Maximum wage, minimal blogging
Apologies for the light blogging. Other duties getting in the way but given Plaid conferences are always awash with bloggers - even celebrity bloggers are nothing new here - then I doubt you'll be missing out.
An interesting motion put down by Plaid's Westminster MPs has won support from conference. It called for a maxiumum wage that "would ensure a greater balance between the amount paid to high earners and that paid to ordinary staff". No doubt the detail on how exactly you make that work and the role of a High Pay Commission that's backed by Plaid MPs too, will be coming soon.
The party leader may be wondering by now whether he's paid enough. Given it's big speech day Ieuan Wyn Jones had an early start, his round of radio interviews taking him from Radio 4's Today to Radio 5's Nikki Campbell (sorry: that should read Nicky Campbell, though I bet he'd find it hard going spelling my name ...) and on to Llandudno FM. Sadly for the people of Llandudno - or should that be for Mr Jones - it turns out that he was off mic during his final interview, which means Llandudno FM fans will have heard the presenter telling him she'd been practising pronouncing his name and they'll have heard all the questions she posed ... but not the answers.
I did make out one: "Rhodri Morgan will be standing down soon as First Minister. You're the Deputy First Minister so do you think you should take over?"
"Yes, I'd love to! But it doesn't quite work like that ..."
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
© MMX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~23~RS~)
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"Yes, I'd love to! But it doesn't quite work like that ..."
...... a sigh of relief from the Welsh majority.
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At the court of Prince Ieuan, sat three figures around the open hearth of the great hall.
Dafydd poked the embers bringing new life to the glowing coals, his look was forlorn, "what have they done to our social policies?" said to no-one in particular.
"Be brave Dafydd" said Adam with gay abandon, "we will become more socialist than the socialists, imagine how people will flock to our banner".
Dafydd's eyes grew wider, some might have said "wilder", "have either of you thought this through, have either of you any idea what this proposal will mean?"
"Adam has the rights of this Dafydd, people are against the fat cats, why should one man earn a basic minimum wage while his boss earn a packet! There should be a maximum wage, the other side of the coin, what's good for the goose Dafydd".
"Ieuan, Evans the baker of Porth employs 3 or 4, he struggled for years to make his business pay, he has voted for us all his adult life, now you intent to set his wages, tell him how much he will be allowed to earn from his business".
Adam and Ieuan exchanged looks across the dying embers of the fire.
"Tell me both of you" said Dafydd, "what do you intend to do with this man's profits? This is not what our supporters expect of the party, its not socialism its Stalinism, and there are still supporters who remember him".
This was said as Dafydd re-filled the three crystal glasses with generous measures of single malt, "you must wait until we have won before claiming the prize".
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I always that PC was a party for delusional folk who thought that wales could survive as an economic entity when it current needs about £10 Billion from the english to run itself,and also money from Europe(mainly english/german money to fund infrastructure because we are so poor. It now appears that beside being delusional then believe that they can restrict the earnings of very top people in the UK which is trying to compete for best talent in global economy. This schoolboy/girl type of political nonsense might appeal to flat earth socialists,but fixing the top level will perculate down through the middle ranks,so the public sector top earners GP'S etc better look out,also the welsh rugby
internationals earning £250K per year??. I've got some 1960's economic books on supply/demand in a world context so will be happy to send if i can find address.
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Re 2
Don't give up the day job, Stonemason!
I'm really glad that Plaid are in such a strong position as to give you so much to worry about, however.
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I notice that you had nothing to say regarding the new toff on the block, Stonemason!
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Quote from Betsan's blog....
....."An interesting motion put down by Plaid's Westminster MPs has won support from conference. It called for a maxiumum wage"
For goodness sake, Plaid Cymru have just 3, thats right 3 MPs, who quite frankly are a joke. To give credence to anything those three duffers come out with, shows desperation of the highest order.
So they "called for a maximum wage" did they?...I honestly wonder where the hell Plaid Cymru find these people. In spite of them knowing damn well that such nonsense is both unworkable and illegal. They still play the divisive card in the forlorn hope of gaining a few votes from the dim, envious, and easily led. Who, I am reliably informed, made up a large proportion of those who voted for them in the first place.
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I think that its right that there is a wider debate on wages. We have moved from a situation where the average senior executive pay was 25 the average wage in that company to one where its 75 times the average wage in that company. Do we think that is a good thing? Are those differentials justified? In a time when the lower waged are squeezed and the rich benefited from two decades of tax cuts and wide tax dodges shouldn't in a time of ressession the pain be equally spread? When we are calling for politicians wages and perks to be restricted shouldn't we also be calling for the same from the rest of us?
