Cheryl Gillan MP: Shadow Secretary of State for Wales

Cheryl is Shadow Secretary of State for Wales

Politics in Wales is changing and Welsh Conservatives are at the forefront of that change. The days when Wales was perceived as a Conservativ-free zone are over. Now with three Members of Parliament at Westminster, eleven Conservative Assembly Members, a Member of the European Member of Parliament and a seat in the Shadow Cabinet, Welsh conservative politics are on the move.

Since I was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales in December 2005, in addition to giving Wales a strong voice in the Shadow Cabinet, I have concentrated on four main areas.

Covering the Ground

Having been born and brought up in Cardiff, I have been renewing my knowledge and understanding of Wales, travelling the length and breadth of the country to ensure that I gain as much insight as possible into current issues and developments. These visits cover a vast range of areas from farms to industrial operations, from defence facilities to hospitals and schools and they consume a great deal of time and planning. But they give me the opportunity to learn at first hand what will be required in Government.

I have been impressed by our potential in Wales - from the stunningly beautiful countryside and natural assets to the cutting edge technology in our businesses. But saddened by the poverty and unresolved problems which an incoming Conservative government must address.

My role at Westminster

A large part of 2006 was taken up leading for the official opposition on the passage of the major Welsh Constitutional Bill which has now become the Government of Wales Act. This Bill revisited the entire devolution settlement in Wales so all stages had to be taken on the floor of the House which involves an enormous amount of detailed and painstaking preparation.

Parts of the Bill we were able to support but it was wholly unacceptable that the Labour Government should try and change the electoral system and vary the original devolution settlement without consulting the people of Wales.

I also spend time dealing with secondary legislation and holding the government to account through debates and questions both on the floor of the House and on the Welsh Grand Committee. As powers are only partially devolved to the Assembly, much of the legislation passing through parliament this year will also be applied to Wales. Over twenty Bills at Westminster contain provisions applying to Wales which require attention.

Working with Cardiff Bay

It is important to me that Conservative politicians provide the best possible policies for Wales and this means Assembly Members and Westminster politicians working closely together. Developing a strong working relationship with Nick Bourne AM, who leads the Conservatives on the Assembly, has been a priority and it has meant a new and fresh approach to politics in Wales.

The Assembly is now an established feature of the political landscape and we are committed to ensuring that it works well for the people of Wales. Our Conservative Group has already successfully challenged and overturned some of the Labour administrations policies and will be building on these successes for the next election.

The Elections

The assembly elections will take place in May this year and my current focus is on supporting our candidates and Assembly Members who will be seeking re-election. The Conservative Group on the Assembly has the reputation of being the hardest working group of AMs and Labour is now seen to have failed to deliver on most of its promises. People are looking at Conservatives as a real alternative and we are offering a vision for services in Wales which is dynamic and exciting.

We believe that the Welsh Assembly Government could do so much better to improve people’s lives and Conservatives want to lead the way.

Comments

[grg]

so basically you do sweet FA

[Denis Cooper]

I suppose it's largely a matter of personal taste, but will the voters in Wales (and the tourists) agree that the Welsh countryside is still "stunningly beautiful" even after it's been plastered with wind turbines in an effort to cut the UK's (ie, mainly England's) carbon emissions not by 60%, but by 80%? Which means that the allowable total emissions would not be 40% of the present level, in itself difficult enough to achieve, but half of that, 20%, loosely speaking twice as difficult.

[Londoner]

If that photo is genuine and recent, then Cheryl has worn extraordinarily well since I knew her nearly 20 years ago. She has also reached heights that I for one would never have dreamed likely. I am still trying to work out how much of my surprise is a result of my misjudgement of her talents and how much is a reflection on the paucity of competing talent on our benches. Probably a bit of both.

[Simon]

Why oh why do we continue with this nonsence of having 'secretaries of state' for devolved areas!!! Not wishing to do Cheryl out of a job, why on earth don't the 'First Minister's' of devolved bodies sit in the cabinet when discussing UK only topics? It's just tough if the 'First Ministers' come from different political parties- that's the dog's breakfast of a system we unfortuantly are living under at the mo.

[Yet Another Anon]

Why oh why do we continue with this nonsence of having 'secretaries of state' for devolved areas!!!
Wales is still subject to English Law, seperate Welsh Law out and there would no longer be any need to have a Welsh Office or any ministers for Wales.

