Swansea Phoenix

Egg on their faces

2008-01-29T14:23:00.001Z

Are the brothers and sisters of New Swansea Labour going to end up with egg on their faces? Having kicked up a huge fuss about the six pound charge for Swansea residents to swim in the new LC, David Phillips may be in for a shock when he sits down and does his sums. It appears that the before it closed, residents wanting to spend two hours in the old pool would have had to pay nine pounds. So far from 'penalising the worse off' as suggested by the Labour leader, the Swansea Administration has actually cut the cost by 50%. Oops!

Ms Whiplash Is Back In Town

2007-09-19T21:23:00.000Z

After a long absence, Ms Whiplash has returned to our democracy. After an absence of 20 years from the polls she has returned to bolster up support with Lord Lucan after a similar disappearance for Castle 2008. Her reincarnation is pictured here waking up amongst the fag butts left behind after a boozy night out. What's more she is now blaming others for the mess.

A rose by any other name

2007-09-09T20:35:00.000Z

A copy of Labour's latest leaflet 'Swansea West Welsh Labour Rose' drops through the letterbox. It is dripping with the sort of propaganda all too prevalent in today's politics.

First up is an article demanding that residents stop the 'Liberal Democrat Council' building on the St. Helen's Recreation ground. The basis for this accusation is the Swansea Bay Strategy, currently out to consultation. Alas, not only has no such proposal been made by the Council, but its leadership has hinted that they will not accept this particular idea.

Why though is there no mention of the role played by Labour Minister and local AM, Andrew Davies in all of this. The Swansea Bay Strategy was jointly commissioned with the Labour Assembly Government and was launched by Mr. Davies. Surely, his association with the idea of developing the rec is as strong as the Councils. Like them he does not like the idea but that does not stop his party drawing its own conclusions.

Putting aside the deliberate error on the back page of the leaflet in which Social Services Cabinet Member, Wendy Fitzgerald, is described as a Liberal Democrat, Labour's prescription for mending social services is full of holes. Their spokesperson, Andrew Connell thinks that recruiting agency staff to cover unfilled vacancies is a waste of taxpayers' money.

This is not a view taken by Labour Councillors on Swansea Council, who recognise that there is a nationwide shortage of Social Workers and that in the short term it is better to cover vacancies rather than put more children at risk by not doing so. It is also not a view taken by other Labour-run Councils who have taken exactly the same course of action as Swansea.

It is true that allocating money 'directly to improving Social Services, giving assistance to children and families where it is most needed' sounds good but what does it actually mean and how precisely does it help the most vulnerable in our society? Once more Labour seem to be floundering in the dark.

The most audacious piece however comes at the end with Ian Ross accusing Liberal Democrats of allowing 'our school buildings to fall into horrendous conditions. As a result of the Lib Dems incompetence,' he says, 'our schools now have a £150 millions backlog of repairs.' Really? You can tell that nobody ever checks this stuff.

Let us be clear, Labour are now alleging that when they lost power in 2004 all of our school buildings were in an immaculate condition but that over the last three and a half years the Liberal Democrat administration has allowed them to collapse into near-ruin. That is quite a rate of deterioration. Do they really believe that voters will buy this nonsense.

The fact is that as with the Leisure Centre, the Central Libary, County Hall itself, Swansea Council housing and the Guildhall, there has been a dearth of investment in schools over decades of Labour rule. One hundred and fifty million pounds worth of repairs do not materialise overnight. The blame for this under-investment lies squarely in Labour's lap and it has been left to the present administration to put things right.

Cavalier with the facts

2007-08-28T22:02:00.000Z

In their latest posting on Inside Out Swansea Labour demonstrate once more how relieved they are that they did not lose Lawrence Bailey's safe seat. In time-honoured tradition, they remain as cavalier with the facts as ever.

Checking back through previously published Councillor allowance statements it is quite clear that Peter Black never claimed a Special Responsibility Allowance, even though he was entitled to one, whilst he was chair of a Cabinet Advisory Committee. It looks too as though he has never claimed any travelling expenses.

Best of chums

2007-05-14T17:16:00.000Z

At the Council's Annual General Meeting today it became clear that the Conservatives in Swansea have done a deal with Labour to take over the control of key council positions in a bid to control the Council.

Since January the Conservatives have voted with Labour, and against their former coalition partners on 11 separate occasions. The new informal coalition of Labour, Plaid and Conservatives now control 22 out of the 32 positions that the governing group has held in Swansea for the last 30 years.

Today Labour and Conservatives voted together to deprive the Liberal Democrats and Independents of the Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officer, which are used to chair meetings of Full Council every 6 weeks.

It is shocking how fast the conservatives have left the first non-Labour coalition in 30 years and are now in bed with Labour. The Tories in Swansea seem to have no compunction whatsoever about doing a deal with Labour in an unseemly grab for power. It appears that in every sense a vote for the Conservatives in Swansea is a vote for Labour.

It was also amusing to see the varying degrees of enthusiasm employed by Labour Councillors as they were forced to indicate their support for Conservatives in a named vote. Some such as the Labour leader seemed to have little shame whilst others struggled to speak the name of their Tory ally. We would have thought that all those meetings between David Phillips and Rene Kinzett would have prepared them better for the big moment.

City continues to benefit from Administration policies

2007-04-18T20:33:00.000Z

More good news over the last two days with further investment in the City from top-notch retailers.

Yesterday, the La Senza lingerie chain announced that it is to give the city centre a big vote of confidence by announcing it is setting up shop here. Today, Laura Ashley said it is to open a home furnishings store in the Pontarddulais Retail Park.

Naturally, it would have been preferable if Laura Ashley had decided to set up in the City Centre, but there is no escaping the fact that things are looking better than for some time for Swansea.

As the Chairman of the Swansea Business Improvement District, Peter Birch, said:

"It's brilliant news.

"Every week there's somebody announcing they are coming to Swansea."Companies are seeing investment is being poured into Swansea.

"We have a Business Improvement District here which is a first in Wales.

"People can recognise that it's the place they want to be."

He said companies which had pulled out of the city centre could live to regret their decision.

"They might find the error of their ways and realise Swansea is a much sought-after place to come."

What a contrast with the barren years of Labour control.

Labour flushed away

2007-04-13T20:19:00.000Z

The only thing going down the pan around here is the Labour Party's spinning around Swansea website. All the evidence is that not only are they listening at the wrong doors but they are having difficulties reading.

When they claim that this Evening Post article on the state of the City's toilets shows that the Administration are not getting the basics right, they overlooked one small fact. Council-operated toilets were not looked at as part of the Halo Wipes' investigation.

In fact Swansea Council has award winning public toilet provision including the 2006 Loo of the Year Awards for Caer Street, Oystermouth, Quadrant, and Rhossili. Of course that inconvenient fact does not stop Labour who use every excuse to rub down Swansea now that they no longer run it.

Labour election circus full of clowns

2007-04-12T20:44:00.000Z

The Labour election circus came to Swansea yesterday leading the First Minister to try to claim sole credit for all the investment coming into the City at the moment.

Labour have form on this of course. When things go wrong then local Councils are the easy scapegoats. When Labour election pledges such as those on school buildings do not materialise then it is everybody's fault but theirs. They are a good news government, only interested in associating themselves with success and failing to take responsibility for their failures.

I am not going to deny that the Welsh Assembly Government has played its part in helping Swansea get back on its feet, but we do need to note that it was the failures of a Labour Council that got us there in the first place. Rhodri Morgan's Government and his Transport Minister have also failed to provide the investment that Swansea needs to build on our success. In particular they have consistently failed to give us a proper share of Transport Grant, delaying unreasonably the re-building of the bus station.

So when Rhodri Morgan says that the City's success is built on his government's investment he is only telling half the story. The Swansea Administration has played a large part in that success too, creating an atmosphere in which investors want to come back here once more. The Administration's decision to re-open the Leisure Centre, the can-do attitude in the City Centre and the new confidence we are creating in the City have all played a part.

It is not a Labour-run Assembly that is helping to transform the fortunes of the city, it is a partnership being led by the Council, putting right Labour's mess. If anything the Assembly Government is holding us back.

More good news for City Centre

2007-04-11T19:59:00.000Z

Yet more good news in tonight's Evening Post underlining our previous post about the Administration's success in turning the City Centre around.

Lush, which specialises in hand-made soaps and cosmetics, is set to open a store in Whitewalls, opposite the popular Primark store, in what was once a nail bar.

It is not just us who believe that the turning point has been passed. Peter Birch, the vice-chairman and secretary of the Swansea Business Improvement District and chairman of the Swansea Independent Traders Association, said: "Confidence is building in the city. It is a great feeling knowing that companies want to come here. Not too long ago companies were leaving the city centre. It's great that things are changing."The city centre will certainly have more to offer than the out-of- town parks."

Whilst Denise Road, chairwoman of JT Morgan, said the latest news of fresh investment from a major national chain showed the city was on the up.

What a contrast with the mess that Labour made of the city centre.

Wrong again!

2007-04-11T10:35:00.000Z

The Spinning Around Swansea Labour website demonstrate their usual lack of insight on the workings of the Council's Liberal Democrat Group. They really must stop listening at the wrong doors.

Administration is making a difference

2007-04-09T21:27:00.000Z

I know how upset the Spinning Around Swansea lot get when we neglect this blogsite but unfortunately for them we decide when we post and when we do not.

Nevertheless it is worth breaking our unscheduled vacation to report on further investment in the City Centre that vindicates once more the strategy being pursued by the Swansea Administration and underlines the growing confidence in the City by investors.

The investment by Marks and Spencer in its City Centre store is one manifestation of this. As the Post says the planned multi-million pound transformation is being seen as a huge vote of confidence in the city centre as a retail hotspot. And then on top of this news we read that around 250 developers have contacted the Council to express and interest in working on bringing the City Centre strategy to reality. These are real developers not the fictional ones Labour told us wanted to rebuild our Leisure Centre but nobody could find any evidence of.

Peter Birch, vice-chairman and secretary of the Swansea Business Improvement District and chairman of the Swansea Independent Traders Association sums up where we are as a City:

"More is happening in Swansea now than has ever happened in my time here since 1980. There is more money being invested here than in a lot of towns and cities in Britain.

"The city stagnated for so long, but now people are concentrating on the centre again. There was a time when developers were looking at out-of-town areas, but that has stopped and they now want to be involved with the centre and to see that thriving again.

"This council has made a brave decision to get the leisure centre reopened and it is reaping the rewards from that and its vision for Swansea. I am really pleased for the city and the traders who have hung on in here through the hard times. Things are really looking up now and I am happy to be part of that."

Partnership is working

2007-03-29T08:47:00.000Z

Whilst the Spinning around Swansea website rather predictably scoffs from the sidelines it is worth reflecting that the 1200 Amazon distribution jobs coming to Swansea have not just come out of mid air.

The partnership working between the Council, the Assembly Government and local businesses have played a significant role. The growing confidence in the Swansea Bay area has helped tremendously in attracting this investment. As Swansea Council's own strategy for transforming the area comes into play we can expect more announcements soon.

Labour must now cough up the dosh

2007-03-25T11:44:00.000Z

Like the Spinning out of Swansea website we are puzzled by the small amount of coverage given to the stock transfer ballot. After all the behaviour of some opposition Councillors in spreading misinformation and downright lies should come in for some scrutiny.

In compiling our own response we can do no better than this on the South Wales West Liberal Democrats website:

"Swansea tenants have made it very clear that they wish to remain with the Council as their landlord and that view must be respected.

We believe that it was right that the option of stock transfer was put to them as the only one that could have delivered the resources to improve their homes. However, the Council has always been clear that it was the democratic right of tenants to reject that solution if they wished.

The problem facing the Council now is that they still have a £195 million shortfall in the money needed to bring homes up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. A 'No' vote does not change that fact, nor will it get tenants the new windows, kitchens and bathrooms that Tawe Housing would have delivered. It is now likely that many will miss out on having their homes improved.

It is our strong view that the campaign conducted by Defend Council Housing and the local Labour Party was dishonest and misled tenants into believing that they could have the benefits of stock transfer whilst remaining with the Council. That is not the case. Both the Welsh Assembly and the UK Governments have ruled out the possibility of a fourth option.

Labour has let down Council tenants. They have set housing standards which cannot be paid for and restricted Councils to a single choice in how to meet them. Their behaviour during the recent ballot was a disgrace. At a Welsh Assembly and UK level they are advocating stock transfer, they supported that solution in Torfaen, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Monmouthshire and Bridgend and yet in Swansea they jumped on the opportunist bandwagon and campaigned for a 'No' vote. It is now up to Defend Council Housing and the local Labour Party to get the resources they promised to improve tenants' homes."

All Kinds Of Everything

2007-03-21T11:59:00.000Z

Further to the last post it appears that Eurovision Fever has hit Castle with two ageing sitting Councillors facing their Waterloo in a selection re-run.

The Puppet on a string and her counterpart the Sandfields Lordi have reportedly had second thoughts about Making their minds up and are withdrawing their names before the poll ratings reach Rock Bottom and their reputations go Boom Bang a Bang.

