Chance to end Assembly

We have seen in recent weeks many of our elected opposition Welsh Assembly members protesting with members of our local communities through Wales over the threat of hospital downgrades and possible closures.

I am also very concerned at these proposals. So what are these opposition AMs actually doing about the current health crisis in Wales?

I have singled out two prominent AMs in Mid Wales, Kirsty Williams the Lib Dem AM for Brecon & Radnor, and Nick Bourne, the Conservative AM for Mid & West Wales.

They have both certainly been getting themselves in the headlines of late. Miss Williams is frequently posing for the cameras at hospitals etc. Mr Bourne is often writing articles in local newspapers with regard to cuts in these services.

But these two individuals could really have done something positive for a change for the people of Wales.

At a recent vote on the budget in the Assembly they were both more than happy to vote together to defeat the Labour Assembly Government along with their Lib Dem and Tory colleagues and their new friends Plaid Cymru and the two Independent AMs.

But they missed another golden opportunity to put up a no confidence motion on Rhodri Morgan and the Labour administration. This could have brought down the government.

They chose not to do so. They may gloat at the fact that they held up the budget process in Wales for a few weeks but the truth is they have not got the guts to go into coalition government themselves.

There was a real prospect of making a significant change to how Wales is governed but they failed. They attack Labour for not delivering but are scared of taking the lead themselves.

The people of Wales are now seeing the real effects of devolution and the time has now come for a debate on the future of devolution, with the real option of having the Welsh Assembly abolished.

John Bufton, Powys