Random Stuff!!

[geoff]

Perhaps Boris would get more respect if he bothered to speak personally to the heads of the devolved governments.

 

[Jerry]

Perhaps Boris would get more respect if he bothered to speak personally to the heads of the devolved governments.

He doesn't seem to like dealing with them. Michael Gove tends to be the one who deals with them the most I believe.

 

[Jerry]

If Scotland gets more powers then it's likely they'd have to give something to Wales.
Makes me wonder if devolution of APD could be part of that knowing that with the climate change emergency the WG really couldn't cut it so there'll be no advantage in it.

Starmer says more powers for Holyrood would be ‘early priority’ if he becomes PM

During a visit to Glasgow, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said there should be reform of devolution ‘quickly’.

www.independent.co.uk

 

[TheLocalYokel]

If Scotland gets more powers then it's likely they'd have to give something to Wales.
Makes me wonder if devolution of APD could be part of that knowing that with the climate change emergency the WG really couldn't cut it so there'll be no advantage in it.

Starmer says more powers for Holyrood would be ‘early priority’ if he becomes PM

During a visit to Glasgow, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said there should be reform of devolution ‘quickly’.

www.independent.co.uk

I couldn't read the entire link as I'm not registered. However, I found what I imagine is a similar report in another newspaper - link below.

It strikes me that Starmer would do a Cameron who panicked wildly when it looked at one point close to the referendum date that Scotland would actually vote for independence. To try to head it off he gave Holyrood more goodies.

Starmer is equally determined to avoid a break-up of the Union, not least because if that left England independent of the other home nations Labour might never rule at Westminster again. Even with the Union in place Labour probably needs to win some seats held by the SNP if it is to form the next Westminster Government, as the below linked reports makes clear.

As with politicians of all parties his principal aim is to retain or regain power.

As for APD, if the WG wanted to reduce or abolish the tax they would find a way of explaining their decision, climate change or not - after all they are politicians too!

Keir Starmer says more Holyrood powers will be early priority as Prime Minister

EXCLUSIVE: Speaking to this newspaper, Starmer also said he would welcome a general election amid Tory chaos in Downing Street

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

 

[KARFA]

Starmer is equally determined to avoid a break-up of the Union, not least because if that left England independent of the other home nations Labour might never rule at Westminster again. Even with the Union in place Labour probably needs to win some seats held by the SNP if it is to form the next Westminster Government, as the below linked reports makes clear.

But if you want to avoid the break up of the union then giving out more powers to the devolved assemblies is clearly the wrong thing to do. There is little evidence devolving powers makes the union stronger, and lots of evidence that it actually weakens it. You just end up feeding the monster.

Of course if you are desperate to get a few Scottish seats at the next GE you may do it to try and win some people over from the SNP of course.

 

[Jerry]

It strikes me that Starmer would do a Cameron who panicked wildly when it looked at one point close to the referendum date that Scotland would actually vote for independence. To try to head it off he gave Holyrood more goodies.

Devo-max was promised last time and wasn't delivered and i'm not really sure what Westminster could offer Scotland especially as the current Westminster government seems to be doing all it can to override devolution, i can't really see a UK Labour government being any different and having much of a different attitude than the current Conservative government. Until Westminster changes it's outlook on what the union actually should be then the possibility of Scotland becoming an independent country and the union of Great Britain ending isn't going to go away and the more the UK government especially ones that call themselves democrats refuse to let the Scottish people have their say on their place in the union the louder the calls for one will be.

But if you want to avoid the break up of the union then giving out more powers to the devolved assemblies is clearly the wrong thing to do. There is little evidence devolving powers makes the union stronger, and lots of evidence that it actually weakens it. You just end up feeding the monster.

Depends on how you see it as entity. Whether you see it as an equal union of countries that have their own cultures etc, sharing an island together or whether it's just one big country and that it's constituent parts aren't different to each other.
With Scottish and Welsh national identity (and in Wales case confidence in it) only going to get stronger and stronger unless there is dramatic change in the UK then Scotland, Wales and England will become independent countries eventually.
One question which many people like me have asked is what is the UK for?

 

[KARFA]

Depends on how you see it as entity. Whether you see it as an equal union of countries that have their own cultures etc, sharing an island together or whether it's just one big country and that it's constituent parts aren't different to each other.
With Scottish and Welsh national identity (and in Wales case confidence in it) only going to get stronger and stronger unless there is dramatic change in the UK then Scotland, Wales and England will become independent countries eventually.
One question which many people like me have asked is what is the UK for?

Interesting. I certainly wouldn't suggest that all parts of the UK should have their own culture. Tbh you could easily argue some parts of Wales have different cultures than other parts of Wales - and you could say the same with parts of Scotland with some parts such as Shetland having quite a strong independent culture from mainland Scotland.

What things do you think bind all parts of Wales and all people in Wales together? What is the central common attributes across all that form the Welsh national identity?

 

[Jerry]

I certainly wouldn't suggest that all parts of the UK should have their own culture.

But it does. England has a different culture to Scotland and Scotland to Wales and Wales to England and England has vastly different cultures within itself Yorkshire is very different to London or Devon.

What things do you think bind all parts of Wales and all people in Wales together? What is the central common attributes across all that form the Welsh national identity?

The land we live in, England, language, history, politics, culture and sport, especially sport, all contribute to what has become modern Wales and it's burgeoning modern identity.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

But if you want to avoid the break up of the union then giving out more powers to the devolved assemblies is clearly the wrong thing to do. There is little evidence devolving powers makes the union stronger, and lots of evidence that it actually weakens it. You just end up feeding the monster.

Of course if you are desperate to get a few Scottish seats at the next GE you may do it to try and win some people over from the SNP of course.

