Political boffin, keen fisherman looking forward to retirement.

Monday, June 4, 2007

Archbishop Slams Government of Wales Act

Dr Barry Morgan, the Archbishop of Wales stinging attack on the Government of Wales Act provides further indication of the fundamental deficiencies of the system of government the Third Assembly will inherit.

The Archbishop describes the new system as ‘cumbersome and clumsy’ and asks the perfectly legitimate question why primary powers are good enough for Scotland but Wales has to go cap in hand to Westminster every time it wishes to pass a law?

Peter Hain likes to portray the Government of Wales Act as one of his greatest triumphs. The history books of the future will judge the Act as a shoddy compromise which held back the aspirations of a nation to placate the egos of a few Welsh based Labour MPs who care more about their own futures than those they were elected to serve.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It was interesting o here the debate on Radio Wales this morning.
Alun Somebody labour (didn't catch his name) and he didn't stop talking and interrupting long enough for Felicity Evans to repeat it!He just played a very tierd party line about Wales does best when Labour tells it what to do.
Helen Mary was the other contributor and made her points very clearly with reference to the Richards Commission and where the pitfalls of the new act would be. I found the diatribe from the Labour man so distracting
I didn’t get any of the points he was trying to make other than – Wales was an infant and needed spoon feeding, and we couldn’t be compared to Scotland because they could be trusted to make laws.

I think that if the Arch Bishop was commenting in his role as Chair of his Committee to take forward Richards, then he has a platform and in fairness he does not bring religious views or language into what he is saying.
I would be very unhappy of any minister or faith leader brought doctrine and dogma to the table on ay political Issue.
The Act -well I dont think it goes far enough.We should be on a par with Scotland and building.

Ted Jones said...

Very interesting points, and of course I agree that the act doesn't go far enough. Labour's position is very patronising. The Isle of Alderney with less than 3,000 inhabitnats has primary powers!!

You must be referring to Alun Davies, the new AM for Mid and West Wales. Interesting fact - Alun is a former Chair of Plaid who left after the 97 referendum and joined Labour.

Anonymous said...

yes

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