Review Of the Year

It is that time of the year again. A time of taking stock of all that you have, or more likely would like to have. A time when we turn to family, tinsel, and maybe the idea of the innocent baby Jesus, to stave off the yawing emptiness at the edge of our lives.

It has been a funny old year. On a personal level I am grateful for my partner's much improved health, the new flat, and the handful of poems, articles, and essays I've had published. And the few songs I've manged to write and perform with the aid of my trusty acoustic guitar.

This world is bigger than me however, at least the world feels bigger than me, which is why I joined a political party. The most openly democratic, and leftist party, in Wales that is. As Ron Davies once said "devolution is a process not an event." I am pleased with my tiny contributions to this event- an event which could, with time and luck, see a dynamic Wales and Welsh people, institutionally ready to face the numerous challenges ahead, and an example of democracy and co-operation in practice. Such heady aspirations are of course flavoured with cynicism.

This year, for example, we have seen:

The Iraqi government start selling off www.handsoffiraqioil.org The Iraqi people's oil reserves. Such a moves render the invasion and occupation a total commercial success while cementing the legacy of humanitarian disaster.

The world watched on with a face somewhere between horror and disapprobation as Burmese rulers sat upon their hands after the country was hit by acyclone and aid failed to be distributed.

The collapse of the Western Financial sector. Our liberal capitalist system was only saved by state intervention on an unprecedented scale. The coffers of central treasuries around the world have been ransacked in order to ensure the continued lack of integrity in the global capital markets and the restoration of the appearance of liquidity. All in all it is a vindication of Lenin's maxim 'that capitalists will always have the funds to prevent any crisis, as long as it is the workers that foot the bill.'

There were no palpable human rights improvements in China as a result of the OlympicGames. Any cynicism from the Welsh people is largely drowned out by cheers as Nicole Cooke brings home the first British Gold medal.

Bolivia faces an internal crisis as the country's wealthy elite make the most self interested claims for autonomy ever. The media, and the left in general, is weirdly silent in its support for the Evo Morales government (even if Tony Benn et al did eventually send out an excellent letter to the broadsheets)

Civilians suffer as Russia is engaged in a game of geo-political chess in Georgia

Italy elect Silvio Berlusconi (again). He forms a coalition with the far right and Italy is given a de facto fascist government (again).

The US electorate defy prejudice and a somewhat dicey electoral system to elect Barrack Obama. He'll take the reins of this imperial looking democracy in the New Year.

There is no real development in the fight against Climate Change, just the familiar prevarication.

Closer to home

Gordon Brown doubles the income tax burden on the poorest in society by imposing a 100% income tax increase on the lowest earners, he then has to backtrack (a little bit). Tax rises for the richest are postponed until after the next election.

Benefits are to be reformed. It seems the sick and incapacitated might be forced to work for free at Tescos or the suchlike in order to keep benefits.

Wales sees a 25% increase in unemployment in three months. Public sector jobs are still cut in Wales.

New Labour first want to shut 1000s of post offices, then want to keep them open. Now it seems they wish to part privatise them.

Key Plaid policies like the Welsh Language Act, and the reversal of the right to buy, are given a hard time by New Labour MPs as they come before them in the form of LCOs. Some talk (correctly) of a constitutional crisis. Most people are unaware of this as they don't know what LCO stands for.

Everyone's favourite droll mopheaded bumbling reactionary closet racist Boris Johnson is elected as mayor of London.

An open verdict is returned on the John Charles De Menezes shooting. The jury were prohibited from returning the verdict of unlawful killing.

Gwent Ambulance response times are among the worst in the UK. (a post on this subject is forthcoming)

On the plus side

Plaid make some gains and new Labour suffer massive defeats in the local elections. Even Kier Hardie's old stomping ground of Blaenau Gwent is lost by New Labour.

SNP make key gains in Scotland- even taking Glasgow East.

There is a special fund for sub-post offices.

Train lines are finally being improved and extended in Wales.

There is a special mortgage relief fund in Wales.

It looks like the devastatingly awful idea of an M4 relief road is all set not to happen (as the Welsh transport budget has been syphoned off to pay for the London Olympics, apparently)

OK- that concludes my review of the year- if there anything that I've missed (there must be) please fill me in...

Why new Labour really 'saved' the Post Offices:

A few weeks back Peter Mandelson apparently championed a policy to save the Post Offices from threats of closure. A host of New Labour MPs, who had campaigned to keep these amenities open at local level, and then voted for their closure (if they bothered to vote at all), breathed a sigh of relief. Now they could claim to be saviours of this essential public service even if it was their lot who had imperiled it in the first place.

Now the real reason why the post offices were saved isrevealed however. New Labour intend to part privatise the service- and endanger up to 50,000 jobs in the process.

Post Offices have only been saved so that the costs associated with running it can be bumped off the balance sheet, and treasury coffers can be boosted by the sale. As ever, with PFI, there will be be no real saving, and while the risks of running the service will continue with the government any profits will be skimmed off by the private sector. No wonder this practice was so readily embraced by big business.

The usual, and numerous criticisms, of PFI will be be as appropriate with this deal as they are elsewhere. New Labour however, remain wedded to this accountancy sleight of hand.

Winter Fuel

This campaign was launched today. I think the logic of such a move is indisputable- while of course such a move flies in the face of New Labour and Conservative politicians keen to keep the private sector sweet at all costs.


Gwent Winter Deaths 2007

Blaenau Gwent
24

Caerphilly
46

Islwyn
40

Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney
44

Monmouth
42

Newport East
32

Newport West
52

Torfaen
36

Wales Jobs Losses

Wales' economy is shrinking faster than the rest of the UK. There are 95,000 unemployed in Wales and there has been over a 25% increase in job losses in the last few months. Unemployment is certainly rising faster than in the rest of the UK. Presumably the government should be protecting as many jobs as they are able right now, but what you may ask is the response of the Westminster Labour government? They plough ahead with plans to shut tax offices across Wales. Just before Christmas. Offices are to shut in Aberystwerth, Bridgend, Carmarthan, Pembrokshire, Brecon, Bangor, Pontypool, and Rhyl.

With a stronger devolution settlement the One Wales government would presumably be able to protect these jobs, but with so much executive and legislative power still residing in the South East nothing can be done. Welsh Labour MPs meanwhile seem keener on hindering Welsh Language and Housing LCOs, in an effort to prevent the creeping feeling of irrelevance, rather than lobby meaningfully to protect the interests of Wales as a whole.

The whole issue of job cuts in wales is wider, and more deeply felt, than devolution however. All those angered and effected by the vicious caprices of the economy at this time should look to campaign together on this, and many other, issues.