Comments on: Save our SOS: Why Wales needs its place at the Cabinet table

By: Anthony Hunt

Anthony Hunt — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:48:38 +0000

And by the way Ian and co, I’ll repeat my previous point about some of the negative comments about the post-holders. Peter-baiting may be second only to fox hunting amongst Tories as their sport of choice, but he is a staunch defender of Welsh interests, has decent Labour values to the core and is never slow to defend what he thinks is right or attack injustice.

By: Michael Cridland

Michael Cridland — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:22:23 +0000

I dont think he will be the last either!

By: Anthony Hunt

Anthony Hunt — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:23:10 +0000

Daran said: “I’m willing to wager a substantial sum that he won’t be…”

I’ll have a tenner that way too…

By: Hendre

Hendre — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:59:03 +0000

As Paul Murphy himself has pointed out, the Secretary of State for Wales is an unusual creature – a named Secretary in an Act of Parliament. The post can be combined with the other two territorial posts but (unlike the Scottish post) can not be abolished without amending legislation i.e. revisiting the 2006 Government of Wales Act.

By: Daran Hill

Daran Hill — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:51:17 +0000

Ian – “The Wales Office has a big role to play but I feel we must accept that Hain may well be the last Secretary of State for Wales.”

I’m willing to wager a substantial sum that he won’t be…

By: Adam Higgitt

Adam Higgitt — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:46:54 +0000

Cripes! A Plaid mole around the Cabinet table. This must be from where Elfyn is getting his leaked memos

Place your bets. My money’s on Jack Straw – he’s always looked like a bit of a closet Welsh nat.

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:37:41 +0000

On a brief point, I am informed that Hain has very little role in the Cabinet and that Brown tries to involve him as little as possible. This is leaving him with too much times on his hands which may explain his annoying level of interference in LCO’s. Apparently, his input on the language LCO was particularly counter-productive.

Assuming that he ‘permits’ the referendum to go ahead, its ramifications will give him even less opportunity to justifiy his existence and with the rise of English nationalism playing an ever bigger role in Westminster, I see the Welsh cabinet post not lasting another Westminster term.

The Wales Office has a big role to play but I feel we must accept that Hain may well be the last Secretary of State for Wales.

By: Michael Cridland

Michael Cridland — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:51:56 +0000

“I don’t think we’re heading for a federalist position if the Conservatives can help it. One attraction of combining the territorial posts is that it falls more neatly into the paternalistic devolution the Conservatives are trying to promote.”

Within your non constitutional framework you are already a federalist nation (or quasi). Yes it could be scrapped by an act of Parliament but unlikely.

I think with the evolution towards a more federal Britain the idea is redundant. It would be better if the First Minister had seat and voice at UK cabinet sessions (or a delegate).

I think some of the other suggestions sound absurd and wasteful.

By: David Llewellyn

David Llewellyn — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:15:35 +0000

Lyn David Thomas makes excellent points above, and this is why I believe that the Welsh First Minister should be able to appoint that position to the UK government. Or, have the post elected from within Wales so that he may have a legitimate “all-Wales” constituency if the post is truly to represent and reflect Wales to the UK government. Otherwise, for the UK government (of whatever colour) to appoint the SoS to Wales superimposes the UK government’s preconceived notions about what is best for Wales onto the Welsh Assembly and people.

By: Hendre

Hendre — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:06:35 +0000

I don’t think we’re heading for a federalist position if the Conservatives can help it. One attraction of combining the territorial posts is that it falls more neatly into the paternalistic devolution the Conservatives are trying to promote.