Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 3 March 2020.
Thank you for your short answer, First Minister. In the referendum less than 10 years ago, the people of Wales were asked if they agreed to law-making powers being devolved in 20 specified areas. So, how do you justify now all powers being devolved except those that are reserved to Westminster? This afternoon, we vote on Welsh rates of income tax; yet, in that referendum, the people of Wales were promised—it was actually written on the ballot paper—the Assembly cannot make laws on tax, whatever the result of the vote. The legislation was passed in 2006, I believe, for that vote. Why was that promise broken? Why did your 2016 manifesto, before the Wales Act 2017 was passed, refer to 'when' income tax powers are devolved, given the Wales Act 2014 required a referendum? And why, given that your predecessor and, it seems, your backbenchers refer to this as a Conservative broken promise, did you agree to it?