Wednesday 15 November 2017

There is no such thing as Welsh (Or Scottish ) Labour.

You will hardly see any mention of this in both the Welsh and UK media but last night a proposal that could have given the Welsh Assembly power to veto key Brexit legislation has been rejected by MPs.

On the first day of detailed scrutiny on the EU Withdrawal Bill in the House of Commons, Plaid Cymru's planned amendment lost by 318 votes to 52.

It had the support of SNP MPs but Labour said before the vote they could not support the proposed change.

As it stands, Westminster wants support from the devolved nations but can push the planned law through without it.

The Welsh and Scottish governments have called the bill a "power grab" which undermines devolution.

Check that. 

But last night "Welsh" Labour  had   refused to back what was the veiw of the Welsh Government.



Congratulations to the Liberal Democrats and especially Green MP Caroline Lucus.

The sole Labour backer? Step forward Albert Owen MP for Ynys Mon.


During a trip to Chicago last year  Mr Jones said talks would fail if it "becomes a two-way dialogue between Brussels and London".
He said all four of the UK's parliaments and assemblies should have to "agree to any deal the UK government comes to".
Mr Jones said he could not "envisage consent being given by Wales" unless access to the European Union's single market and protection for the rights of citizens from other EU countries were secured.
The call was interpreted by some as a threat to block a future Brexit deal.







OK speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales programme, Mr Jones said he "never called for a veto".

 But that does not seem to be a call to surrender to a Hard Brexit and for Wales to have no say
He said: 

"What I have said is that I think it's right that all four parliaments should ratify, agree to any deal the UK government comes to.
"It wouldn't be right for the UK government to negotiate in terms of farming and fisheries when they have no role in farming and fisheries in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
"If the UK government want to get as much support as possible across the UK for any potential deal, they're going to have to seek support in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well."





With Plaid only having four MPs, it needed support of politicians from other parties for the amendments to the bill to pass.


Speaking ahead of the debate, Plaid's Brexit spokesman Hywel Williams MP said it would be "irresponsible and dangerous" if the prime minister were to "bulldoze her disastrous Brexit mirage through, against the will of three of the four members [of the UK]".

Mr Williams added:

 "This is not an attempt to derail Brexit - it is an attempt to make sure Wales and the other UK member countries have a say.
"Every national parliament should be involved in this process, not just Westminster."
A Welsh Government spokesman said the administration had "grave concerns" about the proposed legislation. 

"There are still serious questions of how Westminster plans to honour the referendum while safeguarding the economy and respecting devolution and the established powers of the Welsh Government,"
and yet when they are given  the opportunity to  actually have the interest of Wales taken into account  "Welsh" Labour MP obey Jeremy Corbyn who himself is a supporter of Brexit  to abstain .

How can "Welsh" Labour in the Assembly call for a Welsh say in Brexit when their Westminster collogues refuse to back an amendment   to do exactly that.

For Corbyn and his supporters  (whether they back his Brexit stance or not) defending the Union is more important than leaving Welsh democracy open to a power grab from Westminster but also the ruination of an already fragile economy.

There is no such thing as "Welsh" Labour when they obey their London Masters and treat Wales as just a UK region that has and (should not have) no voice. 


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