With all the main party manifestos out in print, but probably not going to add to much excitement to anyone’s life I sat back and thought about what would capture my votes in the election. So here is my manifesto, like many others it probably won’t stand up to too much scrutiny.

1. Destroy Speed Cameras. Our highways are awash with speed cameras, average speed cameras and other money making ideas. They serve no purpose but to raise money whilst disrupting the traffic flow of perfectly safe vehicles, designed and tested to drive much faster than the limit allows.

2. Remove Waste from the Public Sector. I’m not talking about billions that are bandied about by the big parties. but we need to remove small levels of waste: 5 meter cycle lanes, central heating systems left on at weekends, street lights on in daylight. there’s no doubt that if we can encourage small savings, then bigger savings will also become possible.

3. Create some sustainable development. We should stop throwing money at business development in the way we currently do and try to create a more sustainable form of wealth creation. For example: I’d love to see an amalgam of training, regeneration, business development and work creation from a series of projects that utilise public money in  a joined up fashion and cross a variety of boundaries.

4. Create a Future for Wales. The debate about more powers is boring; let’s focus on creating a vision of what will be for Wales. How will we attain self determination, how will we manage UK Instittions based in Wales, how will we pay for it all? Let’s create clarity, develop a sense of purpose and then lets us focus, argue ad fight for that vision to be delivered.

5. Take some Front Line cuts. There’s no reason for making any front line sacrosanct, no reason why some elements of the front line could not be pared back. So let’s cut out the institutionalized defence of front line cuts and accept that maybe, just maybe, some of the front line actually aren’t necessary after all.

6. Free Dental Care. I don’t know how it happened, but where did dental care go to? Surely that could be a valualbe add on to our NHS.

7. Make Education Relevant. It’s hugely frustrating as an employer to meet young people looking for work who do not have the basic IT skills needed in the work place. Our education system focuses on creating lots of A Stars and A’s, but does not deliver well trained individuals who can pick up the tools of work easily.

8. Essential Skills lessons. As part of ur national curriculum we should ensure that all school leavers have the essential skills of life: that they can swim, can drive, know how to wire a plug and of course can understand the value of compound interest. These life skills are essential and this list is not exhaustive.

9. Legalise Drugs. We’ve legalised tobacco and alcohol, and as a result anyone wishing to poison themselves with these drugs can get quality controlled products, at a price which delivers revenue to the Government. Crime associated with tobacco is minimal. Illegal drugs remain available, are generally of uncontrolled quality and come at a price that drives more crime. We need proper drug outlets to as a way to address the crime fuelled by drugs.

10. Ban Immigration. Well not exactly ban immigration, just control the number of foreign players playing in Welsh Rugby. It is unacceptable, for example, that the Ospreys can have a back-row line up of overseas players,  that stops our national captain from getting into the team. This is not conducive to building a successful national team and should be better by controlled by the WRU.

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Watching the footie on the tele tonight I was struck by 2 strange ways of supporters showing their support to their team.

First: when a Man United player was sent off the crowd applauded as he left the field. How can they possibly support someone who created such pressure for his team? And it was United supporters showing support, not the opposition showing relief or having a laugh.

A little later, when ManU were winning on the night, yet losing overall, the crowd offered no sign of support, no encouragement and certainly no “extra man” to lift the team. The ground was almost silent. In times of adversity the support evaporated.

Strange behaviour indeed. Never seen anything like it at a rugby match.

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I hate manufactured photo shoots for rugby, somehow they just don’t seem to work, and today’s 6 Nations Captains’ gathering did nothing to change my mind.

They were on the BBC news – so well done for the PR – but as the camera angle turned to show their backs I spotted something worrying – or am I paranoid?

The Scottish captain had a number 9 on his back, the English Captain had no number on his back – cos he’s might not be there – but Ryan Jones (the Welsh captain) had no number on his back either!

FFS: Ryan is the best No 8 in the UK! There almost needs to be a monopolies commission investigation into his Man of the Match performances for the Ospreys since he recovered from the North America and Lions tours.

But it just shows that when someone plays to his strengths he performs, no: out-performs and places himself above the competition.

So if your name is Warren Gatland and you are reading this blog: make sure that there’s a No 8 on Ryan’s back at Twickers next week. And if you’re not WG, tell him is you see him!

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The Welsh team performance was not great last night against Samoa, but the Welsh Captain, Ryan Jones, certainly put in a man of the match performance that was really pleasing.

In September I wrote that Wales needed him and suggested that he should stick to playing No 8. Since then – was he listening I wonder – he has lead the Ospreys well and only as a No8  and has delivered at least 3 Man of the Match performances for them. Last night he did it for Wales.

It is such a shame for seemingly so nice a guy that he was not allowed to shine on the global stage as a Lion this summer.

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I’m not Cardiff born, nor am I Cardiff bred, but I do live there and have done so for 16 years or more. And for many of those years I’ve followed Cardiff, and sometimes the Blues in all their efforts. But tonight I was faced with the choice of Cardiff v Glasgow on S4C, or Harlequins v Bath on Sky both at the ridiculous time of around 6pm.

