Nick Colbourne

Ooops

2011-08-09T15:17:00.000+01:00

“Things got out of hand & we'd had a few drinks. We smashed the place up and Boris (current Mayor of London) set fire to the toilets.” - David Cameron speaking in 1986.

nick

Back home

2011-06-14T10:33:00.000+01:00

Home again after a lengthy break, culminating in being one of the few 'away' fans at Perpignan to see the Crusaders put in a fine performance against the Catalan Dragons.

nick

Thanks

2011-05-08T16:08:00.002+01:00

My thanks to all those who have been kind enough to contact me over the last couple of days. Your messages have been greatly appreciated and I'm delighted with the optimism we've received from moving up the result table in Montgomeryshire with a big jump in vote percentage.

nick

A major step forward

2011-05-06T12:22:00.001+01:00

My thanks to everyone who helped and voted, seeing us gain a 4.5% share of the vote to 11.4% and our best result since 1999. I'm proud to say we were just 30 votes short of our best result ever. Bearing in mind that this result came during another massive swing from LibDem to Tory, then I think it is not insignificant and hopefully an indication for the future.

nick

Animals Count Endorsement on YouTube

2011-05-04T11:20:00.001+01:00

Watch

I sincerely thank Vanessa and all the members of Animals Count for their support.

nick

A European Campaign?

2011-05-03T12:01:00.001+01:00

I read this story and was amazed to see the exact same problems emerging in Germany as we are facing here in Montgomeryshire. Giant pylons cutting through miles of beautiful countryside. Concerned locals don't want their homes devalued.

What I would genuinely propose and very quickly, is that the Montgomeryshire campaign contact their counterparts in the town of Schalkau and discuss the issues and tactics that they are employing and hey, why not work together in their respective campaigns?

Support from across Wales is great, but support from across Europe? Now that would be something to get rattling them at Scottish Power & National Grid!

nick

Newtown History Day

2011-05-01T18:43:00.003+01:00

More glorious weather today for Newtown's first History Day, and it was fun to join my 3 opponents in the stocks to be pelted by very wet and very cold sponges. Some direct hits have left me with a rather sore nose, but it was all worth it to raise some extra money for the Mayor's chosen charities.

nick

What exactly is it that's worth fighting for?

2011-04-30T17:03:00.001+01:00

It was a sheer joy to be out in Montgomeryshire today. After attending the Funky Dragon debate at the Red Ridge centre, I drove down to Newtown. It would be pleasant enough traveling through Cefn Coch, Adfa, Tregynon and Bettws Cedewain on any given day, but it was enhanced in the glorious sunshine. However what I did today that I've never done before, is actually drive very slowly and stop at various locations to take in the views.

I realised that whilst driving in other countries I've stopped to enjoy views, that are no more glorious than those on offer in Montgomeryshire. Rolling green hills and forests of vibrant colours all topped by a crystal blue sky. Would any other country in the civilised world tolerate the threat to such bliss? Would any other country consider the spectre of 56m pylons running through its heartland, to spoil the life of such rural beauty? Of course not, and that's why what we have here is worth fighting for, to preserve it for those not even born yet!

nick

A shocking tragedy

2011-04-29T00:10:00.003+01:00

I'm in total shock at tonight's news of the dreadful explosion in Marrakesh. The Argana was a lovely place to sit and watch the goings on in Djemaa el-Fna square, it was extremely popular with tourists for that very reason. The picture shows the view of the square from the terrace, somewhere we visited every single day of our week there in January, if not to eat then simply for a mid-morning mint tea. I feel so sad for those who have lost their lives, someone possibly sitting in the same chair as I took the photo from, doing nothing more than what Julie and I were doing 3 short months ago.

nick

nick

I Stand For Children

2011-04-28T11:54:00.001+01:00

In this hectic election period, we all get many requests for pledges, most of which I am happy to sign up to. Included in that list is the NSPCC's "I Stand for Children" pledge. I willingly signed up for that pledge, especially as I sit as a member of our local Family Panel. Someone has sent me a flyer requesting I sign the pledge, but unfortunately gave no contact details, so all I can do is re-assure them via my blog that I signed the pledge on the 15th April and received a confirmation email from Rebecca Wasinski of the NSPCC.

nick

If the wind changes, I won't

2011-04-27T19:44:00.003+01:00

I'm grateful to the many people who have written to me regarding the proposals of windfarm sites in Montgomeryshire. I think it's important to re-iterate my thoughts on wind power. I attended the site in Abermule a couple of weeks ago and took Joyce Watson with me. We were horrified at the short distance involved when we walked to the proposed 'hub' site.

My immediate thought when I attended my first meeting of those opposed to the proposals in Middletown was that 35% property devaluations would mean negative equity for so many already struggling to get by with the state of our economy, higher VAT, highest fuel prices ever. That thought came thundering back in Abermule.

It's not a new 'line' for me to take, I said it plainly last year on the BBC Wales debate with Betsan Powys in Welshpool, when it certainly wasn't the popular thing to say. Wales has water on three of its sides and if we consider that Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm located on the Burbo Flats at the entrance to the Mersey produces on average enough electricity to supply 80,000 households, then it's the way to go. Offshore wind is more dependable too. It's windier at sea than onshore and most importantly, it devalues no-one's home. It's not a change of heart or a cynical attempt to win votes, it is the exact same opinion I had 12 months ago. It is the exact same opinion I will have in 2, 3 or 5 years time. It will not change to suit political party, vested interests or opinion polls.

nick

Defending the indefensible

2011-04-27T14:43:00.001+01:00

As inappropriate as Cameron's remark was, LibDem's across the UK must be at the end of their tether to see Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander defending his Tory master!

nick

Not just a poor decision for Montgomeryshire

2011-04-26T12:41:00.002+01:00

I went to Shrewsbury this morning and driving along the A5 is truly hateful. Those people who really are so important that they have to get somewhere so damn fast terrified the life out of me. They baulk at nothing as they get the whole car width across the centre line passing the bothersome traffic holding them back. Their arrogance at causing road users traveling in the opposite direction to hug the nearside line is selfish and dangerous. It is a highway of death.

Moving the A&E facility from Shrewsbury to Telford is a poor decision for the citizens of Montgomeryshire. It is equally as poor for the road users of Shropshire.

nick

The shame of this Government

2011-04-25T18:41:00.001+01:00

Despite his young age, Joe Cotton shows more social 'awareness' than Education Secretary Michael Gove and his ConDem pals who can't grasp that scrapping the EMA and trebling university fees will deter young people from staying in education.

nick

Pot and Kettle

2011-04-24T21:00:00.002+01:00

Chris Huhne threatening legal action over "untruths" told by Conservatives opposed to the Alternative Vote system is a tad rich. For starters Mr Huhne signed the NUS pledge not to raise tuition fees and was then one of 8 Liberal Democrat MPs to abstain from the vote on Government proposals to increase them. I am also indebted to the SNP for this on the Energy Secretary's U turn regarding nuclear subsidies last December.

During the LibDem leadership contest, Nick Clegg registered a formal complaint about Mr Huhne's conduct to Lord Rennard, the party's Chief Whip and returning officer, stating that his rival was indulging in "the politics of innuendo, mounting false challenges and running a campaign that is handing political ammunition to the party's political opponents".

If anyone undermines their credibility it's Chris Huhne!

nick

Ed Miliband's address to Wales

2011-04-21T11:42:00.000+01:00

"The strength of Welsh devolution is a testament to Labour's achievements in office. Never forget that David Cameron tried to stop it from happening. As a Tory party candidate in 1997, he stood on an anti-devolution platform. But Labour is not running in these elections on the issue of constitutional change - that would be a diversion from the real task which is to the people's voice in the tough times created by this reckless Conservative-led government and their Liberal Democrat allies. No one should doubt that the cuts coming to your street, to every street, were designed in Downing Street. Labour stands for families struggling to make ends meet, for the opportunities of the next generation and for strong communities where we understand the value of what binds us together.

