Most people know that I have been running a blog aggregator (politics-wales.co.uk) for a couple of years, with a combined Welsh Politics news feed at feeds.feedburner.com/politics-wales.

At present the site has a problem in that it has been auto-hacked through a weakness in the version of Wordpress used. I can clear it out, but it will take a full day to rebuild the site in another, clean, account. I can build a brand new blog in less time than that.

I am wondering if now - 1 year before a General Election - is a suitable time to move the politics-wales site over from being a pure aggregator to being a political group blog about Welsh Politics, since I can build one of those just as easily. This seems to me to be a gap in the market in commentary on Welsh Politics.

Post from: The Wardman Wire

A New Group Blog for Welsh Politics ?

The site provides easily accessible records of the UK Parliamentary process, and now contains data going back to 1935.

Political anoraks are going to rub their hands in anticipation, and probably lose the entire weekend to anoractivities (sorry).

Post from: The Wardman Wire

TheyWorkForYou.com overhauled by MySociety: Extends back to 1935

I was wondering where this all came from, and then I had a break.

This is the transcript of a tape from a special spy camera installed near Regent's Park in London, just in case a certain vehement Australian Cricket supporter notorious for violence should become unruly during the Ashes this summer.

In fact it caught (and recorded) an entirely different character engaging in nefarious activities. Step forward ... Lord Mandelbrot.

Lord Mandelbrot of Super-Cali-Fragil-istic-espi-ali-docious, visiting the Marsupial Enclosure

Hi Skip, do you remember me from 1994, when I needed advice?

Skippy XVIII

tchk tchk tchk

Post from: The Wardman Wire

Who wrote Lord Mandelson’s “Reasons for Not Selling the Post Office” ?

Recently one members of the community, Mark Jones, started using a simple Wordpress.com blog called "Plight of Pleasley Hill" to draw attention to the community's need.

Post from: The Wardman Wire

The Plight of Pleasley Hill

Gay Iranians and the ‘Green Revolution’

This week Lord Mandelbrot proclaimed that the reason why he was having to delay Post-Office Privatisation (again) was that there was insufficient Parliamentary time available:

The sale of a 30% stake in the Royal Mail was due to go to parliament before the summer recess but the business secretary said the legislation was being "jostled for space" and will happen "later".

This is a smokescreen, and Lord Mandelbrot is losing his touch.

Post from: The Wardman Wire

Lord Mandelson is losing his touch: his smokescreens used to HIDE the facts

I'll address of few of his points.

Post from: The Wardman Wire

Twitter vs RSS is a false dichotomy. Can we be sensible? Please?

Tatchell barred from Pride parties by Brown + Boris

Lies, Damed Lies and Spin: Politics Decoded by Garbo

THE United Kingdom is in danger of disintegration and should embrace a federal structure of government and create individual parliaments in each nation, Conservative AM David Melding declares in a major book published today.

He envisages a new constitutional settlement which could cut the number of MPs at Westminster to 300 and officially recognise the sovereignty over domestic issues of the parliaments of Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Even ignoring the implication of a savage cut in the numbers of MPs at Westminster, this is fascinating politically for a number of reasons.

Post from: The Wardman Wire

What happens to Labour if the Tories back strong devolution?

The mess enveloping the law over local election candidates

James Skinner is a blogger who lives in Monmouthshire, who describes himself as an "Independent Conservative". Recently he spent a year in the USA on a English Speaking Union

He blogs at "James R Skinner, Independent Conservative", under the slogan: "Political commentary that will not be denied the fundamental right to speak the truth." He describes himself as pro-American.

James got in touch, and I thought it would be interesting to ask for a guest post about his time across the pond.

I am a very lucky political person...why, you may ask? Because I have studied (and experienced) politics in two of the most powerful countries in the world...Great Britain, and the United States.

I first studied for my GCSE’s and A-Levels at Monmouth, but when I was granted an ESU scholarship to study American Constitutional Law in Connecticut (New England), I was there before the academic year had a chance to begin.

As well as studying Law, I was also able to compare the UK and US in political theory, history, economics and philosophy; truthfully, what I learnt across the pond changed my political opinions beyond recognition: Britain needs to be a lot more like America.

Post from: The Wardman Wire

USA: The Change That Britain Needs (James R Skinner)

This is the "main residence" of Ann Keen MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Health Services at the Department of Health, and hubbie Alan Keen MP. It has been empty for 7 months, and has now been occupied by squatters.

I'd recommend that Alan and Ann Keen go and squat at the Wintertons' place, or in Sir Peter Viggers' duck house or something. I'm not doing sympathy: by now they should both have been sacked with ignominy for their dodgy Expenses' Farming activities, charging the taxpayer for homes and expenses that they don't need to perform their Parliamentary duties.

I'm suspecting this may be a demonstration rather than real squatters, which would be a pity.

Post from: The Wardman Wire

Mr and Mrs Expenses Empty “Main Residence” occupied by Squatters

It was probably invented before the fall of the Aztec Empire.

It was free.

When I lose it the equivalent will also be free.

To unlock it for other networks I had to pay the miserable moneygrubbing swine at Orange £25, though otherwise their service has been OK.

It cannot pretend that drops of water are running down it's screen.

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Me and my steam-powered mobile phone: we are very happy together

Reflections on Michael Jackson: was he any good?