I think there is merit in what you say which is why I said that Cameron 'panicked wildly' at the thought of an Independence majority at the Scottish Referendum and promised more powers for Holyrood.

A year or two ago George Osborne recalled Referendum Night which he spent with the prime minister eating slices of pizza, both terrified that Cameron would go down in history as 'the prime minister who lost the Union' in the way Lord North is remembered as 'the prime minister who lost America'.

Devo-max was promised last time and wasn't delivered and i'm not really sure what Westminster could offer Scotland especially as the current Westminster government seems to be doing all it can to override devolution, i can't really see a UK Labour government being any different and having much of a different attitude than the current Conservative government. Until Westminster changes it's outlook on what the union actually should be then the possibility of Scotland becoming an independent country and the union of Great Britain ending isn't going to go away and the more the UK government especially ones that call themselves democrats refuse to let the Scottish people have their say on their place in the union the louder the calls for one will be.

The UK is an inevitable mish mash when it comes to national governance. If Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, currently with varying levels of devolution, were fully devolved in terms of their national governance and subject to Westminster only for those matters affecting the UK as a whole, such as Foreign Affairs and Defence, there would still remain the problem of England fitting into this neat parcel.

England does not have a devolved government. The UK Government acts for England and MPs from non-English constituencies have a say on purely English matters, with no reciprocal English voice in the devolved administrations. Even the half-hearted EVEL (English Votes for English Laws) with its Westminster double majority voting stem has now been removed.

England is too large a part of the UK to have its own government unless the Union moved to a true federal system but even then England would dominate because of its population size. Giving more power to regional authorities in England would not put them on a par with the devolved governments.

Westminster Governments, Labour, Coalition and Conservative, have all regarded devolution primarily as a means of trying to avoid even louder calls for Independence, especially from Scotland. Hence the mish mash I spoke of earlier.

 

[KARFA]

But it does. England has a different culture to Scotland and Scotland to Wales and Wales to England and England has vastly different cultures within itself Yorkshire is very different to London or Devon.

Apologies I mistyped. I meant to say I certainly don't think all parts of the UK have to have the same culture.

The land we live in, England, language, history, politics, culture and sport, especially sport, all contribute to what has become modern Wales and it's burgeoning modern identity.

Sorry, but what is actually common across Wales? Many parts of Wales have very different cultures, and massively differing levels of support for independence. You could easily suggest North Wales is very different from South Wales around the cities and west Wales along the coast.

 

[Jerry]

Many parts of Wales have very different cultures, and massively differing levels of support for independence.

Yes it does, like other countries and we also have things in common that bring together as a country, from things like culture and language and history and sport.

 

[KARFA]

Yes it does, like other countries and we also have things in common that bring together as a country, from things like culture and language and history and sport.

I am still not sure what you mean tbh. Wales is very diverse and I think those in north Wales would see themselves as distance from those in the south as someone in Newcastle would from a Londoner.

In terms of language the one that brings all of Wales together is English. It can't be Welsh since only 30% speak it, and clearly you wouldn't suggest 70% of Wales can't be less Welsh simply because they don't speak it. In terms of sport football is clearly the most popular sport, but short of Wales being in the world cup i don't see that football brings all of Wales together on a normal daily basis.

 

[Jerry]

I am still not sure what you mean tbh. Wales is very diverse and I think those in north Wales would see themselves as distance from those in the south as someone in Newcastle would from a Londoner.

Yes no doubt they do but we still have lots in common especially living in the same country. We are a diverse little country and that's one of the points about devolution as a whole we are a country and the bulk of us are happy with self government and many of us want more to varying degrees.
As for the language well that's a very complicated subject as it can unite and divide us at the same time but like sport both rugby and football it's helped to culturally define Wales and keep our national identity intact. Even though 70% don't speak it with any fluency.

 

[Jerry]

Levelling up': What does it mean for Wales?

'Levelling up': What does it mean for Wales?

It's the plan to reduce the differences between rich and poor places - but what does it mean?

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Jerry]

Nothing aviation wise not that you'd expect anything in a so called Green budget. There is investment in tourism £185 million of it.

Where Welsh Government's £8bn green budget on travel, homes and the economy will go

The Government is pushing through its budget that will include major investment into tackling climate change

www.business-live.co.uk

 

[TheLocalYokel]

A Welsh Government minister says that people from England could be breaking the law if they enter Wales with Covid after the Westminster Government eases restrictions for England. The cross-border travel is significant with many commuting for work.

The WG banned visitors from England with some exceptions on a previous occasion.

How easy it would be to enforce is another matter because anyone who tested posted with no or minor symptoms could just keep quiet and tell no-one.

Bristolians with Covid will break the law if they enter Wales

This comes as fears mount that differing restrictions across the four nations could see people accidentally break them

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[KARFA]

This is garbage, they wouldn't be breaking the law. The Welsh SI only relates to where you have been notified as positive or a close contact by Public Health Wales, and the international travel SI is only relevant to people arriving from outside the common travel area.

 

[Jerry]

One of the policies to be brought in by the Plaid-Labour coop deal in the Senedd is a tourism tax.
Obviously the Conservative's are dead against it even though i don't think any details have been set out yet. I believe in many countries it's usually a levy on a night's stay in accommodation so i expect it'll be something similar in Wales. Not so long ago i booked a 3 night stay in Mallorca and didn't even realise that there was a £3 a night tourism tax included until i looked at the breakdown of the price at the end.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1491812877623349251

 

[KARFA]

More taxes, the answer to everything apparently

 

[Jerry]

More taxes, the answer to everything apparently

Well it is how we pay for our public services and tourism taxes are used to invest in local facilities.