Random Stuff!!

[TheLocalYokel]

Do people think that England would struggle to be an independent country without being in a union with Scotland and Wales and NI?

Given that England's population at circa 56 million is around 83% of the entire population of the UK with an economy to match it ought to be able to plough its own furrow if it was divorced from the other home nations. The ever-increasing national debt won't make things easy but that would be the case whether England was on its own or part of the United Kingdom.

Yes England itself does need to look at its structure and idk maybe look to bring back the old saxon kingdoms as part of some sort of regional devolution but Westminster might not want to give up the powers based on how they seem to be reacting to Welsh and Scottish devolution lately.

If Wales and Scotland had gone their separate ways the Westminster government would be England's government so there would be no need, although the Northern Ireland situation would have to be resolved - if that is ever possible.

As long as Wales and Scotland remain in the union calls for an English government would be resisted by Westminster not least because, as I mentioned recently, it would be a serious rival to it in the power stakes.

Regional English assemblies or whatever they were called, whether based on ancient English kingdoms or English government regions, would only be glorified county councils unless they were invested with the full panoply of the devolved governments' structure and powers including a first minister and the right to create legislation. That would complicate matters even more and the current UK set-up is bad enough.

Whether an English government would be less London-centric than the UK government is a moot point. Looking from afar I get the impression that the WG is Cardiff-centric when it comes to Wales. For example, I remember North Wales representatives asking in parliamentary committees what an APD-free Cardiff Airport would do for North Wales.

I'm not wedded to the idea of a United Kingdom. If a majority of citizens in any of the home nations want independence then they should be allowed the chance to have it. It won't happen in my lifetime and the eye-watering debt that is being accumulated by the UK (and by many other countries) might slow the process down.

Wales is a rich country, it's just the people that are poor.

Do you mean its natural resources, culture and the hard work of its citizens? That would imply that someone or something is exploiting them if the people are poor.

 

[Jerry]

Looking from afar I get the impression that the WG is Cardiff-centric when it comes to Wales.

They can be but at least half the population of Wales lives within a 25 miles radius but the rest of Wales does get quite a bit of investment from the government probably more than it's given credit for but Cardiff does seem to get a lot of private investment, more than the rest of Wales i'd say.

Do you mean its natural resources, culture and the hard work of its citizens? That would imply that someone or something is exploiting them if the people are poor.

Wales is a naturally resource rich country. Historically it's been coal, copper, slate and gold but in more modern times it's water, tidal energy and energy production in general where Wales is the 6th largest energy producer in the world and over produces by 50% but gets nothing back for that. Personally i wouldn't use the word exploited as welsh history is quite complicated in that matter but i would say Wales is definitely under developed and under invested as a country though obviously it's not the only part of the uk like that.

 

[Jerry]

Need ones for Europe as well. Ireland, France, Benelux, Germany and the EU should be priorities. Preferably some with aviation connections to promote Cardiff Airport.

Welsh Government appoint first envoy in the Middle East

The Welsh Government’s new envoy to the United Arab Emirates will play a key role in strengthening Wales’ global presence, Economy Minister Ken Skates has said. The Welsh Government said that the appointment of Paul Gyles will help drive capital investment and promote Welsh exports to the United...

nation.cymru

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Need ones for Europe as well. Ireland, France, Benelux, Germany and the EU should be priorities. Preferably some with aviation connections to promote Cardiff Airport.

Welsh Government appoint first envoy in the Middle East

The Welsh Government’s new envoy to the United Arab Emirates will play a key role in strengthening Wales’ global presence, Economy Minister Ken Skates has said. The Welsh Government said that the appointment of Paul Gyles will help drive capital investment and promote Welsh exports to the United...

nation.cymru

I don't follow the comment where the Conservatives say there would be no minister of international relations in a Conservative WG administration. There isn't one in the current administration and clearly the comment is aimed at the WG's economy minister supposedly in effect taking on such a role.

The Conservative spokesman is correct about international relations not being a devolved matter but promoting Wales as a country, particularly as a trading partner, is not dabbling in international relations in my view. It's a sensible way of raising the profile of Wales around the world.

