Lies, Damned Lies, Opinion Polls

Here’s another ‘off the cuff’ kind of post; but what I’m going to write about illustrates a growing problem. Growing due to the increasing unpopularity of the so-called ‘Welsh Government’.

WELSH MEDIA: FASCISTS AND FOREIGNERS OPPOSE 20MPH

The big issue this week has been the introduction of the 20mph speed limit across the country. I wrote about it in last weekend’s posting, ’20mph, A Disaster Unfolds’.

But perhaps the legislation has been overshadowed by ‘that’ petition, which at the time of writing is heading towards 400,000 signatures. Though the so-called ‘Welsh’ media has tried hard to discredit it and those who’ve signed it.

Here’s an example from yesterday’s Western Mail. Despite 95% of the signatures coming from within Wales, Llais y Sais wants us to know that people in 51 countries have signed.

There’s even an insert headed: ‘Where the global opposition has come from’. Seven from Germany, one from Hungary . . .

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But what that rag is attacking is in fact perfectly reasonable. Welsh people living abroad, and English people in the Marches and elsewhere who regularly drive in Wales, are perfectly entitled to voice their opposition.

Then, at the bottom of the page, there’s a carefully worded piece inviting us to think that opponents of the 20mph restrictions are violent individuals. Probably ‘far right’.

This is not journalism; this is naked propaganda.

But then, when, like the Western Mail, you depend for financial survival on public notices and advertisements paid for by the ‘Welsh Government’, What ya gonna do?

But it was ever thus. It’s just a bit more obvious now. And it’s moving up a notch.

Which is the cue for me to tackle the meat of this issue.

NUDGE, NUDGE – WHO’S THERE?

For this week also saw the release of a bizarre poll showing that more people support the 20mph restrictions than oppose them. And it was odd for a number of reasons.

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First, there’s the ‘slanted’ question, worded to achieve a desired outcome. Hoping “Where cars mix with pedestrians and cyclists” will conjure up images of boy racers screeching through pedestrianised areas, knocking over old ladies and kiddies on bikes.

This is called ‘nudging’. But even this doesn’t fully account for the ‘findings’.

By way of comparison, here’s a survey from WalesOnline. It certainly overstates the strength of opposition, but it’s closer to the truth than the survey we just looked at.

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Then there’s this YouGov poll, which still shows an almost two to one majority against.

No survey I have seen, and no other form of evidence, suggests anything other than a big majority against widespread 20mph speed limits.

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The other thing I found strange was that the survey doesn’t tell us who commissioned it, which is normal practice. So who produced that slanted survey?

The answer would appear to be Redfield & Wilton Strategies. So what can we learn about them? Well, not a lot. Individuals named Redfield and Wilton may not exist.

Which takes us on to the next section of this post. Follow me . . .

‘WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE REALLY THINKING’

Companies House tells us that Redfield & Wilton Ltd was formed in January 2020 by Bruno Augusto Kormann Rodrigues. He remains the majority shareholder and the sole director.

So why is the company called Redfield & Wilton? Is it to make it sound more English? Whatever the answer, it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that it’s an attempt to deceive. Which is not good for an organisation trading on credibility.

Even so, it’s reasonable to assume that Rodrigues has background in polling and market research? Well, er . . . no.

For Rodrigues is a solicitor. Here’s his entry from the Solicitors Register.

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Cassadys, mentioned above is a debt-ridden company that’s escaped compulsory strike-off for late returns more than once. The company is named after its founder, an Indian named Kaizad Cassad.

Rodrigues left at the end of October 2020. Just before launching Redfield & Wilton.

Around the same time, on 1 January 2020, Rodrigues took over BR Services Europe Ltd from Pakistani Umar Aqueel. A ‘Management Consultancy’ company, that was just bumping along financially.

The other entity mentioned in the Solicitors Register is the Brooke Consultancy LLP. Which seems to be a genuine sort of legal partnership, and it provides a useful profile of Bruno Rodrigues.

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That profile tells us he specialises in immigration law, and he’s also into, “the niche area of fashion law“. What the hell’s that? Does it mean I could get arrested for wearing the wrong socks?

But, strangely, no mention of his new venture of opinion polls. Come to that, here’s his Linkedin profile (here in pdf format), and there’s no mention of Redfield & Wilton here either.

