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Election 07

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99 red balloons

  • Betsan Powys
  • 10 Apr 07, 06:51 PM

So to the free lap-top, free lightbulb and free toothbrush you can now add a free, crisp, 拢50.00 bond for your child. And a visit from a Mobile Mamma, which sounds a bit like a service Dad might be interested in.

There was far more to Labour's manifesto, a lot of detail - as one E-mailer put it, the sound of a shopping list for deals on policy agreements in the next Assembly perhaps?

The invited audience made it today, despite a Labour stunt failing to take off. Or maybe that should be taking off too early. Wayne David MP, along with a willing helper had planned to let off a stream of red balloons that would guide us all to New Tredegar.

They let go a bit early. The 99 red balloons had long gone by, even before we made it to Merthyr.

Tongiht Plaid's Director or Elections is calling on the party's 'friends' not to let up the fight too early. An Email tonight from 'Adam' - the man's on first name terms with his troops - calls on Plaid's supporters to cough up more time and money.

His battlecry? "The Labour vote is in meltdown. There are seats available for Plaid to win". Catchy.

How close arePlaid to their St David's Day 拢100,000 target by the way? The man who knows is having a quiet pint and will get back to me.

Time to be passionate

  • Brian Taylor
  • 10 Apr 07, 05:13 PM

Among the tempting delights on offer in the Labour manifesto is the chance for more folk to meet the First Minister face to face - and 鈥渢alk about issues of concern to them鈥.

Scotland鈥檚 Cabinet would also become peripatetic - journeying out from Edinburgh at least once a year to meet in sundry parts of remote.

The aim? 鈥淭o engage with the local community, listen and act on their concerns.鈥

But, before that, Labour would like to see another act of engagement - they鈥檙e itching to get at the SNP. Or, more precisely, they鈥檙e keen to see the Nationalists pressed over their financial plans, both for local government and for the Scottish budget more generally.

They note that the SNP has held relatively few news conferences by contrast, say Labour, with Jack McConnell who has been regularly available to undergo ritual interrogation by the wicked media.

It鈥檚 a mirror image of earlier complaints - from the SNP - that Mr McConnell was seemingly unwilling to enter into debate with A. Salmond. Labour鈥檚 answer? The campaign proper is now under way. Let arithmetical battle commence.

To be fair (sorry and all that, but it鈥檚 habitual with me), the SNP have yet to launch their manifesto. LibDems tomorrow. Nationalists on Thursday. After that, the inter-party jousting can begin for real.

So, how about Labour鈥檚 launch? Well, it was, variously, passionate, intriguing and surreal. The passion? Jack McConnell promising to divert funding into education, obliging other departments to find efficiency savings to fund new initiatives.

The intriguing bit? Labour鈥檚 plans on the council tax - new upper and lower bands plus cuts in water charges for pensioners over 65.

Plainly, they felt they had to offer reform - but were also determined to steer clear of a full-scale revaluation of properties. (Last time there was a big revaluation row in Scotland, we ended up with the poll tax.)

Hence the 鈥 relative 鈥 caution and the lack of final detail.

And the surreal? Labour candidates were corralled in a neighbouring room for the manifesto launch. Every time their leader swatted away the wicked media (see above), they applauded joyously.

But the sound was delayed, leaving us with a bizarre echo like an action replay. Want to know why? Ask a teacher in one of Labour鈥檚 planned new science academies.

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