The housing Legislative Competence Order which threatens a constitution crisis between the Natonal Assembly and Welsh MPs should be treated as a game of ping-pong between Cardiff and London.
Lib Dem leader MIke German believes the hot potato of the eLCO (as it is referred to in speech) has already been sent to Cardiff by Wales Secretary Paul Murphy, with a request to Rhodri Morgan that it be rewritten in line with the weaker version that the MPs are demanding.
By law, only the Assembly can make the change. It is believed that Mr Morgan is willing to give way. So are the Tories (they believe fervently in sale of council houses). But Plaid are strongly opposed. As are the Lib Dems. And some of the Labour group
Mr German said yesterday that the Assembly should send back the eLCO unchanged from Cardiff’s original version. He said, “It could become a game of ping-pong. But we have a point to make. London are exceeding their powers. The House of Lords is far more reasonable than the Welsh Affairs Committee.
“And when London then send it back to us, we then return to them our original version.”
Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas has criticised two (unnamed) MPs on that committee for the line they are taking. Ironically, one is sure to be former First Secretary Alun MIchael, MP for Cardiff South and Penarth - he says loudly that he is a devolutionist.
But critics say he is being no more than an over-legalistic nit-picker.
In 1494 Sir Edward Poyning, the Viceroy of Ireland, bullied the Irish Parliament into passing a statute submitting all its legislation to that of the English Parliament. It would become known as Murphy’s Law. This remained the position until 1782, when Henry Grattan and other patriots succeeded in re-establishing Irish legislative independence.
In 2009 Paul Murphy, Poyning’s Welsh equivalent, of his own mere motion promulgated Murphy’s Law. This makes all the National Assembly’s legislation subject to the will of the British Goverment. Paul Murphy has handed us over, bound hand and foot, to the Tories. At the present rate, Murphy will be succeeded by a Tory within the next few months. When the Red Rose of England Unionist Party finally unravels at Westminster, David Davies could be calling the shots in Cardiff – if we’re lucky.