Speaking after the meeting of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday, David Davies MP (no, not that one) likened the future of the UK to the ill-fated Titanic, saying “It’s just a question of how long it takes to sink.”
I don’t tend nor like to give credence to the statements of politicians who claim £2,000 from taxpayers for a family business, or who thinks the torture of suspected Al Qaeda or Taliban terrorists is “a bonusâ€. It’s not even a very tasteful metaphor, when the news is still peppered with the ongoing search for missing souls in a maritime accident.
But on the day nominations close for the Plaid Cymru leadership, after Wyn Jones indicated he would stand down after disappointing 2011 election results, it’s pleasant to turn from Scotland to Wales, to see how devolution discussions are panning out there.
Davies’ comments are an interesting insight into the sheer irritation some Tories must have with a nation’s quest for devolution.
The Silk Commission was established in October 2011, to review both the fiscal and general powers of the Welsh Assembly. It will report on fiscal powers this autumn, looking mainly at whether the Senedd should take more responsibility for raising finance rather than from the block grant. It will then make recommendations on the Assembly’s other powers the year after.
In a similar sort of way to the commission on the West Lothian Question, it is the coalition’s preferred way to try to answer the issues developing around devolution, deriving from the original deal between Clegg and Cameron. Three members of the committee – chairman Paul Silk, Noel Lloyd and Dyfrig Jones – appeared before the Select Committee chaired by Davies this week.
And the Titanic jibe was not Davies’ only outburst. While chairing the Committee, Davies basically told Commission Chairman Paul Silk to get on with it:
“Could I suggest we could save £1m by you issuing a report now calling for lots of extra powers for the Welsh Assembly,†he said, because it “Is inevitably going to happen anyway.”
I doubt Davies’ ‘sod it’ attitude will sit well with the supposed unionist mantra of ‘stronger together’. It would be interesting to know how many of his fellow party members share the same view. At least it’s good to know the idea of more powers for Wales is an irritant to some on the government benches. After all, two stinging gadflies of nations pestering and positioning and petitioning for more powers are harder to ignore than one.
#1 by Indy on January 26, 2012 - 9:46 am
That gave me a wee laugh actually when I read it. Perhaps someone slipped a truth drug into Mr Davies’ tea when he wasn’t looking?
#2 by Marcus Warner on January 26, 2012 - 11:46 am
Ha. As a Welshy who lives on the border of David’s constituency, I think you have to see the nature of his comments for what they are – knockabout. To be fair to DD, he is the go-to guy if you want anti-devolution, hang and flog ’em, immigrant/muslim ‘debate’, low tax comment in Wales.
The substance of his comments essentially means he is complaining that not enough groups subscribe to his view and that this means there should be some balancing – yes, it is special pleading because not many people agree with you.
I think he is trying to use the titanic analogy to spread fear and loathing, the simply fact (unfortunately IMHO) is that Wales is going to be given some more powers, but nowhere near what the Scots even had at the start of devolution regardless of what I hope will be a yes vote.
It’s funny how someone like David Davies does not support the idea of ‘no representation without taxation’ for the Welsh Assembly, as well as being a former AM of course.
#3 by Christian Schmidt on January 26, 2012 - 3:25 pm
Yep, Wales is already travelling down the slippery slope: We only had our referendum on law-making powers for the Assembly in March, the next commission is already set up, and as soon as somebody comes up with a Devo-max or Devo-plus proposals there will be widespread demands for Wales to get 80% of them too.
And in contrast to Scotland, there is no grand unionist coalition (that opposes any further steps just because) in sight. Carwyn Jones might be opposed to independence (and his idea that Wales should play a role in the Scottish debate is just barmy), but he and Welsh Labour are quite happy to travel along the slope for a bit further. And even the Welsh Tories under their former leader Nick Bourne (who lost his seat in the Assembly because of conservative gains) campaigned in favour of law-making powers in March. This means that in contrast to Scotland, where further devolutionist do not appear to be represented by any party, in Wales it is actually the unionist dinosaurs like Mr Davies who can feel a bit lonely.
#4 by Stephen Glenn on January 27, 2012 - 12:14 am
Maybe we should invite him over here to Belfast. I’m sure there is still some concrete at the Titanic Signature Project we could still lose him in.
She was a’right when she left here!