Senedd roundup: English MP calls for Welsh Parliament to be abolished – so he can go to the beach
An English Conservative MP has called for the Welsh Parliament to be abolished, so that he can go to the beach.
Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury, said that the different coronavirus restrictions in Wales, which bar people from travelling away from their local area, meant that English people couldn’t visit their closest beach.
However, the closest beach to Shrewsbury, both by distance and travel duration, is in the Wirral rather than in Wales.
“The current gap emerging over this crisis results in the Prime Minister saying to my constituents you can now go for a walk on the beach, but you are prohibited from going across the frontier to get to our nearest coast,” Daniel Kawczynski said.
“I am sorry, but the time has come to reach out as Conservatives to large numbers of like- minded citizens in Wales who like us believe in one system for both nations.
“We must work towards another referendum to scrap the Welsh Assembly and return to one political system for both nations – a political union between England and Wales.”
A further five people with coronavirus have died in Wales bringing the overall total of people known to have died 1,116.
Public Health Wales has confirmed 124 new cases, meaning there are now 11,468 known cases of Covid-19 in Wales. 1,314 tests were carried out over the last 24 hours.
Face masks in Wales ‘will not be mandatory’
First minister Mark Drakeford has ruled out making the wearing of non-medical face masks in public mandatory in Wales.
Mr Drakeford said advice from the chief medical officer in Wales was that there was only a “marginal public health case” for the measure.
He said: “It doesn’t protect you, the wearer, from anybody else, but it may protect other people from the risk of you infecting them.”
Accepting there was a case for the public to wear masks if it made them feel more confident and it was a non-medical face covering and they “were not competing” with people who needed them in a medical setting, he also stressed that if people were showing symptoms of Covid-19 they should not be out in public wearing a face covering, but should be self-isolating at home.
On Monday afternoon the UK Government revealed that in England People should wear a face covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible, and they come into contact with others that they do not normally meet.
The move announced in a newly published 60-page document called Our Plan to Rebuild is aimed at preventing people who have the virus but are not experiencing symptoms from passing it on to others.
The chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, stressed that face coverings were “not a substitute” for physical distancing and urged the public not to buy surgical or medical masks, needed for frontline carers, but to rely on scarves or DIY-type masks instead.
Call for government to “ramp up” communications to address lockdown messaging confusion
Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Health Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has called on the Welsh Government to “ramp up” its communications output to ensure that there is “no confusion” between lockdown measures operational in Wales and those announced for England.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all announced they would be sticking to the ‘Stay At Home’ messaging for another three weeks with three minor adjustments on the easing of restrictions.
However, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement on Sunday outlined different guidance and messaging for England which included easing of travel and leisure restrictions and permitting people to travel any distance to exercise.
Mr ap Iorwerth expressed concern a media deficit in Wales and confused messaging on where those rules apply could threaten public health.
He said: “In order to address the confusion and clarify the difference between Welsh and English lockdown measures, the Welsh Government must urgently ramp up their communications. This could include increasing advertising in both local, national and London based print press and massively boosting their social media advertising.”
“Our progress in lowering community transmissions should not be allowed to be undermined by confusing messaging from the Westminster Government and a lack of communication from the Welsh Government.”
Boris Johnson’s coronavirus speech on BBC One Wales
Calls for First Minister to outline government’s lockdown exit plan.
Paul Davies MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Opposition in the Senedd, has called for First Minister Mark Drakeford to outline his plan for the future of Wales to deal with Covid-19 following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s proposed changes to the lockdown restrictions in England.
Mr Davies said Johnson’s broadcast on Sunday night “gave the people of the UK hope by giving details of the UK Government’s plan to defeat Covid-19 but to also say how together we can get the economy firing again”.
In a challenge to the First Minister he claimed: “The big difference between England and Wales after last night is that the Prime Minister has set out his clear plan for recovery, which is based on science and is conditional on the R number reducing further. Sadly, so far, the First Minister hasn’t laid out his plan for Wales and yet this is something that Sir Kier Starmer has been demanding in Westminster.
“We also need clarity from the First Minister on the reopening of schools in Wales. Whilst in England it will be based on the progress of reducing the R number, in Wales the Welsh Government has ruled out the re-opening of schools in June altogether. All Governments need to be flexible and listen to the science.
“Fundamentally, the key message hasn’t changed. We all need to stay at home as much as possible and work from home if you can. But after seven weeks of restrictions the people of Wales need hope and aspiration about how and when the lockdown could end, and we need the Welsh Government to deliver this now.”