I think the Scottish Office and Northern Ireland Office should be scrapped immediately, there needs to be devolution in England probably more on a County Basis (perhaps with the creation of Super Counties such as a single Yorkshire County and Wessex and Mercia, Cornwall should get national status - they should get full parliaments with the same powers as the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly and GLA should also get the same powers as the Scottish Parliament. The Northern Ireland Assembly should be scrapped and replaced with the re-introduction of the old Northern Ireland Parliament at Stormont as it was prior to it's abolition by the Heath Government, although maybe having some form of PR - either that or each of the 6 Counties should be given seperate powers along the lines of the Scottish Parliament.

[Dick Wishart]

grq. what a pig ignorant comment to make, you obviously know nothing about Wales nor about the tremendous work that Cheryl has been doing in helping us put the Conservatives back to the forefront of politics in Wales, if you do know about Wales, then you're from a different party.
The snide comment from londoner is just about as bad,assuming that even after 20 years, no one can rise to his undoubted level of intellegence/competence.
If you are Conservatives then Lord help us all.

[matt wright]

Cheryl is an outstanding Shadow Sec for Wales, very approachable, sensible and with a feeling for the culture. This is important as there are some historical differences in how things are viewed in Wales. Most notably is the importance placed on communities which means that a fresher more open-minded and socially responsible Conservatism has been working well in Wales for a while.

Matt

[Mike Wood]

The constitutional settlement for Wales is different to that in Scotland. Westminster is still responsible for most Welsh legislation and so we need a spokesman in Westminster who is responsible for responding to Welsh office legislation.

Cheryl did a great job on the Government of Wales Act and exposing the inconsistencies and cynicism behind the Government's proposals.

[Londoner]

Re Dick Wishard's comment, he may think my comment was snide, but it was an honest assessment. And, as any regular reader of this website would probably perceive from "Londoner's" other posts, I am a Conservative. I would also say that, having been heavily involved in the Party in the 1980s, and of the generation now at the top, there are several other Shadow Cabinet members I knew then whose rise one definitely would, and did, predict.

But if in 1987 when Cheryl was starting to make her way in the Party someone had told the people who knew her that she would one day be Cabinet level in our party (particularly when you think of the calibre of the Cabinet then, the high watermark of Thatcherism), 99% of them would have been amazed I promise you. Why? Well I suppose there might have been an element of sexism but it was also because she didn't seem very intellectually engaged. But she did get on and organise things (like Balls) and it perhaps shows that it is that type of competence, together with reliability and sheer focus and hard work I guess, that can get you very far in politics. (As I don't have it, just as well perhaps that I decided not to pursue politics myself!)

And I haven't ever seen her in action on the Front Bench, dealing with the nitty gritty of legislation etc as a Junior Minister, and now as Shadow Cabinet, where presumably she must do a good job. Better than on TV, I imagine.

But I remain surprised - if that's snide, sorry.

[Londoner]

By the way, I agree with Dick that the comment from grq was uncalled for. It was clear from Cheryl's article that she is doing a lot and only those at Westminster and/or in Wales can really judge its effectiveness.

[Dick Wishart]

Londoner, I had no problem with your comments until the word paucity popped up, this give the impression that " she's ok but"

[Londoner]

Dick W - I am glad to hear that it was just one word that offended you! Yours was quite a strong reaction if that was all. But I stand by "paucity of talent" when one compares it with Cabinet level talent 20 years ago. Not surprising really when one considers how unattractive politics now is as an occupation, to say nothing of having only about half the number of MPs to choose from than we had then.

[matt wright]

Although I think Londoners comments about Cheryl were overly acidic and I didn't share them, I did find his analysis of different characters in the political scene interesting. It made me think what I value in people in any organisation and I think I identify with this elemnt in what he said -"But she did get on and organise things (like Balls) and it perhaps shows that it is that type of competence, together with reliability and sheer focus and hard work I guess, that can get you very far in politics". I think this probably gets people on in many walks of life,

Matt

[kathleen davies]

we should scrap the welsh assembly,get rid of the expensive talking shop and spend the taxpayers money on schools and hospitals. This was our policy before the assembly was launched with its dubious .5 percent majority so whats changed apart from the fact that tory politicians who only won by pr now have a cushy job?