Welsh Labour Conference: Delegates back further devolution from the UK party
Welsh Labour Party members and affiliated groups have passed a motion in favour of further devolution from the UK party.
Alyn and Deeside MS, Jack Sargeant spoke in favour of the motion to further devolve the rulebook to Welsh Labour, at their spring conference in Llandudno over the weekend.
Mr Sargeant told Nation.Cymru that he is delighted with yesterday’s (12 March) result.
“It was a really positive conference in Llandudno. The weekend was another clear endorsement of Mark Drakeford’s bold leadership of Welsh Labour.
“I am really pleased with the decisiveness of the vote; it demonstrates how united Welsh Labour are on this issue. I am confident that the UK party will want to respond in a way that shows they are listening to Wales.”
He said the motion is about protecting, and strengthening, the uniqueness of Welsh Labour.
“We are Welsh, we are bold and we are successful and yesterday’s conference motion is the next step in securing our future as the bold and unique party we are proud to be.”
Work will now take place to take the successful proposal to the UK Labour conference in September.
It would then be up to UK Labour to give permission to further devolve the rulebook to Welsh Labour.
The motion to conference was tabled by four Constituency Labour Party (CLPs) branches: Ceredigion; Ynys Môn; Montgomeryshire and Clwyd South.
Ken Skates, Welsh Labour MS for Clwyd South said he didn’t oppose the motion put forward by his CLP, but he didn’t believe Welsh Labour should separate from UK Labour.
More devolution
Opening the debate on ‘Devolution in the 21 Century’ on day two of the conference, former UK Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown referred to the Labour Party’s Report on the Commission on the UK’s Future.
“Under its recommendation, the next Labour government will … entrench the devolution settlement (to) ensure that no Tory government in Westminster could ever again over rule and undermine devolution at will.
“All the powers that apply to Scotland could be applied to Wales when, and if, your party and government desires and demand.”
New powers
Gordon Brown told delegates that the next Labour Government in Westminster will give new powers to the Senedd, including the devolution of policing and justice.
Speaking about vulnerable women in the prison system, Jenny Rathbone MS said: “Sending women to prison for non-violent offences is unbelievably expensive, and completely ineffective – it’s just creating a new generation of traumatised young people.
“I absolutely support the devolution of justice and policing but I think we need to ensure that we get the devolution of probation, and of youth justice, in the first year of the UK Labour Government.
“The savings to the Ministry of justice will come from nor sending people to prison (costing) £60,000 a year.”
For the last 10 years, Alun Michael, has been Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales.
The former First Minister spoke about the “democratic deficit” that exists due to policing and justice not being devolved to Wales, and the need for it to be scrutinised by the Senedd.
Mr Michael said: “The devolution of youth justice is overdue and urgent but let’s be united and confident in seeking devolution of policing and criminal justice with an early decision and time-line for delivery.
“We can make the criminal and justice system in Wales the most effective and efficient it can be, but also the fairest.”
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They should be completely cut off. They call themselves Welsh Labour yet are registered in England. False advertising and lies.
These are very welcome developments. Please make sure, Welsh Labour, that you stick to it and don’t allow the ‘UK’ Labour to water it down this time.
It’s Jack Sargeant again preparing himself to take over as First Minister. There’ll be a lot of people who will fall for these few scraps of extra power. Why not give Wales independence? They won’t because they need Wales to get into power. Like they always have they only care about Wales when it’s in their interest. That’s why they call us Wales – Slaves! The people in Wales never learn. Labour are no different to the Conservatives. Both Unionists!
I agree, the Labour party in Cymru are merely a subset of the British Labour party and are unionist to their core. The chances of Labour winning a majority of seats in England in a UK general election are remote. They need to be propped up by Scottish and Cymru labour seats. Also, it is shameful that the Labour party has won a majority in the UK general elections in Wales for the last 100 years yet we’re still amongst the poorest in western Europe. When will we all wake up and realise that voting Labour typically results in a… Read more »
England Is Not Britain! It’s English Labour, not British Labour. And the reason they want Wales is 1. all the gold deposits. Wales still sits on some Major deposits!, and 2. The title British, they can only claim it for themselves while Wales is a Part of the Uk. Obviously they will always be geographically British, England that is, but Historically and Culturally. That great Honour goes to the Britons of Wales.
Oh the irony of Calling British Labour “Welsh” and English Labour British.
100 years of Labour rule is a long time.
What if we’re only half way through this age?
Opposition parties in Wales need to change tactics.
Wasn’t it the labour party that stole the money from the disaster fund that was for children’ that were killed in the aberfan disaster and used that money make the tips safe that had killed them. Absolutely disgusting
No amount of new devolution is going to deliver us from poverty, the poverty that Westminster created in our country. Until we’ve untied ourselves completely from London’s rule we will never fully prosper. Sooner or later ‘Welsh’ Labour will have to realise this. It will be better for all of us if they do it ‘now’ rather than later.
No thanks, it’s a trick to make the Welsh believe they control something. In reality we have no say in our own international matters. That is left down to the Uk government, which in reality is Englands government. We. want. Independence. We can’t expect, or demand respect from others if we don’t even respect ourselves and our nation.
I think the NHS would be better as a UK wide organisation. You only have to look at the areas of Wales without adequate medical facilities. Everything else 100% devolution max.