Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Prime Minister's Questions

Been to Cardiff today to guest on BBC Wales' programme AM/PM, which takes in Prime Minister's Questions. Its a great programme to do, and lasts from approx 11.30 until 1.00. Usually two guests. Today, I was on with Siobhan McLelland - again. I think that the BBC should consider giving us our own programme. We could be Wales answer to Portillo and Abbott.

What on earth was Gordon Brown talking about today. The Labour Party is in the most frightful mess about this demand for an early referendum on Scottish Independence by Wendy Alexander. The players are all contradicting each other. Last night, I saw Hazel Blears with my own eyes tell us on Newsnight that this issue had been discussed at a Cabinet meeting. Yesterday, we saw film of Ms Alexander herself saying that she had discussed her extraordinary statement with Gordon Brown. Today, when David Cameron asked him if he agreed with Wendy, our Prime Minister denied that Wendy Alexander had said what she said. It was totally bizarre to watch. I really thought Gordon Brown looked like a completely washed out Prime Minister today. He was so on another planet that David Cameron has to go easy to avoid making people feel sorry for him. And tonight, I've just watched David Miliband tell Jeremy Paxman that he had never heard the matter discussed at Cabinet, directly contradicting Hazel Blears. I've never seen anything like it. Labour is falling apart.

I then 'appeared' on Taro Post on Radio Cymru to discuss Darren Millar's outrage that some Welsh local authorities are buying Daffodil bulbs from Holland and England, rather than buying Welsh bulbs. Apparently there has already been a protest to the Conservative office from Cornwall, bitterly denying that it is part of England. Anyway, it was a phone-in and I decided to back Darren to the hilt, and was expecting a bit of stick for making a frivolous point. But I got 100% support from every contributor. Dylan Jones, who like s a bit of argument on his programme was dumbfounded. I finished by insisting that every true Welshman who buys a daffodil next St David'd Day should insist that the flower in the buttonhole came from a Welsh bulb. And I wasn't even mocked for that. When you're on a roll, even the daft things come off.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I finished by insisting that every true Welshman who buys a daffodil next St David'd Day should insist that the flower in the buttonhole came from a Welsh bulb. And I wasn't even mocked for that. When you're on a roll, even the daft things come off.

Did you manage to keep a straight face?

Glyn Davies said...

Sanddef - No, I didn't - especially since Leanne Wood and Bethan Jenkins were in close attendance at the time.

Southpaw Grammar said...

AM/PM...

As much as i enjoy your appearances Glyn, i cannot help but feel they should widen the net of participants- bloggers for example.

Me and Sandeff would make lovely tv! haha

Anonymous said...

The real issue this week is the non appearance again of Edwina Hart on last night's Dragon's Eye. The programme quite rightly highlighted the failure of the NHS in Wales to reach certain crucial targets. The programme interviewed Jonathan Morgan as the opposition spokesperson. But we then had the extraordinary sight of the government being defended by a civil servant. As for La Hart again she was hiding in the long grass. She really has to realise that politicians are expected to defend the effects of their policy decisions. It includes sometimes getting a bashing from journalists when things go wrong.

Dr. Christopher Wood said...

Glyn, as it is my mother's birthday today, try as I might I could not find a bunch of Welsh Daffodils for mum. Still, we will enjoy a real nice Celtic meal tonight and get in our month's supply of real bacon and sausages - might sound trivial, but 3.5k miles from home it is hard to find a good honest British sausage and decent bacon - not the strip bacon 'they' sell here. Bacon sarnies tomorrow. :-)

Anonymous said...

Me and Sandeff would make lovely tv! haha

Id spend the whole show trying to teach you how to spell my name correctly. Probably.

Che Grav-ara said...

Glyn I don't know what was a worse sight. Wendy Alexander's bonkers outburst that will backfire spectacularly on her and the Labour party in Scotland or Gordon Brown denying she said it. The sound bite that streamed yesterday was Wendy saying "Bring it On!" what does Gordon think that actually means?!

Anonymous said...

most intersting part of Dragon's Eye was the Prof from LSE telling the politicians that heads need to roll if Health targets are not met, can't see it happening mind you.

As for Edwina Hart one of my friends is convinced the Health Minister is a hologram :)

Anonymous said...

Heads will never roll in the Welsh NHS. Look at the average Trust board. All members of the don't rock the boat brigade with the main qualification being that they have been spayed before they receive Edwina's shilling. Anyone prepared to rock the boat such as Russell Hopkins of the Princess of Wales is soon given their P45. The obvious solution is direct elections and the board members would then ensure that targets are reached for the benefit of the people who would have voted them into office.

Southpaw Grammar said...

"Id spend the whole show trying to teach you how to spell my name correctly. Probably."

Yeah, ditto your punctuation, it is I'd, not Id.

Still nearly a good one my friend.

Sharpen up comrade.

Glyn Davies said...

Sanddef and Southpaw - You should fight. Which of you will be the clunking fist and which the stinging butterfly?

Waiting list lad - afraid Edwina Hart has form on not facing the media, and Ann Lloyd has form on being politically partisan (in my opinion that is).

Happy Birthday Christopher's mum - and we have a promise auction next week with Langford's donating 216 ot their prize winning sausages.

che - and she's said it again since Browen's very odd denial. This is very damaging to Labour in that it gives the impression of chaos.

Welsh lobbyist and Holby City fan - I know only one Board well (Powys) where the Chair is a former Labour Parliamentary candidate who has presided over the transformation of the local hospitals into a state where an indepenent report declares that they do not provide a safe service (form of words may not be exact but its something very close to that). Virtually all of the senior officers have gone as a result, but the Board is carrying no blame whatsoever.