SIR – While I enjoyed watching Kim Howells air his views, and I admire what he has given to Britain and the way he speaks his mind, I must say I think his views on devolution are out of date (“‘Daft’ to give more powers”, Nov 27) .
As part of the generation that has grown up with a Welsh Assembly, and the impact that it makes on our day to day lives I can assure him and your readers that the Welsh Assembly is a force for good.
The battle over whether Wales, like Scotland, should have some form of self governance has long been won, and the younger generation, and many others, would find it insulting for this to be taken away. At a time when free market economics and de-industrialisation is shaping so much in Welsh society, the Assembly can provide that vital Welsh perspective to understand the chronic problems we face.
As the voting Welsh public has accepted devolution, we must now look towards fine-tuning it and making it the ultimate force for good it can be.
The present system forces lengthy delays in legislating and is significantly watered down. A Yes vote in the referendum will make the Assembly more effective and accountable, and will ultimately save us money. In his programme, he states that the political elite in Wales are self serving and insular; as a man who spent much of his life living and working in Westminster, he must surely realise that there is no more insular place than the Westminster village.
The days of debating the Assembly are gone. I would urge Kim Howells to help us shape the Assembly and its purpose as a younger Labour Party member and activist. A Yes vote in March will be the first step to a better future for Wales.
JOSH MILES
Secretary, Cardiff Labour Students
