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Tories warned not to try the Big Brother Approach in Wales
Welsh Labour leadership candidate Edwina Hart has warned the Tories to keep their hands off the devolution process in Wales, after hearing that they want a “much more cohesive” approach when it comes to relationships between Westminster and Cardiff.
Reacting to reports from the Tory conference in Manchester Edwina said she was horrified to hear what David Cameron and Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan have been saying to the Welsh Conservative rank and file.
“I’m all in favour of cohesion, and I think that what we’re doing with Welsh MPs and Welsh Ministers at the moment is the right approach. Our own Labour MPs work closely and sensitively with Labour AMs in Wales to reach a consensus.
“The Tories are now suggesting that Government departments and Government Ministers throughout Whitehall monitor everything we do. It’s a system which is wide open to abuse, and we might end up wondering whether the devolution settlement we have at the moment is worth the paper it’s written on.”
Edwina Hart also accused David Cameron of double standards. “He claims that he wants to devolve as much power out of Westminster to local government as possible. Yet he wants to pay us regular visits in Cardiff, to see how we’re getting on. It sounds to me as if he wants to adopt the big brother approach. Doesn’t he trust his own people in Cardiff Bay to act as an effective opposition?
The Welsh people should be aware of what they’re trying to do, and if I become leader of the Welsh Labour Party I will do everything I can to put a stop to it.”
8 October 2009
