Now that the polls have closed, here's a review of Rhuthun/Ruthin's hustings, held a week ago today...
Standing-room-only it was, with over 130 people as Canolfan Awelon played host to the four parliamentary candidates standing in next week's general election. All the bodies resulted in the organisers having to ventilate the premises. Said Gareth Thomas (Labour), "Glad to see the windows open to release all the hot air".
This time, there was a public address system. This time, there was a translation service available (as used by the very person who complained at its lack during the previous hustings). But there weren't quite enough headsets.
Also this time, there appeared to be a higher proportion of both left- and right-wing rent-a-mobs. There was a smaller proportion of people present who were local. Heckling was on the increase. Chairman Bob Owen-Ellis appealed for a little decorum; after all, he said, this was not prime minister's questions. As the evening continued, decorousness there seemed to be less and less.
The first clue that there were impostors in our midst came during the second question. This was on banks and financial institutions. David Jones (Conservative) went first and he said how nice it was to see the questioner again having only met her only last week at Rhos-on-Sea. The sub-text? You're a plant and, possibly even with some disdain, we're not going to agree.
Dilwyn Roberts (Plaid Cymru) started his answer with an interesting comment by saying, "I haven't been in government… yet". Clearly, Roberts was an optimist. Jones pointed out that we need the financial sector. Victor Babu (Lib Dems) asked us to forget the banks in London, as the most important were actually foodbanks. He felt that the government would do absolutely anything to support bankers but do they lend their support to others on their knees, such as farmers? Was this a deliberate play for local support? Did Babu think we were all farmers hereabouts?
After three Brexit-related questions, including that on financial institutions, came a question on housing. At least this was asked by a local. This, however, is a devolved matter but as with a later question on the NHS, do we really understand the split in responsibilities between Westminster and Bae Caerdydd?
Most if not all were in agreement that the "housing crisis" was something with which successive governments had not got to grips. Thomas said that housing associations had there place but we needed council housing again. Jones agreed, although such housing should then be available for tenants to purchase. Roberts said that developers preferred building in England (presumably because of higher incomes and therefore demand). The Welsh government should release some of the land it owns to lower land prices. That happened on Glasdir but look at the price the developer had to pay.
In terms of the NHS and a question about junior doctors' training, Roberts answered that we had to find a way of saving money within the NHS. Thomas was quick to reply that, actually, that's precisely what the NHS had been forced to do for years, to the point where (and here was one of a number of puns) it had been "cut to the bone". But both Roberts and Jones asked the question, "where is the 'university' in Betsi Cadwaladr University board?" I must say that I don't know.
The most applause came after a youngish person asked a question about our support for what he felt was the criminally extremist regime in Saudi Arabia. Babu said that we did not want unethical tax income from the resultant arms trade supporting our public services. Jones felt that this wasn't a simple subject and, paraphrasing, geopolitics was anything but elementary. He tried to deflect attention to the "poisonous regime" in Iran. To much derision, he did make the statement that the UK arms industry was the most ethical in the world. Hmmm. Another sign of the bad tempers emerging with Jones's comment to the questioner, "If you ask a question, you might at least listen to the answer". In Jones's defence, he was goaded.
In something of an unintended though rather unfortunate pun, Thomas felt that we needed a "full-blooded review" on the arms trade. Thomas stated he voted in favour of the Iran war when an MP but conceded he'd been wrong. Jeremy Corbyn had been right at voting against an intervention.
There followed a question on the Labour proposals for a so-called "garden tax". Babu named it the "Jeremy Corbyn tax". This, according to Jones, was what Labour did: it was a wealth tax to be paid by people who had already bought their own homes with incomes already taxed. To much heckling, Thomas felt that it was a tax to which Labour had not yet fully committed. It was at this point when someone in the audience questioned the chairman's decision to pick people (according to demography and gender, as it happened) that the chairman said, "If you don't like it, do it yourself next time", before swiftly moving on.
And the final question was on Ireland in the light of Brexit. Jones said that Bailey's Irish Cream crossed the border several times before being bottled. And when he added "That's what I do now" I think he meant as a Brexit junior minister rather than a drinks manufacturer.
All four candidates were articulate and literate. Jones and Thomas, both solicitors, both with house of commons experience, were polished. Roberts drifted a little but has political experience as the former leader of Conwy council. Babu was very heartfelt.
Even if the entire 130+ there present were from the Rhuthun area—which they were not—what real difference would the hustings have made to the vote? This represents less than one per cent of the electorate. Of those 130, what percentage might be considered floating voters? As for me, I'd already voted as I was to be out of the country on polling day...