Congratulations!!!

Eurovision

2007-03-20T20:42:00.001Z

It is the time of year for selecting candidates. Some say that the spotlight is on Llansamlet at the moment.

This particular contest has a history. It has always provided amusement to the trained onlooker as it normally involves deselecting sitting Councillors.

Those with long memories will recall 2004 when the outcome was that Labour's head count went down from 4 to 3 in the big game.

Early indicators point to a re-run of the Eurovision result announcement chaos.

This term's spectacle is bound to provide many with more free entertainment - if it hasn't happened already (guffaw, guffaw)

Follow the Money

2007-03-20T16:07:00.000Z

A new political independent club has opened in the city. In the frenetic build up to the unveiling somebody let slip that it wasn't so politically independent after all.

Apparently, it was funded by a local Labour Party that had the misfortune of being exterminated in 2004. It appears now that all references to this donation have disappeared without trace.

(Or have they?)

Same old refrain

2007-03-20T11:15:00.000Z

Tory leader Rene Kinzett does not appear to have been paying attention in class. He claims in today's Evening Post that he has not been kept up-to-date on the Council's e-government scheme. Yet a Council spokesperson points out, he is chair of the Councils' e-government working group, which body receives monthly updates.

Kinzett seeks to use this alleged shroud of secrecy as an excuse for confusion over issues such as cost:

He said: "In these circumstances, where information is given out on a less than timely basis and where members are kept in the dark and given half the picture, is it any surprise that the media print stories which may not be entirely accurate?"

Well actually Rene, the real reason why recent media stories have been inaccurate is because you have been feeding them misinformation. Maybe the problem is not that nobody is telling Kinzett what is going on, but that he does not understand it.

Bus Station will be built

2007-03-19T21:02:00.000Z

As at least one contributor to the Evening Post's on-line comments reminded us, if Labour had been on the ball the new bus station would have been built in 2004. Instead the Administration has been left to pick up the pieces again.

Despite the scepticism shown by the Evening Post today's news is a step forward. The moment that the Labour Transport Minister decided the Council could only have half the money it needed to build the bus station and that it must bring some private cash to the table then a delay was inevitable. After all, no Council can jump those sort of hurdles overnight.

However, what is positive is that the Council is determined to overcome those obstacles and make a start at some stage in the next financial year. The new bus station has been a long time coming, not least because of Labour's incompetence at the start, but it will be delivered.

Losing It...

2007-03-17T19:11:00.000Z

Rumour has it that the Mayals Conservative isn't too happy with the content of this blog.

It is reported that he has even paid a special trip to the leader's office to claim that we are scoring goals that are offside(r).

It is also rumoured that he is claiming to know the identity of our contributers. Of course it is common knowledge that Silent Witness is not Paxton, whilst Davros will always be Davros.

Sounds like too much pow wow juice to me.

New Library

2007-03-16T23:19:00.000Z

As the Evening Post reports tonight work on providing a new Central Library for Swansea is well underway. So much so that the task of moving the books is due to start within weeks.

The failure to address the provision of a modern central library is yet another legacy left to us by Labour. The Administration has responded by opening up Labour's County Hall citadel to the public and creating a real civic centre.

The investment that the current Administration has put into libraries is being noticed outside the City as well as in local communities. As Peter Gaw comments on the Evening Post site:

Last May a new library opened in Killay and Clydach library had a major refurbishment in July. St Thomas library will be replaced with a purpose built public library within the new St Thomas Community School. The new library is due to open at the end of April. All these projects have seen an increased level of use both in terms of book, film and music borrowing and use of internet services.

There has also been a major refurbishment of Oystermouth Library and improvements have also taken place elsewhere.

Partnership

2007-03-15T20:49:00.000Z

We have already reported here how some Labour politicians have been seeking to associate themselves with initiatives on crime in Blaenymaes and Portmead, despite running down the community elsewhere.

Now it transpires that news of the successful partnership that has led to a 20% cut in crime across the City has spread as far as Number 10 Downing Street. The Council has had an important part to play in that turn-around as is evident from the comments of the interim head of community regeneration.

If the Prime Minister can learn that proper cross agency working is more effective than demonising young people and overfilling prisons then the visit of Jeremy Marlow will have been worthwhile.

Shameful Act

2007-03-14T20:06:00.000Z

For once the Evening Post editorial has summed up the situation regarding Ioan Richard's bid to be next year's Lord Mayor perfectly.

For all their squawking about who is and who is not to blame, the fact is that a large number of opposition Councillors banded together last Thursday to deny Ioan Richard the position of Lord Mayor for purely spiteful and personal reasons. In doing so they denied a long-standing and hard-working local Councillor his reward for decades of hard work on behalf of the people who elected him.

The Evening Post correctly points out that the vote was contrary to the protocol adopted by the Council. They say the attempt by one Labour councillor to blame the coalition for failing to drum up enough support for Councillor Richard is a contemptible and pathetic smokescreen - 'shame on him, and the others involved in this spiteful episode.'

Rather predictably this article has caused Tory Leader, Rene Kinzett, to unleash yet another flame-mail. His diatribe is full of the self-serving arguments that the Post condemns. As usual he tries to put the blame onto others rather than accept responsibility for his own actions. The editor must be shaking in his shoes at the threat to involve the office of Nick Bourne and Tory Central Office.

Investing in the future

2007-03-13T21:30:00.000Z

Whilst the PLC coalition play games in Council the Administration are getting on with the job of running Swansea and putting right Labour's neglect.

This investment in a new Morriston Comprehensive School's new £3 million science and maths block is one of a number of projects where we are seeking to improve schools across Swansea.

Guest Contributor

2007-03-11T18:07:00.000Z

Todays guest contributor is the editor of the South Wales Evening Post. Writing in last night's paper, he said:

The council leader stood in front of a room full of property developers. Behind him, alluring images of his city, as imagined by artists, shone out. "This is our time," he said. "This is Swansea's time. This is the developers' time."As bids to flog off chunks of public real estate to private developers go, this was a pretty brazen effort. And no apologies should be made for it.

We all know that Swansea has been ridiculed in the past as the city of artists' impressions. The suggestion has been made - too often to be dismissed as coincidence - that developers' visions have foundered on the rocks of planners' intransigence and councillors' parochialism.

So, what is different about the Swansea Strategic Plan launched by Chris Holley at the Dragon Hotel this week? Quite a few things. Take the venue, for a start.

Once, The Dragon was at the heart of the city. That profile has been restored. Outside, The Kingsway is being transformed for a new transport system. Some people dismiss this as a waste of time and money. I think it is essential to turn Swansea into a proper city.

Walk down Princess Way and you pass Thurleigh Estates' redevelopment of David Evans, and the Longford Group's Excelsior hotel and apartments building.

On the shoreline side of Oystermouth Road - to be turned into a "European-style boulevard" in the strategic plan - Earthquake are building Meridian Quay on the marina, Persimmon Homes are at Swansea Point, and a number of companies are working on different projects in SA1.

My point is the developers are already here and delivering results. So, while I understand why Swansea Tourism boss Geoff Haden was yesterday calling for "the biggest incentives possible" to lure developers, I believe there is already a momentum behind the city's regeneration to justify Councillor Holley's optimism about this being Swansea's time.

So perhaps we can dispense with the usual cynicism over this week's launch, which identified some of the city's current weaknesses, and offered them up as golden development opportunities.

The strategic plan for the city centre is part of a jigsaw that includes other strategies for the bay and the river corridor. Together, they show how Swansea could finally begin to exploit its glorious setting. We have a chance here to unite bay and city in a way that Cardiff, for example, cannot match.

Stuffed of Swansea

2007-03-09T12:31:00.000Z

If the Labour lot over at Inside Out think that the Administration 'got stuffed in two successive debates over school sprinkler systems and housing stock transfer' then perhaps they need to stop and think what exactly they are achieving on the Council.

Our recollection was that so incompetent were the drafters of the two motions that they were forced to run with heavily emascualated versions after the intervention of the Council's legal eagles.

Despite the fact that the Adminstration's amendment to the Housing Stock Transfer motion failed to pass, the fact is that what was eventually voted on was a meaningless and inaccurate mish-mash that will not stop the ballot. In fact the only person it is likely to embarrass is the Labour Minister for Social Justice, who just happens to represent Gower and is clearly out of step with her local party. Even her cousin voted against her.

PLC Coalition politicise mayoralty

2007-03-08T22:53:00.000Z

There were disgraceful scenes in the Council chamber this evening as Labour Councillors joined with Plaid Cymru and some Tories to scupper the chances of Ioan Richard becoming Lord Mayor.

Members of the PLC Coalition ignored a protocol they had all voted for only weeks before to settle a personal score against the Mawr Councillor.

Attempts to occupy the moral high ground were effectively abandoned when Tory Leader, Rene Kinzett, stood up and admitted that he and the other opposition parties had tried to do a deal behind closed doors.

As Councillor Peter Black pointed out, he was effectively seeking to bring party politics into the mayoralty. Was this really what it was all about - trying to secure better sinecures in return for supporting a particular candidate? No wonder the Administration refused to go along with such a grubby deal.

Update: I have been forwarded a lengthy. self-justifying e-mail from Councillor Kinzett to all Councillors in which surely he protests too much about this post. What he fails to mention is that he demanded of the Council Leader that in return for the support of his group for Ioan Richard, he wanted the Administration to back Lady Pennard as the Deputy.

This was unanimously rejected by the Adminstration Group, including the Leader. Despite claims by Kinzett that Chris Holley cannot command the support of his group, the evidence demonstrates the contrary view to be correct. Keep digging Rene.

Humble Pie

2007-03-07T22:26:00.000Z

Following the Evening Post's faux pas of printing unsubstantiated allegations regarding the relationship between Capgemin and the Council we understand that the newspaper are about to eat humble pie.

An e-mail has been circulated to all Councillors this evening to say that a meeting has taken place between Council Officers, Cap Gemini and Evening Post editor Spencer Feeney to discuss the article. 'The Post has agreed to print an apology/correction in tomorrows edition which we understand will be on page 3'.

No clue as yet as to what action if any will be taken against the perpetrator of these serious allegations.

Pow Wow Frolics

2007-03-06T23:03:00.000Z

Watching the aftermath scenes of the Valencia - Inter tie tonight reminds me of events at the Licensing Committee today - or more to the point, the heated words in the members lounge afterwards.

Labour had called for an election to fill the job of chair and to supposedly implant Fairwood Conservative into a Special Responsibility allowance.

Unfortuneately the FC had other ideas and decided to go AWOL for the meeting staying at home on the farm. Together with two Labour absentees, this resulted in a five a side match taking place. The vice chair duly held on and Nasty Nick ended up usurping the throne. Nasty Nick's record in the game is a quite impressive won 2 out of three.

Rumour has it that David Phillips was questioning the morality with some animation of those who had bothered to turn up. He was totally oblivious to the fact that the real reason behind his rancour was FC's absence.

This leaves the Tories in a rather asymetric format. One has two jobs, another has one and the FC is crying wee wee wee all the way home.

Now that I have dealt with the prolitariate wing who could forget Lady Pennard viewing the frolics from the farmhouse. It appears that an overdose of pow wow juice has lead her to issue an ultimatum. Give me the Deputy Mayorality or I'm orff!!

Moving forward

2007-03-06T20:52:00.000Z

Although the Insider Outers continue to talk down the City Centre, plans to enhance and develop it continue. In particular, their predicted demise of the new bus station project looks to be premature. The Administration will do everything it can to use the money available to it to deliver this scheme as soon as possible.

We believe that the Evening Post's editorial is also significant. They recognise that yesterday's announcement was not reheated pottage. but a genuine step forward:

The challenge, which the latest framework addresses, is to build upon that success and maintain that momentum. At the heart of the vision is a scheme to link the city centre with Swansea's fantastic waterfront, while at the same time providing desperately needed improvements to that centre.

The framework has correctly identified some of the City's most glaring weaknesses and turned them into development opportunities. This is not the time to let the cynics dominate the debate.

With dozens of property developers lining up to get involved, the future has never looked so bright for Swansea.

The Silence of the Bland...

2007-03-06T20:15:00.000Z

OK, I know I've asked this before, but I'd really like one of the Plaid/Lab/Con Coalition across at Inside Leg to address themselves to three questions that arise out of their shambolic performance over Scrutiny Chairs.

Firstly, now that we all know that the letter inviting them to take up Scrutiny Chairs sent in June 2004 is real, why did they not do so?

Secondly, why not just ask if the offer was still open? Was it that the PLC Coalition needed to win a victory - however unnessary - in order to look like an Opposition? If so, it's really not working that well.

Thirdly, why does the Labour element of the Coalition now believe that it is so important that Scrutiny should be in the hands of the Opposition? They never did when they were in power, so what can possibly have changed their minds?

Fourthly, will they turn up? They never bothered much before.

Progress unlimited

2007-03-05T19:53:00.000Z

The Inside Outers may well scoff but the City Centre Strategy launched this morning is far more than another off-the-shelf document. In fact it is the sort of document they have been asking us to produce for some time.

