Into the midst of the anti-establishment maelstrom of politics in 2016, steps a brave man; namely, Professor Roger Scully of the Welsh Governance Centre. This week he proposed that Wales should have an additional 27 Assembly Members. It is the kind of statement which could curtail a political career, but is the second such proposal in recent months, following a report by the Gorwel think tank which considered using the savings from the loss of 11 Welsh MPs to fund additional AMs.
It is of no surprise that elected members rarely endorse such plans, although both the current Presiding Officer and her immediate predecessor have backed an enlargement of the Senedd. However, there is said to be cross-party support for more AMs from Labour, Plaid Cymru, Conservatives and the sole Lib Dem, while even UKIP are thought to be softening their opposition to the idea.
There is no doubt that the scrutiny of the Welsh Government is insufficient at present, but whether that is down to the lack of members, or their calibre, is a question which the electorate may have some thoughts on. Certainly, the ‘job titles for everyone policy’ of Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives means that there is a shortage of back-bench innovation with only some Labour AMs or independents who have fallen out with their groups left without a portfolio.
There is the same sense of inevitability that there will be more AMs soon as there has always been that evermore powers will be devolved, but that cosy presumption from an all too comfortable Senedd might just be what turns off the voters.
Not so cosy
Although, perhaps the cosy consensus seen from outside the Cardiff Bay bubble is not quite the experience of those in it. This week, the Presiding Officer, Elin Jones AM noted that some recent plenary exchanges had become “unfitting and unpleasant”, emphasising that “proper scrutiny should not be met with personal attacks”.
Cool heads call
Addressing the CBI Wales dinner, Brexit Secretary David Davis MP was also calling for a calmer approach. As Britain leaves the European Union, Davis told 400 of Wales’ business leaders "our challenge is to navigate a period of inevitable uncertainty with cool heads and a united sense of purpose and confidence".
Arch-Brexiteer seeks EU funding
Fellow AMs responded with incredulity as UKIP’s David Rowlands AM suggested that the Republic of Ireland could access EU funding to help pay for improvements to the M4 in South East Wales on the basis the route is a core European link to Ireland.
Trimmed down to size
Both the city’s ruling Labour group and Cardiff’s Christmas tree turned out to be smaller than had been expected. Two councillors resigned amid claims of “bullying” and “racial discrimination” from within the group. Four and a half years after winning with ease, Labour now have a wafer-thin majority with a number of high profile rebels among the group in the six months running up to the local elections.
There were some negative headlines, but the story from the capital which gained even more traction was a bit of a baubles up with the Christmas tree. The City Council announced that their £30,000, 3 year hire of a “tree-shaped structure” from China would be 40 metres in height. Instead, a 40ft decoration which was likened by some to a Ferrero Rocher tower arrived after the Christmas light switch on had already taken place.