I had a YouGov survey today that asked about voting intentions and issues that would affect my vote. One of the questions caused me some difficulty, a question about whether "immigration" is an important factor in the way I vote; it is, but not in the way that a British polling company like YouGov could appreciate.
Immigration is a huge factor in my political outlook, the immigration of English people into Wales; many of whom import their racist policies with them, and make UKIP and its intolerance of indigenous Welsh people and our acceptance of others into part of their political diatribe.
There are so many of these White Flight English Racists living in Wales now, that they may get a foothold in the Senedd. They already represent English intolerance, on behalf of Wales, in the European Parliament.
English racism colonising Wales is an issue that no party is willing to tackle, despite the fact that it is a major problem and one that Labour the Lib Dems and Plaid, if they had any conscious, should attack head on; it's a sad fact of modern Welsh political cowardice that none of these parties will make the case for Wales, until it is too late!
10/11/2015
16/09/2015
Plaid, Nationalism and Corbyn
I can understand why the left wing supporters of Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour Party are cock a hoop by his victory in the Labour leadership election, it is a victory for the left, without a shadow of doubt, but I can't understand why Plaid Cymru members are hailing his victory!
For the past 30 years Plaid has had a failed policy of trying to attract votes from the left of Blairist Labour, a policy that has failed miserably, and is now in tatters with a Labour leader who can give Leanne Wood a run for her money on Socialist Policy.
Jeremy Corbin is no fan of Welsh Nationalism, he is an opponent of Devolution, and his attitude to Wales is on a par with George Thomas' fastest run over the Severn Bridge comment and Blairs Fuck the Welsh comment; his, so called, left wing is as indifferent to Wales as his predecessor's right wing was. For the National Cause, nothing has changed by Corbyn's election; right, centre, left - Labour is as opposed to Welsh self determination as ever!
I do however, welcome Corbyn's election; because it might persuade Plaid to realise that its USP is the National Cause rather than a filler for Welsh Labour's historic socialist vacuum!
For the past 30 years Plaid has had a failed policy of trying to attract votes from the left of Blairist Labour, a policy that has failed miserably, and is now in tatters with a Labour leader who can give Leanne Wood a run for her money on Socialist Policy.
Jeremy Corbin is no fan of Welsh Nationalism, he is an opponent of Devolution, and his attitude to Wales is on a par with George Thomas' fastest run over the Severn Bridge comment and Blairs Fuck the Welsh comment; his, so called, left wing is as indifferent to Wales as his predecessor's right wing was. For the National Cause, nothing has changed by Corbyn's election; right, centre, left - Labour is as opposed to Welsh self determination as ever!
I do however, welcome Corbyn's election; because it might persuade Plaid to realise that its USP is the National Cause rather than a filler for Welsh Labour's historic socialist vacuum!
29/05/2015
Superfast Rip-off!
I was excited by the Welsh Government / EU proposal to give Superfast Broadband to Welsh Rural Communities.
Superfast Cymru will transform the broadband landscape in Wales and promote economic growth and sustainable jobs in Wales. It's been estimated that up to 2,500 further full times jobs could be created throughout the Welsh economy over time. The project will ensure Wales is at the forefront of the global digital economy and will help to champion Wales as a great place to live, work, invest and visit.
When I heard that Llansanffraid Glan Conwy would be connected to the superfast network this week I was overjoyed, so I asked, SKY, my internet provider, to sign me up. I was shocked to find that a service promoted as one subsidised by the EU, Westminster and the Government of Wales would cost me £2 a month more, but I bit the bullet and signed up anyway. My superfast broadband was activated at 3pm on 27th May 2015 .
On 28th May at 11:48 PM I had a message from Sky:
You've gone over your Sky broadband usage allowance
We're just letting you know that you've gone over your Sky Fibre 25GB monthly usage allowance.
The good news is that we won't do anything this time as it may be a one off. However, if you go over your allowance again in the next five months, we'll automatically switch you to Sky Fibre Unlimited, as it has an unlimited usage allowance.
Sky Fibre Unlimited is just £20 a month and gives you the same great speed, but with the added peace of mind of totally unlimited usage.
In a period of 36 hours, when I have only been online for about 4 hours, read my e-mails, looked at my Twitter and Facebook pages, watched a few "Maiden Speeches" on YouTube (in low definition) I have exceeded my monthly allowance and have to pay an extra £22 more to access the internet over a connection provided by taxpayers' money!