The importance of this strategy is that it is based on realistic aspirations following consultation with developers. It also draws on the new confidence in the City being shown by investors.

Having got the first City Centre shopping development for two decades off the ground we are anticipating more announcements in the next few months that will demonstrate the how effective our approach is.

A matter of law

2007-03-02T22:28:00.000Z

For somebody who repeatedly refers to his chairmanship of the Council's e-government working party, Councillor Kinzett displays an incredible lack of knowledge as to what is going on in that programme. Not only does he constantly display a fundamental misunderstanding of the finances but he has now resorted to inventing events so as to get publicity.

The Upside Downers are speculating as to why the Evening Post article on this alleged scandal has been taken down from their website. Perhaps they will find the answer in the e-mail sent to all Councillors by the Cabinet Member for e-government this afternoon. Councillor Mary Jones writes:

You may have seen the article in today’s Evening Post on Page 2, which claims that the Council is being sued by Capgemini.

I would like to make it clear that the Council is NOT being sued by Capgemini. We are liaising with Capgemini to issue a joint statement firmly rebutting this allegation.

The idea that the relationship between an internationally respected company such as Capgemini and their client has broken down irreparably so that they must resort to legal action is clearly damaging to that company's reputation and may affect their ability to win contracts in the future. This is especially so when that allegation is untrue. It is likely that the enormity of their gaff has dawned on Evening Post and they are doing everything possible to limit the damage. It may be too late.

The Evening Post has consistently misrepresented the e-government programme in their articles. Even when their errors have been pointed out to them they have persisted as if they were facts. That stance has also been adopted by the opposition who have also consistently and deliberately distorted what is going on. Their opportunism on a programme that they started has been startling and outrageous.

Today's article is a good example of the Evening Post's campaign of misrepresentation. They start off by referring to the project as being worth £170 million even though it has been pointed out to them on numerous occasions that it is in fact worth £98 million. They then proceed to say that phase two will not have a call centre. That decision has not been taken and it is still the Council's intention to deliver that.

The most bizarre claim in the article is that the 'whole Service@Swansea saga has been an embarrassment to council officers who failed to heed warnings given by council staff when they took strike action against the plans in 2004.' The only embarrassment is the Evening Post's coverage. They obviously do not know what the strike action was about nor that the project is delivering what it was designed to do and officers are proud of the efforts they are putting into it and their achievements. Essentially, the journalist has made up that passage to gild the lily. It is appallingly bad journalism, even by the Evening Post's standards.

Finally, the reporter repeats once more the untruth that the second phase has been dropped. It has not. It is proceeding with a different contractor.

What is actually happening is that an enormously complex contract is being played out between the two parties. Failure to meet savings in the current year are likely to lead to claims by the Council for Capgemini to pay the penalties detailed in the contract. Capgemini are seeking to off-set those costs by counter-claiming for delays they allege are the Council's fault. In a contract of this size that is normal and healthy. It is not something that we would expect the Evening Post and their cub-journalists to understand. In running to the press in this way Councillor Kinzett has managed to place himself in dunces corner alongside them.

Bullshit @ Swansea

2007-03-01T21:44:00.000Z

It is of course entirely up to the Inside Outers what they write on their blog, but it really might help if they stopped pretending that they know what is going on with the Administration group and the Liberal Democrats.

Their record in attributing motives and in understanding the various relationships within the Liberal Democrats in particular is dire to say the least. Of course that has never stopped them expressing an opinion but frankly they are just embarrassing themselves.

In future they should just try to remember one simple rule: the Labour Party is unique, no other party has anything like the same experience of back-biting, petty jealousies and conspiracies. In other words don't apply your standards to us.

In any case surely the Swansea Labour Group have their own problems. By all accounts they are split three ways, so much so that they were stymied into complete impotence and inaction at the recent Council budget meeting.

Is all well with the PLC Coalition?

2007-02-28T10:21:00.000Z

I only ask after what I am told by members and onlookers from all sides about last night's Council meeting to set the budget and council tax for next year. It would be a shame if such a principled bunch began to fall out - though I predict it won't happen until they've voted their placemen and women as Chairs and Vice-Chairs to the committees they were too inefficient to be able to capture on the last two occasions. (But will Rob Stewart actually turn up to Regeneration Scrutiny when he's Chair? I'm told that he's only ever attended one meeting...)

First, despite the fact that Plaid Cymru's amendments had been agreed to beforehand, it seems that David Phillips was still trying to renegotitate them with Darren 'Baby Face' Price as he was proposing. No wonder Phillips is facing a leadership challenge.

Then Labour voted against the amended motion, thus opposing both the transfer of an extra £500K for improving facilities for disabled people, and the installation of a sprinkler system in the new Penyrheol School. Not that the last one is much of a surprise really, as when the school burned down the last time, Labour rebuilt it without a sprinkler system. At least they're consistent.

Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett's New Model Tories proposed a 2% council tax increase to be paid for by either running reserves down to a dangerous and possibly illegal level, or presumably by £1.4m cuts in services. They didn't have the guts to explain what they would cut, though new convert Margaret Smith rather let the cat out of the bag by giving away details of the Tories' scheme to do away with Council water coolers. Is this the best they can do?

It's time for the Three Amigos to devote one of their regular meetings to putting the PLC Coalition back on track. What they need is a single leader..a Great Leader perhaps? I'm waiting for the 'Dear Leader' to defect to Labour myself...he could then join the two Labour insiders who are out to replace the hapless Phillips.

Every Little helps.

2007-02-27T22:05:00.000Z

These two characters, (possibly of hetrosexual leaning despite the drink) proudly hold the key to the Conservatives proposal to implement a 2% rise in Council tax.

Lady Pennard obviously believes that taking the waters from the cold tap in the administration khazi is not only beneficial to maintaining ones sexuality but also has the side effect of saving the average council tax payer a whopping 24p a week. (In layman's terms: Half a small bottle of pow wow juice).

Lady Pennard's now legendary remark regarding cannistered water "turning you into a gender bender" was greeted from all sides of the chamber with the jovial response that the Tory ammendment merited.

These were the grounds for the proposed removal of all dispensers in County Hall in an attempt to make give Joe Public his weekly five bob.

The newly appointed Fiscal Affairs Spokesperson has got her career off to a flying start by revealing this central plank of Conservative local taxation policy.

However the cries of "Sit down Margaret, you've said quite enough, you're making our amendment look ridiculous" may indicate that the new tax saving policy has yet to meet the approval of the Cameron think tank.

A fresh approach?

2007-02-27T21:33:00.000Z

The Inside Outers may well be right in saying that Councillor John Miles' comments on school closures is a fresh approach. However whether it heralds a new era in effective scrutiny is another question.

It is worth noting of course that Councillor Miles was commenting on the outcome of a review started under the previous regime, that up until his assumption of the Committee chairmanship his attendance was patchy to say the least and that overall the opposition had in any case largely abdicated the role of scrutiny.

What is interesting is the new Labour approach to school closures. As is clear from the article there are still some Labour stalwarts who do not believe that shutting down schools is a good idea at all. There is also no indication as to whether Councillor Miles speaks on behalf of the Labour group or not. Our betting is that if any proposals come along the Labour opportunists will jump on the anti bandwagon as they always have done.

The irony is that it is the administration who are less keen on school closures. Still if they find that such a course of action becomes necessary for sound educational reasons they can always ask John Miles to marshall his colleagues behind the proposal. Will they follow him, we wonder?

Update: How would the Labour spin doctors know how Administration Councillors behaved on scrutiny committees? They were never there. For the record the Administration have never operated a whip on scrutiny either.

Triumph @ Swansea

2007-02-26T15:08:00.000Z

We are not in the habit of using this blog to pre-empt announcements by the Administration, so why exactly the Inside Outers felt that they should have read it here first that the Council is doing a deal with Cardiff on e-government we cannot say. Nevertheless if they choose to re-read our posts on this subject they will see that we have been hinting at it for some time.

Despite all the spin coming from Labour and the Tories the facts are these:

1. The Administration decided that the figures did not stack up on phase two with Capgemini and rather than take a risk with taxpayers money decided to look at other alternatives. Councillor Mary Jones told Council that it was still the intention to go ahead with the contact centre using a different provider.

2. No expenditure has been committed to phase two and therefore all the talk of money wasted is just nonsense. The figures on phase one are clear and add up. Now that we are proposing going into partnership to deliver phase two then we will be able to deliver the contact centre we promised.

3. As one comment on the Evening Post website said: "The council have delivered what they said they would, a new contact centre with the appropriate technology at a fraction of the original price quoted."

What is amusing is how suddenly everybody has acquired the powers of foresight. Councillor Mark Child for example tells the Post: "Unfortunately, we no longer have the IT expertise to be able to implement this in-house as they were all transferred to Capgemini. Having said that, this is the approach we have been advocating all along."

As Labour's Technology Spokesman Child should know that it was not the expertise that was lacking it was an appropriate record management system and if he really has been advocating this course of action all along then he must have been whispering it very quietly. It was certainly not on the agenda of the previous Labour Administration when they started service@swansea in the first place.

The Evening Post is equally as prescient. However, they also need to understand that the driver for going to another local authority was the fact that costings on phase two were not affordable. The use of Cardiff's CRM could not have happened without phase one being implemented first.

The Administration also did not inherit a blank sheet. When we took over a process was well underway with preferred bidders and all the legal advice was that we had to see it through or else end up paying compensation.

The outcome is much better than it could have been. We have a system in place that is starting to produce the anticipated savings and we also have a workable alternative to Capgemin so as to deliver phase two. We have done this without busting the budget originally set by Labour when they conceived of e-government in the first place.

Update: Labour reproduce a previous post of 28 April 2006 from the old Inside Swansea blog but all they have succeeded in doing is to prove our consistency on these matters. The Council is still on course to achieve its savings whilst the deal with Cardiff will guarantee the massively improved interface with the public that will transform the Council's customer service record. Labour ask what we have been doing for the last three years? The answer is sorting out the mess they left us and getting e-government right.

Investing in our future

2007-02-26T08:45:00.000Z

The proposed Council budget includes a massive investment in Swansea’s future. £10.5 million has been earmarked to tackle the mountain of school repairs inherited from the previous Labour Administration. This includes £850,000 for the twelve schools in the worst condition.

Work is due to start on a new Welsh School in West Cross, whilst money has also been set aside to finish off the refurbishment of the Leisure Centre. This is on schedule to re-open by the end of the year.

A new Central Library is to be opened in County Hall as part of a civic centre project that will open up this building to general public use. This library will be complemented by a new contact centre to make it easier for the public to access Council services. In addition a new bowls hall will be opened in Plasmarl to replace the one that disappeared when the Leisure Centre closed.

Investment is also starting to come into the City Centre with work having started on re-developing the old David Evans site and with more developers interested in investing in the City as well. The Council is proposing to complete the bus link to the Fabian Way Park and Ride site in the next financial year, whilst the new lanes for buses, taxis and bicycles in the City Centre has eased public transport access whilst helping to tackle congestion.

The Administration are also anxious to start work on rebuilding the Quadrant Bus Station and are waiting to hear if their grant application to the Welsh Assembly Government has been successful. This scheme was held up by land acquisition issues prior to 2004 but we have got it back on track. The intention was always to fund it from Assembly Grant, all we need is that money to be approved and work can start.

Not a Coalition - honest!

2007-02-23T13:22:00.000Z

All the constituent parts of the PLC Coalition loudly deny that they are in fact a Coalition. It's like the Pope denying he's a Catholic if you ask me.

As I've said before, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. In that context, I'm told that Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett, David Phillips, and Darren 'Baby Face' Price have taken to seeing Chris Holley together to talk about the Budget.

If there is no PLC Coalition, why do they need to do so? Such a visit only makes sense if they are working together, but don't trust each other that much...

A budget for all

2007-02-22T13:41:00.000Z

At Cabinet today the Administration will bring forward proposals that will limit April’s Council Tax increase to an inflation-busting 3.5%. The current RPI is 4.4%.

Their budget includes a suggested £15.5 million extra for front line services. Street cleaning, waste disposal, libraries, new specialist teaching facilities, parks and support for children and families will all receive extra investment.

Top priority for the Administration is cleaning up the City. They
have earmarked an extra £200,000 to fund specialist cleansing
teams who will move from community to community targeting
‘grot’ spots. An extra £67,000 is to be spent on better sweeping
machines that can get into more awkward places.

£2.4 million has been set aside for children with additional learning needs, which includes new specialist teaching facilities. £1.1 million is to be invested in child and family services, including foster care, adoption and parent support, whilst an extra £500,000 has been provided for adult services such as care homes and domicillary care. £45,000 is to be invested in extending library opening hours, whilst school spending has once more been kept higher than Assembly Government guidelines.

For many people the headline Council Tax rate is the most important factor and we are proud that we have managed to invest in services whilst maintaining an average rise of 3.9% over our three budgets. Compare that to Labour, whose average tax increase was 8.66%, a rate achieved whilst simultaneously allowing all of the City's assets to fall into major disrepair. Now that was incompetence.

