tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post7204004786324805994..comments2024-03-26T09:38:39.888+00:00Comments on Borthlas: Identifying the devilJohn Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-17672322386579340292018-01-29T12:32:03.393+00:002018-01-29T12:32:03.393+00:00Quite right, Borthlas, you are making me work for ...Quite right, Borthlas, you are making me work for this.<br />My "source" is "Reforming the Union" by David Melding AM, a Conservative. Contains a real openness to devolving taxes on a signficant scale. I got the same impression from numerous remarks by Andrew RT Davies. But maybe you are drawing an important distinction between this (which would be real devolution) and "more tax accountability in the Assembly" (which is not clear, and which may not be real devolution as you warn). True, we don't really know.<br />But I stand by the point that I think that the Tories might well be up for more devolution if only Plaid would do a deal. Melding (who studied at William & Mary in Virginia) certainly gets written constitutions as applied to US States or Wales. David Hughes (active Tory and Cardiff barrister) certainly gets devolution as applied in the UK Sphere, in his case Gibraltar and Canada.<br />The sticking point is that Welsh Tories would certainly stop at Dominion Status, which would be granted top-down. This would be a muddle, and couched in antique Crown and Sceptre type flannel. It would be a long way from a home-grown Constitution devised by an elected Welsh Convention, which is what I fancy.<br />But it might be a runner, and a lot better than where we are now.Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05937342201811857738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-45266810368424270822018-01-26T12:41:20.729+00:002018-01-26T12:41:20.729+00:00"...divert taxes raised in Wales to a Welsh T...<i>"...divert taxes raised in Wales to a Welsh Treasury ... This is a Tory policy..."</i> Can you source that? I don't believe that it reflects any policy that I've seen them promoting. I think it would be true to say that the Conservatives-in-Wales would like to see more tax accountability in the Assembly, but tax policy isn't decided in Cardiff, it's decided in London, and whilst HQ in London might be quite relaxed about a branch office promoting policies that they will never be called on to implement, I don't think such benign tolerance should be interpreted as agreeing.<br /><br /><i>"Isn't it Plaid's [policy] as well?"</i> D'you know, I'm not entirely sure that it is. It certainly should be, but the one doesn't follow from the other. It's one of the areas in which I think Plaid have been quite timid in recent years.<br /><br />But, back to the main point. The idea of a short term alliance in order to achieve a specific defined goal is not something that I would object to; part of my objection to the so-called Rainbow Alliance in 2007 was precisely the absence of a clear defined goal to move Wales forward. The 'prize' didn't justify the cost. Any national movement worthy of the name should always be prepared to take a short-term electoral hit, if that's the price which needs to be paid, in exchange for a sufficiently worthwhile long term gain (and I accept that 'sufficiently worthwhile' is not easily definable; the point is simply that achieving that balance between gain and loss requires detailed analysis and judgement). My problem is with a short-term alliance designed from the outset with the sole aim of toppling the party which enjoys the greatest degree of support from the electorate.<br /><br />What you are proposing - a short term alliance aimed to deliver one specific advance - is an entirely different matter from that which the Tories appear to me to be seeking. We're debating two different things here.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-62869109932347104562018-01-26T11:05:05.193+00:002018-01-26T11:05:05.193+00:00You say "..it is for parties to persuade peop...You say "..it is for parties to persuade people of the need for change"- yes. But we have a mismatch of vision, Party and People in Wales. We need to try to get them aligned and get at least some points on the board. Here's my proposal:<br />Get the anti-Labour alliance formed. <br />For ever? No, obviously not.<br />On a wide range of policies? No, just one - divert taxes raised in Wales to a Welsh Treasury managed by the Assembly for a proper Welsh budget.(This is a Tory policy. Isn't it Plaid's as well?)<br />The aim? To take that big step towards self-sufficiency. We will be self-sufficient except for that £15bn or what ever the figure turns out to be. Where do we get the £15bn? Could be the UK Welfare Union - but it might be somewhere else altogether. We'd have a clear position and a clear opportunity and a big big advance on where we are now.<br />Alliance job done. <br />Re-think, re-align.<br />And be a lot further forwardJonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05937342201811857738noreply@blogger.com