I shouldn't be surprised but it is a shame that Ed Miliband missed a chance to use his first public speech as Labour leader to show he understands Wales. He called on Labour to show it understands the economy and to stand by devolution but he ignored the elephant in the parlour of Welsh life – fair funding for Wales.
Wales loses out by more than £300m per year but Ed Miliband still thinks that the formula “serves us well”. Understanding the economy? Not ours!
More surprising still, there was no mention at all of the referendum on law-making powers, the major event of the next year in Wales and one that will – win or loose - shape our nation over the next thirty years. During the tedious months of Labour’s leadership contest, Carwyn Jones and his band of followers do not seem to have made any impact at all on their new boss.
It is good to see that Li’l Ed is now a convert to Plaid policies on the Iraq war, reform the House of Lords, a living wage and the putting people and communities at the centre of economic planning. Has somebody given him one of Ieuan’s speeches from 2005?
I only wish they had. Miliband needs to understand the country next door and he’s shown he knows virtually nothing and cares even less. While so many decisions that affect our life here are made in London his ignorance may be very dangerous to us.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Dau fedd fu ei ddiwedd e: y LibDems a thorri budd-daliadau yng Nghymru
Yr wythnos diwethaf bues i’n trafod y ffaith fod Llafur yn defnyddio ffigurau camarweiniol ar gyfer swyddi cyhoeddus dan fygythiad - 50,000 yn ol Llafur tra bod yr amcangyfrif as sail ffigurau’r Trysorlys tipyn yn is. Wrth edrych ar ymddygiad gwarthus cyngor Llafur Castell Nedd tuag at ei gweithwyr - bygwth sacio pawb a bwriadu cymryd y mwyfrif yn ol ar delerau gwaeth - mae’n annodd peidio dod i’r casgliad bod Llafur yn bwriadu torri swyddi ychwanegol er mwyn creu cronfa gwario at y dyfodol, ac er mwyn cynyddu drwgdeimlad tuag at y ConDems.
Ond dwi ddim am awgrymu nad oes toriadau dwfn ar y ffordd, nid yn lleiaf toriadau mewn budd-daliadau a pensiynnau a chefnogaeth i bobl ar incwm isel.
Gyda’i gilydd mae’r gwariant yna yn cyfri am oddeutu 40% o’r arian cyhoeddus sy’n dod i Gymru. Dyma arian sydd dan fygythiad gwirioneddol ar ol datganiad y Canghellor ei fod am weld gostyngiad o £15bn mewn cyllid lles dechre’r mis. Gan fod gwariant ar raglenni lles yng Nghymru 115% yn uwch na’r cyfartaledd, byddwn yn wynebu toriadau o oddeutu £830 million y flwyddyn. Mae’r arian yma ar hyn o bryd yn cael ei wario yn yr economi leol – does gan pobl dlawd fawr o obaith o gynilo. Ac fe’i collir i’r union economi honnno pe gweitheredir y toriadau.
Yn ysgrifennu yn y Times Dydd Gwener, hawliodd Nick Clegg y byddai’r toriadau yn rhai ‘teg’. Ond yr hyn nad yw e’n ei ddeall - neu nad yw am ddeall - yw bod gofal cymdeithasol eisioes mewn argyfwng. O dan Llafur roeddwn eisioes yn gweithio gyda phobl a oedd yn wynebu colli budd-daliadau yr oeddent eu hangen, ac wedi eu derbyn ers blynyddoedd. Roedd Llafur yn newid y meini prawf ar gyfer hawlio cefnogaeth – symyd y pyst hanner ffordd drwy’r gem mewn geiriau eraill. Budd-daliadau ydy rhain sy’n help at gadw car pan na fedr rhywun anabl ddal bws, neu fel arall arian sy’n sicrhau cymorth gyda gwaith tŷ a galluogi pobl hŷn neu phobl â salwch tymor hir i aros yn eu cartrefi.
Yn ôl Clegg, mae cymdeithas teg yn un “lle mae pobl yn gallu creu bywyd gwell i’w hunain gyda chefnogaeth gan Lywodraeth a’r gymuned ehangach”.
Heb gar? Heb gymorth i aros yn eu cartrefi?
Neithiwr apeliodd Clegg ar ei blaid i balu ‘mlaen ‘er lles y wlad’ (Prydain, cyn bo' chi'n gofyn) ac ar eu lles hwy eu hunain. Mae bellach hefyd yn datgan y byddai’n ystyried clymbleidio gyda Llafur y tro nesa. Jiw, jiw, wel dyna ni. Doedd fawr o wahaniaeth rhwng agwedd y Toris a Llafur at les ta pun…
Mae gan Moi Pari englyn sydd wedi bod yn mynd trwy fy mhen trwy’r dydd.
Falle dylwn ei ddanfon at Mr Clegg..?
Beddargraff Consuriwr
Mor slic y bu’r tric pob tro, – rhoi ei hun
Mewn bocs pren i’w lifio,
Ond unwaith, method weithio;
Dau fedd fu ei ddiwedd o!
Mae Moi’n gwerthu ’Pentwr o 100 o englynion Moi’ - £3 (neu fwy) yr elw at Blaid Cymru – copiau gan yr awdur 01352 713603 – Bargen – peth prin iawn yng Nghymru Clegg Cameron a Hain
Ond dwi ddim am awgrymu nad oes toriadau dwfn ar y ffordd, nid yn lleiaf toriadau mewn budd-daliadau a pensiynnau a chefnogaeth i bobl ar incwm isel.
Gyda’i gilydd mae’r gwariant yna yn cyfri am oddeutu 40% o’r arian cyhoeddus sy’n dod i Gymru. Dyma arian sydd dan fygythiad gwirioneddol ar ol datganiad y Canghellor ei fod am weld gostyngiad o £15bn mewn cyllid lles dechre’r mis. Gan fod gwariant ar raglenni lles yng Nghymru 115% yn uwch na’r cyfartaledd, byddwn yn wynebu toriadau o oddeutu £830 million y flwyddyn. Mae’r arian yma ar hyn o bryd yn cael ei wario yn yr economi leol – does gan pobl dlawd fawr o obaith o gynilo. Ac fe’i collir i’r union economi honnno pe gweitheredir y toriadau.
Yn ysgrifennu yn y Times Dydd Gwener, hawliodd Nick Clegg y byddai’r toriadau yn rhai ‘teg’. Ond yr hyn nad yw e’n ei ddeall - neu nad yw am ddeall - yw bod gofal cymdeithasol eisioes mewn argyfwng. O dan Llafur roeddwn eisioes yn gweithio gyda phobl a oedd yn wynebu colli budd-daliadau yr oeddent eu hangen, ac wedi eu derbyn ers blynyddoedd. Roedd Llafur yn newid y meini prawf ar gyfer hawlio cefnogaeth – symyd y pyst hanner ffordd drwy’r gem mewn geiriau eraill. Budd-daliadau ydy rhain sy’n help at gadw car pan na fedr rhywun anabl ddal bws, neu fel arall arian sy’n sicrhau cymorth gyda gwaith tŷ a galluogi pobl hŷn neu phobl â salwch tymor hir i aros yn eu cartrefi.
Yn ôl Clegg, mae cymdeithas teg yn un “lle mae pobl yn gallu creu bywyd gwell i’w hunain gyda chefnogaeth gan Lywodraeth a’r gymuned ehangach”.
Heb gar? Heb gymorth i aros yn eu cartrefi?
Neithiwr apeliodd Clegg ar ei blaid i balu ‘mlaen ‘er lles y wlad’ (Prydain, cyn bo' chi'n gofyn) ac ar eu lles hwy eu hunain. Mae bellach hefyd yn datgan y byddai’n ystyried clymbleidio gyda Llafur y tro nesa. Jiw, jiw, wel dyna ni. Doedd fawr o wahaniaeth rhwng agwedd y Toris a Llafur at les ta pun…
Mae gan Moi Pari englyn sydd wedi bod yn mynd trwy fy mhen trwy’r dydd.
Falle dylwn ei ddanfon at Mr Clegg..?
Beddargraff Consuriwr
Mor slic y bu’r tric pob tro, – rhoi ei hun
Mewn bocs pren i’w lifio,
Ond unwaith, method weithio;
Dau fedd fu ei ddiwedd o!
Mae Moi’n gwerthu ’Pentwr o 100 o englynion Moi’ - £3 (neu fwy) yr elw at Blaid Cymru – copiau gan yr awdur 01352 713603 – Bargen – peth prin iawn yng Nghymru Clegg Cameron a Hain
Thursday, 16 September 2010
They made us do it! Labour Job cuts in Neath and Port Talbot
I have to admire Peter Hain. That's not a sentence I plan to use very often of
the orange one but there are times when his acrobatics with the facts are almost poetic. In the weeks before this year's Westminster election, Eurfyl ap Gwilym released an estimate of up to 45,000 Welsh jobs at risk following Labour's intended cuts based on Carwyn Jones’ own projections of cuts under Labour.
Peter Hain dismissed this estimate as "irresponsible scaremongering". He was quite right – but the scaremongering was by his own party - for its own electoral ends. Within a few short weeks of the election, Hain himself was back in the fold, claiming that ConDem cuts could cost 50,000 Welsh jobs.
Where does that figure come from? The scale of cuts to the Welsh block grant will not be known until the Comprehensive Spending Review is published at the end of next month and ConDem benefit cuts will pull individuals into poverty and hit local businesses hard. But in the meantime sensible estimates on cuts and jobs at risk should surely be based on the London Coalition Government’s June budget.
Writing on the IWA blog yesterday, Eurfyl ap Gwilym calculates a cumulative cut of 12.9% in real terms over three years.
In his address to the Cardiff Business Club on 29 March, Carwyn Jones however, implied a cumulative cut of 16.5% over the same period if calculated in real terms.
If we project the both estimates directly onto jobs at risk, then the difference is huge – 45 thousand according to Labour’s estimate as opposed to 24 thousand over the same three years using the Treasury's figures.
Why these differences? Possibly to increase voters’ sense of insecurity, but possibly also to justify additional Labour cuts in Wales.
That brings me to the second point…
Neath and Port Talbot in Hain's own constituency is now the only wholly Labour controlled local authority in Wales. They are also the authority's biggest employer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful then for the people of Neath were their jobs to be protected by the party that appears to put such a premium on them?
But no. Over the summer, the council's entire 7,000 workforce received letters informing them that their jobs were being reviewed, they might be lost or they might have to reapply for them at a different grade or with different conditions.
In June Mr. Hain claimed: "It is clear that the Tories are cutting not because they need to, but because they want to".
Look closer to home Mr. Hain.
At the last election when Labour won votes across Wales, Plaid big hitter, Neath-based Alun Llewellyn closed the gap with Hain by almost 3,000 votes. He will be standing again in May. Those 7,000 council workers and their families whose security is threatened by a greedy and unprincipled council may well want to remind Labour’s cut-happy MP, their councillors and their silent AM that their positions are also being reviewed.
