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By now, the polling stations have closed and by tomorrow afternoon we will know if Wales has voted for or against extending the law-making powers of the National Assembly. Very little attention has been given to this referendum – even in Wales – yet it is an extremely important step in the process of devolution. Since 2006, the National Assembly has had powers in 20 areas including Health, Education, Local Government and the Welsh Language. A Yes vote today would give the Assembly law-making powers on all these areas, without having to ask for the agreement of the UK Parliament.
The LCO (Legislative Competence Order) system currently in use is costly and inefficient. Any piece of legislation passed by the Assembly has to be approved by both Houses of Parliament, the Secretary of State for Wales, and the Head of State. This means that even a motion passed unanimously by Welsh Assembly can take up to three years to be passed. It is a waste of money and of valuable time – policies concerning health and emergency services for example are being held up needlessly. Supporters of devolution will see a Yes vote as an important step towards having decisions that affect Wales made in Wales, something that will only benefit the people of Wales. As one campaigner said to anti-devolutionists in Blackwood: “the people of Blackwood care more about Britain than Britain ever cared for them.” But this is not a campaign fought exclusively by those who want a self-governing Wales – it has the support of all four major Welsh parties – and the benefits of a Yes vote should be apparent to all.
The turnout for this referendum is likely to be very low - according to most polls, less than 50% of the electorate will vote. There are several possible reasons for this, the main one being the lack of attention the referendum has received in the media. This situation hasn’t been helped by True Wales’ decision not to register as an official campaign. Because of this, the Electoral Commission decided that no official Yes campaign should be registered either, and that no side would be entitled to £70,000 to spend on publicity. True Wales knew their chances were slim, the best they could do was ensure that as few people as possible knew about the referendum. Yet, if the Yes campaign is successful, as is widely anticipated, True Wales will probably cast doubts over the validity of the result, citing the low turnout. In truth, a low turnout – aside from highlighting the poor media coverage – will show the usual apathy and indifference people generally have towards politics. This referendum in particular has failed to generate enthusiasm because the topic is relatively mundane – many argue that the powers should be granted without a referendum.
Ron Davies famously said that devolution is a process not an event. Today is an important step in that process, and could prove to be an important milestone in Welsh history. Where the process of devolution will end is open to debate, but one thing is certain: giving the Welsh Assembly full law-making powers in devolved areas will mean the end of a system that has failed the people of Wales.
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