Welsh Labour deputy leader says she doesn’t want policing devolved to Wales
Welsh Labour Deputy Leader Carolyn Harris has said that she doesn’t want policing devolved to Wales, saying that she would rather the powers stayed at Westminster.
Welsh Labour promised to pursue the devolution of policing and justice in their 2021 Senedd manifesto, and its pursual is also included in the co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru.
However, when Labour unveiled its plan for the constitutional future of the UK last week, it only included devolving powers to Wales over youth justice and the probation service.
Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris told Sharp End “I’m not in Cardiff Bay” when questioned by Sharp End presenter Rob Osborne about the discrepancy between the two positions.
Rob Osborne asked: “Devolution of justice coming in the Labour manifesto to Wales?
Carolyn Harris answered: “I’ve no idea, we haven’t discussed the manifesto. It’s something I would have to give some serious thought to.”
Rob Osborne asked: “Police controlled here in Wales? Criminal justice system?”
CH: “I wouldn’t be very enthusiatic to devolve policing.”
RO: “Why not?”
CH: “I just wouldn’t.”
RO: “Your colleagues in Cardiff Bay…”
CH: “Well, I’m not in Cardiff Bay.”
RO: “Are you in tune with what the Welsh Government’s doing? Do you support what the Welsh Government does?”
CH: “Of course I do. But there are some things I would like to stay in Westminster, policing being one of them.”
‘Serious’
In the Senedd on Tuesday Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price asked why the devolution of justice was not included in the Labour constitutional future report.
“The Brown commission recommendation to devolve just youth justice and probation takes us back 10 years in the devolution debate in Wales,” he said.
However, Mark Drakeford said that the report’s recommendations, if carried out, would be an important first step in transferring powers.
“I powerfully welcome the Gordon Brown report, and I powerfully welcome its very specific commitment that the devolution of criminal justice will begin with the next Labour Government,” he said.
“And let’s be clear, Llywydd: only a Labour Government will ever be able to set off on that journey and complete it. The Tories won’t do it, Plaid Cymru can’t do it, only Labour.
“Only Labour is able to deliver that, and the Brown report commits the party to begin that journey. I think it will be a fantastic thing if, in that next term, youth justice and the probation service are both transferred to this Senedd. That will be the start of that process.
“Of course, we want that process to go further. It’s the policy of the Welsh Government that the whole of the criminal justice system should become the responsibility of this Senedd. But every journey begins with the first step, and those steps are very clearly endorsed in the Gordon Brown report.4
“If you were serious about devolution, Llywydd, if you were serious about the powers of this place, you would welcome that first step.”
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Never trust ANYONE with purple hair.
Opps ! Close your eyes 👀 my friend if your passing through Dwyfor Meirionnydd .
I think it’s silver/grey at the moment…
😂. It was purple at Llandudno Conference in October 😱
Is it Carolyn Harris or Mark Drakeford who runs Unionist Labour’s Welsh branch?
It’s KS I’m afraid
Welsh Labour Deputy Leader Carolyn Harris. One question. Why do you not want democratic control of the police and justice system? No country would want their police, justice, law or taxation system to be controlled by another country. Especially if that country has an extreme right-wing regime that despises “consensus” democracy. The UK Tory regime is in the desperate death throes of a stagnant, isolated and racist empire, overwhelmed by its own atrophied ideologies. The only way to proceed to a consensus democracy. A real democratic union is one that is voluntary, a union you can leave at any time, a union… Read more »
Why doesn’t the Welsh Labour leadership represent what your very own party membership want the party to do right now.
Half of your membership want independence for Wales !
That may be true ernie but those members of the labour party in Wales are sadly wasting their time (and their votes) – labour is a british unionist party to its core and will NEVER support independence for Wales
English unionist party
Because they have no sense of self, they genuinely have been led to Believe that Wales isn’t a country, but the UK is. When it’s in fact quite the opposite. Stockholm syndrome with a side order of Amnesia will do that to a person.
The deputy leader of labour’s branch office in Wales not only opposes welsh labour’s own policies but couldnt even give a coherent answer as to why she’s opposed to the devolution of policing to Wales? You seriously have to wonder whether people like this even believe in devolution at all?
