Rhodri talks to the local paper, stresses how important it is that Wrexham Football Club win and the very next game they have, that is exactly what the team go out and do!

I’m speaking with my tongue in my cheek, of course, Rhodri is capable of many things but the turn around in Wrexham’s fortunes, while excellent news, isn’t down to him.

I was following the score closely on Saturday, resting up after spending the morning canvassing Caia Park. The response on the doorsteps was generally very positive.

There was one person who tried the “we only ever see you at election time” line on with us, but it was quickly explained to him that this wasn’t the case, both by myself and by his MP Ian Lucas, who was out canvassing with us.
When he heard about the work we’ve been doing in the area, rolling up our sleeves to clean the River Gwenfro and plant trees with the local environmental group, meeting regularly with the tenants and Residents’ Association, the work to raise issues in conjunction with the Communities First office in Caia, the campaigns we’ve run to try and stop the local council threatening the viability of the community centres which serve the estate and much more, he was under no doubt that, unlike some, it’s fair to say that Labour is not only in Caia (or indeed anywhere else in Wrexham) just when there’s an election.

There are a lot of leaflets to distribute during an election campaign. And despite all the different and alternative means of reaching people – from email to direct mail to telephone to text, it is the leaflet that all parties appear to rely upon to ensure that the message reaches the whole community.

And the good people of Waunfawr (Aberystwyth and not Caernarfon – I have no further territorial claims on north Wales) certainly have had a lot of leaflets recently. I say this with a level of authority because I visited every house there this afternoon, bumping into the Liberals who somewhat mysteriously had an enormous 4×4 (They don’t talk much about their green policies here) circling the area whilst their unfortunate candidate, poor old John Davies, was forced to drive in hot pursuit in a battered old Ford. And the 4×4 certainly did not appear to want him to catch up.

But the leaflets were distributed – and there are more to come next week. Now. It’s time to drink some tea. Catch up on the news – what IS happening elsewhere???!

I seem to have spent most of the last few days in various studios sitting in front of microphones and cameras, answering questions and competing with interviewers and politicians alike.

Strange things happen at these events and every so often you learn something new. For instance I thought that Plaid Cymru’s pledge to give every 11 year old child a laptop meant that they would be buying every 11 year old child a laptop. But no. Bethan Jenkins – who has form for saying things that Plaid Cymru would prefer left unsaid – told us during a debate on education that in fact Plaid would be spending just £10m on a pilot project. So no free laptop for every 11 year old child in the country. Just a plan to have a pilot project for one year.

And they wonder why people are cynical about politics?

On Sunday it was Radio Cymru and a lunchtime discussion on affordable housing. This issue is an emergency in communities across the whole of Mid and West Wales and Labour has a number of policies that will provide a real answer for people throughout Wales. So I was more than a little frustrated to find little opportunity to speak and a presenter who appeared unable to leave a script which took no note of the debate and discussion that she was supposed to lead. It was a struggle to be heard. This format is awful. An interview with four candidates from the four parties is difficult enough. It is enormously frustrating when this level of incompetence prevents us communicating with the electorate and prevents people actually listening to a reasoned debate between the different parties.

On Monday another early start – this time I was coming between Radio Wales’ listeners and their cornflakes. We discussed the Welsh language and whether there is any need for further legislation. This is something that we have to get right and something where there has been a great deal of heat but little light. In terms of legislation I am convinced that persuasion is far more powerful than compulsion – but there is too much emotion and too much woolly thinking to allow a decent debate. It is also one area where the Assembly’s new powers may lead to a higher quality debate. I hope so.

I walk out of the studio in search of tea only to find Owain Clarke of S4C’s Maniffesto waiting with a smile – and a camera.

It’s one thing to do an early morning interview on radio – it’s something completely different to do telly in the morning. Next week my appearance will shock S4C’s Sunday morning viewers – whom I understand are easily upset by such things. I only hope that they will not be too shocked with what I said. Or what I can recollect saying. They will probably be unable to listen being transfixed by my appearance.

WALKING down the street with Rhodri Morgan is an interesting experience.

During his visit today, we were stopped on the street by well-wishers asking Rhodri various questions and I noticed at least two people doing a double take as they realised just who it was they’d walked past!

I decided one of the places I’d take Rhodri to campaign during the visit would be Wrexham Bus Station. The Assembly’s free bus pass has proved a real success in Wrexham, as several passengers were only too happy to tell us as they waited for their buses.

The local paper, the Evening Leader, is based on the same street as the bus station and their reporters and photographer were out to record the First Minister’s visit. One of the questions Rhodri was asked was about Wrexham Football Club’s league status. The team has a few games to go and staying in the Football League is by no means certain. As a Wrexham fan for many years, it’s probably not surprising that I’m very keen that the team stay up and everyone in the town needs to get behind them for the remaining matches.

Our next port of call was football related too. The Turf pub on Mold Road, right next to the Racecourse ground. With redevelopments planned nearby, the future of the pub is by no means certain, and Rhodri and I added our backing to a campaign being set up locally to ensure the pub is preserved when improvements at the ground go ahead. The club needs a future, but it should respect its history too and the Turf has been linked with football in Wrexham ever since the town has had a team.

AN INTERESTING visit today. I took David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, to see the work being done at the Sharp in Llay.

Sharp have been a local employer for several years, and in recent years they have set up their European centre for the production of solar cells here too. It’s great news for the area - production recently doubled, creating lots of new manufacturing jobs and it’s also great news for the environment, as the solar cells the factory produces are a clean and green form of energy production.

David was very impressed with his visit - he even went so far as to mention what he’d seen at Sharp during an appearance on Newsnight later on, citing the factory as an example of the kind of industry we need to encourage to help tackle climate change.

