Power to the people

Edwin Phillips reads an internal Welsh Government (WG) email to Assembly politicians about an increase in their powers, and plans to allow them to job-share.

From:  The Department Of Responsible Knowledge (DORK).

To:  Assembly Persons of Eminence (APE).

You may have become aware of your increasing powers, to the relief of everyone in Wales.

It is our intention to allow APEs to share your vital role with a person of the opposite, or no, sex.

This will allow more people in Wales to become associated with the fine work the assembly does, and taxpayers who happily give their money, will be pleased to see their cash spread over a greater number of APEs.

Those important members of the Assembly Commission have already said ‘job-sharing’ is a “possibility” under new powers.

As we all know this means it will definitely happen.

Under that fine 2017 Wales Act, which everyone welcomes devolving more responsibilities from Westminster to Cardiff, job-sharing will take place.

Currently only 25 out of the 60 APEs in our wonderful Assembly are women, and all do a superb job yet most of them are unfortunately from one party (Labour). 

As voters will of course agree, APEs are entitled to more powers.

It will be to the nation’s relief that once the Wales Act comes fully into force, Welsh ministers will have power over the timing of elections, the law on eligibility to vote, and over the electoral system.

Unfortunately our work is not yet complete.

In order to make changes to the voting system, including the number of APEs for each seat or region, new legislation would absurdly need to be passed by a so-called “super-majority” – at least two-thirds of APEs.

At the last General Election two Green people tried to stand jointly for a single parliamentary seat.

But ridiculously they were refused and a bid for a judicial review was stopped by the High Court.

This was in England but you know what we mean.

Luckily all APEs are in favour of job-sharing, even UKIP.

UKIP APE for South West Wales, Caroline Jones, said: “Job sharing is a very interesting concept which I am broadly supportive of as an assembly commissioner, and an idea which requires further exploration into its possibilities prior to implementation”.

It is just unfortunate Ms Jones’ leader in the Assembly, Neil Hamilton, was not in another job when he was called a ‘A liar and a cheat’ on the front of a UK newspaper, and that irritating website The Eye seems to be the only one that is raising it.

Still, as we have already stated, our work is not yet complete…

Tomorrow – our Editor Phil Parry explains how he copes with his disability. 

Test your knowledge of key events with our interactive quiz!

[viralQuiz id=1]