Wrestling with demons

2007-02-21T23:46:00.000Z

Is it me or are the Labour Party Spinners over at the Inside Out site getting overly obsessed with Peter Black? In the last few days he is all they seem capable of talking about. Three of their last six posts and constant references in many others all point to a group of people wrestling with their demons.

Peter Black must be very happy that he has caused such anguish amongst his political adversaries.

Judge and jury

2007-02-20T19:29:00.000Z

It has taken us a few days to get hold of the actual Standards Committee judgement in this referral of Councillor Gethin Evans for leaking information to the press. However, once we had a copy it soon became apparent that Labour were once again spinning a line.

As the Labour spinners well know the allegations against Gethin Evans were a great deal more serious than that he leaked the outcome of the investigation. In fact when the Ombudsman carried out his inquiry, he concluded that there was 'credible prima facie evidence' that Councillor Evans had 'breached paragraph 5(a) of the Code of Conduct' and furthermore that the 'alleged breach was a material one'. What happened next was unprecedented.

The Standards Committee produced a list of people who they considered should have been interviewed in the course of the investigation. The list was so long that it would not have disgraced a proper police inquiry, which is presumably why the Ombudsman did not adopt this course of action in the first place. Nobody is suggesting that there might have been anything like a closing of ranks on the Standards Committee but the sort of issues that were raised were unusual to say the least. The one thing that is not in the decision letter is any views on the motives of the complainant, yet another Labour invention.

Even then Gethin Evans did not get the clean bill of health that Labour are claiming. The allegation was that Evans had committed a breach of the Code by disclosing confidential information to the press on the voting that took place at the Chief Officer Disciplinary Meeting. Their conclusion was that it was probable that there had been a breach of the Code, the same finding as had been reached by the Ombudsman. However, because there would be serious consequences for Gethin Evans if they ruled against him then they decided that a higher level of proof was needed, and so dismissed the charge altogether.

Having made this decision the Standards Committee then tried to cover its tracks. They ruled specifically that their determination 'should not be regarded as justification' for leaking confidential information in the future. They asked that a good practice note be sent to all members of the Council stating that legal advice should be sought in dealing with confidential matters in the future. They also said that it was unacceptable for Councillors to consider that officers can give consent to the release of information from a confidential committee meeting, a specific reference to the defence offered by Gethin Evans to the Ombudsman.

This decision has produced a fascinating response from the Ombudsman himself. He has now written to the Council's Monitoring Officer regarding another complaint made by David Phillips against Councillors Holley, Black and Kinzett. This particular referral also related to an alleged unauthorised disclosure of information and had been referred to the Standards Committee for determination. However the Ombudsman has now rescinded that referral.

Instead, he has decided that in view of the higher level of proof now needed to make such accusations stick there is no point in further considering Phillips' accusations and he has dismissed the complaint altogether. How Phillips will react to this is difficult to predict but we think that he will not be best pleased.

Update: We notice that the Labour spinners continue with their selective readership of the text of the letter to Gethin Evans.

City reaps benefits of growing confidence

2007-02-19T21:31:00.000Z

That an ice rink is still on the cards for Swansea is a tribute to the new air of confidence that investors now have in the City. Developers are expected to bring firm proposals to the council within two months.

Talks aimed at bringing a rink to the city are still at an early stage 12 months on, but Planet Ice, the company behind the proposals, is still keen to come to the city.

As we have said previously, people everywhere are starting to recognise that Swansea is a place to do business once more. They see the building work going on and they want to have a piece of the action. What a contrast to the barren years under New Labour.

A legacy in the making

2007-02-18T20:22:00.000Z

Following Insider's post on Labour's Legacy and the Labour spin-site's wholly negative repost we felt it was worthwhile taking note of the glass as half-full for a change.

Our approach to the Council's finances has been one of living within our means. We have sought to do so in the face of severe spending pressures. Last year for example we needed to find an extra £2.5 million in pension fund contributions, £2.5 million for waste disposal, £1.7 million for fuel price increases, £1.9 million for Special Educational Needs and £1.3 million for Children's Services. The Labour Assembly Government also kept back £1.6 million from local schools. Despite that we kept the Council Tax increase at 5% and increased spending on education by 4.4% and social services by 10%.

The average Council Tax increase under this Administration has been 4.25%. That will reduce further when this year's increase is factored in. By contrast, Labour increased Council Tax on average by 8.66%. Labour say we have cut road maintenance and street cleaning. That is not true. We have introduced a multi-million pound four year road and pavement refurbishment programme designed to correct Labour's neglect of this area. We are also investing in street cleansing as will become evident later this month and have doubled recycling rates.

Labour cannot even get their list of spending cuts right. They say we have slashed £118,000 from post-16 school transport but that cut was never made. Instead we consulted on the proposal and agreed to keep the expenditure and the service in the budget in accordance with the response to that consultation. A number of the other so-called cuts listed by Labour are also subject to consultation and more work and may not emerge from that process in the same format, if indeed they emerge at all.

And what about those priorities? E-government costing £98 million over ten years, not the £170 million that Labour claim. A project that will bring clear benefits through a more efficient Council, value-for-money procurement and a contact centre that is still going ahead, despite Labour spin to the contrary, just not with Capgemini.

A partnership with the Labour Assembly Government to invest in public transport, including a new park and ride site in Fforestfach, a dedicated bus lane from the Fabian Way Park and Ride and changes to the City Centre road system so as to accomodate buses, taxis and bicycles, whilst reducing traffic congestion. Plans to build the new bus station that Labour failed to bring to completion if the Labour Transport Minister and local AM, Andrew Davies, approves the bid for funding. We have at least completed the land acquisition that Labour failed to bring to fruition.

The creation of a brand new central library in County Hall to modern standards, whilst at the same time opening up Labour's palace to public use. The changes to Councillors' accomodation by the way were carried out in full consultation with all parties and a number of changes were made as a result. It would be possible to write a book on the shenanigans over the Labour Group room so as to meet the demands of their leader's ego.

The rebuilding of the Leisure Centre, following its closure by Labour; putting in place the City Centre strategic framework; the Economic Strategic framework for the City & County of Swansea; the design and completion of Princess Way; the purchase and demolition of Unifloc to create Museum Green; and additional funding for City Centre core work. (Oxford Street – from Castle Square to Plymouth Street).

New schools at Llwynderw and St Thomas, with plans in place to rebuild Penyrheol; opening a specialist teaching facility at Pontarddulais Comprehensive; combining Bryn Nursery with Townhill School; amalgamations of infant/junior schools – Birchgrove, Dunvant and Gwyrosydd; completion of an early years block at YGG Bryniago; new sports halls at Pentrehafod and Bishopston Schools; new multi-use games areas at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr and Cefn Hengoed; and Swansea’s first integrated Children’s Centre at Clwyd School. We are also building a a £3 million two-storey maths and science block at Morriston Comprehensive School. Work is on schedule to be finished by September 2007. Next year we are investing over £10 million in schools and have just announced £850,000 to repair the worst of the school buildings left near to collapse by Labour neglect.

There is a lot more including the completion of the fitting out of the Liberty Stadium and ensuring it operates on a sound financial basis, the building of a new library at Killay, a replacement for West Cross House that meets modern requirements and is fit for purpose, the proposed introduction of a street scene programme with extra finance and the expansion of the NEAT scheme, and the first major retail development in the City Centre for 20 years with more announcements to come.

Like Labour before us we have used external consultants and outside legal services but that is the way that all Councils get things done. We have preserved the City's heritage by repairing the mayoral chain and we have done what is necessary to put in place the best possible management of the Council. In the face of these achievements Labour's complaints appear trivial and partisan. They know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Their incompetence left the Council directionless and let local people down. It is this Administration who are putting things right.

A walk in the rain

2007-02-16T18:27:00.000Z

We were fascinated to see in tonight's Evening Post a report of a visit by Home Office Minister Tony McNulty to Blaenymaes. Mr. McNulty was joined on his walk around the estate by Swansea East MP Sian James, Swansea East AM Val Lloyd and local Councillor, June Burtonshaw.

During his tour he was told by local Councillors about a new sense of optimism and purpose in Blaenymaes and Portmead. In return he told the paper about "the enthusiasm there was from both police and local community leaders in driving crime down and working on a positive way for the area.

"The absolute vibe is that this has been done from the ground up. This has been achieved with the police, so people in Blaenymaes get a real sense of being part of the solution in tackling crime rather than something being done from above."

Val Lloyd said: "The whole community has come together to fight crime in Blaenymaes. Good results in Swansea show that local people are serious about tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and that partnership working is effective."

Could this be the same community that only a few months ago local Councillors were lambasting as a notorious place, crime ridden and not a place for a children's home? Is this the same place that Ray Welsby described as one of the most notorious areas in Great Britain? I think we should be told.

You would think that these Labour politicians would at least be a little shame-faced at their blatant u-turn. Fortunately for them, the community that the Home Office Minister saw yesterday is the real Blaenymaes and Portmead, not the fictional badlands invented by local Councillors in an attempt to undermine an important Administration initiative. We are sure that local people will not be fooled when it next comes to vote.

Chase our leader

2007-02-15T23:10:00.000Z

Spinners on the Labour site are full of themselves as usual. All of that extra cash has clearly gone to their head. However before they get too carried away with themselves at the prospect of a leadership crisis within the Administration perhaps they should look to get their own house in order first.

We understand that despite his apparent successes David Phillips is in trouble within his own group. We have heard that many of them are not too impressed at having to vote in Conservatives to Scrutiny Chairs, that they believe that Phillips is too close to 'Dear Leader' Kinzett, and that they are disenchanted with his interminable and ineffective pedantry at Council meetings. There is also division within the Labour Group over the allocation of Special Responsibility Allowances.

A leadership challenge has now been mounted. Whether Phillips survives or not has yet to be seen.

A necessary measure

2007-02-15T00:56:00.000Z

Following our last post about Labour's legacy, this item in yesterday's Evening Post, highlights the scale of the problem. As part of our commitment to education and to maintaining the City's assets we have found a one-off sum of £850,000 to invest in essential maintenance in the 12 worst school buildings in Swansea.

The Post's editorial is quite right of course, this is far from adequate, however it is the best we can do with the resources we have at the moment. The paper also says that tough decisions will have to be made to secure a long term solution. Those are the sort of decisions that Labour proved they were incapable of taking when they were in office.

In the best interests of our children we are looking to work with parents, teachers and local communities to find answers and to implement them. The danger however is that Labour politicians will pull their usual trick and try to turn the whole process into a political football. If they do that then they will be doing the City a gross misservice.

Update: The Inside Outers have, as usual got the wrong end of the stick. The extra money for schools has not come from the Welsh Assembly Government but from planned capital borrowing for 2007-2008.

Labour's Legacy

2007-02-14T08:00:00.000Z

Our Labour opponents over at Inside Out are fond of reproducing posts on the old Inside Swansea blog so we thought we would follow suit. There is no special occasion, just that as we approach the budget-setting meeting we believe that it would be helpful if we reminded people of just how big exactly the mess is that Labour left us to sort out.

In particular we continue to be faced with some very difficult decisions by the failure of Labour to invest in the City’s infrastructure on a huge scale. Labour’s legacy is:

* closure of Swansea Leisure Centre-cost £32m
* crumbling schools - cost £80m - £280m
* dangerous street lamps - cost £600,000
* declining City Centre
* a multi-million pound bill to renovate/repair City Centre car parks
* crumbling roads and pavements - cost £35m
* closure of Tir John tip - cost £2.5m extra a year
* pensions fund deficit for Council workers - cost £4m a year.
* crumbling Guildhall - cost £30m

Some sobering thoughts there, particularly in the light of Labour claims that we keep trotting out the Leisure Centre to attack them. Labour's incompetence stretched much further than that.

Labour still in denial!

2007-02-13T16:50:00.000Z

Well there you have it. The letter that David Phillips says he never saw, or the cat ate, or whatever his excuse is today, in all it's glory.

So much for his impassioned assurances to the Swansea Labour meeting on 30th January that it didn't exist - rather like his impassioned assurances to the same meeting that there is no PLC Coalition with Plaid, and Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett's New Model Tories - I suppose that doesn't exist either?

The question remains why did Labour turn the offer down? My view (Phoenix posts passim) is that they arrogantly expected to be back in a matter of weeks, and that such a letter from the upstart Holley and his crew was an insult to the Rightful Rulers of Swansea that did not deserve the courtesy of an acknowledgement, let alone a serious response.

However, one insider has come out and told me that it was the number of special responsibility allowances ...ahem...positions of responsibility available. As there wouldn't be enough for each Labour councillor to have one, some of them were threatening to go independent if they were not among the Chosen Ones. Hence no reply, and no scrutiny roles for Labour. If this is true, then Labour withdrew from the governance of this city because there wasn't enough cash to go round them all.

The resulting paralysis was only broken in the last few weeks when Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett managed to persuade David Phillips to grasp the nettle and challenge his internal opposition. After this, there can be little doubt where the real power lies among the PLC Coalition leaders; and it isn't Darren 'Baby Face' Price.

What is interesting, according to my source, is that now there is less money to share out than there was in 2004; (because their Coalition partners have to have their share) the rumblings of dissatisfaction are starting up again. He/she doesn't know whether any of the former Masters of the Universe will 'go independent' this time - but it is being seriously discussed by some. What larks!

