The Assembly 10 years on
Posted on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 12:40pm
8 responses
All the news broadcasters in Wales are doing their bit to celebrate or mark 10 years of devolution. The Senedd is buzzing with cameras and journalists. Now tell me why this doesn’t really happen more often? Perhaps politicians would have a better reputation if there was more coverage of work that we do every day that goes under the radar of no fault of our own, and more recently due to EU election rules – precisely regarding campaigns I have been involved in – on IVF funding and the discrimination of those with HIV in Wales, where I could not do interviews for news…anyway, I digress….
The Assembly is celebrating next week on the 12th of May - the 10th anniversary of the first meeting. To show allegiance to the Assembly Commission, I think I’ll blog about my feelings on devolution in full at that point. Although I will share with you now the full version of that which was printed in the Western Mail yesterday by Martin Shipton on what various AMs opinions are on the achievements of the Assembly since its inception. The articleis a little misleading however- I don’t recall the email from Martin indicating that it was a poll of AMs in any way shape or form. Nevertheless, here is what I said:
Achievements of devolution
The 10th anniversary of the establishment of our very own National Assembly – our first national legislature since the 15th century – is an opportunity to take stock but it also a cause for us to draw strength as we look forward.
Among the achievements of devolution I am most proud of, is the Assembly’s creation of the office of the Children’s Commissioner – the first nation in these islands to provide children and young people a champion and an advocate, and a move that has since been replicated elsewhere.
The real test for devolution has of course come in recent months as the crisis in the financial markets hits every community in Wales and the decisive action of Welsh ministers to help Welsh families has been in stark contrast to the approach of the Westminster Government. Jocelyn Davies’ launch of a mortgage rescue scheme to help people faced with losing their homes is an example of a pragmatic and effective policy to make a real difference to people’s lives.
And thirdly, I am proud of how our National Assembly has created a new kind of politics in Wales – democracy has been brought closer to the people, and our democracy is transparent and accessible in nature. One example of this principle working in practice is the establishment of the Assembly’s Petitions Committee – an immediate point of access for the public to raise issues of concern and a mechanism that can trigger new legislation based on the priorities of the people.
We must also not underestimate the significance of the advent of devolution itself. The very fact that we have our own National Assembly symbolises our maturity as a nation and the process of building a modern, just and inclusive country.
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Obviously it is important for us to mark 10 years of devolution, but really, the most effective action is for us to continue to perform our roles as any other day and look forward to the creation of a full legislative parliament for Wales.
On another note, I’m hoping to go to this event tonight if the debates in the chamber have finished in time, that is. Looks interesting -
Public Lecture: Obama, the first 100 days Mark Rosenshield, Welsh Affairs Officer, US Embassy Political Section Wednesday 6 May 2009, 6pm.Rosenshield will talk about the impact the new administration is having and how this is affecting the US’s relationship with the rest of the world.
Just to add to your comments in the Western Mail and on your blog, to me one of the crowning achievements of devolution is that Wales is the first nation in the world to produce an ASD Strategic Plan. I quite often converse (electronically) with Autism societies in USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, S Africa etc and this is something which has raised the status of our nation in the field.
Bethan – the reason the press don’t cover the Assembly more often is because it’s so boring.
There’s no public gallery – the public is stuck behind tv screens and you can’t even see the whole Siambr – how did the Assembly commission a public gallery where the public are cut out of the proceedures?!
The AMs just look at their computer screens and never take any notice of the speaker. There’s no heckling or reaction.
The speeches are dull as hell – who’d bother spending time crafting a speech to a half empty hall with people looking at their screens?
There’s no majesty to the place – at the centre of the Siambr there’s some lolly-pop or something … you’d expect the Assembly’s crest or something symbolic, there’s no Red Dragon flag and the Siambr is surrounded by what looks like MDF – there could be some paintings in the background. Even the old siambr in all it’s airport lounge glory had a nice Kyffin paiting and red dragon on the wall.
All in all, the Siambr and the Senedd building itself is a celebration of mediocrity and averse to any thing which can elevate intellect, nationality or big ideas. It celebrates ‘inclusivity’ (lack of political bravery) and the common lowest denominator or Welsh identity.
