Metro

I don't think it's a matter of left and right in the case of Welsh Labour blurring the lines between government and party. It comes from the lack of a viable alternative govenment.

If Labour think they'll always be in charge, either on their own or in coalition, it's inevitable that they will come to regard the levers of government as party property. With Labour unelectable at a UK level, the Conservatives are beginning to behave in much the same way in Westminster.

How do we know there is no viable alternative ash? We have never experienced anything other than a labour government or labour led coalition. We would need to see how Wales fared under plaid, the tories or lib dems first.

How do we know there is no viable alternative ash? We have never experienced anything other than a labour government or labour led coalition. We would need to see how Wales fared under plaid, the tories or lib dems first.

Of course other parties are capable of running the Welsh Government - the problem lies in the electoral maths and the refusal of the current opposition party leaders to consider deals to shut Labour out of power.

The electoral system, while not as brutal as the Westminster one, means that as long as Labour can gain around 35% of the vote against a divided opposition they will win around 50% of the seats.

The only way to have a non-Labour government is an opposition 'rainbow coalition'. Leanne Wood has already ruled out working with the Tories and, given the current Welsh leadership of that party, who can blame her? If, as is likely, Ukip replace the Lib Dems as the fourth party the rainbow recedes even further.

That's the issue with the left - they confuse the concept of party and state and often use taxpayers money for their own ends. Welsh labour are no different from the SED in that respect

Yeah, because the right have never confused the two. Oh wait...

I don't think we've ever seen the right take an approach to politics like the communists and socialists did.

Meaning what exactly? Political agenda-wise? Which is hardly surprising. Or are you claiming that they're less likely to siphon off state money for party political use? Which is utter bollocks. Taken a look at some of the official government Twitter accounts lately? Read the reports of Osborne's staffing of crony juniors from the party?

Simon

I was referring to the likes of the SED in East Germany which certainly believed the party was the state. No such right wing governments have ever come close to that. It's certainly a trait of the left for it is they who believe in a strong overpowering all encompassing state

snip

17 of the 25 points in the nsdap program were socialist in nature. The roehm putsch was a result of infighting between the SA wanting to complete the socialist revolution and Hitler not bothering as he had already secured power.

Regarding Italy and Spain, fascism isn't right or left, it's more up to anarchy's down.

17 of the 25 points in the nsdap program were socialist in nature. The roehm putsch was a result of infighting between the SA wanting to complete the socialist revolution and Hitler not bothering as he had already secured power.

Regarding Italy and Spain, fascism isn't right or left, it's more up to anarchy's down.

I think you're on shaky ground, Jantra, but even if your arguement about Nazism and Facism was correct how do you square the circle of the Salazar dictatorship in Portugal, the Colonels regime in Greece, the National Party government in South Africa, the Kuomintang in Taiwan and many other governments that were certainly right-wing but which can't be regarded as either facist or Nazi?

Anyway back to the Metro...

Never mind about the Metro they can't even get travel to the Airport right.
Decided to use the T9 "Airport Express"

Nice printed timetable showing buses every 15 minutes and a bilingual notice saying timetable reduced between November and March, ring the number for details.

Except they have printed the wrong number! Connects to some French Service.

Can't be arsed to print a new timetable nor get the details right, more concerned about getting the Welsh bit.
What must traveller from outside Wales think?

Why focus on the language Zach, what the hell has it got to do with a telephone number cock up? They are two very different things.