If Labour had won the last Westminster elections, we would have made cuts. But not so far and not so fast. The Tories and the Liberal Democrats chose to take our sensible, measured plans for deficit reduction and go 40 billion pounds further and faster. That is unfair because those cuts will fall first and worst on the most vulnerable in society. And it also the wrong long term choice for our economy because it will destroy the jobs and growth we all need.

A Labour-led Assembly will not be able to stop the reckless deficit reduction plans of the Tories and the Liberal Democrats in Westminster. But it will show that even in the toughest of times for schools, hospitals, jobs and skills there is - and there always will be - an alternative. When David Cameron and Nick Clegg say there is no alternative, they echo another era when another Conservative government practised the politics of division. The politics of division is the trademark of Conservative governments. But Wales shows we can do better. It shows we can do more than protest. We can also protect.

Despite the cuts from the Tory-led Government, there will be no lost generation in Wales this time around. That is the pledge from Carwyn Jones and Welsh Labour in this election - a pledge I am here to support today. We can make a difference, a real difference. But it will only be there if you vote for the one party that is determined and clear about keeping the parties of “there is no alternative” out of office. We will strive to protect what matters most. To put the next generation, hard pressed families and our communities first. These are our values. These are the choices we would make. If you want a party that will be your voice in tough times, vote Labour on May 5th."

nick

A day of very mixed emotions

2011-04-20T23:02:00.003+01:00

There was an excellent turnout at Glyn Davies's public meeting in Welshpool this evening, I'm heartened that so many people are prepared to stand up for our countryside. It will be a well supported campaign to keep those pylons at bay.

On the journey there though, I heard the dreadful news of the tragedy near Llanidloes. My sincerest condolences to those who have lost loved ones in this terrible incident.

nick

Wales's Police deserve better than this!

2011-04-19T11:39:00.001+01:00

In less than a week, I have received over 80 emails from serving Police Officers and support staff from across Wales. Each one details their concerns regarding the effects that the ConDem Comprehensive Spending Review will have upon Police Officer numbers across Wales and the service they are able to deliver from the front line for the people of Wales, much of which is also delivered through the Welsh Assembly. Added to this, the Police Service is now facing further attacks upon pay & conditions and The Winsor Report will affect them and their families deeply. The Hutton Report is also of deep concern to the police service and all future pension entitlements.

I promised to answer each communication personally irrespective of location within Wales and to date I have kept that promise. As a retired officer and Police pensioner, I probably identify with their concerns more readily than someone who has no connection with the service.

However what touches me the most is that each and every communication still puts the quality of the service delivered to us the public, as the topmost concern. It is heart warming to know that the service is still delivered by people who care about the communities they work within. Wales has 4 excellent Police forces, we are lucky to have them. They deserve better than the ConDems treatment of them!

nick

Tory promises that they can't and won't deliver!

2011-04-18T19:30:00.000+01:00

Who is this about, can you guess?

When he spoke to the Tory Party Conference in Cardiff this year, X said “It’s time for a fresh and coherent approach to economic policy in Wales - and that's just what we Welsh Conservatives have to offer. We would work with, not against, the UK Government to get our economy back on track.”

What his audience probably did not know at that time is that in the space of just one year X had racked up over £650million worth of spending commitments for his own constituency through a series of irresponsible, undeliverable shamelessly populist local press releases. Welsh Labour said today that the revelations had ended any economic credibility the Tories had in Wales.

In the Western Mail's editorial this morning, the paper said Labour was right to expose X's populist wish-list saying "we have serious doubts about the wisdom of making spending commitments in this way."

In the past year, X made 20 separate spending calls without the ability to deliver a single penny of it. Whilst the Tory Government in Westminster makes savage cuts to our schools, hospitals and public services, X has called for extra spending on schools, medical centres, stopping charges for credit card payments by councils, the chance to freeze council tax, the restoration of a pier, snow clearing, improved train services, business rate relief, preventing a library closure, creating a national park, licensing canoeists, improved road maintenance, better flood defences, pedestrian improvements and road widening and re-routing.

Actually it’s Clwyd West's Darren Millar, but the promises and bandwagon jumping sounds incredibly familiar in Montgomeryshire!

nick

Animals Count

2011-04-17T11:33:00.001+01:00

It's not often we get support from another political party, but I have been honoured by the endorsement from Animals Count.

It saddens me that so many people do see animal issues as mainstream, yet so often this isn't reflected in mainstream politics. I very much aim to rectify that if I'm elected on May 5th.

nick

Who's that man?

2011-04-16T13:55:00.000+01:00

Across Wales, Welsh LibDems are trying their best to distance themselves from Clegg, Cable and co. and who could blame them? Yesterday on BBC Wales Today, their candidate in Caerphilly repeated the mantra I’ve heard so often in Montgomeryshire and other places, “Separate entity to LibDems in London”.

So I’m in Welshpool today and I pop into a shop and there on the cover of the County Times and chumming up together are Montgomeryshire's LibDem candidate Wyn Williams (who I actually like) and Nick Clegg (who I don’t).

Sorry, but the Welsh LibDems are fooling only themselves in an attempt to avoid the meltdown that’s coming their way on May 6th.

nick

Vote to protect YOUR Police Service

2011-04-15T19:02:00.000+01:00

New figures have revealed that Tory cuts will lead to the loss of 250 Police jobs in North Wales, including 125 front line officers. This increased figure (up from the previous figure of 203) makes a mockery of the Tory-led Government’s claim that their cuts will not affect front-line policing.

These figures show the real cost of the Tory-led Government’s savage 20% police funding cuts. I want the Government to be getting more frontline officers on the streets and strengthening neighbourhood policing. Yet Ministers seem more interested in cutting police numbers than in cutting crime.

Because of the Government’s 20 per cent cut to the police budget our Chief Constable has been put in an impossible position. Across the country frontline police officers are being lost, officers are being taken off the beat to do the jobs previously dealt with by support staff, and neighbourhood policing is being cut back. Overall the Government has cut over 12,500 police officers and over 15,000 support staff across England and Wales.

Welsh Labour’s pledge to fund an extra 500 PCSOs shows that there is an alternative. The police cannot be exempt from making savings, but going too far too fast puts the fight against crime at risk. That’s why the numbers of police officers should be protected and why cutting crime should be a priority, not an afterthought.

nick

Oh he won't like to be beside the seaside!

2011-04-13T17:42:00.002+01:00

I have a feeling that Andrew Lansley will not be the last vote of no confidence we see in the public sector.

I trust Nick Herbert has a thick skin if he ventures down to Bournemouth for the Police Federation Conference next month!

nick

ConDems must stop this attack on our Police

2011-04-13T10:04:00.001+01:00

I am receiving quite a few emails from members of the Police Federation and their families. They concern the effects of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Winsor Report and the Hutton Report which are seriously undermining police morale. Public service delivery is inevitably suffering and will continue to suffer as a direct result of this. The Police Federation say quite rightly that "the three issues have created ‘meltdown’ within the Police Service; such a position has not been witnessed in the UK since the mid-1970’s when we saw officers leaving the service in droves."

