David Cameron made good his promise to visit Scotland within a week of becoming Prime Minister today and seems to have forged a good relationship with Alex Salmond.According to Sky News,
“Cameron, clearly, came here on a charm offensive. Salmond welcomed his pledge to appear before the Scottish Parliament once a year, answering questions from MSPs, and for ministers from Edinburgh to be quizzed by MPs at Westminster"
So, whilst David Cameron is welcome in Scotland, the same cannot be true of Wales.
Back in 2009, it was reported that, for Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas,
“The prospect of a UK Prime Minister fielding questions in the Senedd’s debating chamber alarms him…not only does he believe it would result in constitutional confusion, he fears it would encourage the type of party political fire-fights for which Westminster is famed".
Such a critique is not limited to Plaid Cymru's senior politicians.
On Wednesday, in an article in the Western Mail, First Minister Carwyn Jones suggested that the new Prime Minister would not be welcome in the Senedd’s debating chamber.
“I don’t think that would be appropriate. He’s answerable to the House of Commons. He’s not answerable to the National Assembly…”
Sometimes, the petty tribalism of politics in Wales defies belief.
If Scottish MEPs are happy to have the Prime Minister appear before them in Edinburgh, then surely our leading politicians in the Assembly will not be so churlish as to refuse to extend the same courtesy when he visits Cardiff?
