I just wanted to highlight the picture gallery of Aung San Suu Kyi in the Guardian showing behind the scenes of her early life and with her family to remind us of the other side of the most famous democracy campaigner in the world who is still a prisoner under house arrest in her own country on her 65th Birthday today.
The Gallery is HERE and there’s more HERE.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Is this the future of the Welsh NHS?
It’s fair to say that while there have been big changes in the way the English NHS is structured and delivers services over the last decade or so, here in Wales despite the endless reorganisations we still have a pretty traditional set up in health care provision which is why the announcement of a new Health Park to pull a range of service from dentistry to mental health under one roof to be built in Merthyr Tydfil yesterday is an interesting development especially as polyclinics were ruled out by WAG previously.
According to WAG the Health Park was decided on after a report into improving access to Health Services in Merthyr Tydfil and if successful could provide a blueprint for other deprived areas in Wales and maybe form part of a more flexible delivery of service in a 21st century Welsh NHS.
And even though Health Minister Edwina Hart commissioned the report and made the announcement, the original idea of a health park is that of Professor Mansel Aylward, now the Chair of Public Health Wales and originally from Merthyr that could be another reason for the go ahead in thus location as well as some shocking health statistics. Prof Aylward is quoted as saying ‘“I’m extremely happy to see the health park is now on its way, particularly so in such a difficult economic climate. The people of Merthyr deserve it.”
The clinic will be a three story building (designs are on the links below) and will also include space for voluntary sector groups, its due to be finished in 2013 and will then be monitored to see if it improves the health of residence in the Borough and if it should be repeated elsewhere.
More info in the Western Mail HERE and the WAG's press release is HERE
According to WAG the Health Park was decided on after a report into improving access to Health Services in Merthyr Tydfil and if successful could provide a blueprint for other deprived areas in Wales and maybe form part of a more flexible delivery of service in a 21st century Welsh NHS.
And even though Health Minister Edwina Hart commissioned the report and made the announcement, the original idea of a health park is that of Professor Mansel Aylward, now the Chair of Public Health Wales and originally from Merthyr that could be another reason for the go ahead in thus location as well as some shocking health statistics. Prof Aylward is quoted as saying ‘“I’m extremely happy to see the health park is now on its way, particularly so in such a difficult economic climate. The people of Merthyr deserve it.”
The clinic will be a three story building (designs are on the links below) and will also include space for voluntary sector groups, its due to be finished in 2013 and will then be monitored to see if it improves the health of residence in the Borough and if it should be repeated elsewhere.
More info in the Western Mail HERE and the WAG's press release is HERE
Thursday, June 17, 2010
WAG, Cuts and Public Opinion
While WAG is still making up their mind over whether they will defer the £163 million budget cuts until the next financial year, there was an article in the Times last week following the Joint Ministerial Committee that included a forecast of the size of the cuts for 2011- 12 for Scotland that might help them decide.
It says ‘Last month it was confirmed that the devolved administrations had the option of deferring until 2011-12 all or part of the budget cuts for this financial year set out in George Osborne’s UK-wide £6.2 billion package of savings.
Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, who attended today’s meeting along with the First Ministers of Northern Ireland and Wales, has already taken up the option to postpone the £332 million of cuts.
They will, however, be in addition to a forecast further £1.3 billion of cuts due next year in the £30 billion Scottish budget.'
Seen as Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and Budget Minister Jane Hutt are on record as having not planned for Wales share of the £6 billion of cuts widely expected this year if the Conservative won the General Election, we can only hope that they are making plans for the bigger cuts to the Assembly budget for next year.
Despite all the talk of cuts there has been little evidence of what the public thinks on the issues but YouGov have just released new figures reported on the UK polling website and they make interesting reading.
It states ‘The most topical questions at the moment are on the government plans to cut the deficit. 49% think this will be good for the economy, with 31% thinking it will be bad. The public are more evenly divided over whether the government will make the cuts in a fair fashion – 37% think it will be done fairly, 33% unfairly. 48% of people say that the cuts are already having an impact on their own lives. The government does seem to be in strong position to blame their predecessors for harsh cuts though, asked who they blame for the cuts in public spending, 48% say the last Labour government, compared to 17% who blame the coalition (19% blame both, 9% neither).'
Given that Wales is generally more left wing and reliant on the public sector it would be interesting to see the results of a Wales only poll (unlikely to happen) asking the same questions.
It says ‘Last month it was confirmed that the devolved administrations had the option of deferring until 2011-12 all or part of the budget cuts for this financial year set out in George Osborne’s UK-wide £6.2 billion package of savings.
Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, who attended today’s meeting along with the First Ministers of Northern Ireland and Wales, has already taken up the option to postpone the £332 million of cuts.
They will, however, be in addition to a forecast further £1.3 billion of cuts due next year in the £30 billion Scottish budget.'
Seen as Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and Budget Minister Jane Hutt are on record as having not planned for Wales share of the £6 billion of cuts widely expected this year if the Conservative won the General Election, we can only hope that they are making plans for the bigger cuts to the Assembly budget for next year.
Despite all the talk of cuts there has been little evidence of what the public thinks on the issues but YouGov have just released new figures reported on the UK polling website and they make interesting reading.
It states ‘The most topical questions at the moment are on the government plans to cut the deficit. 49% think this will be good for the economy, with 31% thinking it will be bad. The public are more evenly divided over whether the government will make the cuts in a fair fashion – 37% think it will be done fairly, 33% unfairly. 48% of people say that the cuts are already having an impact on their own lives. The government does seem to be in strong position to blame their predecessors for harsh cuts though, asked who they blame for the cuts in public spending, 48% say the last Labour government, compared to 17% who blame the coalition (19% blame both, 9% neither).'
