6. Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution: Interim Report of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:06 pm on 31 January 2023.

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Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 5:06, 31 January 2023

Well, thank you for that last comment. If water can be turned into wine, then I'm pretty sure that commissions can be turned into constitutional reform. Listen, the point that you make is a valid one, isn't it? There is a recognition—and I hope there is common ground that there's a recognition that our constitutional structures, the status quo, are not acceptable, not workable, and there needs to be change. That's why everyone needs to make an input on what they think that change should be. 

But, when has devolution been easy? When has constitutional reform, when has change, been easy? We only have to look through history to see the steps that have been taken and what has happened. In England, there had to be a civil war to get some fundamental constitutional reform; well, we don't need to go that far, but it's a recognition of the fact that there's a need, that things aren't working and we have to make them better. I very much value the comments and the input that you've made to this, but this is an important debate and it's an ongoing debate.