Senedd scrutiny activity — general approach
2024-01-01
Giffard has positioned himself as a detailed scrutineer of Welsh Government spending and policy delivery, using committee work and social media to highlight failures in devolved services. His approach is characteristic of a younger generation of Welsh Conservatives who accept devolution's existence but use its accountability mechanisms to argue that it has failed to deliver.
Giffard's primary contribution to the anti-devolution narrative is not outright opposition to the Senedd but systematic use of its own scrutiny mechanisms to demonstrate that devolved governance is failing. He consistently highlights unfavourable comparisons between Welsh and English public service outcomes — NHS waiting times, PISA educational rankings, economic growth — to argue that devolution has not delivered for Wales. This approach is strategically sophisticated: rather than calling for abolition (which polls show is a minority position), it builds a cumulative case that the Senedd-as-currently-operated is not adding value. Critics argue this conflates criticising a government's record with delegitimising the institution itself, but Giffard maintains the distinction by framing his criticism as being about Labour's stewardship rather than devolution's design.