Poor Man's Parliament: Ten Years of the Welsh Assembly

by Martin Shipton

Written from a dismayed yet pro-devolution point of view, this account covers the Welsh Assembly from its beginnings in 1999 to First Minister of Wales Rhodri Morgan’s resignation in 2009. Topics discussed include Labour’s installation of Alun Michael as leader, Plaid Cymru’s and Labour’s defiance of the Freedom of Information Act, and Westminster Treasury’s obstinacy over crucial match funding for European money. An in-depth and chronological history, this volume discusses key events as it seeks to explain why the National Assembly’s hopes failed to materialize.

260 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2010

Reviews

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're interested in the history of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), then I suppose this book will be helpful. But it is oddly written, in my opinion. Just be prepared for the author's viewpoints and biases to take centerpoint - he readily admits to writing nasty things about politicians in his paper, has a cynical view of most things, and rarely has good things to saw about anyone (except when they leave officer, perhaps). I suppose those are attributes good in a reporter, but not the best in telling the history. I'd as soon as read a collection of his columns, where you could better understand that approach, than in a book purporting to tell the first 10 years of the Welsh Assembly. But, nevertheless, one will leave the book feeling mostly informed.