Latest news with #Antoniw
South Wales Argus
11 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Senedd hears future generations law ‘lacks teeth'
The Senedd's equality committee took evidence as part of follow-up scrutiny a decade on from the Welsh parliament passing the Well-being of Future Generations Act in 2015. Labour's Mick Antoniw warned the Act, which aims to put sustainable development at the heart of decision making, lacks impetus and risks being a "bureaucratic tick-box exercise'. Mr Antoniw, who was involved in early stages of scrutiny of the then-bill, said: 'It started off… as a sustainability bill until no one could actually define what they meant by sustainability… came up with the term future generations and… that might be seen to be equally nebulous.' As well as describing the Act as vague, the former minister suggested Wales' future generations commissioner has few – if any – powers to hold public bodies to account. He said: 'I always thought that was a mistake right from the beginning, [you] don't give it proper teeth to actually have the impact that shifts decision making.' Calvin Jones, an environmental economist, said the commissioner and his predecessor told him their only 'big stick' is to 'name and shame' which they are reluctant to do. 'As soon as you get the stick out, people take their eyes off the carrot,' he said. 'There's this constant tension between wanting to chivvy the laggards along but realising once you get a reputation as somebody who's an auditor effectively then games start being played and boxes start being ticked. 'That tension has always stymied the way in which the commissioners have been prepared to name and shame which was, I think, the only serious bit of teeth in the Act.' Prof Jones, who left Cardiff University in May, suggested Audit Wales should have more of a role in holding public bodies to account in a similar way to their bookkeeping duties. He warned of a major lack of funding for the commissioner's office, describing the money allocated by the Welsh Government as akin to using a sticking plaster on the Titanic.
South Wales Guardian
13 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Senedd hears future generations law ‘lacks teeth'
The Senedd's equality committee took evidence as part of follow-up scrutiny a decade on from the Welsh parliament passing the Well-being of Future Generations Act in 2015. Labour's Mick Antoniw warned the Act, which aims to put sustainable development at the heart of decision making, lacks impetus and risks being a "bureaucratic tick-box exercise'. Mr Antoniw, who was involved in early stages of scrutiny of the then-bill, said: 'It started off… as a sustainability bill until no one could actually define what they meant by sustainability… came up with the term future generations and… that might be seen to be equally nebulous.' As well as describing the Act as vague, the former minister suggested Wales' future generations commissioner has few – if any – powers to hold public bodies to account. He said: 'I always thought that was a mistake right from the beginning, [you] don't give it proper teeth to actually have the impact that shifts decision making.' Calvin Jones, an environmental economist, said the commissioner and his predecessor told him their only 'big stick' is to 'name and shame' which they are reluctant to do. 'As soon as you get the stick out, people take their eyes off the carrot,' he said. 'There's this constant tension between wanting to chivvy the laggards along but realising once you get a reputation as somebody who's an auditor effectively then games start being played and boxes start being ticked. 'That tension has always stymied the way in which the commissioners have been prepared to name and shame which was, I think, the only serious bit of teeth in the Act.' Prof Jones, who left Cardiff University in May, suggested Audit Wales should have more of a role in holding public bodies to account in a similar way to their bookkeeping duties. He warned of a major lack of funding for the commissioner's office, describing the money allocated by the Welsh Government as akin to using a sticking plaster on the Titanic.
BBC News
21-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Senedd election: 2026 could be 'most difficult' Labour has faced
The next Senedd election could be one of the most difficult Labour has faced in Wales, a senior politician from the party has Antoniw told Walescast Labour needed to show things would improve in Wales ahead of the vote in May former minister also warned the UK government cannot be "continually... saying no" to calls for more powers for the Senedd and Welsh government.A close ally of former first minister Mark Drakeford, Antoniw is stepping down as the Member of the Senedd for Pontypridd next May. Labour has dominated politics in Wales for a century and has led every Welsh government since devolution began in next election will be the first to elect 36 more politicians, with voters given greater choice over who represents them in the 96-seat parliament through a more proportional election to Walescast, the former counsel general for Wales said: "I think it will probably be one of the most difficult elections that we've had.''Mind you, every election is always difficult.''A poll at the end of 2024 dampened Welsh Labour's hopes for the 2026 elections with Plaid Cymru coming out on top and Reform alongside Antoniw said: ''The last Senedd election I was involved in, it was predicted Labour would lose an enormous number of seats and there would even potentially be a Conservative rainbow government.''That didn't come about so you do have to be very careful with polls and predictions.''Antoniw said voters were attracted to Reform because they were disaffected "over the lack of change".''People want things to get better, and people want to know that there is hope on the horizon," he said.''They want to be convinced that their government will fight to make things better.''He said Reform were riding high but do not "really have any policies on which to be challenged or to be scrutinised".The former minister said the challenge for Labour was "showing that change is on the horizon, change can be made and things will improve"."That is the confidence barrier politics needs to get through by the next Senedd elections," he said. Since the general election both governments at either end of the M4 have been run by said there was "more engagement" now between the two.''The fact of the matter is where there was a Conservative government in Westminster you couldn't even talk about any of these things," he calls for further devolution have gone unheeded, with requests for Wales to take control of the crown estate and the justice system who is the Welsh government's former chief legal advisor, added: ''They can't continually be saying, 'no, we're not interested in that' even if it happens to be Welsh Labour Party policy.''I think there is a need to start listening a bit more from the UK level in terms of some of these issues and why they are important to Wales.''He added teething issues were to be expected but it was important to help Welsh Labour deliver on policy.''It is always very difficult with a new government that's come in after 14 years where centralisation is quite a natural response to events, you want to get on and do things.''But it is equally important that they recognise that many of the powers and responsibilities are now devolved, and they have to help Welsh Labour to be able to deliver those as well.''
