LibDem AM Eluned Parrot makes a fair point when she says on Subordinate Central that ....
Yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court that the Agricultural Wages Board Bill is within the Assembly’s competence highlights just how inadequate the current devolution settlement is.
It comes after a dispute over whether Wales had the power to set minimum wages, or if that right laid with the UK government.
UK Attorney General Dominic Grieve originally blocked a law passed by AMs last year, saying it was not within the assembly's powers.
UK ministers said they were grateful for clarity on the issue.
The dispute arose after the assembly passed a law last year to set minimum wages, and the terms and conditions, of agricultural workers in Wales after the UK government abolished the Agricultural Wages Board, which had regulated the sector.
On Wednesday, First Minister Carwyn Jones said the "significant" Supreme Court judgement "goes some way to clarifying the complexities of the current devolution settlement".
The Welsh government said it could now create an Agricultural Advisory Panel to set minimum wage levels and "promote skills development and career progression" in farming.
Ms Parrot agree that
We must move away from the deeply flawed model of devolution that we currently have, established by Labour, towards something closer to the current Scottish model. Essentially, rather than Westminster informing Wales what it can legislate on, we should instead have a system where it is made clear what Wales can’t legislate on. That system has worked smoothly in Scotland since 1999 with no legal challenges at all to Scottish legislation.
So maybe we will have a clearer view from the LIbDems o what they are calling for. It still looks like piece by piece devolution rather than parity with Scotland.
Although she's right in that
The previous Minister’s decision to classify this legislation as an ‘Emergency bill’, therefore skipping out the scrutiny process, was an absolute disgrace that reeked of arrogance and bad governance. Following the lack of scrutiny, it was not surprising that this bill ended up in the Supreme Court.The farcical situation of Welsh Assembly bills ending up in the Supreme Court is completely unacceptable. All parties need to accept that the status quo isn’t fit for purpose.
The Legislation was rushed because Westminster has made a decision to abolish the Board in England and Wales and decisive action was needed if we wished to retain it here .
It is ironic that Alun Davies would have ben basking in glory seeing the Assembly Government vindicated in his efforts to retain the Board.
But so great his downfall that the Wasting Mule have decided it credit it ot Mick Antoniw, the AM for Pontypridd, who they say has led the campaign to retain the Agricultural Wages Board:
Indeed there seems to be no mention of Alun Davies in any of the reporting of this WAG Victory.
With another piece by Martin (Bactrack) Shipton on Why we can do without Alun Davies it seems we are in the denunciation of Alun Davie phase but heading to removing him from history.
The Mule as Carwyn's version of Stalin's Pravda?
1 comment:
a less charitable view is that Martin Shipton's flurry of output since Alun Davies sacking is to try and cover his tracks and gain a modicum of credibility after bigging Davies up last week.
And don't forget that Martin Shipton reproduced a small part of JacotheNorth's expose on Nathan Gill rather than researching the story himself, the man is as lazy and indifferent as Carwyn Jones is leading the Welsh Government.
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