| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales 18:27 - Aug 24 with 15839 views | johnlangy |
Meeting With Mike Hedges and Carolyn Harris at their surgery in Brynhyfryd Library on 14th August 2015
There have been a lot of threads to do with the WAG's investment in Cardiff at the expense of the rest of Wales. I commented a number of times that what people should do is go to their AM/MP nd make their feelings known. I finally got off my own backside and went to see Mike Hedges, the Swansea East AM, 10 days ago. I also had the pleasure of speaking to Carolyn Harris MP who attended the same surgery. I won't go over all the points made in previous threads and all the things I said/asked them but I will try to explain the whole thing fairly briefly.
I said that in my opinion, and that of many others, the WAG is investing in Cardiff disproportionately at the expense of the rest of Wales in a similar way to how the UK government has done over the decades with London. I stressed a number of times that i'd be making comparisons with Swansea but my general point refers to the whole of Wales.
Firstly they talked about all the things happening or hopefully going to happen in Swansea. I agreed with their points but said that what has been invested in Cardiff down the years dwarfs the amount being talked about and the developments happening now, and due to happen, in Cardiff again dwarfs the Swansea investment. Just a couple of examples. The development of the old bus station site with a new 150,000 sq ft BBC Wales HQ, a 135,000 sq ft development already completed with another at the planning stage. Also the new bus 'interchange'. To put it in context the new bus station in Swansea took a decade to generate funding before completion and cost £11 m. The new 450,000 sq ft 'interchange' in Cardiff will cost £150 m what with the luxury Hotel, appartments and retail outlets. There's another thread from about a month ago with a link to the Walesonline article detailing all the plans so I won't repeat the rest.
They said that private investment is a decision by the company involved and out of government hands. I agreed it is the individual companies decision but said it's the WAG which creates the environment which persuades companies to invest in an area because they can see opportunities for profit. The setting of the Mill Stad (*) and the Mill Centre (the WAG with our money) in Cardiff ensures that millions upon millions of people are drawn in. As a result businesses can see a profit and invest there. One event at the Mill Stad injects £10 million into the Cardiff economy (NOT into the Welsh economy as is always repeated by politicians). How many large events happen each year at the Mill Stad ? If it is 50 then that is £500 million. No wonder companies invest there.
(* - this was WRU money but they worked with CC Council to ensure it happened in Cardiff — I don't actually know but I imagine the WAG worked behind the scenes to help as well)
I also mentioned about the Metro and the M4 relief road (£2/3 billion between them). Mike Hedges made the point about the traffic into Cardiff and the need to strengthen the infrastructure because of it. I said that's exactly my point. By ensuring billions are invested in Cardiff it draws people in which means there's a need to improve the infrastructure which will draw more people in which will generate more investment which will ...... You get my drift. He then made my point again by saying he could drive from one end of Swansea to the other relatively easily so the need for infrastructure improvements isn't there. Well obviously I said. Because Swansea hasn't been developed to anything like the extent of Cardiff which is my point.
I sent this email to Nicholas Parry of the EP on 13th Aug and got a reply from Richard Youle the following day.
Mr Parry,
 On a recent thread on a Swans website someone posted ‘I wonder if the Evening Post would have the $%^&* to have a debate on this’ so, with the Assembly elections coming up next year I thought i’d put the question to you.
In the opinion of myself and a huge number of people who have posted letters in the EP over the years a completely disproportionate amount of money is invested in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales. Similar opinions are expressed on this Swans website and I have no reasons to believe that, if I looked through other websites outside of the South East a similar message would emerge. I certainly know of many bloggers who post the same message.
 So, there’s the question. Will you do it ? It’s about time this was dragged into the open and the EP, being the best selling and most widely read newspaper in Wales would be the best means of having that debate.
 Looking forward to your reply.
John YoungÂ
Hello,
 I’ll aim to look into this — have you got any evidence at this stage which suggests Cardiff does get a disproportionate amount of investment?