I am honoured to lend my support to the Federation, but deeply saddened that this ConDem govt has brought them down to this. I joined in the 1970s and the Federation is 100% correct, there were many older and experienced bobbies who were leaving and who told this young probationary constable that they had families and couldn't afford to feed them. Our communities lost hard working, competent officers for all the wrong reasons and suffered for it as a result. And so it will be today, if we are to allow this disgraceful attack on the Police service to continue.

nick

The ConDems and our NHS

2011-04-12T16:26:00.002+01:00

I just got an email from a fellow trustee of an organisation I support. I have hidden his identity, but it's the message that is important.

He writes:

Have just come out of hospital and am grounded for maybe 2 3 weeks unless a massive change occurs to my leg (which is doubtful) I will not make the meeting on the 12th - sorry.
I was rushed in on Weds and then missed the laser surgery by 10 mins on Friday so now have to wait a MONTH ? It beggars belief at what has happened to our NHS.
So am in agony with district nurse coming each day and fed up too

Now someone try and convince me how the ConDems are not ruining our NHS

nick

Shame on them for thinking we'll forget

2011-04-12T08:46:00.001+01:00

They can airbrush Nick Clegg out of as many pictures as they want to, but they can't airbrush people's minds!

nick

The threat to Montgomeryshire

2011-04-11T17:23:00.007+01:00

After accompanying Joyce Watson in Welshpool this morning, we headed over to Abermule where I wanted to meet some residents who are not only bitterly opposed to the proposed windfarm ‘hub’ being built there, but who are genuinely concerned for the health of the village.

We all want to see Wales a better place to live; we all want to see Wales less dependent on fossil fuels and moving to renewable energy sources. The proposed location for windfarms and ‘hub’ do not tick any of the right boxes for me. Miles of 56 metre pylons with a 16 metre footprints spread across Montgomeryshire does not make Wales a better place to live in. Locating those pylons near schools, homes and communities does not make Wales a better place to live in. Allowing people to buy homes then threatening to drop 35% off the value of them and dicing with negative equity does not make Wales a better place to live in. Joyce and I also viewed the proposed ‘hub’ site with local residents and were shocked by the proximity to newly built homes.

Whoever the people of Montgomeryshire honour on May 5th will need to hit the ground running, if they genuinely care about this situation developing to the point where the argument is lost before the fight has begun. I am concerned that the consultation is taking place in a time when the Assembly is in recess and representation is not readily available. We must support those who work to resist the proposals, both in Abermule and at the other proposed 'hub' site in Cefn Coch, as well as the thousands potentially affected along National Grid's pylon corridors. We also need to ensure that in the very near future TAN 8 or Technical Advice Note 8 concerning Renewable Energy is reviewed and ensured to serve the people of Wales in a manner that is sensitive, practical and in line with technical developments.

nick

LibDem's knife goes even deeper into a generation of young people

2011-04-08T15:14:00.000+01:00

It's not often I'll agree with a Tory Minister, but in fairness I have to agree with
Universities Minister David Willetts when he says it is "important to look beyond the £9,000 headline".

Very true Mr Willetts, how about adding that you are rapidly ruling out all but the most wealthy young people in the country from achieving their potential by returning university education to an elite few. From now on forget grades, hard work and effort and concentrate on Home Counties affluence and privilege.

While I'm thankful of Labour's pledge to support our students here in Wales, I can't help feeling anything but despair for so many who are without that help across the border.

nick

Nice work...if you can get it

2011-04-08T10:43:00.002+01:00

Oh dear, there really isn't much to say about this other than it shows how out of touch some councillors are with the people they get elected by. Many on low incomes might even raise an eyebrow at learning some Powys councillors can and do consistently claim over £20,000 per annum!

Compare that amount with basic Nurses pay for instance. The Royal College of Nursing provided its own evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body and contributed to the joint staff side evidence for 2011. Those submissions were made as NHS staff face a two-year pay freeze for those earning more than £21,000 per annum and a minimum increase of £250 for staff earning less than £21,000 from April 2011. The pay freeze adds to other challenges including budget cuts, structural reforms and the threat of redundancy - all while demand for NHS services continues to rise.

It's a strange world!

nick

Wales Labour Launch

2011-04-07T14:03:00.001+01:00

I spent an enjoyable morning with colleagues from across North & Mid Wales in Llandudno today at the official launch of Wales Labour's Assembly Campaign.

Speaking to candidates from other areas was interesting, especially to note how Welsh Liberal Democrats across Wales are making every effort to hoodwink the electorate into believing they are not associated with Clegg, Huhne, Alexander, Cable and all the other Tory apologists. People across Wales are smarter than they give them credit for and to quote Roger Daltrey they "Won't get fooled again".

nick

Not voting Labour? Why you should think again!

2011-04-06T13:22:00.003+01:00

The daily embarrassment to the Welsh LibDems that is Nick Clegg shouldn't be ignored by the electorate of Montgomeryshire. In the past, voters have elected LibDems to represent them in Westminster & Cardiff with startling regularity. Consequently Montgomeryshire has been represented from a weak minority opposition group in both bodies. Of course that trend changed slightly when Glyn Davies won the Westminster seat last May and yes the Tories are leading in a coalition government with the LibDems, viciously cutting funding to the services we take for granted.

It is that very point which means that a vote for either the Tories or LibDems on May 5th will simply return an AM for Montgomeryshire to sit in another weak minority opposition group in the Senedd, but now with the added 'given' that they will endorse every savage, swingeing and unfair cut imposed on us by their ConDem Alliance colleagues.

To ensure Wales has a strong first line of defence against those cuts, Wales MUST return a government that is able to stand up for its people. Wales Labour is able to do that, it has a track record to prove it. For once I hope the people of Montgomeryshire realise they need representation from within that strong government and not from a point within weak opposition.

nick

Same party, same empty promises

2011-04-05T16:58:00.002+01:00

Just when you think it's safe to take a breath, along comes more LibDem waffle. Now Kirsty wants us all to not "focus on Westminster". Well she would say that wouldn't she, but who can blame her? One short year ago they were filling everyone's head full of promises and signing pledges they promised to keep. She's hoping we are all sufficiently gullible enough to believe that the Welsh LibDems are a completely separate entity to their less than glorious counterparts, currently aiding Cameron & Osborne on their attack on Britain's middle & working classes. How dare she take us for such fools!

nick

LibDems support the principle of privilege shocker!!

2011-04-05T12:10:00.004+01:00

There's more than a whiff of hypocrisy from Clegg in his latest attempt to downplay his role in propping up this vicious government by 'championing' the common man. Particularly as he and his colleagues have 'U' turned on their pledge to students and ensured personal advancement has become financially impossible for those born without financial privilege.

Perhaps the next time he's sitting in the Cabinet Room, he should put aside his glee that with just 57 MPs, he's found himself elevated to a position totally beyond his entitlement, and he should consider the Eton/Oxbridge brigade that he supports. There again perhaps he knew them in his Cambridge University Conservative Association days!

nick

Animals Count Endorsement

2011-04-04T09:34:00.001+01:00

In what I believe is unprecedented before in Welsh politics, it is a great pleasure to announce that my candidacy for Montgomeryshire has received an official endorsement from UK political party ‘Animals Count’. ‘Animals Count’ has a broad membership across the UK and works to produce a fairer society for both people and animals. Its leader Vanessa Hudson honoured me by saying “ We recognise Nick as an ethical candidate with shared values. There are many areas of commonality between our two parties and Animals Count looks forward to working with Nick through the Welsh Assembly to bring about greater equality for all. We would urge people who regard animal protection as an important issue, to vote for Nick on the 5th May”.

I am honoured to have my candidacy endorsed by the members of Animals Count. I very much share their concern that whilst many citizens regard animal issues as mainstream, other political parties have often poorly reflected them in the past. I would work to re-dress that balance.

http://www.animalscount.org/

nick

Value it? Then protect it!

