Intern Wanted... No, Seriously

I'm looking to recruit a campaign intern for the summer. Expenses paid, experience desirable but not essential. In return you'll get lunch and lots of interesting jobs to do - with real responsibility. Also, training from top class Party trainer will be thrown in for free. Great on CV and good references supplied. Message me if you are interested.

So, you want to be an MP do you?

Inspired largely by Ed's post, I got to thinking about why I want to be an MP. Some of the comments made by Ed's Dad are eerily similar to things my own parents have said to me. My Mam is fond of asking me why I choose to be involved in such a dirty, nasty business as politics, what with me being such a sensitive soul after all.

Indeed, at a time when our political system as a whole is so devalued and when the term 'MP' is synonymous with spin, sleaze and 'out for myself-ship' why would anyone in their right mind want to be one?

I can't speak for others but for me, wanting to be an MP, is deeply rooted in my upbringing (queue hand-wringing from my Mam at this point) and as such, my personal belief system and individual set of values.

Where did it begin, this fascination with the political system? I'm fond of telling people, when they ask me how I got involved in politics, that I have always been politically active, but in a apolitical way. I cite the example of the 8 year old me writing to my MP, Labour's Ted Rowlands, to the Queen and to the then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about issues close to my 8 year old heart, which at the time included puppies, dolphins and foxes. Don't get me wrong, I still care about puppy farming, tuna fishing and blood sports, but my world view has broadened a bit in the last 20 years.

Today the issues I care passionately about are social justice, education, small business, the environment and civil liberties. I'm driven by a desire to ensure that my daughter, who is now growing up in the same town that I did, has more opportunities than were available to me. I want every door to be open to her in a way that wasn't to me when I was growing up in the post-industrial South Wales valleys.

I remember quite clearly, the distinct 'impression' from some of our teachers in school that none of us would really amount to much in life. When we were about 16 or so the school organised visits to various workplaces, to get a better idea of the kind of jobs that were awaiting us when we had finally finished our exams. We went to a factory that made filing cabinets and a factory that made car mouldings. That's it. No solicitor's office, no bio-tech company, no doctor's surgery or opticians or even beauty parlour. As far as our educators were concerned, we were a generation of factory floor fodder and nothing more.

Maybe I'm being cynical, maybe they believed that a glimpse of a future filled entirely with a monotonous 'clocking-on', 'clocking-off' routine, stretching away some forty-odd years would coax us into trying harder in class or would scare us into studying more at home. Who knows? But is that really the way to inspire tomorrow's leaders; tomorrow's entrepreneurs; tomorrow's civil society? I don't think it is.

I'm lucky; I feel I've lived what I consider to be an interesting life so far. I've been to university, twice. I've lived and worked in a foreign country. I've travelled across Europe and America and had the pleasure of meeting people from all walks of life. I've worked in the private, public and third sector and I've been elected to public office. I've been on TV, radio and in print.

But none of this really explains why I want to be an MP. Ok, a confession. I'm driven where my work life is concerned, I can be a bit of a workaholic. And I think that sits well with the vocation of an MP. Some people live for 'clocking-off', but I just don't. I'm always looking at the next task, the next task, the next task. And for making up some more when they've run out. You have to be like that in a job that offers no holiday entitlement and no paid overtime.

And do you know what? I genuinely care about people and about issues, about our planet and about society, as wretched as it can seem at times. I'm afraid I'm just one of these people who want to 'make things better' for the underdog; to speak up for people who don't have a voice; to crusade for a cause that others think is lost.

But put in the simplest terms I can manage, I want to be an MP for the single, most self-centered reason. And that is because I want to be able to get a good nights sleep at last.

Come one, two o'clock in the morning, I'm often wide awake, burning with a fire that's fuelled by indignation, anger and frustration. It frustrates me, that ordinary people are so disenfranchised; so excluded from the important decisions that affect their lives; that children are educated, like I was, simply to accept their perceived 'station'; that the creativity of hard-working business people is stifled because of a growing army of petty bureaucrats; that the least well off in society pay a higher share of their income in tax than the richest; that under the Labour government, the state has intruded into our personal lives more than ever before; and that the sacred, ineffable, natural riches of our planet have become nothing more than a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder.

I look at my beautiful little girl, and I think "If I don't stand up for her, and for all the others like her, who will? Who better to fight for her rights than me?" And I look at our current, local political representatives and I find them lacking in so many ways. And I know that if I wasn't out there working to offer an alternative, then I'd be a failure myself and worse, a hypocrite.