I find that very, very strange. If ‘niche’ interests can be mentioned, why not a new company being regularly quoted in the media, and apparently being used by politicians on both sides of the Atlantic?

One more company needs to be mentioned. This is Alghanim Capital Ltd. Rodrigues was a director along with Kuwaitis Abdulwahab Alghanem and Fahad Alghanim who, despite the slightly different spellings, I take to be related.

Abdulwahab is described on the Companies House entry as a ‘civil servant’ in Kuwait, while Fahad is said to be a student in the USA.

Their line of business was: ‘Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet’. Mmm.

Alghanim Capital was formed in October 2018, and folded without seemingly doing anything. So why was it formed at all? This is the sort of company behaviour that gets my whiskers twitching.

But even if it was all innocent, how did Rodrigues meet the Kuwaitis?

VOX POPULI, VOX DAI

When I put out a tweet asking why we weren’t told who’d commissioned the Redfield & Wilton survey, I got a response containing an image from the R&W website.

Well, I assume that’s where it comes from, but my quick search didn’t find it. Though I’m sure it’s genuine, because the font and the colouring match, and the rascal who used it seemed to think he was putting me down, or weakening my case.

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Self-commissioned“? Does that mean that Bruno Rodrigues and his little team decide amongst themselves what surveys to do, and then publish them? Or maybe get some media outlet to pay for their whimsical and random findings?

I don’t buy that. I certainly don’t think it accounts for all of their output.

The more I’ve thought about Redfield & Wilton the stronger the possibility has become in my mind that this outfit may not do any research or polling. It simply acts as a channel for what others want to promote.

Let’s say you want to push the message that more people in Wales support 20mph restrictions than oppose them, then you engage Redfield & Wilton in order to make the message look more credible than if it had come from a source that is obviously biased.

Though the R&W record is not impressive. Because for an organisation dealing in statistics, Bruno and his pals are not very good at figuring. They often seem to get things horribly wrong.

Which, when coupled with their pro-Labour bias (pro-Democrat in US polls), makes them look rather stupid. Here’s a recent example.

Bookies, as we know, like to have facts and reliable figures because there’s always money riding on them. So I was amused to read this piece in PoliticalBetting.com expose how horrendously wrong Redfield & Wilton got a recent Scottish poll.

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So who in Wales might have been desperate enough to ask R&W to put out this phoney 20mph survey?

Obviously, there’s the ‘Welsh Government’. But would they run the risk?

A more likely possibility must be the company that Drakeford and his clowns have employed to promote the 20mph restrictions. I’m referring now to Lynn Global. For this is their line of work.

This brainwashing outfit appeared in last week’s post on the 20mph fiasco, and Lynn also appeared in a couple of posts last month. ‘It’s Getting Sinister‘ and ‘Lynn Global Pushes Globalist Agenda‘.

Lynn would regard what I’m suggesting as ‘countering misinformation’ and therefore perfectly legitimate. Even desirable. To most people it would be lying to get your own way.

If I’m right, then we are on a dangerous path. Let me explain why.

CONCLUSION

It’s common knowledge that in recent years opinion polls, especially on politics, have been used to influence public opinion rather than to gauge it and report it.

This explains why so many polls have been spectacularly wrong; on Brexit, on Trump’s victory in 2016, on the size of the Conservative majority in 2019. All because too many pollsters allowed their left-liberal or woke prejudices to intrude.

Returning to the Redfield & Wilton survey, as I see it, there are two alternatives: either the poll result is distorted with bias, or else it’s completely and deliberately fabricated. Neither option should be acceptable in an open and democratic society.

Good governments can stand on their records, on what they’ve delivered for their people. Only liars, incompetents and aspiring totalitarians need a bought media, ‘behavioural sciences’, and phoney surveys.

♦ end ♦

© Royston Jones 2023

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Curious Taff

As a curious South Walian I am wondering what’s happening with Politics in North Wales and in particular what’s happening with former MP then MS now Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas? Has he left Welsh Labour? Has he been accepted back into Plaid Cymru? Has he revealed his position on any new issues he could concentrate on for the remainder of his latest born once again career? This Labour / Plaid Cymru co-operation deal benefits Labour more than Plaid. It’s all about securing possibly just three Senedd jobs for the Plaid Cymru leadership – maybe one Cabinet Minister seat and two Deputy Minister seats. Is he after one of those seats. That deal for crumbs, if it’s done, will mean nothing for Wales and us its people We the Welsh people deserve a whole loaf not a stale bun. It will be all about keeping Welsh Labour in power forever.

