Wednesday, May 06, 2020
What's in a name?
Even as a former Welsh Assembly Member and a strong supporter of devolution, I am struggling to mark the so-called historic rebranding of the Assembly as a Welsh Parliament or Senedd with anything more than a resigned shrug.
As the BBC report, the new name is meant to reflect powers and responsibilities the institution has gained since it was set up in 1999. The names of the politicians will also change - from Assembly Members (AMs) to Members of the Senedd (MSs).
For many this will be a significant development. As the BBC says, Wales' last Parliaments were convened in Machynlleth and Harlech in the 15th Century during Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion against the English crown. In modern times it was David Lloyd George's Cymru Fydd movement that were the first to call a new Welsh Parliament to be established in the 19th Century.
This is not a move towards Independence as some will wish (and others fear), nor does it indicate any significant change to the way the Senedd operates. In fact AMs (as they then were) copped out of making the really significant constitutional reforms when they passed the bill to effect this change.
We are still waiting for an enlarged Senedd, elected by a proper PR system, which would be far more effective in holding the government to account and ensuring those laws which are passed are fit for purpose.
For most people this change will barely register a glance, if they notice at all. Devolution has delivered a great many benefits for those of us living in Wales, but the Senedd, and the government it is meant to hold to account, still has a lot to prove on the key issues that impact on us all - health, education, environment, housing and the economy.
Once we start to see real improvements in those areas, it might be appropriate for Members of the Senedd to start patting themselves on the back. In the meantime, I suggest they get back to work and stop pretending that a name-change will make any difference to our lives.
As the BBC report, the new name is meant to reflect powers and responsibilities the institution has gained since it was set up in 1999. The names of the politicians will also change - from Assembly Members (AMs) to Members of the Senedd (MSs).
For many this will be a significant development. As the BBC says, Wales' last Parliaments were convened in Machynlleth and Harlech in the 15th Century during Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion against the English crown. In modern times it was David Lloyd George's Cymru Fydd movement that were the first to call a new Welsh Parliament to be established in the 19th Century.
This is not a move towards Independence as some will wish (and others fear), nor does it indicate any significant change to the way the Senedd operates. In fact AMs (as they then were) copped out of making the really significant constitutional reforms when they passed the bill to effect this change.
We are still waiting for an enlarged Senedd, elected by a proper PR system, which would be far more effective in holding the government to account and ensuring those laws which are passed are fit for purpose.
For most people this change will barely register a glance, if they notice at all. Devolution has delivered a great many benefits for those of us living in Wales, but the Senedd, and the government it is meant to hold to account, still has a lot to prove on the key issues that impact on us all - health, education, environment, housing and the economy.
Once we start to see real improvements in those areas, it might be appropriate for Members of the Senedd to start patting themselves on the back. In the meantime, I suggest they get back to work and stop pretending that a name-change will make any difference to our lives.
