Monday 7 December 2009

The week ahead...

It’s a big week for Welsh politics.

One First Minister leaves and a new one gets started (although not at the same time so we will be First Ministerless for a chunk of the week too).

With so much procedure and protocol I just thought I’d run through what’s going to happen (as far as we know):

Tuesday

  • Rhodri Morgan holds his last ever First Minister’s Question time in the chamber at 1.30pm (I wonder how sad he will be to see an end to them?)
  • There’ll be a debate on the budget late tomorrow afternoon (which might be finished by 5.30pm-ish – but Plenary session timings are not an exact science...)
  • Rhodri Morgan will send off an email to Buckingham Palace (who have been warned to expect it). He will cease to be First Minister when the Queen accepts his resignation

    Wednesday

    Providing Her Majesty checks her emails on Tuesday night...

  • The Presiding Officer will call a vote in Plenary after Ministerial questions (so around 2.30pm...probably closer to 3pm). The only thing we don’t know yet is whether or not the Tories and Lib Dems will try to vote down Carwyn Jones, abstain from the vote or (unlikely but you never know) vote for him...
  • Dafydd El gives the Queen a ring afterwards to let her know the outcome
  • The Queen invites Carwyn Jones to be Welsh First Minister. He becomes First Minister if/when he accepts but can’t exercise the duties of the office until he’s sworn in which won’t happen until...

    Thursday

  • Carwyn Jones sworn in as new First Minister by Wales’ most senior Judge who’s called Nigel Davies (as well as any new cabinet members who Carwyn can’t actually nominate until he’s taken the oath himself)

    And then a whole new chapter begins...ish...

    Dewi Tri


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  • 2 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    So on Wednesday will IWJ will be in charge or will we be leaderless and will anyone notice?

    Politics Cymru said...

    Well the cabinet are in charge of their portfolios but there will be no head of the Welsh Assembly Government for a couple of days.

    Don't panic.