Gordon Brown expected to reveal Labour plan for more devolution to Wales early next month
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown will reveal his party’s plan for the constitutional future of the UK which is expected to include more devolution for Wales – alongside Scotland and Northern Ireland – early next month.
Labour leader Keir Starmer is expected to accept the proposals in the plan which has been the subject of internal debate within the leadership of the party over the summer.
The plans also include the devolution of significant new economic powers to the regions of England. The content of some aspects of the plan have already been divulged, including by Keir Starmer himself and his deputies.
This week Keir Starmer revealed that part of the plan was to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with an elected chamber that is “‘truly representative” of the different nations and regions of the UK.
Speaking in the Senedd last month, Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford said that Gordon Brown’s plan would “entrench” devolution.
“So they cannot be rolled back in the way that we have seen since 2019,” he said.
“I think there are a series of practical ways in which that can be done and when the Gordon Brown report on the future arrangements of the United Kingdom is published, I think we will see a number of those practical ideas.
“I’m not going to rehearse them this afternoon necessarily, but they are there.”
‘Deeper and broader’
Last night the shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves was due to make the case for “deeper and broader” economic devolution to give communities across the north of England the tools to “lead in the growth industries”.
Labour’s shadow chancellor is set to stress the need for “more local powers” over the economy in a speech to the Great Northern Conference in Manchester on Wednesday.
Ms Reeves was expected to say: “We have been far too timid about economic devolution.
“So, in the next Labour government, (shadow communities secretary) Lisa Nandy and I will ensure that economic devolution is both deeper and broader.
“This will give communities more control over their future and enable them to contribute more to our country’s economic growth.”
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Pat McFadden eventually stood in for Rachel Reeves to make the speech after she was taken ill.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
This is the Labour that does not believe the Elder nations should be PERMITTED to choose our own destiny, yes?
The Labour that is a tool of the oppressors, just as much as the Tories?
THAT Labour?
Oh yes, masters, thank you very much for those crumbs from your table masters. Your shoes are getting dirty masters. Would you like to stand on my neck?!
Scumbags
Is there anyone still listening to Gordon Brown??
Oh wow! I can’t wait to hear about the Unionists’ plan for Cymru….sorry Wales, let us not upset them. On a scale of 1 to 100 how would you rate Gordon Brown, and do you really trust him and Starmer?
Alas will probably be worth about as much as the ‘Vow’ Labour made when it looked like the unionists were going to lose the 2014 scottish indy referendum – and then threw in the dustbin soon as the result was in!
Not again! Dim eto!
GTF Gordon
.
The neck of this man!
This is the man who promised untold riches for Scotland for voting no then scurried back to London to lay the foundations of the financial crisis and a tory government.
Oh….and then didn’t have the balls to defend his Westminster seat, won by the SNP with a thumping majority
I don’t believe a word this man says and neither should the people of Cymru – and the people of Scotland even more so.
His plan has already failed given that he is not going to create a devolved English Parliament and Government.
Create an English Parliament, give all four Parliaments the same responsibilities and powers. Including the powers for independence referendums, and a veto over trade deals that affect devolved areas. Make things simple for people to know who is responsible for what areas, help the media reorganise their coverage of UK and national news.
Instead, he will return to regional English Parliaments (or some other regional authority) that make it look like Scotland and Wales are an English region.
The only thing Gordon Brown is really interested in is the survival of his beloved British Labour Party.
English Labour! There is only one British party and that’s PC
Hard to disagree with the above comments…however, I despise Adam Price (and RaI) so I will probably hold my nose and loan Labour my vote in the next election…with the hope of further devo.
Indy will only come step by step….as we don’t have an electable indy supporting party!!
I won’t comment on Adam Price – Cymru’s Deputy First Minister.
However, your second sentence hits the spot. Whatever pretence Plaid Cymru might make of it, the ridiculous “Independence” document it published a while ago is quite clear, the party’s aim is federalism, NOT independence.
No mention of Lee Waters’ rudeness in the Senedd yesterday, has MD put a D notice on N.C reporting the matter?