| The General Election and the next Assembly election 17:36 - Nov 22 with 3588 views | johnlangy |
There is a growing revolution, for want of a better word, for powers to be devolved to Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the regions of England. It is going to happen and we in Wales need to be prepared for when it does.
In the upcoming General Election, as I see it, Labour are going to lose a substantial number of seats to the SNP plus a few to UKIP. The Tories are probably also going to lose a large number to UKIP. As a result the SNP will likely have about 30 MP's (while also running Hollyrood) while Plaid will likely still have just 3 MP's while also being just part of the opposition in the Assembly. I don't, quite honestly, see the number of Plaid MP's increasing.
If what i've said above happens there'll be another coalition in Westminster. That could mean either Labour/SNP or, God help us, Conservative/UKIP. The first of those two possibilities would be great for Scotland but Wales will still be in a very weak position. I'm sure the SNP will be supportive of further devolved powers for Wales, because not supporting devolution for others would weaken their own argument, but their main focus will be 100% on what's right for Scotland.
And what if we end up with the other possibility. Imagine Nigel Farage as Deputy Prime Minister !
The Assembly Elections will then happen in 2016 and, if they go to form, we'll re-elect a Labour administration who will run the Assembly in a similar way to the last 15 years. I've used the comparison before and i'll use it again. The Westminster governments over the last few decades have ruled the UK mostly for the benefit of London and the South East to the detriment of the rest of the UK which has resulted in the current 'revolution'. Labour has run the Assembly in the same way with the South East of Wales replicating the South East of England. The way they've concentrated investment in the SE to the detriment of the rest of Wales is criminal.
And if we keep voting them in it will just continue. In the last few days we've seen the plans for the latest huge City Centre development in Cardiff. One million square feet of office space on the site of the current bus station. That development is planned to include a terminus for the Metro which will follow as soon as the Assembly is given borrowing powers. The Metro will cost a fortune and the money they borrow will then have to be paid back by the whole of Wales' population, the majority of which will gain no benefit whatsoever. And then today we hear about electrification of the valleys lines. That's the valleys north of Cardiff, of course, and feeding into Cardiff. I have no idea how much that is going to cost us.
I've spoken directly to, and emailed, Bethan Jenkins to say that I believe Plaid should include in their manifesto for the Assembly election a promise that, if they are elected to run the Assembly they will ensure that this imbalance is reversed, that for however long it takes investment in the rest of Wales outside of the South East will be their number one priority until the benefits of Wales' wealth is spread across the whole country.
Plaid are the only party that can do this because, if you like, they have nothing to lose. Their power base in Wales is not in the South East so there are no seats to lose. Labour's strength in Wales, as with the Conservatives on a UK level, is mainly South East based. Not exclusively of course and shamefully, in my opinion, Swansea also votes in Labour AM's even though everyone who can see knows that Swansea has been starved of investment.
The UK argument for devolving power to the regions, essentially spreading the wealth, has already been made and won. The same should happen in Wales. |  | | |  |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 08:41 - Nov 24 with 871 views | waynekerr55 |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 08:33 - Nov 24 by NOTRAC |
The only way that things will change is for the voter to get involved with the party.
Join their party,attend meetings,stand at elections.
In places like the Rhondda there are so few active party members that decisions on Labour candidates are made in members front rooms.
It is far too easy at the moment for stereotypes to gain party nominations.
This applies to all parties.
There must be wonderful opportunities at the moment for youngsters to break into politics.having regard to the weak structures and management of all parties. |
One problem - they'll have to be female if they want to get anywhere with the 'party of the people' |  |
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| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 09:36 - Nov 24 with 848 views | NOTRAC |
Like Neil Kinnocks son you mean. | |
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| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 10:48 - Nov 24 with 802 views | Lord_Bony |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 22:07 - Nov 23 by acejack3065 |
Indeed. Neoliberal economics has destroyed the western economic powerhouses over the last 35 years. We need to get back to Keynesianism economics. It took us out of the 30s depression and it will sort us out today!
