Westminster Labour Party ‘has not caught up with devolution’, says Drakeford
The Labour Party in Westminster “has not caught up with the devolution”, according to Mark Drakeford.
The First Minister made the comments during a webinar hosted by Labour in Communications, in which he called for internal party reforms.
He told the audience at the event, organised by a network of Labour-backing public affairs experts, that there are decisions being made by the party’s ruling body, the NEC, that “patently ought to be made by the Welsh executive”.
He was asked whether his party is properly supporting devolved leaders and involving them in the internal structures of the party.
He said: “I think there are a number of different strands in an answer. One is that the Labour Party itself has not caught up with the devolution that they advocate for government across the United Kingdom.
“There are still decisions made at the NEC [national executive committee] that patently ought to be made by the Welsh executive, because those decisions only apply to people who live and are members of the party here in Wales.
“So, inside the party, there is a job of work to be done in bringing up to date the way that we do our business, to reflect the presence of metro mayors and the presence of devolution.”
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It is apparent that those who act on behalf of UK institutions, governmental, business and others, have failed to understand the rights of devolved nations and regional leadership and continue to ignore or attempt to override them. Whether this is due to ignorance of the changed status, a wilful disregard, or as seems to be the case of many Conservatives in both England and Wales, of an innate sense of superiority which they feel gives them the right to ride roughshod over legal and democratic rights.
It makes little difference at a Westminster level whether it’s Labour or the Tories at the helm. Over the past 40 years the policies of both towards Wales have been dismissive and patronising, but the only real difference is that Labour aren’t anything like as venal or vindictive as the Tories, but though it’s not conscious on the part of Labour, it’s still a case of English supremacy. Many seem utterly incapable of showing even the most fundamental respect to us as a people in our own right, especially if it’s in Cymraeg.
Labour are the ones that pushed devolution and 20 years later they still don’t get it? What planet are English Labour on? Surely this tells everyone in Wales Welsh Labour needs to split off from their ignorant, anti Welsh overlords.
But, chwarae teg, the Labour Party in Cymru “hasn’t caught up with devolution.” And if we’re talking about the future, and #indyCymru, it is so far behind the mood you need binoculars to see it.
Does the leader of the British labour party know that Wales existed watched him on the TV not a mention of anything that involves Wales how did a Sir manage to get in charge of the British labour party the old labour party leadership must be turning in they’re graves they mostly were working class and knew what life was like for working people
VERY WELL SAID and about time someone spoke the truth
Time for an independent Welsh Labour Party that is autonomous while retaining a looser connection to the Labour Parties of England and Scotland, similar to the relationship between Labour now and the SDLP. Unity (solidarity) does not have to be uniformity.
I would personally love to see Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru joining forces.
Those who followed the last Labour Party Conference will also be aware that the Labour Party NEC has not caught up with the rank and file membership yet and are still in the 20th Century mind set that First Past the Post will allow them to form a Government on their own. Very sad really, as it would be good for the Tories to be ousted but the NEC’s failure to embrace electoral reform should ensure that the Tories get back in.
I agree, the voting system needs an overhaul and Labour must be the party to do it.
They had an opportunity to save us all from Cameron and his cronies – but thought that even a vote on PR was too high a price to save us from all that has happened since.
I will never forgive English Labour.
The Labour Party in wales 🏴 have got to be independent from the English Labour Party and start fighting for wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴
Confirms my worry that Welsh Labour is not the Labour party of great men like Nye Bevan
You must be very young, Nye was rabidly against the concept of Welsh Labour and devolution in any form. He was dismissive even of the introduction of a “Welsh day” in parliament.
Agreed. So typical of many who
cross the border and forget their roots Lloyd George the same unfortunately.
Labour must be the change it wishes to see. It can’t legitimately claim to be a progressive party of devolution if it continues on its current trajectory of increasingly aggressive centralisation, authoritarianism and control-freakery from HQ. I would like to see Jeremy Corbyn join Welsh Labour so that Mark Drakeford can publicly call for him to have the whip restored at Westminster. The purge of progressives by the Blairite right wing in the party must be stopped and reversed.