I agree with him wholeheartedly and I know the Assembly has worked closely with the management at Sharp. It’s a link which I am very keen indeed to expand and develop if I’m elected in May.

Dwi ddim un o’r pobl yma sy’n ymfalchio mewn codi’n gynnar.

Felly on i becsio ryw faint cyn ymddangos ar Y Post Cynta ar Radio Cymru i drafod polisiau addysg y bore ma. Mae gan y llywodraeth record arbennig o dda ar addysg ond pan bod na tair blaid yn ymosod arnoch chi ddoes dim lot fawr o gyfle ymateb i bob un pwynt.

On i’n falch felly gyda’r trafodaeth a gyda fy nghyfraniad. Roedd y trafodaeth yn cyfle i drafod polisiau gwahanol yn lle cael row. On i’n awyddus i wenud ddau beth. Yn gynta trafod ein pwyslais ar addysg ar gyfer plant ifanc (ac yn arbennig) y rhain o cefnder difreintiedig, ac yn ail, ac wedyn sut ydym yn ehangu’r cyfleoedd ar gyfer pobl ifanc i hyfforddu a ddatblygu’r sgilliau fydd angen arnynt ar gyfer gweithio yn y dyfodol.

Mae’n bwysig hefyd sicrhau bod mynediad i addysg ar gael i bawb – beth bynnag ei gefnder. Fel cyn-lywydd NUS Cymru mae hyn yn rhywbeth sy’n hynod bwysig i mi ar lefel personol. Mae Llafur wedi llwyddo ehangu mynediad i addysg uwch mwy nag oeddwn meddwl posibl tra on i arwain myfywyr Cymru – yr her mawr nawr yw talu amdano ac yn sicrhau bod sadon yr addysg yn parhau i gynyddu.

On nawr – amser i mi ysgrifennu taflen arall. Dwi’n ysgrifennu taflen arbennig i bobl Ystradgynlais a’r pentrefi yng Nghwm Tawe Uchaf.

Ces i noson dda gyda’r mudiad ffermwyr ifanc yng Ngheredigion neithiwr – sai’n siwr beth oedd eu barn nhw ar y noson…..

Roedd finnau, Elin Jones, Glyn Davies a John Davies yn ateb cwestiynnau o’r llawr a cwetiynnau wedi’I paratoi. Dechrauoedd gyda trafodaeth am ddyfodol ffermydd teuluol a tai fforddadwy. Mae polisiau Llafur ar dai yn bolisiau cryf a fydd yn mynd yn bell i ymateb i’r crisis sy’n wynebu miloedd a filoedd o bobl ifanc led led y gwlad sy methu prynnu tai yn agos i lle rydym yn byw neu yn gweithio.

Roedd cweistynnau hefyd ar faterion megis ariannu clybiau ffermwyr ifanc – peidwch yn colli eich annibynniaeth trwy derbyn gormod o arian cyhoeddus! Ac wedyn trafodaeth am y gwasanaeth iechyd a swyddi yng Ngheredigion.

Roedd yn dda cynnal y noson trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg a mwynheuais y cyfle cael trafod gyda’r criw roedd yno.

This is a new part of my blog where people will be able to place examples of Lib Dem promises and tomfoolery.

It is inspired by their hapless candidate in Ceredigion – John Davies – whom I like on a personal level – but is unable to answer any question on any policy without promising to spend vast sums of tax-payers’ cash on it. This is a man with deep pockets and a great largesse….. He can be easily spotted travelling around Ceredigion every four years distributing other people’s money. I think that it’s all carried about in a suitcase.

All you need to do is ask.

So here it is – the Daviesometer – ready to measure and add up all those Liberal promises!

So please email in your favourite wild Lib Dem promises to wales@new.labour.org.uk

This is not a part of Mid or West Wales – but I am back in the capital to do some interviews for the BBC.

First up is a rather strange and curious interview with four members of the BBC’s “Wales 60” who do not intend to vote and it is my job to persuade them to do so – but without mentioning party politics.

Which is daft.

I would persuade people to vote not by an appeal to social values or a sense of duty or responsibility – but by trying to inspire people with our programme for government. Labour’s the only party in this election with a manifesto that is based upon our belief in social justice and our determination to eradicate poverty. That’s worth voting for. And not being able to talk about it is taking the politics out of politics. A pointless and utterly futile exercise. I have no idea how this will turn out on the screen but I wouldn’t stay in for it……

The second interview was for the Welsh language youth news programme – Ffeil.

Roedd hyn lot yn gwell. Ces i 10 eiliad i ateb sawl cwestiyn – tua 8 dwi’n meddwl ar bwnciau fel addysg, newid ansawdd, economi, yr iaith, tlodi ac yn y blaen. Dwi’n mawr yn gobeithio fy mod i wedi ateb pob un – gawn ni gweld pan mae’n cael ei ddarlledu……

To the St Elli Centre for an early start, distributing leaflets to shoppers.

Another lovely and warm day. I have decided that the sun shines on the righteous.

We are joined by Nia Griffith who has made a great impact on the constituency in only a few years. The reception is marvellous. This is a seat with a majority of only 21 – but it feels good. There are a lot of us out and about. People are stopping – everyone seems to know Catherine Thomas – and they like her. She is approachable and also seems to know the whole population by name! We only stop when we have distributed every single one of our leaflets.

The rest head off to do some canvassing and I have a meeting with Louise – our organiser in the Mid and West – in order to run through the rest of the campaign. Visits, more leaflets, posters, stickers, press releases and logistics to plan and organise.

And then back to Aberystwyth……