Welsh Questions today were dominated by the rapidly downturning Welsh economic outlook, which transcends in importance almost every other issue. Islwyn’s Don Touhig took the opportunity to have a pop at Sir Emyr Jones-Parry’s constitutional convention:
Mr. Touhig: When families across Wales are concerned about their future does my right hon. Friend think that anybody gives a fig about the All Wales Convention? It is wasting £1 million of taxpayers’ money, calling shambolic meetings, showing videos that give a distorted picture of Wales and pandering to those who think that the big issue of the day is independence. Would it not be better spending its time talking to the Corus workers?
The Secretary of State, Paul Murphy, appeared to have more than a smidgeon of sympathy with Mr Touhig’s point:
Mr. Murphy: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his robust comments on the work of the convention. I think that the convention is doing a proper job in trying to find out what the people of Wales would think about extra powers for the Assembly. I agree with him that it is more important to concentrate these days on the effects of the economic downturn on the people of Wales than on constitutional issues, but I do not undervalue the work of the convention.
Paul Murphy’s forthrightness is one of his many fine qualities, and a reason for the respect he commands from colleagues on both sides of the House. I asked a question about the actions of certain Labour MEPs, who voted last month to abolish Britain’s opt-out from the Working Time Directive. Paul’s answer was succinct and unequivocal:
Mr. David Jones (Clwyd, West) (Con): Given the increasing numbers of job losses in south Wales, which of course include the 1,000 jobs lost at Corus this week, does the Secretary of State acknowledge the fundamental importance of maintaining flexibility in the labour market? Can he therefore confirm that the Government will continue to fight to maintain the British opt-out from the working time directive, notwithstanding the decision of Labour MEPs to support its abolition last month?
Mr. Murphy: Yes, I think that there should be as much flexibility as possible. That has helped us in the past, and I hope that it will do so in the future as well.
Funny, the Westminster government is still doling out (badly supported) advice to parents on alcohol for children, spending money on Olympics and WMD’s and ID cards, despite the recession. they appear to be able to ‘multi-task’.
I wonder if, just maybe, the Assembly could be working on the constitutional future of Wales, and doing what little Westminster allows them to do towards alleviating the effect of the recession, *all at the same time*?