Links:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/04/16/45-000-public-sector-jobs-under-threat-from-labour-spending-cuts-says-plaid-91466-26254280/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/22/50-000-jobs-on-the-line-as-budget-hits-wales-hardest-91466-26697150/
http://www.clickonwales.org/2010/09/what-we-have-to-spend-over-the-next-four-years/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/22/50-000-jobs-on-the-line-as-budget-hits-wales-hardest-91466-26697150/
the orange one but there are times when his acrobatics with the facts are almost poetic. In the weeks before this year's Westminster election, Eurfyl ap Gwilym released an estimate of up to 45,000 Welsh jobs at risk following Labour's intended cuts based on Carwyn Jones’ own projections of cuts under Labour.
Peter Hain dismissed this estimate as "irresponsible scaremongering". He was quite right – but the scaremongering was by his own party - for its own electoral ends. Within a few short weeks of the election, Hain himself was back in the fold, claiming that ConDem cuts could cost 50,000 Welsh jobs.
Where does that figure come from? The scale of cuts to the Welsh block grant will not be known until the Comprehensive Spending Review is published at the end of next month and ConDem benefit cuts will pull individuals into poverty and hit local businesses hard. But in the meantime sensible estimates on cuts and jobs at risk should surely be based on the London Coalition Government’s June budget.
Writing on the IWA blog yesterday, Eurfyl ap Gwilym calculates a cumulative cut of 12.9% in real terms over three years.
In his address to the Cardiff Business Club on 29 March, Carwyn Jones however, implied a cumulative cut of 16.5% over the same period if calculated in real terms.
If we project the both estimates directly onto jobs at risk, then the difference is huge – 45 thousand according to Labour’s estimate as opposed to 24 thousand over the same three years using the Treasury's figures.
Why these differences? Possibly to increase voters’ sense of insecurity, but possibly also to justify additional Labour cuts in Wales.
That brings me to the second point…
Neath and Port Talbot in Hain's own constituency is now the only wholly Labour controlled local authority in Wales. They are also the authority's biggest employer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful then for the people of Neath were their jobs to be protected by the party that appears to put such a premium on them?
But no. Over the summer, the council's entire 7,000 workforce received letters informing them that their jobs were being reviewed, they might be lost or they might have to reapply for them at a different grade or with different conditions.
In June Mr. Hain claimed: "It is clear that the Tories are cutting not because they need to, but because they want to".
Look closer to home Mr. Hain.
At the last election when Labour won votes across Wales, Plaid big hitter, Neath-based Alun Llewellyn closed the gap with Hain by almost 3,000 votes. He will be standing again in May. Those 7,000 council workers and their families whose security is threatened by a greedy and unprincipled council may well want to remind Labour’s cut-happy MP, their councillors and their silent AM that their positions are also being reviewed.
Links:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/04/16/45-000-public-sector-jobs-under-threat-from-labour-spending-cuts-says-plaid-91466-26254280/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/22/50-000-jobs-on-the-line-as-budget-hits-wales-hardest-91466-26697150/
http://www.clickonwales.org/2010/09/what-we-have-to-spend-over-the-next-four-years/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/22/50-000-jobs-on-the-line-as-budget-hits-wales-hardest-91466-26697150/
Monday, 6 September 2010
A’r gwynt i’r drws pob bore: thinking about sustainability
Two years ago at Plaid’s National Conference I introduced a motion calling for a town centres strategy to promote local business, local procurement and food production. Much of the argument, which became part of our Westminster manifesto was based on a document entitled Ghost Town Britain on http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/ghost-town-britain-ii-death-high-street.
Last week some friends reminded me that I haven’t said anything about climate change for some time. I spent yesterday evening reading through the Energy Descent Action Plan produced by Totnes Transition Town group. It’s available on: http://totnesedap.org.uk/ and makes some very important points about the need to a resilient (largely self-sufficient) local economy. The authors point out that money arriving in the area leaves it without creating any benefit locally – in paying energy bills, shopping in supermarkets and online and advocate localisation … Sounds familiar?
But it is frustrating to see how few and far between sustainable practices are. Food co-operatives in Wales such as in Cardigan have great potential as does the allotment movement and the community-owned wind turbines at Gigha and at Findhorn in Scotland. But I wonder if the focus on localism isn’t self-defeating when it clouds the need for national action.
Without a doubt Wales can produce more electricity than we need from renewable sources. So why aren’t we? And why aren’t we making sure this potential stays in Wales?
The first phase of the Gwynt y Mor off-shore wind farm off the North coast will produce just under 10% of our national electricity need. This is projected to rise to producing around half our national need in phase 3. While I do have concerns about the scale, it is mostly hidden from view, which is more than can be said for most dry-land developments.
The Syniadau blog has discussed the 30% equity stake the Munich Municipal Utility holds in Gwynt y Mor. See: http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2010/06/stadtwerke-munchen.html
Munich has long invested in alternative technologies, we haven’t.
Such investment in energy production by our County Councils is not currently possible, but it is a very interesting model to consider. It also raises important issues around the financing and ownership of sustainable energy production.
Faced with a crisis of the magnitude of global warming, we must find ways of allowing communities - large and small - to borrow so that they can be really resilient in terms of food and energy production. Much of the sea bed also remains in the hands of the Crown Estate. Both those discussions need to happen on a National Welsh level and in case of the Crown Estate, in the UK Parliament too.
The Offshore Valuation Group suggests setting up a super-grid for electricity in Europe through which we could sell energy to areas which do not have our advantages in terms of wind and sea. For a copy go to: http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2122775//offshore_valuation_full.pdf.
Not only can sustainable technology help us meet – and pass - our 40% CO2 reduction target, but here is an incredibly valuable resource that we can use to keep Welsh people in work and raise our standard of living.
Plaid has long called for a Green Investment Bank to develop long-term jobs and expertise. I’m sceptical about what we’ll see in the UK Energy Bill but I do hope to see discussions about alternative financial models to promote sustainability in the next few months.
Diwedd y gan yw'r geiniog? As always it does come down to money, but this could be the start of something very big
Last week some friends reminded me that I haven’t said anything about climate change for some time. I spent yesterday evening reading through the Energy Descent Action Plan produced by Totnes Transition Town group. It’s available on: http://totnesedap.org.uk/ and makes some very important points about the need to a resilient (largely self-sufficient) local economy. The authors point out that money arriving in the area leaves it without creating any benefit locally – in paying energy bills, shopping in supermarkets and online and advocate localisation … Sounds familiar?
But it is frustrating to see how few and far between sustainable practices are. Food co-operatives in Wales such as in Cardigan have great potential as does the allotment movement and the community-owned wind turbines at Gigha and at Findhorn in Scotland. But I wonder if the focus on localism isn’t self-defeating when it clouds the need for national action.
Without a doubt Wales can produce more electricity than we need from renewable sources. So why aren’t we? And why aren’t we making sure this potential stays in Wales?
The first phase of the Gwynt y Mor off-shore wind farm off the North coast will produce just under 10% of our national electricity need. This is projected to rise to producing around half our national need in phase 3. While I do have concerns about the scale, it is mostly hidden from view, which is more than can be said for most dry-land developments.
The Syniadau blog has discussed the 30% equity stake the Munich Municipal Utility holds in Gwynt y Mor. See: http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2010/06/stadtwerke-munchen.html
Munich has long invested in alternative technologies, we haven’t.
Such investment in energy production by our County Councils is not currently possible, but it is a very interesting model to consider. It also raises important issues around the financing and ownership of sustainable energy production.
Faced with a crisis of the magnitude of global warming, we must find ways of allowing communities - large and small - to borrow so that they can be really resilient in terms of food and energy production. Much of the sea bed also remains in the hands of the Crown Estate. Both those discussions need to happen on a National Welsh level and in case of the Crown Estate, in the UK Parliament too.
The Offshore Valuation Group suggests setting up a super-grid for electricity in Europe through which we could sell energy to areas which do not have our advantages in terms of wind and sea. For a copy go to: http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2122775//offshore_valuation_full.pdf.
Not only can sustainable technology help us meet – and pass - our 40% CO2 reduction target, but here is an incredibly valuable resource that we can use to keep Welsh people in work and raise our standard of living.
Plaid has long called for a Green Investment Bank to develop long-term jobs and expertise. I’m sceptical about what we’ll see in the UK Energy Bill but I do hope to see discussions about alternative financial models to promote sustainability in the next few months.
Diwedd y gan yw'r geiniog? As always it does come down to money, but this could be the start of something very big
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Y bwlch: ystyried cyfleuon y Blaid dros y naw mis nesaf
Dim ond pythefnos yn ôl 'roeddwn yn blogio am broblemau trychinebus y Rhyddfrydwyr a hwythau wedi toddi i fewn i glymblaid gyda'r Toriaid yn Llundain. Soniais a hefyd am ystrywiau Llafur yn chwarae bod yn wrthblaid. (Fe gofiwch i Lafur wrthod cefnogi cynnig seneddol Plaid Cymru i ddileu penderfyniad cywilyddus y ConDems i godi Treth ar Werth).
Roedd y Rhyddfrydwyr yn amlwg yn dioddef yn etholiadol - o bôl piniwn ICM. A dyma ni bellach yn cael cadarnhad ym mhôl Cymru gyfan gan ITV.
Mae'r pôl yma yn holi yn benodol am fwriadau pleidleisio pobl Cymru yn etholiad y Cynulliad y flwyddyn nesaf.
O ran y bleidlais rhestr, mae'n cadarnhau yr hyn roeddwn yn ei ddweud gyda'r Rhyddfrydwyr bellach lawr at hanner lefel eu cefnogaeth ym mis Mai (20% i 10%). Felly mae'n bosibl y bydd yr etholiad nesaf yn rhoi'r ergyd farwol gwbl haediannol iddynt, ac y gwelwn ddiflaniad y giwed diwerth yma fel nerth gwleidyddol cenedlaethol. Dyna fyddai'r ateb gorau i frolio gwag Kirsty Williams ei bod am ennill 31 sedd yn yr etholiad nesaf.
Yn ail, mae chwarae bod yn wrthblaid yn Llundain wedi rhoi hwb dros dro i bleidlais Llafur yng Nghymru. Y nhw cofiwch yw rhieni bedydd y glymblaid ConDem gan iddynt wrthod trafod clymblaid flaengar gyda'r Blaid a'r SNP. Annodd darogan a fydd y fantais yma yn parhau wrth i’r ras arweinyddol droi Llafur fwy-fwy o gwmpas gwrthod neu dderbyn gwaddol Blair (gweler y ddolen isod). Ond y mae'n annodd gen i weld Llafur dan yr un o'r Millbands yn wrthblaid effeithiol, a phrin y byddent yn sefyll dros fuddiannau Cymru a map Lloegr gyfforddus mor las …
'Un pol na wna etholiad ' fel mae nhw’n dweud! Yr hyn sydd yn ddiddorol am bôl ITV felly yw fod y gefnogaeth i Lafur a'r Rhyddfrydwyr fel eu gilydd ar y ffordd i lawr ers y mis diwethaf. Yn yr un modd mae pleidlais Plaid Cymru ar y rhestrau ac yn yr etholaethau fel ei gilydd wedi cynyddu i lefel uwch na chafwyd yn etholiad 2007 - ac mae ein pleidlais ni ar y blaen i'r Toriaid.