Good relations between the WG and the Qatari government was one of the factors that enabled CWL to attract Qatar Airways to the airport. The previous UK Conservative government supported that enterprise through the Secretary of State for Wales.

 

[Jerry]

I don't follow the comment where the Conservatives say there would be no minister of international relations in a Conservative WG administration. There isn't one in the current administration and clearly the comment is aimed at the WG's economy minister supposedly in effect taking on such a role.

There used to be but the title was abolished not long after they made that comment which makes me wonder if they knew it was going to be and decided to try and score some points!
I've since found out that Wales does have envoys to Ireland and Europe as well as Japan, China and USA.
Let's hope they are effective in attracting new trade for Wales but I do think maybe an aviation envoy who can help engage with airlines especially one's in Europe might not be a bad thing!

The Conservative spokesman is correct about international relations not being a devolved matter but promoting Wales as a country, particularly as a trading partner, is not dabbling in international relations in my view. It's a sensible way of raising the profile of Wales around the world.

Does the UK government have something similar for England's regions?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

There used to be but the title was abolished not long after they made that comment which makes me wonder if they knew it was going to be and decided to try and score some points!
I've since found out that Wales does have envoys to Ireland and Europe as well as Japan, China and USA.
Let's hope they are effective in attracting new trade for Wales but I do think maybe an aviation envoy who can help engage with airlines especially one's in Europe might not be a bad thing!

Does the UK government have something similar for England's regions?

Nothing funded by the UK government - certainly not for the West Country anyway. Unless they set up something for themselves locally funded, as far as I'm aware the English regions have to rely on the Department for International Trade that goes into bat on behalf of the entire UK.

There is a Bristol & Bath Brussels Office that seeks to promote the area but that is funded by local stakeholders. Whether it will continue post-Brexit remains to be seen.

Bristol & Bath in Brussels | Bristol & Bath Brussels Office | Ixelle

The Bristol & Bath Brussels Office works with local partners, including Bristol City Council, and the Universities of Bristol, Bath and West of England, to represent them in Brussels. The Office follows a range of EU initiatives, policies and legislative files of relevance to our partners.

www.bristolbathbrussels.org

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Boris Johnson 'called Scottish devolution disaster'

No 10 does not deny reports the PM made the comment in a meeting with Tory MPs.

www.bbc.co.uk

I wonder if he has the same opinion on Welsh devolution.

I note one of his Cabinet colleague has tried to diffuse the situation by saying the PM has always supported devolution but that he is against the nationalism and separatism that devolution has helped to foster. Seems a lame defence to me. It's difficult to have devolution without some people using it (understandably from their viewpoint) as a platform for their nationalistic and separatist demands.

I think the problem (whether it's a disaster is a matter of opinion) is in not giving the three devolved governments the same powers and responsibilities, and the inability to include England in the devolution process.

 

[Jerry]

I wonder if he has the same opinion on Welsh devolution.

I'm in no doubt he does. Westminster seem to resent the power lost to them and the fact that the Welsh and Scots like self government. I was listening to 5live and John Redwood was on and his attitude in the way he spoke towards Scotland was very much as if Scotland was a colony and not a member of the union.

 

[Jerry]

In Cardiff and southern Wales 64% want Devo Max.

Nearly 60 per cent of Welsh people want Westminster to give Senedd more powers

NEARLY 60 per cent of Welsh people believe Westminster should give more powers to the Senedd.

www.thenational.scot

 

[TheLocalYokel]

In Cardiff and southern Wales 64% want Devo Max.

Nearly 60 per cent of Welsh people want Westminster to give Senedd more powers

NEARLY 60 per cent of Welsh people believe Westminster should give more powers to the Senedd.

www.thenational.scot

Has a poll been done previously for this organisation seeking people's views on independence rather than 'devo-max'?

I was looking for the full poll results because the article says that 59% of respondents who had a view, said they would support a'devo-max' option in a referendum.

If there was a large number of 'don't knows' that would obviously reduce the percentage of all respondents wanting 'devo-max'.

 

[Jerry]

Has a poll been done previously for this organisation seeking people's views on independence rather than 'devo-max'?

