Martin Shipton wrote in the Western Mail yesterday that the 2011 referendum date has been ruled out:
idea of having a referendum on full law-making powers for the National Assembly on the same day as the next Assembly election in 2011 has been ruled out, it has been confirmed.
At one time, Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones advocated having the two events on the same day, but it has now emerged that the Electoral Commission has advised against it on the grounds that voters could be confused.
Under the One Wales coalition agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru, a referendum is due to be held by 2011 at the latest.
Removing the option of election day that year makes it less likely that a referendum will be held in this Assembly term.
A referendum could of course be held before that date, after all the SNP are timing theirs for 2010. But unlike the SNP, the One Wales government isn't doing well in the Welsh polls, mainly because there aren't any.
If One Wales is serious about its commitment to a 'Yes' campaign then it has to ensure that polls become as regular a part of the Welsh political scene as they are on the other side of Offa's Dyke. How else can it hope to gauge public opinion in order to get the timing right?
3 opinions:
I think you raise a valid point about polling, it seems that we lack a regular, credible polling framework. Indeed it would certainly put to bed many of the debates we have on devolution and other political issues in Wales.
I think, and this is something I think I will discuss further in my future project (it is all hush hush at the mo), that it is wider example of Wales lacking the wider civic society needed in recognition of further devolution. Polling, the media, pressure groups, commentators etc.
We don;t have regular polls in Wales because we don;t have the national media to do it. The Scottish Sunday's lead the way up North, comissioning all these polls. In Wales we only have Trinity Mirror, and they clearly aren;t bothered enough to do them.
The BBC does the odd poll, but have banned themselves from doing "which party do you support" polls.
The Assembly should commission the polls
Post a Comment