Leighton Andrews

Quote of the Week

'Hard-headed businessmen, apparently resolute about cutting the budget deficit, turned to jelly when offered the blandishment of avoiding a tax hike.....I’ll listen to what Sir Stuart Rose says about underpants but not public borrowing.'

David Smith, Economics Editor of the Sunday Times, on the National Insurance issue, today.

Thirty Years On....

The National Archives material released today includes:

• Thatcher locked in loo
• Callaghan says let there be light - for the Queen's Silver Jubilee
  
• SAS invades Ireland
  

You can get more from the National Archives site itself.

Nadolig Llawen!

You know you're feeling middle-aged when....

Someone tells you 'never mind Facebook, join Saga Zone.'

Hey, 50 is the new 30 as far as I am concerned.

Normal service is resumed

I suspended this blog for the election, and blogged instead at leighton4rhondda

Time to start again. though we will be making changes to this blog in due course.

Time to start again. though we will be making changes to this blog in due course.

Bye For Now

This weblog is going into hibernation after today until after the Assembly elections, as is Rhondda Today and Rhondda TV. Rhondda constituents can contact my Assembly office on 01443 682550 and continue to email me on [email protected] or write to me at 5 Cemetery rd., Porth, CF39 0LG.

When I was a lad....

this wasn't on the school meals menu.

Not that we had a menu, of course.

Not that we had a menu, of course.

No more calendars please

Every year along with the Rhondda Leader I organise a competition to produce a Rhondda Calendar made up of photographs of the Rhondda taken by local photographers. The surplus from sales is donated to Rhiondda charities.

Every year other organisations send me calendars. Probably a dozen arrived between November and January.

The late calendar award this year goes to Visit Wales for their 'Events in Rural Wales' calendar which arrived today.

And will go in the recycling later.

Every year other organisations send me calendars. Probably a dozen arrived between November and January.

The late calendar award this year goes to Visit Wales for their 'Events in Rural Wales' calendar which arrived today.

And will go in the recycling later.

Civil Servants

The IPPR has published a report on the Civil Service which says:

This report argues that in spite of its many qualities, the senior civil service is still too often amateur and insular, poor at strategic thinking, leadership and performance management. These worrying conclusions are founded on more than 65 interviews with senior civil servants, ministers, and public management leaders.

This BBC account gives a summary. We should be having a debate on the role of the Civil Service in Wales as well, following the publication of the Beecham Report and the absorption of key quangos into the Civil Service.

The Assembly Audit Committee does provide an opportunity to hold civil servants to account. But is it enough?

This report argues that in spite of its many qualities, the senior civil service is still too often amateur and insular, poor at strategic thinking, leadership and performance management. These worrying conclusions are founded on more than 65 interviews with senior civil servants, ministers, and public management leaders.

This BBC account gives a summary. We should be having a debate on the role of the Civil Service in Wales as well, following the publication of the Beecham Report and the absorption of key quangos into the Civil Service.

The Assembly Audit Committee does provide an opportunity to hold civil servants to account. But is it enough?

Which West Wing character Are You?

In this quiz I came up as Toby Ziegler.

Via.

Via.