Cheryl Gillan has admitted that the Tories are split on the 'Welsh' question (more here from the exceptionally talented BBC journalist Vaughan Roderick):
SHADOW Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan played down differences of opinion over devolution yesterday, saying no-one expected politicians to be “clones” who always agreed.
The Conservatives have so far struggled to adopt a united front on devolution, with some activists still entirely opposed to the Assembly, and others – including Assembly group leader Nick Bourne – keen to see the institution take on more powers.
Former Minister Lord Roberts of Conwy has produced an internal report for David Cameron on the issue, but its conclusions have been kept under wraps.
Ms Gillan departed from the text of her speech at a fringe meeting in Birmingham yesterday to say: “I think you know... we don’t always agree, but in the Conservative Party we are not clones, but we do share a common purpose, to help us win votes, throughout Wales, together.”
She had been paying tribute to the work of the three Welsh MPs, David Jones, David TC Davies and Stephen Crabb.
Mr Davies has already announced his plans to campaign for a “no” vote if a referendum is held on devolving more power to the Assembly; other Conservatives are known to be in favour.
Ms Gillan added: “There may sometimes be policy disagreements between Westminster and Cardiff – that’s devolution. But as a party we’ve grown and understood more clearly that the lines of communication always need to be kept open.”
She said the current system of bit-by-bit devolution from Westminster to Cardiff was “complex and cumbersome”, and created tensions between Westminster and the Assembly.
She added: “What is clear to me is that the people of Wales are actually not interested in complex legislative arrangements. They want to know whether their children can get into their local school, or if they can get NHS treatment without waiting for weeks.
“They want to know if their local post office is going to close or if they can pay their fuel bills. What the people of Wales care about is delivery.” Labour has been “too preoccupied with the devolution debate, with Rhodri Morgan’s succession, with whether or not to ditch Gordon Brown. They’ve taken their eye off the big picture”, she said.
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2 comments:
How hypocritical that she would have a go at plaid on this issue!
The usual obsession by nationalists with devolution. In current economic circumstances, it is hardly what the vast majority of Welsh people are concerned with. And, no, the additional powers, whethere you want them or not, would make no difference whatsoever, as Ieuan himself has admitted in so many words after coming back from the USA
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