I hope Lohengrin isn't too detailed with his response. I'm way too tired and full of Crown Royal! |
What KEYNES?
That c*nt?
Nah..not these days..
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| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 11:26 - Nov 24 with 784 views | scottishjack |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 08:33 - Nov 24 by NOTRAC |
The only way that things will change is for the voter to get involved with the party.
Join their party,attend meetings,stand at elections.
In places like the Rhondda there are so few active party members that decisions on Labour candidates are made in members front rooms.
It is far too easy at the moment for stereotypes to gain party nominations.
This applies to all parties.
There must be wonderful opportunities at the moment for youngsters to break into politics.having regard to the weak structures and management of all parties. |
Last week we had the council elections in the Uplands, just a small example of how it went. There was a young guy running for the green party, he came into my pub a couple of times, spoke to people and engaged especially with the students. The TUSC candidate popped in, had a chat and asked if I would put a poster up.
Labour...nothing until polling day with a car driving round the place with a tinny little speaker, Conservatives...absolutely nothing! Lib Dems, a grotty little newspaper thing which just slated labour but didn't mention how they would improve things.
Peter May won the election running as an independent (Jumped the Lib-Dem ship), again, heard nothing from him!
I'm not political really, but I take a passing interest and I was very surprised that none of the main parties made much of an attempt to engage with people? |  | | |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 13:37 - Nov 24 with 734 views | westside |
Devolution was supposed to take the power out to the people but as heseltine said devolution as just copied the original model of having a central government in the capital london and moving it to welsh capital city cardiff.
The Seneed should be closed down and replaced by three or four assemblies around wales to take the power out to the people.
Wales needs devolution from cardiff !!!!
West Wales Independance Party !!!!!!! |  | | |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 14:20 - Nov 24 with 709 views | NOTRAC |
West Wales independent party. Why not? | |
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| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 17:00 - Nov 24 with 675 views | waynekerr55 |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 09:36 - Nov 24 by NOTRAC |
Like Neil Kinnocks son you mean. |
Or a son of a true socialist like Neil  | |
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| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 18:02 - Nov 24 with 647 views | LeonisGod |
There's rumblings about independence, but when it comes to the crunch people bottle it. Because a lot realise that they are actually doing pretty well and things aren't as bad as the tabloids have us believe every day. That's not to say there aren't problems and some people are really struggling. But there are also people who have been duped into thinking they're struggling despite being very asset rich and still enjoying a nice holiday or two each year, etc., etc.
So you get the situation in Scotland where, certainly for know, any talk of independence has been quashed. I'd imagine if we had a referendum here the outlook would be the same, or more likely even more pro-Union. I don't think therefore we are anywhere near a devolution revolution.
The one glaring gap in Wales at this time of discontent with the main political parties is Plaid. wtf are they doing? It will never be easier than now to make headway into the big 2/3, but they are going backwards through really, really weak leadership. Look at UKIP and the way they are constantly in the news. It's sad, but Plaid need to get PR savvy and actually stand up for something they believe in. Get in peoples faces and remind the world that they exist. They are the only mainstream party who have a legitimate claim to solely stand for Wales and those living here. Yet what do we get - a deafening silence. I'm English but if Plaid showed some balls I would probably vote for them in the general. |  | | |
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| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 18:11 - Nov 24 with 643 views | acejack3065 |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 10:48 - Nov 24 by Lord_Bony |
What KEYNES?
That c*nt?
Nah..not these days..
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He practically died trying to convince the Americans to give us a slice of Marshall Plan money which we used to build the Welfare State.
Hardly a c**t! |  | | |
| The General Election and the next Assembly election on 18:15 - Nov 24 with 641 views | Highjack |
Plaid are an absolute irrelevance. I don't pay an awful lot of attention to the welsh assembly but it shocked me to learn the other day that the Tories are the second biggest party in Wales by a considerable distance. I think it was one in four voters which is pretty substantial when you consider the public antagonism towards them. Plaid was something like one in 8 with Labour pushing the 50% mark. |  |
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