2011-04-01T13:42:00.003+01:00

On the day Cameron, Clegg, Osborne et al increase their taxing of the sick in England to a whopping £7.40, it's worth reminding everyone that Wales's first line of defence to protecting the services that we rightly value so highly, is by ensuring the Tories and LibDems don't even get close to a foot in the Assembly door on May 5th.

If you value it and want to protect it, vote Labour.

nick

NFU

2011-03-30T14:25:00.001+01:00

My thanks to Huw Thomas and his colleagues at the NFU for arranging and inviting me to the launch of their manifesto yesterday in Meifod. The location of Dyffryn Farm was blessed in beautiful sunshine too.

nick

Cruelty is not entertainment

2011-03-27T17:25:00.002+01:00

I have been totally horrified to view the video obtained by Animal Defenders International of an elephant being regularly beaten by a thug working for a traveling circus. One thing I do know from my police service days is that very rarely do the 'good guys' get lucky and catch the wrong 'uns at the first attempt. Similarly I'll wager that ADI didn't manage to catch the first cowardly bully abusing animals in this shocking way.

In the world that we live in today, is there really a place for traveling circuses that trawl from town to town with stressed animals for supposed human entertainment? I don't think so myself and if I'm elected in May, I'd like to see the Assembly take a humanitarian lead on this and ban the use of animals in circuses in Wales. Of course a totally human circus is fine, but I find the animal versions wretched. The RSPCA say "76 per cent of the Welsh public supports a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses". Think about that in relation to the 63.5% who recently voted YES in the referendum and you realise it's time to do something about it.

nick

The March for an Alternative

2011-03-27T12:19:00.002+01:00

I was honoured to join Montgomeryshire members of the NASUWT for the trip to London yesterday to take part in the March for an Alternative. Cameron & Clegg need to understand the effects their "too soon, too harsh" measures are having on the citizens of our country. It was moving to see so many disabled folks protesting against the mean and unfair changes to DLA. Voting Labour in May IS the first line of defence against these cuts here in Wales.

nick

Can you afford to be educated?

2011-03-19T16:29:00.004Z

At no time whatsoever have I thought tuition fees were a good idea. I felt they were unfair when they were first introduced and I still maintain it should be every citizens right to a decent education, irrespective of social standing or wealth. The news that the Student Loans Company has as its highest highest debtor, an individual to the sum of £66,150 is appalling.

My daughters both carry the burden of their tuition fees around their necks. I find it bizarre that those who thought they should pay for their university education, acquired theirs for free. Paid for by a nation that benefited in the long run through having achievers fulfilling their potential. Yes fees are lower here in Wales and whilst I'm grateful of that, I am equally horrified that students in England are so unfairly treated. To throw a postcode into the mix for opportunity, is callous and cruel.

nick

We welcome the Co-op Dep Gen Sec to Welshpool

2011-03-11T22:17:00.001Z

It was a pleasure to welcome Karen Wilkie, Deputy General Secretary of the Co-operative Party to Welshpool this evening, when she addressed members of the Montgomeryshire Labour party. As a Co-operative party member, I particularly enjoyed learning about its history and early years.

nick

Value it? Then don't let the ConDems take it away!

2011-03-04T12:42:00.003Z

As the coalition government continues to squeeze every spare penny out of all of us, it's worth noting here in Wales that from April 1st, prescription charges in England rise 20 pence to a whopping level of £7.40.

If the Conservative/LibDem alliance in Westminster are prepared to tax the sick in this way, it must be patently obvious to their most ardent supporters that given the chance, they would seek to raise income in the same way here in Wales. Voting Labour on the 5th May will be the safest way of ensuring a first line of defence to protect the services we rightly value so highly.

nick

Time to get tougher on animal cruelty

2011-03-02T23:12:00.001Z

Criminal Damage? Sorry, but the UK's Animal Rights legislation needs an overhauling and quickly. Despicable cruelty is not comparable with breaking a window!

It really is time we saw comprehensive laws that are easily understood and with punishments that are fit for purpose. The current vaguely worded ambiguity and wishy-washy 5 year bans are totally insufficient to achieve what they should do.

nick

A false and dengerous economy

2011-02-26T13:07:00.003Z

The ConDem cabinet were indeed slow off the mark in taking steps to protect British citizens, but not slow in quite rightly praising the crew of HMS Cumberland for their dedication and skill in evacuating so many fro Libya.

Perhaps they should also remember that she is earmarked for de-commissioning this summer in their draconian SDSR, based upon economic reasons alone and completely failing to take into account that this is always an unpredictable world where emergencies and crises are only a heartbeat away. Lord West summed it all up yesterday by pointing out that an aircraft carrier complete with helicopters would have been the ideal method to evacuate folks, especially those trapped inland. In less than 12 months this farcical Alliance has tried its best to nullify the Royal Navy, now perhaps the penny has begun to drop?

nick

Too late for apologies Mr Cameron

2011-02-24T13:25:00.000Z

The Prime Minister can apologise until he's blue in the face, but the fact is he himself was in Egypt last week and he should have realised what is happening in North Africa and the Middle East. He personally should have ensured arrangements were being made to cover all possible developments including the safety of British citizens, based on what he heard and saw with his own eyes. Otherwise what was the point of his visit?

nick

Official Launch as Montgomeryshire's Labour Candidate

2011-02-18T00:23:00.003Z

I am indebted to Carl Sargeant AM, Minister for Social Justice and Local Government and to Joyce Watson AM for Mid & West Wales, who both kindly attended my official launch in Newtown as Assembly Candidate for Wales Labour in Montgomeryshire.

nick

Nothing to be learnt from history in this instance

2011-02-03T13:28:00.001Z

On such a sad day, maybe a history lesson wasn't exactly what people wanted to read.

Glyn Davies also does Lembit Opik a dis-service, as I distinctly remember Lembit took part in discussions with the company when he was the MP. Strangely Mr Davies doesn't list anything he that he's done to try and save Shop Direct since replacing Mr Opik.

nick

Debt Advice needs to be Independent and Free

2011-02-01T12:54:00.002Z

I really hoped that after my involvement in clearing up my Mother's debts and the media work that followed, that I'd never see headlines such as these.

As the coalition plunge more citizens into poverty on a daily basis, sound and free debt advice is an essential safety valve. Debt management companies who charge fees will see this as an opportunity to make hay. The most important thing I learnt throughout 2006 was anyone who says they can help you out of debt, but for that help put you further in debt, isn't your friend!

nick

Ben Muskett

2011-01-22T15:59:00.002Z

Julie and I have just returned from a short break to discover the tragic news about Ben Muskett.

Ben was a music teacher at Llanidloes High School and a member of the Montgomeryshire Labour Party. He suddenly arrived in my life a few months ago with an email that was informative, funny, methodical and it simply spoke volumes about the author. You could tell that he was a thoroughly decent and likeable young man, who had already been incredibly successful in his short life. I rang him that same afternoon and we discussed several issues including football, I remember his closing words that day were "well the Tottenham game is starting, so I'd better be off!" He knew me too well in such a short time. We exchanged several emails thereafter, I know I'll keep them all as a reminder. Ben also knew he was going to play an important part in our Assembly campaign this year and he spoke of his delight in taking on that commitment. Tragically Ben died in a road accident on the A470 on the outskirts of Dolgellau on Friday, January 14. He was just 25 years old.

I already miss him, I'm sure his family are despairing at the void he has left. I am also saddened for the pupils that Ben taught, they too have lost something special. His infectious enthusiasm will undoubtedly have left a mark on their lives that will last forever.

nick

Why are the LibDems allowing this to happen?