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When the Government put taxes up to 50% for high earners the initiative had the opposite effect for what was intended. Instead of bringing more into the coffers people decided to move out of the country. Just look at the premiership football the best players are now going to countries like spain where there are better tax incentives. The same will happen if you wage cap the people who make this country tick they will find pastures new where such restraints don't apply. The question then will be how do we survive as a nation...........
Plaid Cymru's answer is don't worry we will wait for the parachute payments to come in from Europe.
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Betsan,
Why do journalists cut Plaid so much slack on their chameleon like attitude to the Conservative Party? One minute Adam Price is leading negotiations to bring Tory Ministers into the government of wales. Next minute he is stood at Plaid Conference stating that the Tories in government will be a disaster for Wales and that Plaid's job is to follow its left wing radical tradition to resist the Tories and protect the Welsh people from the evil cameronian storm troopers. Please Betsan could one of you confront Mr Price with the irony (if not hipocrisy) of his position and put the obvious question that presumably such a view of the Conservatives would rule out a Plaid coalition with them in Wales in 2011?
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Herbert #9
The problem is Plaid recognise there is a real possibility that the Tories will be the major party in Wales after the next Assembly elections.
It appears Plaids support, like Labours, is in free fall.
Even their own assesment says the party is seen as extreme and irrelevant.
They will be hard pushed to make 15% of the vote in the General Election and are unlikely to achieve 20% in the 2011 Assembly elections (if we still have an Assembly then)
So why is Price leading negotiations to bring Tory Ministers into the government of wales
1/ Offering an olive branch now and the Tories may consider a coalition with Plaid in the future.
2/ Getting the Tories involved in the current mess Labour and Plaid have made of Wales can hopefully be used to blacken the Tories.
Adam is of course politicking at the Conference, like most of the statements meant for public consumption - Wind and Waffle, nothing to do with reality.
But Lyn at 7 has an interesting post - we need more publicity for these ideas from Plaid.
HMJ wants to disband the Ambulance service, another reorganisation for the NHS - is that the 7th in 5 years?
I tried hard to listen to some of the Conference speeches.
Not impressed, certainly not a party with the ideas and vision to govern.
They may think they are speaking for Wales, but certainly not for the people of Wales - It will be interesting what the next opinion polls have to say.
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" When the Government put taxes up to 50% for high earners the initiative had the opposite effect for what was intended. Instead of bringing more into the coffers people decided to move out of the country"
Did they? Do you reckon the tax increase raised money or lost money?
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It said TUO ...... and wouldn't open no matter how hard he pushed. "Ieuan, can you help me here" asked JD, chunks to his friends.
"What's up chunks"
"It's stuck and the door handle has been stolen, is nothing safe with Labour?"
"Ieuan, J.D., …… have you a moment?"
Both turned to the sound to see Ace Reporter Blessum of the Beeb with camera crew striding across the road towards them.
"Straighten your tie JD, and take a few deep breaths …… Blessum, so good to see you at conference".
A bystander would be uncertain whether either of the politicians were in fact glad to see the political reporter so early in the day, the reporter seemed to skip to arrive ……
…… just as the men were outfitted with two tiny microphones.
"Ieuan", opened the interview from the smiling Blessum, "you are advocating cutting salaries from industry bosses, is this a wise move when Wales needs all the help it can get from business".
"Well Blessum, its about fair play you see, who creates the wealth, the worker or investors".
"A little like the chicken and egg" interjected chunks "we believe it to be the workers that generate the wealth". Chunks looked pleased, a smart remark that would be heard on tonight's news, Plaidi for the workers.
Blessum narrowed her eyes "sounds a little like Karl Marks Ieuan, do you concur". There was no reply from Ieuan who was trying to open the door again, as if to escape ……
"Ieuan" said Blessum "look at the sign, TUO spells OUT, wrong door boys, this way, into the light …… ".
And that last remark would definitely be on tonight's news.
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I think we need a real debate on what is right and what is wrong in terms of renumeration. What is a proper reward for work done? It was always stated that you need to squeeze the wages at the lower level to contain inflation but pay as much as the market will bear at the top.... is this right? Given that the differentials in private industry have greatly increased is this right? Fat cat wages don't just apply to the banks - as for 50% tax - that really is not excessive, it still gives huge rewards and disposable income to those paying it, who have long avoided taxation through dodges not available to the rest of us. Now I am not sure that we can have some form of higher wage control, but I do think we need a debate on whether greed is good and excessive pay everywhere is appropriate.
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Oh and Stonemason, what are you on?
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Betsan:
Apologies for the light blogging. Other duties getting in the way but given Plaid conferences are always awash with bloggers - even celebrity bloggers are nothing new here - then I doubt you'll be missing out.
No problem, I hope that the Plaid Conferences went off great....
=Dennis Junior=
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