What you can do tion as widely as possible. A shorter A5 campaign leaflet is also available, along with a poster, putting the socialist case for a Welsh Assembly ists say YES!, Cardiff Centre for Trade Inion Studies, 131 Crwy :F2 4NH. Tel: 01222 390273 Contact: SocialRd, Cardiff who will control the assemov 'North Wales under the thumb of South Wales" - and how much it will cost: "Welsh taxes soaring by £1,200 a head".
Anti-Assembly Labour MPs have been careful not to associate themselves with this rag-tag bunch. Nevertheless, left wing MP Llew Smith needs to exn ain how he can support a NO vote, a position which only the Tories support in Wales! Soclalists Say YES! This Conference declares Its support for the right of the people of Wales to self-determination and calls for the establishment of a Welsh Assembly with the right to decide for itself which nowers to retain in Wales and to determine its relationship with the rest of Britain and Éurope.
Such an Assembly will need to have the law-making and financial powers necessary to begin to overcome the damage inflicted upon Wales by 18 years of Tory rule from Westminster. It should pursue policies for full employment, the expansion of public services and for greater democracy. As a first step it should cancel proposed hospital closures, abolish the quangos in their present unaccountable orm, and take back into public ownership Hyder and other privatised utilities.
A Representative Assembly Its electoral system should ensure that it is representative of the whole of Wales, through a system of proportional representation for the election of all seats in the Assembly, and is composed of equal numbers of women and men.
Members of the Welsh Assembly should not be able to hold simultaneously any office as MP, MEP or councillor, even though councillors are not waged.
Labour's proposed Assembly falls short of these objectives but at least offers the people of Wales some measure of democratic control over the decisions which affect their lives. Furthermore, it will be an important line of defence against any future right-wing government at Westminster. It is therefore essential to win a substantial YES vote in the referendum on September 18th.
We call upon all socialists in Wales to campaign actively to maximise that vote.
We completely reject the stand-point of those in Wales who advocate a NO vote on supposedly socialist and internationalist grounds. It is a hollow internationalism that cannot recognise the specific needs and aspirations of the people of Wales, a strange socialism that is so fond of the centralist and outdated British state.
Campaign for a YES Vote This Conference resolves to publicise this declaration under the sloman: Soclalists Say YES!: to work with all existing YES campaigns and to argue the socialist case for a YES vote throughout the labour movement and the left in Wales. We will also take every opportunity to fight for a strengthening of the proposals, in line with the objecfives set nut ahove.
We call upon the Labour Party to conduct a vigorous mass campaign in support of the Assembly proposals. Victory will only be assured if Welsh working people are convinced that an Assembly will give them a real democratic voice.
Gordon Morgan THE WHITE Paper on a Scottish Parliament outlines a devolved Parliament with substantial economic and legisIt will have full legislative powers over Health. Education. Loca Government, Economic Development, Housing.
It will manage a Budget of £14,000 million and will have powers to adjust some existing taxes such as Business rates and could vary Income Tax by 3p in the pound.
The creation of this parliament will go a long way to ending the democratic deficit in Scotland whereby the Secretary of State acts as a colonial governor in allocating funds by personal fiat and Scottish laws are largely tagged on to English bils with no concern for the different circumstances of Scotand. Despite many concern in the lead up to the White Paper and predictions of backsliding on key queshons; Donald Dewar has maintained the soirit and most of the detail of the Scottish Convention proposal.
It was reported that the first draft of the paper was withdrawn accused of being too "Braveheartish" by Jack Straw and others. The Scottish Office response was to hold the referendum on September 11 - the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Stirling Bridge when Wallace deene bore army Most concern related to adjustments to the PR system - to reduce the numbers to secure a Labour majority in the Parliament. Not only has the Convention system beer adopted, but certain fine details have been acdeo which increase the likelihood of a fair proportionality and it is unlikely that on the present scheme Labour alone would have a Yes, Yes vote defands the right to spend more on health and oducation majority.
The scheme is based on Euro-Constituencies. Each elects 9 members by first past the post, and seven additional members to adjust discrepancies in the proportion of seats gained. If all 16 members were elected proportionately, 6.25 per cent of the vote would guarantee a seat and 5 per cent would be most likely to win a place.
Under the proposed scheme in theory 12.5 per cent is required to cotland guarantee a seat: however, under most conceivable circumstances a seat will be gained with 7 per cent and may be gained with under 6 per cent. The scheme proposed is in fact against Government attacks - perhaps Donald Dewar will become more 'Braveheartish" and lead Scottish Labour to the left that worked out over 10 years ago following discussions in the left most notably the Scottish Socialist Movement and Scottish Labour Action. As one of the proposers of the scheme (within the context of the perceived options) in general I support the proposals now.
The main disadvantage is against smaller parties - there is no national top-up, meaning that proportionality operates only at Euro Constituency level. Thus the Scottish Socialist Alliance in theory could receive S per cent in every constituency, but win no seats.
If however. it onlv stood in Glas. gow and received the same vote as at the act Huro elections i would an I seat. In practice this forces the left and environmental parties to review their attitude to joint slates Labour, the Liberals and the SSA were committed to a Yes vote. The SNP waited for the paper and now supports a Yes vote. Once again Donald Dewar persuaded doubters by affirming that if the Scottish Parliament voted for independence then independence would almost certainly follow.
Different agenda
In this as on other issues the Scottish team seem to have a different agenda to Blair and Mandelson. Mandelson's statements in his most recent visit were effectively rejected by the Scottish Office team.
For once the entire Scottish po litical establishment is united in support of a Yes vote. The SNP are openly campaigning for a Parliament as a step to independence, Labour and Liberals see it as a Democratic step - which will also detend the union The SSA majority supports a Yes vote whilst calling tor a rarilament with full powers to tackle Scotland's economy and social problems.
Until after September 11 there is effectivelv a political truce in Scotland. Attacks are muted, friendliness amongst political rivals 1s the order of the day.
But under the surface all is not well. Labour in England and Scotland is preparing to impose further cuts on local authorities and wishes to change their powers - a centralist agenda.
Sleaze Corruption in Glasgow and Paisley suit this agenda and Labour will keep issues like this in the headlines for months to come. The main revelations are however, being postponed til after September l1 -Glasgow's report is expected on September 24.
I expect 6 months of sleaze headlines leading to proposals to change the powers and functions of Local Government. Commissions looking at 'economies of scale', at 'best value', and at relations of power between Edinburgh and local councils, are being set up.
Not all is negative. On Education, on Health and other issues, Scottish Office ministers are presenting a different agenda to Blunkett et al at Westminster.
Brian Wilson at present has the full support of the Scottish teachers' union the Ho Many Scottish MPs are looking to Edinburgh for their future. Donald Dewar has openly hinted he would like to be the first Minister of the Scottish Parliament and combine this with being the last incumbent as Secretary of State for If the Left and the SNP can continue to demand justice for the poor and mobilise against Government attacks - perhaps Donald will become more "Braveheartish" and lead Scottish Labour to the left.