Friday, December 31, 2010
Why 'yes' is the only answer
Over on the Yes for Wales website, Lee Waters points out that a failure to secure a 'yes' vote in the Assembly powers referendum on 3rd March could set back devolution and undermine the status of Wales within the United Kingdom:
The needs of Welsh communities are not widely understood in Whitehall. That’s the view of Wales’ former top civil servant, Sir Jon Shortridge. His view was backed up by Head of the Civil Service, Sir Gus O’Donnell. He put the failure to take Welsh interests in account down to “forgetfulness‟ amongst Whitehall Chiefs. Scotland never gets forgotten in Whitehall and Westminster but all too often Wales does.
If there is a no vote the slow and complicated system of law-making will get even worse. Regardless of the views of the AMs elected to the Assembly or of Welsh public opinion, the man in Whitehall will continue to know best. The holes in the devolution settlement will be systematically exploited. Whitehall mandarins will become even more absent minded about Wales if feel they have a green light to frustrate the Assembly’s requests.
So the status quo is not an option. Forward or back, that’s the option.
We can no longer continue to have an elected Assembly that does not have the power to fulfil its programme for Government and which continues to rely on remote civil servants and Ministers in London for legislative competence.
The needs of Welsh communities are not widely understood in Whitehall. That’s the view of Wales’ former top civil servant, Sir Jon Shortridge. His view was backed up by Head of the Civil Service, Sir Gus O’Donnell. He put the failure to take Welsh interests in account down to “forgetfulness‟ amongst Whitehall Chiefs. Scotland never gets forgotten in Whitehall and Westminster but all too often Wales does.
If there is a no vote the slow and complicated system of law-making will get even worse. Regardless of the views of the AMs elected to the Assembly or of Welsh public opinion, the man in Whitehall will continue to know best. The holes in the devolution settlement will be systematically exploited. Whitehall mandarins will become even more absent minded about Wales if feel they have a green light to frustrate the Assembly’s requests.
So the status quo is not an option. Forward or back, that’s the option.
We can no longer continue to have an elected Assembly that does not have the power to fulfil its programme for Government and which continues to rely on remote civil servants and Ministers in London for legislative competence.
Comments:
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I would prefer it if the Referendum in March 2011 on whether to give more powers to the "Siop Siarad" was held after the Assembly's General Election in May 2011. I know it is not the main issue, but to me it is important "Who" I could be giving or denying powers that will affect me and my family and my nation in the long term future. There are several AMs in Cardiff Bay now that I would not allow to run my local Community Council, let alone a devolved Parliament with real powers. We really need to mull over the future of this talking shop that some AMs make it out to be now. I'm tempted to give you a list of names, but that would not help and I would be accused of being rude - as the dates for both elections are now firmly set. I am really dithering between "Yes" and "No" in the March vote and I am a Welsh Republican!Let's hope that retirements and votes can oust the existing dross from Cardiff Bay once and for all.
# posted by 
: 3:53 PM
: 3:53 PM
Well anonymous from another "Anon" if you want a few names that need ousting - how about :- the over welcome intendended retirement of pseudo Climate Minister Jane Davidson AM and the hopeful election ousting of more than useless Bethan Jenkins AM. The leaving of these two AM members could possibly help some of us to just about possibly consider voting "YES" in the March Referendum. There are still others on our "hit list" but not you - yet - Peter! Hang in there.
# posted by : 11:01 PM
: 11:01 PM
What's the use of more powers if England hold the purse strings and can cut the funding when ever they feel like it.
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