Plaid Cymru has called on the Welsh government to implement a more radical program of government or risk consigning Wales to the side-lines of the UK political debate. Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, a former Welsh Heritage Minister, said that whilst Scotland and Northern Ireland were putting pressure on the Westminster government, Welsh action has been depressingly absent.
Speaking ahead of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) taking place tomorrow (Wednesday June 7th) Mr Thomas said as an alternative to the current approach a Plaid Cymru government would seek, amongst other things, the devolution of policing, corporation tax, natural resources, broadcasting and criminal justice.
Plaid Cymru’s Mid and West AM, Simon Thomas, challenged Carwyn Jones to live up to his promise to protect Wales by not allowing decisions about cuts to broadcasting and policing to remain in the hands of the Tories in Westminster. The Labour leader has been urged to join the First Minister’s of Scotland and Northern Ireland, who will be calling for key concessions from the UK government, instead of remaining silent.
Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM said:
“Since the election the Westminster government has been coming under increasing pressure from Scotland and Northern Ireland but unfortunately the message that Labour promised to send on behalf of Wales must have got lost along the way.
“What Labour has so far achieved is to make Wales seem insignificant to the UK debate. Plaid Cymru want to offer an alternative to that approach. Instead of allowing Wales to be marginalised we should be making it clear to the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition in Westminster, that we are not simply prepared to accept the cuts that they are offering.”
“We saw a stark contrast at the recent devolved government press conference in Edinburgh between the dynamic approach of leaders in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and that of Carwyn Jones. It is an approach that sadly risks leaving Wales irrelevant and lagging behind.”
Simon Thomas AM added:
“The current message that Carwyn Jones and Labour is sending Westminster doesn’t make much sense. They want a meeting to discuss broadcasting but don’t want the powers to determine what to do about it in future. They are opposed to police cuts but don’t want to take the responsibility for criminal justice here, rather they would prefer to see the Tories in Westminster have that control. They want to have devolution of energy projects but not for the biggest or most controversial proposals.
“In the face of Westminster cuts mixed messages and half way house solutions are not good enough. The alternative to Labour’s approach is to be bold, be ambitious and be committed to ensuring Wales doesn’t lag behind but instead sets the agenda.”
ENDS / DIWEDD
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