Momentwn yw popeth mewn gwleidyddiaeth a chyda gwrthwynebiad i bwerau pellach i'r Cynylliad yn meddalu a phosibiliad da o ennill y refferendwm ar bwerau pellach ym mis Mawrth,rydym fel Plaid mewn sefyllfa ffafriol iawn.
Nid dyma'r lle i sôn am brosesau dewis mewnol y Blaid. Ond rhad i mi ddweud fod gennym griw arbennig o dalentog o ddarpar ymgeiswyr ac mae'r cysylltiad agos tu hwnt sydd yn datblygu rhwng ymgeiswyr ac ymgyrchwyr y Blaid wedi creu potensial rhyfeddol o addawol prin naw mis o’r etholiad.
Dros yr wythnosau nesaf, bydd yr hystingiau ar gyfer rhestrau'r Cynulliad yn gyfle gwych i ymgeisyddion ac aelodau gydio yn y cyfle sydd o'n blaenau ni i sefyll dros fuddiannau Cymru nawr a dechre’r gwaith o adeiladu Cymru tecach a mwy ffyniannus yn y dyfodol. Byddwn yn ethol y grwp cryfaf, mwyaf talentog a mwyaf penderfynnol i Blaid Cymru ddanfon i'n Senedd ni erioed.
Amdani!
Roedd y Rhyddfrydwyr yn amlwg yn dioddef yn etholiadol - o bôl piniwn ICM. A dyma ni bellach yn cael cadarnhad ym mhôl Cymru gyfan gan ITV.
Mae'r pôl yma yn holi yn benodol am fwriadau pleidleisio pobl Cymru yn etholiad y Cynulliad y flwyddyn nesaf.
O ran y bleidlais rhestr, mae'n cadarnhau yr hyn roeddwn yn ei ddweud gyda'r Rhyddfrydwyr bellach lawr at hanner lefel eu cefnogaeth ym mis Mai (20% i 10%). Felly mae'n bosibl y bydd yr etholiad nesaf yn rhoi'r ergyd farwol gwbl haediannol iddynt, ac y gwelwn ddiflaniad y giwed diwerth yma fel nerth gwleidyddol cenedlaethol. Dyna fyddai'r ateb gorau i frolio gwag Kirsty Williams ei bod am ennill 31 sedd yn yr etholiad nesaf.
Yn ail, mae chwarae bod yn wrthblaid yn Llundain wedi rhoi hwb dros dro i bleidlais Llafur yng Nghymru. Y nhw cofiwch yw rhieni bedydd y glymblaid ConDem gan iddynt wrthod trafod clymblaid flaengar gyda'r Blaid a'r SNP. Annodd darogan a fydd y fantais yma yn parhau wrth i’r ras arweinyddol droi Llafur fwy-fwy o gwmpas gwrthod neu dderbyn gwaddol Blair (gweler y ddolen isod). Ond y mae'n annodd gen i weld Llafur dan yr un o'r Millbands yn wrthblaid effeithiol, a phrin y byddent yn sefyll dros fuddiannau Cymru a map Lloegr gyfforddus mor las …
'Un pol na wna etholiad ' fel mae nhw’n dweud! Yr hyn sydd yn ddiddorol am bôl ITV felly yw fod y gefnogaeth i Lafur a'r Rhyddfrydwyr fel eu gilydd ar y ffordd i lawr ers y mis diwethaf. Yn yr un modd mae pleidlais Plaid Cymru ar y rhestrau ac yn yr etholaethau fel ei gilydd wedi cynyddu i lefel uwch na chafwyd yn etholiad 2007 - ac mae ein pleidlais ni ar y blaen i'r Toriaid.
Momentwn yw popeth mewn gwleidyddiaeth a chyda gwrthwynebiad i bwerau pellach i'r Cynylliad yn meddalu a phosibiliad da o ennill y refferendwm ar bwerau pellach ym mis Mawrth,rydym fel Plaid mewn sefyllfa ffafriol iawn.
Nid dyma'r lle i sôn am brosesau dewis mewnol y Blaid. Ond rhad i mi ddweud fod gennym griw arbennig o dalentog o ddarpar ymgeiswyr ac mae'r cysylltiad agos tu hwnt sydd yn datblygu rhwng ymgeiswyr ac ymgyrchwyr y Blaid wedi creu potensial rhyfeddol o addawol prin naw mis o’r etholiad.
Dros yr wythnosau nesaf, bydd yr hystingiau ar gyfer rhestrau'r Cynulliad yn gyfle gwych i ymgeisyddion ac aelodau gydio yn y cyfle sydd o'n blaenau ni i sefyll dros fuddiannau Cymru nawr a dechre’r gwaith o adeiladu Cymru tecach a mwy ffyniannus yn y dyfodol. Byddwn yn ethol y grwp cryfaf, mwyaf talentog a mwyaf penderfynnol i Blaid Cymru ddanfon i'n Senedd ni erioed.
Amdani!
Monday, 23 August 2010
Spiders and self-haters
It's the spider season again in my house. I've already spotted disturbing shapes scuttling out from behind my skirting boards. And in some parts of the Welsh press quite ordinary aspects of our identity are being prodded to turn out a very different kind of spider.
Last week a friend set me copies of some peculiar letters in the South Wales Echo. The writers were outraged by reports of a protest by Lleucu Meinir about receiving an English-only letter from the police. Ms Meinir had been clamped and had asked for the notice in Welsh. When it was refused she asked for a Welsh version to be sent on to her. When this request was also refused, she sat in her car with her children and paid the fine. I can't imagine a more reasonable and responsible way to protest. But there you go...
Writers to the paper though made the claim, now seldom heard, that Welsh was being 'forced down people's necks'. They also claimed that Welsh people who don't speak Welsh are 'second class citizens'; that Welsh is being 'artificially kept alive'; had 'no use internationally...' etc
These letter writers also suggested that the cash used for bilingualism (in general presumably) should be spent on healthcare which they seemed to think faces huge cutbacks and was not ring-fenced. News to me, but then I only work for the Department of Health...
By now, 40% of parents would choose to send their child to a Welsh Medium School if there was one nearby. So I am not too worried that the effect that these rants might have. We are a bilingual nation and always have been. So much so that the recent Asylum Act stipulates that in order to pass the Citizenship Test people migrants should prove their ability to speak English - or Welsh.
What’s really being argued in these letters is that if we have to save money, services to minorities should automatically be cut. Any defence of the need to promote equal treatment provokes a furious reaction where these letter writers, in a privileged position in terms of service provision suggest that they, in fact, are victims of inequality.
Even seeing the language displayed publicly appears to have outraged a gentleman from Penarth.
What saddens me is that I am sure the writers of those letters are as Welsh as I am. It's just that they hate the very thought!
We will hear more of this self-directed vitriol as we approach the referendum next spring. Just remember, like the spiders, they're more frightened of us than we are of them.
Last week a friend set me copies of some peculiar letters in the South Wales Echo. The writers were outraged by reports of a protest by Lleucu Meinir about receiving an English-only letter from the police. Ms Meinir had been clamped and had asked for the notice in Welsh. When it was refused she asked for a Welsh version to be sent on to her. When this request was also refused, she sat in her car with her children and paid the fine. I can't imagine a more reasonable and responsible way to protest. But there you go...
Writers to the paper though made the claim, now seldom heard, that Welsh was being 'forced down people's necks'. They also claimed that Welsh people who don't speak Welsh are 'second class citizens'; that Welsh is being 'artificially kept alive'; had 'no use internationally...' etc
These letter writers also suggested that the cash used for bilingualism (in general presumably) should be spent on healthcare which they seemed to think faces huge cutbacks and was not ring-fenced. News to me, but then I only work for the Department of Health...
By now, 40% of parents would choose to send their child to a Welsh Medium School if there was one nearby. So I am not too worried that the effect that these rants might have. We are a bilingual nation and always have been. So much so that the recent Asylum Act stipulates that in order to pass the Citizenship Test people migrants should prove their ability to speak English - or Welsh.
What’s really being argued in these letters is that if we have to save money, services to minorities should automatically be cut. Any defence of the need to promote equal treatment provokes a furious reaction where these letter writers, in a privileged position in terms of service provision suggest that they, in fact, are victims of inequality.
Even seeing the language displayed publicly appears to have outraged a gentleman from Penarth.
What saddens me is that I am sure the writers of those letters are as Welsh as I am. It's just that they hate the very thought!
We will hear more of this self-directed vitriol as we approach the referendum next spring. Just remember, like the spiders, they're more frightened of us than we are of them.
Friday, 20 August 2010
Gwaddod 100 niwrnod y ConDems
100 diwrnod ar ôl ffurfio'r glymblaid ConDem, mae Blog Menai yn trafod pôl piniwn gan ICM sydd yn dangos cefnogaeth y Torïaid ar yr un lefel â Llafur gyda'r cynnydd sylweddol ym mhleidlais Llafur yn dod bron yn gyfan gwbl o gyn-gefnogwyr y Rhyddfrydwyr. Dyma'r tro cyntaf i Lafur ddod yn gyfartal â'r Toriad ers i Brown orymdeithio ei filwyr i dop y bryn ac yna gwrthod galw etholiad yn Hydref 2007.
Gyda phleidlias graidd sy'n dibynnu ar weithwyr sector cyhoeddus, mae'r Rhyddfrydwyr yng Nghymru yn wynebu etholiad pryd gall eu pleidlais ostwng o dan 10%.
Er gwario ffortiwn mewn seddau fel Gorllewin Abertawe, y mae'n ddigon posib mai dyna fydd diwedd eu hanes yng Nghymru.
Annodd fodd bynnag yw barnu a yw'r pôl hwn yn darogan tueddiad a all effeithio ar ganlyniad Etholiad Cyffredinol Cymru. Yma wrth gwrs, Llafur oedd yn fuddugol noson yr etholiad, a hynny i raddau helaeth am iddyn nhw drwy ddadlau mai dim nhw allai gadw'r Torïaid allan. O fewn dyddiau wrth gwrs Llafur ddewisodd ildio awennau'r llywodraeth i'r Toriaid, yn hytrach na thrafod gyda'r Blaid a'r SNP. Nhw felly agorodd y drysau i doriadau eithafol ac ideolegol y glymbliad a chynlluniau preifateiddio gwasanaethau a fydd yn peryglu miloedd o swyddi Cymreig.
Wrth gwrs mae angen talu'r ddyled yn ôl. Ond pwy all wadu erbyn hyn bod stwffio pocedau cwmniau preifat ag arian cyhoeddus yn arwain at wasanaethau gwaeth, gwaethygu amodau gwaith a thorri swyddi? A all unrhyw un sy'n gwybod maint ein dibynniaeth ar y sector cyhoeddus wadu bydd y toriadau yn ddyfnach a'i heffaith lawer yn fwy dinistriol ar yr economi gyfan yma yng Nghymru?
Y tu ôl y wenau pert a wynebau llyfn y Prif Wenidog a'i ddirprwy, mae'n rhaid bod y canfyddiad bod Llafur wedi dewis bod yn wrthblaid. Wedi dewis peidio ag arbed ein cymunedau rhag gwaethaf y toriadau, a hynny er mwyn ennill budd etholiadol. Mae Llafur yn cael hwyl garw ar chwarae bod yn wrthblaid yn San Steffan. Ond chwarae maen nhw - nid gweithredu...