2011-01-06T13:18:00.003Z

If George Osborne really does think that raising VAT is 'progressive', could he explain how it helps over 2 million people in this situation?

Borrowing on credit cards to pay for 'essentials' like a roof over your head or food is clearly a dreadful situation for anyone to find themselves in. Blink and the next rent/mortgage payment is due, no doubt whilst the credit card bill not only remains unpaid, but is compounded by the added interest. Paying extra in VAT is the final nail in many peoples financial coffin. For the LibDems to proclaim that they stand for "Change for real, change for good" and to support the hardships this coalition is forcing on so many people beggars belief. Small wonder that 11% and falling will be Clegg's legacy to his party.

nick

Happy Christmas

2010-12-25T11:26:00.001Z

I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year

nick

Don't shoot the messenger Lembit

2010-12-23T12:24:00.003Z

I know he'll say anything if a television camera is pointed at him, but Lembit misses the point here.

It doesn't matter a jot if it's Telegraph journalists or regular constituents, if the comments made are inappropriate, especially for a Business Secretary. Furthermore, to openly admit you believe in something, but voted for the complete opposite shows contemptible behaviour, but not by the journalists who broke the news!

nick

Radio Maldwyn

2010-12-15T18:40:00.000Z

I'm saddened by the severe financial problems that have affected Radio Maldwyn. I know it was a regular listen for many people in the area. Hopefully a buyer will be found quickly.

nick

Administration Fee required

2010-12-11T11:35:00.002Z

If ever central Government needed to get to grips with an abuse of consumers, it's with the farcical practice of 'administration fees'. From budget airlines to banks, from ticket agencies to car insurance, they're all at it. Adding a blanket fee with no explanation of where the fee is going or how it is calculated. They want us to pay for someone already sitting in an office getting paid and who without our custom would be making the tea. In other words, they want us to cough up a little bit more in order to maximise profits.

Legitimate companies getting away with it for years are precisely why scammers and con artists adopt the same line when seeking to fleece innocent victims with scams such as fake lottery and share dealing. 'Administration fee' has become an acceptable term for adding x, y, and z onto the bill with absolutely no explanation and we as consumers have allowed it to wash over our heads and absorbed into our psyche as being perfectly normal.

Why can't we see someone championing our cause to have at least a detailed breakdown of why such fees are added?

nick

What happened to Dave's 'Fair Britain' line?

2010-12-01T23:17:00.001Z

During the GE campaign, I made no secret of the fact that I had never supported the introduction of tuition fees for university students. I still find it shabby that a collection of people who obtained their degrees courtesy of the state, saw fit to deny generations of young people the same right. We all benefit from having a society with a depth of talent available to fulfil challenging roles.

I'm not happy that my daughters are now both burdened with a shadow of debt that stretches out ahead of them for many years. That's why despite the welcome news of the Assembly Govt's decision to protect Welsh students, I am deeply disappointed that for some young people in our nation, my daughters debts will soon look like chicken feed compared to theirs and worse still, a degree will become a matter of a postcode lottery. That can't be right and I wonder how it fits in with David Cameron's 500-day programme for turning Britain into a “strong and fair society”. If he ever truly meant that, he'd be having a re-think right now and do something positive to bring it about!

nick

A step in the right direction

2010-11-30T21:52:00.005Z

I'm delighted we're finally going to see the introduction of a 5p charge on plastic bags. Whether it's enough to deter the laziest of litter louts remains to be seen, but hopefully it will eliminate the issuing of bags for the most minor items and spur many into re-using bags that needn't be disposed of after one use. Most importantly, we'll be sending fewer to landfill where estimates range from 500 to 1,000 years for them to degrade.

nick

Justice....eventually

2010-11-30T12:56:00.002Z

There can't be many bigger chasms in law than the difference between one judge deciding imprisonment is an appropriate punishment and the appeal court deciding that it is not, particularly for the woman concerned and for her family.

She was poorly served by British justice for 18 days, she has much to feel aggrieved about. I really hope she can come to terms with the whole nightmare quickly and get on with her life.

nick

We deserve better than their contempt

2010-11-25T17:08:00.003Z

David Cameron must wake with a shudder every day, worrying who amongst his ranks has dropped the daily gaffe. New Tory peers or old Tory peers, even Welsh Councillors are in on the act to offend the very people they profess to serve. There again Mr Cameron finds it easy to offend those who purportedly are his colleagues.

The truth is they simply aren't fit to govern. The country deserves better than this and the sooner the rickety old coalition falls apart the better.

nick

White Ribbon Day

2010-11-24T16:11:00.001Z

While some men are part of the problem, all men can be part of the solution!

I'm delighted to be part of a team that will be out selling White Ribbons, but you can help online too, by making a pledge to never commit, condone, or remain silent about men's violence against women in all its forms.

nick

The tip of the iceberg

2010-11-19T16:08:00.003Z

Is anybody seriously surprised by this story and Lord Young's attitude to those worse off than him? Nothing has or ever will change in the Tory psyche when it comes to those who live on what they perceive to be the grubbier side of the tracks. Every single day that passes where Clegg, Cable and all the other sycophantic Liberals allow this debacle of a government to exist, heaps more irreversible shame on them!

nick

Jennifer Jackson

2010-11-18T15:40:00.000Z

I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and fellow AVOW trustee Jennifer Jackson. Jenny had a wicked sense of humour and I will fondly remember the cheeky laugh that went with it.

nick

On Passing the New Menin Gate

2010-11-11T12:27:00.002Z

On Passing the New Menin Gate by Siegfried Sassoon

Who will remember, passing through this Gate,
The unheroic Dead who fed the guns?
Who shall absolve the foulness of their fate, -
Those doomed, conscripted, unvictorious ones?
Crudely renewed, the Salient holds its own.
Paid are its dim defenders by this pomp;
Paid, with a pile of peace-complacent stone,
The armies who endured that sullen swamp.

Here was the world's worst wound. And here with pride
'Their name liveth for evermore' the Gateway claims.
Was ever an immolation so belied
As these intolerably nameless names?
Well might the Dead who struggled in the slime
Rise and deride this sepulchre of crime.

nick

What did they expect?

2010-11-10T17:26:00.001Z

It's very sad to see young people being reduced to this. Don't the LibDem MPs who signed the NUS pledge realise what they've done to the future hopes of so many young people?

nick

I never thought I'd say this!

2010-11-08T13:32:00.003Z

I'm not sure that it's all down to cost as the cause of 20,000 empty seats at Saturday's game against Australia.

When I was younger, visits to these shores by Australia, the All Blacks and Springboks were on a regular cycle, but there were long periods of time between each visit. Autumn internationals on an annual basis make those visits far less special, in fact they make it easier to see Australia at the Millennium stadium than England or Scotland who visit every two years. Add that factor to Sky's coverage of Tri-Nations rugby and the aura and mystique of southern hemisphere teams is eroded by familiarity. A few weeks ago my sister in law sent me a text from Ellis Park saying she was at the Lions game. I replied saying I was watching it on Sky and whereabouts were they sitting! Moving rugby into the full spotlight of televised sport has not been 100% beneficial for the health of the game.

nick

Hypocrite

2010-11-03T14:58:00.001Z

What's a pledge worth alongside a ministerial car & chauffeur and all the trappings of imagined power?

nick

The miserable side of travelling

2010-10-27T15:43:00.003+01:00

It's a mess! From the moment you arrive at the airport, the whole security system is fractious and frustrating. More to the point, it doesn't work. No wonder Martin Broughton is calling for much needed changes.