I feel ripped off, I can't afford the extra payment!
This is absolutely disgusting, a rip off on the back of public money by a private company. Rather than enabling internet access, SKY's abuse of the service and the fact that I can't afford a locked in contract for £22 a month means that I will probably be forced to abandon the internet for the next 18 months.
This might be the last post on this site for some time; but before I am forced to log off I hope that AM's MP's MEPs and journalists question this abuse of a public funded project and make the abusers account for their rip off.
27/05/2015
Miserable Old Fart: 2016 - The Very Last chance to Vote for Wales!
Miserable Old Fart: 2016 - The Very Last chance to Vote for Wales!: The main story of the UK General Election 2015 is that Britain elected an English Nationalist Government out of fear of what the SNP could...
2016 - The Very Last chance to Vote for Wales!
The main story of the UK General Election 2015 is that Britain elected an English Nationalist Government out of fear of what the SNP could do to Britain if it had the balance of power.
A couple of Welsh seats fell to the Tories because of the same narrative; this worries me, why should Wales fear the SNP?
Because of demographic change the 2016 Assembly elections could be the very last in which the majority of voters in Wales are Welsh people rather than "the people of Wales".
We can accept, what appears to be the inevitable, that despite 1000+ years of resistance to being assimilated into England, that the battle is now lost; by continuing to vote for what have become the English Nationalist Labour party or English Nationalist Tory Party, or we can make, (what might be the very last stand for the future existence of Wales) and vote en-mass for Plaid Cymru in 2016 to secure a future for our Nation by having a government that puts Wales First!
If we vote English Nationalist Labour or English Nationalist Tory or Ultra English Nationalist UKIP in 2016, or even decide not to vote at all we may as well accept that Wales has ceased to exist and get use to the revival of the old adage For Wales - see England
A couple of Welsh seats fell to the Tories because of the same narrative; this worries me, why should Wales fear the SNP?
Because of demographic change the 2016 Assembly elections could be the very last in which the majority of voters in Wales are Welsh people rather than "the people of Wales".
We can accept, what appears to be the inevitable, that despite 1000+ years of resistance to being assimilated into England, that the battle is now lost; by continuing to vote for what have become the English Nationalist Labour party or English Nationalist Tory Party, or we can make, (what might be the very last stand for the future existence of Wales) and vote en-mass for Plaid Cymru in 2016 to secure a future for our Nation by having a government that puts Wales First!
If we vote English Nationalist Labour or English Nationalist Tory or Ultra English Nationalist UKIP in 2016, or even decide not to vote at all we may as well accept that Wales has ceased to exist and get use to the revival of the old adage For Wales - see England
10/05/2015
Plaid 2016 Election
It is interesting that the Conservatives have won the GE on less than 37% of those registered to vote and fewer than 25% of those entitled to vote, but yet the Campaign seemed to be one of trying to swing voters from one party to another, whilst the "spare vote" was obviously elsewhere! With both Labour and Tories being advised by US "election gurus" who believe in both restricting the vote and making policy on what focus groups believe and becoming a choice of two sames, neither turnout nor result is surprising.
If I was a party advisor I would charge Billions of pounds for this simple advice to any party, forget gaining votes from other parties, I'm voting Plaid and nothing will change my mind, chase the disaffected, register the unregistered, that nonvoting part of the electorate is what will give you a solid majority.
And therein lies a problem, Plaid does better in Assembly Elections because fewer vote.
In 2003 I was asked, by Plaid, to take down a Plaid supporting poster from my window because it might alert others to the election and my wife and I were the only committed Plaid voters on our estate. Since adopting that strategy Plaid's share of the vote has declined year after year. The ONLY way #Plaid16 can win is by going out to gain votes, getting non voters TO vote and registering potential voters. The policy of shushing and hoping for a low turnout is past its sell by date.
Plaid got a fair vote in many constituencies in the Westminster GE, hoping it turns out in secret next year is not an electoral strategy! Plaid really needs to persuade non voters, and as yet unregistered voters, to vote Plaid in 2016 and make a song and dance about how fantastic it's campaign is, rather than hoping that only committed nashies vote in a pathetically low turnout!