Cofiwn wrth gwrs i Lafur wrthod cefnogi cynnig Plaid Cymru a'r SNP i wrthod cynyddu TAW, a hynny yn unig am mai cynnig Plaid Cymru oedd e.
Wrth gerdded Cwm Nedd a Chwm Tawe dros yr wythnos diwethaf yn siarad â Phleidwyr, rwy'n gweld agweddau yn caledu a'r dicter at Lafur yn cynyddu fel dwr y tu ôl i argae.
Dyma Lywodraeth sydd am wrthod eu cyfrifoldebau at y gwanaf ohonom a Llafur yw penseiri'r Llywodraeth honno.
Bydd Plaid Cymru yn mynnu atebion yn y senedd gan herio'r glymblaid Brydeinig mewn difrif - nid mewn pantomein. Ar lawr gwlad yn Nghymru ein gorchwyl ni yn y Blaid fydd i gyflwyno gweledigaeth gadarn o Gymru ffyniannus a theg. Cymru fydd yn fwy-fwy gyfrifol dros ei buddiannau ei hun ac a fydd yn llunio ei pholïsiau yn unol â'n traddodiad o sefyll gyda'n gilydd dros bawb.
Ar fenthyg y cafodd Llafur a'r Rhyddfrydwyr ddegau o filoedd o bleidleisiau mis Mai. Un peth dylient ei ddeall - os na delir llog y ddyled, mae'n rhaid talu'r cyfan yn ol!
Yng Ngorllewin Abertawe gwaddod 100 niwrnod y Lib Dems a'r Torïaid yw ofn am swyddi. Yng Nhastell Nedd, dicter at Lafur am daflu'r buddiannau'r gwanaf i'w ddwylo annhyner nhw.
Con Dem? Na, dim ond Con oedd hi.
Gyda phleidlias graidd sy'n dibynnu ar weithwyr sector cyhoeddus, mae'r Rhyddfrydwyr yng Nghymru yn wynebu etholiad pryd gall eu pleidlais ostwng o dan 10%.
Er gwario ffortiwn mewn seddau fel Gorllewin Abertawe, y mae'n ddigon posib mai dyna fydd diwedd eu hanes yng Nghymru.
Annodd fodd bynnag yw barnu a yw'r pôl hwn yn darogan tueddiad a all effeithio ar ganlyniad Etholiad Cyffredinol Cymru. Yma wrth gwrs, Llafur oedd yn fuddugol noson yr etholiad, a hynny i raddau helaeth am iddyn nhw drwy ddadlau mai dim nhw allai gadw'r Torïaid allan. O fewn dyddiau wrth gwrs Llafur ddewisodd ildio awennau'r llywodraeth i'r Toriaid, yn hytrach na thrafod gyda'r Blaid a'r SNP. Nhw felly agorodd y drysau i doriadau eithafol ac ideolegol y glymbliad a chynlluniau preifateiddio gwasanaethau a fydd yn peryglu miloedd o swyddi Cymreig.
Wrth gwrs mae angen talu'r ddyled yn ôl. Ond pwy all wadu erbyn hyn bod stwffio pocedau cwmniau preifat ag arian cyhoeddus yn arwain at wasanaethau gwaeth, gwaethygu amodau gwaith a thorri swyddi? A all unrhyw un sy'n gwybod maint ein dibynniaeth ar y sector cyhoeddus wadu bydd y toriadau yn ddyfnach a'i heffaith lawer yn fwy dinistriol ar yr economi gyfan yma yng Nghymru?
Y tu ôl y wenau pert a wynebau llyfn y Prif Wenidog a'i ddirprwy, mae'n rhaid bod y canfyddiad bod Llafur wedi dewis bod yn wrthblaid. Wedi dewis peidio ag arbed ein cymunedau rhag gwaethaf y toriadau, a hynny er mwyn ennill budd etholiadol. Mae Llafur yn cael hwyl garw ar chwarae bod yn wrthblaid yn San Steffan. Ond chwarae maen nhw - nid gweithredu...
Cofiwn wrth gwrs i Lafur wrthod cefnogi cynnig Plaid Cymru a'r SNP i wrthod cynyddu TAW, a hynny yn unig am mai cynnig Plaid Cymru oedd e.
Wrth gerdded Cwm Nedd a Chwm Tawe dros yr wythnos diwethaf yn siarad â Phleidwyr, rwy'n gweld agweddau yn caledu a'r dicter at Lafur yn cynyddu fel dwr y tu ôl i argae.
Dyma Lywodraeth sydd am wrthod eu cyfrifoldebau at y gwanaf ohonom a Llafur yw penseiri'r Llywodraeth honno.
Bydd Plaid Cymru yn mynnu atebion yn y senedd gan herio'r glymblaid Brydeinig mewn difrif - nid mewn pantomein. Ar lawr gwlad yn Nghymru ein gorchwyl ni yn y Blaid fydd i gyflwyno gweledigaeth gadarn o Gymru ffyniannus a theg. Cymru fydd yn fwy-fwy gyfrifol dros ei buddiannau ei hun ac a fydd yn llunio ei pholïsiau yn unol â'n traddodiad o sefyll gyda'n gilydd dros bawb.
Ar fenthyg y cafodd Llafur a'r Rhyddfrydwyr ddegau o filoedd o bleidleisiau mis Mai. Un peth dylient ei ddeall - os na delir llog y ddyled, mae'n rhaid talu'r cyfan yn ol!
Yng Ngorllewin Abertawe gwaddod 100 niwrnod y Lib Dems a'r Torïaid yw ofn am swyddi. Yng Nhastell Nedd, dicter at Lafur am daflu'r buddiannau'r gwanaf i'w ddwylo annhyner nhw.
Con Dem? Na, dim ond Con oedd hi.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Educating Rhian…
Rita: Have they sacked you?
Dr. Frank Bryant: I made rather a night of it last night so they're giving me a holiday. Two years in Australia.
Rita: Did you bugger the Bursar?
Dr. Frank Bryant: Metaphorically
Educating Rita
Fredrick Hayek (not a man I like) coined the terms ‘knowledge economy’ to describe a system where information about anything is sold as a commodity. We can all remember the burgeoning in the 1990s of cross-over enterprises in landscaped obscurity around our universities. All grassy humps and low-slung buildings.
Where knowledge that has no immediately apparent economic value is seen a valueless, the barbarians have arrived at the gate. But there is a huge up-side to crossover research for nimble, clever nations like ours. Our own research-driven industries would offer powerful levels of control as Welsh people became essential to new technologies – not eminently sack-able from ill-paid and environmentally destructive jobs.
Some of these are already with us… In Llanberis, Euro-DPC developed medical testing kits that were good enough to attract the attentions of Siemens. More unusually, when they were bought out, not only did the company stay, but it expanded to make the most of local expertise! At Biopharm in Pontarddulais they’ve been breeding medical leeches for 20 years that are used worldwide in advanced surgery.
This month’s unveiling of the Welsh Government’s Economic Development Strategy has some important things to say about the failure of previous Labour administrations to jump start our economy. It also makes a break with the previous direction by focusing on funding research and development. But the publication of the strategy also throws into relief a huge problem in keeping and using our brain power and that is the tiny share of UK research council spending that our Universities receive.
There are 7 UK Research Councils that aim to promote good research that benefits the economy. So what does Wales gain? Of £700 million spent by the Medical Research Council last year, 2.2% was spent in Wales!
The issue is that that Research Council money is not subject to any mechanism that distributes it by head of population - or even, whisper it quietly – according to need…
Research money needs to be distributed to the most able researchers but it is also distributed to meet government priorities. We already have different priorities than England’s. So why should our Welsh institutions not bid for a proportion of public money to meet our priorities and build own economy?
If just the Medical Research Council’s money was subject to the Barnett formula, we would receive 5.6% of the total spend - £40 million last year alone! Compare that with the £60 million annual deficit that Welsh universities recently told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee that they face. I’m not suggesting that research money should be used for anything other than research, but we need fairness in allocating it or our Universities won’t be able to do serious research at all.
The need for fair funding for research is urgent. Swansea University’s supercomputer Blue C can make research faster and more powerful. It needs to be used to its full potential by talented local researchers in the next few years, before the technology is over-taken. But Swansea, like all our Welsh universities is fighting against a system that rewards previous success and that responds to priorities that aren’t necessarily our own.
Did we bugger the Bursar? I'd say it was the other way around.
Dr. Frank Bryant: I made rather a night of it last night so they're giving me a holiday. Two years in Australia.
Rita: Did you bugger the Bursar?
Dr. Frank Bryant: Metaphorically
Educating Rita
Fredrick Hayek (not a man I like) coined the terms ‘knowledge economy’ to describe a system where information about anything is sold as a commodity. We can all remember the burgeoning in the 1990s of cross-over enterprises in landscaped obscurity around our universities. All grassy humps and low-slung buildings.
Where knowledge that has no immediately apparent economic value is seen a valueless, the barbarians have arrived at the gate. But there is a huge up-side to crossover research for nimble, clever nations like ours. Our own research-driven industries would offer powerful levels of control as Welsh people became essential to new technologies – not eminently sack-able from ill-paid and environmentally destructive jobs.
Some of these are already with us… In Llanberis, Euro-DPC developed medical testing kits that were good enough to attract the attentions of Siemens. More unusually, when they were bought out, not only did the company stay, but it expanded to make the most of local expertise! At Biopharm in Pontarddulais they’ve been breeding medical leeches for 20 years that are used worldwide in advanced surgery.
This month’s unveiling of the Welsh Government’s Economic Development Strategy has some important things to say about the failure of previous Labour administrations to jump start our economy. It also makes a break with the previous direction by focusing on funding research and development. But the publication of the strategy also throws into relief a huge problem in keeping and using our brain power and that is the tiny share of UK research council spending that our Universities receive.
There are 7 UK Research Councils that aim to promote good research that benefits the economy. So what does Wales gain? Of £700 million spent by the Medical Research Council last year, 2.2% was spent in Wales!
The issue is that that Research Council money is not subject to any mechanism that distributes it by head of population - or even, whisper it quietly – according to need…
Research money needs to be distributed to the most able researchers but it is also distributed to meet government priorities. We already have different priorities than England’s. So why should our Welsh institutions not bid for a proportion of public money to meet our priorities and build own economy?
If just the Medical Research Council’s money was subject to the Barnett formula, we would receive 5.6% of the total spend - £40 million last year alone! Compare that with the £60 million annual deficit that Welsh universities recently told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee that they face. I’m not suggesting that research money should be used for anything other than research, but we need fairness in allocating it or our Universities won’t be able to do serious research at all.
The need for fair funding for research is urgent. Swansea University’s supercomputer Blue C can make research faster and more powerful. It needs to be used to its full potential by talented local researchers in the next few years, before the technology is over-taken. But Swansea, like all our Welsh universities is fighting against a system that rewards previous success and that responds to priorities that aren’t necessarily our own.
Did we bugger the Bursar? I'd say it was the other way around.
