Dafydd Elis Thomas - Lord of the Senedd
Monday, October 30, 2006
In the world of Dafydd Elis Thomas there's only one heavyweight politician in the Senedd: himself.
Yesterday, the Welsh Assembly's presiding officer spoke out against what he sees as the Senedd's inability to act like a 'proper parliamentary body'.
Elis Thomas took particular issue with the way in which the opposition opposed the budget rather than voting down the government in flat-out no confidence motions.
He then slung more mud in the direction of his deputy, John Marek, questioning his decision to vote against the government rather than help chair the debate.
Elis Thomas doesn't seem to grasp that the Senedd is not Westminster. And it's a jolly good thing it's not.
The opposition has every right to negotiate the budget. The government is ruling under a minority administration and shouldn't have carte blanche with the budget while there is a majority of elected representatives who don't agree with it.
The attempt to reign in Marek for the debate was infantile.
Elis Thomas is right: Wales does need grown up politics. For that it needs new presiding officers as soon as possible.
Labels: budget, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Welsh Assembly
posted by Blamerbell @ 3:02 pm,
