White Paper is Hain's White Flag to Devo-sceptics

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 15th Jun 2005

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly leader Mike German has accused Labour of throwing away the route-map to full powers - putting Labour's needs before the needs of Wales.

Speaking after the White Paper - Better Governance for Wales - was published, Mr German accused Peter Hain of raising the white flag to the devolution-sceptics in his party.

He said: "The proposals in the White Paper are putting the interests of the Labour Party ahead of the interests of the people of Wales. They have cast aside the route map which the Richard Commission gave to Wales.

"Unable to agree among themselves they have cobbled together a system which offers what could be a step towards enhanced Assembly powers. But it must be a full step towards a Welsh parliament, not a full stop. The people of Wales want the Assembly to have the tools to do the job.

"The trigger for holding a referendum on full law making powers is too heavy and too late. Why does the paper require a 2/3 majority in the Assembly, but only a simple majority in the House of Commons before a referendum on full powers? And ruling it out until at least 2015 - four years after the Richard Report envisaged full powers.

"As a first step, a way of building law-making expertise in the Assembly, there is much to commend Labour's proposals. But we want to have assurance on the veto and a robust protocol to ensure that the Secretary of State cannot use an up-front block over a manifesto pledge backed by the people of Wales which may be inconvenient to the government in Westminster. Such a scenario risks causing a constitutional crisis.

The paper also looks to update two other aspects of the 1999 settlement - the voting system and the separation of powers.

Mr German added: "The separation of the Assembly in to an executive and a legislature is welcome, and formalises what already happens in practice.

"The proposals to change the voting system are an act of spite and malice on behalf of the Labour Party. Labour came up with this system, and have no plans to replace it in Scotland. But in Wales, where it has proved inconvenient to Labour, they are spitefully changing the system."