Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Where are the Welsh?
I think that it is accepted now that the Welsh Liberal Democrats could have secured better coverage from our recent Federal Conference in Brighton. However, at least if we had staged a debate on devolution we would have ensured that there were speakers from Wales.
As it happens we are a Federal Party with a longstanding commitment to devolution so such a debate would have been out of place in Brighton. We would be holding it instead at the Welsh and Scottish Conferences, where representatives have the authority to make appropriate policy. We recognise however that other parties are well behind us in this regard and therefore we were unsurprised when the Tories decided to use their National Conference to redefine their position on devolution.
The fact that the Conservatives still do not understand what it is all about was perfectly illustrated by the fact that they failed to call a single Welsh delegate to speak in the debate. Those expected to speak were the Tory Brecon and Radnorshire candidate and a Swansea Councillor. However, the debate overran its time and they were not called. How embarrassing for them.
As it happens we are a Federal Party with a longstanding commitment to devolution so such a debate would have been out of place in Brighton. We would be holding it instead at the Welsh and Scottish Conferences, where representatives have the authority to make appropriate policy. We recognise however that other parties are well behind us in this regard and therefore we were unsurprised when the Tories decided to use their National Conference to redefine their position on devolution.
The fact that the Conservatives still do not understand what it is all about was perfectly illustrated by the fact that they failed to call a single Welsh delegate to speak in the debate. Those expected to speak were the Tory Brecon and Radnorshire candidate and a Swansea Councillor. However, the debate overran its time and they were not called. How embarrassing for them.
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Such a debate might have been out of place at a federal conference in Brighton - but that didn't stop the party giving the Scottish Lib Dems a big platform slot.....
# posted by 
: 11:47 AM
: 11:47 AM
Indeed, but that was a presentation rather than a debate. There will be a comparable 20 minute slot for the Welsh Party at the Spring Conference in Harrogate.
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