成人论坛

I got the impression that the rainbow was materialising in front of our eyes. Tears from Labour eyes were always the rain. The sun starts to shine through as the other parties become more and more in synch about how they are going to make the next four years work either by coralling a minority Labour government in the right directions, or ousting it and doing it themselves. Either way we get a rainbow of consensus after the storms of the last few weeks.

I have no knowledge of exactly why Rhodri did not appear last night. But I would not be surprised if it were not a calculated decision on his part, and if so, I support him in it.
Can you imagine what the programme would have been like if he had appeared?
Of course, Labour have to develop a new way of working with the other parties, but I don't think a 40-minute slot with cameras present, plus an 'invited audience' ( probably selected for their axe-grinding potential ) and any-one in Wales who's online, is the time or place for serious negotiation.
The way the other three were prepared to huff and puff about his absence indicates the extent to which they are still mired in gesture politics.

What on earth is Ieuan Wyn Jones talking about "Labour should be given a chance"? They have been consistently incompetent for eight years; why should that suddenly change? The other two parties are clearly ready to pull the plug now, so get your finger out Ieuan!

What struck me about the programme last night was that the three opposition leaders were constantly asked when they might bring down the Labour administration and how (what might be the 'trigger'), but were they challenged as to whether they should do such a thing? Would a coalition of the three parties which came second, third and fourth have any democratic legitimacy? Would a government consisting of the devolutionist, left of centre Plaid and the unionist, anti-devolutionist, right wing Tories be sustainable or stable? Would a government which included the Tories be a betrayal of the Welsh electorate, which voted overwhelmingly for left of centre parties, and a betrayal of Plaid supporters who thought they were part of that left of centre majority? Not just last night's programme but all the Welsh media has been giving this coalition project far too easy a ride. I'm not actually against coalitions in principle, by the way. I just think that they ought to be based on something more than the lowest common denominator of hostility (from different directions) to Welsh Labour and a desire to get feet under the cabinet table at all costs.