In a sense, this post is supplementary to the previous post. Because having made a number of references, both direct and oblique, to the problem I now think it’s time to hit the nail squarely on the head. This ‘nail’ of which I speak is the deception that has been practised for over a decade that wants us to believe Wales is run by the politicians we have elected to the Assembly.
It is now clear beyond doubt that Wales is in fact run by people we have never heard of, and have never voted for. In the main, these are civil servants. Answerable to London but, more importantly, also taking orders from London and making sure that the ‘Welsh’ Government follows the same directives. Though this often means co-operation if there is a shared objective. The number of examples proving this continue to mount.
From talking with Pol Wong about the way his Powys Fadog venture in Llangollen was sabotaged it soon became clear that civil servants – no less than Gillian Morgan, the top civil servant in Wales at the time – showed blatant bias by conspiring with Labour politicians who clearly saw Pol’s vision as being ‘too Welsh’. Meetings to discuss how best to sabotage the Powys Fadog project were even taking place in the home of a local Labour AM!
Then last week, a delegation from Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) met with Carl Sargeant, 
Minister for Housing and Regeneration, in the hope of persuading him to make the Welsh language a material consideration in planning for new housing. Tweets from a couple of those at the meeting make it clear how it went. The politician was at least prepared to listen to the Society’s wishes, but the civil servants wanted to dismiss it out of hand. How do we explain such open hostility?
I think this takes us back to what I said in the previous post about the insane housebuilding plans being imposed on Wales. As I showed in that post, using official figures, the only way to explain this housebuilding extravaganza is to view it as a deliberate attempt to further damage Welsh identity. That being so, then the attitude of the civil servants at the meeting with Cymdeithas yr Iaith is entirely consistent with this strategy, but difficult to explain otherwise.
Something else I pointed out in the previous post was the article in the most recent Planning Inspectorate newsletter. This piece, headed ‘Planning Reform in Wales’, contained phrases such as ” . . . (proposed reforms) resonate with those in England” and “Again reflecting change in England”. Major planning decisions in England and Wales, plus Local Development Plans, are under the control of the Planning Inspectorate, which answers solely to the UK Government. This is disguised by the UK government passing legislation ‘for England’ and the ‘Welsh’ Government ‘for Wales’ – but, increasingly, it’s the same legislation! And this is why civil servants that have been ‘advised’ by the Planning Inspectorate cannot accept any legislation for Wales that fundamentally differentiates Wales from England. (Plus of course there’s the over-arching consideration of anglicisation.)
It’s the same picture in social housing. The preserve in Wales of the shadowy Housing Directorate. Here, again, Wales is locked into an Englandandwales system. One that, inevitably, works against the Welsh national interest; a) by ensuring that, in many areas, more social housing is built than local applicants need, and b) seeing to it that Welsh applicants are always at the back of the queue for allocations. Many social housing providers are now little more than large private companies. Why they should still be treated as charities or social enterprises is a mystery. An even bigger mystery is why any housing association should be receiving funding from the ‘Welsh’ Government.
Then, last year, and purely by chance, I ran across the Wales Rural Observatory. This is a group of English academics, funded by the ‘Welsh’ Government, that comes up with ‘policy suggestions’ for its benefactor. Their website talks of Wales as if was East Anglia, there is no mention of the language or any other distinctively Welsh factors. This is the blind leading the blind. A bunch of English interlopers funded with Welsh money ‘advising’ a political party that believes civilisation stops somewhere just after Llanelli, or the western outskirts of Wrecsam.
It used to be said, back in the pre-devolution days, that a Welsh parliament would be nothing more than ‘Glamorgan County Council on stilts’, suggesting that it would just be a glorified county council controlled by Labour. Looking at what we have today down Cardiff docks there is a comparison to be made with a county council, but it’s not Glamorgan. With the elected representatives surrendering their authority
to civil servants, the real comparison is with Carmarthenshire. An authority where the unelected are firmly in control, and General James marches his bedraggled and increasingly mutinous troops towards the unavoidable fate of Special Measures (and probably legal action, as well).
I have believed for some years that Wales under devolution has become less, not more, democratic. The more evidence that comes to light of the power wielded by civil servants then the more obvious this becomes. ‘Welsh’ Labour goes along with this system partly because it lacks the balls to stand up to London; partly because it doesn’t really care about Wales; and partly because as a reward for its submission it is given the freedom to indulge in socialistic fol-de-rols like free prescriptions and the like. Which, if you think about them, are all measures likely to attract into Wales those who’ll be a burden on health care and other services. Coincidence, no doubt.
