It's the economy, stupid

In other parts of Gwent there have been other issues which have severely eroded people's respect for the party which once would have naturally attracted their vote.

The former leader of Blaenau Gwent council Hedley McCarthy was busily telling everyone that the reason Labour lost that council is "national issues". Bull.

The reason Labour lost the council is the same reason it lost the previous Assembly and Westminster elections to independents - it did not listen, it did not learn its lessons, it remained complacent, it would not admit the threat it was facing.

After decades of feeling the only party who would ever control a council like Blaenau Gwent would be Labour, People's Voice broke the spell.

All of this appealing to the industrial history of the area and family voting patterns no longer washed - it was the Emperor's new clothes.

In areas of Caerphilly county like Blackwood, Labour also paid the price for being perceived as not listening to their electorate over issues such as the drink and drug rehab centre planned for Highbury House.

In other areas of Wales like Gwynedd, people have turned their backs on other mainstream parties because they are disillusioned with them.

Plaid Cymru, once the party of protest now the party in coalition with Labour at the Assembly, had a bloody nose when their President Dafydd Iwan lost his seat to an organisation called Llais Gwynedd objecting to the Plaid-controlled council's planned school closures.

I do not believe these movements are flashes in the pan. There is a deep sense of discontent and anger with how political parties in general have been serving us, and I believe that the big four parties now refuse to take this electoral movement seriously at their peril.

But Newport is another matter. It is the one part of Gwent where I do believe that national issues heavily outweighed the local in last week's elections.

The 10p tax rate debacle, the credit crunch, spiralling fuel bills and petrol price hikes all add to the general feeling that we are tightening our belts time and time again.

There was a lot of bluster on Friday from the Conservatives about how no Westminster seat in Wales is now safe from them, which I do not believe.

But I can see that if the economic crisis deepens further, there are two seats in Newport which would no longer be safe for Labour.

AND finally...

My suspicion of David Cameron was not helped by him throwing around phrases from Gavin And Stacey on a visit to Barry.

He said it was a "tidy'' day, and asked a tea room waitress: "What's occurring?'' Tries to be cool, ends up being cringeworthy dad.