That elusive letter

2007-02-13T05:44:00.000Z

We cannot be responsible of course for Labour's poor filing, their incomplete memory or the inability of their leader to distinguish truth from fiction. However, as copies of the letter that Chris Holley wrote to the Labour whips back in June 2004 is now being widely circulated around the Administration Group and beyond, we are happy to oblige by reproducing it.

It is worth noting of course that when the letter was written David Phillips was not the Labour leader nor was he a whip. Perhaps that accounts for his failure to recall the correspondence. If he had been there then maybe he would have responded to it.

All the evidence however is that Labour only became concerned with the Scrutiny Chairs when an opportunity presented itself to use them to undermine the Administration. If they had any interest in scrutiny then they would have come to meetings over the last three years and actually tried to influence the agenda. That they didn't, speaks volumes.

PLC Coalition follow the cash...sorry... principles.

2007-02-11T20:03:00.000Z

Well, I hear that the PLC Coalition's principled cash-grab went off almost without a hitch last Thursday.

My spies tell me that procedural chaos was only narrowly averted by Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett rushing about telling various of his Coalition members what to do. It seems that the most amusing sight was watching Labour politicians voting Tory, Tory politicians voting Labour, and Plaid voting for both of them. Still, it is heartening to see the different members of the Coalition learning to cooperate - when will we get their first joint policy statements, I wonder?

Now they'll be able to show us that all their yada yada about 'the importance they attach to scrutiny' was genuine by actually turning up for the meetings. The Labour element of the coalition never bothered much before. Perhaps the 'Dear Leader' and 'Baby Face' should have a word with their friend David Phillips?

Still no answer from Coalition leaders to the big questions , like why they are suddenly so convinced of the necessity of their running scrutiny when they either turned it down, (Plaid) or didn't bother to answer the offer letter (Labour) back in 2004. Neither did either party ever ask officially if the offer could be repeated. Almost makes you think that the whole rigmarole that we have gone through in the last weeks was a charade...

Another thing, why do Labour now feel it is so vital for the opposition to run scrutiny? They certainly didn't feel the same way when they were in charge prior to 2004. Then, the Masters of the Universe did not allow the opposition to have any Scrutiny Chairs...though to be fair, they did offer Vice -Chair positions, which some opposition councillors took up at the time.

Funny though, when the Assembly said that Scrutiny Vice-Chairs could get an allowance, Labour snatched them all back, and re-distributed them to their own councillors. A coincidence, I'm sure.

It all goes to reinforce the growing impression that Labour are in it for the cash, Kinzett's New Model Tories for revenge, and Plaid - well, who knows? By the way, is it true that the 'Dear Leader' now has two Chairs? If so, will he give up one of his two allowances?

Cleaning up the City

2007-02-10T19:19:00.000Z

One of the Council's initiatives to clean up the City has been recognised by the Welsh Assembly Government with a £20,000 grant.

Swansea Council's Neighbourhood Environment Action Team was established only last October and has won plaudits from local residents everywhere it's gone to concentrate on deep cleaning difficult areas around the city and county.

The NEAT team is a joint effort between the authority's social services and environment departments and aims to give work experience and training opportunities to adults with learning disabilities under the supervision of other council staff.

Since October it's worked all over the city and county cleaning up areas that wouldn't otherwise have been reached. They include the riverside walk near Sainsbury in the city centre, Gorseinon, St Thomas and Port Tennant.

The team is tackling areas around the city that would otherwise become targets for fly-tipping or littering. That's good news for the communities which benefit from the clean-up and it's an encouragement to them to continue the good work.

Moving forward

2007-02-10T18:54:00.000Z

There is yet more evidence in tonight's Evening Post of the way that the Swansea Administration is working with others to change the City for the better.

This story about a £3.5 million scheme to makeover the roads linking The Kingsway and Oxford Street is just one example:

Contractors are currently upgrading Upper Union Street, Portland Street and Park Street. The work includes resurfacing of roads and pavements with similar materials as that used for the refurbishment of The Kingsway. It is expected to be completed by the end of March and be followed by the £3.5 million city centre core retail scheme.

The Assembly- funded scheme is aimed at making the city centre a more vibrant and dynamic place to visit. It will include new street furniture, public art and replacing of roads and pavements.

As Chris Holley says "Enhancing the appearance of the city centre will supplement ongoing projects such as the regeneration of the former David Evans site and will encourage more people to visit Swansea. This will be a boost for local traders and for the local economy."

Rather predictably the Inside Outers seek to denigrate the launch of a new economic strategy, however its importance lies in the way that we are building on what has already been achieved and in the partnerships that we have been continuing to nurture. The Techniums and the Institute of Life Sciences are important Assembly Government and University initiatives that offer the potential of high value jobs and investment to Swansea.

Before they go claiming credit again the Inside Outers might also wish to note that the ILS was conceived and started on our watch but is no more an Administration project than it is Labour's.

Flexible thinking

2007-02-10T18:30:00.000Z

Reading this article in tonight's Evening Post it is difficult to recognise the can-do Councillor that Robert Francis-Davies used to be. The man who closed Swansea Leisure Centre is now a shadow of his former self. as is evident by the sheer incoherence of his little rant.

He and his fellow Morriston Councillors have been doing their best to stir up opposition in their ward to the street cars, despite the fact that no decision has been taken on the route it will be taking or that all their fears have been dismissed by experts as unfounded. The number of red herrings they have been throwing up can only lead an independent observer to conclude that their motives have more to do with shit-stirring for the sake of it than any genuine concern.

If Robert Francis Davies had actually bothered to try out a bendy bus for himself then he would see that they are more than capable of negotiating the church in the middle of the road and Woodfield Street without any undue disruption. As for Chemical Road, it has never been stated that this is on the planned route. Indeed it is more likely that an alternative way to Morriston Hospital will be used.

A special responsibility

2007-02-09T12:57:00.000Z

I am grateful to an anonymous e-mail, which was forwarded onto this site, for providing this information.

Throughout the present dispute over chairmanships on the Council one of the constant refrains of the opposition is that the present Administration is only in it for the money. That is far from the truth. Still it is a bit rich given the history of special responsibility allowances in Swansea.

In considering this we need to remember that Councillors' Allowances are set by the Government. In Swansea the Special Responsibility Allowances were set locally in accordance with that guidance, just like every other Council.

In the last full financial year of Swansea's ruling Labour regime, from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2003, before they lost control - the total spent on Special Responsibility Allowancess was £460,356.34 per. Two years on, for the second full financial year of the Swansea Administration between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006, the total claimed in Special Responsibility Allowances was £375,282.25 per annum. A significant drop of nearly 20%, despite claims by Ray 'Ranter' Welsby that we have increased them by the same proportion.

The reason for this is that the Swansea Administration agreed to pay one fifth of their allowances into the street cleansing budget right from the start. The question now is will the Tory, Plaid Cymru, Labour Coalition do the same, or will the cost to taxpayers rocket back up to the previous figure?

Growing confidence

2007-02-08T21:09:00.000Z

Despite the inevitable scepticism of the Inside Outers, tonight's letter from the previously unknown Community Councillor Gillian Evans does convey an essential truth. When you talk to business people and visitors to Swansea who have no axe to grind, they all have the same story to tell, the City is on the move again.

Councillor Evans says: 'What came across to all present was a general feeling of confidence. This was reflected in discussions with various business leaders who all felt that after years of stagnation under Labour (remember their long-harboured but over-ambitious plans for Castle Quays), the present administration is turning the fortunes of Swansea around.There is a positive buzz about Swansea and its future.' That is the opinion of many other people.

As expected one of Labour's stooges has posted his own comment on the Evening Post site querying her view but all he succeeds in doing is to highlight how things are different. Labour got the Liberty stadium underway but they left it to us to put in a proper business plan and to finish off the job where they had cut corners. SA1 Waterfront is of course an Assembly Government initiative, which we are progresssing in partnership with them, whilst Salubrious Place Phase Two was left to us to bring to completion, a not insignificant achievement.

What 'Malcolm of Morriston' does not comment on is the fact that the present Administration has got the first City Centre shopping development for over two decades underway, that new investment is coming into Swansea to bring existing buildings into full use and despite the difficulties of the implementing the new traffic system, most people acknowledge that it has made a huge difference to City Centre traffic problems. In addition a whole range of new investment opportunities are opening up and a lot of interest being shown in them. A major contrast to the stagnation of the Labour years.

Isn't it about time Labour stopped running Swansea down? Oh, and perhaps they could get a more reliable source as to what goes on in Administration Group meetings as well.

Ticket to ride

2007-02-07T07:50:00.000Z

Whatever the truth of Ray Welsby's claims about the mass misuse of freebies at Swansea's Liberty Stadium, we could not help but notice that what prompted his complaint was his own inability to put his hands on free tickets. We only have his word as to how exactly he would have distributed those tickets if he had got them.

The other distinctive feature of this so-called scandal is the fact that a detailed protocol for the Liberty Stadium has not been put to council yet because of the reluctance of the Labour Group Leader to agree it. He has said that he is not happy about councillors being involved in ticket allocations. Unfortunately, for David Phillips he is in a minority on this matter within his own group. Councillors of all parties receive tickets for distribution to needy members of their community, but many of these take the Labour whip. Their presence at matches is often much in evidence.

Waiting for the bus

2007-02-06T19:20:00.000Z

Those who have been around in Swansea for some time will recall the kerfuffle when the Bus Station revamp was first mooted. The then opposition sought to call it in because they were unhappy with certain aspects of the scheme, only to be accused of delaying the project. Labour were planning to have it all done and dusted in time for the 2004 Council elections.

It is a bit of a cheek therefore for the Labour spin site to accuse us of not giving the new bus station sufficient priority when they could not even get it off the ground. Most of the available finance has been used up getting possession of the land. Whether the scheme proceeds now depends entirely on the Labour Transport Minister.

Swansea Council has given the bus station top billing amongst new projects. Labour's rules say that existing schemes must come first. On any fair distribution of money the bid of £15.5 million out of a £125 million budget for Wales' second City would be considered modest. The problem is that Labour have put all their eggs in the Rhondda Fach basket.

Will Andrew Davies let his home City down again? We will have to see.

Coalition Cooperation in Action

2007-02-06T18:59:00.000Z

I notice that over at Inside Leg, the PLC Coalition (formerly New Labour) spin-site, much is made of 'things that needed to be taken apart' in yesterday's Environment Scrutiny committee. Having made enquiries, perhaps I could 'take apart' the voting for the Chair and Vice-Chair as a service to Plaid, Labour, and Conservative voters who think that these three are still separate entities?

Labour's June Burtonshaw is now Chair, and was voted in by a combination of Labour councillors, Darren 'Baby Face' Price of Plaid Cymru, and re-cycled Tory, Margaret Smith. Then Smith retained the Vice-Chair's post with the support of Labour and Plaid.

So there you have it. The Plaid-Lab-Con Coalition in action. Good to see them getting on so well together. Incidentally, surely it is about time that the PLC came clean and told us who actually leads their Coalition? They must do away with this sham of pretending to have three separate leaders.

Electoral Pact anybody?

2007-02-05T16:13:00.000Z

Of course, there is one reason why Plaid and the Conservatives wouldn't be too worried about Labour getting £100,000 to campaign with in the local elections in 2008... perhaps they have an electoral pact?

It wouldn't do to have PLC Coalition members fighting each other, would it!

Fireman Phillips

2007-02-04T18:40:00.000Z

This morning's phone-in on Swansea Sound generated heat from the usual suspects, but for once it also brought two shafts of light.

The first of these came from a more thoughtful than usual Ray Welsby, who at last acknowledged that there is no fourth option to bring Council Housing up to scratch by 2012. This long-awaited admission leaves those opposing stock transfer in a bit of a quandary. Their opposition is now more than ever about political posturing. They have nothing to offer to tenants except false hope.

The second moment to cherish was David Phillips' diatribe on the failings of the Administration. His claim that the Administration are not installing fire alarms into schools because we have no policy was bizarre to say the least. It would also be contrary to building regulations and commonsense.

Still, Phillips' fascination with fire protection measures may well go some way to explain his obsession with the burnt out remains of Penyrheol School. After the fire he made several appearances there, each strangely coincided with visits by the media. It is reputed that he even brought his own hard hat.

Penyrheol School has now been subjected to two serious fires. The first time it burnt down Labour rebuilt it without a sprinkler system. That is not a mistake we will be repeating.

PLC Coalition Principles

2007-02-04T13:41:00.000Z

I'm off next week, and will miss Super Thursday when the Masters of the Universe and their PLC Coalition partners will attempt to wrest control of Castle Greyskull from the fiendish Chris Holley. But my spies will be everywhere...

The big question about this wrangle over chairs is - why now? David Phillips was quite happy to ignore the letter offering his former Masters of the Universe scrutiny chairs in June 2004. What has changed?

