The leader, his iPod and his group
Tomorrow the Director of the Welsh Conservatives, Matthew Lane, will be attending a meeting in Central Office in London.
It's a meeting that's been scheduled for quite some time and at which campaigning plans for the next General Election will be discussed - an election that could, after all, be not that far away.
So a few questions:
When Matt Lane meets Welsh MPs - as he has planned to do for some weeks - will the matter of Nick Bourne and his expenses come up? As Director in Wales Matt Lane is not from the political wing of the party. He's a paid official so some might feel it's not an issue to discuss with him. But if it does come up, will the point be made that the whole episode hasn't gone down terribly well with the small group of MPs in London and their constituents?
Will the desire to get on with the job of beating Labour at the next election mean that in the end, questions about Nick Bourne's iPod - and his judgement - will be regarded as irritating but insignificant enough for the matter to be 'closed down'?
Or will there be a reluctance to allow that to happen?
Meanwhile in Cardiff there's only one question: will enough of the unhappy individuals who make up the group of Conservative AMs push for and arrange a group meeting with Nick Bourne before Christmas?
Or is Mr Bourne right when he said on Radio Wales today that he has spoken to every member of the group and has their support to get on with the job?
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
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Who in earth cares about Nick Bourne, let alone his iPoD?
Labour and the Tories have been running the UK since Lloyd George. Their entire political system stinks, and is corrupt. Its allowed politicians do do more or less whatever they like for generations.
A big stink about an iPod? When we have an unelected second chamber, with 93 hereditary landowners, Bishops of the Church of England, and goodness knows how many members who paid for their seats in one way or another, by greasing someone's palm, through backhanders or by donating to the Tories or the New Labour tories. (Not to be accused of bias, the Liberals under LG were the worst at it!).
The entire political system in the UK needs root and branch reform. That's the only way to end the neverending corruption and noses in the trough syndrome. Bulldoze it and start again. A written republican constitution and a bill of rights with proportional representation.
As a Welshman I'd want exactly the same for Wales. A Welsh Parliament, President and Prime Minister, and a Welsh Passport!
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brynt41,
You almost took me along with you, and then you called for .....
'.... President and Prime Minister, and a Welsh Passport!'
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Message 1...
Why did you have to write that last line?
I suspect you drew up a fair list of support in the main body of your text, and then you went and shot yourself in the foot.
Oh! well, I must tell you, it's not possible to scrub out the ' root and branch ' whilst holding on to such perceptions as a Welsh Passport, never mind top dogs who will, without doubt, be rabid language fanatics, and nationalistic self seekers, nor another failure outfit, to replace the Bay of Pigs.
I suggest a re write.
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The iPod question is relevent as it is a reflection of how some AMs abuse the expense system. Nick Bourne said he needed it for learning Welsh and for Political Speeches. So why does he need a state of the art iPod Touch which has cost taxpayers £229? It's the difference between buying a functional item or a luxury item. The difference between what he wants and what he needs. A £50 MP3 player would have been adeqaute for his requirements but he chose a much more expensive item becuase he wasn't paying for it. This is an abuse of the expense system. What he has done is not illegal but it is immoral.
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Message 4...
Maybe we are looking at this from the wrong end,... to comply with the Cymraeg curriculum in all schools, perhaps all school kids can now justufy a call for iPods to be given them to aid in their study of the language.
IF AM's can have 'em, why not those who really are studying, like it or lump it?
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Well at least the fuss about Nick Bourne is letting poor Mr and Mrs Lewis of Merthyr/Penarth off the hook this time
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Nick Bourne is not the only AM to take advantage of the system but as leader of the Welsh Conservative Party he should be leading by example. It just happens to be that his example is to milk the system for all it's worth.
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Re: #1 Comment by Brynt41
A brilliant, succinct summary of the political system we have in the "United" Kingdom.
Far from removing the last paragraph, with its references to Wales as an independent Republic with its own passport, the words should be typed using the largest possible font size and underlined in bold.
To Brynt41, keep on fighting the good fight for Wales. We will get there yet!!
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message 8....
Dream on dear boy, dream on.
The chickens are on their way home.
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Or is Mr Bourne right when he said on Radio Wales today that he has spoken to every member of the group and has their support to get on with the job?
I doubt it very much; but, i will be giving Mr Bourne that benefit of doubt....
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