‘Lay foundations for a distinctlyWelsh Labour Party in a changing Britain’
THE time has come to lay the foundations for a “distinctly Welsh Labour Party in a changing UK”, according to an AM who argues the party cannot afford to ignore the challenges a Scottish exit would pose.
Neath AM Jeremy Miles wants Welsh Labour’s constitution updated so it is “fit for the future”.
He argues Welsh Labour should have its own “aims and objectives” clause which would set out “what a modern, distinctively Welsh Labour Party – as part of the UK Labour family – is about”.
In an article setting out his hopes for change, he said: “We need a debate within the party – members, local parties, trade unions, affiliates, elected representatives – to agree how we can reframe our purposes and objectives as a distinctly Welsh Labour Party in a changing UK.”
Mr Miles, who joined the Assembly last year, argues Welsh Labour should not only craft policy in devolved areas, but also on issues such as justice and employment.
He said: “We should also reaffirm that the Welsh Labour Party is not the party of the Assembly, but is also the party of our members, our councillors, and our parliamentarians – that our MPs are in part the custodians of the Welsh national interest in the House of Commons.
“And whether or not there is a distinctly Welsh view on matters of policy isn’t governed by whether that policy area happens to be devolved – it is the product of the political values of the Labour movement in Wales.
“So we should also develop policy on a Welsh Labour-wide basis not just for currently devolved matters, but also on trade union rights and employment, on tax, on justice.
“A Labour Party reimagined in this way will help us secure the kind of United Kingdom we aspire to be – radically decentralised, redistributive, and strengthened in its unity as a result.”
Mr Miles is adamant the devolution settlement is “inadequate and unsustainable”, warning that “simply tacking on policing, bus regulation and a few other areas is not going to get us anywhere near what’s required”.
Describing the changes he wants to see, he said: “We need proper rules for the four constituent parts of the UK to agree, as equal partners, how to regulate issues like the environment and agriculture, when EU rules fall away. And we need the sorts of