Some tell me that it was because they did not expect the Administration to last six months, whereupon Labour would sweep back to office. (And put their feet up for the next 28 years, no doubt). This idea is supported by the strenuous attempts that they made to stop the Administration from cutting the allowances by 20% and spending the money on street cleansing. As Labour expected to be back in six months they clearly would not want to have less money than they had got before. A good New Labour principle.

Others say that it was simply that having ignored the letter there would be a considerable loss of face in asking if the offer was still open, and the pride of the former Masters of the Universe would not allow them to do so. Another good New Labour principle.

So why now? Apart from the obvious fact that Phillips' fellow coalition leader, Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett of the New Model Conservatives wants to damage his former allies in the Administration for their refusal to give in to his very reasonable demands (moon on a stick, Kinzett to be worshipped as the incarnation of the god Ra - that kind of thing) and is a more energetic person than Phillips, I'm told that it's all tied up with the finances of Swansea Labour.

It seems that Swansea Labour isn't doing as well as it should be financially, and that all Labour councillors have been obliged to bung in a significant proportion of their allowances - 25% is the figure I've had quoted to me. Now all that is to cease. Instead, the money Labour will get from running (I use the word loosely - we are talking about Labour after all) scrutiny committees will all be put into their war chest (Phoenix posts passim) for the 2008 elections. All £100,000 of it. So Labour are happy again! ( You can always make Labour happy with money - cash for honours anybody?)

You know it's a real, solid coalition among like-minded parties when they are prepared to put aside their own narrow sectarian agendas (like getting re-elected) for the sake of each other, which is why it is heartening in this cynical age to see Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett and Darren 'Baby Face' Price helping their Labour allies out of the financial ordure in this way, and selflessly giving Labour the aforesaid wonga to campaign against them. Whether the Conservative and Plaid hierarchies outside of Swansea have cottoned on to this is not yet clear. Not that Ieuan Wyn Jones will be that bothered given his party's support for Labour in the Assembly.

So there we have it. The PLC Coalition's high-minded pursuit of proper scrutiny (don't make me laugh) is revealed for what it is. Of the senior partners, Labour are in it for the money, and the Tories are motivated by the principled desire to hit back at former colleagues. As for Plaid, there's nothing in it for them politically, but recent history both in the Assembly and here in Swansea tells us that in the last analysis they'll always vote to try and get Labour out of a jam. Labour's Little Helpers to the last.

Update: Just turning this question on its head for once, the New Labour brethren need to explain why they need to have the scrutiny chairs so desperately now when they turned them down previously. While they are at perhaps they could also tell us why they believe that having these posts are so crucial to effective scrutiny when they have spent the last three years not showing up to Committee meetings at all. From what we can see the need for allowances to prop up the local Labour Party remains the motivating factor behind their change of mind.

Most of the Administration would be prepared to strike a deal whereby the opposition chair scrutiny committees whilst regulatory bodies such as Planning and Licensing stay with the Administration. However, we are not going to deal with a shotgun to our head.

Policy into practise

2007-02-04T12:40:00.000Z

We note that Labour continue to mock the new road system being installed in Swansea City Centre, but are they really in touch with what voters are thinking?

In this article in yesterday's Evening Post a Kingsway trader is quoted as saying that "The council has done an excellent job of improving the look of the Kingsway and the surrounding area. The flow of traffic has also improved." This appears to be a common view and is one reflected amongst taxi drivers, a normally reliable barometer of public opinion. Labour are living in the past.

The brothers and sisters are also scathing about the time being taken to get the city centre strategy right. Quite why they feel that they have to repeat the cost of this strategy is beyond us. After all it was the previous Labour Administration who commissioned it and it is the Labour Assembly Government who is helping to pay for it.

We have had decades of Labour failure to get things moving in the City Centre, now at last there is some action. Important as the policy framework is, we are not going to sit around waiting for it to be completed. The future prosperity of Swansea is more important than that. Not that we would expect Labour to understand. This Administration has succeeded in getting investors interested again. All Labour can do is sneer from the sidelines.

Jokers

2007-02-03T21:29:00.000Z

Even by the standards of the Inside Outers the latest speculation on what is going on within the Administration group here, here and here is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. When they do not know what is going on then they make it up.

They are obsessed with the idea that the Administration is being held together by the love of money and cannot even begin to appreciate that there may be other bonds, such as the desire to put right decades of Labour incompetence and its impact on the City.

David Phillips also seems to be under the impression that the Council leadership has agreed to roll over and let him and his Tory allies walk into key positions on the authority. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact the Administration group is united in their obstinacy and are reinforced in their opposition to the process every time David Phillips stands up in Council and speaks. His behaviour last Thursday was nothing short of disgraceful, even going so far as to openly misrepresent advice he had received, as well as the position of the Council Leader.

All of the group meetings we have observed have been unanimous in endorsing the tactics of the so-called 'rebels' and in supporting the Leader in finishing the job he started in July 2004. If Labour think this process is going to end with them walking back into power without having to face the electorate once more then they are very much mistaken.

The Wonderful World of Labour

2007-02-03T13:20:00.000Z

We all know that the New Labour contingent of the PLC Coalition inhabit a different world to the rest of us; a world where things exist because they say they do. (Or do not exist - like the non-existent scrutiny chair offer letter that Plaid somehow managed to reply to).

The latest example is the way the Inside Leg spinners refuse to accept the truth that money for the city centre roadworks came from the New Labour Assembly Government; and that the grant was approved by a New Labour Minister, and Swansea AM, Andrew Davies. If they don't like the scheme, they should take it up with him.

Colour Blind

2007-02-03T12:15:00.000Z

It is a well known scientific fact that the most common form of colourblindness comes from the failure to differentiate between red and green. This was confirmed by a Labour activist who decided to drop his party's guard in the letters page of the Evening post with this interesting point of view:

"Members of Plaid Cymru and Labour at least stand for something more than just personal ambition and the pocketing of council allowances; what a pity Plaid didn't take power with Labour in 2004 and save the city and county from the shambles that now passes for local government in County Hall. "

Of course we'd already worked out that Labour were only using the Tories to get themselves back into power but its nice to have it in print all the same.

None the less there should be fun and games in Cockett come 2008.

Hope for City

2007-02-02T19:53:00.000Z

Tonight's Evening Post editorial has backed up what we have been saying for some time: Swansea City is on the up.

New investment is coming into the City, whilst existing operators are re-positioning their product to take advantage of potential opportunities. Tescos too is preparing new plans for its Oystermouth Road store.

As the Post points out the long awaited development of the former David Evans store is also underway. It will bring new names to the City Centre.

When you add in the boost to the local economy that the new casino will bring, then we can see that the Administration's policies are starting to bear fruit and that the disaster we inherited from Labour is being left far behind.

Economical....

2007-02-01T19:06:00.000Z

What is it with Labour leaders and the truth?

Despite Lord Blair of Kut-al-Amara's assurances to the contrary to Parliament, there really weren't any weapons of mass destruction waiting to be deployed against British territory in 45 minutes, but Labour took us to war alongside Bush anyway.

On a far less significant scale; despite David Phillips' assurances to the contrary to the last Swansea Labour Party meeting, there really is a letter, addressed to both the Labour and Plaid whips and dated 18th June 2004, offering them chairs of scrutiny committees. Plaid wrote back and declined - so we know the letter exists. No doubt Swansea Labour members will draw their own conclusions.

I'm also told that Phillips assured the meeting that he was not in coalition with Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett, and his New Model Tories. This was before he got up to propose his fellow leader for Area 2 Planning Chair last Tuesday. Sorry Councillor Phillips, but if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. And this is a coalition. Again, Swansea Labour members will draw their own conclusions. They'll just have to hope that the voters won't.

Mind you, it's lucky for Labour that they are in coalition with the Tories and Plaid. What is clear is that without Tory backing, Labour would not be mounting this clumsy challenge to get what they were already offered way back in June 2004. This is clearly a marriage made in heaven.

PLC Coalition in trouble already?

2007-02-01T00:27:00.000Z

Is the PLC Coalition in trouble already? I'm now told that when the Plaid-Labour-Con attempted to unseat Tregoning and Tucker went belly-up on Tuesday, it did so because a significant number of Labour members did not attend. Could it be that there are some Labour members who resented having to vote for a Tory - especially Rene 'Dear Leader' Kinzett - and stayed away accordingly? Can't David Phillips get his members to do what he says? We can be sure that the 'Dear Leader' will be bending Phillips' ear about it. Perhaps they could do a job swap?

Labour's Little Helpers (Plaid) were champing at the bit to vote the Tory Leader in. They, at least, have no concerns about voting Conservative to help Labour.

P.S. It seems ex Dunvant Community Councillor and former suspendee Lis Davies was in the public gallery - no doubt to see the hated Tregoning get his. Will the Coalition's failure to get rid of him mean that she will have second thoughts about joining PLC? I t would be a pity if all Phillip's good work at Planning last week (see Phoenix posts passim) were to come to nothing.

Watching the Defectives

2007-01-31T10:04:00.000Z

Oh dear. This plotting business appears to be a little too complicated for the Plaid-Labour-Con Coalition leaders to get right with any consistency. After getting the tip-off about their failure to get rid of Nick Tregoning and Paul Tucker at Area 2 Planning yesterday, I rang one of my moles with a few questions about what they had been trying to do. It seems that Labour's David Phillips was going to propose his fellow PLC Coalition leader, and new best mate, Tory 'Dear Leader' Rene Kinzett. (They get on well together outside the chamber too; another source saw them nip out for a high-level pow-wow in a nearby office.)

Darren 'Baby Face' Price wasn't there, but then I guess that given Plaid's new role as Labour's Little Helpers in the Assembly, they didn't really need him to be. I'd always thought Plaid had a bigger role to play than as a glove-puppet for Swansea New Labour - and now for their new Tory partners. Seems I was wrong.

What really sums the new coalition up, however, was that in the attempt to unseat Tregoning and Tucker, two non-voting PLC members who were there actually stuck their hands up and voted. Luckily, eagle-eyed officers spotted the 'mistake'. No doubt the PLC spinners across at the former New Labour spin-site will have some excuse for this. Cue injured huffing and puffing from Inside Leg!

Bandwagon Pit Stop

2007-01-30T14:53:00.000Z

The Labour Party's 2008 campaign war chest (funded from any Special Allowance they pick up) took a knock today when they failed to unseat Nick Tregoning and Paul Tucker from their posts at planning this afternoon. A 16-14 defeat left steam coming out of the PLC administration's (sorry coalition's) ringpiece.

David Philips was trying his best as a barrack room lawyer to explain how the vote should be conducted. He then resorted to hurt child tactic's of "You promised us an orderly transition.".

We are patiently waiting for the day when Labour ask their new bedfellows to directly contribute to the war chest. Could be fun and games in West Cross next Year!

PLC Alliance Candidate for Swansea West?

2007-01-30T01:40:00.000Z

My sources within local New Labour are always act coy when I ask them who is in the frame to take over from Alan Williams in Swansea West. Which former Master of the Universe will it be? Will David Phillips stand? Will a woman get the nod? Not if Swansea Labour's record during their last year in power - in office would be more accurate really- is anything to go by. How many women were there in that last Cabinet boys?

There is a name which has been mentioned to me as the front-runner at this time, barring Labour in London parachuting in a candidate of course; and that is Derek Vaughan, presently New Labour leader of Neath Port Talbot Council; the self-same New Labour-controlled Council that is scurrying round 3000 or so of their senior staff trying to get them to take early retirement so as to get their budget sorted out. Someone will be looking for an ABD (Anyone But Derek) any day now.

Perhaps they could approach Rene Kinzett? Or Darren Price? After all, they are all in the PLC (Plaid Labour Con) Alliance! Perhaps the spinners across at Inside Leg can tell us?

Grabbing the money

2007-01-30T00:39:00.000Z

Surprisingly, a quick poll of Councillors has revealed that the only people who really care about the special responsibility allowances are those in the Plaid, Labour, Conservative Alliance.

So far the resistance to the PLC takeover has been largely motivated by sheer bloody-mindedness on the part of the Adminstration group. This is especially so when one considers that of the four who relinguished their post yesterday, one does not claim his Special Responsibility Allowance at all.

Still, whilst the Inside Outers continue to gloat, we can rest assured that they continue to neglect their real job of scrutinising the Administration. And if it takes an election for Chair and Vice Chair to get them to turn up for meetings then what is the harm in doing it every month.

Meanwhile, the question on everybody's lips is 'would David Phillips acknowledge the facts if he tripped over them?'

City Centre moving forward

2007-01-29T12:39:00.000Z

Although we have been saying it for some time, it is nice to have independent and external developers confirming that Swansea City Centre is moving forward again.

Developers behind the £9 million rejuvenation of Pearl House are quoted in today's Evening Post as saying that Swansea is on the up. They have given the city a vote of confidence and are convinced that the city centre's fortunes are about to be transformed.

Director, Martyn Guess, said: "The reason we bought it is that we could see the potential of Swansea. I have been coming here for 10 years and I thought something was going to happen.

"With what is happening in the docks, along with all the residential and other developments, the whole place is being regenerated."

Mr Guess believes the new-look Kingsway and the redevelopment of the former David Evans store would lift that part of the city.

