Senedd bans poem by Wales National PoetI some history with controversial poems, having once invited the Welsh poet, Patrick Jones to read at the Welsh Assembly following the cancellation of his book launch in the Cardiff Waterstones, while 250 Christians sang and prayed outside. So I was interested in an story in Will Hayward's latest newsletter, one that does not reflect well on the Senedd Commission, who are responsible for running the parliament and arranging the official opening. He tells us that the National Poet of Wales has been barred from reading a poem in front of the King at the opening of the Senedd today ... (more) |
When will reality bite in Wales?Plaid Cymru have finally done a deal with Labour to get their supplementary budget through the Senedd. As Nation Cymru report, all it took was for them to allocate an extra £60 million for additional learning needs. However, Cardiff University academics Ed Gareth Poole and Owain Cynfab believe that the deal is just a stopgap that leaves wider pressures on Welsh public services unresolved. Nobody expected Welsh finances to be sorted by a supplementary budget of course. Its purpose is to just move money around in year, pulling some from reserves, from additional Barnett allocations and reprioritising spending to meet ... (more) |
"A little heaven here on earth": Launde Abbey in LeicestershireRemember Thomas Cromwell's final words in the wonderful Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light? "There is an abbey, Launde, in the heart of England. The air is always sweet there and it's quiet. A little heaven here on earth. And I think to myself: 'I'll live here one day, when all my work is done.'" Launde Abbey is in Leicestershire - in Harborough District, indeed - and though Cromwell didn't get to live there, his son did and is buried in the chapel. Today it is a Church of England retreat and conference centre. The BBC Radio Leicester's Secret ... (more) |
Paul Simon: That's Why God Made the MoviesI've long had a fondness for one of Paul Simon's more obscure albums, One Trick Pony. This is a track from it. (more) |
The Joy of Six 1591"Conservatives have called Burnham's intervention 'dangerous and divisive', which could be interpreted as a denial that interference happened or just as a preference that it not be mentioned to protect delicate pro-Brexit sensibilities. Farage's feelings were certainly hurt. He called the prime minister a liar and described the whole thing as a 'Russia hoax'- the formula Donald Trump applied to well-substantiated allegations that his 2016 presidential campaign got a helping hand from Moscow."Rafael Behr says Brexiters can't cope with the fact that Putin cheered them on. Jack Dyson reveals how academy trusts try to justify the enormous salaries paid to ... (more) |
E1 is approaching a point of no return. Parliament must act nowBy now, many of us have become accustomed to the seemingly relentless escalations in the occupied West Bank. Almost daily, we hear of violent settler attacks against Palestinian communities, amid record levels of forced displacement, home demolitions, illegal outpost construction and arbitrary arrests. We must never accept this as normal, so consumed by the latest outrage that we lose sight of what these escalating, incremental developments amount to. For behind the daily violence and dispossession, Israel has been entrenching its control over Palestinian land, destroying the territorial basis for a two-state solution, piece by piece, until it is too late ... (more) |
MI5 chief confirms Russian interference in Brexit referendumThe Independent reports that MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum has confirmed that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 Brexit referendum but judged the impact modest, warning that excessive focus on Russian trolls could amplify their influence. However, McCallum has cautioned against aiding Russian propaganda after Andy Burnham outlined Moscow's attempts to meddle in the 2016 Brexit referendum, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin's online trolls would be "delighted" should the controversy surrounding the Prime Minister's statements continue: The spymaster verified that Russia targeted the vote, whilst simultaneously pointing out the "comparative unimpressiveness" of such operations. He added that Britain must ... (more) |