Given that Wales is generally more left wing and reliant on the public sector it would be interesting to see the results of a Wales only poll (unlikely to happen) asking the same questions.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Chief Tory SpAd is paid more than Nick Clegg
Last week’s unveiling of the pay for Special Advisors of the new Government revealed one of David Cameron chief advisors; Andy Coulson is paid more than the Lib Dem Deputy PM Nick Clegg and only a few thousand less than the Prime Minister.
According to the Independent ‘The former News of the World editor, who was drafted in to run Mr Cameron's media strategy in 2007, receives £140,000 a year as director of communications at No 10, according to Cabinet Office figures unmasking the pay given to Whitehall's army of 61 special advisers.
While the figure is more than the £134,565 paid to the Deputy Prime Minister and all other Cabinet ministers, it represents a huge pay cut from the annual salary of £275,000 Mr Coulson earned as the director of communications for the Conservative Party. A government source said Mr Coulson had always been clear he would be happy to take a pay cut should the Tories win the election.’
Downing Street is home to 18 political advisers, who are paid from the public purse. Unlike other civil servants, all special advisers are allowed to give political briefings on behalf of their ministers. Steve Hilton, Mr Cameron's strategy chief, earns £90,000, well below the six-figure income he had been paid by the Conservative Party. Senior Tory sources said neither Mr Coulson nor Mr Hilton earned any extra income from the party as their contracts had been terminated. Gabby Bertin, Mr Cameron's spokeswoman, earns £80,000. Lena Pietsch, who does the same job for Mr Clegg, earns the same amount.
The figures, released were part of the Government's drive to inject more transparency into Whitehall, showed the total bill for special advisers was £4.9m, almost £1.9m less than under Gordon Brown's premiership. The number of advisers has also been cut from the 78 that were working under Labour at the end of March, to the 68 posts made available by the Tories. Seven positions have yet to be filled.
According to the Independent ‘The former News of the World editor, who was drafted in to run Mr Cameron's media strategy in 2007, receives £140,000 a year as director of communications at No 10, according to Cabinet Office figures unmasking the pay given to Whitehall's army of 61 special advisers.
While the figure is more than the £134,565 paid to the Deputy Prime Minister and all other Cabinet ministers, it represents a huge pay cut from the annual salary of £275,000 Mr Coulson earned as the director of communications for the Conservative Party. A government source said Mr Coulson had always been clear he would be happy to take a pay cut should the Tories win the election.’
Downing Street is home to 18 political advisers, who are paid from the public purse. Unlike other civil servants, all special advisers are allowed to give political briefings on behalf of their ministers. Steve Hilton, Mr Cameron's strategy chief, earns £90,000, well below the six-figure income he had been paid by the Conservative Party. Senior Tory sources said neither Mr Coulson nor Mr Hilton earned any extra income from the party as their contracts had been terminated. Gabby Bertin, Mr Cameron's spokeswoman, earns £80,000. Lena Pietsch, who does the same job for Mr Clegg, earns the same amount.
The figures, released were part of the Government's drive to inject more transparency into Whitehall, showed the total bill for special advisers was £4.9m, almost £1.9m less than under Gordon Brown's premiership. The number of advisers has also been cut from the 78 that were working under Labour at the end of March, to the 68 posts made available by the Tories. Seven positions have yet to be filled.
Monday, June 14, 2010
A man ahead of his time?
I have to be honest until I read Angela Elniff Larsen’s fascinating article on Merthyr’s political history over at the Institute of Welsh Affairs blog, I hadn’t heard of SO Davies, the former Labour MP for Merthyr Tydfil.
The article challenges the myths of Valleys Labour at least in Merthyr Tydfil, but the part that caught my eye was this ‘Throughout his parliamentary career, he was a great individualist, ever ready on occasion to attack the enactments of a Labour government. Consequently, on three separate occasions between 1953 and 1961 he was deprived of the Labour whip on issues concerning American bases in Britain, rearmament in West Germany, and opposition to the Polaris submarine programme.
S.O., as he was affectionately known, was also a fervent advocate of self-government for Wales, or Home Rule for Wales as it was known in those day — totally at variance with the official party line on the issue. He actively supported the tenacious Parliament for Wales agitation of the period 1950-56. In 1955, acting totally on his own initiative, and without even consulting his colleagues within the Parliament for Wales campaign, he introduced a Government of Wales bill in the House of Commons. Predictably, the measure floundered.'
It’s some proof for a cynic like me that not all Welsh Labour politicians or party members are one eyed tribalists, in hoc to the Trade Unions and incapable of independent thought and whose only interest is preserving themselves and their party in power at all costs here in Wales.
The article challenges the myths of Valleys Labour at least in Merthyr Tydfil, but the part that caught my eye was this ‘Throughout his parliamentary career, he was a great individualist, ever ready on occasion to attack the enactments of a Labour government. Consequently, on three separate occasions between 1953 and 1961 he was deprived of the Labour whip on issues concerning American bases in Britain, rearmament in West Germany, and opposition to the Polaris submarine programme.
S.O., as he was affectionately known, was also a fervent advocate of self-government for Wales, or Home Rule for Wales as it was known in those day — totally at variance with the official party line on the issue. He actively supported the tenacious Parliament for Wales agitation of the period 1950-56. In 1955, acting totally on his own initiative, and without even consulting his colleagues within the Parliament for Wales campaign, he introduced a Government of Wales bill in the House of Commons. Predictably, the measure floundered.'
It’s some proof for a cynic like me that not all Welsh Labour politicians or party members are one eyed tribalists, in hoc to the Trade Unions and incapable of independent thought and whose only interest is preserving themselves and their party in power at all costs here in Wales.
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