The debate and statement on the Queen’s speech in the National Assembly yesterday saw Labour and Plaid Cymru members in a massive sulk. They jeered, they tried to shout down views they did not agree with and in some cases they maintained a constant stream of vitriolic comment from the sidelines as others tried to discuss the issues.
What was most noticeable though was the way that the Welsh governing parties voted together. Under the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition in 2000-03 the agreement was that we voted together on matters relating to the governance of Wales but on UK debates such as the Queen’s speech we would go our own way. After all we were not in coalition at a Westminster level. On today’s evidence Plaid Cymru and Labour might as well merge tomorrow.
These were the measures that the two parties voted against together with my comments:
Welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to reduce the income tax burden on people in Wales, and across the UK, by increasing the personal tax allowance.
Labour and Plaid clearly do not care to help the low paid.
Welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to ensuring the basic state pension increases in line with earnings, prices or 2.5%.
Surely this is Labour policy
Welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to make fair and transparent payments to Equitable Life policy holders who have suffered losses.
No surprise as Labour did not make this commitment when in government but what is Plaid’s objection?
Welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to hold a referendum on the Alternative Vote system for elections to the House of Commons.
Labour policy I believe.
Welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to give voters the right to recall their MP where they are guilty of serious misconduct.
Another Labour manifesto promise
Welcomes the UK government’s intention to reform the House of Lords with a House that is elected wholly or mainly on the basis of proportional representation.
Labour policy again
Welcomes the UK government’s commitment to cancel ID cards and repeal other unnecessary and intrusive laws.
Hardly surprising Labour opposed this but why did Plaid Cymru vote against?
Welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to fundamental human rights by ending the detention of children for immigration purposes.
Plaid AMs actually made a point of supporting this in the debate and then voted against it.
Welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to deliver a framework for financial regulation that ensures sustainable and responsible banking.
I suppose given Labour’s record on regulating the banks and Plaid’s inability to see beyond the Welsh border it was inevitable that they would vote this down.
All in al it was a bizarre day full of such inconsistencies. Do Labour and Plaid Cymru really think that the public will tolerate this sort of behaviour indefinitely?
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Will Kirsty now become deputy Leader of the Con-Lib opposition in the Assembly?
Out of interest what was your reason for not putting up comments on yesterday’s piece? I didn’t think that I was rude in any way. Seems like censorship.
Seriously, why are we paying you lot to sit there and pass or reject motions congratulating the UK government? I’m pretty sure the House of Commons don’t sit in London voting on whether they want to congratulate the Welsh Government or not.
What help were any one of those votes on whether you congratulate the UK government or not to the people of Wales? Get on with dealing with devolved issues will you please.
If you look at Plaid’s voting record since the Assembly was established Plaid has never, ever supported a vote in favour of the Queen’s Speech, last November Plaid supported some Lib Dem amendments that negated the “we welcome the Queen’s speech” stance of the original motion, and voted differently to their coalition partners.
Isn’t it a bit silly to expect Plaid to change their voting pattern of opposing every Queen’s Speech just because there are Lib Dems in Government? ( If they had I’m sure that you would have condemned them for doing an U Turn!)
Twm: I have only had one comment to the Right to Breathe piece yesterday and have now put that up. I have been in Llandudno and not near a computer. There is no opposition coalition in the Assembly. Unlike Labour and Plaid (and you) we can distinguish between the two institutions. There are in fact two opposition parties in the Assembly operating independently of each other.
Alwyn, I was not asking Plaid to support the Queen’s speech but specific amendments. They have voted for amendments before as you point out.
Griff, the Assembly discusses the Queen’s speech as the bills directly impact on our functions and on the powers of Ministers and the Assembly itself.