Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:36 pm on 4 October 2022.
Alun Davies
Labour
1:36,
4 October 2022
I'm grateful to the First Minister for that. At one level, of course, it's possible to ridicule the chaos that exists in Westminster at the moment: a Prime Minister that models herself on Margaret Thatcher—the lady who is not for turning is spinning like a top, and, no, she doesn't herself know what decision she's going to take tomorrow. We know that the impact of her chaotic couple of weeks in Government has already sent the pound plummeting, the Bank of England being forced to promise to spend £65 billion just to hold the currency. We know that they are already ensuring that costs for business, for Government and for householders are rocketing. The Chancellor, in a moment of self-pity, said he'd had a tough time. Well, let me tell you, the people who've seen their mortgage rates rocketing are having a tougher time. And we know that these people, at the end of the day, still want to pay for tax cuts for the rich by cutting public services for the poor and vulnerable. First Minister, the people of Blaenau Gwent have always borne the brunt of Tory Governments in London. They've always borne the brunt of cuts to public services, cuts to benefits and lack of investment in an economy. First Minister, will the Welsh Government stand up and defend the people of Blaenau Gwent, and the people of Wales, against this chaotic regime in London?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The Chancellor - also known as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" is responsible as a Minister for the treasury, and for the country's economy. For Example, the Chancellor set taxes and tax rates. The Chancellor is the only MP allowed to drink Alcohol in the House of Commons; s/he is permitted an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget.
The political party system in the English-speaking world evolved in the 17th century, during the fight over the ascension of James the Second to the Throne. James was a Catholic and a Stuart. Those who argued for Parliamentary supremacy were called Whigs, after a Scottish word whiggamore, meaning "horse-driver," applied to Protestant rebels. It was meant as an insult.
They were opposed by Tories, from the Irish word toraidhe (literally, "pursuer," but commonly applied to highwaymen and cow thieves). It was used — obviously derisively — to refer to those who supported the Crown.
By the mid 1700s, the words Tory and Whig were commonly used to describe two political groupings. Tories supported the Church of England, the Crown, and the country gentry, while Whigs supported the rights of religious dissent and the rising industrial bourgeoisie. In the 19th century, Whigs became Liberals; Tories became Conservatives.