Ioan Richard

From Ioan Richard in Swansea – 80 yrs old and once a Steel Company of Wales SCOW employee for 14 years (way back in time) in the SCOW Cold Mills (Velindre & Trostre). Sometimes, as major power consumers, we had to stop Rolling Steel for short periods of time, due to National Grid power supply issues – it was called ‘Load Shedding’ then – but that was rare. 
I spotted this TATA Press Release in LINK below just before last Christmas on 15-12-22 – a good time to release bad news that will not be broadcast or printed due to the festivities. Please read it. It means that they realise the Grid will get ‘wobbly’ in future due to intermittent Renewable Energy supplies at times when there is no wind. In New Year 2023 I attempted to get newspapers in Wales to feature this but too my knowledge they have never published details of this procedure which is due to come about to avoid blackouts. TATA will get generously compensated but it will add costs for us the energy consumers.
Steelworks helps take the strain off peak energy demand this winter

Simon

Does the fact that lee waters is a speaker at the pressure group 20’s plenty conference in edinburgh suggest he may be lining up a new career

Cynical Observer

If Deputy Minister Lee Waters of WAG is going to that “Twenty is Plenty” bunfight in Scotland he might as well pop in to one of the Wind Turbines complexes that are making the news north of the border. He would have a good welcome from his presumed Scottish butties in Bute Energy.
BUTE ENERGY is a Scottish ‘wind energy outfit’ based in Cardiff, that is poised to take vast advantage of Wales Labour Government’s Zero Carbon Policies (in co-operation with Plaid Cymru) to cover Wales with massive erratic Wind Turbines complexes, with their associated Pylons, to desecrate Wales’ landscape to send power to England. Bute will be fully aware of what’s happening in Scotland. The Teachers’ Pension Scheme has just invested many millions of £ pounds into Bute Energy whilst Bute Energy has no track record of ever yet building one single Wind Turbine! No doubt the basic motive, as in Scotland, is to make billions of £ pounds (see below) and not ‘saving the planet’. That’s the reality of ‘green’ business.
If you have time open the LINK below to see exactly what’s going on in Scotland (it may be slow opening) :-
https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/scottish-wind-farm-accused-of-using-net-zero-loophole-to-make-647-million-5497857?src_src=uk_morningbriefnoe&src_cmp=uk_mb-2023-09-26&est=ODp%2F84v3yClL9imXie5wKScjH8UHMyDYrI8u%2FN7eesj0bCCGe9gaePs400NbUhaYUpMB

Neil Singleton

Having an interest in matters Scottish, I have noticed that Redfield and Wilton Strategies publish”monthly polls” on independence, all of which reveal that slightly plus or minus 50% of the Scottish electorate is in favour of independence. These percentages are at odds with all other polls (YouGove, Statista, Politics.co.Uk) who reveal that the percentage in favour of independence lies between 40%(an outlier) and 46%. The veracity of political polling can be assessed by looking at who commissions them. Only one type of poll really counts, an election or referendum. As the legendary football manager Jimmy Sirrel used to say “the results on Saturday and the league tables on Sunday are matters of fact, all the rest is just opinion.

David Smith

What sort of pisses over every poll result against independence in Scotland is a simple exercise in logical thinking, thus. If the British government really did think it would win referendum round 2, it would call the SNP’s bluff and let them have one, knowing the issue will be stone dead for a lifetime come victory.

Jonathan Dean

The big puzzle for me is the Senedd petition went live before the new speed limits came into force, but is worded as if they are already in force (how can you claim something is disastrous before it has happened?)

This makes me think the orchestration of it was planned well in advance, but by who and for what aim?

Jonathan Dean

Maybe

I think it’s ARTy gone rogue. Is the bloke who’s name is on it connected in any way?

Jonathan Dean

Things like this can take on a life if their own once you reach critical mass, so if you arrange the first 5,000 the rest just happen, especially with some instigators planted on social media

Jonathan Dean

Might be, I don’t know what you keep hearing

KB

the rest just happen”
If that was true, every petition that got 5,000 signatures would go on to reach 450,000 (and counting).

Moch

I heard he is ex Labour councillor..

