Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

I just wanted to comment briefly on this issue, with specific reference to Adam Price’s letter to Jane Hutt, the Education Minister. I think Adam’s letter is well thought out, and should be taken seriously. His actions are anything but grandstanding, as some commentators have suggested on the blogs. He is as passionate as I am about ensuring that we keep top-up fees out of Wales.

It is vitally important that to enable us to maintain the integrity of our Welsh democracy that the One Wales Government operates in a way which is open and transparent. From looking at Adam’s points in the letter, and from points that I have made in the Assembly chamber previously, it seems that the government and the Education Minister in particular, is open to accusations regarding its work practises in relation to this issue- specifically the timing of the consultaiton and the scope of the consultation, not withstanding the fact that it does not complement the spirit of the One Wales agreement.

Yes, we can all quote One Wales when it says that ‘ we will maintain the current level of resource throughout the four year term’, but nowhere does it say that after that period we will introduce top up fees.  I really don’t think Plaid at the time of negotiating One Wales would have signed up to that.

I think its clear now to all that I won’t be voting for the Minister’s proposals when it comes to the floor of the Assembly later this term. I would be much happier if other Plaid AMs were to join me and Leanne Wood AM in taking such a stance.

I entered politics from the student movement, so too did many other AMs and politicians, including Adam Price. I don’t view this as ‘civil war’ within the party as the Western Mail today described it in its article on the disagreement within the party. If there were no differences within the party, then we would be poorer for it. Nonetheless, there are obvious lessons to be learnt, and I am confident that we can move forward positively together.

Jane Hutt, who is in charge of this portfolio should be asking herself some serious questions about the way forward, and assessing the way in which decisions have been made on this issue under her watch. So too should Ben Gray of NUS Wales, who has failed in his role to scrutinise the government effectively on this issue on behalf of the student movement in Wales. Many individual Students Unions, I am told, are unhappy with this potential change in policy, so why is this not reflected by the leadership of the NUS in Wales? It is far too uncomfortably similair to the experience that I had of NUS Wales when I was president of Aberystwyth Guild of Students a few years ago, and I would urge Students Unions to be pro-active in this campaign as once it has been introduced, it will be more difficult to be overturned.