Welsh Tory leader contradicts Boris Johnson on devolution

The leader of the Welsh Tories has hit out at Boris Johnson’s description of devolution as a “disaster”.

Boris Johnson under fire for incendiary comments on Scottish devolution

Boris Johnson

Paul Davies, who is a member of the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) for the Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency, said while “Labor-run governments” have been a “disaster” for Wales, devolution in and of itself is not to blame.

Davies’ comments come on the heels of the PM’s incendiary description of devolution as former Labor PM Tony Blair’s “biggest mistake”.

Although Johnson’s comment was mainly directed at devolution in Scotland, it is equally applicable to Wales which has enjoyed devolved government since 1998.

Davies was careful to balance his critique of the PM with a swipe at the Labor Party in Wales.

"Twenty-plus years of Welsh Labor-led Governments have been a disaster for devolution in Wales. The people of Wales deserve better”, Davies proclaimed.

"Instead of doing their job in ensuring our economy and health and education services are the best they can be, the Welsh Government has been obsessed with arguing about more powers", the Welsh Tory leader added.

But Wales’ First Minister, Mark Drakeford, hit back by claiming that devolution “thrives” under UK Labor governments.

Drakeford, who is also the leader of the Welsh Labor Party, said that once “you scratch the surface of the Conservative Party and all its old hostility to devolution rises back to the surface".  

"That's what happened yesterday, when the prime minister thought he could show off in front of a few Conservative MPs from the north of England", Drakeford added.

Meanwhile, the Welsh nationalist group, Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales), also waded into the dispute, by not only attacking Johnson’s comments, but also by framing devolution as a path to full independence.

Taking to Twitter, Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, wrote that Johnson calling the devolved governments “a disaster in the middle of this pandemic is a bit like Donald Trump accusing Joe Biden of being a danger to democracy”.

"Our biggest mistake is not leaving the Union sooner so we're saddled with you as PM - for now, but not for long", Price taunted Johnson.

— Adam Price (@Adamprice) November 16, 2020 ">http://

Boris Johnson calling the devolved governments a disaster in the middle of this pandemic is a bit like Donald Trump accusing Joe Biden of being a danger to democracy. Our “biggest mistake” is not leaving the Union sooner so we’re saddled with you as PM - for now, but not for long pic.twitter.com/5jvUl3C627

— Adam Price (@Adamprice) November 16, 2020

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