Ioan Richard

JUST BEEN DIGGING OUT OLD FILES IN MY COMPUTER :-
Here below is something I wrote and circulated 21 yrs ago. It was the unbelievable stupid brain child of some unscrupulous would be Hydrogen producers supported then by the then Neath Labour MP Peter Hain and nobody objected, not even residents of Onllwyn near Neath, nor this gloating Labour Senedd Member who boasted in the press only just last week he had an Honours Degree in Science! Luckily it all never came about.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> .
Sources of Hydrogen as a Vehicle Fuel particularly for Lorries and Trains etc..
 1) Hydrogen Power Plant by Chemical Reduction of H20
Proposed in 2002 for Onllwyn near Neath in Wales supported by then local MP Peter Hain a former Labour Minister now a member of the House of Lords :-
This proposal was for a gas combined “clean energy” power station at Onllwyn at the head of the Dulais valley, an off shoot of the Neath valley, South Wales, an area previously ravaged by both deep anthracite coal mining and open-cast coal workings and now beset by unemployment and poverty problems. This was announced just before Christmas 2002, and much heralded by local politicians (Peter Hain MP) as a major jobs economy boost and an environmental scheme for “clean” energy plus 120 well paid industrial local jobs.
There are some contradictions in these claims about its “clean” character. It will consume half a million tonnes of coal a year with carbon sludge wastes from UK and USA oil refineries – wastes that currently have no use. Nobody is sure whether these wastes are pure carbon or whether they have contaminants. This is one big QUESTION that needs answering. Another point to make is how the politicians, nobody more so than the local Member of Parliament, Rt. Hon Peter Hain MP – who wants to cover Wales in Wind Turbines to eradicate BOTH Fossil Fuels and Nuclear power stations – now we are told this is a clean gas station. Yet let’s look at the process :-Basically this is it – the same as the old town gas works :-
(Remember the Carbon C is coal or oil refinery waste).
C + 02 at red heat = C02 plus gives off more heat – exothermic
C + CO2 at white heat = 2CO Carbon Monoxide plus more heat.
Then using the white heat ;-
Steam H2O is passed through white hot Carbon (coal or coke) :-
H2O + C = CO + H2 giving off Hydrogen – the much heralded “new fuel” !
The Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide (a killer gas) are both inflammable – especially the Hydrogen which is then used to fuel gas turbine engines to make the electricity. All the Carbon eventually ends up as CARBON DIOXIDE as approx. 2 million tonnes per annum CO2 in to atmosphere from this Power Plant – bit of a contradiction from the politicians – who want to ban Carbon emissions – HYPOCRISY. Why not just burn the coal as was done at Aberthaw? But then – big Query- who’d take the USA oil refinery sludge wastes?
*************************************** .
2) Thermochemical H20 splitting using very high temperatures
High temperatures of around 2000* Degrees Centigrade will split H2O molecules. There are problems with this for mass production – constraints at that temperature to prevent immediate re-bonding needing separating ceramic membranes that can exist at 2000 degrees and not lead to catastrophic explosions of re-unification of Hydrogen with the oxygen especially if the heat source is to be our existing nuclear reactors at night when their real Grid demand is low, as suggested, or some massive sun ray concentration device.
***************************************** .

Wynne
David Smith

Paradoxically this business does make a case for independence. It brings into sharp relief how the people of Wales can hold a government to account for their policies. No hope in hell of doing such in response to whichever shit gets foisted on us by the English government.

Rob

Wales Assembly couldn’t run a bath

David Smith

OK, I’m not sure if you’re agreeing with me or not with that remark?

Robert

Not really, I agree that some national polices does not help Wales, But take away those issues and we still be off far worse under total independence, As you can see with the recent 20mph law more of these idiotic laws worsen the Welsh economy

David Smith

Well Jac has addressed how the Senedd is in no way independence-lite or some kind of precursor many a time on this here blog, so why not dive in? You may even learn some literary skills along the way too!

Rob

Meaning

Dave Haskell

Reply to South Wales Evening Post

Dear Editor

 

Vacuous rhetoric

 

Mike Hedges, Swansea East MS, (letters 22 Sep 2023), boasts of his University education and that he has an honours degree in materials science and technology and thus his ‘qualifications’ are higher than mine. But this insults thousands who have not been lucky enough for a university education and diminishes the University of Life – there is nothing to replace actual experience or common sense Mr Hedges.

