International Worker No 239, Saturday, September 13, 1997 Devolution opposed in Wales By Tania Kent The September 18 Welsh referendum for a devolved assembly has not been able to mobilise any mass support. The majority of opinion polls reveal that up to 40% of the population have not made up their minds or do not understand the issues. This reveals the lack of any significant debate on the political issues involved. There is concern that this will backfire on the government, with either a very low turnout, a no vote or both. Both the "yes" and "no" factions are basing their perspective on nationalism. The "yes" campaign is led by the Labour Party, the Welsh TUC, Plaid Cymru, Liberal Democrats and sections of big business, as well as the middle class left parties such as the Socialist Party, Socialist Labour Party and Socialist Workers Party. The "no" campaign is led by the Tories and big business. The Welsh TUC released a press statement calling for a yes vote on the grounds that a Welsh assembly will mean "more jobs and better employment opportunities, improvements in education and training." This is an attempt to conceal the fact that devolution is being rammed through by a government that is slashing public spending and destroying the democratic right to universal health and education provision and the role played by the trade union bureaucracy in imposing these plans. People living in Wales are amongst the poorest in Britain, with the highest levels of unemployment. The waiting list for NHS treatment is over 60,000 and 72,000 children are in classes of over 30. Fifty years ago Wales was a major manufacturing area for Britain. There were 500,000 workers in the coal and steel industry. Today there are only 1,000. The plans for devolution and calls for separatism will not solve these social problems. The divisions in society are not along national but class lines. The promoters of separatism hope to secure a greater share for themselves in the exploitation of working people by establishing a direct relationship with the major corporations and integrating the regions' economies more directly into the European trading bloc. Economic restructuring The major restructuring that has taken place in British industry throughout the 1980s is sharply reflected in Wales. The production of coal and steel has been replaced by hi-tech industries through £10bn of inward investment via the Welsh Development Agency. This will come under the control of the assembly. Wales attracts 16% of Britain's inward investment, with only 5% of the population. Average weekly male earnings are more than 12% lower than the rest of the UK. More than 70% of the working population is covered by some form of regional assistance. Cardiff Bay, former home to the docks, is being transformed into a tourist and yuppie attraction with wine bars and restaurants. More than 75,000 are employed by foreign companies. The Welsh TUC points to the "success" of regionalism throughout Europe as models for British workers: "The most successful economies of Europe are found in the regions of Baden Wurttemburg in Germany, Lombardy in Italy, Catelonia in Spain and Rhone-Alpes in France, regions which use the tools of regional government to build economic success and quality of life." They don't raise, however, that in these regions there has both been a large upsurge in racism and ethnic tensions, nor that "success" has been won at the expense of massive budget cuts and attacks on social spending. Big business which was overwhelmingly against devolution in 1979, has begun to shift its policy. The CBI is officially "neutral" with considerable sections in support. The white paper promises to give business easier access to political decision makers. The CBI is placing certain demands on the government before it comes fully on board. It wants the assembly to be forced to consult businesses on all related legislation. It is also arguing for co-option of business representatives to assembly committees. The CBI raised that it is concerned that the assembly may pass stricter legislation on business practices. A Welsh Labour official replied: "We are obviously going to listen to anything they say. We pretty much bend over backwards to accommodate any concerns that they have." These are the interests that will be represented and spoken for in the new assembly -- big business and the transnational corporations who will only invest providing their demands for cheap wages and low social benefits are met.

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