It is rarely - if ever - Dyn ar y Stryd agrees with a statement by Conservative leader David Cameron.
But his description of the decision to give Labour MPs David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine legal aid to fight false accounting charges as a complete outrage was spot on.
Cameron was speaking for just about every right thinking person in the UK.
However, since his public outburst it has been brought to my attention that it was the last Tory Government under John Major which abolished defendants' contributions to legal aid in the first place.
It was apparently costing about twice as much to administer as they were collecting from defendants.
But what is clear is that relatively rich people such as these three MPs should not be able to claim legal aid.
If this case had happened at the end of June they would have undoubtedly had to pay themselves as the Labour Government has introduced means-testing on Crown Court cases.
Showing posts with label Conservatives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conservatives. Show all posts
Monday, 12 April 2010
Monday, 29 March 2010
"Left wing" John Marek Joins The Tories
The former Wrexham Labour MP and AM John Marek has joined the Conservatives, yes the Conservatives. Please note: This is not an early April Fool.
Marek, you might recall, left the Labour Party saying it had moved too far to the right and then was involved in setting up the left-leaning Forward Wales with former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies.
Now he has switched again and joined the Conservatives. When he finds what there real agenda is then he'll probably look for another party to join.
Marek is now very much a political has-been and joins Alison Halford and Mohammad Asghar in recently signing up to the Conservatives. What a threesome!
Marek, you might recall, left the Labour Party saying it had moved too far to the right and then was involved in setting up the left-leaning Forward Wales with former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies.
Now he has switched again and joined the Conservatives. When he finds what there real agenda is then he'll probably look for another party to join.
Marek is now very much a political has-been and joins Alison Halford and Mohammad Asghar in recently signing up to the Conservatives. What a threesome!
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Nick Ramsay: A Hypocrite
Nick Ramsay, the Tory MP for Monmouth, is showing some brass neck.
He is reported as having complained when the Assembly Commission replaced his old office TV with a flat screen LG as part of the digital switchover. He's apparently trying to get the Commission to take it back.
Trouble is Nick Ramsay was the AM who claimed nearly £1,000 on expenses to buy a surroundg sound TV and DVD system for his Cardiff Bay flat. It is after all a long way from Monmouth to Cardiff - a distance travelled no doubt by many of his constituents everyday.
Perhaps he really out to ask the Commission to take back his flash TV.
Link to the Western Mail story
He is reported as having complained when the Assembly Commission replaced his old office TV with a flat screen LG as part of the digital switchover. He's apparently trying to get the Commission to take it back.
Trouble is Nick Ramsay was the AM who claimed nearly £1,000 on expenses to buy a surroundg sound TV and DVD system for his Cardiff Bay flat. It is after all a long way from Monmouth to Cardiff - a distance travelled no doubt by many of his constituents everyday.
Perhaps he really out to ask the Commission to take back his flash TV.
Link to the Western Mail story
Monday, 1 March 2010
Same Old Tories: Still Avoiding Tax
Despite all David Cameron's spin, the Conservatives really haven't changed.
Major Conservative donor and deputy party chairman Lord Ashcroft today admitted that he is "non-domiciled" in relation to tax.
That will no come as a surprise after years of questions from opposition politicians about his tax status.
But it is still a disgrace. Lord Ashcroft said that he expected "to be sitting in the House of Lords for many years", suggesting he would change his tax status if the law changed. How generous of him after years of ducking and diving to avoid tax on earnings and capital gains from overseas.
Quite how Lord Ashcroft could be recommended for a peerage without being resident in Britain for tax purposes only the Tories know. But I guess he was only recommended for it because of its financial backing for the Tories.
He and fellow Conservatives, including David Cameron, refused to say what his tax status was, declaring it was a private matter. However, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham has called for the full details of Lord Ashcroft's status to be made public.
Lord Ashcroft, who has given a reported £4m to Conservatives in recent years, because there is a general election just weeks away. Perhaps he ought to pay the tax on overseas earnings since the time be became a peer.
