Urgent Debate: UK Air Strikes in Syria

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:40 pm on 18 April 2018.

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Photo of Mr Simon Thomas Mr Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru 7:40, 18 April 2018

Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'd like to thank all Members who've participated in this debate. It's been a serious debate, and I think the tenor of the debate, those who supported the action and those who don't support the action, has reflected well on the Assembly and the need to debate these matters on our hand that are before us.

Can I just start with the Government's view, just to get that kind of hare out of the way, in a sense? I can't believe we're told, just after we've debated WASPI, that we're not here to debate things that are matters for Westminster. I really cannot accept that. Hearing the passionate speeches—I wasn't in the Chamber, but I was outside watching—from some Labour Members in favour of women's pension rights, and then to say we're not here to debate Westminster issues, it's completely impossible to accept that. And the Government over the last few weeks has really disappeared up its own tail in its legalistic arguments around these matters. It's a serious point, even if I didn't use quite the right language to get it across. It's a serious point.

The First Minister himself has got a bit of a history here. He's here for the vote, I note. He wasn't here for the debate. But we have a First Minister who is prepared, on weekend after weekend, to appear on the media to make points that are important to the people in Wales, whether it ranges from the sacking of a Cabinet Minister to a response to a strike on Syria, and then tries to avoid any scrutiny in this Chamber on why he took those decisions, how those decisions were taken, and doesn't present himself to answer questions about that. [Interruption.] He's welcome to intervene on me now. He's welcome.