No, I don't think our political elite have all the answers. No, I don't think becoming an MP is the be all and end all solution. But as the Chinese proverb goes, "Better to light a candle than curse the darkness". Someone pass me a match, please.

Blogging a dead horse

It seems you can't move on the blogosphere without tripping, stubbing your toe and cursing over posts ranting at the current MP expense debacle. And rightly so.

All manner of opinion has been expressed on it, from every edge of the political spectrum. In a local context I have the following points to make:

It has been missed by a lot of journalists and bloggers alike that in July last year there was a vote in the Commons on tightening the rules on MP's expenses. 150 Labour MPs, supported by a group of Tories, voted to exclude some of the key proposals. The proposals they removed included:

• External Audit of MPs expenses
• Requiring receipts for all expenses – however small
• Stop claims on furniture and household goods
• Stop claims for spending on repairs and improvements to MPs homes
• Reducing the cap on accommodation allowance

I am very disappointed that Merthyr and Rhymney's Labour MP voted against tightening these rules. I would encourage local residents to write to him and ask him why. They can do that here:

http://www.writetothem.com/

I've done a bit of research and anyone with access to the internet can find nice, furnished flats available within walking distance of Parliament for under £400 a week. That is expensive by Welsh standards admittedly, but that's how expensive London rents are. What's more, renting a flat like this would be, in the long term, cheaper than staying in a hotel every week.

I will be standing in the next General Election to become the first ever woman to represent Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney in the Commons. I want to make it clear from the outset my promises to the electorate about MP's allowances.

I would make full use of the staffing and office allowances. I would employ the full quota of staff to work for my constituents and to help me represent them best in Parliament.

Furthermore, to do the job properly, I would need to base myself in Westminster for 4 days a week during term time.

I would claim for the rent of a furnished flat and for the travel to London once a week.

That is all.

I promise I would not claim for any of the following, ever, and I desperately hope that the rules will be tightened before the General Election so as to prevent others from doing so too:

• Mortgage payments
• Furniture
• TV or other equipment for the home/London flat
  
• Stamp Duty
• Repairs on my house
• Food (I'd eat just as much if I were at home)

I hope other candidates, including the current, sitting MPs will make these same promises too, so we can be sure of a cleaner, stronger and more transparent Parliament after the election.

A picture paints a thousand words

For me, this impromptu and unedited shot taken during Welsh Lib Dem conference in April, sums up why, under Kirsty Williams, the Lib Dems will make massive inroads in Welsh political life over the next couple of years.

Firstly, never has a political leader in Wales been so competent, so driven and so aspirational whilst remaining totally grounded and at ease with day to day, 'normal' interactions.

Too often politicians are either out of touch with normal people or out of ideas, and Kirsty Williams, I'm pleased to say is neither. I made no secret of the fact that I backed Jenny Randerson during the Welsh Lib Dem leadership election, but I'm pleased to say I'm delighted with Kirsty's leadership and the way in which the party and the public alike are responding to her fresh, positive, 'spin'-free approach.

I can't imagine Rhodri Morgan, Nick Bourne or Ieuan Wyn Jones thanking staff for their hard work, whilst comfortably and naturally cradling a six months old baby. And, no, it's not because Kirsty's a woman - it's simply because she's a normal person, grounded in the day to day reality of modern living.

Secondly, it's the act of thanking, of appreciating, of genuinely valuing her team that will ultimately ensure Kirsty Williams leads the Lib Dems in Wales onto bigger and better things.

I've been involved with the party, first as staff and then as a lay member since 2004, and for the first time since then the activists, staff and officers feel their efforts are truly appreciated by those at the top and this is down to the change in culture brought about by our new Chief Exec Jo Foster, as well as Kirsty herself.

The effects of this culture change is tangible; never have I felt such a buzz of positive, enthusiatic energy about the party as I did in Spring conference. The conference was attended by party reps from the four corners of the UK and by a record number of Welsh delegates, it enjoyed an expanded training programme and a well-populated exhibition and interesting fringe events.

What's more, the party's many committees, made up of talented, dedicated people; our local councillors and activists are all working with renewed vigour and with common purpose, namely ensuring that Kirsty and an expanded Lib Dem assembly team get to form the next Welsh government.

If this is the effect after just 6 months of Kirsty's leadership, long may the lady reign, I say.

Twelve months is a long time in politics...

