Ö÷²¥´óÐã

Altrincham MP has managed to pursue his 13-year parliamentary career without crossing the threshold of the Welsh Grand Committee. Until now.

The Tory backbencher found himself chairing the first meeting of the committee since the general election, the first to be held under a non-Labour government for 13 years (The last time it met in such circumstances William Hague was Secretary of State for Wales).

The Welsh Liberal Democrat MPs sat on the same side of the committee room as the Conservatives but so far away they were barely in the same postcode.

Mr Brady may come to regret his new role, chairing a committee with few powers other than to discuss things - a political talking shop. It consists of the 40 Welsh MPs plus the odd co-opted Tory, so Labour has a clear majority.

He had to be prompted by a clerk for some of the MPs' names and his authority was challenged openly by several Labour MPs.

Wayne David was asked to withdraw the allegation that Cheryl Gillan said something untrue.

He refused on the grounds that "what she said was untrue". Mr Brady meekly withdrew the request rather than reach for the red card.

Labour MP after Labour MP popped up to raise "points of order" in what Cheryl Gillan said was "play-acting" and an orchestrated attempt to disrupt the committee.

So Mr Brady refused to take more points of order, only to be told by Chris Bryant: "You have to take a point of order, it says in Erskine May you have to." He stopped short of singing "you don't know what you're doing" but you get the drift.

At one point, Labour MPs were passing around a copy of Erskine May (the parliamentary Bible) while checking its small print. Huw Irranca-Davies openly shouted "nonsense" at Mr Brady's rulings. Alun Michael, one of three former Welsh Secretaries present, told the chair: "You are not conducting this committee in an orderly way".

Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander became the first Scottish MP to address the committee, only for his appearance to be mired in a dispute about the Wales Office's failure to let its opponents know about it in advance.

Peter Hain and Elfyn Llwyd said they had only been told at 0855 this morning - by e-mail, not always the quickest way to alert Mr Llwyd to news. Chris Bryant said he learned the news first via the media.

Cheryl Gillan said her office had rung Peter Hain's office at 0830 but received no reply. Mr Hain was so cross he refused to put any questions to Mr Alexander.

The Neath MP asked Mrs Gillan why she didn't tell him when their paths crossed in a Commons bar last night. She said she didn't want to disturb his "convivial" drink.

Wayne David attempted to get the meeting adjourned, but Mr Brady, rather weary after half an hour of largely procedural arguments, refused to put it to the vote.

Fortunately, perhaps, for Mr Brady, the committee only meets rarely. It will resume this afternoon under a different chair who may or may not be more amenable to a request to call the whole thing off.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?

Calming news arrives for the Elfynometer, that gauge of grumpiness that measures the current view of the Westminster world held by Plaid Cymru's parliamentary leader.

Elfyn Llwyd, for it is he, will be delighted to learn that Westminster's main Welsh committee is to be expanded to include a Plaid Cymru representative. Hold those "snub to Wales" headlines now.

The original saw Plaid Cymru allocated seats only for committees it had specifically requested. Plaid's unspoken assumption that it would get a seat on the Welsh affairs committee went unacknowledged until Mr Llwyd began to harrumph rather loudly.

It has now been resolved and the committee will now have 12 MPs - but no government majority and with no casting vote for the new chair, David Davies. The Tories have five seats, as do Labour. Plaid and the Liberal Democrats will have one each.

The parties have been holding internal elections to decide who sits on select committees. Labour has accused newly-elected Welsh Tory MPs of a reluctance to serve on the Welsh affairs committee.

Labour's five seats will be taken by Owen Smith, Susan Elan Jones, Jessica Morden, Nia Griffith and Geraint Davies.

The committee scrutinises the Wales Office and requests from the Welsh assembly for law-making powers.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?

Imagine Fabio Capello's boys trotting out at the World Cup with the Government's logo on their sleeves.

It's difficult to imagine, I grant you: no politician would want to be associated with England's performance against Germany yesterday.

Things are different in Wales, where the Welsh Assembly Government logo has adorned the sleeves of the Welsh rugby league team at public expense.

The team wore the shirts for their most recent competition, last year's European Cup. Sleeve sponsorship was part of a package that cost the taxpayer a total of £18,500.

