Monday 25 April 2011

One size fits small

This may come as a bit of a shock t some people but Wales has a different economy and social fabric to other parts of the UK. 
We do not have a large banking sector to support, we do not have a need to upkeep thousands of miles of motorways, we do not have a massive political system, we do not have huge amounts of Universities, museums and art houses, we do not have huge manufacturing capabilities and we do not have a population based in large overcrowded cites.  Therefore, we do not need policies and funding that deal with these problems.
We do have a more evenly spread out population, we do have large environmental renewable resources to expolit, we do have a lack of ambition in large sectors of young people, we do have the majority of our population located near the coast and we have our pride!
The policies and priorities of London politicians have little or no relevance to Wales and nothing demonstrates this more than the ridiculous policy of closing Coastguard stations (under the banner of cutting costs and removing barriers to trade). Wales and indeed most of the rest of the UK needs these stations open - we don't need money hungry, egotistical, politicians friends in the city causing us hardship by their inability to do their job.
Wales needs to think different and be different. Most of the national parties are looking to use Wales and Scotland to prove that their policies are good for the UK. My message to you is that you are wrong and you will shoot yourselves in the foot if you try to enforce those policies. You need to understand that reason that London policies have not worked well in Wales before is because we are not London.
Only a London politician would create 'Enterprise zones' twenty years after they were abandoned in deprived areas at huge cost to tax payers. Only London politicians would cut funding for Flying start for children, they can afford childminders - we need to work every hour available to make ends meet. Only a London politician would accuse you of being negative when you read back the actual figures in the green and red financial reports, only London parties would get their own name wrong in Welsh, only London politicians go on tours of America and boast that they are getting away with more cuts than Thatcher at her best.

Only the rest of us swallow this and accept it?

The people of Wales have battled hard to stand on their own two feet through history and have been consistently double crossed by English leaders. We have provided some of the greatest people to the world, we practically set up the USA (it went wrong when English decendants took over), we have invented millions of useful products, we have allowed our land to be stripped of its resources with very little profit returned and we have allowed our language to become a minority.

It is time for us to be brave and start shouting for ourselves. Our Scottish cousins fly their flag with pride and determination and it is time we did the same. We have an opportunity to make real changes to our political and social fabric and really determine our own future, but we cannot do that with parties and politicians who take their lead from London. We need a genuinely independant Welsh voice, that speaks for all of Wales, Is proud of Wales and can lead Wales. Anything short of that on May 5th is another 5 years wasted. I urge you to think very carefully when you vote and be proud to put your cross for a better Wales.

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