The most important thing is that you care

[Walterp]

The 20th anniversary of devolution of government to Wales, and Carwyn Jones (our First Minister) gives a typically thoughtful and interesting interview [available on The Guardian].

Let me show you why it's been a success:

1. our politicians care. Which was Lesson Number One from my first employer ('Young Walterp, you don't have to be a brilliant solicitor, but you do have to care about your clients' interests - that's the most important thing').

The passion and commitment of national leaders like Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones speaks for itself. Both are honest and straightforward.

2. healthcare has got better - no queues to see the doctor (phone in the morning, in the same day), regular health checks, excellent A&E, more dentists, nice modern surgeries, free prescriptions, bursaries for students, etc. I'm sure it costs a bomb, but I don't care.

3. the agriculture Ministers have always been excellent (Carwyn was one, once, and farmers meeting him recognised straightaway that he knew nothing about Welsh farming, but wanted to help Welsh farmers). The sorely-missed Elin Jones used, reputably, to dress in black-and-white when addressing audiences on the necessity for badger culls. The present incumbent, Lesley Griffiths, announced immediately after the Brexit referendum that there could be no question of ag subsidies being curtailed, and WAAD continues today to hold open RDP contracts into the 2020's. All have been excellent.

4. government and EU funds are pushed into new roads and schools. The place looks modern, from our cleaned-up, shiny, capital city to our brand new surgery.

Looking back on my working life, mostly spent in Wales, I'm struck by how much happier we are as a country today than we used to be (and, I suspect, how much less happy our English neighbours are with their lot than they used to be.)

Carwyn stands up for federalism - the famous Treaty of Rome provision that is hardly ever quoted in full, when it should be: "an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen.”

Why do the English - who have been offered devolved government for their regions, but famously rejected it wholesale - feel the opposite?

 

[wanton dwarf]

Wales voted to Leave.

I know why.

You obviously do not.


If the "decisions are taken as openly and closely to the citizen" .. then why did Wales not get ANY of the policies the citizens wanted ?

Ah yes ... that would explain WHY the English rejected devolved government and the EU wouldn't it ...

Carry on Brass Monkey.

 

[Henarar]

Have the English been offered an English parliament to cover the whole of England ?
Perhaps we could do with one to counter some of the bitchy politics that come from over the boarder ?

 

[wasted years]

I don't follow politics closely but Wales voting to leave the EU when so much money has been spent there is more baffling than England wanting out.
If I was Welsh would I want to rely on Parliament in London to splash the cash?
No.
I look back on the in/out vote campaign and can't help but think that the more the big guns came out and said don't, from Obama downhill, the more people were inclined to say naff off.
It is a curious thing because if Obama rocked up on the average street in England folk would gather round for photos, selfies and the like but roundly ignore his advice despite having been president of the US.
Perhaps if Kinnock had wanted out the majority would have voted to stay?

 

[Henarar]

I don't follow politics closely but Wales voting to leave the EU when so much money has been spent there is more baffling than England wanting out.

Turns out that much of the EU money in Wales was spent on the wrong things or so nick clegg found out

 

[linga]

The 20th anniversary of devolution of government to Wales, and Carwyn Jones (our First Minister) gives a typically thoughtful and interesting interview [available on The Guardian].

Let me show you why it's been a success:

1. our politicians care. Which was Lesson Number One from my first employer ('Young Walterp, you don't have to be a brilliant solicitor, but you do have to care about your clients' interests - that's the most important thing').

The passion and commitment of national leaders like Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones speaks for itself. Both are honest and straightforward.

2. healthcare has got better - no queues to see the doctor (phone in the morning, in the same day), regular health checks, excellent A&E, more dentists, nice modern surgeries, free prescriptions, bursaries for students, etc. I'm sure it costs a bomb, but I don't care.

3. the agriculture Ministers have always been excellent (Carwyn was one, once, and farmers meeting him recognised straightaway that he knew nothing about Welsh farming, but wanted to help Welsh farmers). The sorely-missed Elin Jones used, reputably, to dress in black-and-white when addressing audiences on the necessity for badger culls. The present incumbent, Lesley Griffiths, announced immediately after the Brexit referendum that there could be no question of ag subsidies being curtailed, and WAAD continues today to hold open RDP contracts into the 2020's. All have been excellent.

4. government and EU funds are pushed into new roads and schools. The place looks modern, from our cleaned-up, shiny, capital city to our brand new surgery.

Looking back on my working life, mostly spent in Wales, I'm struck by how much happier we are as a country today than we used to be (and, I suspect, how much less happy our English neighbours are with their lot than they used to be.)

Carwyn stands up for federalism - the famous Treaty of Rome provision that is hardly ever quoted in full, when it should be: "an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen.”

Why do the English - who have been offered devolved government for their regions, but famously rejected it wholesale - feel the opposite?

Really ?!
So when I phoned up and asked to see a Dr I must have imagined that they said "how about 2 weeks time then "
Maybe I am further away from walterp than I thought

 

[orchard]

As an Englishman living in Wales, whilst it's not quite as rosy as WaltP portrays, i'm all for the devolved government.
They may not always get it right, but at least they try to look after (or care about) the long-term interests of the Country, something I couldn't say about Westminster.

 

[Mr Jones]

As an Englishman living in Wales, whilst it's not quite as rosy as WaltP portrays, i'm all for the devolved government.
They may not always get it right, but at least they try to look after (or care about) the long-term interests of the Country, something I couldn't say about Westminster.

