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The Unionist media are making much of the Smith Commission’s recommendations
None of them seem to mention these are recommendations.by the commission as Wings Over Scotland poiints out are not law, and are not binding on any government or party.
As we in Wales know Commission recommendations are rarely implemented in full, and with only 5 months to go before the General Elections if the recommendations are to be implemented in full before then it will be surprising we may have to wait to see in the Labour and Tory Manifestos how serious they are are about it.
It may be that we will see almost identical paragraphs in the Blue and Red Tories manifestos.
For David Cameron the Smith recommendations seem to be an excuse for his EVEI agenda
Wales of course get nothing and if EVEL does go through making English MPs de facto members of the English Parliament and the 40 Welsh MPs who may vote on some issues will be swamped ever mare than they are now.
The response from our own Politicians seem at first to be postive
As we in Wales know Commission recommendations are rarely implemented in full, and with only 5 months to go before the General Elections if the recommendations are to be implemented in full before then it will be surprising we may have to wait to see in the Labour and Tory Manifestos how serious they are are about it.
It may be that we will see almost identical paragraphs in the Blue and Red Tories manifestos.
For David Cameron the Smith recommendations seem to be an excuse for his EVEI agenda
Wales of course get nothing and if EVEL does go through making English MPs de facto members of the English Parliament and the 40 Welsh MPs who may vote on some issues will be swamped ever mare than they are now.
The response from our own Politicians seem at first to be postive
First Minister Carwyn Jones has said.Wales should be offered the same devolved powers as Scotland
He accused UK ministers of having a "piecemeal approach" to devolution, following publication of the Smith Commission's report.
Mr Jones said control of assembly elections and air passenger duty must be devolved to Wales.
"If it's going to Scotland and not to Wales, how else are the people of Wales meant to look at it other than it being discriminatory on the part of the UK government?" he said."We cannot continue with this piecemeal approach to devolution and changing the UK."
He added:
"We need a proper conversation that treats all four nations as equals, and which develops a long-term view on what the new UK should look like."This stuttering, ever-changing series of offers is confusing to people, and ultimately extremely damaging to the prospects of the union staying together in the long-term."
Mind you Carwyn only says Wales should be offered not given the same powers as Scotland maybe he and his Labour colleagues secretly hope it will be rejected i n a referendum?
Owen Smith the Shadow Welsh Secretary seems to more lukewarm and we must ask ourselves once more who in fact is the leader of Labour here.
The Unionist may be sincere in their response to the Smith Commission but the phrase "Pinch of Salt" comes to mind.
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