IWA Trustee Ant Pickles reflects on the role of the Secretary of State for Wales on the eve of the post’s 60th anniversary.
The staircase of Gwydyr House in Whitehall is observed by the portraits of all the former Secretaries of State for Wales, going back to the very first holder of that office, Jim Griffiths. As a sweep of history, each occupant tells a story of a changed political role, and yet, one that continues, now into its seventh decade.
This week marks the 60th anniversary of the creation of the cabinet post. Back in 1964, following the election of the first Wilson Labour government, and after years of campaigning by Griffiths, the role came into existence, taking on a swathe of responsibility for housing, agriculture, trade, and transport. It took a further year or so until the office around the Secretary of State was formally constituted and eventually grew to encompass thousands of civil servants, of whom many of today’s Welsh Government staff are the inheritors. It is easy to see the desire for symmetry, if not political convenience and fairness, with Scotland having had a fully fledged Secretary of State since the 1920s and a clearly defined political voice within cabinet.
As the social agitations of the 1960s grew, so too did nationalism, and the role was designed to show that policy and delivery, whilst designed in Whitehall, had a delivery arm in Wales through the Wales Office.
As the social agitations of the 1960s grew, so too did nationalism, and the role was designed to show that policy and delivery, whilst designed in Whitehall, had a delivery arm in Wales through the Wales Office. For the first three decades, as events unfolded from the Aberfan to the Investiture, and deindustrialisation to devolution, the role had significance and prominence. Its continuation under Conservative governments as well as Labour ones shows that it was seen as a required element of Cabinet.
By the millennium, most of the powers of the Wales Office transferred to the then Assembly Government, and the function of the job changed. No longer an active participant and budget holder, but now a symbolic role with oversight of a devolution settlement which as we now know was to develop in stages. Until relatively recently, the Secretary of State continued to have a seat within the Senedd siambr should they wish to attend debates. Following a State Opening of the UK Parliament, they would report on its content with speech to MSs, too. Following the Silk Commission, this tradition felt at odds with a maturing devolved settlement and was quietly dropped.
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So on October 17th, will there be fanfare in celebration? Unlikely. Also unlikely is that many in Wales are able to point to what the job is there to do. Jo Stevens, the incumbent, is now the 22nd post holder, and said on her first day that she was there to be a ‘steadfast advocate’ for Wales. Over the past decade or so, there have been growing calls for it to be scrapped. At times referred to as a ‘viceroy’, especially when held by an MP who doesn’t represent a Welsh constituency, and as recently as June, Plaid Cymru described it as ‘entrenching power imbalance’. For a role with no budget and no active constitutional role, why the anxiety?
Were the role to be wrapped into a wider post – Secretary of State for the Nations – or similar (as has been called for), it would do a number of things. Firstly, with the Secretary of State attending Cabinet, there is an opportunity for Wales and Welsh policy matters to be raised directly with the prime minister and entire cabinet every week. Whatsmore, the Secretary of State sits on a number of cabinet sub-committees and takes part in the intricate write-round process on all and any policy, stopping potentially adverse decision making before it is set in motion.
It has always been clear to me that those who get it have understood the political dexterity of understanding the political weather and building alliances, rather than campaigning and grandstanding.
For all the power and prestige the First Minister now has, they would be unable to do that. Secondly, the Secretary of State is a guardian for the devolved settlement, and for the time being all major UK parties believe in the existence and nurturing of the current process. Therefore, the Secretary of State is able to navigate an often intransigent civil service mentality on devolved powers and practices. This can be really important, particularly when the political environment in Cardiff Bay needs to be carefully considered in Whitehall, and sometimes, visa-versa – this is about maturity.
There is another truth about the role of Secretary of State. Very often the success (perceived or otherwise) of the minister’s tenure is that it waxes and wanes on their character and personality. It has always been clear to me that those who get it have understood the political dexterity of understanding the political weather and building alliances, rather than campaigning and grandstanding. Likewise, the fiercest rows I witnessed happened when understanding of the workings of Cardiff Bay was either ignored or passed over.
And so onwards the Secretary of State for Wales goes.
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