That's very diplomatic of you, I would say the complete opposite. Only their beloved Cardiff Bay has seen massive investment since devolution. At least Westminster makes it's contempt for Wales known, unlike those charming, efficient, highly resected AM'S

 

[orchard]

Good point, I know it's far from perfect and that Swansea and other major conurbations could possibly benefit more, but it's the same with London getting something like 90pc of England's infrastructure budget. It's not just and should be improved, but I don't think Wales should be over-industrialised personally, it already has plenty of physical and emotional scars from abandoned industry.

That's very diplomatic of you, I would say the complete opposite. Only their beloved Cardiff Bay has seen massive investment since devolution. At least Westminster makes it's contempt for Wales known, unlike those charming, efficient, highly resected AM'S

 

[7610 super q]

Well, I for one, don't get it.
Either,
(1) Have a Welsh Government,
(2) Have a UK Government,
(3) Have a EU Government.

At the moment we have all 3.

 

[czechmate]

Well, I for one, don't get it.
Either,
(1) Have a Welsh Government,
(2) Have a UK Government,
(3) Have a EU Government.

At the moment we have all 3.

Maybe you need three to get your bins emptied

 

[7610 super q]

Maybe you need three to get your bins emptied

Strangely, despite having 3 governments .......there's no money for refuse collection. Black bags collected fortnightly, with 3 weekly collections being mooted.
Even stranger.....Pembs County Council ( Tier No 3.5 ) paid their top dog eleventy billion pounds, and gave him a Porsche to tootle about in......
Stranger still....Pembs National Park ( Tier No 4 ) have got pots of money to keep unused footpaths strimmed / trimmed / mowed.......

 

[czechmate]

Strangely, despite having 3 governments .......there's no money for refuse collection. Black bags collected fortnightly, with 3 weekly collections being mooted.
Even stranger.....Pembs County Council ( Tier No 3.5 ) paid their top dog eleventy billion pounds, and gave him a Porsche to tootle about in......
Stranger still....Pembs National Park ( Tier No 4 ) have got pots of money to keep unused footpaths strimmed / trimmed / mowed.......

I'll bet it looks lovely

 

[Walterp]

I don't follow politics closely but Wales voting to leave the EU when so much money has been spent there is more baffling than England wanting out.

The Welsh-speaking parts of the country tended to support 'remain' whilst the anglicised parts tended to support 'leave'.

That is a broad generalisation: Monmouthshire voted 'remain' despite being akin to Marcher country, attributed to strong campaigning by Labour supporters.

Carwyn (who was out campaigning for 'remain') says that he was surprised how many voters just disliked David Cameron, and voted accordingly.

Looked at like that, it's not baffling (or perhaps it is, but in a different way).

 

[Walterp]

Well, I for one, don't get it.
Either,
(1) Have a Welsh Government,
(2) Have a UK Government,
(3) Have a EU Government.

At the moment we have all 3.

The USA is the best-known example of federal government - you have a County, than a State, then a Central Government.

Each has different responsibilities, not each dealing with the same matter three times over.

The rationale is that you devolve decision-making down to the most practical local level: so (say) defence isn't amenable to localism, but organising bin collections would be.

(You might also reflect that, in order to have our bins collected more regularly, our Council Tax would have to go up - Pembrokeshire's is at present the lowest in Wales, a fact you know and ought, in all honesty, mention when criticising the level of service. Band C is £975 in 2017).

 

[7610 super q]

The Welsh-speaking parts of the country tended to support 'remain' whilst the anglicised parts tended to support 'leave'.

That is a broad generalisation: Monmouthshire voted 'remain' despite being akin to Marcher country, attributed to strong campaigning by Labour supporters.

Carwyn (who was out campaigning for 'remain') says that he was surprised how many voters just disliked David Cameron, and voted accordingly.

Looked at like that, it's not baffling (or perhaps it is, but in a different way).

I wonder how many disliked the Davies clan....( are they related ? ), and voted accordingly...

 

[7610 super q]

The USA is the best-known example of federal government - you have a County, than a State, then a Central Government.

Each has different responsibilities, not each dealing with the same matter three times over.

The rationale is that you devolve decision-making down to the most practical local level: so (say) defence isn't amenable to localism, but organising bin collections would be.

(You might also reflect that, in order to have our bins collected more regularly, our Council Tax would have to go up - Pembrokeshire's is at present the lowest in Wales, a fact you know and ought, in all honesty, mention when criticising the level of service. Band C is £975 in 2017).

I'm not in band C. After parting with the thick end of £1600 per year, I would at least expect to have my bins emptied once a week.

 

[Walterp]

I'm not in band C. After parting with the thick end of £1600 per year, I would at least expect to have my bins emptied once a week.

I take your point.

But why not put up your band, and see what others are paying elsewhere?

 

[Walterp]

Really ?!
So when I phoned up and asked to see a Dr I must have imagined that they said "how about 2 weeks time then "
Maybe I am further away from walterp than I thought

Now you know, you may like to mention it to your AM?

Our surgery is a medium sized one (6 GPs) and runs a three track appointments system - nurse practitioner (a very nice local farmer's wife who is accident-prone herself, and thus very sympathetic), a GP appointment same-day, or an advance appointment if you prefer.

But you are only allocated 10 minutes.

It runs like clockwork (even though the practice finds it difficult to recruit new GPs).

 

[7610 super q]

I take your point.

But why not put up your band, and see what others are paying elsewhere?

Quick bit of Googling....and yes, Pembs is £1k cheaper than Cornwall in my tax band.
But, without knowing what the standard of service is provided elsewhere, I don't know if it's good value or not. The roads in this part of the county aren't maintained to the standard they used to be. Hedges are cut only once. Refuse collection.....a bit winter of discontent-ish. Dentist ? I'm going private....till the funds run out.