The decision of the Blair government to introduce devolution in Wales from 1999 was based essentially on recognition of two complementary considerations about the position of Wales in the Union: an over-centralized and London-centric decision-making apparatus and an increasing distance between the political preferences of the people in Wales and the direction of policy pursued at the UK level; and, second, that Wales led by its own democratic Assembly would be better placed to address directly the accelerating impacts of globalization challenging every corner of the world.
The short story of Welsh devolution over the past 16 years has been a mixture of successes and stuttering starts. In 2004 the Richard Commission pinpointed serious flaws in the founding 1998 Government of Wales Act: the separation of the executive and legislative functions, the downsides of adopting a 'conferred' model of governance which has led to continuing tensions between Westminster and Cardiff, and the inadequate size and capacity of the National Assembly of Wales.
