ONLY PLAID CAN DELIVER FOR WALES

Plaid Cymru has responded to the UK Government’s command paper on further devolution. Click here to read Plaid’s full response in the paper, 'Who Speaks for Wales?' Plaid entered talks with the UK Government in a spirit of cooperation but felt unable to celebrate proposals that amounted to a row-back on a compromise. The party said the proposals would still leave Welsh devolution languishing behind Scotland and Northern Ireland and the announcement on funding public services still leaves Wales worse off compared to Scotland. While the powers over fracking that are to be devolved to Wales after Plaid Cymru’s long campaign to protect Welsh communities from the practice until it is proven safe are to be welcomed, this was one small measure amongst the raft of the wider powers that were being discussed. 

POLLING DAYS

It looks like we are all going to be in for a busy few months next year, trooping to and from (or not) to the polling booths - what with the possibility of a referendum on more powers for National Assembly in March, a referendum on electoral reform (AV = Alternative Vote) in May (the 5th) and elections to the Welsh Assembly in either May or June of 2011. One thing is becoming pretty clear that there is no strong voice for Wales in the Con Dem cabinet, let alone a stage whisper for Wales. 

With both the Tories and Lib Dems having strongly coming out against having the referendum - the one for more powers - on the same day as the National Assembly elections, because it might be very confusing to voters (how patronising can you get?) by having more than one election on one day. one wonders how eloquent and vociferous will be the protests from the Lib Dems and the Tories about the prospect of holding the referendum on changing the voting system on the same day as the National Assembly elections, after their Masters in London have publicly announced their decision - so much for consultations and clear channels of communication. Ironically at this rate they make Peter (the Pain) Hain look like a staunch and effective defender of Welsh (rather than Labour Party) interests. 

There is something else to think about, Vaughan Roderick, the BBC Welsh affairs editor, has pointed out that there may well be a fourth vote in 2011. With the UK Labour Party actively campaigning to defeat the proposed change in the voting system (despite the fact that such a change was offered by Gordon Brown (where is Gordon these days?) before the election and the promise was repeated in the Labour Manifesto). If old Labour gets the 'No' vote out for the AV referendum - then the Con Dem coalition government which is far from certain of winning the referendum to change the UK voting system, could fall apart, leading to a general election in June. Ouch!