Mr Drakeford issued a video response to the broadcast from the Boris Johnson and stressed the changes the Prime Minister was making applied only to England. He said: “Our advice has not changed in Wales.
“Wherever you can – you should stay at home.
“If you need to leave home for work, exercise or shopping, you should stay local and stay alert.”
“If you go out, stay local and stay safe.”
Mr Drakeford added: “The health of the public is paramount. It will inform our decisions and we will continue to inform you as we plan for our future in the weeks ahead.”
English drivers warned they could face fines if they drive into Wales
Counsel General Jeremy Miles warned has warned people from England they could face fines if they drive across the border into Wales and breach the Welsh Governments coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
On Sunday evening Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he was relaxing exercise rules in England to allow people to “drive to other destinations” for a walk.
Mr Jeremy Miles warned: “Our regulations do not permit people to get in their car and drive to destinations in Wales.
“And that also means people getting in their cars in England.”
Mr Miles stressed that police in Wales have powers to fine people for making non-essential journeys and not exercising near their homes.
First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed on Friday that from today exercise rules will be relaxed in Wales but although you can now go outside more than once a day people must “stay local”.
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This is outrageous. A an ENGLISH Tory MP calling for the Welsh Assembly to be removed. It is now renamed the Senedd (Parliament) and something we in Wales, can be proud of. Stay home you silly man. You should be accountable for damaging and insulting comments.
Another example of English arrogance from an English MP which will only drive the wedge deeper between us !
If we’re to be honest, I think we have to admit that it will drive the wedge deeper beween some of us, given that there are people in Wales – and not just career or retiree ‘blow-ins’ from England – who do see themselves as British first and Welsh second.
Agree, more depressing, when you have Welsh people calling for the abolition of the Senedd
Some English people, (and some Poles?) will be very worried about their loved ones in Welsh care homes.
If Kawczinski incites people to cross into Wales, as a Catholic he will be aware that this is possibly a mortal sin, with a sentence unimaginable.
That was an angle I hadn’t thought of!
Though as – according to the usually impeccable Wikipedia – he’s divorced, subsequently announced that he’s bisexual, and now says he’s living with a male partner, I’d venture a guess that his status in respect of the church is probably not among his foremost concerns!
I’m catholic, wouldn’t be in his socks for all creation.
You and me both. But since I have David Jones as my MP, I’ve other more immediate fish to fry!
Note to Mr Kawczynski: We do indeed agree that we should have one system for dealing with the virus, but we, in Wales would prefer that it is the Welsh and Scottish and which is clear and to the point rather than the current muddled English thinking.
We would prefer you obey our laws and keep out of Wales for recreational purposes.
Please also note the correct title for the Welsh parliament is not the Welsh Assembly but the Senedd. Thank you.
Off the record, I’d love it if he tried to sneak his way to Abersoch and got caught by our boys in blue.
And was, of course, an ardent promoter of Brexit.
It would seem that “one system’” for multiple nations only applies provided Westminster gets to be in charge. And referendums/referenda only count when that’s the result they give
You can only understand them once you accept that they don’t believe in Wales or Scotland as nations – only as regions of Britain. To them you can only be a ‘proudly Welsh’ if the affirmation means noting fundamentally different from asserting that you’re ‘proudly Yorkshire’ – i.e. that you’re British first and foremost.
In reality and at root, of course, they believe in England and Englishness rather than Britain and Britishness; but they draw no real distinction between the two. To the legendary American’s question ‘Is Wales part of England’ their answer would be ‘yes’.
And that Englishness is always right and the proper locus of power whether the “other” is either bigger or smaller. Antagonism to devolution is rather common amongst Brexit fundamentalists like Kawczynski. It does add up
That’s how I see it too.
An example of which was Johnson’s refusal to point out that his relaxing of the lockdown rules did not apply to Wales, Scotland, and N.Ireland, despite (as you pointed out yesterday) Nicola Sturgeon asking him beforehand to do so. For Wales, see Britain.
The wave of criticism of this (clearly deliberate) ommission has had the desired effect : the TV news channels have spent much of today breaking their backs in bending over backwards to point out that anyone driving their car in England cannot enter Wales or Scotland.
I think that’s the case; but one positive thing that seems to have come out of it is that all the mainstream UK media TV channels have started ponting out that Bunter’s TV message yesterday applies to England, and to England only.
I hadn’t expected that, but it’s very welcome. A small victory!
Me neither, and yes it is.