I have a pal who is a deputy manager of a major US airport. He reckons the mantra is 'if you maximise the inconvenience to the customer, they'll believe you're doing the job properly'. The plain truth is it just isn't 100% possible. We do a fair amount of flying and I accept security checks need to be done, but if Liverpool airport for instance is anything to go by, you might as well do away with all of it. I've walked through the metal detector having forgotten to remove my belt, but no alarm bell rang. I've walked through with boots on and seen Julie behind me having to remove sandals. Last month I witnessed a maniac in uniform demand a woman empty a bottle of boiled water she had because 'that's the rules'. Her protest with a tin of SMA in one hand and baby in the other was lost on him.

It's a shambles and it needs reviewing urgently!

nick

A dangerous false economy

2010-10-26T22:43:00.001+01:00

I never disguised my concerns at the complete waste of public money that Richard Brunstrom saddled (sic) with his ill-advised and ineffective mounted unit. However, I would be the first to stand by the daily work of police helicopter units across our nation.

I really hope that we don't see the scrapping of the Dyfed-Powys helicopter. It's easy to quote figures today, it's impossible to know what will happen tomorrow and where it may be urgently needed

nick

An evening with the Rossonero

2010-10-19T16:01:00.005+01:00

Just back from a very enjoyable Milan trip which included one on the bucket list, watching an AC Milan game at the San Siro. Well that was the original intention, however the incredible atmosphere and warm welcome to foreign fans has meant I'm already working on how and when to return.

nick

For Whose Benefit?

2010-10-11T12:43:00.001+01:00

Six major Welsh charities have joined forces to condemn the Westminster government’s proposed cuts to housing benefit and local housing allowance.

Shelter Cymru, Community Housing Cymru, Mind Cymru, Citizens’ Advice Cymru, Gofal and Cymorth, together with the Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Landlords Association, the Welsh Tenants Federation say that the cuts will have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable people in our society and contribute to homelessness, housing need and poverty.

The proposed changes were announced in the UK government’s emergency budget in June and further announcements are expected in the Comprehensive Spending Review, which will be published on 20 October.

To sign the online petition calling on the UK government to reconsider the cuts to housing benefit and local housing allowance, please go here

nick

The Rebel who had no Cause

2010-09-30T11:27:00.003+01:00

As the sad news reaches us of the death of Hollywood legend Tony Curtis, it is also the 55th anniversary of the untimely death of James Byron Dean. It was the day an icon was born, an icon that certainly played a huge role in popular culture during my formative years. Last year we stopped at the site of the crash in Cholame, California. The memorial is about 800yds from what is today a busy intersection.

nick

There's no Top Card for Bad Credit

2010-09-27T16:20:00.000+01:00

You couldn't make this up! This card issued by Crapit...sorry Capital One is advertised on Totallymoney.com as the 'Top Card for Bad Credit'. Maybe that should read 'Top Card for getting deeper into debt'.

Debt crisis! What debt crisis?

nick

Ed Miliband

2010-09-25T17:33:00.002+01:00

Warmest congratulations to the new leader of our party, who picked up four 1st choices from our house. Of course Boulton, Burley et al couldn't accept the win graciously, but immediately stooped to quote the bookies odds on the next General Election.

nick

AVOW AGM

2010-09-17T14:48:00.001+01:00

It was a pleasure to welcome Carl Sargeant AM to our AGM this morning as the guest speaker. It is undoubtedly a worrying time for the Third Sector and members certainly appreciated his honesty in his concerns for their funding.

nick

Ah, but things are different now!

2010-09-04T14:26:00.001+01:00

When HMRC lost 2 data discs in 2007, LibDem MP Chris Huhne said "I think it's going to be very hard for ministerial heads not to roll."

It should be interesting to see if he considers HMRC screwing up 6 million tax bills with the same view!

nick

Laurent Fignon

2010-08-31T18:38:00.001+01:00

Sad news today. At just 50 years of age, Laurent Fignon has lost his battle with cancer. The story of how he lost the Tour by 8 seconds far too often obscures the fact that he won it twice.

nick

Thanks 'arry

2010-08-26T14:04:00.000+01:00

Not a bad day to be a Tottenham fan

nick

No one was a junior partner at the Battle of Britain

2010-08-20T14:10:00.001+01:00

Our Eton educated Prime Minister was obviously wagging when his history lesson concerning 1940 took place. So Dave, if you happen to read this please take the time to also remember that as we commemorate them today, the numbers who were awarded the Battle of Britain clasp for having flown at least one authorised sortie with an accredited unit of RAF Fighter Command is as follows:

Great Britain - 2,342
Australia - 32
Barbados - 1
Belgium - 28
Canada - 112
Czechoslovakia - 88
France - 13
Ireland - 10
Jamaica - 1
Newfoundland - 1
New Zealand - 127
Poland - 145
Rhodesia - 3
South Africa - 25
United States - 9

nick

Summer

2010-08-17T22:36:00.003+01:00

While I'm enjoying something of a summer break, if the weather would only improve, I've decided to try and stop the rubbish spam I'm getting sent every day. Sadly that means only members can contact me through the blog at the moment.

nick

Mike Peters & The Alarm

2010-07-18T23:36:00.001+01:00

It was a nice surprise to see Mike Peters busking outside Barclays Bank in Queen Street, Cardiff last Friday. He was promoting gigs that are raising money for cancer care in South Wales and it was a delight to meet him as I've long admired his work in helping others.

nick

Why do we let our young die so needlessly? (iii)

2010-07-03T12:31:00.003+01:00

Are we just going to give up, throw our hands in the air and say "well there's nothing we can do, so rather than prevention we'll just settle for detection" or are we ever going to get to grips with this futile and destructive plague that blights our society?

The excellent poster from Darlington Youth Offending Service

nick

The party of law & order? You 'aving a laugh?

2010-06-29T14:44:00.001+01:00

Back during the Election, I was told I was 'scaremongering' when I warned that Cameron would take his lead from Johnson in London, where there are now 455 fewer Police officers than in 2008. The traditional party of law & order wouldn't do that to our nation, some even tried to tell me on the doorstep that Labour were 'soft' on criminals and yet the news was all about our prisons bursting at the seams with no room to spare. Not exactly leaving the ordinary citizen to the mercy of criminals there then. Well now this, no less than the President of ACPO Sir Hugh Orde is warning of fewer officers on our streets. The truth is the Tories and the FibDems have no idea what our streets are like for the majority of us. Why should they? They only venture out onto them once every 5 years!

nick

The last time playing on these shores?

2010-06-25T13:31:00.003+01:00

When I was younger, the end of a Test series especially Australia always meant not seeing the old enemy again for a very long time. Fortunately times have changed and there's a lot of cricket on our screens all year round.

However this explosion of cricket also means that after last year's Ashes tour, the Aussies are back already playing a series of one dayers, including the game we're going to on Sunday at Old Trafford. Most importantly for me, I reckon it will be my last chance to see one of my favourite players live, Ricky Ponting. More often than not, he's the man we love to give stick to. Well he is Captain of the Aussies, but it's inescapable that Ricky plays the game as it's meant to be played, to win it. He's a doggedly brave and talented opponent with a never say die attitude. When he does retire from the game Australia will miss him. More to the point, we'll miss him as fans.

nick

Nick Clegg - Why you can't trust him or his party!