 

  Apart from my college technical qualifications where I came top in my class, I have had 40 years experience at ‘the coal-face’ and have carried out tests in every power station in Wales, including Dinorwig during its construction stage and Trawsfynydd Nuclear before decommissioning – I wonder what claim to fame Mr Hedges can make in the world of power generation?

 

  He muddies the water regarding climate change as I recognise the planet has always been subject to climate change, and he certainly displays his ignorance and innumeracy by not realising that if the whole of the UK should disappear beneath the waves then 98% of global atmospheric pollution will still have to be dealt with – I wonder if he appreciates what 98% means – surely he is not that inept in numeracy and he actually studied mathematics at university?

 

Dave Haskell

Dave Haskell

Reply to South Wales Evening News

Dear Editor

 

Vacuous rhetoric

 

Mike Hedges, Swansea East MS, (letters 22 Sep 2023), boasts of his University education and that he has an honours degree in materials science and technology and thus his ‘qualifications’ are higher than mine. But this insults thousands who have not been lucky enough for a university education and diminishes the University of Life – there is nothing to replace actual experience or common sense Mr Hedges.

 

  Apart from my college technical qualifications where I came top in my class, I have had 40 years experience at ‘the coal-face’ and have carried out tests in every power station in Wales, including Dinorwig during its construction stage and Trawsfynydd Nuclear before decommissioning – I wonder what claim to fame Mr Hedges can make in the world of power generation?

 

  He muddies the water regarding climate change as I recognise the planet has always been subject to climate change, and he certainly displays his ignorance and innumeracy by not realising that if the whole of the UK should disappear beneath the waves then 98% of global atmospheric pollution will still have to be dealt with – I wonder if he appreciates what 98% means – surely he is not that inept in numeracy and he actually studied mathematics at university?

 

Dave Haskell

Robert Ll Tyler

Redfield & Wilton monthly Welsh polls are showing a significant and increasing minority in favour of independence. The July poll showed thirty-eight per cent in favour with “dont knows” removed.

Dai Weatherman's Butty

My neighbour Dai Jones the Lower Cwmtwrch Weather Man drew my attention to the letter from Swansea East’s Senedd Member as in the Swansea Post today as below :-
“We must take action now on emissions
South Wales Evening Post 22 Sep 2023
REPLY to Mr Haskell’s letter of September 18, where he accuses “all our political representatives of being scientifically, engineering, technological and numerically inept” – I have an honours degree in materials science and technology from Swansea University which is I am sure a much higher qualification than Mr Haskell possesses. When he replies to this letter, as he no doubt will, can he inform us of his scientific qualifications?
Anyone who watches TV, reads newspapers, or ventures out of their home will be aware of how our weather is changing due to climate change.
In Wales, flooding where there has never been flooding before.
The 10 highest ever annual temperatures since records began have been since 2010, the planet is getting hotter. We either take action now to reduce carbon emissions or more and more of the earth will become uninhabitable for people.
Mike Hedges, Swansea East MS”
 
Dai Weatherman was scornful of Mr Hedges saying “Mr Hedges, in his many Press Letters that he (Mr Hedges) was a ‘Steelworks Engineer’ and then a ‘Council Leader’ and then an ‘IT Teacher in Pontypridd’ and now an ‘Honours Graduate from Swansea University in Materials’ and in his new letter above Mr Hedges now confuses weather with climate suggesting he is a ‘prophetic climatologist’ and what next”.
Dai said “He (Mr Hedges) must have a cupboard full of certificates. Dai also conceded that any extreme high rise in planetary climate could flood thaw the polar ice caps and cause population migration, but vast areas of the planet like the Chinese Steppes and Russian Siberia and Northern Canada and Greenland would benefit with a new fruitful Mediterranean Climate to became the food bowl of the world which Mr Hedges conveniently forgets in order to denigrate those he disagrees with in a disagreeable manner.
One thing Dai Weatherman was unsure of, was, what would be the climate difference between Lower Cwmtwrch and Upper Cwmtwrch in the future. Maybe Mr Hedges could advise Dai if he needs to sell his bungalow in Lower Cwmtwrch and buy a two storey house in Upper Cwmtwrch, as Dai does not have an Honours Degree with all that vast high level professional career. Perhaps Mr Hedges could confer with his debating superior the professional economist Dr John Ball.

treforus

I remember Hedges in Penlan School ( also Jac’s alma mater). If he has a mega brain, it obviously grew after he left there.