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Her Catalwnia
Fel nifer mawr o genedlaetholwyr Cymraeg mae’n siwr, rwy’ wedi tybio ers
blynyddoedd bod cenhedloedd bychan Ewrop yn symud bron yn anorfod tuag at
hunanlywodraeth. Mae tybio ein bod yn deall hanes cyn iddo ddigwydd pob amser yn
beryglus. Fel ddywed Woody Allen "if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans".
Yn dilyn referendwn ar bwerau i Senedd Catalwnia ym 2006, lluniwyd Statiwt
Cenedlaethol a’i dderbyn gan Seneddau Catalwnia a Sbaen. Ond byth ers hynny, bu
Llys Cyfansoddiadol Sbaen yn trafod y ddogfen. Diwedd Mehefin eleni,
penderfynwyd gwrthod darnau helaeth o’r ddogfen sy’n sail i Lywodraeth Catalwnia
ers pedair mlynedd. Diddymwyd rhai meysydd datganoledig a gwnaed newidiadau
arwyddocaol eraill.
Mae’r ddedfryd yn gosod yr iaith Catalan ar lefel is na’r Sbaeneg, yn gwrthod y
posibiliad o ddatblygu system cyfiawder annibynnol i Catalynia ac yn gosod
economi’r genedl yn ôl yn nwylo barus Sbaen.
Mae’r Catalwniaid yn bell iawn o dderbyn cwtogi ar eu rhyddid. Ac ychydig dros
wythnos yn ôl, gorymdeithiodd miliwn a hanner trwy Barcelona i fynnu eu hawliau
cenedlaethol. Cerddodd y dorf mwyaf i’r ddinas weld erioed tu ôl i faneri yn
datgan ‘rydym yn genedl’ a ‘ni sy’n penderfynnu’.
Dyma gam bras ymlaen i genedlaetholwyr Catalan ar adeg pan mae referenda lleol o
dros hanner miliwn yn dangos am y tro cyntaf bod cefnogaeth i annibynniaeth ar
yr un lefel a chefnogaeth unoliaethol i aros fel rhan o Sbaen.
Cam gwag o ran llywodraeth Sbaen oedd ceisio gwyro Catalwnia o’i llwybr at
ryddid. Ond mae’r weithred honno hefyd yn dangos i ni, pan fo buddiannau gwlad
fawr dan fygythiad, does dim byd anorfod yn y broses o ddatganoli. Diwedd y gan
yw’r geiniog. Mae’n sefyllfa cyfansoddiadol ni yn bur wahanol wrth gwrs. Ond
beth pe bai Cynulliad â hawl deddfu yn llwyddo i feddu ar ei hadnoddau naturiol
ac arfordirol fel y yr hawliwyd yn Senedd Prydain yr wythnos diwethaf?
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2010/07/14/queen-s-crown-estates-has-nicked-wales-natural-resources-says-hywel-williams-55578-26847724/
Hyd nes bo ‘franchises’ Cymreig y pleidiau gweidyddol Prydeinig yn dechrau
meddwl amdanyn nhw ei hunian fel sefydliadau ar wahân sy’n atebol i neb ond pobl
Cymru – allwn ni ddim fod yn hyderus y gwna nhw gerdded gyda ni I amddiffyn
buddiannau Cymru pan fo’n cefnau at y wal.
blynyddoedd bod cenhedloedd bychan Ewrop yn symud bron yn anorfod tuag at
hunanlywodraeth. Mae tybio ein bod yn deall hanes cyn iddo ddigwydd pob amser yn
beryglus. Fel ddywed Woody Allen "if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans".
Yn dilyn referendwn ar bwerau i Senedd Catalwnia ym 2006, lluniwyd Statiwt
Cenedlaethol a’i dderbyn gan Seneddau Catalwnia a Sbaen. Ond byth ers hynny, bu
Llys Cyfansoddiadol Sbaen yn trafod y ddogfen. Diwedd Mehefin eleni,
penderfynwyd gwrthod darnau helaeth o’r ddogfen sy’n sail i Lywodraeth Catalwnia
ers pedair mlynedd. Diddymwyd rhai meysydd datganoledig a gwnaed newidiadau
arwyddocaol eraill.
Mae’r ddedfryd yn gosod yr iaith Catalan ar lefel is na’r Sbaeneg, yn gwrthod y
posibiliad o ddatblygu system cyfiawder annibynnol i Catalynia ac yn gosod
economi’r genedl yn ôl yn nwylo barus Sbaen.
Mae’r Catalwniaid yn bell iawn o dderbyn cwtogi ar eu rhyddid. Ac ychydig dros
wythnos yn ôl, gorymdeithiodd miliwn a hanner trwy Barcelona i fynnu eu hawliau
cenedlaethol. Cerddodd y dorf mwyaf i’r ddinas weld erioed tu ôl i faneri yn
datgan ‘rydym yn genedl’ a ‘ni sy’n penderfynnu’.
Dyma gam bras ymlaen i genedlaetholwyr Catalan ar adeg pan mae referenda lleol o
dros hanner miliwn yn dangos am y tro cyntaf bod cefnogaeth i annibynniaeth ar
yr un lefel a chefnogaeth unoliaethol i aros fel rhan o Sbaen.
Cam gwag o ran llywodraeth Sbaen oedd ceisio gwyro Catalwnia o’i llwybr at
ryddid. Ond mae’r weithred honno hefyd yn dangos i ni, pan fo buddiannau gwlad
fawr dan fygythiad, does dim byd anorfod yn y broses o ddatganoli. Diwedd y gan
yw’r geiniog. Mae’n sefyllfa cyfansoddiadol ni yn bur wahanol wrth gwrs. Ond
beth pe bai Cynulliad â hawl deddfu yn llwyddo i feddu ar ei hadnoddau naturiol
ac arfordirol fel y yr hawliwyd yn Senedd Prydain yr wythnos diwethaf?
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2010/07/14/queen-s-crown-estates-has-nicked-wales-natural-resources-says-hywel-williams-55578-26847724/
Hyd nes bo ‘franchises’ Cymreig y pleidiau gweidyddol Prydeinig yn dechrau
meddwl amdanyn nhw ei hunian fel sefydliadau ar wahân sy’n atebol i neb ond pobl
Cymru – allwn ni ddim fod yn hyderus y gwna nhw gerdded gyda ni I amddiffyn
buddiannau Cymru pan fo’n cefnau at y wal.
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Why South Wales West?
When you stand for election you become everyone’s business. Since May a lot of good people have offered me advice on what to do next. I’m really impressed, although just a little spooked, by the ability of some of our members to envisage seats won and regional list places gained in much the same way as moving chess pieces! But in reality it’s not that simple, particularly when if like me you have your feet firmly planted in our unique region of Wales and at the same time a strong urge and commitment to seek change soon and to serve the people now.
Within our lifetimes we will see Wales take a proper place among the nations of the world. I joined Plaid to be part of that great effort; to make sure that the nation we create is a just place with fairness, equality and prosperity at its heart. But without a strong enough sense of local accountability there is a danger that our government may give us the form of freedom without its substance
With the major Welsh parties backing a ‘Yes’ vote at the referendum, and even the Tories promising not to stand in the way, it is crucial that we in Plaid take the opportunity at the Welsh General Election to put our stamp on the next four years. Only by ensuring we have the strongest possible team at the Senedd can we ensure that the Wales being built in Cardiff Bay is the Wales that our people need and deserve. On local health services, on care homes and on the best education for our children, we must have strong new Plaid voices adding to those we already have there. The other parties headquartered in London aimlessly play the Welsh political game. We in Plaid have the vision for our country, the vision to ensure that equality, localism and community action is welded into the body of the new Wales. For Plaid, the next five years is about making sure that the extraordinary process of creating a new nation reflects and addresses the experiences and problems of our communities.
The current system of election is not the one we would choose. But it does enable sudden leaps forward when we win constituency seats, whilst we are also able to maintain a broad presence throughout Wales and grow more gradually. List members can have a crucial role in reality-proofing what we plan and do, so making sure that all our efforts are directly useful to our communities. At the same time, with a brief throughout the region, they can be the shock troops of change.
So, after a lot of thought I have decided what to do next. I’ll be putting my name forward for the South Wales West list for our Welsh general election in May 2011.
I know and understand South Wales West communities. I’m from Llanelli and stood as our candidate in the last UK general election. We did not win the seat. But in a difficult election for us throughout Wales, in Llanelli, significantly, we achieved a huge swing to Plaid and slashed Labour’s majority. I want to carry through that momentum, that appetite for change amongst our people, that growing support for Plaid.
I want a place in the Senedd to join in the serious job of creating Welsh law from the experiences of our communities and from the principles we share as a party. I want to help build the Plaid team, to ensure as a list member that the focus is on our policies and their practical application. There is too much to be done in the hard times ahead to be chasing headlines.
And there is also work to do in supporting the nationally-important campaign in the Neath constituency. The party needs to strengthen links between individual members and elected representatives across the region, draw members into activities and understand the perspectives of all its constituency parties.
In despair at the goings on in the one party East German state, the playwright Berthold Brecht once remarked wryly:
‘The Central Committee has lost confidence in the People. The People must be replaced!’
For decades government in Wales was like that too. But as part of the One Wales Government Plaid has already started opening windows and doors in Cardiff.
Yes we can sack individual politicians. And we certainly can’t afford or allow the development of a detached political class in Wales. But there is much more to be done, within Plaid and by Plaid. Our Government after the Election must be more for and more about people throughout Wales. For and about the people of Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Dyfnant and Pyle as well as those in Cardiff Bay.
Within our lifetimes we will see Wales take a proper place among the nations of the world. I joined Plaid to be part of that great effort; to make sure that the nation we create is a just place with fairness, equality and prosperity at its heart. But without a strong enough sense of local accountability there is a danger that our government may give us the form of freedom without its substance
With the major Welsh parties backing a ‘Yes’ vote at the referendum, and even the Tories promising not to stand in the way, it is crucial that we in Plaid take the opportunity at the Welsh General Election to put our stamp on the next four years. Only by ensuring we have the strongest possible team at the Senedd can we ensure that the Wales being built in Cardiff Bay is the Wales that our people need and deserve. On local health services, on care homes and on the best education for our children, we must have strong new Plaid voices adding to those we already have there. The other parties headquartered in London aimlessly play the Welsh political game. We in Plaid have the vision for our country, the vision to ensure that equality, localism and community action is welded into the body of the new Wales. For Plaid, the next five years is about making sure that the extraordinary process of creating a new nation reflects and addresses the experiences and problems of our communities.
The current system of election is not the one we would choose. But it does enable sudden leaps forward when we win constituency seats, whilst we are also able to maintain a broad presence throughout Wales and grow more gradually. List members can have a crucial role in reality-proofing what we plan and do, so making sure that all our efforts are directly useful to our communities. At the same time, with a brief throughout the region, they can be the shock troops of change.
So, after a lot of thought I have decided what to do next. I’ll be putting my name forward for the South Wales West list for our Welsh general election in May 2011.
I know and understand South Wales West communities. I’m from Llanelli and stood as our candidate in the last UK general election. We did not win the seat. But in a difficult election for us throughout Wales, in Llanelli, significantly, we achieved a huge swing to Plaid and slashed Labour’s majority. I want to carry through that momentum, that appetite for change amongst our people, that growing support for Plaid.
