(Title Image: via Senedd TV)
Welsh Government preparing Internal Market Bill legal challenge
The Welsh Government is preparing a court challenge against the controversial UK Internal Market Bill. Last week, the Senedd voted to withhold their consent, while the UK Government has since been forced to make some small compromises following significant defeats in the UK House of Lords.
The Welsh Government said the Bill grants UK Ministers sweeping powers to amend the Government of Wales Act 2006, which underpins the devolution settlement.
In a statement, the Counsel General, Jeremy Miles (Lab, Neath), said if the Bill was passed in its present form, the Welsh Government would seek a declaration from the Administrative Court that constitutional laws “cannot be cut down in this way”.
Ban on MSM blood donations lifted
The health departments of the four UK government have agreed to lift a ban on sexually-active gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
A ban was put in place due to a perceived higher risk of transmitting blood-borne infections amongst men who have sex with men (MSM), but this was deemed to be discriminatory. This policy will change to an individualised assessment as to whether a potential blood donor is at risk of carrying infections without regard to sex, sexual orientation or gender.
The changes are expected to come into effect in summer 2021.
New Code of Conduct for Members of the Senedd
The Senedd’s Standards Committee has published a new Code of Conduct for consultation.
The new code is largely unchanged, but adds “respect” to the Nolan principles of public life and states specifically that the Code of Conduct applies to a member’s public and personal life.
Additionally, the Code makes it clear that members should not attack anyone in any form of communication – including via social media. During the Fifth Senedd, there have been several instances of members using social media to attack members of the public or to post distasteful material.
Chair of the Standards Committee, Jayne Bryant MS (Lab, Newport West) said: “With a serious problem of online abuse and powerful campaigns such as the #MeToo movement and Black Lives Matter, we’ve got to do all we can to improve the tone of debate and set a standard that encourages trust in elected representatives and inspires people from all backgrounds to stand for election.”
Tory start “purge of the moderates”; Nick Ramsay deselected
Shadow Finance Minister, Nick Ramsay MS (Con, Monmouth), has been formally deselected as the Conservative candidate for Monmouth at the 2021 Senedd election. Although he can stand in the reselection process, it’ll be open and he’ll face other candidates.
BBC Wales reports that the decision was made after Nick Ramsay failed to explain why he had threatened his constituency association with legal action over previous moves to deselect him.
Elsewhere, in a shock move the former MS, Jonathan Morgan – previously considered to be a potential party leader in the Senedd – was left off a shortlist of candidates to stand on the South Wales Central regional list.
It’s reported that prospective candidates were asked how they would vote in a future referendum on devolution. It could be interpreted as a sign that the Conservatives are starting a “purge” of moderate and pro-devolution voices, possibly positioning themselves for a direct rule/Senedd abolition campaign in the future.