Dafis

Polls cropping up everywhere, yet they rarely represent the truth and that has been confirmed a long time ago. Pollsters are now parasitic enterprises feeding off government and institutional need to secure their positions and policies. Same goes generally for opponents of governments and policies. By giving any poll a level of credence you are surrendering your right to look at facts and decide for yourself.

As for the 20mph or any other oddball invention of the Bay regime you can bet your life that come the next Senedd election none of the so called Opposition parties will commit to rolling anything back.

Seeing this 20mph project as part of the creeping ( or creepy) reduction of freedom of movement may be correct. Read elsewhere today that the already patchy bus service within the communities of the Teifi valley and surrounding areas in Sir Gar, Ceredigion and Sir Benfro is to be discontinued due to withdrawal of Welsh government funding. So old ladies and low income folk without cars will have to get on their bikes or survive in isolation. Should condition them nicely for the eventual movement of rural populations into those 15 minute urban concentration camps so favoured among those who know what’s best for us.

Sue Baron

Living near small towns in wales where they are narrow roads and littered with parked cars you would be mad to go above 20 anyway. What the fuss is all about I really don’t understand having seen one man killed through cars going to fast and others knocked over. Further for the residents of residential areas where homes are very close to the roads the traffic is incredibly disturbing so what does it matter if we take a few more seconds to drive through. Speed restrictions happened in plenty of cities, so get on with it and concentrate on something more important.

Wynne

Please refer to Jac’s reply to Dafydd below Sue. There is another agenda here. The clue is in the words “climate change”. Time to join the dots to see the bigger picture.

ANN OWEN

Agree with your comment. Too many frustrated petrolheads around, I think!

David Smith

What happens when this policy results in a glut of over-eager traffic cops booking people for doing 25 on peripheral roads nowhere near residential areas? I guarantee it will, and it will serve no social good whatsoever, just another exercise in rinsing folk.

Brian

I’m retired, late 60s and am totally against the 20mph policy. So please don’t assume that those of us over a certain age support this policy for a quieter life. On the contrary, the vast majority of my acquaintances of my age group have signed this petition as one of the few opportunities to actually express their opinion on this policy.

Mainly because there is no evidence to support its stated aims of cost savings, lives saved, NHS protection or planet saving, The Welsh govt., under Drakeford, is lying to us with false statistics, arrogant in its refusal to listen to alternative opinions and is acting in a despotic manner. It is an absolute disgrace.

What is worse, we’re gradually realising that, more and more we’re having policies foisted upon us “backed up” by badly (even falsely) supplied statistics, pseudo science and “behavioural science” masquerading as evidence. “Experts”, in reality dodgy firms with no real expertise or credentials, being handsomely paid by this government, are being continuously engaged to support the government’s position. Alternative views, or even differences of opinion, are labelled as misinformation. Disagreement has been re-defined as denial or conspiracy exposition. Those expressing them are portrayed as extremist, fascist and potential targets for cancelling.

it’s not just 20mph, it’s climate change, Brexit, covid and a host of other issues. The notion of respecting another point of view, even learning from it (perish the thought!) is being degraded daily. Independent thought is being opposed. None of this is open, honest debate. None of this is democracy. It is, however, dangerous.

I’m grateful to Jac, and to many of the contributors to this blog, for speaking out and highlighting what is really going on.

Howell Williams

Where is money for cancer care, many left without hope, many dying so that the so-called Welsh government can play around with speed limits. I have a personal input in all this as my wife suffers from bowel cancer, get your priorities right you idiots.

Dafydd

It is quite funny that people think the 20 mph speed is the end of the world. Wales has no bigger problems? Many towns already have that speed limit and so far their world has not descended into chaos. People from abroad casting their vote, but many here do not seem to realise that towns in Europe often have 30 kph speed limits – that is around 19 mph. Travelling 1 mile at 30 mph takes 2 minutes, at 20 mph takes 3 minutes (disaster for the important people of the world). Traveling slower would also help to avoid the pot holes which is a far bigger problem.

Wynne

I think Welsh Government gave the game away when this legislation was sponsored by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, not the Minister for Health.

