http://blog.nickbourne.org.uk/2008/01/02/labour-in-wales-are-letting-people-down/ Leader of the Conservatives in the Welsh Assembly Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:32:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 http://blog.nickbourne.org.uk/2008/01/02/labour-in-wales-are-letting-people-down/#comment-34838 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:39:37 +0000 http://blog.nickbourne.org.uk/2008/01/02/labour-in-wales-are-letting-people-down/#comment-34838 It is rather ambivalent of Brown in Westminster to bang on about new politics, democracy etc while he undermines it at every turn. For example, he did not attend the vote on the Freedom of Information Act and MPs very early in his premiership and, closer to home, he won't entrust decisions about power stations more than 50MW to democratically elected Assembly members like you, Nick. He prefers to let unelected members of some planning commission to do it instead. I'm not ready to vote Conservative yet, though. It is rather ambivalent of Brown in Westminster to bang on about new politics, democracy etc while he undermines it at every turn. For example, he did not attend the vote on the Freedom of Information Act and MPs very early in his premiership and, closer to home, he won’t entrust decisions about power stations more than 50MW to democratically elected Assembly members like you, Nick. He prefers to let unelected members of some planning commission to do it instead. I’m not ready to vote Conservative yet, though.

]]> http://blog.nickbourne.org.uk/2008/01/02/labour-in-wales-are-letting-people-down/#comment-34836 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:28:11 +0000 http://blog.nickbourne.org.uk/2008/01/02/labour-in-wales-are-letting-people-down/#comment-34836 It was a risky course to take, for Plaid Cymru to ally with Labour in government, it is true, but it was a well-considered move in order to advance the cause of self-rule and the establishment of a Welsh Parliament, as well as to give Plaid credibility and valuable experience of hands-on government. It was recognised that the stance of Nick Bourne was well-intentioned but quite out-of-step with that of David Cameron and the great bulk of Conservative opinion throughout Britain, where almost all people favour the retention of the Union and the traditions of the British establishment, despite its decreasing relevance to contemporary British life. Any association with the Conservative party would have been detrimental to the cause of Plaid, as you must be aware, particularly as Plaid has its roots in socialist egalitarian philosophy and not in class division and capitalist principles which are not stressed but nevertheless still inherent in Conservative ethics. Furthermore Plaid derives the bulk of its support from former Labour strongholds in the populous post-industrial areas of the country. It is extremely difficult for a Tory politician such as yourself, with known loyalties to Wales and the advancement of the nation, to steer a course which is fundamentally in opposition to the views of front bench M.P.s and policy-makers of the Conservative Party in Westminster. These views must change before your party in Wales has any hope of contributing to the unity and not the fragmentation of the Welsh nation. Alan in Dyfed It was a risky course to take, for Plaid Cymru to ally with Labour in government, it is true, but it was a well-considered move in order to advance the cause of self-rule and the establishment of a Welsh Parliament, as well as to give Plaid credibility and valuable experience of hands-on government.
It was recognised that the stance of Nick Bourne was well-intentioned but quite out-of-step with that of David Cameron and the great bulk of Conservative opinion throughout Britain, where almost all people favour the retention of the Union and the traditions of the British establishment, despite its decreasing relevance to contemporary British life. Any association with the Conservative party would have been detrimental to the cause of Plaid, as you must be aware, particularly as Plaid has its roots in socialist egalitarian philosophy and not in class division and capitalist principles which are not stressed but nevertheless still inherent in Conservative ethics. Furthermore Plaid derives the bulk of its support from former Labour strongholds in the populous post-industrial areas of the country.
It is extremely difficult for a Tory politician such as yourself, with known loyalties to Wales and the advancement of the nation, to steer a course which is fundamentally in opposition to the views of front bench M.P.s and policy-makers of the Conservative Party in Westminster. These views must change before your party in Wales has any hope of contributing to the unity and not the fragmentation of the Welsh nation.
Alan in Dyfed

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