BBC Wales' Political Editor, Betsan Powys has just been on Dragon's Eye to report on developments with the Welsh Assembly Government's Affordable Housing LCO. In essence the Assembly Government asked for the power to suspend the right to buy, but the order they submitted went further than that and also gives them the power to abolish it in Wales if they wish. The Welsh Affairs Commi...

Where should a Conservative localist stand on devolution? In favour of the maximum decentralisation of powers, obviously. Ah, but what if people on the spot don't want such powers? Scottish and Welsh legislatures should devolve power downwards It is a dilemma that Tory localists currently face over plans for referendums in Wales and Scotland (on legislative autonomy in the former, full i...

On the 10th of October the House of Lords killed off the prospect of voters getting the power to initiate referendums on local issues. Up until then the Localism Bill had contained a modest proposal to give local people in England the power to call non-binding referendums on local issues if 5% of their fellow

The UK government agrees to a U-turn over a Welsh assembly bid for more power over housing in Wales after looking poised to reject the order.

Tom Griffin (London, OK): The BBC reports on growing tensions in the Welsh Assembly Government over Westminster legislation that would give the assembly new powers on housing: The order has become a touchstone issue in the increasing tension between Cardiff and Westminster - the presiding officer of the assembly Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, has accused the MPs on the committee of "anti devol...

Regular visitors may recall this blog's utter condemnation of Plaid Cymru for proposing a Legislative Competence Order giving power to the National Assembly of Wales' Government to end right-to-buy. It was stupidity of a high order, and in my opinion driven by the pursuit of partisan opportunism. My warnings were nothing to with the principle of right-to-buy as such. It was the danger in...

Politics in Wales has changed dramatically in the last decade. From winning the yes vote in the referendum to set up the Assembly in 1997 by just 6,721 votes, it’s difficult to imagine now how devolution could be rolled back. Tom Nairn has been arguing for more than 30 years that the break-up of Britain is inevitable. More recently he points to the devolution referendums in the two and a hal...

Last night Dragon's Eye did a piece on the second anniversary of the One Wales coalition. Half way through the third assembly I think there is little room to doubt that the coalition will last the full term. It's been pretty much steady sailing so far, but things should get very interesting indeed following the next general election; and when voters go to the polls in 2011 to elect the fourth asse...

Last year, this blog discussed proposals by the Welsh Assembly Government to introduce legislation to suspend the ‘right to buy’ for council house tenants in Wales. This was to be one of the first ‘Legislative Competence Orders’ which would, under the 2006 Government of Wales Act, essentially give Wales the power to pass its own laws, albeit after seeking permission from th...

One side effect of a coalition government full of reforming zeal is lots of opportunities for the good people of Britain to troop down to their local polling station and make the appropriate mark on a ballot paper. Here are the elections and referendums that look to me to coming our way in the next few