Jonathan Dean

The money spent on this is 0.3% of the Welsh NHS budget

15 minute neighbourhoods? Where shops, doctors, dentists, schools etc are within a 15 minute walk? Sounds just like Llangefni. If I wanted to live in a town it sounds idyllic

Jonathan Dean

But for what good reason would anyone want to stop people leaving Llangefni, or anywhere else for that matter. The great advantage of a 15 minute neighbourhood is you don’t have to leave to get the basics of living, but you can leave if you choose to. The design principle has been around since the late 1800’s so it’s hardly something new, and many people already live in one … like the people of Llangefni

Jonathan Dean

The railways came pre 1850 and the intent in the late 1800’s was to try to recreate what had existed before within the big industrial cities

Widespread car ownership came (before my time) in the 1950’s or 60’s

What I don’t understand is why would anyone want to restrict freedom of movement. That’s totally unnecessary to address climate change and wouldn’t be good for the economy, so why would any politician want to do it?

Jonathan Dean

But why? Why do you think “they” want to control movement?

Jonathan Dean

But you’ve only just said “climate change is simply the excuse to increase levels of control”

So why do they want to increase levels of control, given it’s nothing to do with climate change (for which it isn’t necessary)

Confused!

Jonathan Dean

Genuinely don’t get it. Maybe it’s my Asperger’s

David Smith

I assumed the ’15 minutes’ referred to very short stay parking provisions only ever being provided. Also, my take has been that it was the invention of vulcanised rubber, not so much the internal combustion engine, that was the main ‘driver’ of private transport. Without it, you’re stuck with having to run on rails.

It’s sort of amusing to me that globalists are pushing 15 minute settlements, when the same forces of ‘progress’ responsible for their genesis produced today’s anti-15 minute neighbourhood.

Think about it: concepts such as centralisation, amalgamation, economies of scale, overseas manufacture, etc, over the last few decades have brought us out-of-town shopping centres, supermarkets, industrial estates, dormitory towns and commuting. Globalisation is the endgame of this thrust.

Jonathan Dean

The 15 minutes is all about local ease and convenience and provision of local services. Llangefni is a model 15 minute neighbourhood except perhaps not enough local work

Dafis

“…except perhaps not enough local work ” … and that’s a key piece that’s missing from the sustainable 15 minute model. Likes of Drakeford and Waters would respond to that omission with a dismissive quip, like –
” ah never mind we will be fixing you up with local jobs as soon as poss and the buses, trams, trains will be along in due course. But never mind I’m sure you will cope admirably in the meantime on our recommended diet of raw or stewed wild leaves and a bit of road kill that passing traffic to Ireland will generate for you. Know your place, serf.”

Jonathan Dean

I dont think there ever has been in Llangefni, so people will continue to commute for work, but everything else is in the community

Dafis

That commute will become more difficult given the absence of services. The unspoken assumption underlying that 15 minute model is that there won’t be much work available so residents will draw their “income” as Jac suggests and may get lucky when a leisure industry opens up nearby offering seasonal work on minimum wage levels. An altogether gloomy prospect.

Jonathan Dean

That would be a gloomy assumption so certainly not one you would include in any design principles. It would be bad for the economy and society so why would you do it? Port Sunlight and Bournville were 15 minute neighbourhoods back in the day, they just weren’t called that. Quite idealistic, but that’s always a design starting point

Dafis

Port Sunlight, Bournville etc were designed to improve people’s lives. We are now confronting changes that are not benevolent but aimed to contain and eventually control. A dark place designed by control freaks who can’t tolerate diversity of opinions and beliefs

Jonathan Dean

15 minute neighbourhoods are intended to improve people’s lives

Why would anyone want to contain and control? And who are these people that want to do it?

Dafis

Who are these people ? Some of them are famous due to the publicity they have been given. However there are others less visible and they are probably out of sight as it suits their purpose. Unlike Jac and others I do not believe that this dominating elite is a done deal. There are too many conflicting interests and aspirations so their behaviours thus far are similar to the old fictional crime families where they get together to agree a way forward from time to time then act with extreme violence towards each other when there is failure to agree. Ordinary citizens are invariably Collateral damage either way.

You have been told or maybe “informed” that the 15 min concept would be good for you. Given the general drift of recent and proposed interventions I think that your freedom of movement and choices will be constrained in due course. Alongside other changes developed by governments, globalist corporations and supranational bodies it all adds up to negative signals in my book. Now you may be content to stay put and live out your life that way. I won’t stop you but my preference for the rest of my life is to travel freely in this land and eat or drink whatever I can afford to grow or buy.

