The Senedd chamber is currently closed for renovations. These works are to accommodate the 36 extra Senedd members. They’re scheduled to last until next spring. And they’ll cost millions of pounds.
There are two things I don’t understand with this. Firstly, why is this costing millions of pounds? Secondly, why is the work scheduled to take so long?
When the Senedd chamber opened in 2006, it was built at a cost of £70million. I opposed this at the time. “Future proofing” was a design feature. Partition walls were installed at the back of the chamber. Behind them lies empty space. The idea was simple. If the Senedd ever expanded, and the number of members increased, another row of seats could be added quite easily. Perhaps that was the plan all along?
This is why neither the cost nor timescale makes sense. Surely removing some partition walls and installing some desks should be a relatively simple process? It shouldn’t be particularly laborious. Nor should it cost millions of pounds.
Don’t forget, this is just the cost for fitting out the new chamber to accomodate more Senedd members. The other costs associated with more politicians add up to £120million over the course of a Senedd term. At a time when 15,000 people in Wales are waiting two years or more for NHS treatment, this is unforgivable.
I make no apologies for opposing Senedd expansion. Wales needs more doctors, nurses and teachers. It certainly doesn’t need more politicians.
Unfortunately, these plans were railroaded through by Plaid Cymru separatist, Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians. They clubbed together to impose more politicians in Wales. They did so because adding to the prestige of the Senedd is more important to them than cutting waiting lists in our NHS. Their separatist agenda always comes first.
For what it’s worth, I think more politicians are unjustifiable. And I’m confident the majority of Welsh people will agree.
NOTE: see below a link to a Walesonline article
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/multi-million-pound-work-starts-31267091