Welsh Government Devolution and UKIP Leader: Dilemmas in British Politics

I’ve found this business of wanting the UKIP leader to resign over the comments of his ex-girlfriend as utterly stupid.

Disclaimer: I thoroughly dislike, and entirely disagree with, the policies of UKIP. However, if one removes policies from the matter, one sees this situation as illogical. Removing someone for what another individual did makes no sense, especially when the first someone has no control over what the second does. Further, he broke up with his girlfriend over those comments so he’s denounced her views.

            What surprises me even more is that this scandal is being pushed by UKIP politicians and UKIP politicians alone. They are themselves creating the current instability in their own party. Forcing a leadership election for the fifth time in less than two years is a waste of the money and resources the party need if they wish to contest future council and general elections. Won’t UKIP supporters just get fed up? Won’t this just weaken support for UKIP even more?

            Not only is trying to oust a leader over someone else’s views illogical but weakening their own party’s finances and support base in the process is baffling. These politicians may be wishing to become leader of UKIP but if they ruin the party in the process then what will they actually lead? Whilst I have no desire for UKIP to exist, this current situation still needs pointing out.

The devolved governments are still outraged by the UK government’s plan to return all powers from Brussels straight to Westminster. The UK government has said that the relevant powers will eventually be devolved to the Northern Irish/Scottish/Welsh governments, a move that has been denounced as a power grab.

But one must consider what the difference is between oversight from the EU and oversight from the UK. It’s evident that the Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh have a greater proportional say in the UK Parliament rather than the EU Parliament. (Though in either case this is unfortunately minimal.) Of course, the counterargument is that these oversight powers were held by the EU, and now they won’t be held by the EU then the oversight powers no longer exist and thus shouldn’t be used by the UK.

            Soft Brexit aside (in which case nothing will change so this speculation is nothing but a thought game), if the UK government temporarily holds EU powers before devolving them, which powers will the UK retain and which powers will the UK let go? Being a huge supporter of devolution (and independence if an ethnic/linguistic/regional/religious group desires it), I really want to know.

            I don’t think we will find out until after the UK has left the EU. Negotiating a long-lasting relationship with the EU is the current goal of the UK; I can’t imagine there’s much time to examine the powers the UK will get. It makes sense to concentrate on devolution once the EU negotiations are finished. Both are complex issues and it might be considered irresponsible to deal with both concurrently.

          Of course, by not stating which powers they’ll devolve, the UK can’t be kept to any specific promises they made to the devolved governments. There’s no way to force legislation that requires devolution of powers without being able to specify which powers these will be. The UK government may only devolve miniscule powers as a tiny token gesture so that, even though any devolution is on a mere technicality, the UK government can silence any complaints.