Pandas and chestnuts get Senedd members laughing in 2023
- Published
Tian Tian arrived in Edinburgh Zoo, along with Yang Guang, from China in 2011. Elin Jones would welcome them, and many more, to Wales.
It is summer recess in the Senedd, so as they take a break from Cardiff Bay here's a look at what made politicians laugh in the Siambr - the Senedd chamber - so far in 2023.
"I'd love a Wales full of pandas" exclaimed the Llywydd (presiding officer) Elin Jones.
She was responding to Climate Change Minister Julie James, who had said, "we use the tree as an iconic symbol of what we're trying to do in both carbon capture and in nature-positive work, in the same way as the World Wildlife Fund uses the panda".
"Nobody thinks that the World Wildlife Fund, therefore, thinks that pandas should be absolutely everywhere on the planet, and we don't think that trees should be absolutely everywhere in the countryside."
Chestnuts compared
New Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, received a lukewarm welcome to the role from Conservative Mark Isherwood.
"Same old chestnuts," said Mr Isherwood.
"Let me tell you what his chestnuts look like," replied Rhun ap Iorwerth, "they look outdated; they look like they're backwards facing."
Chestnuts, as cited in the Senedd
Conservative Darren Millar described a "quite exciting" experience he witnessed on his way to a Wetherspoon's pub one evening.
"I saw a meteor in the sky" he told the Senedd.
"I don't know if anybody else noticed it, but if you get on to Twitter and put 'meteor Cardiff', you will see, on people's ring doorbells and the like, that many people had been able to witness this ball of fire in the sky."
It left the Llywydd Elin Jones wondering, "what did you see on your way back from Wetherspoon's if you managed to see a meteor on your way?"
Darren Millar said it was a "quite exciting" experience
'Touché'
When the deputy minister Lee Waters complained that "it's very distracting to have these constant noises-off" from other MSs in the Siambr, he received short shrift from the Llywydd, "you're a master of noises-off yourself, at various times, so disregard them".
"Touché" replied Mr Waters.
Mr Waters is possibly the minister that attracts most "noises-off" from other Senedd members, maybe because, as he said, "I do try my best to deliberately say something interesting, which is not always welcomed" - presumably including by his government colleagues.
It has not gone unnoticed in the Senedd that one long-standing member representing north Wales has a habit of quoting himself, usually with the aim of illustrating how political issues have or have not changed.
As Conservative Tom Giffard said about his party colleague, "I've quoted myself there like only Mark Isherwood could", while Labour's Alun Davies said, "I believe in taxation in the same way as my friend Mike Hedges [Labour MS for Swansea East] does - who I seem to be quoting almost as often as Mark Isherwood quotes himself".
"What a wonderful wall that is as a background", deputy minister Hannah Blythyn was told on Zoom by the Llywydd
'Rivalry'
The leader of the Conservative group in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, tried to put some context to party political rivalry in Wales - "there might be rivalry between the Labour Party and the Conservatives here, but it bears no rivalry to the rivalry of the farming unions", the Farmers Union of Wales and NFU Cymru.
When Adam Price resigned as Plaid Cymru leader, he told Mark Drakeford "your performance as first minister has often felt like an extended audition to become, in the future Welsh republic, our version of Michael D. Higgins", referring to the president of Ireland since 2011.
Republican Mr Price clarified that was "a compliment coming from this side."
Mabon ap Gwynfor: one of Plaid Cymru's aps.
In a debate in which use of the NHS app was raised, Plaid Cymru's Mabon ap Gwynfor self-deprecatingly referred to himself and his colleague Rhun ap Iorwerth and told the health minister, "you could turn to Plaid Cymru for information on apps".
When Labour's Ken Skates, MS for Clwyd South, praised the contribution of independent brewers "not just to the economy, but positively to the identity of the communities that they're based in," it led to First Minister Mark Drakeford reminiscing about "an opportunity to visit one of those outlets with the member when we were said to be on the campaign trail in his constituency not that long ago".
'My dance moves'
Conservative Sam Rowlands was disappointed not be able to attend the Holywell world dance festival, although he added "I'm not sure whether Holywell would have been ready for my dance moves".
In a debate on the Welsh government's annual report, Conservative Peter Fox said that when he read it he found the "lack of a real, on-the-ground perspective of what things were actually like in Wales... quite staggering".
The first minister provoked laughter when he replied, "it is being so cheerful that keeps him going".
Mr Drakeford added, "there is, I believe, deep somewhere in the office of the Welsh Conservative Party, a speech probably written on velum it is so old now, that is brought out annually for this debate.
"It's the same speech every single year. The only thing that differs in it is where they have to cross out '10 years of Labour government', '15 years of Labour government', '20 years of Labour government'.
"That's the only new thing they have to say every year."
"You don't need to clap" said Elin Jones
Just before the summer recess, MSs held a joint session with the Wales Youth Parliament.
It began with leaders' speeches, but when Labour's Hefin David began to clap after the first minister's speech, the Llywydd was keen to ensure that unparliamentary action didn't catch-on.
"No, you don't need to clap the first minister or the leaders of your respective parties, if you don't mind. Nice try, Hefin David, but no thank you."
It led Conservative group leader Andrew RT Davies to speculate, "there must be a reshuffle in the air or something, with the backbenchers clapping".
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