Jonathan Dean

I just can’t see what the point of constraining movement would be. It achieves nothing

However, I did think lockdown was wonderful as it was so peaceful

David Robins

A 15-minute neighbourhood is great, IF you can leave to go further afield. A lot of the negativity comes from experience in Oxford, where the planning policy came to be confused with a circulation plan proposing severe restrictions on car use, preventing cross-city movements by forcing traffic out onto the ring road.

Brian

Of course Wales has bigger problems. This issue simply exemplifies this Welsh Government’s failure to tackle those problems with honesty and integrity. And in the process exposes its entirely disreputable tactics to get its own way and preserve its power. The bigger picture!

Regarding the actual limit of 20mph, I suspect many would support the introduction of lower limits near school entrances, hospitals or difficult-to-observe hazardous areas. Even better (in the case of schools) if such restrictions were linked to appropriate time controls (as already happens in some parts of the UK). And might it be too Fascist to suggest that some parents, also, have a responsibility to educate their children to develop an appreciation of basic road safety?

Dafis

Might it be too Fascist to suggest to parents especially in urban areas that walking their offspring to school is environmentally better than chugging along in a gas guzzling SUV, parking on pavements, standing around after delivering their children to the school gossiping and generally narrowing streets to one slender lane. There again that imposes a speed limit of about 5m.p.h !!

Terina Tucker

Really interesting read. I love your digging! @ttb x

Brychan

Suspect there is no coincidence that the man behind the slated poll organisation has a day job as a lawyer specialising in migration appeals. 

This suggests they are pre-disposed to the affluent left in the political spectrum. A go-to place for any slanted ‘opinion poll’. It’s interesting that the Welsh Government (and BBC) does not use the poll from YouGov, the longstanding and more reliable pollsters. This paints a very different story. It’s almost as if the Welsh Government are in some kind of bubble and starting to believe their own contrived propaganda.

Also the RWS poll says they asked ‘people in Wales’ where YouGov says they asked ‘people across Wales’. If your sample is just the blue rinse set of leafy Rhiwbina, a posh suburb of Cardiff, or Cathays the non-driving stidenty enclave, both “in” Wales, you’d get a very different result from a well-balanced sample across the whole country.

David Smith

It’d be interesting to know what the pollsters’ game was back in 2021 (was it?) when there was 20-odd polls in a row (I think) showing a majority in favour of independence in Scotland.

Jonathan Dean

Despite all the noise, I really like the new 20 mph zones. Maybe it’s my advanced age?

Daf

Yes. People objecting have included SME owners, calmly explaining the extra costs involved, and carers, who already have the difficult job, on minimum wage, of travelling in between clients’ homes. Not wanting to spend time travelling that they should be spending with vulnerable and often isolated people. It is astonishing to see these people dismissed as ‘far right’, or ‘climate change deniers’.

JS

Indeed. This is the thin end of the wedge. Programme for Gov goes a lot further in terms of speed reductions across the network.

The decision for Waters and Drakeford now is, do they dare push on with delivering that programme on the basis that public sentiment will change, or take their foot off the pedal (sorry).

In the vote of no confidence in Waters, Plaid are wedded to net zero which lies at the heart of this in terms of the wider ‘modal shift’ away from cars to unreliable public transport. Will we see a rogue vote from outliers like Mabon or will Plaid MS’s be thoroughly whipped in? The vote will be a waste of time.

The sentiment of Labour towards the petition has really tickled me, for Wales is a nation of sanctuary, welcoming those from beyond our borders to take refuge, but if any of you have signed the petition from outside of Wales you can f$^* right off!!!!

Daf

I think, with respect, older people who have retired, or are largely retired, do seem to support the new 20mph zones. Perhaps this is because they aren’t travelling regularly for work purposes, or with strict schedules like shifts starting, school or office hours. Without those pressures, a few journeys a week made at quiet times of the day probably do feel nicer made at slower speeds.

Jonathan Dean

Have to admit I’ve never had constraints like that. Even when I had to drive 40k miles a year 30 zones were a minimal part of it and for the vast majority of my career I never had to drive anywhere

I can see that some will have definite issues, but I think the majority just don’t like change, irrespective of it being good, bad or neutral