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Political parties are often criticised for being “all the same”. People hanker after a simpler political era when everyone knew which side they were on.

In the last 13years the progress that we have made in terms of devolution, as well as many other areas, has been wonderful. But devolution came much earlier to the Church in Wales, in 1920 in fact but for a very odd reason it is still imperfect. That is why my latest challenge has been to take the Marriage (Wales) Bill through the particularly fragile procedures of a Private Members Bill in the House of Commons. Let me explain.

alun michael

Last week, when I tabled an Early Day Motion praising university and college students for the massive contribution they make as volunteers. I couldn’t have anticipated seeing such an inspirational example of what I was talking about

My researcher, who is more of a whiz with technology than I am, confessed this week that his eyes glaze over whenever “Digital Switchover is mentioned. Me too – but it is about to happen here in Penarth so we’d better get a grip on it.

The devastation in Haiti, is by all accounts near total, with the Presidential Palace, and many government ministries reduced to rubble. The UN Headquarters there was destroyed killing the UN Head of Mission. Oxfam’s office was devastated, the main sea port is heavily damaged, and the country’s meagre road network, is all but non-functional. In short the government, and any organisation which might have been capable of taking over the workings of government have been almost completely incapacitated.

Getting a government department or any other large bureaucratic organisation to change its mind and move in a different direction always looks like mission impossible. It feels like rolling a rock up hill, which is why many people despair and say “they won’t listen, there is no point”.

Tuesday morning as parliament reconvened at Westminster after the new year break, I was asked to take part in an early morning breakfast debate with a Welsh Conservative about the nature of the political agenda for the next few months.

Few people realise how the Human Rights Act really works. When a Minister presents any Bill to Parliament, he or she has to provide a personal declaration that the proposals do not conflict with the human rights legislation. If you get this wrong, you can be tested before British courts and even be taken before the European Court of Human Rights.

As the New Year approaches, holiday cheer is affecting even the grumpiest of scrooges. Bright lights in Penarth and the elaborate Christmas displays in centre of Cardiff have made a particular impact this year. Jolly holiday music sometimes gets on my nerves, but it all signals that “it’s that time of the year again!”