This time last year I was still in daze. I had just been elected to Merthyr Council, I was 4 months pregnant - and suffering from bad morning sickness, I had a mental dog and I was working full time in Cardiff.

I had no access to the Council email system, despite having a council email address that was up and running.

I had no idea which officers were responsible for what departments, so sorting out issues that people came to me with was labourious and frustrating.

I was exhausted from commuting everyday and working on council business every night.

12 months on and things are a lot better. I know who to email for most problems now. I have access to my council email and I have a lovely baby instead of a huge bump.

There are still things I'd like to change. I wish that officers didn't have an auto-response of "There's no money for that" to practically every email I send. I wish some people would understand that I can't give them a new council house/miracle cure for Anti-Social Behaviour.

But when I look back over the last 12 months since I got elected to Merthyr council, the one thing that shines out at me and makes me proud is that we, the Lib Dem group, have remained unswerving in our determination to do things differently, even in the face of very challenging circumstances.

We have been regularly ridiculed, mocked, shouted at, insulted and intimidated by some of our colleagues on the other benches. Labour and the Independent group don't like it that we regularly put motions before Full Council for debate, they don't like that we ask questions of Portfolio members. But if it wasn't for our doing so then the overspend on the Mayor's budget would not have been scrutinised and £8,500 per year would not now be being saved. This is a small sum in the scheme of things, but it is a sum none the less.

If we were the biggest group, we would be able to vote through the things that other groups have criticised us for. Things like reforming the way the Biffa community fund is allocated, so that it is done on a per head basis, rather than a flat rate. This would mean that wards with more people got more money - just common sense really. We'd also have been able to prevent the 2.4% pay rise that the other councillors awarded themselves this year. I take some satisfaction in the fact the Lib Dem group are about to hand their extra cash over to local charities (watch this space!)

It is hard, month after month, to put your ideas out there and have people rip you to shreads, not because they are of a different opinion to you (that I could handle) but just for the act of voicing them at all. There is such an expectation of conformity; it stiffles innovation, debate and progress. Frankly it is depressing.

Despite this, I have my small victory in the form of the Mayor's saving to hold onto which will be enough to sustain my spirit until I can knotch up the next small victory in about another 12 months time. And while my colleagues from the other benches will be in the Mayor's parlour toasting each other with free booze, I'll be at home with my lovely baby, sending emails to officers about residents problems.

Independent, Free Press

Last week I sent the Merthyr Express a press release about a Lib Dem motion to Full Council. After I pressed send I rang the editor to see if the paper would be covering the story.

"Yes", he said.
"Great", I said.
"But we'll hold it back until we speak to the ruling group so that the paper can run a rounded piece", he said.
"Fine", I said.

True to his word, the paper has printed the story. But to my utter amazement the only person quoted in the article is the Labour Group leader - not a Lib Dem or 'ruling group' member in site.

So much for 'rounded' journalism.

An Economic Recovery Plan for Merthyr Tydfil

Tonight in Full Council I proposed a motion designed to help families and small businesses in Merthyr weather the growing recession. My speech is below and the text of the motion can be read here.

The debate in the Council chamber was the culmination of weeks of work. We had surveyed local businesses; held a business breakfast; talked to the FSB and independent business advisors and liaised with council colleagues from across the council.

When I finished speaking Labour accused me of having gotten Lib Dem HQ to write the motion and the speech. I didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted.

Sadly, unlike the Labour party we don't have the great machine of Transport House, Cardiff behind us.

I'm not of the view that Merthyr Tydfil is so unique as to warrant totally individual solutions, that's why I used examples from other places in the UK to strengthen my argument. Furthermore, I freely admitted in my speech that I based the motion on Local Government Association examples of Best Practice from around the country.

Despite this Labour simply focussed on the idea that I had somehow plagarised the motion, rather than debate the need to help local businesses through the recession.

The only motion that Labour have put to the council in the last 12 months was on the topic of the dualling of the Heads of the Valleys road. The motion put before Torfaen CBC in January; That this Council supports the ongoing efforts of the Assembly Member for Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney, Huw Lewis in relation to the dualling of the Heads of the Valley Road and asks the Welsh Assembly Government to take action to honour previous commitments to dual the entire route; would suggest that there's a certain amount of 'collaboration' between Labour members as well. Now how's that for double standards?

Anyway, speech below.

On the 23rd January 2009, after months of economic contraction, the UK officially entered a recession. The recession we face is unprecedented in both its severity and the speed of its advance.

