There is an interesting petition up for signature on the Prime Minister's petition site
The people of Wales are becoming increasingly annoyed by the lack of a separate appointed chamber to bring the assembly to account. This situation has recently become much worse with the new coalition government reducing the number of opposition members.
The people of Wales call upon the Prime Minister to end Unicameralism* in Wales by creating a second chamber, modelled on the House of Lords, entirely appointed to scrutinise the work of the elected Assembly.
The people of Wales are so annoyed by this lack of a Welsh House of Lords that so far only two people have signed the petition other than the author. One is a person called JUST SCRAP THE ASSEMBLY, IT'S POINTLESS ANYWAY and the other is named I AGREE, SCRAP THE ASSEMBLY (I don't think that these are the signatories' real names somehow).
I would have signed the petition myself as I am the ideal candidate to sit on a Welsh woolsack and I'd look real smart in ermine, however I foresee a major problem. With a coalition government in power I would need to pay cash to two parties in exchange for the honour not just the one, so the Westminster Lords seems to be the best bargain.
* If like me you have never heard of this word before here is a definition:
Unicameral –adjective consisting of a single chamber, as a legislative assembly.
[Origin: 1850–55; uni- + L camer(a) chamber + -al1]
Now this is fascinating from a Welshman. I am a firm believer in an upper house which embodies the country's traditions - comprised of historians perhaps, Welsh lords, not English, church leaders and so on.
ReplyDeleteEssential that this body is nt accountable to the head of the assembly.