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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 7, 2017 12:53:21 GMT
Neil McEvoy AM suspended from the Plaid Cymru group on the National Assembly for Wales, and removed from the Shadow Cabinet.
(Not sure if that means he's also suspended from being leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Cardiff City Council)
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Post by LDCaerdydd on Mar 7, 2017 13:07:27 GMT
Neil McEvoy AM suspended from the Plaid Cymru group on the National Assembly for Wales, and removed from the Shadow Cabinet. (Not sure if that means he's also suspended from being leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Cardiff City Council) Plaid now have 10 AMs (which includes the non voting Presiding Officer) to the Conservatives 11. (He's also been suspended as a Councillor for a month if you'd missed that)
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Mar 7, 2017 14:08:06 GMT
Does that make the Conservatives the official opposition?
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Post by LDCaerdydd on Mar 7, 2017 14:34:19 GMT
I was wondering that, but I wonder if a temporary suspension (which is what it is) doesn't count.
No one seems to have mentioned it yet.
(However if a UKIP AM joined the Conservatives that would definitely make the Conservatives the official opposition)
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Mar 7, 2017 20:25:30 GMT
I was wondering that, but I wonder if a temporary suspension (which is what it is) doesn't count. No one seems to have mentioned it yet. (However if a UKIP AM joined the Conservatives that would definitely make the Conservatives the official opposition) I assume the AM would have to explicitly state 'I am now an independent [or whatever]' for Plaid to lose status.
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Foggy
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Post by Foggy on Mar 7, 2017 21:35:16 GMT
Does that make the Conservatives the official opposition? I think it does, but it's up to the Presiding Officer (elected as Plaid) to determine that. Of the 3 opposition party leaders, she called Neil Hamilton (!!) initially at First Minister's Questions today, so that doesn't provide any clues.
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Post by LDCaerdydd on Mar 8, 2017 9:05:15 GMT
I think it does, but it's up to the Presiding Officer (elected as Plaid) to determine that. Of the 3 opposition party leaders, she called Neil Hamilton (!!) initially at First Minister's Questions today, so that doesn't provide any clues. That's a rotational thing. UKIP will go first once every seven weeks or so. In the last Assembly when the Conservatives were the largest opposition party (14 to Palid's 11 and the Lib Dems 5) the Conservatives wold occasionally be called last and the Lib Dems first. Same thing applies to party spokespeople during Transport, Health etc questions. When Dafydd Elis-Thomas left Plaid last year Elin Jones stopped referring to Leanne Wood as 'Leader of the Opposition' and started referring to her as the 'Leader of Plaid Cymru.' DET claims there shouldn't be an official opposition because that is a very Westminster concept.
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Foggy
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Post by Foggy on Mar 8, 2017 17:05:48 GMT
I think it does, but it's up to the Presiding Officer (elected as Plaid) to determine that. Of the 3 opposition party leaders, she called Neil Hamilton (!!) initially at First Minister's Questions today, so that doesn't provide any clues. DET claims there shouldn't be an official opposition because that is a very Westminster concept. Thanks for explaining about the rotational system. We've exported the Westminster system around the world, so it's strange to learn that the Tory leader (of all people) has been talking about it in such a disparaging way. I don't see why devolved bodies need to be so different. Australian state parliaments have official oppositions. Canadian provincial legislatures have official oppositions. Local councils tend to have a designated opposition group in this country, don't they? The National Assembly can jolly well have a designated principal opposition too and this should be made explicit in the next Wales Bill.
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Post by LDCaerdydd on Mar 9, 2017 11:01:01 GMT
DET = Dafydd Elis-Thomas - first Presiding Officer
FWIW I completely agree with you about the need for an official opposition, although as a member of a small party I do like the proportional roatation system for leaders and spokesperson's questions.
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Foggy
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Post by Foggy on Mar 9, 2017 16:56:02 GMT
DET = Dafydd Elis-Thomas - first Presiding Officer FWIW I completely agree with you about the need for an official opposition, although as a member of a small party I do like the proportional rotation system for leaders and spokesperson's questions. I've shaken his hand and yet his initials still didn't register! I just assumed you meant whichever anonymous Tory AM took over from Nick Bourne since he would be the one to benefit from a formal method of designating the official opposition. The Lib Dems do not benefit from the rotational system at the moment, so you have nothing to lose by backing such a change.
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Harry Hayfield
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Post by Harry Hayfield on Mar 9, 2017 21:36:11 GMT
According to the Assembly website there are three Independents Lord Elis Tomas (former Plaid), Mr. McEvoy (former Plaid) and Mr. Gill (former UKIP). If they ever found common group they could form a group themselves.
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 21, 2017 12:16:31 GMT
Neil McEvoy has returned to the Plaid Cymru group on the National Assembly. Apologises but says he's considering judicial review of the Adjudication Panel decision.
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Post by LDCaerdydd on Mar 21, 2017 12:51:52 GMT
Neil McEvoy has returned to the Plaid Cymru group on the National Assembly. Apologises but says he's considering judicial review of the Adjudication Panel decision. Twenty quid says this isn't the last time he has the whip removed before 2021.
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 21, 2017 12:57:18 GMT
Don't think I feel like taking that bet.
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Harry Hayfield
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Post by Harry Hayfield on Mar 21, 2017 13:56:32 GMT
Neil McEvoy has returned to the Plaid Cymru group on the National Assembly. Apologises but says he's considering judicial review of the Adjudication Panel decision. So that means that Plaid and the Conservatives are now tied on eleven each. Oh, I bet Elin Jones is wishing she hadn't been elected Speaker now
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Foggy
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Post by Foggy on Mar 21, 2017 18:18:43 GMT
Neil McEvoy has returned to the Plaid Cymru group on the National Assembly. Apologises but says he's considering judicial review of the Adjudication Panel decision. So that means that Plaid and the Conservatives are now tied on eleven each. Oh, I bet Elin Jones is wishing she hadn't been elected Speaker now. Because she thinks she has to make the decision about which party is the main opposition, or because by not being Speaker she'd break the tie? If you mean the latter, then it's worth noting that if a Labour AM were to vounteer for that post, the Deputy Speaker would have to come from one of the opposition parties.
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 25, 2017 11:42:16 GMT
Douglas Carswell leaves UKIP; will sit as an Independent. Will not call a byelection.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2017 11:45:04 GMT
Douglas Carswell leaves UKIP; will sit as an Independent. Will not call a byelection. It has long been only a matter of "when" rather than "if".
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mondialito
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Post by mondialito on Mar 25, 2017 11:45:14 GMT
Douglas Carswell leaves UKIP; will sit as an Independent. Will not call a byelection. He may not be crossing to the Tories now, but there must be a decent chance of him being adopted/given a clear run by them come 2020?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2017 11:51:09 GMT
Douglas Carswell leaves UKIP; will sit as an Independent. Will not call a byelection. He may not be crossing to the Tories now, but there must be a decent chance of him being adopted/given a clear run by them come 2020? I may be wrong, but I think he has ruled out standing as a Conservative in 2020. Whatever his faults, he has a strong sense of propriety and will not go back on his word. Of course, if the Conservatives decide not to oppose him, that would be a matter for them!
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