The amount is small compared to the millions Manchester United, say, can demand to put logos on shirts, but the Welsh Conservatives say it's "inappropriate" to spend taxpayers' money in this way.

The party's leader in the Welsh Assembly, Nick Bourne, said: "This latest revelation suggests the Welsh Assembly Government is more than happy to blur the lines between sport and politics - and use taxpayers' money to achieve it.

"Given that the Assembly Government is made up of two parties - Labour and Plaid Cymru - the use of public money for political purposes in this way is totally inappropriate."

WAG dispute that: "We do not directly sponsor the Welsh Rugby League team. The "Wales Cymru" and Welsh Assembly Government logo displayed on the sleeve of the Welsh Team's playing shirt for the 2009 European Championships was one of a number of advertising opportunities agreed as part of our sponsorship of that event held in Wales.

"A sponsorship package of £18,500 was agreed with the RFL for the event, involving three games in Neath, Pontypridd and Bridgend all shown live on Sky Sports.

"The sponsorship of this event was agreed on the principles set-out in our draft Major Events Strategy for the benefits it would bring to the local economy and in meeting other One Wales objectives." [One Wales is the Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition agreement]

No news from the commentary box on whether the Welsh team found themselves explaining having to explain "One Wales objectives" as the inspiration behind their jersey design.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?

Politicians campaign in poetry but govern in prose.

Once elected, all the passion and smooth rhetoric of the soapbox tends to give way to bureaucratic official-speak and gobbledegook.

Except the Conservative manifesto suggested we would live in a "Post-Bureaucratic Age".

So how can we explain Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan's two unprompted references to "Barnett consequentials" during her interview for last night's Wales Today?

Perhaps she was speaking in a code understood only by sad political anoraks. Or perhaps the Barnett Consequentials are a new rock band, part of a 21st Century Cool Cymru.

An alternative thought is that the two unexplained references were part of a bet, a private joke along the lines of the England World Cup squad in 1998 who tried to get as many song titles into their interview answers as possible. ("Will you win, Glenn?" "No, it's just your imagination running away with you").

Keep your ears peeled for more buzzword bingo during Mrs G's first appearance answering MPs questions in the Commons at 11.30am today. Besides the Barnett consequentials, stand by for "tough, but fair" and "we're all in this together".

The lack of "Barnett consequentials" does not mean George Osborne's Budget does not affect Wales.

The Welsh Assembly Government will discover in October its share of spending cuts - 25% in Whitehall departments (over four years) outside Health and International Development.

George Osborne says these cuts total 5% more than planned under the last Labour Government's spending plans.

That did not stop Labour and Plaid Cymru-run WAG, responsible for around two thirds of public spending in Wales, issuing a strongly-worded statement condemning the Budget.

Beyond the impact on the Welsh Assembly, there is a wider impact on the Welsh people. Almost a quarter of a million people in Wales claim the Disability Living Allowance, worth up to £120 a week. They'll face new medical assessments from 2013.

Most of the near 400,000 public sector workers in Wales - from teachers to DVLA officials - will find their pay frozen for two years. Parents will have done their own calculations on the freezing of child benefit and cuts to tax credits.

But then "we're all in this together". The House of Commons has just announced that it's putting up prices in its (subsidised) cafes and bars: "This will bring cafeteria prices into line with benchmark workplace venues and bar prices into line with a competitively-priced high street pub chain."

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?

"There is only one thing more nerve-wracking than being called upon to make one's maiden speech," said the new MP.

"Sitting on the bench for seven hours and not being called to make one's maiden speech."

, the newly-elected Tory MP for Aberconwy, spent seven hours on Monday trying - but failing - to catch the Speaker's eye during the Commons debate on the Queen's Speech.

He finally got to deliver his speech last night, in the tradition of maiden speeches - with warm words about his constituency and his predecessors.

did get called on Monday night and included a tribute to an ousted MP from another constituency - , late of Montgomeryshire.

As the new MP for Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South put it: "Lembit was a good friend of many people and - let's face it - he brought a certain colour to proceedings on both the inside and the outside.

"He was also pioneering unusual coalitions long before they became a habit in this House."

