Thursday, June 23, 2016
A Parliament by any other name
With the country's future hanging in the balance in today's referendum, one really does have to question whether now is the right time to table a motion in the Welsh Assembly seeking to re-classify it as a Parliament?
The Western Mail reports that a motion has been tabled by Labour's Chief Whip and Business Manager for debate on 28th June which reads: “The National Assembly for Wales agrees that: (a) its name should be changed to the ‘Welsh Parliament’ at the earliest opportunity; and that (b) it should be known unofficially by that name until such a name change can be formalised”.
It is very early in the day for the Cardiff Bay bubble to have so comprehensively engulfed politicians there but that is apparently what has happened. Whilst the rest of us worry about the economic prosperity of Wales and whether we will remain within the World's biggest free trade area or commit hari kari and leave it, the Welsh Assembly is debating what to call itself.
And it is not as if this motion has any legal effect. Yes, AMs can call themselves what they like but surely it would be better if they waited for the additional powers being proposed by the new Government of Wales Bill before rushing out of the starting blocks.
Most voters will consider this as no more than a vanity exercise, an attempt to gain prestige. They will want AMs to be taking action to protect their jobs and to bring investment into Wales, to sort out the health service and improve the performance of our schools, not to spend their time deciding whether the occupants of the Senedd will be known in future as AMs or WMPs.
The Western Mail reports that a motion has been tabled by Labour's Chief Whip and Business Manager for debate on 28th June which reads: “The National Assembly for Wales agrees that: (a) its name should be changed to the ‘Welsh Parliament’ at the earliest opportunity; and that (b) it should be known unofficially by that name until such a name change can be formalised”.
It is very early in the day for the Cardiff Bay bubble to have so comprehensively engulfed politicians there but that is apparently what has happened. Whilst the rest of us worry about the economic prosperity of Wales and whether we will remain within the World's biggest free trade area or commit hari kari and leave it, the Welsh Assembly is debating what to call itself.
And it is not as if this motion has any legal effect. Yes, AMs can call themselves what they like but surely it would be better if they waited for the additional powers being proposed by the new Government of Wales Bill before rushing out of the starting blocks.
Most voters will consider this as no more than a vanity exercise, an attempt to gain prestige. They will want AMs to be taking action to protect their jobs and to bring investment into Wales, to sort out the health service and improve the performance of our schools, not to spend their time deciding whether the occupants of the Senedd will be known in future as AMs or WMPs.
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MWPs, surely (Members of the Welsh Parliament).
Is that pronounceable in Welsh? I know that W is a vowel.
Is that pronounceable in Welsh? I know that W is a vowel.
Aelod Senedd Cymru in Welsh, not Aelod Seneddol Cymreig - every Welsh MP in Westminster is already an Aelod Seneddol Cymreig (Welsh Member of Parliament)!
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