in Wales and Pedley was the target of frequent attacks in the Commons. Labour claimed the Conservatives ran Wales as a colonial outpost and relied on a 'quango-state' of Tory placemen to maintain control. Ian McCartney (Labour) attacking the Conservative record in Wales said:"The Welsh Secretary appointed Ian Grist, a former Tory Minister, to head the South Glamorgan health authority. He was defeated by his constituents but given a job by the Tories. The secretary to Gwilym Jones, another Welsh Office Minister, was also appointed to the South Glamorgan health authority. Jeff Sainsbury, a former Tory 790 councillor, was put in charge of the Cardiff Bay development corporation. Phil Pedley, a defeated Tory candidate, was put in charge of the Board of Housing for Wales, succeeding another failed Tory candidate." The Labour MP, David Hanson made repeated attacks on Pedley in the Commons: "What does the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Evans) have in common with one of my constituents, Philip Pedley? The hon. Gentleman is a Conservative Member of Parliament; Philip Pedley is a failed Tory candidate. They have both been deputy chairman of Housing for Wales which services my constituents. I could go on. What does the chauffeur to the Secretary of State for Employment in the general election have in common with many of these people? He is on a board and he is a Tory party member. What do the 14 Conservative Members on trusts in Wales have in common with each other, apart from the fact that they are on trusts? They are Conservative party members. Chairman 'Conservatives Say Yes' – Welsh Assembly As a former Welsh constituency officer (chairman of Delyn Conservative Association and treasurer of the North Wales Euro Constituency) and a leading Conservative quango appointee, Pedley took a leading role in the 1997 Referendum campaign on Welsh devolution. He chaired the Conservative Say Yes campaign and called for Welsh Conservatives to seize the opportunity. In an article in the Western Mail, Pedley stated, "For the Conservatives in Wales, an Assembly could prove a godsend. We play practically no part in the political life of Wales. Can this be right for a Party which represents between a fifth and a third of welsh voters. The elections to the Assembly involve a degree of proportional representation which will guarantee the Conservatives a strong voice..." Pedley dismissed claims devolution would cause the break-up