 Thanks Richard
Richard Youle
Richard asks for evidence. None of this is evidence, it's opinion but people's opinions matter. A result of our 'opinions' could be that we vote Labour out of control of the WAG next year. Also the result of our 'opinions' could be that Labour see them being read in the EP by 150,000 people and maybe finally decide things should change.
To me their answers say that they believe they've done the right thing. I'll be emailing both Mike and Carolyn to let them know how to access the thread in case they feel a need to join in. And if any of you decide you'd want to do something similar it turns out that what I was doing was lobbying. Apparently, if you want to lobby your AM/MP you should contact them and arrange an appointment rather than go to a normal surgery.
And to be fair to them both they talked to me for over 30 minutes out of a surgery time of an hour so huge plaudits to them for that.
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 22:07 - Jan 10 with 1066 views | trampie |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 21:33 - Jan 10 by Lohengrin |
Your support for the EU places you pretty definitively outside of ‘the left,’ Tramp...  |
I didn't vote for the EU. |  |
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 22:17 - Jan 10 with 1051 views | Lohengrin |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 22:07 - Jan 10 by trampie |
I didn't vote for the EU. |
In that case I have been labouring under a misapprehension.
You rebel you.  |  |
| An idea isn't responsible for those who believe in it. |
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 22:46 - Jan 10 with 1022 views | Lohengrin |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 22:27 - Jan 10 by trampie |
Was you labouring under misapprehensions when as you claimed you got me banned from that Kaardiff fan in Ingerlund site ? [Post edited 10 Jan 2019 22:46]
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Eh? I said no such thing. I’ve never posted on there, I’ve never been a member. I told you that I had read the thread where they banned you and thought it was hilarious, I still do. | |
| An idea isn't responsible for those who believe in it. |
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 23:40 - Jan 10 with 989 views | trampie |
Its what you have posted on here, don't like people with an opposite point of view to yours do you ? | |
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 00:10 - Jan 11 with 972 views | Lohengrin |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 23:40 - Jan 10 by trampie |
Its what you have posted on here, don't like people with an opposite point of view to yours do you ? |
No. No it was not. Go dig it out from whatever thread you think it was said and post the link.
People with opposing views? I seek them out as I enjoy nothing more than seeing what reasoning has led to conclusions that differ from mine. I’m not a red, Tramp. I don’t believe in the gag. | |
| An idea isn't responsible for those who believe in it. |
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 00:19 - Jan 11 with 962 views | trampie |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 00:10 - Jan 11 by Lohengrin |
No. No it was not. Go dig it out from whatever thread you think it was said and post the link.
People with opposing views? I seek them out as I enjoy nothing more than seeing what reasoning has led to conclusions that differ from mine. I’m not a red, Tramp. I don’t believe in the gag. |
More of a jack boot blue perhaps ? | |
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 00:31 - Jan 11 with 955 views | Lohengrin |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 00:19 - Jan 11 by trampie |
More of a jack boot blue perhaps ? |
Perhaps not.
Have you been at the Penderyn tonight or something? | |
| An idea isn't responsible for those who believe in it. |
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 01:03 - Jan 11 with 936 views | trampie |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 00:31 - Jan 11 by Lohengrin |
Perhaps not.
Have you been at the Penderyn tonight or something? |
Chance would be a fine thing. | |
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 08:53 - Jan 11 with 884 views | blaenaugwentjack |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 18:13 - Jan 10 by johnlangy |
Labour's vote at the last WAG election was down 7.3%.
Hopefully it'll drop another 7.3% next time (or more with luck) and they'll lose a number of seats. |
I really do hope so, not only for the good of the people of Wales but the future of the assembly. | | | |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 08:55 - Jan 11 with 884 views | blaenaugwentjack |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 16:13 - Jan 10 by Wingstandwood |
Sorry I did not elaborate fully, I generalised the South East term. I meant constituencies to the East of SW Wales heartlands within the Cardiff boundary along with others e.g. Newport, Vale of Glamorgan, Monmouth.