Major Conservative donor and deputy party chairman Lord Ashcroft today admitted that he is "non-domiciled" in relation to tax.
That will no come as a surprise after years of questions from opposition politicians about his tax status.
But it is still a disgrace. Lord Ashcroft said that he expected "to be sitting in the House of Lords for many years", suggesting he would change his tax status if the law changed. How generous of him after years of ducking and diving to avoid tax on earnings and capital gains from overseas.
Quite how Lord Ashcroft could be recommended for a peerage without being resident in Britain for tax purposes only the Tories know. But I guess he was only recommended for it because of its financial backing for the Tories.
He and fellow Conservatives, including David Cameron, refused to say what his tax status was, declaring it was a private matter. However, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham has called for the full details of Lord Ashcroft's status to be made public.
Lord Ashcroft, who has given a reported £4m to Conservatives in recent years, because there is a general election just weeks away. Perhaps he ought to pay the tax on overseas earnings since the time be became a peer.
Friday, 19 February 2010
Tories under pressure over spending cuts plans
But they have been trumped today with more than 60 senior economists signing letters that support the Chancellor's decision to delay cuts until next year.
These letters put the onus back on the Conservatives less than impressive Shadow Chancellor George Osborne.
The question is can we afford to take measures to trim the budget deficit this year and risk the UK economy slipping back into recession?
If Osborne and his supporters get it wrong it would be a disaster. It seems to me that we can't afford to take the chance and spending cuts should be put off until at least 2011.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Tories attack on breakfasts for children
A total of 1,000 schools in Wales have now signed up to the Welsh Assembly Government's free breakfast programme, started six years ago.
It was launched to make sure the poorest children did not start the school day hungry and in the last year cost more than £8m.
But the Conservatives say that money could be better spent on the education budget because parents should be responsible for feeding their own children.
In an ideal world, yes. But we are far from in an ideal world.
Some parents, sadly do not look after their children well enough, for a variety of reasons - perhaps because of poverty, poor parenting skills, drug or alcohol problems. The reasons are numerous and varied.
A full stomach will undoubtedly help those children, who would otherwise get little or nothing at home, concentrate and learn at school.
It's a scheme which should be expanded not scrapped. It does prove that it really is the same only Tories.
It was launched to make sure the poorest children did not start the school day hungry and in the last year cost more than £8m.
But the Conservatives say that money could be better spent on the education budget because parents should be responsible for feeding their own children.
In an ideal world, yes. But we are far from in an ideal world.
Some parents, sadly do not look after their children well enough, for a variety of reasons - perhaps because of poverty, poor parenting skills, drug or alcohol problems. The reasons are numerous and varied.
A full stomach will undoubtedly help those children, who would otherwise get little or nothing at home, concentrate and learn at school.
It's a scheme which should be expanded not scrapped. It does prove that it really is the same only Tories.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Engage your brain first - David Davies
David Davies may be quite a likeable guy but the views he expresses are often on the barmy end of politics.
The Conservative MP for Monmouth is at it again suggesting a possible link between so-called "imported backward, medieval and barbaric" views of woman and rape. He argues that the upbringing of a 14-year-old who raped and robbed a woman should be investigated.
David Davies later claimed his comments were not related to Islamic or racial issues but I and many others won't believe him. He knows he stepped in the brown stuff and is trying to dig himself out.
Also there are certainly plenty of cases in the UK where teenagers of whatever colour or background do awful things to women.
David Davies really needs to engage his brain before speaking and avoid dropping himself in it big time.
The Conservative MP for Monmouth is at it again suggesting a possible link between so-called "imported backward, medieval and barbaric" views of woman and rape. He argues that the upbringing of a 14-year-old who raped and robbed a woman should be investigated.
David Davies later claimed his comments were not related to Islamic or racial issues but I and many others won't believe him. He knows he stepped in the brown stuff and is trying to dig himself out.