He said: "With all the road works that have been going on, it has been like armageddon down there. But it will be good. That is why we bought the property, the new David Evans and the new retailers will definitely enhance the area. I think making Princess Way narrower will also make it a more intimate shopping area."

It is nice to see that others appreciate the way that the Administration has picked up the pieces of Labour's disastrous mismanagement of the City Centre.

Bog Standard

2007-01-26T16:30:00.000Z

After debating the withdrawl of the Dog Licence from Post Offices, Lady Pennard switched chambers. She was spotted coming out of the Administration khazi by the Mawr mouth whose prostate was giving him jip. On her return we believe there were cries of strap her to the bidet and turn on the hot water. But the big question remained was she chairing Area 1 or 2?

Budget Time

2007-01-26T14:57:00.000Z

The Labour chumps at Inside Out are very keen to portray the Swansea Administration as keen to cut services, even though in many instances they failed to oppose the supposed cuts and the impact on the ground is minimal. For our part we have been keen to eschew Labour's example and to live within our means. That is why we have kept our average Council Tax increase to 4.25%, compared to 8.66% under Labour.

Just how difficult that has been in the face of many cost pressures and inadequate settlements from the Labour Assembly Government has not been appreciated by many. For Labour, they have always preferred to ignore these factors and just oppose for the sake of it.

Now we see that it is not just Swansea that is having problems. Neighbouring Labour-controlled Neath Port Council are having to resort to more drastic measures than anything we would contemplate to keep their budget under control. According to the Neath Guardian Labour Council Leader, Derek Vaughan, is contemplating laying off staff to make ends meet. His administration has written to almost 3,000 of their most senior staff, asking them if they would be willing to take voluntary redundancy or early retirement. So far 400 have volunteered. Quite what impact this will have on services has yet to be seen but we are willing to bet that it will not be positive.

Although Neath Port Talbot aim to keep their Council Tax rise to a minimum they will still have the highest Council tax bills in Wales. So their residents will be paying more than anybody else for poorer services. That is the reality of living in a Labour-run Council area. We bet this will not feature on the Labour spin site anytime soon.

Post Office blues

2007-01-26T14:43:00.000Z

Having left the public gallery sometime during public questions last night, we missed the most entertaining part of the Council proceedings. We are talking about Labour teaming up with the Conservatives to try and frustrate a Liberal Democrat motion opposing further cuts in Post Offices.

According to our sources, Labour wunderkind and Morriston new boy, Rob Stewart, backed up by his leader, David Phillips, sought to remove from the motion opposition to the removal of Government business from the Post Office. He and his Labour colleagues also opposed any link up between the Council and local AMs and MPs to campaign against the dismantling of the Post Office network. They must have swallowed hard when new Tory leader, Rene Kinzett leapt to his feet to enthusiastically pledge the support of himself and his Tory Group to this amendment. Labour failed to vote for the unamended motion.

We can only conclude from this unholy alliance that Labour and the Tories are happy at the Government removing choice from local people as to where they get their passport for example, and that they do not mind too much if as a result of the Government taking their business elsewhere, local Post Offices become less viable and have to close.

We must also draw the conclusion that both Labour and the Tories do not wish to see a repeat of the joint work between the Council and local Parliamentary and Assembly representatives over the Kingsway Post Office, in seeking to save other Post Offices. Presumably they are happy to sit passively by as their communities are deprived of this vital facility.

Vote Labour, get Tory and lose your Post Office.

A vision for the future

2007-01-25T22:12:00.000Z

We do not mind admitting that it took some time to get to grips with the mess that Labour left us in the City Centre. Things do not move quickly in the world of retail development and it has been difficult re-establishing Swansea's reputation as a place to do business. We still have some way to go on that.

Although the Evening Post concentrated on plans to link up the Quadrant and St. David's Centre, the strategy which we have just published contains an important blueprint for the future. What is just as important is that at Council tonight there was all-party support for that vision.

Things are starting to look up for Swansea. New developments are coming on line, whilst developers are showing an interest in the City once more. Although Labour keep alleging that we are a one-trick Adminstration with regards to the Leisure Centre they may find, when it comes to facing the voters in 2008, we actually have quite a number of accomplishments under our belt and that a reviving City Centre is one of them.

Business as usual

2007-01-24T21:10:00.000Z

Whilst all the scheming continues behind closed doors in County Hall, the Cabinet is ensuring that it is business as usual for the Council.

Part of this is the way that the Administration is gearing up its campaign to clean up the City. Talks are underway with the Trade Unions to introduce more effective working practices whilst other initiatives are being introduced to discourage and punish litter.

Whatever happens tomorrow and subsequently, we are determined to make some very real improvements to the cleanliness of Swansea.

Update: It is good to see Labour acknowledge how bad things were when we took over, even if they do refer to fictitious cuts in cleansing.

PLC Alliance gets New Member?

2007-01-23T17:47:00.000Z

Back in the city for a week, catching up with old friends and all the gossip - hearing all about the new Plaid/Labour/Con Alliance; now there's an alliance built on principle and mutual respect!

Looks like the stuff I was reading about Plaid shoring up Labour in the Assembly wasn't just a one-off then - they're at it here in Swansea too. No real surprise to see Rene Kinzett join forces with the former Masters of the Universe of course...I guess they're all getting excited at the prospect of sharing out Special Responsibility Allowances once again, and ordering people about. How will they manage with three leaders? Perhaps David Phillips will be the Great Leader, and Rene Kinzett the Dear Leader - where does that leave Darren Price? The Spare Leader?

It seems incidentally, that the 'Great Leader' was seen in the public gallery talking to none other than Lis Davies during Planning this afternoon. Is Lis to be the latest addition to the PLC Alliance? I think we should be told...

Smoke filled rooms

2007-01-22T21:43:00.000Z

The smell of intrigue in County Hall is pungent with all the groups weighing up their options. If it had not been for modern health and safety policies the Councillors would not be able to move for the smoke filled rooms.

Tonight, whilst the Administration Group were discussing their options, the Labour Party were meeting in County Hall to consider whether they were prepared to enter into a rainbow coalition with Tories and Plaid to take all the Committee Chairs. Quite why a public facility is still being used free of charge by a political party for its meetings might be something that the Cabinet might wish to investigate.

Meanwhile, it was rumoured that new Conservative Leader, Rene Kinzett, was ensconced with the Plaid Cymru group trying to convince them to support his personal vendetta against the Administration. Both Plaid and Labour need to decide whether their grassroots will countenance this sort of pact with the previously hated Tories and what impact it will have on their respective Assembly campaigns.

Most intriguing of all was the directive issued to Council Leader, Chris Holley by Rene and his Renegades. Having already lost two of his original group members back to the Administration Councillor Kinzett is understandably sensitive about the possibility of more of his colleagues being talked into following suit. Accordingly, he demanded that no Administration Councillor should approach or speak to any of his group without seeking his permission first.

Many in the Administration reacted to this demand with scorn but were surprised nevertheless to read on Alun Cairn's blog that this 'understanding' was not mutual. Not only has Rene been trying to tempt Richard Lewis into his group but he and other Conservatives continue to put pressure on Joan Peters and Huw Rees to come back into the fold. In all three cases we understand that they received a very firm rebuff.

How deluded the Tories are is summed up by Cairn's suggestion that the recruitment of Independent Councillor Margaret Smith back into his party somehow constitutes a 'recovery'. As the Tories Economic Development Spokesman and a banker, you would have thought that his arithmetic was good enough to realise that four is one less than five and that any independent observer would reasonably conclude that Kinzett's defection had led to a catastrophic schism within the local Conservative Party.

Innuendo

2007-01-21T22:14:00.000Z

In the end the much heralded appearance of Ray Welsby on the Swansea Sound phone-in was a bit of a damp squib. If he had information of 'dodgy dealing' then he was keeping it to himself. Instead he launched into one of his customary rants about his fellow Councillors, peppered as usual with inaccuracies, rumours and innuendo.

Of course it is perfectly possible that our disappointment was not Ray's fault. After all his contribution had been built up to unscalable heights by the increasingly desperate Labour spin site. They are starting to build up a quite a reputation for making it up as they go along.

Another unlikely alliance

2007-01-19T19:47:00.000Z

It has been just over a week since Rene Kinzett took over the leadership of the Council's Conservative Group and already he is finding that political leadership is not as easy as he thought.

Two fifths of his group have deserted him and, even though he may pick up an independent in return for a suitable incentive, he has still been left leading a rump and sharing an office with Ray Welsby.

Of course this still leaves him in a reasonably strong position if only because of the way that the group numbers stack up. What he is going to do with this influence has yet to be seen.

His attempt to separate himself and his group from Administration policies on e-government, the Leisure Centre and the Bendy Bus is a gamble that may yet rebound on him. For the last three years he has been closely associated with all of these policies. When they start to come good just in time for the elections then he may well find himself out on a limb. Equally, if any of them should suffer a setback he will have great difficulty convincing anybody that he was not complicit in formulating and implementing the policy.

What is most interesting however is Rene's choice of allies. He has recently been seen around County Hall deep in discussion with Labour Group Leader, David Phillips. Whereas, even we would not suggest that he is about to form a Lab-Con Administration, it is certainly possible that his group will join with Labour to claim all the scrutiny chairs.

We are sure that the Tory blue rinse brigade, who account for the party's grassroots these days, will not be amused at this unlikely partnership. It may prove awkward too for Tory AM, Alun Cairns and his running mates in the Assembly elections. He will have some fun explaining to local voters how his party can advocate a rainbow coalition in Cardiff Bay, whilst at the same time stabbing the same potential partners in the back in Swansea and teaming up with New Labour instead.

We really do live in interesting times.

Wishful thinking

2007-01-18T21:07:00.000Z

Labour may feel that they can gloat over this complaint by Manselton speed campaigners but they should not fool themselves that they are in touch with the community on this issue. Neither of the campaigners quoted in the article live in the area and in the case of Rhodri Griffiths he has been seeking to make political capital from the tragic death of a young girl for some time now.

The reason why there has been a delay in implementing this scheme is because the ward councillors have been working closely with local residents to get it right. The reason why the Council did not just slap a 20mph limit on the road and walk away as Rhodri Griffiths wants is because they did not wish to see any more children die there.

The inconvenient fact that Mr. Griffiths will not acknowledge is that the statutory speed limit is 30mph and that anything below that is unenforceable. The highway experts believe that the only way to slow traffic down is to change the road layout and that is what is happening.

Community politics is not about popularism, it is about working with a community to change things for the better. That is precisely what the Manselton Councillors have been doing. As for the budget cuts, Labour keep on saying that they have hit basic services but they can offer no evidence for this. In highways there is now a proper programme of repair, maintenance and replacement and there is more to come.

Update: The latest politicians to fall under the spell of the Liz Davies/Ray Welsby/Rhodri Griffiths axis are Plaid Cymru AM, Dai 'Preacher' Lloyd and his protégé, Darren 'babyface' Price. They have put out a statement supporting the demand for a 20mph zone in Manselton Road. It seems that they too have no regard to the future safety of local children and would happily see an ineffective and unenforceable 20mph limit in place rather than the measures that are being installed at present.

Moment of truth for Minister

2007-01-17T21:08:00.000Z

Work on re-building the Quadrant bus station has always relied on Assembly transport grant from the moment that the previous Labour Administration conceived the idea. It should be no surprise to anybody, least of all local AM and Transport Minister, Andrew Davies, that the moment has now come to put the Assembly Government's cash where his mouth is.

This is a major plank in the regeneration of the City Centre. Enough money has gone into other, mostly Labour, areas such as Rhondda Cynon Taf. As a Swansea AM, Andrew Davies needs to ensure that his home city starts to get its fair share. It would be about time.

Threesome

2007-01-17T07:52:00.000Z

All sorts of groups now value the figure 'three' as an ideal operating size. Some though reach that number by mistake.

One for the Gipper

2007-01-16T23:55:00.000Z

Labour really cannot let e-government go. The problem is that they seem to be making it up as they go along. The letter in today's Evening Post from former Councillor Derek James is a classic case in point. He pretends to know what is going on but actually he is as confused as the newspaper's journalists.

Mr. James should know better than to talk about local government in terms of profit and loss. He is also experienced enough to know that even Labour's more extravagant e-government scheme was as bad as he imagines the current project to be.

If Derek wants to know the true costs he only has to read this blog. We would be more than happy to provide an on-line tutorial for him.

Tackling litter

2007-01-15T23:31:00.001Z

Some of those who commented on the Evening Post website may not have been too happy but this intiative to penalise litter louts is an important cornerstone of the Administration's drive to clean up Swansea.

The Council is seeking to reform the way that they keep the City clean from April with the introduction of dedicated clean teams. They are also seeking to overcome some of the restrictive practices that have ensured that Council taxpayers have not been getting value for money in the past on cleansing. Negotiations are on-going with unions that will hopefully ensure that we get a more efficient service in return for investing a bit more in our workforce.

No doubt the extra litter bins will follow, but we must educate people into keeping the City clean as well, and that takes a stick as well as carrots.