I want a place in the Senedd to join in the serious job of creating Welsh law from the experiences of our communities and from the principles we share as a party. I want to help build the Plaid team, to ensure as a list member that the focus is on our policies and their practical application. There is too much to be done in the hard times ahead to be chasing headlines.
And there is also work to do in supporting the nationally-important campaign in the Neath constituency. The party needs to strengthen links between individual members and elected representatives across the region, draw members into activities and understand the perspectives of all its constituency parties.
In despair at the goings on in the one party East German state, the playwright Berthold Brecht once remarked wryly:
‘The Central Committee has lost confidence in the People. The People must be replaced!’
For decades government in Wales was like that too. But as part of the One Wales Government Plaid has already started opening windows and doors in Cardiff.
Yes we can sack individual politicians. And we certainly can’t afford or allow the development of a detached political class in Wales. But there is much more to be done, within Plaid and by Plaid. Our Government after the Election must be more for and more about people throughout Wales. For and about the people of Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Dyfnant and Pyle as well as those in Cardiff Bay.
Gorllewin De Cymru
Pan ydych chi’n sefyll mewn etholiad, mae eich busnes chi yn dod yn fusnes i bawb. Ers mis Mai, mae nifer o bobl wedi cynnig cyngor i mi ar beth i’w wneud nesa. Rwy’n rhyfeddu’n fawr ac yn arswydo braidd at allu rhai o’n haelodau i ragweld seddau a lleoedd ar y rhestrau rhanbarthol a enillir bron fel petaen nhw’n symud darnau mewn gêm o wyddbwyll! Ond y gwir yw nad yw e mor syml â hynny, yn enwedig pan eich bod chi fel fi â’ch traed wedi’u sodro’n sownd yn eich rhanbarth unigryw o Gymru a bod gennych chi ar yr un pryd awydd ac ymrwymiad cryf i geisio sicrhau newid yn fuan ac i wasanaethu’r bobl ‘nawr.
Yn ystod ein hoes, fe fyddwn yn gweld Cymru yn cymryd ei lle priodol ymhlith cenhedloedd y byd. Fe ymunais â Plaid i fod yn rhan o’r ymdrech fawr honno, i wneud yn siwr fod y genedl rydym yn ei chreu yn lle cyfiawn sy’n rhoi lle canolog i degwch, cydraddoldeb a ffyniant. Ond heb ymdeimlad digon cryf o atebolrwydd lleol mae yna berygl y gallai ein llywodraeth roi i ni y math o ryddid sydd heb sylwedd.
Gyda’r prif bleidiau yng Nghymru yn cefnogi pleidlais ‘Ie’ yn y refferendwm, mae’n hollbwysig ein bod ni yn y Blaid yn achub ar y cyfle yn Etholiad Cyffredinol Cymru i roi ein stamp ar y pedair blynedd nesa. Dim ond drwy sicrhau bod gennym ni’r tim cryfa posib yn y Senedd y gallwn ni sicrhau mai y Gymru sy’n cael ei chreu ym Mae Caerdydd yw’r Gymru y mae ein pobl ei hangen ac yn ei haeddu. O ran gwasanaethau iechyd lleol, cartrefi gofal a’r addysg orau i’n plant, rhaid i ni gael lleisiau newydd, cryf o blith Plaid fydd yn ychwnaegu at y rheini sydd gyda ni yno eisoes. Mae’r pleidiau eraill o’u pencadlys yn Llundain yn chwarae’r gêm wleidyddol Gymreig yn ddibwrpas. Mae gennym ni yn y Blaid weledigaeth ar gyfer ein gwlad, y weledigiaeth i sicrhau bod cydraddoldeb, brogarwch a gweithredu cymunedol yn dod yn rhan annatod o gorff y Gymru newydd. O ran Plaid, ei gorchwyl yn y pum mlynedd nesa yw gwneud yn siwr fod y broses hynod o greu cenedl newydd yn adlewyrchu profiadau a phroblemau ein cymunedau ac yn mynd i’r afael â nhw.
Nid yw’r system etholiadol bresennol yn un y byddem ni yn ei dewis. Ond mae yn ein galluogi i gymryd camau breision ymlaen pan fyddwn ni’n ennill seddau mewn etholaethau tra’i bod yn golygu hefyd y gallwn ni gynnal presenoldeb cyffredinol ledled Cymru a thyfu fesul dipyn. Gall aelodau ar y rhestr gymryd rhan hanfodol yn y broses o wneud yn siwr fod yr hyn rydyn ni’n ei gynllunio a’i wneud yn ymarferol a bod ein holl ymdrechion o ddefnydd uniongyrchol i’n cymunedau. Ar yr un pryd, gan gadw at yr un briff ledled y rhanbarth, fe allan nhw weithredu fel cyrchfilwyr i sicrhau newid.
Felly, ar ôl ystyried y mater yn ofalus, rwy’ wedi penderfynu beth i’w wneud nesa. Fe fydda i’n rhoi fy enw ymlaen ar gyfer enwebiad fel ymgeisydd rhestr Gorllewin De Cymru yn ein hetholiad cyffredinol yng Nghymru ym mis Mai 2011.
Rwy’n adnabod ac yn deall cymunedau Gorllewin De Cymru. Rwy’n dod o Lanelli a fi oedd ein hymgeisydd yn etholiad cyffredinol diwetha y DU. Wnaethon ni ddim ennill y sedd. Ond mewn etholiad anodd i ni ym mhob rhan o Gymru, yn Llanelli, yn arwyddocaol, fe lwyddon ni i sicrhau “swing” enfawr i Blaid Cymru ac i leihau mwyafrif Llafur yn sylweddol. Rwy’ eisiau parhau i gynnal y momentwm, yr awydd am newid ymhlith ein pobl, y gefnogaeth honno i Plaid sy ar gynnydd.
Rwy eisiau lle yn y Senedd i ymuno yn y dasg ddifrifol o greu cyfraith Gymreig sy’n deillio o brofiadau ein cymunedau ac o’r egwyddorion rydym yn eu rhannu fel plaid. Rwy’ eisiau helpu i adeiladu tim y Blaid, i sicrhau fel aelod rhestr fod y ffocws ar ein polisiau a sut i’w rhoi ar waith. Mae gormod i’w wneud yn y cyfodau anodd o’n blaenau i ddenu cyhoeddusrwydd drwy fod yn ddadleuol.
Ond mae gwaith i’w wneud hefyd i gefnogi’r ymgyrch yn etholaeth Castell-nedd sydd o bwys cenedlaethol. Mae angen i’r blaid gryfhau’r cysylliadau rhwng aelodau unigol a chynrychiolwyr etholedig ledled y rhanbarth, tynnu aelodau i mewn i weithgareddau a deall safbwyntiau pleidwyr ym mhob etholaeth ar draws y rhanbarth.
Mewn anobaith o weld y pethau oedd yn digwydd yng ngwladwriaeth unbleidiol Dwyrain yr Almaen, fe wnaeth y dramodydd Berthold Brecht y sylw coeglyd yma:
“ Mae’r Pwyllgor Canolog wedi colli hyder yn y Bobl. Rhaid newid y Bobl!”
Am ddegawdau, roedd llywodraeth yng Nghymru fel yna hefyd. Ond fel rhan o lywodraeth Cymru’n Un, mae Plaid eisoes wedi dechrau agor ffenestri a drysau yng Nghaerdydd.
Gallwn, fe allwn ni gael gwared â gwleidyddion unigol. Ac mae’n sicr na allwn ni fforddio na chaniatau i ddosbarth gwleidyddol ar wahân ddatblygu yng Nghymru. Ond mae llawer mwy i’w wneud, o fewn Plaid a chan Plaid. Rhaid i’n Llywodraeth ar ôl yr Etholiad fod yn fwy dros bobl a mwy ynghylch pobl ledled Cymru. Dros bobl Gwauncaegurwen, Dyfnant a’r Pil yn ogystal â thros y rheini ym Mae Caerdydd.
Yn ystod ein hoes, fe fyddwn yn gweld Cymru yn cymryd ei lle priodol ymhlith cenhedloedd y byd. Fe ymunais â Plaid i fod yn rhan o’r ymdrech fawr honno, i wneud yn siwr fod y genedl rydym yn ei chreu yn lle cyfiawn sy’n rhoi lle canolog i degwch, cydraddoldeb a ffyniant. Ond heb ymdeimlad digon cryf o atebolrwydd lleol mae yna berygl y gallai ein llywodraeth roi i ni y math o ryddid sydd heb sylwedd.
Gyda’r prif bleidiau yng Nghymru yn cefnogi pleidlais ‘Ie’ yn y refferendwm, mae’n hollbwysig ein bod ni yn y Blaid yn achub ar y cyfle yn Etholiad Cyffredinol Cymru i roi ein stamp ar y pedair blynedd nesa. Dim ond drwy sicrhau bod gennym ni’r tim cryfa posib yn y Senedd y gallwn ni sicrhau mai y Gymru sy’n cael ei chreu ym Mae Caerdydd yw’r Gymru y mae ein pobl ei hangen ac yn ei haeddu. O ran gwasanaethau iechyd lleol, cartrefi gofal a’r addysg orau i’n plant, rhaid i ni gael lleisiau newydd, cryf o blith Plaid fydd yn ychwnaegu at y rheini sydd gyda ni yno eisoes. Mae’r pleidiau eraill o’u pencadlys yn Llundain yn chwarae’r gêm wleidyddol Gymreig yn ddibwrpas. Mae gennym ni yn y Blaid weledigaeth ar gyfer ein gwlad, y weledigiaeth i sicrhau bod cydraddoldeb, brogarwch a gweithredu cymunedol yn dod yn rhan annatod o gorff y Gymru newydd. O ran Plaid, ei gorchwyl yn y pum mlynedd nesa yw gwneud yn siwr fod y broses hynod o greu cenedl newydd yn adlewyrchu profiadau a phroblemau ein cymunedau ac yn mynd i’r afael â nhw.
Nid yw’r system etholiadol bresennol yn un y byddem ni yn ei dewis. Ond mae yn ein galluogi i gymryd camau breision ymlaen pan fyddwn ni’n ennill seddau mewn etholaethau tra’i bod yn golygu hefyd y gallwn ni gynnal presenoldeb cyffredinol ledled Cymru a thyfu fesul dipyn. Gall aelodau ar y rhestr gymryd rhan hanfodol yn y broses o wneud yn siwr fod yr hyn rydyn ni’n ei gynllunio a’i wneud yn ymarferol a bod ein holl ymdrechion o ddefnydd uniongyrchol i’n cymunedau. Ar yr un pryd, gan gadw at yr un briff ledled y rhanbarth, fe allan nhw weithredu fel cyrchfilwyr i sicrhau newid.
Felly, ar ôl ystyried y mater yn ofalus, rwy’ wedi penderfynu beth i’w wneud nesa. Fe fydda i’n rhoi fy enw ymlaen ar gyfer enwebiad fel ymgeisydd rhestr Gorllewin De Cymru yn ein hetholiad cyffredinol yng Nghymru ym mis Mai 2011.
