Given that the alleged purpose of last night’s referendum debate on BBC Wales was to gather views and gauge opinion in West Wales about the Big Question, it was remarkable to note how many of the panel, or indeed the audience, did not hail from that particular region. Putting the parochialism on hold for a moment though, it has to be said that it was a lively and informed event with any partisan excesses or the usual diversionary stuff getting quickly stamped out by a sternly focused Betsan Powys.
Under her heavy insistence upon factual accuracy, the two YES proponents were constrained to depicting the matter of obtaining the unrestrained ability to legislate as nothing more exciting than a constitutional technical adjustment – a bit like re-tuning your FreeView box to get a better signal. Meanwhile the NO (or unconvinced) pair were backed into a corner murmuring dark warnings that it was all the thin end of the wedge.
All in all a watchable event and one that managed to put both sides on their mettle. Let’s hope the other debates planned by the Beeb are just as effectively conducted as they re-familiarise themselves with the expected role of a public service broadcaster.
Update: BBC Wales On-line describes the encounter in Aberystwyth as a “clash”. What did they expect – communal chanting?
7 Comments:
Would-be constitutional expert Martin Shipton said: "As things stand there is nowhere else in the world where we have this bizarre arrangement where one set of politicians has to go to another set of politicians a couple of hundred miles away down the motorway in order to ask permission to make laws”.
Quite right, they usually have to go next door (to an upper house or senate).
I can't agree that it was watchable or informative. More like a clichéd creative attempt at stereotyping. Boring!
Interesting programme but it didn't seem to have much to do with me.
I'm not Welsh and I don't wish to be 'Welsh' despite having lived very happily in Wales for a number of years.
Politicians in Scotland and England refer, in the main, to a more inclusive 'people of Scotland' or 'people of England'. Here in Wales, and as shown by last nights programme we still seem to be stuck with politicians and newspaper reporters talking about Wales and the Welsh.
Quite where this leaves the rest of us isn't clear.
It was a decent debate. The factual angle was good- I don't think the discussion was that narrow or constitutional, there was still passion being shown but it had to be justified and rationalised. You can have a decent, factual debate on this subject.
The two Anons raise odd points.
Anon 10:09- which second chamber or upper house do the other 2 devolved legislatures in the UK go to then?
Anon 11:16- Plaid Cymru specifically uses the term 'the people of Wales' not the 'Welsh people'. And rightly so. The Welsh people only make up 80% of Wales' population- it would be extremely narrow-minded to exclude 20% of the population from an issue.
The 'No' campainer said that they did not take up the money for campaign in order not to waste money, the new law making powers would save £2m so the No man should vote 'Yes', yes?!
Russel Goodway "voted yes twice for devolution from loyalty to my party (Labour)" so he is voting yes again for the same reason then
The usual red herrings were brought into play, Mr Goodway headed Cardiff City Council which could raise taxes and increase them and did, the authority above them WAG cannot! and it has nothing to do with the referendum anyway, the lady in the audience feared the inevitable path to independence and tax increase, it might even be tax decrease like Lichtenstein, Isle of Man, Ireland, Switzerland Luxemburg, Monaco and on and on
Mr Goodway mentioned the (gravy) train that arrived at the Bay, it's the Westminster MPs that have been milking us, caught with their hands in the till and let's not even start talking about MEPs
I don't accept it was properly moderated.
BP twice allowed Kirsty W to say it would save £2m a year, Sir Emyr was aware of this WAG promise to reform the system as far as they could and based on that he said it would be cost neutral ie the cost are the same which ever side wins.
Betsan is not a presenter and broke the cardinal rule of even handedness.
Regards locals was the guy Nick more of a local than the others, and as for the various criticisms I have read about his perfomance on the web today, I suspect it was possibly his first time at doing something like that, so TW should be applauded for allowing him to be on, it shows they are not just south Wales based.
Why was KW on, I thought the politicians were meant to stay out of this, where were Roger or Lee can't believe both were otherwise engaged, haven't the yes campaign got any other front people, even ordinary working people would do.
Twrch
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.the blank white space represents the whiter than white you appear to believe the assembly is.
Re the £2m can we please get this right.
The £2m is as a result of a review carried out by the assembly into improving their end of the system, Sir Emyr was aware of this when he made the statement "the result is broadly speaking cost neutral", ie this saving is there who ever wins. It's even on the yes website.
Wonder if they would have reviewed the costs if there hand not been a referendum?.
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