Voices ofWales’ MPs must be heard at heart of Government
COLUMNIST
IF JEREMY Corbyn’s front-bench team was the real Government of the UK, you would hear Welsh voices in some of the most senior positions of power.
Within a few hours of his ministers arriving in Whitehall, there would be complaints that defence policy is being run from Wales.
Nia Griffith (Llanelli) is Shadow Defence Secretary and is supported by Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney), Wayne David (Caerphilly) and Lord Touhig.
Meanwhile, Nick ThomasSymonds (Torfaen) is both Shadow Solicitor General and Shadow Security Minister. Owen Smith (Pontypridd) is Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary.
These people have the task of coming up with policies to keep the entire UK safe at a time when concern is rife about terrorism, North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, an increasingly assertive Russia and threats to Northern Ireland’s peace process.
Welsh MPs are also in pivotal internal positions in the Labour Party in the Commons.
The Whips – who have the vital task of managing party discipline – include Chris Elmore (Ogmore), Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent), Jessica Morden (Newport East) and Mark Tami (Alyn and Deeside).
There is also the dedicated Shadow Wales Office team led by Christina Rees (Neath) who is supported by Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd).
Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) is Deputy Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, and the Women and Equalities team includes Carolyn Harris (Swansea East) and Baroness Gale.
These and other Welsh Labour MPs have the chance to influence the future of Labour at a critical time in its history.
Theresa May likes to describe the UK as a “precious” union. Her challenge is to make appointments that allow MPs from beyond England to shape this country of nations at this momentous time.
Clwyd West MP David Jones had that opportunity as a Brexit minister but his post-election removal just before the start of negotiations with the EU has put him on the backbenches.
Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) attends cabinet as Welsh Secretary and is supported in the Wales Office by Guto Bebb (Aberconwy), while former Tory Assembly group leader Lord Bourne serves at both the Northern Ireland Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Only eight of the 318 Conservative MPs represent Welsh seats (28 of Labour’s 262 MPs are from Wales) but, at a time when the future of the UK is up for debate, Theresa May or her successor may want to ensure more people from Wales are in government.
The danger for the Conservative administration is it will be portrayed as an “English” Government and Labour has already accused it of having “no mandate” in Wales. If Nicola Sturgeon puts her foot to the floor in pursuit of a second Scottish independence referendum, the lack of non-English ministers in departments with pan-UK responsibilities could become a problem for the Tory leader.
Yes, you want the best person for the job in every position in Whitehall, but a minister who fully understands how policies will affect UK nations other than England can make an important contribution to a team.
The unity of Britain will be weakened if the message goes out that aspiring ministers from Wales and Scotland who want to improve the lives of millions of people will not be able to rise up the ranks of government in a post-devolution UK.
If an MP from Wales stands less chance of becoming Foreign Secretary than a counterpart from the Home Counties simply because he or she represents a non-English constituency, then the union will be in trouble.
The depth of ambition in Welsh ranks was demonstrated in 2016 when Preseli Pembrokeshire’s Stephen Crabb stood for the leadership of the Conservatives and Pontypridd’s Owen Smith challenged Mr Corbyn. But will the next generation of politically-excited men and women seek seats in Westminster?
If the Gothic palace on the banks of the Thames is seen as the de facto English Parliament and the brightest people head only for the Senedd, it is inevitable they will increasingly ask why work and pensions policy and other areas are the responsibility of MPs and not AMs.
Many Members of the Scottish Parliament have no trouble imagining their government being responsible for their nation’s foreign affairs and military.
If a lack of cash to fund our public services is the only reason why Wales’ politicians want to remain in the UK, then the union is truly creaking. It would be a miserable destiny for the UK if the nations come to resemble housemates who are driven nuts by one another but who can’t afford to move out.
There is no faster way for a UK government to build support for Welsh independence than for it to give the people of Wales the sense that they are unable to influence decisions which affect their lives.
A decision to press ahead with plans to slash the number of Welsh MPs from 40 to 29 would only accentuate a sense of diminishing influence right at the moment when the UK has to find a new identity as both a family of nations and as a member of the international community outside the European Union.
At the very least, Wales’ MPs should know that together they have at least as much influence on the trajectory of Britain as Northern Ireland’s 10 DUP representatives. They may not be able to extract an extra £1bn from Mrs May, but they should be assured that both their concerns and aspirations are heard at the heart of government.