What the fuck was that!?

(Pic : Wales Online)

I usually only post this often when something serious has happened. To say I'm angry and disappointed right now is an understatement and I've had to restrain my response to the utterly inexplicable clusterfuck that took place on the Assembly's last day in session.

As you'll probably already know, earlier today the Assembly rejected the Public Health Bill by 27 votes to 26 in one of the most bizarre, cringe-worthy and absolutely-fucking-ridiculous rows we've seen since devolution.

Plaid Cymru - who initially granted its AMs a free vote, which would've seen an amended version of the Bill pass - changed their mind at the last minute following a childish and arrogant quip from Public Services Minister, Leighton Andrews (Lab, Rhondda) that Plaid were a "cheap date". This was in reference to an agreement they reached with him over the Local Government Act.

The Public Health Bill was one of the more significant laws this term, and AMs, Commission staff, witnesses, civil servants etc. had spent countless hours drafting, giving evidence, making amendments and trying to get a law that would pass. Despite the controversy over vaping, last week AMs managed to agree a final version of the law.
Now, parties can vote however they want on a law. There are no rules on what they should or shouldn't vote for, and considering Labour didn't have a majority in the Assembly they've had to be careful to get some sort of consensus to see their legislative programme through.

What every single one of us, as voters, should expect is that AMs vote based on what's in front of them and they should treat the law-making process with dignity.

It's not there for stunts. It's not the divine right of any single party to see their laws passed. It's not about their own egos. It's not about respect. This was about vaping, public toilets, tattoos, piercings and community pharmacies.

It's most certainly not about who's a smelly bum face and who stole whose lunchbox. Truth is often stranger than fiction.

There were some dignified speeches today from some of those AMs who were marking their final session. Simon Thomas and other contributors also eulogised Gwynfor Evans and the spirit of devolution in his short debate. I don't think this spectacle is what all those who campaigned for devolution down the years had in mind.
I started writing election posts last October and I've probably put countless hours into pre-election preparations. If I hadn't wasted so much effort on that I would now be considering whether to scrub the whole lot.
In a few weeks time that bunch are going to expect us to go to the polls and entrust them with £16billion of our money as well as law-making powers that, until this point, they've proven capable of handling.

I say all this as someone who ought to be pleased that the law was voted down. There's been a lot of discussion over the supposed dangers of being exposed to vaping. What about when an entire legislature farts in our faces?