THE COST of holding a referendum is one of the reasons which will help decide the date on which the referendum on extra powers for the Assembly is held writes Clive Betts from the Assembly press gallery.
Organising voting is rather than expensive process. The cost of holding the referendum has been put at £5m to the public purse.
“You can imagine what Untrue Wales will be screaming,” I was told, “if different days are chosen for the Welsh general election and the referendum.”
Of course, there are lots of other issues which have to be borne in mind in deciding the date of a poll …
Whatever date is decided on by leaders in the Assembly of both Labour and Plaid. Don’t expect any announcement until after the London general election has been held.
That will be at the insistence of the Labour Party.
As they are the lead party in the coalition, it is their right to take this line.
As awkward-squad member Sian Caiach was reported in the Western Mail as saying today, this coalition is only so-called. In fact, Labour call all the shots.
Many of Dr Caiach’s own shots are fired at her former party’s own leader Ieuan Wyn Jones. She reckons he’s too feeble to lead the party. One gets the impression that exactly the same view is held by a number of senior females in the party.
It almost looks as if the senior male members aren’t up to much. But for some reason they won’t confide in Cambria !
