Lunatics in charge of the Welsh and Scottish Asylums

VFTN's concerns about the cost and constitutional questions posed by devolution for Scotland and Wales has always been tempered by a belief that too much power is concentrated in Westminster and the devolved institutions may reinvigorate politics by putting power closer to the people.
How wrong can you be?
Those of us who spend most of our lives in England rarely hear about the workings of the Scottish Parliament or Welsh Assembly and have seen only brief overviews of the current election campaigns. I recent visit to Wales, therefore, was eye-opening to say the least.
In the course of his career, VFTN has had the misfortune to spend a lot of time in council meetings across the North of England and has frequently despaired at the quality of people holding public office and the paucity of debate. Depressingly, most of them would wipe the floor with the characters taking part in devolved Government.
The Welsh Assembly candidates VFTN saw interviewed were often incoherent and could not even produce a decent soundbite. In one exchange, Rhodri Morgan was asked about how the campaign was going. His reply was that the candidates were in danger of getting sun stroke because of the weather. No policies then Rhodri?
A Lib Dem election broadcast opened with the memorable line "We all love Wales". Vacuous tosh. The main policy aired in this broadcast was that the answer to the shortage of dentists in Wales is mobile dentists. Now, as it happens, VFTN knows a few dentists. Their considered view is that mobile facilities are fine for doing a quick check-up but pretty useless for doing any significant treatment. One told VFTN: "All a mobile dentist will often do is confirm that the patient is right, that they do need dental treatment and that they should find a dentist."
As a hack, VFTN is ashamed to say the coverage of the elections was less than inspiring either. BBC Wales employs a goon called Vaughan Roderick. In a two-way last week he was asked by a presenter about the nature of the election campaign. Roderick's observation was that politicians were having to get "down and dirty" with the voters. No, VFTN does not know what that means either.
To be honest, better analysis was provided by the Machynlleth butcher who, asked about his local contest, said: "Well round here it's a two horse race. It's hard to say who will win but it will certainly be one of them."
Last night's Newsnight feature on the Scottish elections suggested it is much the same north of the border. A bunch of men in cheap suits looking like shifty used car salesmen and women power dressing Dynasty style.
All of a sudden, VFTN has new respect for the Westminster brigade.

Incidentally, check out the excellent Arsembly blog for more on the workings of Welsh politics.

Local news at its worst

So, you're in charge at a regional news programme yesterday and you learn that a student from your local area may have been caught up in the Virginia Tech shooting. You dispatch a film crew to his family home but it later turns out he was nowhere near what was going on. Do you a) scrap the item and use the time to tell viewers some real news or b) show it anyway as the top item on the bulletin?
Needless to say Look North chose b last night. Journalism it ain't. Having said that, VFTN can't even bring himself to watch Calendar these days with its diet of sick kids and animal features and barely a news story in sight.

Congestion charging, Manchester says no?

This story from the Manchester Evening News,which hasn't had much notice, suggests Manchester might be about to perform a U-turn and not introduce congestion charging after all. The city was expected to be one of the first outside London to do so as a way of getting more money for public transport. In fact, many in the North think it was the positive noises Manchester made about congestion charging which meant they got money to extend the Metrolink tram system whereas Leeds was told its proposed Supertram system had become too expensive.
If Manchester City Council (which is very cosy with New Labour) cannot deliver the support of surrounding councils for the scheme then the Government will be faced with a difficult question. If the country's second/third city won't adopt congestion charging, who will and how big a bribe with DfT have to produce to sway them?

Campaigning, Lib Dem style

Making an early bid for VFTN's 'Misleading Leaflet of the Campaign' competition is that of Altaf Hussein, Lib Dem candidate hoping to represent the north Leeds district of Roundhay. In his leaflet he attacks the "mindless vandals" who have ruined the recently refurbished cafe in Roundhay Park. The Government, he says "should fund more police community support officers to patrol at night."
Perfectly reasonable sentiments of course. Hard to see though what that has to do with the cafe being destroyed by...... erm..... fire. And the fire wasn't caused by vandals but...... erm..... an electrical fault if the Yorkshire Post ("Power fault confirmed as cause of cafe blaze) and the Yorkshire Evening Post are to be believed.
Mr Hussein also has strong views on Iraq, not something Leeds Council has much say over last time anyone looked. Oh, and he thinks post offices shouldn't shut and quotes two national newspapers over PO closure plans. He doesn't produce any evidence of plans to shut the Oakwood post office which rather begs the question why he is pictured outside it?
More examples please to theviewfromthenorth@hotmail.co.uk

Iain Dale On Devolution

Iain Dale has made a fresh effort to kickstart the debate on how to solve the constitutional problems created by devolved government. You can read it here.
Sadly, while Dale is right to say that "English Votes for English Measures" could only be a temporary solution he does not offer a clear long term way out of this mess.
While there is clearly a problem which needs a solution here i wonder whether it is the kind of issue the Tories should get too involved with now. I pity the poor candidate who has to stand on the doorstep explaining how the Conservatives want to create an English Parliament which would have many of the same people in as UK Parliament but not all of them and they would vote on different things.
The campaigns for the elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly will fuel this debate and it will flare up again when Brown inevitably relies on Scottish votes to get some future measure through the Commons. But I wonder whether, come the next General Election, it will really compete with health, education, crime and the economy as an issue which will sway votes.
Cameron should focus on the issues that will get him into power. Sorting out constitutional anomalies can wait until then.

Bad Day For Bush

Was it only me who thought George Bush's reaction to the bombing of the Iraqi parliament had the look of a man who knows he is fighting a lost battle. Just at the moment he is fighting with Democrats to secure long term funding for the "troop surge" the green zone is struck and a bridge destroyed. This can only strengthen the Democrats' hands.
It is also hugely unfortunate for presedential hopeful Sen John McCain who only this week was insisting that Baghdad was much safer than widely portrayed after touring a market in the city.

Teaching conferences: Easter's answer to the silly season

I am indebted to Chris Keates for ensuring the 2007 teaching conference season didn't pass without producing at least one absurd story. Apparently she believes the (rightly) successful BBC drama Life On Mars might be responsible for an outbreak of homophobic bullying.
Having seen one or two teaching conferences in action I can assure you that every year well meaning delegates from across the country gather at these events hoping to discuss matters important to their members, things like pay and workload. Sadly, someone invariably comes out with a random statement and the media, in the midst of an Easter lull (and education correspondents desparate to justify their expenses), laps it up. Its usually from some left-wing activist from London but in this case the normally sensible Ms Keates has fallen into the trap.
How many teachers actually go to bed thinking "I hope my kids didn't see Life on Mars, if they did they'll be hell in the playground tomorrow"? And how many NASUWT members will groan when they read this tripe?

Unethical Man

So Newsnight's "Ethical Man" has hung up his trademark suit after a year of efforts to cut his carbon footprint..... and promptly announced he is taking his family of five on a plane to South America. As someone who has recently vowed to forego flights to try and help save the world I had to resist the urge to throw things at the telly. Having said that, his decision shows the political issue flying is to become. When a man who has spent a year worrying about the planet cannot resist the urge to fly, what hope for the politicians to persuade people who don't really care about the planet that there one pound trip to Prague is not really necessary?

....incidentally there is a poll on flying on Tory Radio.