Natural yogurt.

Referendum vote on Thursday 3rd March 2011

Next Thursday there will be a Referendum on the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales. The National Assembly for Wales, which is an elected body that represents the people of Wales, takes decisions and makes laws that affect you.

The Assembly has powers to make laws in 20 subject areas:

Agriculture, fisheries, forestry and rural development
Ancient monuments and historic buildings
Culture
Economic development
Education and training
Environment
Fire and rescue services and promotion of fire safety
Food
Health and health services
Highways and transport
Housing
Local government
National Assembly for Wales
Public administration
Social welfare
Sport and recreation
Tourism
Town and country planning
Water and flood defence
Welsh language
In each subject area, the Assembly can make laws on some matters, but not others. To make laws on any of these other matters, the Assembly must ask the UK Parliament for its agreement. The UK Parliament then decides each time whether or not the Assembly can make these laws.

What will the referendum ask?
The referendum will ask you whether the Assembly should now be able to make laws on all matters in the 20 subject areas listed above.

...So, which way is Stephen voting and why?

I have already voted in the Referendum by a postal vote. I have a postal vote so that I do not miss out because of my job driving a coach under contract to the nationwide company. I have voted "NO".

The decision was easy for me to make. Living in Cardiff I am part of the United Kingdom, a great country of many regions. We have elected a national government to represent the whole of the United Kingdom, that includes me and everyone in the whole of Wales. The place for real government with law making powers, should be just in one location, that is Westminster, where our elected representatives do their business. We should be a United Kingdom, not split into different regions where further elected groups can ignore national government and make up their own laws.

To give further law making powers to the National Assembly for Wales, would be to start a journey on the road to anarchy. This local law making vision could then spread to other regions of the United Kingdom and then the regions would become in competition with each other to attract certain businesses or residents. Then the laws of the United Kingdom would be in total disarray with huge possible regional variations. This would not be fair on the electorate of the whole United Kingdom.

Giving further law making powers to the National Assembly for Wales would further increase the operational costs of the Welsh Assembly. It costs an enormous amount of money to form and run a government. We have paid for it once by forming a democratically elected government in Westminster, to make our laws in all areas. I do not want to pay for a government a second time, to make laws that would only apply to Wales. To give further law making powers to the National Assembly for Wales would only increase the cost of government, with no benefit to the people who are paying for it.

There is only one place for government to make laws, that is Westminster, not down in fashionable Cardiff Bay. Think about it before you vote, because you have already paid for one government, surely you do not want to pay again so that Taffy can make some local laws of his own. Vote "NO" for the cheaper option and keep Wales as a valuable and respected region of the United Kingdom.