the deal.
I could scarcely believe it.  All received wisdom was that it would be the Welsh Conservatives or Plaid Cymru that would call off talks rather than the party which was supposed to be the most in tune with coalition politics Mike texted apologies which signified both his regret and his frustration and I rang Ieuan to arrange a meeting between the two of us for the next day to see if anything could be salvaged.  Co-incidentally David Cameron was in Wales at this time as he was spending time with the Dyfed- Powys police in Welshpool and he rang to discuss the options that now existed and to offer his support.

 
While the Liberal Democrats were able to overturn their executive decision, I think the damage had been done. There were clearly senior Liberal Democrats who opposed a rainbow coalition like Kirsty Williams who was on the executive and others like Roger Williams and Lords Livesy and Carlile who were not.

 
 That said Plaid Cymru did have an opportunity to step up to the plate after the Liberal Democrats had reversed their earlier disastrous decision and chose not to do so. I am sure many of their supporters must have wondered why.

 
 By now Rhodri Morgan had truly woken up to the prospect of a government without Labour, and from this moment on he played his hand well, having previously seemed badly out of touch with events.

 
 I fear Labour domination in this new alliance.  I do not believe Plaid have secured adequate, let alone strong representation, in the new government. Out of 14 government posts they hold 4. This is only one more than the Lib Dems held when they were in alliance with Labour in the first Assembly and they have 150 per cent more seats than the Lib Dems then had and there are now more government posts too.

 
 For my part I believe we have as a party come out of this stronger not weaker. I believe that we have adjusted well to the new realities of Welsh politics. I certainly felt we could do business with Plaid and The Lab Dems on the right terms and I respect Mike German and Ieuan Wyn Jones, whatever. our policy differences, and I wish Ieuan well in government.

 
 The very real danger we face is Labour domination - the government is Labour still!