I have resisted blogging on this topic until now, as I felt it was important for Labour to have the opportunity to prove that any accusation of political interference was false. It is with some regret that to date, they have not done so.
The debate this week in the Senedd was sadly an exercise in ducking the issue, although quite how you duck an elephant on a doorstep is quite beyond me. Perhaps the most stark evidence of questionable behaviour was a statement from former Plaid AM Dr Dai Lloyd, who raised concerns about the management of AWEMA face to face with a Labour Minister in the One Wales Government, 3 years ago. He was promised in that meeting that something would be done but obviously, this was not true.
Plaid's Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM has requested that all documentation relating to correspondence between AWEMA and the Welsh Government is published, in order to clear things up once and for all. If Labour also duck this reasonable request, then people like myself can only draw one conclusion from this whole sorry episode - that there is indeed something to hide. For the sake of devolution, I hope that clear evidence is produced to prove that Labour did not ignore the concerns raised by so many sources, to protect one of their own.
A CONSEQUENCE OF CHANGE...
5 days ago
Obviously Labour is implicated but it goes beyond Labour to the more insidious and widespread culture of political correctness.
ReplyDeleteIf a group not involved with BME issues had been guilty of consistent misdoing would it have taken a decade for action to be taken?
The real problem is the left-liberal dictatorship. Malik just took advantage of it.
"The real problem is the left-liberal dictatorship." -- Have to agree with you on that one mate, no doubt.
DeleteThe only good that can come out of this is if in the aftermath, the people of Wales start to realise that the party, once proud and principled, founded by them, and courageous and fearless is standing up for them against tyrannical enemies has now just become a club for the self-interested and shabby power grabbers. (Paul Flynn, and Gwenda Thomas, as always, I except honourably from that generalisation)
ReplyDeleteJac is also right that the fear of being labelled racist or in any way discriminatory has stopped people who should know better from holding people to account, whatever their racial/Sex/sexuality/disability profiles, and allowed them to get away with rank dishonesty. (that part is admitted, so no need to call in m'learned friends). I loathe racism, and this smacks of racism.
Before 2012, on what grounds do you think should Labour have expelled Naz Malik? Perhaps you should think about the Oscar fiasco before smearing an entire party for failing to rumble someone on the make before any evidence came to light ...
ReplyDeleteWho said anything about expelling anyone?
ReplyDeleteWould that have solved anything?
There is clear evidence here that Labour Ministers were aware that there was a serious problem in the management of AWEMA, but nothing was done until an internal report was leaked a few weeks ago. The fact that Naz is a well known Labour member might or might not be relevant (and I sincerely hope that it is not), but Labour must clarify why all these warnings were ignored, or they are wide open to accusations. Can you imagine if this was a business organisation linked to the Tories, with public monies involved?
There is an argument here that many were aware that there was a problem, but that individuals were genuinely nervous about challenging an ethnic minority organisation-for obvious reasons. If that is the case, then we need to learn lessons, make the system more open and above all, protect the reputations of all other third sector organisations.
What we need to do is take a long, hard look at what used to be known as the right of free men and women to express themselves without fear of being clapped into prison or strapped with a lawsuit by every person with a proverbial chip on their shoulder about ethnicity, sexuality and any other -ity.
ReplyDeleteHywel Dda was instrumental in getting five clauses inserted in the Magna Carta. No doubt he'd be turning in his grave at the pig's ear his fellow countrymen and women have made of their one chance to prove that Wales and the Welsh can think and do for themselvesas - well as sing and talk. devolutiond
It may have been a case of 'too scared to touch for fear of ...' but I think otherwise. Ministers and AMs were told by BME organisations that they need not fear about being labelled racist. The still did nothing. Malik never had any support in the BME community. His character was always hated. Thats why there is a sense of relief within the sector.
ReplyDelete