, who won Blaenau Gwent back for Labour, used his maiden speech to highlight some of his notable predecessors and the role of his constituency in British politics. He also revealed his support for minimum pricing of alcohol - a growing political cause.

managed to include a reference to Gavin and Stacey, which is filmed in his constituency of the Vale of Glamorgan. "I apologise in advance, Mr Deputy Speaker, should I ever ask 'what's occurin'?' or should I thank you by saying 'tidy'."

maiden speech included references to Gwynfor Evans, Adam Price ("one of the greatest figures in the history of the nationalist movement") and Twm Sion Cati - the Welsh Robin Hood.

"I consider myself a redistributive politician very much in the same vein," said Mr Edwards.

Sadly, a time limit on speeches prevented him from mentioning the frank advice he was given by his predecessor, Adam Price - have a row with your parliamentary leader within two weeks and get kicked out of the chamber inside a year.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?

Nick Clegg made his first appearance at the Commons despatch box as deputy Prime Minister today, and appeared to change government policy while on his feet.

Wales Office Ministers have worked studiously hard to remain neutral on the potentially divisive question of further powers for the Welsh assembly.

Cheryl Gillan and her deputy David Jones have insisted it would be inappropriate to take sides in the vote, whenever it comes.

Now Nick Clegg has told the House of Commons: "Yes, the Government does support a yes vote in that referendum. As for the timing of the referendum the Welsh Secretary of State and the First Minister are meeting today with a view to identifying a date most likely in the first few months of next year to hold that referendum."

So the deputy PM has, in response to a question from the Labour MP Ian Lucas, apparently changed government policy and narrowed the timing options for a vote.

This was news to the Wales Office (prop. Cheryl Gillan) and possibly to the rest of the UK Government too; no news yet on whether Cheryl agrees with Nick.

UPDATE: The deputy Prime Minister's office blames a "slip of the tongue" for what Nick Clegg said and insist UK Government policy has not changed.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?

Good news for those of us suffering election withdrawal symptoms since last month's General Election.

MPs vote this week to elect three deputy Speakers and the chairs of Commons select committees.

This is heady stuff for . Normally these issues are decided behind closed doors. This time the committee chairs will be chosen by the alternative vote system.

Two Welsh MPs - and - are standing for two big committees, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Affairs and Business, Innovation and Skills respectively.

In the blue corner, keen and Monmouth Tory MP is so far the only candidate nominated to chair the Welsh Affairs committee.

Montgomeryshire newboy has come under pressure to stand but appears reluctant to mount a campaign.

David Davies has been nominated by three Welsh Tory MPs, but no Welsh MPs from opposition parties or indeed past members of the committee.

Mr Davies sat on the during the last Parliament but attended only five of the 44 meetings it held last year, barely 11%. He was also a member of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Affairs Committee, whose meetings often clashed with the Welsh ones.

If he wins the chair this time, he'll have to improve his attendance rate. New rules mean that MPs who fail to attend 60% of meetings could be voted off.

UPDATE: If elected, David Davies tells me he will play no part in any campaign during a referendum on Assembly powers, as he believes the committee chair should show some independence. He'll still vote against giving the Assembly more powers, but won't join the "No" campaign.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?

The problem with political jokes, according to the old joke, is they tend to get elected.

didn't get elected, this time. He lost his Montgomeryshire seat on May 6.

Tonight he's playing a smaller theatre than the , the 60-capacity (plus a few standing) Backstage Comedy Club in the West End of London.

He is being paid £115 for a slot of around 10 minutes but says that after transport, a cut to his agent, and tax, tonight's gig will cost him £37.

He says his comedy is observational and lists and Rhod Gilbert as inspirations.

"I want to be taken seriously as a comedian."

So tell us a joke then. "Why do Marxists drink Earl Grey?"

"Because proper tea is theft". It's the way he tells them.

Much of his material comes from his political career. "I don't resent losing and I don't feel sorry for myself."

He says he is the butt of most of his jokes, although there are one or two about - with the deputy Prime Minister's approval.

He gave us a sneak preview of his act at a lunchtime photocall. He'll be telling his audience (check against delivery, as they say): "If any of us are peckish after this don't come into Burger King in Leicester Square between 1 am and 5 am because there is someone there who looks rather like me."

Don't give up the day job, Lembit - although, as he himself points out, he doesn't have a day job.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?