Standing-room-only it was, with over 130 people as Canolfan Awelon played host to the four parliamentary candidates standing in next week's general election. All the bodies resulted in the organisers having to ventilate the premises. Said Gareth Thomas (Labour), "Glad to see the windows open to release all the hot air".
David Jones, Conservative, at the hustings
This time, there was a public address system. This time, there was a translation service available (as used by the very person who complained at its lack during the previous hustings). But there weren't quite enough headsets.
Also this time, there appeared to be a higher proportion of both left- and right-wing rent-a-mobs. There was a smaller proportion of people present who were local. Heckling was on the increase. Chairman Bob Owen-Ellis appealed for a little decorum; after all, he said, this was not prime minister's questions. As the evening continued, decorousness there seemed to be less and less.
Gareth Thomas, Labour, at the hustings
The first clue that there were impostors in our midst came during the second question. This was on banks and financial institutions. David Jones (Conservative) went first and he said how nice it was to see the questioner again having only met her only last week at Rhos-on-Sea. The sub-text? You're a plant and, possibly even with some disdain, we're not going to agree.
Dilwyn Roberts, Plaid Cymru, at the hustings
Dilwyn Roberts (Plaid Cymru) started his answer with an interesting comment by saying, "I haven't been in government… yet". Clearly, Roberts was an optimist. Jones pointed out that we need the financial sector. Victor Babu (Lib Dems) asked us to forget the banks in London, as the most important were actually foodbanks. He felt that the government would do absolutely anything to support bankers but do they lend their support to others on their knees, such as farmers? Was this a deliberate play for local support? Did Babu think we were all farmers hereabouts?
After three Brexit-related questions, including that on financial institutions, came a question on housing. At least this was asked by a local. This, however, is a devolved matter but as with a later question on the NHS, do we really understand the split in responsibilities between Westminster and Bae Caerdydd?
Victor Babu, Liberal Democrats, poses for a publicity shot
Most if not all were in agreement that the "housing crisis" was something with which successive governments had not got to grips. Thomas said that housing associations had there place but we needed council housing again. Jones agreed, although such housing should then be available for tenants to purchase. Roberts said that developers preferred building in England (presumably because of higher incomes and therefore demand). The Welsh government should release some of the land it owns to lower land prices. That happened on Glasdir but look at the price the developer had to pay.
In terms of the NHS and a question about junior doctors' training, Roberts answered that we had to find a way of saving money within the NHS. Thomas was quick to reply that, actually, that's precisely what the NHS had been forced to do for years, to the point where (and here was one of a number of puns) it had been "cut to the bone". But both Roberts and Jones asked the question, "where is the 'university' in Betsi Cadwaladr University board?" I must say that I don't know.
The most applause came after a youngish person asked a question about our support for what he felt was the criminally extremist regime in Saudi Arabia. Babu said that we did not want unethical tax income from the resultant arms trade supporting our public services. Jones felt that this wasn't a simple subject and, paraphrasing, geopolitics was anything but elementary. He tried to deflect attention to the "poisonous regime" in Iran. To much derision, he did make the statement that the UK arms industry was the most ethical in the world. Hmmm. Another sign of the bad tempers emerging with Jones's comment to the questioner, "If you ask a question, you might at least listen to the answer". In Jones's defence, he was goaded.
In something of an unintended though rather unfortunate pun, Thomas felt that we needed a "full-blooded review" on the arms trade. Thomas stated he voted in favour of the Iran war when an MP but conceded he'd been wrong. Jeremy Corbyn had been right at voting against an intervention.
There followed a question on the Labour proposals for a so-called "garden tax". Babu named it the "Jeremy Corbyn tax". This, according to Jones, was what Labour did: it was a wealth tax to be paid by people who had already bought their own homes with incomes already taxed. To much heckling, Thomas felt that it was a tax to which Labour had not yet fully committed. It was at this point when someone in the audience questioned the chairman's decision to pick people (according to demography and gender, as it happened) that the chairman said, "If you don't like it, do it yourself next time", before swiftly moving on.
And the final question was on Ireland in the light of Brexit. Jones said that Bailey's Irish Cream crossed the border several times before being bottled. And when he added "That's what I do now" I think he meant as a Brexit junior minister rather than a drinks manufacturer.
All four candidates were articulate and literate. Jones and Thomas, both solicitors, both with house of commons experience, were polished. Roberts drifted a little but has political experience as the former leader of Conwy council. Babu was very heartfelt.
Even if the entire 130+ there present were from the Rhuthun area—which they were not—what real difference would the hustings have made to the vote? This represents less than one per cent of the electorate. Of those 130, what percentage might be considered floating voters? As for me, I'd already voted as I was to be out of the country on polling day...
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