NORTH Wales needs more control over spending, jobs and key decisions, rather than having power concentrated in Cardiff Bay, Welsh Labour's new leader has said.
Ken Skates, who was elected leader of the party following the May election, said he would pursue “double devolution”, moving authority first from Welsh Government to North Wales and local authorities, and ultimately closer to communities.
“I would regionalise power. I would get power out of Cardiff Bay,” he told The Leader.
“There is too much power concentrated in the capital. We are at risk of becoming the most centralised nation in Europe. In England, all of the devolution to mayoralties risks leaving Wales at a massive disadvantage if power remains concentrated in Cardiff Bay.
"I would devolve it out — get the money out, get the decision-making out and put the decision-making process as close to people’s homes as possible. I would like communities to have a greater say over where money goes.
"I would embark on what you might call double devolution: getting more power to North Wales, Flintshire and Wrexham, and ultimately to communities."
Mr Skates recalled asking Welsh Government civil servants whether they knew the chief executive of Cardiff Council, when “all the hands went up”. But when he asked who led Denbighshire Council, he said only one person raised their hand.
“If you are not familiar with an area, if you are not familiar with key decision-makers in an area, if they are not on your speed dial and you are not on their speed dial, there is the risk that you have forgotten or left [it] behind,” he said.
He said an existing corporate joint committee structure in North Wales had been intended to pool local authority powers and resources, with Welsh Government expected to transfer further responsibilities to the region.
Transport powers and funding had been transferred, he said, but he believed more should have followed.
Mr Skates called for more Welsh Government civil-service jobs to be based in North Wales, potentially alongside local and UK Government teams.
He said decisions on economic development and skills should reflect the “functional economy” of North Wales and north-west England, noting that people routinely cross the Wales-England border for work, education and services.
“Cardiff Bay can feel as remote as London to people living in North Wales,” he said.
Mr Skates, who grew up near Mold, said being raised in North East Wales "entirely" shaped his political values.
"This is the area that shaped me; it is the area I consider home and care about most," he said. "I would be disingenuous if I said I cared about every community in Wales equally. I try to, but in my heart this is my home and I care about it immensely. When I see this area struggling in any way, that informs my policy ideas.
"This area is unique. It is a microcosm of the world in many respects. We have such a porous border, different nationalities, and people who live in England and work in Wales, and vice versa. This is not what you might consider the Welsh heartlands. It is a Wenglish area, if you like.
"I firmly believe independence would be devastating for this area. But I also strongly feel that we need more power here. Andy Burnham was right in saying Cardiff Bay can feel as remote as London to people living in North Wales.
"I supported devolution because I thought it was a means of getting more power to our communities, not just creating a new capital where all power would be concentrated."
He added: "It also taught me the value of education. I went to Ysgol Y Waun (in Gwernaffield) and then Mold Alun. I was the first person in my family to go to university, and that was because of the teachers and support staff. They were phenomenal.
"I have a real passion for using education as a true spirit level to level up society."
Share