New minister admits Welsh Government seen as ‘distant’ and out of touch

Ella Groves, ICNN Senedd Reporter

Renewing trust in the government and constitutional reform are key priorities for Wales’ new minister for government effectiveness.

Dafydd Trystan Davies, who was appointed to the role last month, is responsible for supporting oversight of the cabinet office, overseeing the government’s priorities, and constitutional affairs.

Addressing Senedd Members on Tuesday June 23, Dr Trystan Davies said: “Trust and confidence in government is hard-earned but easily lost. The Welsh Government, over recent years, has lost the trust of the people of Wales.

“There has been a perception that it is distant, talking rather than listening, promising rather than doing, and failing to reflect the priorities of the nation.

“This government is determined to reverse that trend, restoring trust by delivering on the commitments we have made and ensuring change that people across Wales can see and feel.”

He emphasised the importance of constitutional reform, stressing that it is not an “abstract concept” but is instead about “whether we have the powers, the resources and the tools to deliver better outcomes for our people.”

Dr Trystan Davies also discussed plans to establish a standing national commission on the constitution to “support informed, inclusive, and deliberative engagement on Wales’s future.”

He confirmed he will be heading to Belfast on Wednesday June 24 for his first inter-ministerial standing committee, where he hopes to achieve “positive and productive conversations” with colleagues from all four governments across the UK.

Closing his statement to the Siambr, the minister said: “My aim is to turn purpose into progress, progress into better outcomes, and better outcomes into renewed trust in the government across Wales.”

‘Constitutional obsession’

Much of the discussion in the Siambr focused on Plaid Cymru’s plans for constitutional reform.

Reform’s Adrian Mason, who is his party’s shadow constitution minister, questioned the constitutional change proposed by Dr Trystan Davies

He said: “Plaid Cymru needs to understand that the people of Wales have had enough of constitutional obsession.

“They want shorter NHS waiting lists, they want better schools, they want decent transport, safer communities and an economy that works.

“They do not want public money, civil service time and political attention diverting to yet another stage of the separatist obsession.”

Noting he was a “little at a loss” at Mr Mason’s comments, Dr Trystan Davies said his priorities are forming a “better government” and “doing things differently”.

Regarding the constitution, he said: “What I set out in my questions last week, and I have reiterated today, is that I seek powers not for power’s sake, but for a purpose.

“Where there is a clear and definitive improvement that we can make to the lives of the people of Wales, if it is on water, if it is on railways, if it is on policing, then I will make that case and we will deliver improvements to the lives of the people of Wales.

“Because if this Senedd is about anything, it is about improving the lives of the people of Wales and that is the focus of this government.”

Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar echoed Mr Mason’s position on constitutional reform.

Mr Millar said: “It doesn’t surprise me, because we know that that’s your obsession. It’s not the obsession of the people of Wales.”

He continued: “They want to make sure that they can see a GP on time, that an ambulance turns up on time, that they can get their treatment on time in a hospital.

“They want to make sure that the next generation have high-quality education, and then the opportunity to get into a decent, well-paid job.

“They want to see people off welfare benefits and back into work.

“And they want to make sure that they can live in a country that is clean, that also is a powerhouse as far as the economy is concerned.”

In his response to Mr Millar, the cabinet minister did not address his comments on constitutional reform.

Labour’s democracy spokesperson, Huw Thomas, also pressed the minister – although his comments were slightly more positive.

Noting that he will share many views with the minister about which powers should be transferred from Westminster to Wales, Mr Thomas welcomed the Dr Trystan Davies’ commitment to “resetting” the relationship with Westminster.

However, he added that for Welsh Labour: “Devolution doesn’t end, or shouldn’t end, in Cardiff Bay.”

He continued: “It was never and should never be about replacing one form of centralisation with another; it’s about putting power back into people’s hands, to give people more of a say and to help us all make the changes we want to see, faster”.

Describing himself as a “devolved socialist”, Dr Trystan Davies added that he and his party agree with the principle of devolving power to lower levels of government.

‘Waste of money’

Mr Millar also quizzed the minister on how he plans to fund new measures discussed in his statement.

Referring to the proposed commission on the constitution, Mr Millar questioned where the money to fund it would be coming from and who the members of the body would be.

The Conservative leader then told the Siambr that it “doesn’t really matter” because “every one” of the reports will say “’we need more powers because we haven’t got the tools to do the job’, because it’s the stock answer of every commission that’s ever been set up in Wales that looks at the constitution”.

He continued: “The reason for that is because you appoint people, and the previous government appointed people, and they paid those people, and those people play to the tune of the people that pay them, because that’s the way these commissions and these other organisations that are so-called independent are set up.”

Mr Millar described the commission as a “waste of money” and suggested the funds would be better spent on the NHS, schools, or roads.

He concluded his response to the minister by asking: “Why don’t you set some targets and tell us what on earth this nonsense is going to cost?”

Mr Millar was accused by Dr Trystan Davies of doing the members of the independent commission a “disservice” with his suggestion that they will simply say what the government wants.

He added: “I don’t know how much time you’ve spent with the former archbishop, Rowan Williams, but the suggestion that he would come to a view because he was being paid by a particular government I think does the commission a disservice, and those members of the commission.”

Costings

However, the minister did not lay out costings for the commission in his response.

Reform’s Llŷr Powell similarly pushed for clear costings, noting that both the Labour and Conservative spokespeople had asked and not received an answer.

He said: “On a day when you’re laying a budget forward that’s going to be taking money potentially away from what was allocated for additional learning needs, I think the people of Wales deserve an answer on how much this commission is going to cost.”

Dr Trystan Davies responded: “The independent commission on the constitution, I am informed by officials, cost £1.5 million last time, and there is a budget that has been part of the budget line of the previous government on that.

“As members will be aware, I’ve committed to look at the effectiveness of all government spending, and therefore that will clearly be part of our progress.”

Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: “We had our last commission two years ago, and they reported really clearly: further powers, further devolution. I totally agree with that.

“But it’s really concerning to see and hear again that Plaid Cymru are going to launch another. I’m really concerned to know from you what that’s going to cover.”

Dr Trystan Davies confirmed he would be updating the Senedd in “due course” on the commission’s arrangements and outlining the different areas of its work.

He said: “The innovating democracy advisory group has done very important work in looking at participative democracy in Wales.

“Building on that work, there is an opportunity there for us to develop that further.”