You don’t expect sense from a donkey when he brays
….and b**ls**t remains b**ls**t whatever the arse it comes from !
‘An English Conservative MP has called for the Welsh Parliament to be abolished, so that he can go to the beach.’
Odd coincidence: I’ve just a few minutes back written a post on another ‘Nation Cymru’ thread predicting exactly this, and setting out some incautious predictions as to the possible course which events might follow.
But I thought that it wouldn’t all start to happen until there’d been a number of ‘stop and turn-rounds’ of English tourists on Welsh roads which made the news. Evidently I was wrong in that; it’s started already.
Had the UK Prime Minister not gone it alone but properly consulted and cooperated with the devolved Govern,ents, his Cabinet and the U.K. Parliament throughout this crisis, the question on hand would never have arisen. His stubborn pseudo Churchillian presentation is unwanted and demeaning of his office and the democratic structures of this country. Unlike some Eastern members of the European Union, it is not U.K. policy to dismantle that which has in law been democratically established and just because the good citizens of Shrewsbury cannot travel from home to Cymru for purposes of leisure and exercise is no reason… Read more »
Thankfully ‘the honourable member for saudi arabia’ has no say in the matter – the governance of wales is a matter for the people of Wales. Also from what im seeing and hearing most people in Wales are in favour of the welsh govt’s more cautious approach on the matter of relaxing the lockdown.
So, the poor saps of Shrewsbury can’t get to a Welsh beach to enjoy their 99’s?
I suggest they go to Heswall or West Kirby. It’s both nearer and still in England.
Even better, he could save himself the petrol and trot down to ‘the Quarry’, that cracking park in the centre of Shrewsbury, down by the Severn. If he wants to be beside the water, he’s got both the river and a nice lake.
And it’ll keep him quarantined among the people who vote for him. No part of Cilgwri (the Wirral!) voted Tory …
Are we moving towards a totalitarian state when a sitting MP calls for a democratically elected parliament to be abolished? The time has come for a federal UK or full independence. This MP needs to be sacked for undermining democracy.
At one time I did favour a federal solution, but events over the past 4 years has demonstrated how deeply ingrained the urge to domineer is within the English Establishment, that Independence has become the only realistic answer.
Plenty of sitting MPs have called for the abolition of the democratically elected European Parliament
The mice that roared.
Frpm beautiful , medieval Shrewsbury.
Please rid us of this turbulent M.P.
How dare he demand to reverse what the Welsh fought for! We have every right to have our own government, we now have devolved powers including Health and local government and I for on am very grateful for this and how they are cautiously handling when is best to relax our lockdown. This racist has never liked fact we have our own government he has said so several times now believing it a waste of money and we should be taken over by England again and have no say again as to how things affect us and just live by… Read more »
He’s an emigre Pole whose mum brought him to the UK as a child and who has signed up to Britishness. From his perspective it’s Britain that counts, not Wales.
It appears your wrong.
I’m not completely surprised by this guy as along with other emigrees in the Tory Party they often try to appease their masters by promoting the same sort of nonsense that existed in Victorian times. I find it even more astounding that he belongs to a party which actively supports the removal of EU nationals when he himself is Polish.
Incredible really isn’t it? Along with Piers Morgan utterly destroying their incompetency I’m beginning to think that I’m living in a parallel world.
With deaths at 32,000 and climbing, what a good time for a bit of distraction and Welsh baiting.
He needs as much distraction as he can muster. I suspect that Boris ‘ time as P.M could be much shorter than the 5 year term he thought he’d secured a few months ago. His own rabble will turn on him when they run out of patience. Instant gratification is a very strong characteristic in this lot despite all the bluster about endurance, patience, resilience etc
Thankfully though since Johnson’s accouncement yesterday I think most people in Wales are siding with Drakeford on the lockdown. Judging from Facebook comments by those who are not necessarily nationalists or have an interest in politics people who very concerned about tourists from across the border.
Stop giving Kawczynski attention. It’s encouraging him.
But ignoring him would be likely to confirm him in his mistaken but comforting belief that the Welsh are unwilling to shoulder the burden of independent political action and that Cymru is bursting with “like-minded citizens…who like us believe in one system for both nations”. Of course there are still some, otherwise Reckless and Hamilton would be wasting their time, but they are out of kilter with majority Welsh opinion now, and this man with no connection to Wales should not go unchallenged when he presumes to act as their champion or spokesman.
The English MP is actually Polish! Bet he didn’t like it when Hitler invaded Poland so we don’t want him invading Wales.
