The future of the Wales Office. Need it all be so negative?

I have to admit that I don't particularly see eye to eye with Elfyn Llwyd's analysis as to why the Wales Office should not be reformed under new constitutional changes by Gordon Brown- i.e that "it would slow down the democratic process and hinder the work being done on LCOs [legislative competence orders]' and that ' it would be foolish to take this step at this moment in time. '

The Westminster Government has plans to introduce a new super department for the UK's nations and regions. Whether Wales is classed as a region in this instance I'm not so sure, but the main thrust behind this particular change is the argument that it would serve to benefit devolution, not undermine it. I haven't seen the plans in full, but I would tend to agree with Peter Black AMs analysis ( there's a first!) in that the main concern lies with the status of any new super department, and the need for Wales to be fully represented in such a department. To do away with the current system of having a dedicated Secretary of State for Wales would be insufficient without taking this into account.

I am more flexible about changes to the Wales Office as I believe that it must evolve as devolution progresses. To leave it as it stands would be in denial of the system that we have in place at the moment, and the development of the Welsh Assembly to date. Of course, as I have said on so many occasions that I am now becoming bored of myself, the current LCO system was created by Labour for Labour, and the veto by the Secretary of State on new legislation brought forward by AMs still stands. I would be much more supportive of any ideas to change the make up of the Wales Office if Gordon Brown and his advisers scrapped this injustice, and gave the Assembly more flexibility to govern without strict caveats to power here in Wales.

The sooner we get a Parliament for Wales the less we will have to worry ourselves with the workings of the Wales Office. In my opinion, an office that combines the work of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland could be given the flexibility to be more progressive in that it may encourage those in the department to share cross border ideas on legislation, and encourage greater communication between the Celtic Nations.

We shall wait and see what comes of this idea.

Who would be party president?

As one of the few elected politicians who blog from Plaid I thought that I should comment on the press interest that Elfyn Llwyd MP has announced his intention to run for the president's position within Plaid Cymru. While the blogger blogmenai looks at the various strands that could potentially make an effective president- strategist, thinker, and older politician that can be more of a figurehead for the party, or a person who inspires - other bloggers such as ordovicius have questioned Llwyd's interest in leading on this level while performing a role as an MP, and in leading Plaid's Parliamentary team. As far as the article in the Western Mail suggests, nobody in our party is willing to speak out against Dafydd Iwan, or give clear reasons as to why he should stand down. OK, so he lost his seat on the Council, but that does not mean that Dafydd Iwan cannot perform effectively as party president.

Personally, and I stress the word personally, I don't see that we actually need both a president and a party leader. Is a leader not sufficient in itself? I certainly don't think that there should be a massive debate in the press over it. There are already enough hierarchical structures in the political World, without us losing sleep in this instance!

I didn't closely follow the ongoing debate surrounding the confusion amongst the public when we had one too many leaders a few years ago (hence the reorganisation of the party structures that ensued) but I think now that we are in Government, that we have a strong team on every level of Government, and a strong leadership, we do not need to embroil ourselves in a debate on this issue. If two people want to stand for president then that should be accepted. It is also a positive that someone else is putting their name forward, so that people do not become complacent in their positions, or take support from others for granted.

As far as I am concerned, I am pleased with the work that Dafydd Iwan has done as president, and the work that Elfyn has done as an MP. Dafydd Iwan is an inspirational figure, that has strong, passionate beliefs, and this is what we need to enthuse party members. It is good for democracy that a party president can express his concerns regarding policy initiatives spearheaded by either the parliamentary or Assembly group that may go against the grain of party policy such as the St Athan military Academy. It keeps elected politicians' feet firmly on the ground, and is another level of scrutiny for elected politicians.

I look forward to the hustings process, and hope that Elfyn Llwyd continues his blog regardless of the result......

Paul Murphy is Secretary of State.

Paul Murphy is the new Secretary of State for Wales. One man, one job to do-for how long is anyone's guess, mind. Lets hope that even though he describes himself as a 'devo-realist,' that the system of transferring powers via the LCO system to the Assembly can now start to run a smoother course. It can only be tried, although if relations fail between Westminster and Cardiff Bay, there may be interesting times ahead...

The Lib dems have already come all out criticising the appointment. Roger Williams, said:

“I have the highest regard for Paul Murphy as a person and as a Minister. However, his views on devolution are well known – in policy terms he is a devo-sceptic. I do not believe he is the right person to take devolution forward.”

Plaid's Elfyn Llwyd took a far more conciliatory approach:

“He is hard working and sincere, and his track record in Northern Ireland speaks for itself. He is a man of the highest calibre, and we’re sure he will co-operate with the One Wales government'.

So there we have it.