Over the Rainbow? Apparently not.

A tip - if ever you decide you'd like to know why the Rainbow coalition never came to be, please don't go asking Bethan Jenkins or Peter Black.

In fact this recent twitter exchange between the Plaid and Lib Dem AMs should be enough to make you lay the matter to rest!

It seems the friendly exchange began after an interested twitterer by the name of Marcuswarner, asked the following, innocent question:

#senedd is it only the 6 lib dem AMs that believe their 2007 coalition yarn?5:23 PM Jul 7th from web

@ Marcuswarner - it seems they are delusional. Eveyone at the conf yesterday were well aware of their role in the coalition negotiations....5:30 PM Jul 7th from web

@bethanjenkins you were considering rainbow option weeks after LD exec vote. Your rejected it. Nothing delusional about that.5:36 PM Jul 7th from web

@peterblackwales- your party refused it before that.5:37 PM Jul 7th from web

@bethanjenkins no it didnt Bethan.My party voted for it. Stop rewriting history.8:28 PM Jul 7th from web in reply to bethanjenkins

@peterblackwales i think you are the one doing that.8:40 PM Jul 7th from Tweetie in reply to peterblackwales

@bethanjenkins not at all. Review the events not the myths generated by your spin doctors.8:44 PM Jul 7th from web in reply to bethanjenkins

@peterblackwales- that's a really hard accusation- lying. I never wanted Rainbow. Why would I want to lie about the whole thing?about 23 hours ago from web

@bethanjenkins Your preferences at the time are irrelevant. You have adopted Plaid lies designed to spin a particular view of past events.about 15 hours ago from web

@peterblackwales- no I haven't. I will defend it so we could continue this for agesabout 14 hours ago from web

@bethanjenkins well if you are persisting in saying we voted against then clearly you have adopted Plaid liesabout 14 hours ago from web

@peterblackwales -http://www.timesonline.co.u...about 14 hours ago from web

@bethanjenkins article is incorrect in saying the Exec vetoed it as was evidenced by subsequent conf. Vote figures support my view on lies.about 10 hours ago from web in reply to bethanjenkins

@peterblackwales oh please can we leave this now? This is going nowhere!about 5 hours ago from Tweetie in reply to peterblackwales

@bethanjenkins I am not going to concede on the lies and misinformation Plaid are putting about. It is important that history not rewrittenabout 5 hours ago from web in reply to bethanjenkins

@peterblackwales- I have consulted a well know political pundit on this, and that person agrees with my analysis. I have nothing more to sayabout 4 hours ago from web

@bethanjenkins well he cant be that independent if he supports your distorted view of history #plaidrewritehistoryabout 4 hours ago from web in reply to bethanjenkins

@peterblackwales- he is not 'my' pundit! He is independent. What a laugh.about 4 hours ago from web

So there we go then. Things may be awkward in the corridor from now on. Or then again they do say "wrth gicio a brathu mae cariad yn magu"!

Thoughts anybody?

Dewi Dau

Jenkins v Banner: the big debate!

At Politics Cymru we were wondering what would happen if we could get a staunch supporter of further devolution to talk to a member of the 'No' camp.

Never ones for procrastinating too much - until it comes to real work - we set about organising a friendly debate between Plaid Cymru's AM, Bethan Jenkins, and Rachel Banner of True Wales.

You can listen to the result here. And spare a thought for the man in the middle of it all trying to keep tabs on the two feisty ladies, our guest presenter, Mr. James Snaith.

So what do they think?

So, the All Wales Convention has reported its first findings:

Do we want more Powers?

48% say 'yes'; 35% are against.

But how as this result gone down in Cardiff Bay?

Yesterday I met up with Plaid Cymru's Bethan Jenkins and the leader of the opposition, Nick Bourne, to find out what they had to say.

Bethan Jenkins:



Nick Bourne:



And while I was schmoozing in the Senedd, Dewi Tri was on the phone to Rachel Banner of True Wales.

Here's what she had to say.

Rachel Banner:



Dewi Dau

Bethan Jenkins talks to Politics Cymru

Dyma fy nghyfweliad i efo Aelod Cynulliad ieuengaf Bae Caerdydd. Siaradais efo Bethan Jenkins am ei gobeithion ar gyfer dyfodol datganoli ac am ei phenderfyniad i anfon yr holl-ebyst yna.

I spoke to Bethan Jenkins, Assembly Member for South Wales West, about the reasoning behind sending all those e-mails and about her hopes for the future of devolution in Wales. Listen to the interview in full here.



Dewi Dau

Getting things off my chest!

Just been watching the mighty Liverpool labour to yet another unconvincing 1-0 win. However I spent some time speaking to an enlightened individual at the same time. Having bounced some ideas off this middle-aged and somewhat crumbling wall I came up with some questions of my own.

Given that inevitably she will be campaigning for a 'yes' vote in any referendum on granting Wales extra powers, was Bethan Jenkins strategically right to launch this campaign?

Yes:

• We now have a debate: a real 2-sided contest and "no Vacuum" (see podcast 2) in which the All Wales Convention is operating.
  
• The 'danger' during this economic crisis is that we all look to Westminster for leadership at a time when people think/realise that London is where the real power lies...
• ...and if this is the case, what hope does Cardiff have of gaining support for more power to be transferred its way?
• Therefore, our youngest AM may just be trying to refocus people's attentions on gaining more power for our little 'insignificant-at-time-of-economic-crisis' Senedd. How noble. How admirable. How politically astute.

  But...

No:

• She may have highlighted a split in the Labour Party, who are supposed to campaign as one voice in favour of a 'yes' vote in any referendum. The One Wales agreement says so!
  
• Even her own party may be angry with her for 'going rogue'. Plaid had not said anything so far - save for Adam Price who's conveniently placed far enough from Wales - and would have wanted to save this sort of talk for when more pressing matters (did anyone mention we're heading into a recession?) are out of the way. Surely Plaid will only begin to fight the whole 'referendum campaign thing' when they think they can mobilise sufficent and telling support for it.

While people's minds are on Woolworths, VAT, and Alistair Darling is it really the right time to begin asking questions about enhancing Wales' powers? The big issue now is the economy (be sure to let me know if I'm pointing out the obvious) and since the main powers in this area remain in Westminster, it's normal that people are focusing on London.

So is Bethan Jenkins right in trying to bring the attention back onto the constitutional question and perhaps in suggesting that Wales needs more powers to be able to deal with recent job losses? Or should she instead wait until all this doom and gloom is over and look foward to the time when only the shiny question of enhancing the constitutional settlement is left unanswered?
As always, all your comments are welcome.

Dewi Dau

Bethan Jenkins kick-starts 'Yes' Campaign: 'Poyning' the way.

Anybody else never heard of Poyning's Law?

Apparently it's an appropriate way for describing the current complexities of the LCO system in Wales. Dewi Un will be fascinated!

Also interesting to see that somebody has finally launched a "pro-yes" campaign ahead of any referendum on getting law-making powers for the Assembly. Perhaps now we can hear both sides of the argument: with the "No" campaign having been launched yonks ago!

Of course Politics Cymru will be keeping an eye on all the developments so you don't have to.

Dewi Dau