My final comment on this issue:

The problem with WAG and the supporting AMs is not the gender but the way the WAG and the Assembly works. On the issue of gender, I have previously drawn attention to the fact that True Wales has Rachel Banner as its spokesperson. No gender issue there. Our issue is with the way that the Assembly wants to increase its power without grassroots support. As Rachel has pointed out, the One Wales Agreement is a political arrangement that advances the power, position and prestige of the AMs rather than to benefit the electorate. If the female AMs want to extend democracy beyond the Assembly, they should take regard of the interest or lack of interest of the electorate.

Jonathon is entirely wrong to compare government spending between Wales, the UK and Australia. Comparing us to nearby European countries would be more socially accurate, and the UK is in fact one of the lowest public spenders in the EU.

I don’t thing that should be part of a debate about legislative powers for the Assembly, because finance or the economy doesn’t even come into it and isn’t part of the deal.

Jonathon also seems confused about what’s on the table, as he is advocating abolition of the Assembly, something which is neither desirable or foreseeable.

We now have five layers of elected representatives if you include Parish Councils, County Councils, The WAG, Westminster and The EU.

As a result spend per capita twice as much as the Australians and this is money which could and should be used on our vital social services like the NHS, police, child protection and for that matter the armed services.

We have better things to spend our money on that paying this lot to act as overpromoted power motivated clerks.

I would be prepared to let Welsh MPs meet say twice a month to vote on Welsh issues and release the burden of the costs of the Welsh Assembly for better use. These people were elected by about 26% of the electorate when almost half of us did not vote although I freely admit that I wish I had done so. Like most people I thought it was a non-starter and was both amazed and angered that we we found ourselves stuck with a bunch of self opinionated twits who draw vast salaries and meet twice per week in Cardiff and employ loads of staff to shift pieces of paper around.

You only have to attend a few ‘debates’ in Cardiff to appreciate what a dreadful thing the Assembly is. Let’s get rid of it ASAP and ask our MPs to earn their living making decisions on Welsh issues.

I note Rachel Banner’s comment (echoed by Jeff Jones) that Assembly members should be “equally accountable”. Is this a plea for another form of PR such as STV or for a fully FPTP chamber? Surely it can’t be old Labour hankering for a return to its privileged position, its supposed natural birthright? Now that would be elitist!

Sorry about the mis-reference.

Yes, I did crop the quote, deliberately because you put a list of women first…
I almost added a comment that I have the greatest respect for Dr Gibbons who has been a good AM for my constituency Aberavon and I am sorry that he is resigning. I don’t know John Griffiths.

I have recently sent an email to Peter Hain about the resignations of women from the Westminster government – there is something wrong when that happens. My grandmother campaigned for Kier Hardy and was chairperson of the Labour Cwmavon ward and chairperson of the Cwmavon Co-op. I most certainly support the involvement of women in politics and this is why I put down any attempt to dismiss Rachel Banner on the basis of her gender. I have been concerned that Edwina Hart endured a whispering campaign against her on the basis of her being an English speaking female.

But note, there doesn’t appear to be any female posting comments on this thread. (Correct me if I am wrong.)

As it was my comment I’d better reply. I notice you did crop my question and omit the two male AMs! To repeat it:

When True Wales talks of the elite do they mean Gwenda Thomas, Lorraine Barrett, Janice Gregory, Christine Chapman, Brian Gibbons, John Griffiths etc?

In other words, can the argument that the devolution project is essentially elistist be sustained bearing in mind that devolution led to a previously under-represented group gaining greater representation and the fact that many Labour AMs were local people and the choice of their local CLPs?

“When True Wales talks of the elite do they mean Gwenda Thomas, Lorraine Barrett, Janice Gregory, Christine Chapman…”

It is of note that True Wales has Rachel Banner as it spokesperson. We are not male chauvinists and we don’t go in for gender bashing.

1) Eliminated unecessary process steps and costs.
2) Accelerated decision making.
3) Provided strategic coherence between policy and actions.

Read Syr Em’s report and imagine you were a Management consultant with a BPR background. You’d rub your hands with glee. The worse thing about the LCO process is that all the participants are able people of good will and intent – it takes an outsider to realise that the byzantine process is an absolute nonsense.

It’s a shame that a referendum is deemed necessary to be honest. That’s not being undemocratic it’s just strange that a referendum is needed for a process improvement without any particular constitutional need.
Personally I’d rather move to Scottish style plus fiscal powers and would welcome a referendum on that.

I stand to be corrected, but after the 1979 St David’s Day Massacre wasn’t the devolution project resurrected by the trade unions in 1987 in the aftermath of the miners’ strike?

Moving some 10 years on and the contentious policy of twinning, Welsh Labour has had a very poor record in terms of female representation, but this one-off act of positive discrimination has meant that the Welsh Assembly better reflects gender balance than Westminister or local government (though concerns have been expressed about possible ‘slippage’ on this). It’s no secret that Ron Davies did have a bit of a ‘A list’ of candidates whom he wished to see in the Assembly but the general consensus is that local democracy won out and local CLPs got their favoured candidates. When True Wales talks of the elite do they mean Gwenda Thomas, Lorraine Barrett, Janice Gregory, Christine Chapman, Brian Gibbons, John Griffiths etc?

Another contentious aspect was of course the use of PR whereby the Labour Party turned away from any attempt at ‘business as usual’.

So rather than talking of “by the elite/ of the elite” how about union-inspired, pro-women, pro-pluralism?