29th October 2007
One Wales - two Labour Parties
Peter Hain’s extraordinary intervention yesterday has thrown the divisions within the Wales Labour Party into sharp relief. Last week in announcing the Chair of the All-Wales Convention the Labour First Minister said” It [the referendum] will be on or before the next election. We can see no reason to depart from that commitment.” But yesterday the Labour Secretary of State said: “I don’t see that (the referendum) in this Assembly term quite frankly.” So who and what are we meant to believe?
Of course, we have been here before - this was the same Peter Hain that famously ruled out a Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition. Now that it exists, he seems determined to undermine it. What particularly was the motivation for yesterday’s remarks? Is he soothing furrowed brows among Westminster colleagues piqued at the appointment of Sir Emyr? Is he jostling for position with Rhodri Morgan as the true power-broker within Wales? Or is he as Secretary of State saying that the One Wales agreement only binds Labour in the Assembly not Labour at Westminster?
After all, what he actually said was: “I did not take the Government of Wales bill through, nor did MPs vote for it to be bounced into an early referendum”
To most people that sounds like a threat that the Westminster Goverment may veto a referendum - either directly or indirectly - which would effectively render the One Wales agreement null and void.
One of two things needs to happen now: We need a clear statement from the Secretary of State clarifying that the Westminster Government and the British Labour Party would not seek to frustrate or prevent a referendum from being held before 2011. If he is not prepared to issue this statement, then we need the First Minister to distance himself unequivocally from these remarks and reaffirm the commitment of the Wales Labour Party to secure a Yes Vote in a referendum by the time of the next election. Simply saying that Peter is ‘entitled to his views’ is not enough when those views threaten the entire foundation of the One Wales Government.
A failure to reassure Plaid Cymru supporters that our agreement still stands will have serious repercussions; parties have to stand by their agreements or continuing with a Coalition becomes impossible.
2 Responses to “One Wales - two Labour Parties”
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Labour’s assault on national self-determination « Rebellion Sucks! = a blog for socialism & self-determination says:
October 29th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
[...] Plaid socialist Adam Price is pissed off: Of course, we have been here before - this was the same Peter Hain that famously ruled out a [...]
alanindyfed says:
October 31st, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
The Dilemma that is Peter Hain
Whatever Peter Hain, the Welsh Secretary, says or does is compromised for the simple reason that he supports Gordon Brown’s promotion of “Britishness” and fears the breakup of the Union. Nevertheless, he is committed to the process of devolution as he was one of the architects of devolution. In my view the natural consequence of devolution is the breakup of the Union, beginning with Scotland’s bid for self-determination which is already being replicated in Wales.
Should Plaid take Hain’s comments lying down or should they respond and challenge the logic and legitimacy of them? I would say the latter. The manner in which they do so is something that deserves consideration, in my view, as Plaid will be judged on its ability to reveal and rebut the inconsistencies of the opposition, and maintain its own unequivocal profile.
The fact is that Labour is divided on greater steps to devolution. The One Wales Agreement was ratified by the majority of Labour party delegates. Therefore Labour must make its position clear and speak with one voice. Plaid has a right to demand consistency from Labour, otherwise it throws the terms of the agreement into question in my view and threatens to bring the agreement into disrepute.
Posted by alanindyfed