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

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.