News from Welsh Labour

Cameron’s proposals “a direct assault on Welsh representation at Westminster” – Murphy

Labour’s Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy has today challenged Welsh Tories to say if they backed Tory leader David Cameron’s plans to cut Welsh representation in Parliament.

In a letter to the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan, he said he was “dismayed at this proposal, especially in light of previous Conservative policy proposals which aim to restrict the scope of Welsh MPs’ voting and speaking rights”.

The Tory leader suggested in an article in today’s Financial Times that Westminster “could do the job that it does with 10 per cent fewer MPs without any trouble at all”. This proposal includes a reduction of Welsh MPs from 40 to 30.

He is calling on Cheryl Gillan, Welsh Conservative MPs and parliamentary candidates to confirm if they support the proposal.

Responding to the Tory leader’s proposal, Paul Murphy said:

“What David Cameron has proposed in reality is a direct assault on Welsh representation at Westminster.

“The Tories, if they had their way, have already suggested that they would turn Welsh MPs into second class Members of Parliament by restricting their right to speak and to vote in the House of Commons.

“But today, the Tories have launched a further attack on Welsh MPs by suggesting a dramatic cut in the number of MPs who represent Wales and the people of Wales in Westminster.

“David Cameron and Cheryl Gillan need to come clean with the people of Wales and tell us which constituencies they would abolish.”

Paul Murphy added:

“This is another sign that the Tories have no answers to the issues facing people in Wales at the moment. Whilst Labour at Westminster and in Cardiff Bay is focussed on helping people in Wales cope with the effects of the global economic downturn, the Tories want to give priority to plans that would weaken the Welsh voice in Parliament.

“Cheryl Gillan, Welsh Conservative MPs and candidates should tell us now if they support their leader’s scheme, and if so, which Welsh communities would lose their local MP?”