Commenting on the Joint Statement in the Response to the All Wales Convention, issued by Welsh Labour today,
Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said:
“Labour today outlined their desire to stall a decision on a referendum until after the general election, making the Autumn referendum all other parties desire, impossible to deliver. Rhodri Morgan and Peter Hain have dealt a body blow to devolution in Wales, seeking to take control of a process all other parties wish to see move forward in the early new year.”
“Plaid Cymru, who joined with Labour on the promise of a referendum in 2011, must now be furious. I call on Plaid Cymru to challenge Labour’s position for the sake of devolution in Wales. This is one issue Plaid Cymru cannot choose to roll over and prop up their coalition partners . It is also critical that whoever replaces Rhodri Morgan as Leader of Welsh Labour is able to stand up to Peter Hain and reject the statement Welsh Labour have issued today.”
Update: The Presiding Officer has circulated legal advice on the process that will need to be followed before a referendum can be held on moving to Part Four of the Government of Wales Act 2006. The key passage is as follows:
It is extremely difficult to see how the legal and administrative steps for a referendum under section 104 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 to be held can be completed before the impending UK general election unless the Assembly were to resolve, virtually immediately, that a referendum should be held. If this were possible, a referendum could be held in the Autumn of 2010.
If the Assembly were not immediately to resolve that a referendum should be held (or other exceptional measures taken to compress the necessary steps into the period before a dissolution of Parliament) then, provided the process is triggered by a resolution early in 2010, it would be possible (but entirely dependent on a high priority being given to the necessary Order by the incoming SoS) for an Order to be made between the election of a new Parliament and the beginning of the summer recess. If so, this, again, could enable a referendum to be held in the Autumn of 2010.
If neither of the possibilities set out in paragraphs 15 and 16 are realised then the need to complete the necessary legal and administrative steps means that the earliest date on which a referendum could be held would be the Spring of 2011.
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