During the last recession, more than 600,000 homes were repossessed and 120,000 people were declared insolvent. Unemployment rose by 50 per cent in just 18 months, peaking at 2.6 million in 1991.

The depth and length of the current recession is uncertain, but it is clear that families in Merthyr Tydfil are already being affected by job losses, falling income, home repossession, negative equity and a general decline in financial security.

Since we are dealing with complex global issues it is tempting to be fatalistic and believe that nothing can be done on a local level. That we need to batten down the hatches and simply wait it out.

In fact, nothing could be worse for the families of Merthyr; for the businesses of Merthyr, than to have their council and it's elected representatives turn our back on them at a time when they need our help the most.

For the last 10 weeks I have been talking to shopkeepers, to publicans, to hairdressers, to taxi drivers, to local people all trying to make an honest living here in our borough and the message has been clear – they are really struggling.

My Lib Dem colleagues and I have surveyed over 120 local businesses; a quarter of businesses have reported that they are laying off staff. Another quarter have said they will soon be running at a loss. 70% have cash flow problems and half said their bank charges had increased considerably.

It is the helplessness, the feeling of being at the mercy of uncontrollable circumstances, that most characterises a recession. Blameless, hard-working people are losing their jobs, their homes and their credit ratings. And the worst of all? It isn't even their fault.

But despite all the hardships these people are facing, they don't want handouts. They don't want the council to solve all of their problems. They just want someone to take a little of the weight off their shoulders.

We have it in our power to make the difference between a burden that they can carry with their head held high and one that will bring them to their knees.

History has shown us that it takes people-centred leadership to make the best of times out of the worst of times. And with this in mind I ask councillors to be bold; to cut spending where it's not needed and move it to where it is needed.

I have discussed with town centre traders the measures and actions they'd like their council to take. Those actions are in this motion. By voting it down you will not be saying no to the Lib Dems in the council chamber, you are saying no to tens of dozens of local businesses and the families that rely on them for their living.

When the closure of Hoover was announced, there was much hand-wringing and rightly so, after all four hundred jobs were on the line. But when 100 small, local businesses, employing 4 people each are under serious threat, what does the council do then?

When we debated non-domestic rates in February we were told, “The council can't offer additional financial support - don't you know there's a recession on?”

But it's because of the recession that business rate relief is are so important.
It's because of the recession that free Saturday parking is so important.
It's because of the recession that access to affordable credit is so important.

The leader said in his budget speech on the 4th of March that there is “much to celebrate” - I've seen scant little celebration in Merthyr lately. Because in a recession, there aren't many people who thrive, apart from the bailiffs, the loan sharks and the debt-collectors.

I was accused by a councillor in this chamber of trying to fill peoples head's with my utopian ideals, by proposing motions for this council to debate. He said that the way things are is the way things should be. And that I should accept that nothing was going to change.

I for one, didn't want to get elected to protect the status quo, I have a mandate from the people who voted for me to champion their causes, to voice their concerns, to fight for them. I don't expect you all to agree with me all the time, but I do expect that when you make your deliberation on how to vote on this motion as a whole, or on the parts that you see fit, that you think of the families and businesses in your own areas and ask yourself – what would they want me to do?

The fierce urgency of now dictates we must think of the vulnerable masses before the interests of the corporate few, and for those of you who are considering doing so this evening, but want a little reassurance about the validity and practicality of these proposals before doing so let me assure you that I have done my research.

I discussed both the problems Merthyr is facing and possible measures of help with the Federation of Small Businesses. In writing this motion I spoke to councillors all across the UK. Councillors who are changing things, even in this most difficult of times.

Devon County Council is increasing its support for local organisations that offer financial advice and support to local people.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is bringing forward building and road maintenance projects to boost the local economy and secure local jobs.

A district council in Hampshire has recruited a mortgage arrears advisor to help families struggling with their monthly payments.

Bedford Borough Council is offering loans to local businesses facing significant rental increases.

A package of support for local businesses, including a 'buy local' campaign, is being provided by Brighton and Hove City Council.

If you want to find out for yourselves the LGA has produced no less than 6 Best Practice booklets since November last year aimed at helping councils to come up with policies to help their communities through the downturn and ensuing recession.

You may have seen over the last few days, stories in the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mirror about councils which are doing these very things - so why can't Merthyr?

I'm not asking us to reinvent the wheel. I'm asking us to give local families and local businesses a helping hand.

Recession doesn't make it impossible: it makes it essential.