Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:16 pm on 28 November 2018.
The principle of accountability in politics is an important one, of course, and it’s clearer in some situations than others these days. Too often, over the past two years, we have seen politicians not only making promises when they’re not in a situation to achieve those or fulfil those promises—I’m talking about Brexit, by the way, if you’re not sure—but we also see Ministers, and First or Prime Ministers indeed, making decisions that are going to have far-reaching consequences for those that they’re accountable to before stepping aside, without facing the results of their decisions, without having to justify the decisions, and without being accountable for those decisions. That’s an important principle that, in a very different context, is visible here, especially when we’re talking about such a major decision, especially when it’s a decision that is being taken so close to the end of the period of one First Minister in office, and the beginning of the period of the next First Minister. And I’m looking forward to Adam Price taking his place in the frontbenches over there.