12 Comments

• James Graham 24th May '07 - 4:55pm

  UPDATE: Talks could be back on as conference has its say after all.

• jamess 24th May '07 - 6:31pm

  I wish our scottish and welsh parties would ‘grow up’ and start doing the business with liberal nationalists (celebrating the nations rather than nationalism) and deliver from labour control – after the last fortnight’s decisions the welsh and scottish parties now risk at best becoming irrelevant and peripheral, and at worst a joke. Ming should intervene fast! The political consequences of what’s going on could be irrevocable for the party…their actions in walking out of coalition meetings on common policies like council tax replacement confirm peoples’ prejudices that we are not fit or mature enough to be in government…all disasterous PR. Paddy had to ‘force’ the scottish and welsh parties to behave co-operatively after the first set devolved elections…now they’re retreating back to bunkerdom and irrelevence, just as the political landscape and mood of the people in scotland and wales for greater autonomy is changing. Not suprising our lot should be messing it up really given the lightweigh leadership and candidacies displayed at times in the elections. Alas the more talented scots and welsh politicos in our party always focus on westminster to become leaders, celebs, lords etc (for hire…)..leaving their nations to the politics of parochialism and provincialism, rather committing time and effort to making devolution and federalism work.

• Guto 24th May '07 - 7:22pm

  The Welsh Lib Dems just killed off their party last night. It was the most pathetic, spineless and idiotic move I’ve ever seen from a so-called political party.

  It’s game over for them, at least when Plaid, Tories and Labour get over their dissapointment/anger they’ll have the silver lining of knowing that 4 Westminster seats and 6 Assembly seats have jusy become easy gains in the next elections.

  RIP Welsh Lib Dems

• Hywel Morgan 24th May '07 - 8:14pm

  “Ming should intervene fast!”

  He doesn’t have any power to do that. The joys of a federal party 🙂

  “Paddy had to ‘force’ the scottish and welsh parties to behave co-operatively after the first set devolved elections”

  Certainly not true in Scotland – read his diaries. He suggested compromises to help them come to an agreement but they were already in the room and talking.

• Moggy 24th May '07 - 10:46pm

  When are we going to grow up, accept the implications of PR elections, and act like we actually want the power to implement at least some of our policies? This party is begining to look like a 1980s oppositionist Labour make over.

• George 24th May '07 - 11:28pm

  Hang on guys, you can be for or against the deal on the table but let’s not go over the top.

  We’ve previously been part of successful governing coalitions in both Scotland and Wales that have delivered for the people of those countries, particularly in Scotland. But that doesn’t mean we become irrelevant or a joke if we are not in power. Agreed the situation in Wales is a bit messy, but that’s something that can happen when you have democratic structures such as ours. I’d still rather have them than not.

  So far as Scotland goes, I think our people have acted in a very mature way, both in taking the decision not to seek to stay in office, and in abstaining to allow Salmond to become first minister and promising to be constructive. Imagine what people would be saying if we had gone into coalition with Labour or the SNP. It would have been all about how we would do anything to keep our bums on ministerial seats.

  There is now an SNP minority administration in Scotland. Provided they work constructively with ourselves and the other parties to gain majority support for their legislation within the Parliament and do not focus all their efforts on grandstanding against the Westminster government, there no reason the government should not be stable.

  Many people find the idea of politicians voting for individual pieces of legislation on their merits, and each bill needing to command majority support in the parliament/assembly an attractive one.

• Oxonian 25th May '07 - 6:11am

  Whatever the process to get there, the outcome here is great news:
  A coalition with Cons & Plaid was clearly unworkable and would have rapidly broken down, whereas propping up a rejected Labour party would be dumb.

  As in Scotland, there’s no reason why we must support one of the other parties – after all, why don’t Lab & Con do a deal? They seem to have more in common with one another …

• Rob Fenwick 25th May '07 - 9:55am

  And a straight CON/PC coalition without the LDs would still be a minority administration, but with one more vote than Labour in the chamber. If the Cons and PC want Labour out, they could do it without our help.

• Rob Fenwick 25th May '07 - 11:54am

  welshproudliberal – I have removed your comment as your point was lost in the vitriol directed at another user. Calm down and try again, and I’ll let it through.

• Rob Fenwick 25th May '07 - 11:56am

  Same to ‘ihateguto’ – same person.

• welshproudliberal 25th May '07 - 12:00pm

  Ok, thanks Rob, I have calmed down now and will try again…..

  jamess, I take great offence to your post.

  You should not talk about Plaid as anything near “liberal.” They are socialists, nationalists and untrustworthy.

  Secondly, I don not understand how you can accuse the WLDs of having weak leadership and candidates and then say “send Ming in” It is ironic at best, idiotic at worst.

  Thirdly, You are clearly ignorant of Wales, Welsh politics, welsh people and the Welsh party. Perhaps as you seem to know what the Welsh party needs, the next time there is an election here, you could come and stand, you would get a very different view of the place than you have now.

  Finally, your ignorance is confirmed by your comment about council tax being on the negotiating table. Since when was LIT a Tory policy or a devolved area.

  Maybe think a little longer next time before writing an offensive and ignorant post.

• welshproudliberal/ihateguto 25th May '07 - 12:02pm

  I am sorry, just really angry this morning.

  The point was that Guto spends all his time on Welsh Lib Dem blogs criticising us despite clearly hating the party. I was just questioning his motives and why he feels the need to do this.