It says much that a useless Children’s Commissioner and free bus passes for pensioners are seen as the Assembly’s biggest achievents. Heaven help us!
Martin Shipton’s e-mails said:
Dear Assembly Member,
Next week we shall be running a number of articles to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the National Assembly. We would like to run one showing what each AM sees as the three most notable achievements of the Assembly or Assembly Government over the period.
I would be very pleased if you were able to send me your list of three by Thursday (April 30).
Thanks very much and best wishes,
Martin
Interesting that you mention HIV Bethan! Agreed the discrimination faced by those living with the virus is no better than it was 15 years ago. Also, at a time when rates of transmission are increasing rapidly in Wales, particularly amongst young, heterosexual women, the only place in Wales offering a free of charge, one hour HIV testing service is facing the very real prospect of having to close this service due to being unable to gain funding.
Goes to show how unimportant the issue of sexual health is to the current government. Very sad and extremely short sighted.
[...] by Bethan Jenkins AM (Plaid Cymru) [...]
[...] Bethan Jenkins: The Assembly 10 years on [...]
South Wales working class heroes to be remembered at Oxfordshire event.
Working class militants from the Rhondda such as Noah Ablett were leaders of the Ruskin College Strike, they went on to found radical education networks in S.Wales and write a radical socialist manifesto – The Miners Next Step
http://www.whatnextjournal.co.uk/Pages/History/Nextstep.html
1ST OXFORD WORKING CLASS BOOKFAIR
Saturday 20 June, 11 am – 6 pm
Ruskin College, Walton Street, Oxford
http://www.oxfordworkingclassbookfair.blogspot.com
oxfordworkingclassbookfair@googlemail.com
We cordially invite YOU to visit the 1st ever OXFORD WORKING CLASS BOOKFAIR! There will be books, talks, workshops, short films and more books and magazines . . .
We plan to recover/reclaim some of the hidden history of Oxford, with its gallery of rogues, rebels and revolutionaries, to touch upon some topics of contemporary relevance to the man & woman on the street today, provide quality entertainment, discuss the big issues past and present & hopefully have a real good time to boot! – All in a relaxed and warm atmosphere!
The range of local groups invited includes; political groups, Trade Unions, community groups, campaign groups, booksellers and history societies. If you would like to have a stall email us at the address above!
The event will include a commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of the 1909 RUSKIN COLLEGE STUDENT STRIKE, a pioneering student uprising for independent working class education, that saw students breakaway to form a radical education and self-help networks based on an alternative progressive view of what education could be. They argued that it wasn’t enough for the working class to have limited extended access to higer education, but rather that they needed a fundamentally different kind of education, curriculum & pedagogy to meet their needs and the needs of the class. They were involved in the PLEBS LEAGUE (a grassroots education iniative) and set up an anti-capitalist education network of CENTRAL LABOUR COLLEGES, many of the leaders of the student uprising were miners and trade unionists who went on to be authors of THE MINERS NEXT STEP, a classic text of rank & file trade unionism and syndicalism.
Along the way, we will learn the story of the RED SHIRTS, a group set up at Ruskin College to sabotage the attempts of Oswald Mosely’s fascist BLACK SHIRTS to get a base in 1930s Oxford & consider how we fight against fascism & racism today. There will also be sessions on culture, trade union & labour history, feminism/women’s liberation, ecology & climate, war & empire etc. More information about speakers, events and other happenings planned will appear on our page shortly – watch this space! Sponsors include the local I.W.W and trade unionists.
I would have to agree with Macsen comment. Even though i support devolution fully and have far more trust in AMs than I do in MPs I find Assembly seesions quite boring. Im sure Bethan you would say that Welsh politics is healthier than westminster politics as there is less punch and judy and tribalism but the fact of the matter is thats one of things in my opinion that makes politics more interesting for the general public also i dont much like the public gallery either and i think its pretty awful the way that AMS just sit there looking at there computer screens all the time, its just makes Assembly sessions look realy dull.