Wednesday, October 06, 2021
Farce in the Senedd as opposition screw up
I have been away for 12 days and thus not been blogging, despite there being plenty to blog about. I did not expect to come home though to a classic screw-up by an incompetent opposition party in the Welsh Senedd.
As the BBC report, mandatory Covid passes in nightclubs and large events will now be introduced in Wales as planned on 11 October after Welsh ministers won a knife-edge Senedd vote, with 28 politicians voting for and 27 voting against. The public will be expected to show evidence of being fully vaccinated or having a recent negative Covid test at these events.
If all opposition MSs had taken part the government would have lost in a tie, with the Tories, Lib Dems and Plaid opposed to the scheme and the Presiding Officer voting against, however Conservative Vale of Clwyd Member of the Senedd Gareth Davies did not take part in the vote, with the Tories citing "technical difficulties" for what happened.
Appareently, the Tory whips allowed him to go to their Manchester conference and failed to get him online in time to cast his vote. The excuse of technical difficulties does not wash. Every MS's first duty is to the Senedd to which they have been elected, he chose an alternative course and an opportunity to defeat the government on what for the Tories is a point of principle, was lost.
Personally, I am ambivalent about Covid passports, but if I had still been in the Senedd I would have made sure I was listening and participating in the debate and I would have cast my vote. Only a bad workman blames his tools.
As the BBC report, mandatory Covid passes in nightclubs and large events will now be introduced in Wales as planned on 11 October after Welsh ministers won a knife-edge Senedd vote, with 28 politicians voting for and 27 voting against. The public will be expected to show evidence of being fully vaccinated or having a recent negative Covid test at these events.
If all opposition MSs had taken part the government would have lost in a tie, with the Tories, Lib Dems and Plaid opposed to the scheme and the Presiding Officer voting against, however Conservative Vale of Clwyd Member of the Senedd Gareth Davies did not take part in the vote, with the Tories citing "technical difficulties" for what happened.
Appareently, the Tory whips allowed him to go to their Manchester conference and failed to get him online in time to cast his vote. The excuse of technical difficulties does not wash. Every MS's first duty is to the Senedd to which they have been elected, he chose an alternative course and an opportunity to defeat the government on what for the Tories is a point of principle, was lost.
Personally, I am ambivalent about Covid passports, but if I had still been in the Senedd I would have made sure I was listening and participating in the debate and I would have cast my vote. Only a bad workman blames his tools.
