In his regular blog for Caerphilly Observer South Wales East AM Lindsay Whittle gives his take on recent news.
Twinning Showcased
A fascinating exhibition was on life in Wales and Brittany was showcased at a recent photographic exhibition at the Visit Caerphilly base in the town.
The exhibition ‘Glances at Brittany and Wales’ focused on life in the two communities from 1850 and was staged by Caerffili and District Twinning Association.
Among the pictures on display were some from the aftermath of the Senghenydd Disaster in 1913.
As some Observer readers may know, my great grandfather Evan Hopcyn James was one of those that died in the tragedy, which was the UK’s worst colliery disaster.
The exhibition marked 20 years of twinning between Caerphilly and Lannion in Brittany.
Alcohol Misuse
Antisocial behaviour fuelled by alcohol is an issue on streets across the country, particularly at weekends.
So I was pleased to see that the council held a training day for its youth workers to help them identify signs of misuse.
Many people like a drink and really it is all about just being sensible. Binge drinking on a regular basis can have serious health impacts as well as leading to behavioural problems in our community. As far as I’m concerned the more education on the impact of misuse of alcohol the better.
It’s two years since the Coalition Government was elected and these figures illustrate again that they have been bad news for Caerphilly and bad news for Wales.
The economy is still stagnating and people are worrying about their jobs and future and how to meet the usual household bills.
Labour said at the Assembly elections to vote for them to protect Wales against the Coalition Government. They also talked at the council elections about sending the Coalition Government a message.
Well, London is clearly not in listening mode and Labour has failed to protect Wales from the worst ravages of the Tory/Lib Dem Government.
I do hope that the new Labour-controlled council will look to expand the excellent apprentice and training scheme which has seen more than 160 places offered. It is an excellent initiative.
Lindsay Whittle
Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales East