The Assembly’s teenage years are here

So unfair: we should expect a few rocky times as the Assembly matures

GROWING PAINS, both emotional and physical, are sadly a staple feature of adolescence. So we shouldn’t forget that the National Assembly is now fast approaching its teenage years. As such, you might expect some turbulence.

Who would have guessed that in the same week as the election of a new First Minister we would also see an Assembly Member cross the floor of the Senedd from one party to another, the first time that’s happened in 10 long years of devolution?

There will no doubt continue to be much debate surrounding the decision of Mohammad Asghar to join the Welsh Conservatives, but it will certainly be remembered for a long time to come as one of few developments which actually took AMs and the media completely by surprise, something normally impossible given the intensity of the Assembly rumour mill.

Those of us who work in the Senedd are all too well aware that Assembly life is in reality a very small bubble. Members from all parties are in far closer proximity and as a consequence have a greater closeness than is the case in the Westminster village. No one should therefore underestimate the courage required for members to review their political allegiances between elections. Personally, I think Mr Asghar’s decision represents a not insignificant milestone both for the Welsh Conservatives and for Welsh politics in general.

There was a real sense of change in the air last Tuesday of a type which Westminster is used to but has which has hitherto been unfamiliar in the Assembly. In fact, you could go as far as to say that the atmosphere has even unnerved some commentators. This is no bad thing. Don’t misunderstand this: no one believes for a moment that Assembly politics should be a cast iron replica of what happens at the other end of the M4. It shouldn’t be and, indeed, couldn’t be.

But a determined willingness to think outside of the box will be vital if devolution is to grow and become able to meet the challenges both of assuming more meaningful powers and in dealing with the serious economic issues facing Wales in the coming decade. Having said this often, it’s worth repeating again – Assembly Members are not civil servants and our decisions must be governed by far more than a civil service code.

As the Assembly’s only ethnic minority representative, Mr Asghar represents a country which is changing in its diversity. He has joined a party which is also changing at an increasing rate. The turnaround in the Conservative Party’s fortunes in Wales over the last decade and Nick Bourne’s contribution to this as Leader of the Opposition should not be underestimated.

Nick has been prepared to think outside of the box. In doing so he has helped transform the fortunes of the Welsh Conservatives, changing the party from one that was at best luke-warm about devolution to one that is now in many way starting to redefine itself by devolution, focusing on the issues that affect people in their daily lives. The great strength of Conservatism since the days of Peel has been found in its ability to adopt a pragmatic approach to the modern world and develop policies accordingly, based on the enduring principles of freedom and and responsibility. Welsh Conservatives have applied themselves with vigour to the sometimes tricky task of making devolution work even within the parameters of the deeply flawed legislative process which the UK Labour Government has foisted upon Wales.

We’ve certainly come a long way from the distractions of last Christmas and the unbalanced and ultimately unsustainable attacks from some sections of the media on the Welsh Conservative leadership. We’ve come even further, thankfully, since the sorry situation of the late 1990s which culminated in the loss of all Conservative MPs in Wales (a mirror of the situation in Scotland). The party which achieved more than a quarter of the total of Welsh Members of Parliament in 1983 and was responsible for huge achievements such as the Welsh Language Act should never have allowed itself to get into that position of electoral wipeout. But of course – as we’ve seen from the current problems facing the Labour Party – parties do get into these scrapes and it often takes a significant spell in opposition to get out of them.

Things quite simply had to change following the 1997 General Election result, and change they certainly have. Working in tandem with David Cameron, Nick Bourne and the Welsh Conservatives have played their part in re-casting the values of Conservatism, adapting core beliefs of giving people increasing power over their own lives. It is right that the UK Government should take the decisions which it is best placed to take. It is also right that as many decisions as possible which affect Wales are taken in Wales. After all, this is where most people in Wales “are at”.

It’s very likely that as we move towards and through the teenage years of devolution we will see more of the growing pains and turbulence associated with adolescence and growing maturity. Like our country, politics is in a state of flux, old certainties are being questioned and new ways of working are evolving. The Assembly’s evolution into a law-making institution is clearly a key part of this process.

We can be confident that the revival and renewal of the progressive and outward-looking movement which is Welsh Conservatism will play an increasing role in shaping the future of decision-making in Wales, standing alone when necessary on points of principle, working closely with other parties where appropriate to help develop the progressive agenda.

And – who knows? – as this process gathers pace, the people of Wales will hopefully find that the growing pains were worth it and that they have an institution increasingly capable of safeguarding ever greater freedom and responsibility in a world which is itself moving into the “teenage decade” of the 21st Century.