Tuesday, 11th March 2008

Devolving responsibility

Peter Hoskin 3:24pm

Three Line Whip are reporting that Paul Murphy, the current Welsh Secretary, is being lined up by Gordon Brown for a new Cabinet position - the Secretary of State for the UK's devolved regions: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. After Lord Goldsmith's suggestions this morning, it looks like another effort to coordinate Britishness.

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madasafish

March 11th, 2008 4:18pm Report this comment

Another non -job for a nonentity. Still a man's gotta keep his pals in office. (It's called reform and streamlining)

David Lindsay

March 11th, 2008 4:43pm Report this comment

If a new Cabinet post with responsibility for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland really is about to be created for the ultra-Unionist Paul Murphy, then the fun and games really are about to be over. When Britishness Brown dropped his hint about Westminster "taking back" power (i.e., exercising its supremacy over the bodies that it made and can unmake), then he meant it. This we will know for certain if the Murphy appointment is made. None of this any sort of reassertion of English dominance (which there has never been, anyway). Brown is Scottish, and Murphy is Welsh with an Irish background. Rather, it is about serious Scottish and Welsh politicians (there will be less of an impact in Northern Ireland) and unserious ones, about those who could get into Westminster and those who couldn't.

William Norton

March 11th, 2008 4:44pm Report this comment

That's another recommendation of the James Review pinched by NuLab.

The Chocolate Orange Pandit

March 11th, 2008 4:48pm Report this comment

Madasafish - You took the word right out of my mouth. Why do the devolved regions need a Secretary of State? We need to rip out several layers of governance in Britain.

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