If I was a party advisor I would charge Billions of pounds for this simple advice to any party, forget gaining votes from other parties, I'm voting Plaid and nothing will change my mind, chase the disaffected, register the unregistered, that nonvoting part of the electorate is what will give you a solid majority.
And therein lies a problem, Plaid does better in Assembly Elections because fewer vote.
In 2003 I was asked, by Plaid, to take down a Plaid supporting poster from my window because it might alert others to the election and my wife and I were the only committed Plaid voters on our estate. Since adopting that strategy Plaid's share of the vote has declined year after year. The ONLY way #Plaid16 can win is by going out to gain votes, getting non voters TO vote and registering potential voters. The policy of shushing and hoping for a low turnout is past its sell by date.
Plaid got a fair vote in many constituencies in the Westminster GE, hoping it turns out in secret next year is not an electoral strategy! Plaid really needs to persuade non voters, and as yet unregistered voters, to vote Plaid in 2016 and make a song and dance about how fantastic it's campaign is, rather than hoping that only committed nashies vote in a pathetically low turnout!
08/05/2015
Disappointed with Plaid
I am very disappointed with Plaid Cymru's lack of success tonight, I was quietly confident that Plaid would have won 5, 6, even 7 seats in this election scarping to keep 3 out of 40 seats is bitterly disappointing, especially whilst the English nationalist Conservatives made gains in Wales and ultra English nationalist UKIP gained more votes than Plaid.
That UKIP can argue about "Immigration" in constituencies with fewer than 5% non British born residents like Aberconwy, but Plaid is too frightened to mention the 30% English Immigrants is counter-productive.
I Read Mike Parker's Comments and Hugh Thomas comments when they were first made – I agreed with both, there is a problem with English Immigrants invading Wales – Plaid must accept this fact –or accept that the future is that so many English move into Wales that Wales becomes an White Flight English county.
Leanne mentioned during the campaign that Plaid needs to be more "naughty" – that naughtiness must include being much more fundamentally nationalist and opposing the colonisation of Wales!
That UKIP can argue about "Immigration" in constituencies with fewer than 5% non British born residents like Aberconwy, but Plaid is too frightened to mention the 30% English Immigrants is counter-productive.
I Read Mike Parker's Comments and Hugh Thomas comments when they were first made – I agreed with both, there is a problem with English Immigrants invading Wales – Plaid must accept this fact –or accept that the future is that so many English move into Wales that Wales becomes an White Flight English county.
Leanne mentioned during the campaign that Plaid needs to be more "naughty" – that naughtiness must include being much more fundamentally nationalist and opposing the colonisation of Wales!
21/04/2015
Election Launch Site?
Whatever you think about the party, its policies or it's personalities, hardly anyone can disagree that the SNP is the winner of the battle to make a manifesto launch in the most stunning location.
The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, has had millions of pounds worth of free publicity by the world's media gathering there to report on what's included in the SNP Manifesto. That makes me wonder why the Welsh parties didn't have a similar vision?
Think of the impact that Leanne could have had by publishing her policies at 100 MPH in Zip World, imagine Carwyn bouncing Labour policies in Bounce Below, or Andrew RT publishing his policies in the fitting setting of the Dinosaurs of Tan yr Ogof, or Nick Clegg launching his party's manifesto in an iconic Welsh venue that might be big enough to hold next year's LibDem conference:
The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, has had millions of pounds worth of free publicity by the world's media gathering there to report on what's included in the SNP Manifesto. That makes me wonder why the Welsh parties didn't have a similar vision?
Think of the impact that Leanne could have had by publishing her policies at 100 MPH in Zip World, imagine Carwyn bouncing Labour policies in Bounce Below, or Andrew RT publishing his policies in the fitting setting of the Dinosaurs of Tan yr Ogof, or Nick Clegg launching his party's manifesto in an iconic Welsh venue that might be big enough to hold next year's LibDem conference:
10/04/2015
Mud Slinging Labour Hypocrits
The information I gain from Social Media is biased, about 80% of the people I follow on Twitter are members / supporters of Plaid Cymru , the SNP or Mebyon Kernow. I have a bias towards family and "real" friends on Facebook but many of those are political too.
When the Daily Mail made it's disgusting slur about Ed Miliband, his father and his wider family in 2013, most of my nationalist friends / followers supported Miliband and expressed their revulsion at the way he had been unfairly treated by the extreme right wing press.