Searching for a crystal ball

2007-01-14T19:20:00.000Z

Whatever else we might say about the brothers and sisters over at Inside Out at Swansea, they are consistent. Their excited postings about Ray Welsby phoning into Swansea Sound this morning has gone the way of many of their past predictions and claims - down the pan. They really should stop listening at doors and get themselves a real crystal ball.

It is entirely possible of course that Welsby failed to get up early enough as the Labour hacks imply, but then again, unlikely as it is, maybe he just didn't have anything to say.

Still at least we had David Phillips to make up for Welsby's absence. The Inside Outers accuse Peter Black of launching into a "tired and often repeated anti-Labour tirade" but it is Councillor Phillips who really needs to change the record. Whilst his Labour group continue to miss meetings and show little interest in effective scrutiny as a result of losing their Special Responsibility Allowances, he totally lacks credibility in accusing Administration Councillors of just being in it for the money.

The throne in the cupboard

2007-01-12T22:10:00.000Z

All the talk in County Hall is of the new office that has appeared next door to the ladies toilets on the second floor. Those walking past can just make out through the glass panel in the door a desk, computer, printer and a massive chair. In fact it is not so much a chair as a throne.

It turns out that this is the new prestigious office of Ray Welsby, from which he will preside over his many campaigns. Nobody has yet thought to point out to him that it is in fact a converted cupboard, and no-one has yet explained why it is that it has not been sound proofed.

Ratting on Gethin

2007-01-11T20:03:00.000Z

An e-mail from Ioan Richard attacking Labour Councillors is not unusual, however the latest missive is interesting if only for the allegations it contains about Labour Councillor Gethin Evans. What is more it was sent to us by a member of the Labour Group.

In his communication to all Labour Councillors Ioan states that during the "Lliw Valley days" Gethin Evans often went behind the backs of the ruling Labour group to feed information to Swansea's present Deputy Lord Mayor. In particular it is alleged that Gethin put Ioan up to attack Labour Party colleagues over the Bowls Club fiasco at Gorseinon and the Llwchwr Rescue Station.

Ioan continues: "You frequently used to tell me the most scathing things about the Labour Leadership of Lliw Valley Council and also in the early days of this Council you leaked information to me. It only stopped I presume when you considered I lacked much influence to damage Labour on Swansea Council."

We are sure that the Swansea Council Labour Group will not be amused.

A tribute to Joan Peters

2007-01-10T14:16:00.000Z

Councillor Joan Peters is a longstanding Conservative Councillor who has been badly treated by her own party. It is a tribute to her loyalty therefore that she has decided to stick with them.

The saddest thing about her enforced removal as leader of the Conservative Group was the shabby way in which it took place. Rumours have it that Welsh Conservative Leader, Nick Bourne, even took the trouble to travel all the way to Swansea to make sure that there were no hitches in Rene Kinzett's little coup. When we put this to Tory spin doctor Richard Hazlewood on his blog he failed to post our comment. We are happy therefore to give him or Nick Bourne the opportunity to deny it by e-mailing us. We will, of course publish any reply as an update to this post and correct anything here that is inaccurate.

Mr. Hazlewood's post was a masterpiece in political spin. It was though rather a kick in the teeth for Councillor Peters. It was almost as if she had become persona non grata. When your own party starts to promote your sacking as 'good news to kick off the New Year', then you know that you have become a non-person.

Fortunately. Joan Peter's colleagues in the Administration value her rather more than her fellow Conservatives and it is likely that she will remain in the Cabinet for the time being.

Update: The following e-mail has been received which we are happy to reproduce in full so as to clarify events:

I note from your website that you allege Nick Bourne AM travelled to Swansea to attend a Conservative Group meeting at which Joan Peters was replaced as Leader by Rene Kinzett.

This is not true. Nick Bourne was abroad on Assembly Business when the meeting was held so I would be grateful if you would make this clear. Nick has played no part in this matter at all.

Paul Morris
Group Administrator
Welsh Conservative Group

Perhaps we can now establish the whereabouts of Alun Cairns and Welsh Conservative officials during this meeting.

Further Update: Paul Morris has now confirmed that Alun Cairns was not present, however the Chairman of the Welsh Conservative Party was. No wonder Joan Peters was so aggrieved to find the Welsh Conservative establishment lined up to facilitate the coup d'grace that was instituted against her.

Labour bring on the clowns

2007-01-09T21:58:00.000Z

An e-mail arrives consisting of a letter to the Evening Post in answer to the nonsense written by Jeff Baker and David Phillips in tonight's Evening Post.

As we have no shame we have corrected one item in it and used it as the basis of this post:

In his letter, Chris Powell states that the Service @ Swansea project has cost council taxpayers up to £170 million for both phases to come to fruition. The actual value of the work to date is £98 million over ten years. Of this £37 million is new money. The rest is paid for out of existing budgets and savings.

As phase two has not commenced there is no additional expenditure on this part of the project. The whole point of deciding that we would not proceed with phase two with Capgemini was to ensure that the Council did not overstretch itself and commit to expenditure that it could not afford. That is a prudent action and it is the reason why we will not get the massive increase in Council Tax bills predicted by Mr. Powell.

In the light of these facts it is difficult to reconcile the charges of incompetence from Trade Union Boss, Jeff Baker, with the reality. The Administration has already made it clear that it is investigating alternative ways of implementing the contact centre in a way that is affordable and deliverable. The out-of-date IT systems are being introduced and are already making a massive difference to the way that the Council is administered, whilst the suggestion that jobs are at risk as a result of this decision is a fiction.

The comments by Councillor David Phillips make even less sense. He refers to £18 million as savings that should have been made from phase one to fund phase two and yet the budgetted savings for this part of the project is £8.5m. He also claims that that we cannot make it phase one break even but with the first year not yet complete we have already identified half of the ten year savings.

We have not implemented phase two precisely because we did not believe that the figures stacked up. That decision has saved the Council millions. We will only implement phase two when we believe that it will deliver what is expected of it and that it is affordable. Phase two and the contact centre have not been cancelled. We are trying to find more affordable ways of delivering it.

When the present Administration came to power it found a legacy of neglect: the Leisure Centre had closed because of the failure to maintain it, the Guildhall had a £30 million maintenance backlog, money needed to be spent on schools, roads, car parks, lamp posts and many other assets just to keep them running. The same is true of the Council’s internal systems. If the Administration had not invested in ICT then millions of pounds would continue to have been poured down the drain from inefficient practices, duplication and poor information. To be fair Labour recognised that too, which is why they started the e-government programme. It is a shame they cannot continue to support that modernisation.

Val Watch

2007-01-08T11:29:00.000Z

Labour AM Val Lloyd is to be commended for her initiative in pledging to use her car less in 2007. Of course she does not say whether her husband and unofficial chauffeur, Swansea Councillor, Bob Lloyd, will be following suit.

Presumably, when Bob comes down to Cardiff to join her overnight he will be catching the train as well.

Either way we will enjoy keeping our eye out for any lapses in this new policy. Please e-mail us with any sightings of Bob or Val driving around the streets of Swansea and/or Cardiff and especially any evidence of them using the M4.

And now for the good news!

2007-01-07T10:21:00.000Z

New Labour hacks have been very keen to get onto the internet and local radio in the last 24 hours to accuse the Administration of trying to bury bad news but actually the reverse is true.

It is significant that this story about the early re-opening of the Leisure Centre has not featured in any of the Inside Outers' pronouncements. That is because they would prefer that it was not happening. Instead they have tried to manufacture a bad news story about e-government in an effort to bury the good news.

Labour closed down the Leisure Centre as a result of their incompetence and neglect. It has taken a new Administration to re-open it and to do so ahead of schedule.

Pulling the plug

2007-01-06T17:51:00.000Z

Having been nice about the New Labour blog we can now get back to the business in hand and point out their inconsistency, hypocrisy and sheer brass neck once more.

In this instance it is their spin on the decision by the Administration not to proceed with phase two of e-government using Capgemini.

It has been clear for some time that this part of the scheme was unaffordable and needed to be re-thought out. In fact members of the Administration have said as much in the Evening Post. It is also the case, contrary to what is said in the Post and on the Labour blog, that phase one is likely to achieve both its objectives and the savings expected of it. Indeed, half of those ten year savings have already been identified. That fits precisely with what we said on 28 April 2006.

The Evening Post say that projected savings have been scaled back from between £30m and £50m to £26m, but that is because only half of the original scheme is being implemented as envisaged. As for Councillor Phillips' allegation that we need phase two to implement the contact centre, that is not strictly true, and of course it is always possible that phase two can be resurrected with a new partner or via a scaled back in-house option. All of these are being looked at.

The biggest laugh however is Labour's selective quotation of the Evening Post article. They note the paper's description of the decision as a u-turn but ignore completely the comment article in which the Council is praised for taking this course of action:

Pressing the pause button heralds a common sense approach from County Hall and its new chief executive, and is in marked contrast to his predecessor's head-in-the-clouds attitude to local government.

Having taken this project through a strike caused by the previous Labour administration's mishandling of the issues, and having had to mould their wild ambitions for IT into a more manageable form, we believe that our whole approach to e-government has been a common-sense approach. If Labour had had their way the Council would have been bankrupted. Now we can enjoy the benefits of improved working, better IT systems, a combined contact centre/library and financial savings. Phase two may still be possible, but we are not going to put front line services at risk to pay for it.

A unlikely note of gratitude

2007-01-06T17:11:00.000Z

When the previous Insider deleted the old Inside Swansea site we thought that the archives had been lost forever. However, this turns out not to be the case and we have the brothers and sisters of Inside Out at Swansea to thank for it.

We have now put a link to the resurrected site so that our readers can enjoy some continuity.

Large clunking fist

2007-01-05T19:53:00.000Z

Talking about people who need to check their facts, comments by Labour AM, Val Lloyd, in today's Evening Post, seem remarkably off-message.

She is undoubtedly aware of the enthusiasm of her Labour colleague, Leighton Andrews, for transferring Council housing stock to a community mutual housing association in Rhondda Cynon Taf and also of the way that Labour run Councils in Bridgend andTorfaen have led the way on this agenda. She will also be aware, because she was there, that both First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, and Social Justice Minister, Edwina Hart, have reiterated the policy of Chancellor, Gordon Brown, that there is no fourth option. And why should there be? After all, to secure such a fourth option the Government would need to find an additional £300 million of public spending in Wales alone.

Despite all of this Mrs Lloyd continues to advocate a 'fourth option' and suggests that this is also the policy of the Assembly Government. If she is not careful the great clunking fist of the Chancellor of the Exchequer or the Social Justice Minister will strike her down for being seriously off message.

No brainer

2007-01-05T15:12:00.000Z

Reluctant as we are to spoil the Insider Outers little rant but it does seem relevant to point out that their memory may be playing tricks on them with regards to the motion on mobile phone masts.

Far from voting against the idea of restrictions for these masts, the Administration actually referred the issue to a scrutiny board where it could be fully investigated. That board is getting on with this work even as we type.

All of this is completely in line with the contents of the motion now submitted to Council by Nick Tregoning and John Newbury.

Let us not forget by the way that all of the £450,000 income from masts on Council-owned land comes from agreements made by the previous Labour Administration before we were elected into office.

Labour spin corps

2007-01-04T20:28:00.000Z

We are not sure what exactly the Labour Insiders have against spinners, after all they are pretty proficient at the art themselves. Take their latest posting on bed-blocking.

They point out the article in today's Evening Post that claims that delays in transferring patients from hospital to council commissioned residential care – is around the £1 million mark, with a total of 43 cases being “social care-related” and they imply that this is somehow a Swansea problem and specifically the fault of the Administration. A commentator on the paper's website also believes that this problem could have been avoided if the Council was not rebuilding the Leisure Centre. Perhaps he has been drinking with some Labour Councillors.

The money being spent on re-opening the Leisure Centre is, of course, capital spending, whereas the shortfall described by the Local Health Trust is revenue. The fact is though that this sort of bed-blocking is rife across Wales and Swansea is by no means the worst area.

In the last budget round the Administration increased the amount of money available for Social Services by a substantial amount. It was noticeable that when the Council debated these plans, Labour failed to raise the issue of bed-blocking at all. The truth is that the Trust is playing a game of its own, trying to put pressure on other authorities to bail it out.

We suspect that if the Labour Assembly Government got its act together and actually forced health and social services to pool their budgets, whilst throwing in some extra cash to initiate long term projects to do away with bed blocking, then the issue could be sorted out.

Update: An e-mail sent to all Councillors from the Director of Social Services trashes the claims by the NHS Trust. His letter to the Evening Post states that the latest census report for the period to November reveals 70 Delayed Transfers of Care for Swansea residents, 16 related directly to Social Care.

He goes on to say that the figures in the Trust's report relate to the whole Trust not just Swansea residents (and therefore Swansea Social Care), they provide insufficient analysis of type of delay to be helpful, and they use a definition called Social Care, which is not the same as Social Services.

In other words our analysis that the Trust was playing a political game to put pressure on its partners and the Assembly Government to bail them out appears to have been correct. Perhaps if they learnt to work with other agencies instead of undermining them they might not be in such trouble.