North Wales MP floats idea of ‘suspending devolution’ after criticising non-essential items ban in supermarkets
A North Wales MP has floated the idea of “suspending devolution” after criticising a ban which has forced supermarkets to stop selling non-essential items.
All non-essential shops, leisure and hospitality businesses in Wales are currently closed until Monday 9 November as part of the two week fire-break lockdown.
The ‘non-essential’ ban has been described as a move to stop the ‘wrong’ and ‘disproportionate’ measures in the earlier lockdown, speaking in a Senedd committee on Thursday, Conservative Shadow Minister for the Economy MS Russell George: “In regards to which businesses are required to close, in the previous lockdown there were businesses such as clothing, hardware shops were required to close. Businesses such as Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, were selling those items of clothing and hardware, and it felt very wrong and disproportionate to the small businesses.
First Minister Mark Drakeford described the move as levelling the playing field as he replied: “I think in the first set of restrictions people were reasonably understanding of the fact that supermarkets didn’t close all the things that they may have needed to.
“I don’t think people will be as understanding this time, and we will be making it clear to supermarkets they are only able to open those parts of their business that provide essential goods to people – and that will not include some of the things that Russell George has mentioned that other people are prevented from selling. So we will make sure that there is a more level playing field in those next two weeks.”
The decision has attracted a strong response from the Welsh Conservatives, despite many noting it was one of the party’s own Senedd Members Russell George who suggested it on Thursday.
Rob Roberts MP Facebook page.
Conservative MP for Delyn, Rob Roberts, was among those who offered an opinion in with a lengthy comment on Facebook, comparing the Welsh Government to “an authoritarian regime”.
When questioned by one person whether the UK Government could step in to take action, he said: “There is a provision in the Wales Act to suspend devolution in a time of national crisis.”
In response to another he said: “Devolution. Gotta love it!”
Pictures have emerged of ‘non-essential’ items being covered up in supermarkets in Wales, under the instruction of the Welsh Government.Is Wales turning into some kind of authoritarian regime? What on Earth is going on?The rules that the First Minister has introduced from 6pm today prevents stores from selling anything that the Welsh Government decides is non-essential over the next 2 weeks.None of the things in this picture being restricted will stop COVID spreading. This is Governmental over-reach of the highest order. It’s one thing saying that only certain shops can open and putting livelihoods at risk with a blanket lockdown that treats rural communities with low case numbers the same as big cities, but now they’re telling those shops what they are allowed to sell. Power mad.It is clear that this does nothing to stop the spread of Covid. The Welsh Government are not acting in the best interest of Wales, our businesses or our customers.Their Wales-wide lockdown already unfairly punishes our rural communities where COVID rates are low. This new measure is absurd.
Yesterday afternoon’s Welsh Government press briefing saw the First Minister face a number of questions over the decision.
However Mr Drakeford stated it was a “simple matter of fair play.”
He said: “We are requiring many hundreds of small businesses to close on the high street right across Wales.
“We cannot do that and then allow supermarkets to sell goods that those people are unable to sell.
“We are looking to minimise the amount of time that people spend out of their homes during this two week period.
“This is not a period to be browsing around supermarkets looking for non essential goods.”
Non-essential items being covered up in supermarkets in Wales. Has it really come to this? pic.twitter.com/YwtIUjgc8P
— Grant Tucker (@GrantTucker) October 23, 2020
With the ‘fairness’ argument being made, North.Wales asked for detail on what action is being taken for internet retailers to limit their offer to ensure fair play.
The First Minister replied: “Alcohol sales in supermarkets are already restricted and we’ve introduced rules there that apply in Wales that don’t apply anywhere else.
“The supermarket sector is a very mature, a very responsible sector, it will want to do the right thing. It’s demonstrated that in the way that it implements our alcohol rules here in Wales, we have every confidence that it will do the right thing in relation to the sale of non essential goods.”
“The Welsh Government doesn’t have the powers to do things about internet sales. That is a UK wide responsibility that only the UK Government can discharge.”
“I’ve had many conversations with the retail consortium here in Wales before the pandemic about the unfairness of the system in which internet businesses are treated in one way and high street businesses are treated in another way.”
“Previously we made the case to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to change the rules for online businesses so that they contribute their fair share to the national effort in terms of taxation, in terms of the way they trade alongside other businesses, but those are not decisions that lie in the hands of the Welsh Government.”
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