Enoch Powell is still right
Bubble — By Daran Hill on May 12, 2010 5:52 pm
BACK at the start of October I wrote a lengthy piece on the challenges facing the Conservatives in appointing their next Secretary of State for Wales. Enoch Powell was my starting and ending point.
The crux of the argument I made was:
Appointing non-Welsh MPs to positions of direct administrative authority over Wales alone was never an issue of constitutional impropriety – but it always has been, and will be, an issue of political impropriety.
That is why the next Conservative government must think carefully about who is appointed to one of the most junior jobs around the Cabinet table, Secretary of State for Wales. If the appointment falls on an MP from outside Wales, there will certainly be a political price to pay, no matter what the merits of the appointee. William Hague may well have been one of the most talented politicians and effective communicators ever to have been in the Welsh Office. That did not mean Welsh public opinion did not resent him while he was there.
Let’s be clear on one point in particular. In no way should this article be seen as a personal criticism of Cheryl Gillan, the current Shadow Secretary of State for Wales. She has been the best incumbent of this role since the Conservatives went into opposition back in 1997. For the following eight years they had no Welsh MPs to choose from for this role, yet from 2005 the party has had three Members of Parliament with Welsh constituencies. It says much about the skill and personability of Cheryl that during the whole of this Parliament there has been no real criticism of her ability to fulfil the Shadow Secretary’s role from a constituency in Buckinghamshire, despite the addition of three Welsh colleagues.
The reason the criticism has not come is because, of course, she has exercised the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Wales. Were she, or any other MP from an English seat, to be appointed to the Secretary of State’s role then things would change. The first line of attack from across the rest of the political spectrum label her appointment an “insult to Wales.” The clips of John Redwood mouthing along to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau would be back on our screens before you could say “Gwlad”. Or even “Brad”. We would be catapulted as a nation back to the politics of 15 years ago.
The suggestion I went on to make is that the brave decision be taken to abolish the Wales Office, but that to do so would need political consensus. The new coalition that has just been formed has the mandate and the vision to do just that.
Yet it has not done so. And Cheryl Gillan has just been appointed Secretary of State for Wales. Dust down the Redwood footage then…
Tags: Secretary of State for Wales, Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Liberal Democrats
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8 Comments
Plaid have just issued the following press release from Elfyn Llwyd:
“I’d like to congratulate the member for Chesham and Amersham on her appointment. Unfortunately, instating a Secretary of State from outside Wales will be widely viewed as throwback to the 1990s.
“There are many important issues that will face Ms Gillan as she enters the role. On top of her desk will be the request for a referendum from the Welsh Assembly Government on more law making powers. She has said previously that she would not stand in its way, so I look forward to a prompt call for it to be held.
“There will be some people in Wales that will under-whelmed at this appointment but I hope that Ms Gillan will make every effort to work with the Welsh Assembly Government – and also to spend time in Wales so that she is able to find out the issues affecting our country.”
Am reporting it factually with no barbed comments
COMMENTING on the appointment of Cheryl Gillan as the new Secretary of State for Wales, Welsh Conservative Assembly leader Nick Bourne AM said:
“I am absolutely delighted. No-one has worked harder for Wales at Westminster over recent years than Cheryl Gillan.
“I am confident that as someone born and bred in Wales Cheryl will represent Welsh interests around the cabinet table with her usual passion, commitment and determination.
“I have valued our close working relationship since her appointment to the shadow cabinet in 2005 and look forward to that continuing in the interests of Wales now that Cheryl has taken up her new role.
“I hope Cheryl’s appointment will mark the start of a new, positive relationship between the UK and Assembly governments, and between the Assembly and Westminster.
“I also welcome the fact that Cheryl will be the first woman to hold the post of Secretary of State for Wales.
“This is an historic achievement for Cheryl and for the Conservative Party and one which should be widely welcomed.”
And the Lib Dems leader in Wales Kirsty Williams says:
“I wish Cheryl well in her job. The real test for her now is to show how committed she is to Welsh devolution. Cheryl Gillan has to stand up for the people of Wales and give us a say on how we want our devolution to proceed. An early referendum on further law making powers for Wales will be her first test.”
And Peter Hain says:
“I congratulate Cheryl Gillan on her appointment, I like her as a person, and obviously I wish her well.
“However, the new Government must realise that the decision to appoint a Welsh Secretary from an English constituency will baffle and indeed anger many people in Wales. Far from representing the new politics that people want to see, this smacks of the bad old days. Between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats they have 11 MPs in Wales – are David Cameron and Nick Clegg really saying that none of them are up to the job? There is no reason why Mr Cameron’s faith in Mrs Gillan could not have been rewarded by offering her another post in a cabinet sadly lacking in women.
“It would have seemed more sensible, and sensitive, to offer the job of Welsh Secretary to a Welsh MP.”
Abolish it and replace it with what? A Devolution Office?
As long as she is [perceived to be] putting the effort in and really engages with the WAG and Wales as a whole then I don’t see a problem.
It’s not as if the Libs nor Tories have a particularly deep pool of talent in Scotland or Wales.
Since I have been recently called rubbish by Conservative AM Burns for not falling lock-step in line bleating with the Con-Lib government herd on this 3rd day of Dear Leader’s ascension, let me just add: Rubbish!
Welcome to the world of Con-Lib tone deaf reality.
No negativity allowed so pull up your socks Daran. What we think matters not. Just get back in line mate!
(Hypocrisy alert… years of relentless attack not lost here.)
There is a principle that is being wronged here but I doubt it will be the issue it was in the 90s because the job is just not as visible today as it was pre-devolution. I’d be surprised if much of the electorate could have told you Hain was SoS for Wales.
Cheryl Gillan ..Who???????