Election 2011 - Week One (Election? What election!?)

I can completely understand that campaigns have been toned down this first week due to the untimely deaths of Brynle Williams and Mari Rees, however things have been quieter than I would've expected.

Apart from a few bitchy press releases by Labour and Plaid and the odd policy "announcement" (the muddled nature of some of them explored in detail by Syniadau) - not much has happened. With distractions like this and this due to dominate media coverage in the next month, next week is absolutely crucial IMHO in getting the message out to the Welsh electorate.

I'll be exploring the manifestos of every party in detail (including the minor parties), and grading the headline policies in each policy area. More details on that in the next few days/weeks. In the final week, I'll be making my predictions.

My last post on English devolution has proved rather popular. If any of our English friends have returned for this post, here's the kind of excitement YOU can have too. Politics doesn't get much bigger than this.

Anyway, here's a summary of what's happened in week one. Try to contain yourselves please:


Conservatives:

• Launched their Assembly campaign on the back of a visit by Prime Minister David Cameron to Swansea, pledging to protect NHS spending.
• Publicised an "Armed Forces Card" at an event in Colwyn Bay.
• Have pledged to freeze Severn bridge tolls for the next Assembly term.
• Visited a greengrocer in Cardiff, where they highlighted a pledge abolish business rates for those with a ratable value of up to £12,000. Nick Bourne said he hopes this encourages more start-ups.

Labour:

• Carwyn Jones said at a press conference that "up to 8 seats" are within Labour's grasp at the election and that they have been "pleasantly surprised" at the response they're getting in Preseli Pembrokeshire, Clwyd West (both currently Conservative-held seats) and Llanelli (Plaid Cymru). He also hinted that Labour would seek to rule alone if they win 31 seats.
• Have reacted to a campaign by a group of "concerned citizens" calling themselves United and Welsh, who wish to "prevent Labour ruling alone". Labour have accused Plaid Cymru of being behind it.
• Launched their campaign with five pledges relating to flexible access to primary health services, more apprenticeships and training for youngsters, better access to free childcare, more funding for schools and an extra 500 PCSO's.

Liberal Democrats:

• Published a Montgomeryshire mini-manifesto. They have also made a promise to protect and expand Air Ambulance Services.
• Formally launched their campaign on the subject of the economy, with a key pledge being to provide £2000 grants towards training for companies that take on young unemployed.
• Nick Clegg joined the campaign trail, visiting different parts of Wales this week saying that the Lib Dems "didn't relish public spending cuts". He also said that the Lib Dems would ensure "a fair deal" for school children.

Plaid Cymru:

• Attacked Labour's record with regard funding for Wales, saying they didn't do enough while in power at Westminster to come up with a new funding formula.
• Launched their campaign on 4 key pledges including : the "Build for Wales" fund, a renegotiation of doctors and dentist contracts, the elimination of illiteracy in schools by 2020 and widened broadband and rail electrification schemes. Ieuan Wyn Jones added that Plaid are the only party that wants to "transform Wales, not simply to manage it".
• At the official opening of a new campaign centre in Cardiff, Ieuan Wyn Jones said that the Welsh economy "needs to be strengthened" and that Plaid had the ideas to do that.

Minor Parties:

The BNP are launching a fundraising drive, aiming to raise £100,000 towards their Assembly campaign. At the moment the total (on their website) stands at just under £20,000.

The Green Party (*sigh* "England & Wales") leader Caroline Lucas MP visited a solar panel plant in Pontyclun to highlight the job-creation potential for renewable energy. Welsh Green Party leader, Jake Griffiths, is looking to win a seat in via the South Wales Central regional list.

UKIP launched their Assembly campaign in Cardiff, highlighting that they no longer wanted to abolish the Assembly, but "improve it" by replacing the current 60 AM's with the 40 (soon to be 30) Welsh MP's.