Rwy’n adnabod ac yn deall cymunedau Gorllewin De Cymru. Rwy’n dod o Lanelli a fi oedd ein hymgeisydd yn etholiad cyffredinol diwetha y DU. Wnaethon ni ddim ennill y sedd. Ond mewn etholiad anodd i ni ym mhob rhan o Gymru, yn Llanelli, yn arwyddocaol, fe lwyddon ni i sicrhau “swing” enfawr i Blaid Cymru ac i leihau mwyafrif Llafur yn sylweddol. Rwy’ eisiau parhau i gynnal y momentwm, yr awydd am newid ymhlith ein pobl, y gefnogaeth honno i Plaid sy ar gynnydd.
Rwy eisiau lle yn y Senedd i ymuno yn y dasg ddifrifol o greu cyfraith Gymreig sy’n deillio o brofiadau ein cymunedau ac o’r egwyddorion rydym yn eu rhannu fel plaid. Rwy’ eisiau helpu i adeiladu tim y Blaid, i sicrhau fel aelod rhestr fod y ffocws ar ein polisiau a sut i’w rhoi ar waith. Mae gormod i’w wneud yn y cyfodau anodd o’n blaenau i ddenu cyhoeddusrwydd drwy fod yn ddadleuol.
Ond mae gwaith i’w wneud hefyd i gefnogi’r ymgyrch yn etholaeth Castell-nedd sydd o bwys cenedlaethol. Mae angen i’r blaid gryfhau’r cysylliadau rhwng aelodau unigol a chynrychiolwyr etholedig ledled y rhanbarth, tynnu aelodau i mewn i weithgareddau a deall safbwyntiau pleidwyr ym mhob etholaeth ar draws y rhanbarth.
Mewn anobaith o weld y pethau oedd yn digwydd yng ngwladwriaeth unbleidiol Dwyrain yr Almaen, fe wnaeth y dramodydd Berthold Brecht y sylw coeglyd yma:
“ Mae’r Pwyllgor Canolog wedi colli hyder yn y Bobl. Rhaid newid y Bobl!”
Am ddegawdau, roedd llywodraeth yng Nghymru fel yna hefyd. Ond fel rhan o lywodraeth Cymru’n Un, mae Plaid eisoes wedi dechrau agor ffenestri a drysau yng Nghaerdydd.
Gallwn, fe allwn ni gael gwared â gwleidyddion unigol. Ac mae’n sicr na allwn ni fforddio na chaniatau i ddosbarth gwleidyddol ar wahân ddatblygu yng Nghymru. Ond mae llawer mwy i’w wneud, o fewn Plaid a chan Plaid. Rhaid i’n Llywodraeth ar ôl yr Etholiad fod yn fwy dros bobl a mwy ynghylch pobl ledled Cymru. Dros bobl Gwauncaegurwen, Dyfnant a’r Pil yn ogystal â thros y rheini ym Mae Caerdydd.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Sick and disabled to work ‘despite their health condition’
Yesterday’s update from Jobcentre Plus throws light on a disturbing development in the Government’s plans for sick and disabled people.
Many of us will remember the thousands of fit workers parked on invalidity benefits (now there’s a telling phrase) to hide the impact of the mass closures on unemployment in the early 1980s. Of course only those who are sick and disabled should receive this support and where conditions might improve, assessments should be made with an emphasis on rehabilitation and recovery.
The emphasis in assessing people for sickness and disability benefits has long been on tasks that would be beyond the individual’s capacities. During its final term, the last Labour Government started to move the focus to tasks that the individual could undertake. Disabled rights groups sensed that behind the suggestion of empowerment, was an intention to coerce individuals into inappropriate work or to dock their benefits. Plaid MPs played an honourable role in forcing a U-turn on the excesses of that policy.
Yesterday’s update goes much further. It states that in assessing for sickness and disability benefits, ‘the focus will be on what an individual can do despite their health condition rather than simply what they are prevented from doing’.
Government Agencies will then accept that an individual is sick or disabled but will nonetheless expect them to work. This changes a fundamental principle of supporting the sick and disabled.
On my previous blog in reacting to the Labour’s proposed plans to scrap Attendance Allowance and review Disability Living Allowance, I asked where these jobs were mean to come from. At that time in Whitney, David Cameron’s constituency, there were 11 people on disability benefits for each job advertised while in Merthyr, there were 67 and in Llanelli there were over 20.
How many vacancies are there now for each person on disability benefits in Bridgend, Port Talbot and Llanelli? How many of these will be coerced into applying for jobs ‘despite their condition’ only to be passed over by recruiters? This is a clear attempt to withdraw support from those that need and deserve it. A ‘big society’? A pitiless and senseless one if we let them have their way.
Many of us will remember the thousands of fit workers parked on invalidity benefits (now there’s a telling phrase) to hide the impact of the mass closures on unemployment in the early 1980s. Of course only those who are sick and disabled should receive this support and where conditions might improve, assessments should be made with an emphasis on rehabilitation and recovery.
The emphasis in assessing people for sickness and disability benefits has long been on tasks that would be beyond the individual’s capacities. During its final term, the last Labour Government started to move the focus to tasks that the individual could undertake. Disabled rights groups sensed that behind the suggestion of empowerment, was an intention to coerce individuals into inappropriate work or to dock their benefits. Plaid MPs played an honourable role in forcing a U-turn on the excesses of that policy.
Yesterday’s update goes much further. It states that in assessing for sickness and disability benefits, ‘the focus will be on what an individual can do despite their health condition rather than simply what they are prevented from doing’.
Government Agencies will then accept that an individual is sick or disabled but will nonetheless expect them to work. This changes a fundamental principle of supporting the sick and disabled.
On my previous blog in reacting to the Labour’s proposed plans to scrap Attendance Allowance and review Disability Living Allowance, I asked where these jobs were mean to come from. At that time in Whitney, David Cameron’s constituency, there were 11 people on disability benefits for each job advertised while in Merthyr, there were 67 and in Llanelli there were over 20.
How many vacancies are there now for each person on disability benefits in Bridgend, Port Talbot and Llanelli? How many of these will be coerced into applying for jobs ‘despite their condition’ only to be passed over by recruiters? This is a clear attempt to withdraw support from those that need and deserve it. A ‘big society’? A pitiless and senseless one if we let them have their way.
Friday, 2 July 2010
Gan mai fi yw yr ail feiolin...
Yn ôl ffigurau RhAG, mae 28% o rhieni yn Abertawe am ddanfon eu plant i ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg ac mae'r ffigwr yn neidio i 38% pe bai'r ysgol o fewn cyrraedd cymharol hawdd. Mewn ardaloedd yn y Gorllewin lle mae darpariaeth fwy helaeth o addysg Gymraeg dyw’r broblem ddim yn codi i’r un graddau ond yn Llanelli drefol lle roedd y galw am leoedd mewn un ysgol gynradd (fy alma mater i) dros ddwywaith yr hyn a ddarparwyd, mae diffyg cynllunio ar gyfer addysg Gymraeg lleol yn effeithio ar ddegau o deuluoedd bob blwyddyn gyda brodyr a chwiorydd yn cael eu gwahanu ac eraill yn colli’r cyfle am addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg yn gyfan gwbl.
I ddychwelyd i Abertawe, mae'r galw am addysg Gymraeg yno ar ei uchaf yn Nhreforys (39%). Does dim darpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg yno o gwbl ac yn ôl y ffigurau diweddaraf, mae 106 o blant Treforys mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg o fewn wardiau eraill y ddinas. Mae yna gynlluniau i sefydlu ysgol Gymraeg - ond un fydd yn derbyn 15 plentyn y flwyddyn yn unig gan gynyddu i hyd at 190. Er mawr ei hangen, hanner ysgol yw hon ac mi fydd yn diwallu'r angen yn lleol. http://www.rhag.net/storic.php?id=51
O ystyried y gwahaniaeth rhwng y galw a’r darpariaeth, yr un bydd yr hanesion yn Wrecsam a Chasnewydd lle mae’r awdurdodau lleol wedi dechrau asesu’r galw.
Yn ystod dadl deledu ddiwethaf ymgyrch etholiad Cynulliad 2007, trafodwyd sut i ddiwallu'r galw am Addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg. Ymrwymodd Plaid Cymru i ddatblygu strategaeth genedlaethol ac roedd Llafur yn ystyried mai mater ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol yn bennaf oedd darparu lleoedd o fewn addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg... Bydd y safbwynt olaf yn codi gwen ymhlith rhieni Ysgol Treganna yng Ngorllewin Caerdydd sydd wedi colli'r cyfle am ysgol newydd diolch i ymyrraeth Carwyn Jones (http://oclmenai.blogspot.com/2010/05/helynt-treganna-mater-plwyfol.html).
Mae'r Blaid wedi sicrhau bod Strategaeth Addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg wedi ei pharatoi.
Da o beth yw hynny. Mae'r strategaeth yn galw ar awdurdodau lleol i asesu'r galw am addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ac ymateb yn gadarnhaol i'r galw. Mae hefyd yn galw ar awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau bod darpariaeth 14+ ar gael a dewis o bynciau galwedigaethol ar gael drwy'r Gymraeg.
Digon teg. Siom fodd bynnag yw'r ffaith nad oes amlinelliad o'r broses o gynyddu darpariaeth addysg Gymraeg ar unrhyw lefel. Does dim galw chwaith ar awdurdodau lleol i ddefnyddio'r mecanwaith safonol sydd wedi ei ddatblygu gan Fwrdd yr Iaith er mwyn asesu galw. Mae'r targedau ar gyfer plant sy’n cael eu profi trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn ryfeddol o isel fel prin eu bod yn mesur cynnydd. O gyrraedd y targedau hynod isel hyn, mi allai rhai awdurdodau lusgo'u traed yn lle darparu at lefel y galw...
Dogfen ddefnyddiol yw'r Strategaeth. Mae'n dechrau’r broses o symud at ddarpariaeth gyfartal rhwng y ddau sector addysg yng Nghymru. Ond yn ngeiriau anfarwol Caryl Parry Jones: "wrth edrych arnat ti/ yn syllu arni hi/gwn mai fi yw yr ail feiolin".
Ambell i awgrym felly ar gyfer olynydd y Strategaeth - cryfhau targedi, sicrhau bod y galw yn cael ei fesur yn safonol mewn ardaloedd lle nad y Gymraeg yw prif iaith addysg ac esbonio categoriau ieithyddol ysgolion i rieni mewn ardaloedd lle mae yna ddewis rhwng y sectorau. Rhaid hefyd symud tuag at brosesau mwy uniongyrchol o ddefnyddio lleoedd gwag yn y sector addysg cyfrwng Saesneg i gyflenwi'r galw am addysg Gymraeg o fewn cyrraedd i gartrefi'r plant.
Mae blog Syniadau (http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2009/05/easing-way-for-expansion-of-wm.html) yn trafod penderfyniad Ysgol y Ffwrnais, Llanelli ac Ysgol Trimsaran i newid yr iaith addysgu i’r Gymraeg blwyddyn wrth flwyddyn. Awgrym Syniadau yw bod newid iaith ysgolion cymunedol yn raddol mewn ardaloedd lle mae darpariaeth addysg yn y ddwy iaith yn sicrhau eu dyfoldol nhw fel ysgolion llai ac yn osgoi’r broses hirwyntog o agor ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg newydd.