They do commission polls quite often many with a multiple options over various different forms of self government but I do think this is the first one that I know of being specific about devo max. I know in general polls are only a snapshot but I do think overall that they are pointing towards that people in Wales are happy with devolution and Welsh self government. The one's that don't seem to be happy with it is the West government!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

They do commission polls quite often many with a multiple options over various different forms of self government but I do think this is the first one that I know of being specific about devo max. I know in general polls are only a snapshot but I do think overall that they are pointing towards that people in Wales are happy with devolution and Welsh self government. The one's that don't seem to be happy with it is the West government!

PM Johnson was going on again today about people wanting to break up the UK. It might be that Wales and Scotland are given some sweeteners to try to reduce the independence movements' popularity.

An alarmed Cameron gave Scotland all sorts of goodies when just before the independence referendum it began to look as though the vote might go in favour of independence.

 

[Jerry]

PM Johnson was going on again today about people wanting to break up the UK. It might be that Wales and Scotland are given some sweeteners to try to reduce the independence movements' popularity.

I generally don't see that happening tbh. Maybe under a different government but this one seems to want to have the powers back and be in control. As an example the WG have been trying to get more tax powers to raise revenue for Covid19 crisis but UK treasury has been blocking them at every turn. The internal market bill shows they just want control.
Westminster calls people like me separatists but the people in charge in Westminster are imperialists many can't seem to except that the world has changed and the UK is changing with it and seem stuck in the 19th century. Only today Johnson said they were going to rebuild the Royal Navy to rule the waves again. By not accepting things have changed they are going to break the thing they want to preserve the most and that's the UK.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I generally don't see that happening tbh. Maybe under a different government but this one seems to want to have the powers back and be in control. As an example the WG have been trying to get more tax powers to raise revenue for Covid19 crisis but UK treasury has been blocking them at every turn. The internal market bill shows they just want control.
Westminster calls people like me separatists but the people in charge in Westminster are imperialists many can't seem to except that the world has changed and the UK is changing with it and seem stuck in the 19th century. Only today Johnson said they were going to rebuild the Royal Navy to rule the waves again. By not accepting things have changed they are going to break the thing they want to preserve the most and that's the UK.

He really said the Royal Navy will rule the waves again? I didn't hear that. He's delusional in that regard. The UK is no longer a global power. The days of sending a gunboat to keep Johnny Foreigner in his place are long gone.

I should have made myself clearer. When I said that Wales and Scotland might do well out of the present PM's wish (and presumably that of his cabinet) to preserve the UK I was thinking more of funding for major projects in order to get the wheels of industry turning again.

 

[Jerry]

He really said the Royal Navy will rule the waves again?

It's now been toned down to being the largest navy in Europe. New type of frigate has been announced the Type 32 to get the RN back to 24 escort ships. Curiously Appledore shipyards in Devon was saved recently so maybe that's where they'll be built.
Projects wise the only one the UK government seems to be interested in for Wales is the M4 relief road, WG have had to use private finance to get the money to finish the A465 Heads of the Valleys road between Merthyr and Hirwaun, projects like the Swansea lagoon they don't seem interested in.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

How about the Cardiff and Swansea City Deals? Have any projects in those been funded or part-funded by Westminster? Is it a case of the relevant City Deal authority coming up with projects to put to Westminster for funding consideration or does it go via the WG or does it work in some other way?

 

[Jerry]

How about the Cardiff and Swansea City Deals? Have any projects in those been funded or part-funded by Westminster? Is it a case of the relevant City Deal authority coming up with projects to put to Westminster for funding consideration or does it go via the WG or does it work in some other way?

Yes they are part funded by UK government, Welsh government and local councils not sure about the Swansea deal but most of the money for the Cardiff region is going into the south Wales Metro. I think there is a City deal authority where any projects apply for the money. Roger Lewis is part of it i believe.

 

[superking]

Have Cardiff foot ball club bought the stadium and the land surrounding it been, Asda own it all. They built Leckwith store on part of the land.

 

[Jerry]

Have Cardiff foot ball club bought the stadium and the land surrounding it been, Asda own it all. They built Leckwith store on part of the land.

I believe Cardiff council own the land but i might be wrong.

 

[superking]

Asda own the land. thats why you have Tiger bay store over the other side of the water. You can nearly throw a stone from 1 store to the other.