I’d be all for all the ‘Welsh’ parties being just that, but the Tories are Unionist, (it’s in their name) and the Liberals are only marginally better than Labour in that they seem only to think of Wales if they can see it is of advantage to them in their aim to form a government in Westminster.

However, were this to happen, at the very least it might persuade Plaid Cymru not to be so coy about the dreaded ‘I’ word… Okay, so they now admit they do stand for independence, something that most voters in Wales have known for years, but probably didn’t trust them because they were less than honest about that ultimate aim. I personally suspect that they may have advanced much further much sooner if they had been a little more open about it a long time ago. It has to be remembered that Plaid made huge gains during the late 60s in South Wales, and though they have never ‘broken through’ support for the party has remained strong in these areas since then – hence the constant vitriol from some in Welsh Labour, who, if they were honest, would admit they are afraid of Plaid.

Lets not stop at burning the bridges, lets go the whole hog, declare UDI and move the capital to Machynlleth!
‘

Well, now they DO have an alternative. Welsh workers can fight for the rights of Welsh workers in a Welsh Assembly. “Welsh” Labour need to acknowledge this, and split off from London-NuLabour, forming a new party – Welsh Labour, answering to themselves, not to head-office in London.

(I have the same criticism of the LibDems and the Tories. They need to become WELSH parties, not just Welsh branches of London parties. Burn the bridges, lets get this thing going)

English resentment is a result of the Unionist parties being willing to disadvantage England to maintain the union. Interest in an English Parliament stems mainly from the devolution settlements in 1997(?). At that point, Wales and Scotland began the process towards independence. Up till then I was British, I am now most definitely English. Of course comments like “the English are the human form of foot and mouth” etc. don’t encourage even tempers! This sort of comment is slung from each side, of course.

The U.K. is now part of the E.U.. Brussels makes 70% of our laws. When the U.K. breaks up, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be rather small nations in the E.U.. They will be as incapable of independent choice as Ireland has been in the treaty vote. A regionalised England would be similarly disadvantaged.

My concern is thus only with England. The other nations already have made their choice. I wish them well, although I feel we would have been stronger together.

With financial meltdown the Celtic Tiger looks fragile, whilst Salmon’s ark of affluence is risible. Without the English taxpayer, HBOS and RBS would have failed. Scotland would have re-run the Darien project which brought about the Union in the first place. But we are in debt for 50 years.
An independent England , with a population of 50,000,000 would have far more clout, indeed little less than U.K.‘s current 60,000,000 have. The more so if Westminster money currently used to prop up the Celtic economies could be used at home. Avro Manchester, Woodford and Yeadon which gave us Lancaster, Shackleton and Vulcan have shrivelled and have closed or are due to. During the same time courtesy of Westminster, Broughton, a shadow factory, has grown to 7000 jobs.

England needs to rebuild its industries. Even Ireland benefits from the English economy. One assumes Irish companies are more competitive in England because of Irelands low corporation tax rates. For this reason the British Irish council needs nipping in the bud. I’d guess there are more English Ryanair travellers than Irish ones. England could be far more successful financially.
I apologise for my English partisan views on a Welsh website, but to achieve our mutual aim we need to understand each other’s viewpoints.

Ta!

“Lets move to a single department of the Nations and Regions” ENGLAND is a COUNTRY NOT A GROUP OF REGIONS just as Wales and Scotland are no more no less, we expect no more or no less than Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, we want no more or no less than Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.

With devolution, Wales and Scotland have strengthened identities which they never really lost. Westminster seeks to force England to be Britain.

By depriving England of an identity they are unknowingly fostering unrest. England is a multicultural, multiethnic country. It needs an identity, a coherence and a pride in itself and its own. As Joe Calzaghe and Roald Dahl are Welsh, so Lewis Hamilton, Jensen Button and Monty Panesar should all be seen as English. This would head off extremism in England at the pass!

An increasingly sundered England will be no good for its people or its neighbours. Having a stable country of 50,000,000 over the border would be good for Wales. Regions with ethnic sub enclaves controlled by Terre Blanches and Bin Ladens would not.

‘Course, I really fancy the Heptarchy with Mercia at its head!

“Get him Offa.”