AMs Register of Interests

The South Wales Echo has a jokey sort of article about the publication of the register of interests, AMs do do well from freebees.

I actually managed to find the report of the Wales.gov.uk website, a bit of an achievement I feel, so am linking straight to the PDF.

Of our AMs no-one has anything very exciting to report though it does present a nice little opportunity to look behind the scenes at some of their other work - school governors, charity work and the what not.

In the news

Fury at 'compulsory Welsh' plan in the Western Mail documents upset over the plans for a new Welsh Language Act that would have financial services and insurance companies operate bilingually.

The Western Mail have a pre-report about Saturday's Rally after mosque attack.

Councillor Mohammed Sarul Islam, who is chairing the rally, said, "At times like this we all need to remain united in rallying against racism. We must not let fascists, extremists and terrorists divide our community."

Plaid Cymru deputy leader Jill Evans MEP, who will join the rally, said, "These cowardly attacks on mosques seek to create false splits between communities and make political gain from the tragedy of the bombings in London."

And Olympic deals are still being done, Cardiff bids to host Olympic athletes, South Wales Echo.

City Road's Centenary Festival

Thought you might like a few photos of City Road's Centenary Festival, held on the 11th July.

United Against Racism

The Cardiff Alternative News reports that a Cardiff mosque has been sent threatening letters and broken in to over the weekend following recent events in London. The details are as follows:

Solidarity Rally & Demonstration
Outside City Hall at 2 pm
Saturday 30 July
Supported by Unite Against Fascism, All Wales Ethnic Minority Association, Cardiff TUC, Plaid Cymru - Party of Wales, Respect - The Unity Coalition, Muslim Society of Wales, Muslim Councillors in Wales, Cardiff Stop the War Coalition, Kevin Brennan MP, Jenny Willott MP, Jenny Randerson AM and many others.

Jeff Baxter, writing in CAN, sums everything up rather well:

The assumption that Cardiff as a multi-racial city is some natural repository of tolerance and unity is a delusion which only results in a 'head in the sand' approach. Cardiff is just as capable of sliding into a culture of hate and antagonism as anywhere else. This incident illustrates that for some people the bombings in London have provided an opening for racial hatred and a hazy and pretty clueless religous xenophobia.

Of course the climate that has helped produce a new generation of the narrowed minded is the one of ignorance and stupidity over asylum seekers. This has in the main been created by the same politicians who now preach calm and tolerance.

In the end as ever if you want a open minded and tolerant city you have to fight for it and support those putting themselves in the firing line.

I am gutted that I won't be in Cardiff on Saturday and want to wish everyone who attends the best of luck for an important afternoon.

Action Network

The BBC iCan site has been revamped and turned in to Action Network, with a better interface and a more commanding name. I would really recommend people signing up, particularly if they are running or want to run a group, a campaign, an organisation or the whatever. It's really important that everyone be able to find people, help out, get involved, communicate and collaborate. So get out there and seize the day, etc.

Jenny Willott round-up

The big news is from last week, that Willott is on the work and pensions committee, but it is the reporting of the news that will bring on the glowing pride:

A number of highly thought of rising stars - such as Labour's Natascha Engel, the Conservatives' Justine Greening and the Lib Dems' Jenny Willott - are also taking seats on the work and pensions committee, while former Times columnist Michael Gove can continue to get his teeth stuck into Brussels on the European scrutiny committee.

Are Jennifer Willott and Justine Greening in league with one another? Greening's maiden speech followed Willott's (scroll down from here) in which she speaks fondly of JW. Glad to see Jenny is making friends.

She has also spoken in a debate on the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill, asking about international students, available here from They Work For You.

There are also two written questions, one on sudden adult death syndrome and one on licensing fees and rateable value bands.

So as Parliament packs all its MPs off home to lovingly attend to their constituents They Work For You tells us that Jenny Willott has spoken in four debates, asked two written questions and attended 72% of votes.

Jenny Randerson round-up

Jenny Randerson has been plugging away over that Welsh Development Agency issue: 'Sleight of hand' covered budget cuts, Western Mail.

Andrew Davies came under attack from the Liberal Democrats' economic development spokeswoman Jenny Randerson after a bundle of documents were disclosed to her following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

The material appeared to cast doubt on the Assembly Government's persistent claim that its decision to make swingeing cuts from a budget meant to 'match fund' Objective One European aid for Wales' poorest region was 'strategic' and did not represent a shortfall created by a cash crisis.

Ms Randerson also has a comment on NHS contracts awarded to CEO's husband's firm.

In the news

The big Assembly news of the moment: AMs' expenses system 'abused' follows Probe to be launched in to AMs' expenses follows AM's expenses questioned after leaked memo, all Western Mail. This story has also spawned Hain warns of tougher rules for Welsh AMs and AMs work harder than MPs - Marek, Western Mail. Peter Black has a few poits to make about Hain's remarks in Labour power-grab.

More on the Assembly and that pesky devolution White Paper: Assembly future divides leaders, Western Mail. Which leaders? The leaders in the House of Commons of course. Assembly members are not quoted.

A bit late for Jon Owen Jones comes 'Lib-Dems could pose a threat to a significant number of Labour MPs', Western Mail, from the crystal ball of Peter Hain.

A bit more locally (and older) we have Residents fight to stop phone mast, South Wales Echo, 8th July.

Residents around Roath Park in Cardiff packed a public meeting and vowed to form an action group to stop the 40-foot mast being erected.

Cardiff Central

Train station is closed due to terrorist threat, according to several people I've spoken to trying to get/changes tickets.

Hope nobody's planning on travelling by train in the next few days...

Also, security stepped up in Wales

In the news

South Wales Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood has been criticising the Prince of Wales and the amount of money he gets from taxpayers - Charles isn't committed to Wales, says AM along with news of Prince's private income rises by 11% to more than £13m, from the Western Mail.

Jenny Randerson railed against the Welsh Development Agency a while ago and now Davies orders inquiry in to WDA's activities, Western Mail.

A Vale of Glamorgan MP has been explaining why he rebelled against his party to vote against ID cards in 'The time comes in politics when you have to take a stand', Western Mail. More on ID cards in an article about the London School of Econmics report disputed by the government in ID card '£230 each' and 'risky breach of privacy', Western Mail.

More on the NHS: Welsh NHS 'showing signs of improvement', Assembly government admits no assessment mechanism after NHS restructure and Warning that services could be cut to make urgent savings, all Western Mail.

Further to Hain's criticisms of the electoral system for the Assembly we have Candidate limits may breach human rights, Assembly Speaker warns, Western Mail.

The Welsh Conservatives are taking steps to assert themselves, as outlined in 'We believe in the Union but the Tories must meet Wales' needs' and Bourne looks for clear blue water so Westminster sins not for Wales, Western Mail.

Rhodri Morgan writes about the EU funding problems in the Western Mail, 'Agreed EU budget better for Wales'.

A summer crackdown on drunkeness around Central Station leads to this rather hyped-up headline: Capital station's boozers better beware, South Wales Echo. The article is similarly hyped including this beautiful piece of non-existent logic where the first draft must surely have looked like this:

Mike Hurley, retail manager for Arriva Trains Wales, said: "The safety of our employees and customers is paramount and we are delighted to support the operation. Fortunately, the number of incidents at the station and surrounding area is fairly low. However, there are a number of homeless people social problems, common to most inner city areas, which can affect us."

And finally... to make life easier for a South Wales Batman, Mansion for sale with own cave system.