Another unnecessary referendum?

The Silk commission  main recommendations  that the Assembly will be able to borrow money and there should be full devolution of business rates, stamp duty, landfill tax, aggregates levy and long-haul rates for Air Passenger Duty, with full devolution possible in future, as well as increased power for the Welsh Government to introduce levies.

Tommy showed his Mother and Father he was responsible by getting a Paper Round.

The Commission puts forward a model where income tax structures would be determined by Westminster, but then reduced by 10p in the pound at each level, and Wales would then have the power to vary the rate. This would be accompanied by an equivalent reduction in Wales’ block grant.

Clear?  perhaps not

Basically the plan is to devolve the right for the Assembly the right to raise taxes over a period of 8 years to 2020 when similar powers that were granted to Scotland in 197 will be introduced

But then only after another referendum.

The reason for this will be that there a precedent from the Scottish referendum and such powers can only be seen as legitimate if Wales


In September 1997, two questions were put before the Scottish electorate: one on the principle of establishing a Scottish Parliament, the second on whether or not any such Parliament should have powers to vary the basic rate of income tax by 3p in the pound.

But this was part of the main devolution question . It was not the major issue of the day. But the vote  cannot  it be seen in isolation?

But an even bigger change came in 2012 when a new Act passed with the support of the three Unionist parties in Westminster allowed

 The government to amend the way in which Scottish ministers can borrow to include bond issuance, without the need for further primary legislation.
Remove the need for Scottish ministers to absorb the first £125m of tax forecasting variation within their budget, providing more flexibility when responding to changes in spending levels, due to variations in tax income compared to forecasts.
Allow Scottish ministers to make discretionary payments into the Scottish cash reserve for the next five years, up to an overall total of £125m, to help deal with tax income changes, in the initial phase of the new system.

And yet there was no move to put this to the Scottish people.

There will be at least one General Election before 2020 and it remains to be seen whether the whole or part of  the Silk commission recommendations on whether Wales can earn a bit of pocket money on its own . Will this  be part of the main Unionist Parties manifestos.

So unless they call for a referendum . Why can't it be seen as any other Manifesto commitment?

Of course the reason the Unionist want it is they secretly hope the Welsh people will reject-it.

If they are then that should be it , There should be no need for a referendum . Whilst it is likely that even if Scotland rejects Independence they will be granted even further autonomy and support for this from Scotland will be taken for granted.

Plaid's response to sSlk should be that its irrelevant to the future of Wales and we should accept nothing less than parity with Scotland when it comes to devolution.

What Silk proposes is the equivalent of a teenager being told by his or he r parent that if they want a extra money they should get a paper round and if they prove their can act responsible in this a then in future they can get Saturday job in whatever the equivalent of Woolworth  is today,