Wales’ political week got off to a positive start on Monday with Prime Minister Theresa May signing off the Swansea Bay City Deal. The long awaited announcement gives the Swansea Bay City Region (which oddly extends as far as Pembrokeshire) access to £1.3bn in funds to invest locally. This is the second such deal to be signed in Wales following the Cardiff Capital Region which was approved this time last year. However, unlike the Cardiff deal - which has been criticised for lacking a clear direction - the Swansea team have taken the differing approach of focusing activities on digital projects in an attempt to turn the region into an ‘internet coast’ through 5G services and developing emergent digital tech in the life sciences and automotive sectors.
In the more immediate term the Welsh Government continued to fortify its positions ahead of next week’s triggering of Article 50. Early in the week, both First Minister Carwyn Jones and Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford appeared before Assembly Committees to stress the legal position of the Government that Brexit should not result in the diminishing of Welsh powers over policies already within its devolved competence - such as agriculture.
The position argues that the much-touted notion of ‘repatriation of powers from Brussels’ is nonsensical, given the legislative reality that such powers have already been devolved to Wales for many years. The logic then follows that we currently choose to exercise said powers at an EU level through our decision to be members of pan-European programmes such as the Common Agricultural Policy. Therefore, post-Brexit said powers will simply be exercised in Cardiff as per the terms of our existing constitution arrangements. This would mean that were the UK Government wishing to change the status-quo, it would require primary legislation to reserve the powers already devolved to Wales - something which the Welsh Government would naturally not support.
Unsurprisingly, the UK Government have so far been somewhat vague about their position on this. Nonetheless, concerns have been raised given the number of prominent Conservatives who have called for greater Westminster control post-Brexit. This is likely to be a significant fight as we head towards the conclusion of the Article 50 negotiations. Yet, regardless of which way the final settlement goes, Westminster will continue to hold the purse strings if it intends to deliver on the promises made before the referendum that Wales should not be worse off as a result of Brexit. Given this they remain in ultimate control.
These political differences quickly became insignificant on Wednesday afternoon as news reached the Senedd of the attack on the Palace of Westminster. In line with decisions at the UK’s other devolved legislatures, Assembly business was suspended with cross-party support for the remainder of the day. As events unfolded, Llywydd Elin Jones AM led tributes to the police and security teams which protect our democrat institutions and reiterated that the thoughts of everyone in Cardiff Bay are with those affected by the day’s terrible events.