Llew Smith: "Devolution leads to nationalism"

Devolution: The Road to Nationalism or Decentralisation?

Llew Smith, Labour MP for Blaenau Gwent and long-time opponent of devolution, told BBC Radio Wales that the Welsh Assembly would "take us down the road of nationalism, separatism and all the ugliness that goes with that".

He said setting up a Welsh assembly would be a very expensive way to make Welsh quangos accountable. Mr Smith suggested that the Government could easily scrap these quangos by repealing statutes through Parliament.

Davies: Devolution brings Decentralisation

Ron Davies says the Welsh people will realise the merits of devolution

The Welsh Secretary, Ron Davies, however, said that he was "absolutely convinced" that the people of Wales would be in favour of devolution. He argued the voters would realise that "we will have real voice for Wales, we will be able to take decisions relating to economic development, education, the health service and so on".

He said the future lay increasingly with "decentralised government, not only in Wales but in the UK as a whole".

The Welsh Secretary said the assembly would "bring the quango state under proper democratic control". He suggested that some quangos would be scrapped, others would be merged, while the remaining ones would "fully accountable to the elected representatives of the people of Wales".