Convention on a parliament for Wales

I hear that there is going to be an announcement on those who will be sitting on the All Wales Convention later today/ tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see who is on it, and how they intend to go about their work. As far as I'm concerned, its important that the members of the group get to work straightaway, and canvass opinions on the future powers of the National Assembly.There is a general acceptance that the Assembly should have the same powers as Scotland ( of course we should have had such powers in 1999..)

The fact that there are differing structures and varying forms of devolution in the UK is a joke, and has meant that progress has been far slower- with a lack of consistency throughout the UK. With the Tories opening the floodgates yesterday on the discussion of stopping Welsh MPs voting on English legislation, it only goes to show that the current system is rife with difficulties.

We now have to look forward to the imminent work of the Convention, and how we can shape the agenda to ensure that there is a yes vote on a Parliament for Wales. No doubt there are MPs at Westminster intent on ensuring that a referendum does not go ahead, therefore there must be a large scale campaign to undermine such self interest and self protection from the MPs.

I believe that a yes campaign should start now, in conjunction with the Convention. The timeline is as such that I believe that it is necessary for us to be pushing ahead with gathering information as to the population's opinions, but at the same time, ensuring that leading up to a referendum people care about the issues, and that they feel that they are part of the wider campaign for the development of Wales as a Nation.

One of the flagship elements of the One Wales agreement is the referendum on a parliament for Wales, therefore we have a clear duty to ensure that it takes place, and that it is successful.