Indeed traditional heartland seats indeed tend to stay loyal no matter what, and I have mentioned on here previously on other topic threads that there does rather seem to be a "Keep em poor, keep em voting Labour" strategy from Labour itself. [Post edited 10 Jan 2019 16:20]
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Spot on with your keep em poor quote. Top post. | | | |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 08:57 - Jan 11 with 881 views | blaenaugwentjack |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 13:18 - Jan 10 by valleyboy |
What difference will Plaid make????
They have been hand in hand with Labour for decades
You will only be voting for another socialist party |
Been hand in hand with Labour for decades? Please clarify? | | | |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 12:04 - Jan 11 with 843 views | Jack59 |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 13:18 - Jan 10 by valleyboy |
What difference will Plaid make????
They have been hand in hand with Labour for decades
You will only be voting for another socialist party |
I think it's obvious they've been hand in hand, why else would we have to suffer all the nonsense and expenditure on this Welsh language expansion, I certainly don't think it's because a majority of the population are demanding it. It's obviously one of the deals Labour has done with Plaid to keep them sweet.
What an absolute shower they are. Perfect timing for the launch of a 'People of Wales' political party, I'm ready and willing to contribute time and funds towards a manifesto, and I'm sure there's a few hundred thousand others feel the same way. | | | |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 14:02 - Jan 12 with 739 views | valleyboy |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 12:04 - Jan 11 by Jack59 |
I think it's obvious they've been hand in hand, why else would we have to suffer all the nonsense and expenditure on this Welsh language expansion, I certainly don't think it's because a majority of the population are demanding it. It's obviously one of the deals Labour has done with Plaid to keep them sweet.
What an absolute shower they are. Perfect timing for the launch of a 'People of Wales' political party, I'm ready and willing to contribute time and funds towards a manifesto, and I'm sure there's a few hundred thousand others feel the same way. |
Totally agree with you abou this stupid nonsense of having to duplicate names of places on signposts, what there is in fridges in supermarkets and beside all this other rubbish we get through the letter box
And that’s someone that went to a Welsh only school for seven years
What an absolute waste of a vote to give it to Plaid Cymru
When you consider there are only about 15% fluent Welsh speaking people in the whole of Wales and not just a few that know a few word | | | |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 10:16 - Jan 13 with 676 views | trampie |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 14:02 - Jan 12 by valleyboy |
Totally agree with you abou this stupid nonsense of having to duplicate names of places on signposts, what there is in fridges in supermarkets and beside all this other rubbish we get through the letter box
And that’s someone that went to a Welsh only school for seven years
What an absolute waste of a vote to give it to Plaid Cymru
When you consider there are only about 15% fluent Welsh speaking people in the whole of Wales and not just a few that know a few word |
You mean like places that have had Welsh place names since the year dot and they want to put English place names up on dual signposts to go alongside the original names ? [Post edited 13 Jan 2019 10:26]
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| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 08:41 - Jan 15 with 563 views | blaenaugwentjack |
| WAG investment in Cardiff compared with the rest of Wales on 12:04 - Jan 11 by Jack59 |
I think it's obvious they've been hand in hand, why else would we have to suffer all the nonsense and expenditure on this Welsh language expansion, I certainly don't think it's because a majority of the population are demanding it. It's obviously one of the deals Labour has done with Plaid to keep them sweet.
What an absolute shower they are. Perfect timing for the launch of a 'People of Wales' political party, I'm ready and willing to contribute time and funds towards a manifesto, and I'm sure there's a few hundred thousand others feel the same way. |
So a political deal has resulted in welsh duplicate road signs/official forms ect? I think if their was a deal, which i know their is not, then something more empowering would be in place rather than welsh road signs sorry. | | | |
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