There seems a lot of chat at the moment about the referendum on more powers. Sorry, lets be clear, despite all the heat there is not much light, more powers are not on offer.
What's on offer is a tidying up exercise. That is, should we cut Westminster out of the law making process. To that question, the answer surely, must be 'yes'.
The current system is a cumbersome system. A system that is both costly in time and effort. Those charged with holding the governments of Westminster and Cardiff Bay to account could use their time to greater purpose. It must be despiriting, even to them, to waste their time in going backwards and forward on LCOs in order, at some time in the future for the Welsh, to pass a measure [law].
Laws are needed when they are needed. They are not passed to act as some dubious virility symbol. for politicians.
Now a referendum on more powers would be worth dragging the people of Wales out to vote for.
And what should be on offer. Well, all the powers that Scotland have, or are about to have, would be a good start.
Yes, taxation powers, law and order and all things that would make for real home rule.
What an achievement it would be to put Lloyd George's nineteenth century agenda to bedat last. All be it over a hundred years later.
Yes, bring it on. A referendum on real powers would even get me excited.
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