Tory MS denies UK Gov is ‘incapable of operating properly’ amid partygate turmoil
A Tory MS has denied that the UK Government is “incapable of operating properly”, amid partygate turmoil.
Darren Millar, the Conservative Senedd member for Clwyd West, has defended Boris Johnson’s beleaguered administration after criticism from the Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
The UK Prime Minister has faced calls to resign following reports reports of boozy parties being held in Downing Street during lockdown, a defection of an MP from the Conservatives to Labour, and allegations that Tory MPs have been “blackmailed” into dropping their opposition to UK Government policies.
During a debate in the Senedd, Millar pointed to the publication of a report on intergovernmental relations as evidence of the UK Government “operating properly”.
The First Minister Mark Drakeford replied by suggesting that in the “privacy of his own committee rooms” that Millar “himself would recognise that this is not a good time for the UK Government”
He said that the “ability” of the Tory administration” to live up to the ambitions” in the report of the has “inevitably” been “compromised by the events”, adding that it has “turned in on itself in order to try to find a way through the mess of its own making.”
Darren Millar said: “Of course, the UK Government, First Minister, has delivered a world-beating vaccination programme that has been of great benefit to people across Wales, and it’s also released significant resources across the country to help businesses and individuals overcome the challenges of the pandemic.
“And in spite of your assertion that it’s incapable of operating properly, it actually released the report on the review of inter-governmental relations last week.
“As you said in your initial answer to the Member for Clwyd South, you welcomed warmly the publication of that report, because of course it will change the working arrangements between governments across the UK and hopefully will deliver significant improvements for people living and working across the whole of the United Kingdom.
“One of the things that the inter-governmental review did not touch on was the accountability framework behind which the new system of working together could sit. Would you agree with me that we now need to look at an inter-parliamentary body in order to hold the various Governments to account for the new working arrangements to make sure that they really do deliver on the aspirations set out in the review?”
‘Different governments’
First Minister Mark Drakeford replied: “I’ve always believed that the ability to secure vaccines for use across the United Kingdom was better done on a UK basis, although the implementation of vaccination and, of course, the programme that has made use of it have been in the hands of the different governments of the United Kingdom.
“All of those things I have no difficulty in acknowledging. I imagine that, in the privacy of his own committee rooms, the Member himself would recognise that this is not a good time for the UK Government, and its ability to live up to the ambitions of the IGR is inevitably compromised by the events of recent times and the way in which the UK Government has turned in on itself in order to try to find a way through the mess of its own making.”
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Talk about floggin’ a dead horse, tories refuse to admit to anything.
If that’s his idea of a government operating normally, I’d hate to see his idea of chaos!
Kick all Tories out of wales 🏴
Darren Millar couldn’t even lead the Welsh Tory party effectively when Andrew RT Davies was away on leave let alone try to convince all that his English overseers at Whitehall are capable of governing after Partygate.
Conservative clown Boris Johnson & idiocracy are an international laughing stock. Have zero credibility. And I prey for the day when Scotland takes the next step by becoming an independent country and Wales follows their lead to freedom.
Mr Millar, following page one of the Tory play book, talks about the “world beating vaccine programme ” lol, it’s the go to line of every Tory in office. I was expecting the old “we got Brexit done ” line as well, but looking at the mess in Dover right now, maybe I can understand why he let that one go. Please try harder Mr Millar, maybe a new catchphrase next time.
Darren remains a hard working local MS who believes in devolved governance in his very mixed home patch which the Labour Party have lost their way in. He is faced with an M4 based Tory party leadership and a party drifting to the right plus an active Brexit / X UKIP section within the Colwyn Bay patch which is the home area of the MP David Jones – somewhat to the right of his natural inclinations. His Christian views and local community roots in Kinmel Bay and Abergele must be telling him that the time for the moral degeneration at… Read more »
I wonder if it’s Blackmail or arse licking that’s keeping Miller on the party line. It certainly ain’t brains.
I’d say that couldn’t organize a p**s-up in a brewery, but obviously, they are very very good at arranging p**s-ups. Just not at governing in the interests of the Union, only in the interests of their friends and supporters.