Leader's have to be visibly leading (Ed Milband should take note)

keep to the Fen Causeway

But the more interesting question is how a request to join the union from an independent Scotland would be treated (as it is the state of the UK, not its territory that are members today an independent Scotland would formally start outside the union (barring re-interpretation of rules)). Since Scotland would fulfill all requirements (legislation already in line with EU directives) the only thing that could keep it out is if some countries would try to block it.

So I guess it boils down to if the government in London would protest. Would it?

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

Throughout the election we've stated we want a working majority so we can govern alone.  There is some talk of trying to govern with 30 but personally I think that would cause huge rows and is risky - you only need one AM to be ill and you can't get a vote through. So rumours are that there could be a coalition with the lib dems but I think the picture will be clearer next week.

It was an incredible night and we made some important and impressive gains, some very close indeed, like Cardiff Central which was gained from the lib dems with a majority of only 38.  

cross posted form my blog -

The results are in from North Wales, at the end of a very dramatic night of counts, knife edge marginals and superb performances for Welsh Labour. Whether or not we would get a majority was on a knife edge, we have 30 seats, rather than the 31 we hoped for. Nail biting, but what a brilliant night. Cardiff has turned red!

Full results on the BBC site here

I want to quickly pay tribute to the incredible campaign teams across Wales, from our HQ in Cardiff, to every local team of members that has gone out canvassing, leafleting and working unfailingly hard to get the vote out for Welsh Labour. It has been a wonderful experience to work alongside everyone and I'm going to miss the campaign massively when we are finished after today.

I've really enjoyed the privilege of working with Carwyn Jones, he's a great man and a brilliant politician, and I'm very proud that we have him as our party leader.

If you missed it, here is my article on WalesHome

and the Welsh Labour flickr site of campaign images here

Found various sleepy but happy newly elected AMs around the local pubs on my way home from watching the First Minister do his round of tv interviews this evening. All good stuff.  The next couple of weeks will be interesting to watch.

In fact, if it weren't for the No2AV adverts, nobody would even have known there was a referendum going on. And people were getting overpaid good money to run this sort of nonsense, whose side were they really on ?

And to cap it all, these supposedly professional campaigners seemed shocked to discover that tories (and David Blunkett) tell lies to achieve their ends, again and again and again. It's as TBG wrote in his diary

1. Reduce arguments to trite dog-whistle talking points - such as flip-flopper, tax-and-spend, "soft on defence", and so on.

2. Lie. Repeatedly, in public, with no moral consistency in their talking points.

If you accept that the purpose of politics is power, not integrity, neither of these becomes shocking.

Do they not pay attention ? Gah !!

I have to say I was disappointed that Labour seemed so half-hearted about campaigning. A bit of Ed Miliband here, a bit of Eddie Izzard there. But a poll reveals that 60% of Labour voters didn't know that Labour were in favour of reform, largely cos the only labour politicians we saw campaigning were John Reid, David Blunkett and Margaret Beckett, all of whom were on the No side.

If Labour really wanted AV to win, then they didn't really give much of a sign.

keep to the Fen Causeway