Of course not and never have. Eventually one has to get it through the concrete into the brain, that Labour is actually a loyal opposition all dreaming of a shiny black limo and not the good of the people. Branch members must have a go at becoming an MP and getting Cymru out of the sludge. Even if you think you are not clever enough, you would be so much better than the current shysters because you care!
Hi Leigh
She doesn’t. She’s the archetypal labour hack sitting on a big majority.
She’s Swansea East’s “glass of milk” with a red rosette. Why won’t you support this, Carolyn? “I just don’t”. Sparkling repartee from one of our best, that is.
Hi John 👋. Indeed – when have Welsh Labour MPs been any different when it comes to Wales 😢
They don’t believe in our Nationhood! Full stop! if the cost is our erasure from this world, that’s a price they are willing to pay.
She was against one man one vote, another Labour mp who thinks the membership should just put up and shut up, didn’t she get into trouble for handing out her Westminster pass to some dodgy character a few years ago?
I cannot believe she would prefer the anti-Welsh Tories to control our police than a Welsh Labour government, elected by the people of Wales.
If you’ve seen her record as a “serving” MP, you would believe it.
Yeah, really does make you wonder if she/they have ulterior motives?
I think she is anticipating that Starmer will be Prime Minister after the next election. Labour defend devolution as a way of attacking the Tories, once they are back in power in Westminster their enthusiasm for devolution.
Can we assume then that Carolyn Harris is in favour of going to stripping policing powers from the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly? Or is it just Wales thats somehow not capable of making their own decisions in regards to policing matters? Those who believe that Wales is inferior to Scotland and Northern Ireland should be seen for exactly what they are: anti-Welsh bigots!! That applies to both Labour and Tory politicians, regardless if they are born and bred in Wales themselves.
Well, The Scot’s aren’t descendants of the True Britons are they? The Welsh are, hence why Wales is much more of a threat to their Monopoly of this Island.
So the Deputy Leader of the Welsh Labour Party would (in opposition to all Welsh Police Commissioners) prefer far-right populist Suella Braverman to be in charge of Welsh policing than an elected Welsh politician and doesn’t have the guts or ability to explain herself.
Brilliant point 👏
Well said Llyn.
Cat 🐱 out of the bag 💼 I think ?
So you’d rather the Tories exercised those powers over Wales Carolyn?
She may as well say abolish the Senedd, with that stupid attitude. If you don’t want to run your country, get out of politics.
The worst part of it is that some people who want to abolish the Senedd are Labour supporters themselves. They blame everything on devolution yet forget it is THEIR party thats in power.
I have talked to her, she is as unionist as it comes. Mainly because thats where her job is, she only cares about herself
She comes across as a particularly self-serving and out of touch MP. Didn’t she fall asleep in the House of Commons a few years ago? I don’t think she’s particularly motivated or committed to her constituents either.
You want to be in Government but are too scared to take responsibility to govern?
THEN STEP ASIDE and let braver people take your place
One day we’ll “devolve’ back our whole country whatever this silly woman says.
She is an idiot.
She doesn’t have a coherent or constructive argument as to why Policing should not be devolved (like she hasn’t with regards to most other policy areas).
“I just wouldn’t” isn’t an intelligent response.
Unionist acolyte.
Dopey or bought out. Clearly one or the other. By Brown or Starmer though?
Labour MP Carolyn Harris has no right to deny Wales policing powers where England , Scotland & Northern Ireland control their own. At present we have Senedd Cymru legislature bound by English law and a police force controlled by England. In no normal country would this be deemed acceptable. And Yes Carolyn Harris can have air her opinion for against but what she has no business 8n is Interferring in the Plaid/ Welsh Labour agreement that calls for the devolution of policing powers to our Senedd. I’d advise her to stop holding Wales back. Our country suffers because of Unionist… Read more »
Because they don’t want the responsibility for it! Welsh politicians are some of the most backwards thinking on the face of this Earth. Whereas other nations are looking forward to the future with a sense of Pride and Responsibility, we here in Wales must let our so called “betters” to the east do everything for us.
She is a child of the British (English) establishment and wants to keep her perks in the Westminster Parliament and her sense of power over Welsh affairs.