The English MP is actually Polish! I bet he didn’t like it when Hitler invaded Poland- well we don’t want him invading Wales!
Just ignore the Tories – they don’t give a toss about Wales so there is no surprise we are getting derogatory remarks. The Welsh Parliament needs to ramp up it’s presence across every form of media to drown out the idiots trying to remove the lockdown too quickly. To be fair it is trying with Drakeford on C4 news today but a higher profile is still needed. Personally, I thank those who s**g off Wales – why? It will push us to become independent quicker – Wales desparately needs that.
English imperialism isn’t dead then.
At least he’s on his own territory throwing buns across the border. Unlike David Jones conservative MP for Clwyd West, who would like to be in England.
This is the message I just sent to Paul Davies MS in relation to this fool’s comments. **************************************************************************************************** Dear Mr Davies. We’ve had yet anther idiotic comment about Wales from the ENGLISH MP Daniel Kawczynski. As you are no doubt aware he is saying there should be another referendum on whether or not the institution democratically voted for by the people of Wales should be abolished. Could you, as leader of the Welsh Conservatives, explain to him how democracy works and also tell him in no uncertain terms that if our elected government decides that Wales should have different laws… Read more »
It’s good to let off steam. He’ll no doubt have binned it after your first sentence though. Waffle for a few 1000 words then let go at the end next time. That way you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing a tory will have been kept from doing more harm for preciouses more moments.
The reply from Paul Davies. ********************************************** Thank you for your email regarding Daniel Kawczynski’s comments about the Welsh Parliament and devolution. I’m deeply disappointed that those comments were made in the first place and I can assure you that they certainly don’t represent the view of the Conservative Party. In my view, politicians from all parts of the UK should respect that the Welsh Government and Welsh Parliament can and will exercise their constitutional powers, which as you rightly say, were granted through multiple referendums by the people of Wales. If the Welsh Government has chosen to do things differently… Read more »
Another one just sent to the Conservative Party Head Office.
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Yet again Daniel Kawczynski MP is arguing against democracy by asking for another referendum on whether the Welsh Parliament should exist. And why ? Because he wants to be able to drive across Wales to get to the beach.
This bloke is a complete embarrassment and should be reminded that if the democratically elected Welsh Government decides to implement laws in Wales which it is legally entitled to do it’s got nothing to do with him. Especially for such a trivial reason.
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He’s worried about the surge in support for the English Democrats, who want an English Parliament. They are challenging the lockdown saying it is illegal as not being based on any Act of Parliament, but on Prime Ministerial decree. As for Welsh beaches, the biggest thing to help people not to get COVID-19 is Vitamin D. We need those beaches more than ever. Open them now. The Welsh Parliament doesn’t know what they are doing. http://tapnewswire.com/2020/05/vitamin-d-vital-to-defeat-covid-19-acting-as-a-barrier/
Nothing like a bit of sarcasm to brighten up a day. As vitamin D is not exclusive to beaches and there’s not much to do these days, just lighten up a bit more and set your deckchair up in the garden
And you think vitamin D is restricted to beaches? I’m so glad the Senedd knows far more about “the science” than you! You can access the same amount of vitamin D with your daily local exercise!
He call for a political union between England and Wales, more like a political and cultural absorption more like. We had that in the 1500’s with the Act of Union. This nonsense can only happen to Wales, imagine if an English MP, asked for Holyrood to be abolished. The bottom line, the Tory Party, nor the English establishment, have no respect for us whatsoever.
What I can’t get my head around , concerning, Johnson’s announcement on Sunday, is that the word confusion is used a fair bit. Both the FM’s of Scotland and Wales asked, pleaded for a 4 nation approach. Who goes his own way? Johnson. Then there is a big fuss in the London media, regarding the different rules across the border areas of the UK. We haven’t diverged, they have. Result, an English MP, demands the abolition of the Senedd, you couldn’t make it up.
It’s extremely heartening to read the Facebook comments of people from Shrewsbury about their disgust with this idiot’s ramblings. The wording suggests the people commenting are English and they show complete respect for Wales as a country and the right of the Welsh Government to set their own agenda in regard to trying to combat COVID-19.
The only expensive and unnecessary body in this whole discussion is Daniel Kawczynski himself and from the sound of it he’ll be out of a job at the next election. Please God.
Much respect to the people of Shrewsbury.
If this is correct ,he should put a fair amount of thought to this and the ramifications before he puts it into words , seems like he’s going for an American’s crown of stupid