S4C is kinda the default option for our house especially when the Blues are involved. And I started watching, but gosh: it was dull, just as previous games have been.

But this was made worse  often by quite stupid decisions by players who frankly ought to know better.

So channel surfing: what a game between Bath and Quins! Passion, speed, determination, commitment, pace, passing, tackling, aggression – it was great to watch.

The Magners League has been diluted to a dull event whilst the Guinness league gets my vote from hereon. It definitely touches every corner of the game in such a positive way and as a result draws good crowds with great atmosphere.

Given the choice it’s Guinness for me when it comes to choosing matches on the box.

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The Ospreys may have won tonight but they are still not fulfilling their potential and dominating a game as their strong squad ought to. However there was one pleasing thread through the whole game and that was the return on Ryan Jones.

He definitely deserved his man of the match award not only for his individual performance but also for his captaincy.

It amazes me that he has bounced back in this way having had such a miserable time of injury and selection problems earlier in the year.

He is the only class act at Number 8 in Wales and needs to tell both his regional and national coaching team he plays 8 and nothing else. Then hopefully we will see him return to the force he was 3 or 4 years ago. Well done Ryan.

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The results of a deliberate attempt to harm

Whilst sometimes sport can thrill it too can sometimes disappoint. Rugby has always been a great game for me and now for my sons too, but sometimes it can be ruined by stupidity.

Last weekend one of my clan was leading a team at the annual Aberaeron 7′s, a small weekend festival in the most fantastic setting on the West Coast of  Wales. He’d gathered a team of mates who had travelled from Merthyr, Coventry and Birmingham to play in the competition. They came becasue they love playing rubgy and love all that normally goes with it.

Around the country other ad-hoc teams were coming together for similar reasons and with the intention of having a good time. And with a Youth Festival and a Women’s tournament too, it has always had the makings of a good weekend in Aberaeron.

But not everyone approaches the game in the same way. The last few months have seen acts of savagery perpetrated by “Stars” around the world. Some of the most respected men in rugby have been cited and found guilty of the most horrendous foul play and brought the game into disrepute.

Sadly, some of that nastiness cascaded down to Aberaeron 7′s last weekend. When I saw my son the morning after the tournament he could only hobble. His left knee had been stamped on, deliberately. He told me that he’d been tackled and as a ruck developed he’d protected his head with his arms only to see someone stamp – deliberately – on his knee. He didn’t see the face, or the number of the stamper. He then could only hobble off and miss the rest of the game.

The result is not life threatening, but it is uncomfortable and limiting. Ordered to rest for 2 weeks, lots of bruising and a feeling that maybe, just maybe the game isn’t the matching of man-on-man that I’d told him it was for all those years.

As for the stamper: he gets away with it and will no doubt do it again whilst representing the people of Kidwelly. I wonder if they are as proud of him as I am of my son?

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Saturday is my wedding anniversary: 28 years ago tonight I was still single. But I just can’t look forward to Saturday.

No: it’s nothing to do with my marriage, which is fine/great/wonderful etc etc, it’s because bloody Kick Ball is back.

Even before I’ve managed to get my shirt off in the garden or on the beach, the winter sport returns to our radio and TV screens and I have to wonder: Why?

At the highest level it is a beautiful game. But outside the Premiership it is not. It is a magnet for the exploitation of people who want to follow. To follow a “team” that is in fact a bunch of similarly dressed individuals, to follow a crowd who can find nothing more worthwhile to do and follow matches on the tele too many nights each week.

But because there is so much money in this game it’ll invade our TV screens before the 4th Test is complete and before I’ve had to reach for the After-Sun.  And that, IMHO,  destroys what used to be called “Summer”.

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There are 2 very important announcements coming next week, within 24 hours of one another. On Wednesday we will hear the Chancellor’s plans for the economy and the day before the touring squad of British and Irish Lions will be announced for their tour of South Africa. I know which one I’m looking forward to most.

When the Chancellor gets to his feet he’s on a bit of a hiding before he starts as the Government appears to have lost the confidence of the people, certainly business people and there will be an expectation of spin, and a veneer that things will get better. Also, we really don’t know what he is trying to do. Whilst the Government needs to “fix” the economy, they also need, or is that want, to get themselves re-elected at the looming election. Consequently they have potentially diverging objectives, some of which are not clearly communicable and they can’t get people to rally around them

On the other hand, when Ian McGeechan announces his squad for what is expected be a huge challenge in South Africa he will be listened to avidly and attentively. His selection will be analysed and dissected and yet, almost certainly will be unanimously supported. And the reason for such support is clear: people will believe him, He has a record of success, he knows how to build a team and he has the clear goal of beating the ‘Boks. His team know that the challenge is huge both mentally and physically but they will also know that their goal is to win their 3 test matches. That is all that matters and every ounce of blood sweat and tears will go to fulfilling that objective.

When we look back in a few months or years and review the announcements made and their relative success I have no doubt that even if the Lions lose they will have given their all. They will have focused on the goal, yet may have been beaten by a better team. Sadly, due to unclear focus I suspect our economy will still be struggling.

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