Wednesday 10 June 2020

Are the Tories about to join "Abolish the Assembly/Senedd" crowd for 2021 election

Can the Welsh Tories be about to go down the "Abolish the Assembly Senedd" Path ?
Despite gaining six seats compared to the 2017 general election,bringing their number up to 14 recent , there was marked fall of support in the last Welsh opinion poll, they are still set to gain  seats in the Senedd Election next years

Senedd:
Labour: 25 seats (21 constituency, 4 regional) - 4Conservatives: 19 seats (11 constituency, 8 regional) + 7Plaid Cymru: 15 seats (7 constituency, 8 regional) +4Liberal Democrats: 1 seat (1 constituency)Other/ Brexit/Ukip 0 seats -7


According to the BBC the  the review will be of their structure, functions and operations in Wales.
It follows a series of incidents where the party organisation was felt to have reacted poorly to internal problems.
Alun Cairns resigned as Welsh Secretary and his former aide, Ross England, was deselected as a Senedd candidate as a result of Mr England's role in the collapse of a rape trial.
The review is taking place less than a year before the next Senedd election.
The party was also criticised after attempts to discipline Monmouth Senedd member Nick Ramsay were overturned by the courts.
The review is being carried out by the director of the Scottish Conservatives, Lord McInnes, who has been asked to recommend any changes that would strengthen the party as a "modern, effective campaigning force in Wales".
Party members have been asked to submit their views and evidence by the middle of this month.
The review is the first to be held by the Welsh party since 1997 and its Welsh leadership - Paul Davies, Simon Hart and Lord Davies of Gower - insist that it is being carried out at a "politically strong point when the party in Wales should be looking forward with optimism".

But can the "review" be a cover for a major shift on attitudes to devolution?

Despite the recent fall in opinion polls , the Tories are still in their strongest position for years in Wales and  yet despite their constant criticism of the Welsh Government response and that we should emulate the Westminster response in England. to the Corana-19 Virus , the Welsh People seem to be trusting the road taken by Mark Drakeford and not Boris Johnson.

There have been a number of Twitter Feeds from Tories MP , who seem to be suggesting that the boarder between Wales and England, should not result in different laws being enacted and England should be in the driving seat.

If this was to transform into more support for devolution and for Wales to follow Scotland , then the Tories may think that their future lies in strengthening the Union by campaigning for a reversal of devolution and even abolishing the Senedd .

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