2010-06-20T08:43:00.000+01:00

A suggestion for the Discovery channel. After the success of Bear Grylls, Born Survivor how about Nick Clegg, Born Liar?

nick

What The Sun would like us to forget

2010-06-19T14:01:00.002+01:00

After opting to support the Tories, I feel it's only right to remind ourselves of this other spectacularly misplaced piece of arrogance from Wapping's least finest!

nick

For Fabio

2010-06-19T13:24:00.001+01:00

nick

The new dirty 'F' word

2010-06-17T09:35:00.004+01:00

Not so long ago and in a land very close by, there was a dirty 'F' word. It lived in docklands and on football terraces. Broadcasters went into meltdown if it appeared on our screens. But the dirty 'F' word grew old and tired and had to retire to Hollywood for the sunshine. Sadly another dirty 'F' word saw it's opportunity to take centre stage. A much nastier 'F' word that truly did damage our communities and society in general. Worse still, the new 'F' word had influential friends in very high places who nurtured it and even encouraged it to spread it's venom.

That new ogre is of course 'Funding'. I've attended three meetings of third sector organisations in the last week. Each one revolved entirely around the perilous state of the economy and how it affects funding. For all of Cameron's rhetoric about valuing the Third Sector, "should be called first sector" and "Funders are not treating third sector organisations as partners" for just two examples, the truth is the overwhelming majority fear a funding Armageddon. And why shouldn't they? They've had absolutely no indication from this new ragtail ensemble that the future is going to be anything but bleak. The corollary of which will be those citizens who give up their time and efforts to make our communities better places to live, are getting squeezed out of the opportunity to do so. More contemptible because this government is made up of 'career politicians' who simply can't fathom out why someone would do something for nothing because altruism never crosses their radar.

When this administration falls apart, albeit in the not too distant future, it will still be too late for many worthy causes who will have simply run out of money. That will be Cameron's legacy to our nation together with a new dirty 'F' word, 'fallow'.

nick

The Heart of a Lion

2010-06-11T12:48:00.001+01:00

Poor Mabida, how much heartache can one man endure?

When we visited Robben Island, it was distressing to be shown the Duty Officer's desk and our guide recalling how the poor man was marched out in front of it to be callously told "You think you're son is coming to visit you today, well think again, he's been killed in a car crash. Now back to your cell".

He truly has the Heart of a Lion! I pray it can overcome this latest crushing event.

nick

The blot on Old Trafford's landscape

2010-06-05T09:26:00.003+01:00

We went to Old Trafford yesterday for the first day of the 2nd Test against Bangladesh. It was my first sighting of the new media centre and I am astounded at its sheer size and worse, its ugliness!

In the world of architecture there are some very strange ideas indeed, but how this gargantuan also made it through the planning stages escapes me.

nick

Clinton Eastwood Jnr

2010-05-31T22:03:00.001+01:00

Happy 80th birthday Mr Eastwood, my favourite movie star. I once held your mail outside your Pebble Beach home, but you'll never know that!

nick

Dunkirk

2010-05-30T12:09:00.001+01:00

As the commemorations continue for the 70th anniversary of the evacuation of Dunkirk, I remember several years ago while still a serving officer, renewing the firearms certificate of a gentleman in Llangollen. While sitting in his house, I noticed a Dunkirk Association plaque on the wall and asked him about it. He'd been on the beach and exhausted and in total desperation, had thrown off most of his kit and decided to swim rather than die. Incredibly he'd got a few hundred yards before one of the little boats stopped and he was hauled in. His war continued and he was back in France on D-Day. Remarkable man, remarkable achievement.

nick

F1 in HD, now that would be something!

2010-05-29T12:53:00.003+01:00

Still on a motoring theme of sorts, is there any logical reason why Bernie doesn't allow the BBC to transmit F1 in HD? At a total guess I'm suspecting that there may be an increased demand for broadcasting rights, but surely if there was ever a sport that would benefit from the wonder of HD, it's the colourful Formula 1. A mooch around the web shows Bernie's said it may be done eventually when "enough people are interested". Amazingly out of touch with the modern world there then Bernie. I can watch the Tour de France, World Championship snooker from the Crucible and even table tennis is on in HD tonight. Be honest Bernie, it's money!

nick

Why doesn't the DVLA move with the times?

2010-05-26T14:06:00.002+01:00

I was travelling behind a BMW X5 earlier today. Whoever owns it had treated themselves to what they consider to be a personalised plate that ended with 7 ONO. A strategically placed black headed screw gave the 7 the appearance of a J and hence JONO has a personalised plate, albeit with a dodgy J. It got me thinking, exactly what is wrong with the DVLA taking a lead from the USA and issuing vehicle registrations made up entirely of 7 or less lettered words? More revenue, easier identification and happier owners. Winners all round, so what's the problem?

nick

With appreciation to Beppe Grillo

2010-05-20T21:40:00.001+01:00

One of my favourite places to surf to is Beppe Grillo's blog. He's posted this today and I find it so worrying, I've copied and pasted it here. Environmental issues, despite what the media pundits said, were the most often asked questions in our hustings. It don't take a genius to work out that our Earth is the most precious thing we have, without it we're all done for!

nick

Lester Brown, one of the world’s foremost environmentalists and founder of the Worldwatch Institute and the Earth Policy Institute, raises some very interesting issues. He says that we must stop extracting crude-oil from the offshore fields unless they can be made absolutely safe, including the existing oilfields. The Gulf of Mexico could be just the beginning of a black tidal wave. The crude oil peak, in other words that point where crude oil reserves will begin to run out, will be accompanied by a water peak. These two phenomena will change the face of the economy, as well as civilisation as we know it. This is not something that is going to happen decades from now, it’s already happening now. In his book entitled "Plan B 4.0 - Mobilization to save civilization", Lester Brown, who also contributed to the creation of the documentary film entitled "Terra reloaded", produced in conjunction with Greenpeace, provided some guidelines for the future. A sort of survival plan, if you will, but also a plan to ensure a better tomorrow for future generations to come.

Interview with Lester Brown

The “Chernobyl” of the oil industry
Blog: "A few weeks ago, one of BP’s extraction platforms exploded and now oil is seeping out into the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, Countries all over Europe are busy failing. What on earth is happening to this world of ours?"

Lester Brown: "We don’t know what went wrong. What we do know, however, is that BP was drilling in an area where the water is more than a mile deep and the oil reserves are under another half mile of rock. Therefore, the oil in the reserve is under extreme pressure. This raises two questions. Did something simply go wrong, or was the pressure in this reserve simply too high for our current technology to control? If the latter is true, this raises a red flag with regard to deep-water offshore drilling operations, simply because we don’t know what conditions we will encounter. Perhaps, notwithstanding the fact that our deep-sea drilling technology has worked well in the past, it may be inadequate in terms of managing any new problems arising from extreme conditions. Someone has said this could very well be the oil industry’s equivalent of Chernobyl, at least as regards deep-sea drilling operations, because if this oil spillage were to continue for months, the environmental and financial damage that it would cause would be enormous. The interesting thing in terms of the national economy is that this event is going to push up the GDP of the Gulf of Mexico region because everyone is going to be so busy trying to sort out this problem. But then it will decrease once again, given that this latest event is bound to negatively affect the local economies, as well as the local beaches, marine fauna, fishing industry and local businesses.
We have probably reached the technological limits as regards being able to extract oil relatively easily from the remaining reserves. These oil spillages are busy changing public opinion. Given that we know that we will soon have to find some sort of alternative to crude oil, why are we taking such risks simply to extract what little crude oil still remains in the reserves? I think that this is going to change the way in which we see the future of crude oil and all the other fossil fuels.
It is interesting to note that the values that lead to our excessive utilisation of natural resources are the very same values that lead to our excessive utilisation of financial resources. That same kind of excessive utilisation that exceeds the capacity of our credit system. We have seen this in the United States, with the huge levels of debt of the American credit system. It has now gone down a bit, but Americans continue to be totally unconcerned about the future. This leads to economic problems and environmental problems, and the overlapping of the two sets of problems due to over-consumption of natural resources.
The biggest problem facing the world today is the economic growth of the past fifty years – it has virtually quadrupled – and the consequent increase in the consumption of natural resources, which has increased far beyond sustainable levels. Agriculture is decreasing, fish catches are crashing, underground water reserves are declining, land is being eroded and savannahs are turning to desert. We are slowly, perhaps not so slowly and surely destroying the natural support systems. No population can survive once their natural support systems have been destroyed.
I asked myself, how will this excessive consumption hurt us. My forecast is that it will translate into a food availability crisis, price increases and an increase in political instability, as well as an increasing number of Countries going bankrupt. The overall number of Countries that are in the process of failing – Countries whose Governments are unable to guarantee personal safety or security of food supplies – is busy increasing. This raises an awkward question: how many Countries have to fail before our entire civilisation as we know it fails? We don’t yet know the answer to that question. We have never before experienced anything like this.

