Ignorance or Hypocrisy? "Welsh Labour on letting agencies.

It seems the Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has not quite what powers have been devolved to Wales.



Tweeting n the news that Letting agents in England will be banned from charging fees to tenants under a policy announced in the Autumn Statement.

Jo Stevens MPVerified account‏@JoStevensLabourJo Stevens MP Retweeted Mirror PoliticsIf right, it's good news for #Cardiff Central. We've had a 2 yr campaign against extortionate letting agency fees. Devil in the detail

Representing a constituency with a large student population she of course should be concerned about this.

However it did not long for people to point out this is a devolved issue and her colleagues in the Assembly don't be so keen.

.

In reply to Jo Stevens MP

Angharad Lewis ‏@AngharadLewiss 20h20 hours ago

Hi @JoStevensLabour did you know @Plaid_Cymru tried to amend Renting Homes Act to ban letting agents fees in Wales? Welsh Labour blocked.

Simon Thomas ‏@SimonThomasAC  12h
12 hours agoLabour blocking @Plaid_Cymru's attempts to outlaw letting agent fees now looks ridiculous: Wales will be only nation to rip tenants off

Ms Steven;s counterpart in the Assembly 

Jenny Rathbone, AM for Cardiff Central, said she was frustrated the "English government" seemed to have "stolen a march" on Wales.

Though she's on the list of those who voted against the amendment 

Never mind she has a good excuse she said she did this after being told by the Welsh Government it did not think the assembly had the power to ban the fees.

But she said she had since found out the "best legal advice" was that the assembly does hold that power.

 Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said the context between England and Wales was "completely differed 

Mr Drakeford, said: "

"We have a different set of policies, a different set of legal frameworks here."You cannot pick up an idea and just drop it into Wales and copy it.".

If this True then it show another flaw in the Devolution Settlement , but I suspect it was opposed because it came from Plaid and Labour simply didn't want Plaid to get the credit for this

In her Tweet Jo Stevens claimed 

We've had a 2 yr campaign against extortionate letting agency fees. Devil in the detail,

If she was as involved in this campaign  as she claims then she surely would have been aware  

That this was a devolved issue
Labour in the Assembly blocked a similar move proposed by Plaid.

Ignorance or Hypocrisy? You decide.