On Wednesday, when a very dodgy report about a Plaid Cymru Candidate, who is an English born and bred incomer to Wales was stigmatised for opposing BNP white flight incomers to Wales as "calling all English in Wales Nazis" Labour members and supporters jumped on the bandwagon to vilify him.
Today's very odd slur against Mr Miliband in the Daily Mail which seems to amount to an accusation that "a young man had many girlfriends – shock horror" has been almost universally condemned on my social media timelines by nationalist friends.
That is an important difference between Plaid Cymru and Labour - Plaid is opposed to mudslinging in any direction
Labour just opposes mud thrown in it's direction but is always happy to throw it back!
Hypocrits!
When the Daily Mail made it's disgusting slur about Ed Miliband, his father and his wider family in 2013, most of my nationalist friends / followers supported Miliband and expressed their revulsion at the way he had been unfairly treated by the extreme right wing press.
On Wednesday, when a very dodgy report about a Plaid Cymru Candidate, who is an English born and bred incomer to Wales was stigmatised for opposing BNP white flight incomers to Wales as "calling all English in Wales Nazis" Labour members and supporters jumped on the bandwagon to vilify him.
Today's very odd slur against Mr Miliband in the Daily Mail which seems to amount to an accusation that "a young man had many girlfriends – shock horror" has been almost universally condemned on my social media timelines by nationalist friends.
That is an important difference between Plaid Cymru and Labour - Plaid is opposed to mudslinging in any direction
Labour just opposes mud thrown in it's direction but is always happy to throw it back!
Hypocrits!
31/03/2015
GE2015 - a Simple Choice
A number of media commentators are claiming that the 2015 General Election is going to be one of the most complicated elections in generations. I disagree Welsh voters have a very simple choice:
25/03/2015
The End for Community Councils?
A lot of discussion has been had on the need to reduce the number of County Councils in Wales, with some consensus that there need to be fewer than the current 22 (although there is little consensus on the shape of such councils). One element of the White Paper Democracy, Devolution and Delivery - Local Government Reform: Power to the People on the reform of Local Councils that hase received little attention are the sections on the reform of town and community councils. This causes me a great deal of concern as a member of a community council. The suggestion is that a council is only "qualified" to continue as a community council if it has a budget of over £ 250,000 a year. The community council I am a member of collects around £ 40K a year and spends around £35K a year.
What the council does with this £25 per year per household precept is extremely important to the community; indeed it is a major factor in ensuring that our parish is not a dormer village - just a place for people who work and shop outside the area to sleep. We ensure that public footpaths remain accessible for locals and visitors, we organize community activities to keep the village tidy, a support group promoting the continuation of the Welsh language in the community, we support two drama groups, we provide funding to youth groups such as the Urdd and Scouts; we support a football team and a Sports Association, we support historical societies, help with the maintenance of public halls, organize community events for the elderly and loads of other things that create a close community life in a community that could be in danger of becoming nothing but a "bed room" without our input.
To raise more than a quarter million of funding per annum in order to be part of an "eligible" council, we have 3 choices:
1 Increase the precept from £25 per home to £600 per home per year
2. Merger with adjacent larger communities such as Llandudno, Colwyn Bay or Conwy and become nothing more than a pimple on the more important town's arse
3 Merger with other small councils in the area to create a "community" of over 600 square miles
All / any of these choices would result in a huge loss to our village!
Glan Conwy Community Council is so disgusted with the arrangements mentioned in the white paper that we have reacted angrily to the consultation and have organized a public meeting in order to encourage members of the community to express their opposition to the proposed changes too.
I'm surprised that I have not heard an angry response from members and supporters of other community councils in Wales to the preposterous intention of the National Assembly Government to more than decimate our community councils
13/02/2015
Vote Labour - Vote England
I have had an interest in electoral politics since the 1970s. I can't believe that was 45 years ago! Doesn't time fly when you are enjoying your elections?
During the whole of that time I cannot remember a single general election (or other election) where the Labour party hasn't tried to blackmail the electors with the same old mantra Vote Liberal get Tory, Vote SDP get Tory, Vote SNP get Tory, Vote Plaid get Tory etc.
Electoral statistics show that to get a majority Labour needs to win in England, it doesn't depend on the Welsh and Scottish vote. In 1951, 1955, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992 Wales gave massive support to the Labour Party, but still got a Tory government. If Wales had voted for 40 Monster Raving Loony MP's in 1997, 2001 and 2005 we would still have suffered Tony Blair's Labour Government.