The ignorance of the economists
The question is: what can we do about it and what is the price we will have to pay if we don’t?. Indeed, if we don’t do something about it then it’s all over! Our civilisation will not continue to survive if we carry on with “business as usual”. We have to make some major changes, like cutting CO2 emissions, stabilising population growth, eradicating poverty, which is closely linked to the stabilisation of demographic expansion, and re-establishing agriculture, fishing, water reserves, in other words, our natural support systems. The problem is that we’re dealing with a complex set of issues and government leaders are in many cases taking advice from the economists. There are many things that economists are particularly good at, but there are also a number of things that they don’t do very well at all. Economists don’t understand the concept of sustainable yield limits of natural systems. Economics simply cannot fathom this concept. There is nothing in economic theory that can explain why Canada’s cod-fishing industry collapsed, or why the glaciers of the high plateaus of Tibet and the Himalayas are busy melting. Economics cannot explain why the polar ice-cap is busy melting in Greenland and why sea levels are rising. The economists have somehow become detached from the real world. They are isolated from reality by a body of economic theory. They are trying to discover the best way of making minor adjustments in order to adapt the system to explain what is actually going on, however, economic theory fails in its attempt to explain the basic relationships that exist between the global economy and the natural support systems. I have realised that the economists that advise Obama, or for that matter the Secretary General of the UN, the World Bank or the President of the EU, have no idea whatsoever of what is happening to this world of ours and don’t understand the urgency of, for example, the need to restructure the world energy supply markets.
Economics is also unable to explain the phenomenon that we call climate change. For example, the melting of the ice cap in the far northern Atlantic could lead to flooding in the rice paddies located in the Asian river deltas, thereby drastically reducing the size of the rice harvest in those regions. Unless they study these phenomena, they won’t immediately realise that the melting of Greenland’s glaciers poses a very real threat to rice cultivation in Asia, which is where half of the world’s population lives. This is the kind of complexity that we have to be able to deal with. The economists simply don’t have the right tools to develop appropriate policies.
Half of the world’s population lives in Countries where the underground water levels are dropping. These include three of the world’s major grain producing Countries, namely China, India and the United States. But the same thing is also happening in a number of smaller Countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan, Mexico and others. By pumping water out of the underground water reserves at a faster rate than nature is able to replenish these reserves, we are merely feeding a food-production bubble. In essence, we are artificially increasing food production at the expense of our water supply.

The water peak
Once we have exhausted our water supplies, we will be obliged to reduce our pumping rate to match the rate of natural replenishment. These are not merely theories or discussion topics. This is reality. We have created some huge food-production bubbles that will burst sooner or later and I don’t think that the world is ready for this. It seems to me that there are certain irrigation zones in the United States Areas where water utilisation peak has already been reached and water supplies are now busy dropping. The same must certainly also be true in India. The same could very well be true in China, although we cannot be sure of this, as well as in a number of other smaller Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Syria and Mexico. What this means, in essence, is that we have probably reached peak water extraction levels and peak oil extraction levels at the same time. Many people talk about the peak oil extraction level, but very few people ever mention the peak water extraction level. However, I think that we have reached that point right here and now and I believe that I have some very convincing arguments in this regard. Once we have truly reached peak water extraction levels, the world as we know it will be very different to the one that existed prior to reaching peak extraction levels. During the course of our lifetime, our use of water for irrigation purposes will undoubtedly decrease. We face living in a very different world, one that we could never even have imagined. The same is obviously true in the case of crude oil. During the course of our lifetime, crude-oil extract has continued to increase, but now it’s declining. It’s going to be a very different world indeed.

Robert Owen banknote to be debated!

2010-05-19T16:09:00.000+01:00

The 'Bank on Owen' campaign to have Robert Owen commemorated on a banknote to mark the International year of the Co-operative in 2012 is to be debated in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 3rd June. This is excellent news and may just be the wee push we need to actually make the Robert Owen banknote happen.

If you haven't signed yet it only takes a few seconds to sign and all people have to supply is there name, e-mail address and town. Its also open to all ages.

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/bank-on-owen.html

nick

Thanks

2010-05-09T14:28:00.002+01:00

What a week for my desktop pc to kick the bucket! Just managed to get back online and simply want to say thanks to all those who supported us last Thursday, to my agent Phil and to the Montgomeryshire Constituency Labour Party, who I'm proud to say will remain as friends for many years to come. Also my thanks to Joyce Watson AM, who has been a rock of support over the last year.

Back in October to do it all again?

nick

4th May 1985, my best day!

2010-05-04T09:16:00.000+01:00

It's our silver wedding today, 25 years of putting up with me!

nick

Tomorrow's politicians in Machynlleth

2010-04-29T00:55:00.000+01:00

I really enjoyed tonight's husting over in Machynlleth. Most of the young people in attendance were too young to vote, yet they asked highly relevant and searching questions of us all. I am embarrassed to admit that I picked up the only yellow card of the evening for the use of jargon, by referring to JSA.
The future of politics in that part of Powys is definitely in safe hands.

nick

My conscience, my decision.

2010-04-28T00:01:00.003+01:00

I have had to send the following email to withdraw my acceptance for a husting event this week. It's self explanatory and echoes the same sentiment I expressed on the 29th October last year when I criticised Lembit's offer to debate with the BNP.

nick

Dear xxxx

Thank you for your email, although I have to admit I am saddened by its content. My disappointment stems from the inclusion of a candidate who represents what can only be described as an 'extremist' party. Of course it is your husting event and you are at liberty to invite who you so wish, however in the same vein it is also at my discretion who I choose to share a platform with, a right that I'm sure you respect.

Several of the roles I have undertaken in the past and indeed that I currently perform are targeted towards achieving inclusion and tolerance within our communities. Consequently I feel unable to partake in an event that effectively will help to legitimise a political party which seeks to undermine that target.

yours sincerely

Back in the saddle

2010-04-26T20:09:00.001+01:00

It was great to get out and about after being confined to bed for almost a week. The day started with a quick interview for Wales Today and then off to several locations in Newtown and Welshpool to meet people, the absolutely best bit of any campaign.

nick

Apologies

2010-04-21T11:50:00.002+01:00

My sincerest apologies to those who I had to leave in the lurch last evening. A flu type bug broke loose on me in the afternoon, by 6pm I was asleep and I awoke at 11am today. I still feel rotten and I think after sorting my mail, I shall be back in bed.

nick

Why do we let our young die so needlessly? (ii)

2010-04-18T13:57:00.002+01:00

Seems it took just 2 days for the next needless waste of a young life to be taken.

nick