Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:52 pm on 10 July 2019.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I think we have had a considered and useful debate. And that is what you get in parliaments when a motion is tabled. There is a range of views. We have seen, if truth be told, some common ground emerging in some of the contributions, and some fundamental differences of opinion, and I make no apologies at all for tabling this motion, because it is important that the people of Wales do see where the common ground exists and where there are differences of opinion.
Let me be entirely honest: this wasn't our first choice in terms of bringing this question forward. There was a process, as we've already heard from the Llywydd, of discussing between the parties. I know, because I was a Commissioner at the time. The reason that that realpolitik had failed in the attempt to deliver consensus was that one party, by the way not our party, had decided that they didn't want to act within this Assembly term, and that was the Labour Party. Now, you cannot blame us because you had come to that position, which I believe is entirely contrary to the substance of what many of your Members had said with great sincerity.
We truly need these changes in Wales now. Let's be clear: there are some things more important to me than party politics. I've shown that over the past few days, and the quality of our national democracy is one of those things. So, this isn't a matter of playing party politics. That's not what we're doing here, but we are urging the Labour Party mainly, many of whom I believe in their own hearts do sympathise with what we have to say, our analysis of the situation and what drives that—. I urge you, even now, in this next vote, or in any future negotiations that will happen in the cross-party committee that we have just heard mention of—we need to take action now. We have a mandate that is more comprehensive, and that is the mandate that we've had through two referendums to create a democracy that delivers for the people of Wales, and we can't deliver that in the current climate.