Ellie in Wrexham

Ellie Pritchard, who lives in Wrexham, is generally a calm person but what drove Ellie mad recently was the way the proposed Welsh housing Local Competency Order (LCO) was handled via Parliament.

It is all very well in her opinion to say Wales has the power to make its own decisions within certain policy areas, but when Westminster alters what is proposed by Wales to such a great extent it makes a mockery of the system.

Ellie believes that unless Wales is given full authority to make it own legislation in Cardiff the current system is in many ways a complete waste of time and effort. She thinks Wales and the National Assembly has the ability and the competency to be able to make its own decisions and people should have the confidence to grasp the mettle and opt for all at once law-making powers in the devolved policy areas.

Ellie said:

I have been out of the loop for a while and so I needed to get up to speed with what the All Wales Convention and the devolution debate is all about. It was important for me to attend the public meeting so that I could get clarity on a number of issues.

I was happy that my voice and views were heard and I have a much better grasp in my mind on the issues at stake here as part of this debate. I do not want to see a similar position happening again, as happened in the 1997 referendum, when voter apathy or misinformation leads to a decision many people are unhappy with.

It is important the people of Wales are being asked their opinion and this is what is good about this process. I am one of those hard to reach people, I don't read local papers or have Welsh language television where we live and so it is hard to know what is going on from day to day, but I happened to be at the gym and heard the radio advert and thought I would come along to hear for myself. I am glad I did because I am much better informed now than before I went which can be no bad thing and I am glad I was able to make my point and that I was listened to!