Cwestiwn ehangach y mae angen rhoi sylw iddo yn olynydd y Strategaeth yw sut i ddelio gyda'r gyfran o blant sydd yn cael eu colli i addysg Gymraeg wrth symud o un lefel addysgiadol i'r llall. Yn yr un modd, mae angen gwella effeithlonrwydd dysgu Cymraeg fel ail iaith. Nid tasg i’w rhoi i athrawon sy’n digwydd siarad Cymraeg ond pwnc penodol y mae athrawon angen hyfforddiant ynddo cyn ei ddysgu. Mae gan blant
gefndiroedd ieithyddol amrywiol a dim ond drwy ymateb i’r sbectrwm ieithyddol hynny y bydd modd creu siaradwyr Cymraeg hyderus.
Fel dywedodd y dyn pan ofynnwyd iddo sut i gyrraedd Dulyn, ‘if I were going to Dublin, I wouldn’t start from here’. Yma rydym ni fodd bynnag a bydd angen dycnwch ac ewyllys gwleidyddol cadarn i sicrhau bod y galw am addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn cael ei gyflenwi ac yn cryfhau a bod ysgolion Cymru y dyfodol yn creu cenedl wirioneddol ddwyieithog.
I ddychwelyd i Abertawe, mae'r galw am addysg Gymraeg yno ar ei uchaf yn Nhreforys (39%). Does dim darpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg yno o gwbl ac yn ôl y ffigurau diweddaraf, mae 106 o blant Treforys mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg o fewn wardiau eraill y ddinas. Mae yna gynlluniau i sefydlu ysgol Gymraeg - ond un fydd yn derbyn 15 plentyn y flwyddyn yn unig gan gynyddu i hyd at 190. Er mawr ei hangen, hanner ysgol yw hon ac mi fydd yn diwallu'r angen yn lleol. http://www.rhag.net/storic.php?id=51
O ystyried y gwahaniaeth rhwng y galw a’r darpariaeth, yr un bydd yr hanesion yn Wrecsam a Chasnewydd lle mae’r awdurdodau lleol wedi dechrau asesu’r galw.
Yn ystod dadl deledu ddiwethaf ymgyrch etholiad Cynulliad 2007, trafodwyd sut i ddiwallu'r galw am Addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg. Ymrwymodd Plaid Cymru i ddatblygu strategaeth genedlaethol ac roedd Llafur yn ystyried mai mater ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol yn bennaf oedd darparu lleoedd o fewn addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg... Bydd y safbwynt olaf yn codi gwen ymhlith rhieni Ysgol Treganna yng Ngorllewin Caerdydd sydd wedi colli'r cyfle am ysgol newydd diolch i ymyrraeth Carwyn Jones (http://oclmenai.blogspot.com/2010/05/helynt-treganna-mater-plwyfol.html).
Mae'r Blaid wedi sicrhau bod Strategaeth Addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg wedi ei pharatoi.
Da o beth yw hynny. Mae'r strategaeth yn galw ar awdurdodau lleol i asesu'r galw am addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ac ymateb yn gadarnhaol i'r galw. Mae hefyd yn galw ar awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau bod darpariaeth 14+ ar gael a dewis o bynciau galwedigaethol ar gael drwy'r Gymraeg.
Digon teg. Siom fodd bynnag yw'r ffaith nad oes amlinelliad o'r broses o gynyddu darpariaeth addysg Gymraeg ar unrhyw lefel. Does dim galw chwaith ar awdurdodau lleol i ddefnyddio'r mecanwaith safonol sydd wedi ei ddatblygu gan Fwrdd yr Iaith er mwyn asesu galw. Mae'r targedau ar gyfer plant sy’n cael eu profi trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn ryfeddol o isel fel prin eu bod yn mesur cynnydd. O gyrraedd y targedau hynod isel hyn, mi allai rhai awdurdodau lusgo'u traed yn lle darparu at lefel y galw...
Dogfen ddefnyddiol yw'r Strategaeth. Mae'n dechrau’r broses o symud at ddarpariaeth gyfartal rhwng y ddau sector addysg yng Nghymru. Ond yn ngeiriau anfarwol Caryl Parry Jones: "wrth edrych arnat ti/ yn syllu arni hi/gwn mai fi yw yr ail feiolin".
Ambell i awgrym felly ar gyfer olynydd y Strategaeth - cryfhau targedi, sicrhau bod y galw yn cael ei fesur yn safonol mewn ardaloedd lle nad y Gymraeg yw prif iaith addysg ac esbonio categoriau ieithyddol ysgolion i rieni mewn ardaloedd lle mae yna ddewis rhwng y sectorau. Rhaid hefyd symud tuag at brosesau mwy uniongyrchol o ddefnyddio lleoedd gwag yn y sector addysg cyfrwng Saesneg i gyflenwi'r galw am addysg Gymraeg o fewn cyrraedd i gartrefi'r plant.
Mae blog Syniadau (http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2009/05/easing-way-for-expansion-of-wm.html) yn trafod penderfyniad Ysgol y Ffwrnais, Llanelli ac Ysgol Trimsaran i newid yr iaith addysgu i’r Gymraeg blwyddyn wrth flwyddyn. Awgrym Syniadau yw bod newid iaith ysgolion cymunedol yn raddol mewn ardaloedd lle mae darpariaeth addysg yn y ddwy iaith yn sicrhau eu dyfoldol nhw fel ysgolion llai ac yn osgoi’r broses hirwyntog o agor ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg newydd.
Cwestiwn ehangach y mae angen rhoi sylw iddo yn olynydd y Strategaeth yw sut i ddelio gyda'r gyfran o blant sydd yn cael eu colli i addysg Gymraeg wrth symud o un lefel addysgiadol i'r llall. Yn yr un modd, mae angen gwella effeithlonrwydd dysgu Cymraeg fel ail iaith. Nid tasg i’w rhoi i athrawon sy’n digwydd siarad Cymraeg ond pwnc penodol y mae athrawon angen hyfforddiant ynddo cyn ei ddysgu. Mae gan blant
gefndiroedd ieithyddol amrywiol a dim ond drwy ymateb i’r sbectrwm ieithyddol hynny y bydd modd creu siaradwyr Cymraeg hyderus.
Fel dywedodd y dyn pan ofynnwyd iddo sut i gyrraedd Dulyn, ‘if I were going to Dublin, I wouldn’t start from here’. Yma rydym ni fodd bynnag a bydd angen dycnwch ac ewyllys gwleidyddol cadarn i sicrhau bod y galw am addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn cael ei gyflenwi ac yn cryfhau a bod ysgolion Cymru y dyfodol yn creu cenedl wirioneddol ddwyieithog.
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Logotherapy for Labour: Free Schools and finding a purpose
A couple of weeks ago, I asked what the Lib Dems were for (http://newsmyfanwy.blogspot.com/). I thought it was only right to ask the same question of the other parties…
Last weekend I picked up Josef Frankl’s book on Logotherapy. He argues that people’s happiness emerges almost accidentally out of serving a useful purpose. Simple and liberating...
But will Labour find happiness?
The debate on Academies (or as the Tories insisted on calling them, “Free Schools”) may offer Labour a way of finding a principled way forward. In England, the incoming Blair Government vowed to make education its main priority. But in both the primary and secondary sectors, well to do parents increasingly used league tables to dominate the best performing schools and increase educational inequalities.
Initially, Labour enabled ‘failing’ schools to opt out of local authority control as Academies which are publicly funded schools outside local authority control that can select a proportion on pupils by ability. In some cases, these institutions used their status to develop poor staffing practices, including refusing union recognition and making staff easier to sack. Far from affirming parent-power or even localism, such schools turned out to be run by Governors, private Sponsors and Head Teachers under the direct control of the Minister. Academies are exempt from freedom of information requests and so their methods of obtaining exam results are above scrutiny. But rates of exclusion from some Academies, suggest that taking hard to reach pupils out of the mix is a tactic used to boost results...
We are now faced with a Tory “Academies Bill” which would allow up to 500 secondary schools and nearly 2,000 primary schools in England to become independent by September and could see private companies running them.
Because the main contenders for the Labour leadership supported creating Academies and have maintained that support in opposition, their criticism of the Tories’ plan to extend Academy status to more successful schools will be compromised.
How much more preferable would it be to see an honest debate in Labour about taking responsibility for raising standards in schools? There are few more important motors for achieving equality available to any Government than ensuring fairness in our publicly-funded schools. Can we expect that debate from the Labour leadership contest? Probably not.
I would like to think there is room for that debate here in Wales - and it is likely to be needed.
The “Academies Bill” applies only to schools in England. But we have a handful of semi-independent foundation schools in Wales and I hear that at least one school in Cardiff is already pressing for Academy status. Will Labour dangle such 'Academy status' before worried parents in the run up to the Welsh General Election?
Their introduction of such a divisive system in England, and their reluctance to own up to the increased inequality that this system has created does not inspire confidence.
Last weekend I picked up Josef Frankl’s book on Logotherapy. He argues that people’s happiness emerges almost accidentally out of serving a useful purpose. Simple and liberating...
But will Labour find happiness?
The debate on Academies (or as the Tories insisted on calling them, “Free Schools”) may offer Labour a way of finding a principled way forward. In England, the incoming Blair Government vowed to make education its main priority. But in both the primary and secondary sectors, well to do parents increasingly used league tables to dominate the best performing schools and increase educational inequalities.
Initially, Labour enabled ‘failing’ schools to opt out of local authority control as Academies which are publicly funded schools outside local authority control that can select a proportion on pupils by ability. In some cases, these institutions used their status to develop poor staffing practices, including refusing union recognition and making staff easier to sack. Far from affirming parent-power or even localism, such schools turned out to be run by Governors, private Sponsors and Head Teachers under the direct control of the Minister. Academies are exempt from freedom of information requests and so their methods of obtaining exam results are above scrutiny. But rates of exclusion from some Academies, suggest that taking hard to reach pupils out of the mix is a tactic used to boost results...
We are now faced with a Tory “Academies Bill” which would allow up to 500 secondary schools and nearly 2,000 primary schools in England to become independent by September and could see private companies running them.
Because the main contenders for the Labour leadership supported creating Academies and have maintained that support in opposition, their criticism of the Tories’ plan to extend Academy status to more successful schools will be compromised.
How much more preferable would it be to see an honest debate in Labour about taking responsibility for raising standards in schools? There are few more important motors for achieving equality available to any Government than ensuring fairness in our publicly-funded schools. Can we expect that debate from the Labour leadership contest? Probably not.
I would like to think there is room for that debate here in Wales - and it is likely to be needed.
The “Academies Bill” applies only to schools in England. But we have a handful of semi-independent foundation schools in Wales and I hear that at least one school in Cardiff is already pressing for Academy status. Will Labour dangle such 'Academy status' before worried parents in the run up to the Welsh General Election?
Their introduction of such a divisive system in England, and their reluctance to own up to the increased inequality that this system has created does not inspire confidence.
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