Also there are certainly plenty of cases in the UK where teenagers of whatever colour or background do awful things to women.
David Davies really needs to engage his brain before speaking and avoid dropping himself in it big time.
Monday, 25 January 2010
Mohammad Asghar Has No Shame
Has Mohammad Asghar no shame? Apparently not.
He's the so-called politician who defected from Plaid Cymru to the Tories claiming he disagreed with Plaid's independence stance and was unhappy about its views on the Royal Family.
But anyone in the know at the Welsh Assembly was aware it was much more about his daughter Natasha being refused a job alongside his wife in his Newport office.
Now her name has appeared on an address list of staff who work in the Assembly. Asghar claims she is not being paid but just how long will that stand for?
And what about the Tories? Are they just going to let their new recruit make his office a family concern. If they do, how long will it be before another relative gets a job on the public purse?
Have the Conservatives really learnt nothing from the MP's fiasco and what has David Cameron got to say about the new Tory policy of jobs for the boys or girls in this case?
The Welsh Conservatives will rue the day they decided to take on Mohammed Asghar whose setting up his own job creation unit - for his family. Shameful. He should resign because he's become an embarrassment to the Welsh Assembly - and make it quick.
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Out of touch David Melding Continues with Statue Campaign
Well,David Melding the Conservative AM for South Wales Central, doesn't give up on a daft idea easily does he?
This time he took his off-the-wall suggestion that the statue of Liberal Victorian campaigner John Batchelor should be moved and replaced by one of David Lloyd George or Saint David to the Senedd
He spent Assembly time raising the issue in a question to Culture Minister Alun Ffred Jones.
Hasn't he got something better to raise with the Minister on culture, the Welsh language or sport? Apparently not.
I suggest he buries his idea and concentrates on something a little more important.
This time he took his off-the-wall suggestion that the statue of Liberal Victorian campaigner John Batchelor should be moved and replaced by one of David Lloyd George or Saint David to the Senedd
He spent Assembly time raising the issue in a question to Culture Minister Alun Ffred Jones.
Hasn't he got something better to raise with the Minister on culture, the Welsh language or sport? Apparently not.
I suggest he buries his idea and concentrates on something a little more important.
Monday, 18 January 2010
Tory AM's daft plan to move landmark statue
David Melding, the Conservative AM for South Wales Central, clearly knows nothing about the history of Cardiff with his off-the-wall suggestion that the statue of Liberal Victorian campaigner John Batchelor should be moved.
John Batchelor is very much part of Cardiff's proud history and spoke out strongly for the people against the Tory-supporting Bute family.
He's always had a place in The Hayes as long as I can remember and I'm sure there would be uproar in the city if the statue. So he's not of Welsh national significance but he is to Cardiff and should remain where he is.
David Melding, who is not from Cardiff, has suggested more prominent people should be placed in that key location.
As has been pointed out prominent Welsh figures such as Hywel Dda have pride of place in the City Hall.
Cardiff must remember its history while also looking forward to the future.
Too many landmarks have been pulled down like the Capitol Theatre for a non-descript shopping centre. Look at the modern buildings in Cathedral Road which should have never been allowed by planners.
We mustn't lose our heritage and John Batchelor should stay firmly where he is.
John Batchelor is very much part of Cardiff's proud history and spoke out strongly for the people against the Tory-supporting Bute family.
He's always had a place in The Hayes as long as I can remember and I'm sure there would be uproar in the city if the statue. So he's not of Welsh national significance but he is to Cardiff and should remain where he is.
David Melding, who is not from Cardiff, has suggested more prominent people should be placed in that key location.
As has been pointed out prominent Welsh figures such as Hywel Dda have pride of place in the City Hall.
Cardiff must remember its history while also looking forward to the future.
Too many landmarks have been pulled down like the Capitol Theatre for a non-descript shopping centre. Look at the modern buildings in Cathedral Road which should have never been allowed by planners.
We mustn't lose our heritage and John Batchelor should stay firmly where he is.
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