Scottish Government setting the pace, where’s WAG?

I admit that the new UK Government isn’t exactly to my taste but the most depressing thing for me as a result of the new Government is the prospect that Labour is possibly on course for overall control of the Welsh Assembly after next year’s elections. (although other options are possible).

Now as we have already seen the Labour/Plaid Coalition has been caught flat footed over recent events at Westminster, while others are making the most of the opportunities presented to them to gain concessions and it’s doubtful that a Labour only Welsh Assembly Government will be able to see past sticking it to the Tories and complaining constantly to try and cut some deals for Wales in the coming months and years.

In the meantime another one of these opportunities presented itself, in the Scotsman yesterday it was reported that the UK Government is looking to include Scottish Ministers in International negotiation over fisheries – it’s a good move seen as most of the UK’s shrinking fishing industry is based Scotland.

According to the Scotsman ‘UK ministers have told First Minister Alex Salmond that they will look favourably on calls from the SNP to play a key role in international negotiations on fisheries in Brussels.

The new move to allow Scottish ministers a greater role in international talks is being seen as a further shift in the relationship between Holyrood and Westminster.’

It was also revealed last week that Scottish Council Tax will be frozen for the fourth year and the new Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government is looking to do the same in England, while Welsh Council tax will rise.

You can’t blame Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and his Ministers they are getting some of the things they asked the previous Labour Government for and were refused every time, but again it shows how little real influence Carwyn Jones or Ieuan Wyn Jones have with PM David Cameron or his deputy Nick Clegg or that WAG can manage budgets in way that allows a freeze in Welsh Council tax for a year to help families out.

I wonder if these issues along with whether to defer the cuts will be discussed at the meeting of the devolved administrations in Belfast today between the First Minister's and whether the three administration’s can agree a position for public consumption.Any source