If you are a Labour supporter don't waste your time canvassing in Wales, English marginals are more important to your cause / gravy train.
The sad thing about the Vote SNP get Tory, Vote Plaid get Tory crap, isn't the historical inaccuracy or the slogan, but the full stop! Plaid and the SNP stand to get the best for Scotland and Wales. If Labour went further than the full stop and explained how Scotland and Wales would benefit from voting Labour they would lose votes in England and absolutely scupper their ability to form a government – voting Labour is not in Wales' or Scotland's best interest.
The Labour deal seems to be please vote Labour so we can win in England -for England's beneft. Labour offers nothing for Wales!
During the whole of that time I cannot remember a single general election (or other election) where the Labour party hasn't tried to blackmail the electors with the same old mantra Vote Liberal get Tory, Vote SDP get Tory, Vote SNP get Tory, Vote Plaid get Tory etc.
Electoral statistics show that to get a majority Labour needs to win in England, it doesn't depend on the Welsh and Scottish vote. In 1951, 1955, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992 Wales gave massive support to the Labour Party, but still got a Tory government. If Wales had voted for 40 Monster Raving Loony MP's in 1997, 2001 and 2005 we would still have suffered Tony Blair's Labour Government.
If you are a Labour supporter don't waste your time canvassing in Wales, English marginals are more important to your cause / gravy train.
The sad thing about the Vote SNP get Tory, Vote Plaid get Tory crap, isn't the historical inaccuracy or the slogan, but the full stop! Plaid and the SNP stand to get the best for Scotland and Wales. If Labour went further than the full stop and explained how Scotland and Wales would benefit from voting Labour they would lose votes in England and absolutely scupper their ability to form a government – voting Labour is not in Wales' or Scotland's best interest.
The Labour deal seems to be please vote Labour so we can win in England -for England's beneft. Labour offers nothing for Wales!
04/02/2015
Vote PC and MK to kick the SNP 's Arse!
YouGov, Ashcroft and other polling companies are predicting that most, if not all, Scottish seats will be won by the SNP in the next Westminster General Election, well done the SNP!
Welsh Nationalists and Cornish Nationalists are expected to applaud this advance, but I wonder if we should do unquestionably? Because the SNP has proved, on many occasions, to be a very selfish party, it expects Celtic support, but very rarely offers it.
Every time I see Leanne Wood and Dick Cole on TV or hear them on the radio they mention Scotland's right to self determination, but it is rarely reciprocated by SNP reps!
If the SNP was to hold the balance of power in the next UK Parliament would it insist on a Cornish Assembly as part of the deal or enhanced powers for the National Assembly of Wales? I doubt it.
The only way that Wales and Cornwall can ensure that our needs are met is by ensuring that there are enough PC and MK members of parliament in the wider nationalist group to remind the SNP that they are NOT just there in Scotland's interest!
To a certain extent the worst possible scenario for Wales and Cornwall is one where our needs are sidelined by a Westminster obsessed with Scotland, whilst the SNP forget that Wales and Cornwall exist! The only answer is to make sure that there are enough Plaid and MK MP's there to remind the SNP that there are other interests at stake!
Welsh Nationalists and Cornish Nationalists are expected to applaud this advance, but I wonder if we should do unquestionably? Because the SNP has proved, on many occasions, to be a very selfish party, it expects Celtic support, but very rarely offers it.
Every time I see Leanne Wood and Dick Cole on TV or hear them on the radio they mention Scotland's right to self determination, but it is rarely reciprocated by SNP reps!
If the SNP was to hold the balance of power in the next UK Parliament would it insist on a Cornish Assembly as part of the deal or enhanced powers for the National Assembly of Wales? I doubt it.
The only way that Wales and Cornwall can ensure that our needs are met is by ensuring that there are enough PC and MK members of parliament in the wider nationalist group to remind the SNP that they are NOT just there in Scotland's interest!
To a certain extent the worst possible scenario for Wales and Cornwall is one where our needs are sidelined by a Westminster obsessed with Scotland, whilst the SNP forget that Wales and Cornwall exist! The only answer is to make sure that there are enough Plaid and MK MP's there to remind the SNP that there are other interests at stake!
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