If the Housing LCO had an obituary, it could read killed of by an unholy alliance of self-serving New and Old Labour and Conservative MP's in Westminster, who put their self-interest before the needs of their constituents in Wales. There appears to be little chance that said MP's will even have the decency to appear somewhat shamefaced as a result of their actions and the company that they keep.
Both New and Old Labour and Conservative MP's have delayed for a combination of political point scoring and self interest throughout the long and tortuous three year process that it took to develop the Housing LCO (Legislative competence order) which reached its final stages and had it been passed would have meant devolving powers over housing in Wales to the One Wales Government.
Despite the delaying tactics, Plaid Cymru doggedly persevered in both the National Assembly and the Palace of Westminster over the crucial piece of Housing legislation, which was publicly backed by several leading Housing organisations. Earlier this week Welsh Secretary Peter Hain urged all parties to support the measure before Parliament was dissolved, he said that it would be "a huge blow for homeless and vulnerable people" in Wales if the LCO was not passed.
Yet ironically it was the Tories' who (busy doing New Labours dirty work) made the running in the last successful attempt to block the passage of the LCO which has not only served to undermine the devolution system (and the devolution settlement) but showed that the current LCO system is clearly not fit for purpose as it had not worked to the advantage of the Welsh Assembly Government and the people of Wales.
There may be a faint degree of irony, that even during the dying days of this unloved New Labour Government, that new Labour was prepared to pout its needs and the needs of the Tories in advance of the needs of Welsh constituents. A combination of the farcical LCO system itself allowed the Tories - an opposition party in Westminster - to block the democratic will of the National Assembly.
Moreover the process had been full of contradictions with the Tories supporting the transfer of these powers to Wales in a future Referendum but not through this current Legislative Competence Order.
Plaid’s Hywel Williams MP, commenting on the sorry business last week, said:
“Neither the Tories nor Labour are free from blame in allowing this situation to arise. Let’s not forget that both parties in Westminster blocked the first piece of legislation. The second was denied to the Assembly by a cabal of Conservative MPs.
"This Order would have allowed the Assembly Government to address the shortage of affordable housing as well as provide housing support for the most vulnerable. The London parties should be ashamed.
“When this LCO system came into being it was said that MPs would not be able to block the Assembly from having powers on ideological or political grounds but these events have shown that the system is clearly not fit for purpose.
“And today we see the Tories – the same old ‘nasty party’ – scoring petty political points rather than helping those who are in need of Government support.
"There were of course opportunities to propose amendments during committee scrutiny in both Westminster and the National Assembly but the Conservatives did not do so on either occasion.
“Indeed, the Conservatives gave their full support to the proposed LCO during the Committee stage in the National Assembly. This sudden turn around is political game playing. We urge them to put this to one side on such an important issue as people’s homes, tackling the pressing issue of a shortage of affordable housing as well as housing support for the most vulnerable.”