We need to face up to the truth that devolution has been a dismal failure. I voted for devolution because I wanted a system prioritising Welsh needs and protecting Welsh identity. What we have is a collaborationist regime working with those whose objective is the assimilation of Wales into England. And it wouldn’t matter which party claimed to be in charge down Cardiff docks. Our enemies get away with this because we don’t stand up to them. Consequently, they regard us Welsh with the contempt we deserve. We need to start defending Welsh interests, any way we can.
O/T
Something to expect in the near future:
“UK Government confirms that Welsh water may be extracted for fracking in England”
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2013-12-18a.178937.h&s=speaker%3A11323#g178937.q0
Hi, longtime lurker here. As an outsider to the issue, I don’t usually leave comments, but this housing policy is so absurdly egregious that I feel compelled to write something. I hope I won’t be attacked for being too pessimistic and negative, I’m not trolling, just sharing my thoughts. I just don’t understand how something this huge and urgent can cause so little fuss among Welsh people, especially Welsh speakers. If people care about preserving the language, culture, and Wales itself, surely this should be a scandal, a cause for massive protests, civil unrest, etc. Complaints and small-scale protests won’t do anything. To make a difference, there needs to be outrage throughout Wales, that wiIl be heard in Cardiff and in London. If these policies continue unabated, Wales will be absorbed into England and the Welsh assimilated. England is huge, Wales is tiny, this is a mathematical certainty. Why aren’t the majority of Welsh people reacting to this? How many people are marching in Catalonia and in Scotland, and they are in nowhere near the amount of danger Wales finds itself in. They’re marching for independence. Why can’t the Welsh even get themselves to march for their bare survival as a people?
If Welsh people care, now is the time for raising their voices. Soon, with a critical mass of English people in the country, it will be too late to stop the process. (This has nothing to do with being anti-English. It’s just a fact that too many people are coming into the country for any meaningful Welshness in Wales to be sustainable long-term. Anyone remotely realistic should be aware of it). This is Wales’s last chance, it just doesn’t compute that, outside of a few dozen people, the Welsh are doing nothing. Again, the urgency here can’t be overstated. If the people who care don’t wake up soon, it’s game over.
Successfully stopping the process might be impossible. Actually, I think it may already be too late to save the Welsh language. It pains me to say it, because I’ve always been interested in minority languages, and the Welsh language has been a primary reason for my interest in the entire issue. But, even if people do wake up and somehow manage to stop the influx of settlers, it’s doubtful it could be pulled off in time to save the language. Still, if people do care, surely they should at least make a stand? Maybe it would save the language after all. And even if not, an anglophone Wales could still be saved from total assimilation, in the nick of time. But the window of opportunity is rapidly closing. Where is the outrage?
People all over the country see what’s happening and they don’t like it. They’re worried and they’re afraid. Afraid for their communities, their services, their culture and their identity. (Choose your own priorities.) However, expressing those fears is dangerous.
First, we have no impartial media in Wales to report the issue fairly. Second, we have no political party, organisation, etc., of any size or reputation prepared to speak out on the issue. Third, to speak out as an individual risks isolation and attack from all sides.
Unless Plaid Cymru starts speaking up for the interests of the Welsh, rather than ‘Wales’, then a vacuum exists to welcome a new movement defending Welsh interests. I believe a new movement will emerge even if Plaid does reform itself.
Thanks for the explanation, it’s been difficult for me to gauge whether people are in denial about the problem, or if it’s just not talked about enough because it’s such a taboo topic. I do see some Welsh people talk about the amount of support for self-determination, the contraction of the language, voting patterns etc. in a way that makes me think they’re truly unaware of the huge factor that is immigration from England. Maybe what’s really happening to the country isn’t as well-understood in areas not as affected by the housing extravaganzas/influx? If so, getting the information out there some more might be helpful. I think, for example, the content of this post would be enough to ring alarm bells for almost any Welsh-identified person (and looking at the census, that’s an overwhelming majority of those born in Wales). The housing policy is just so indefensible and brazen. Maybe it would wake up some Labour voters? I know it’s hard to spread information without media support, especially about such a taboo subject. Distributing leaflets, maybe?
Fear is understandable, but there are many people who devote a lot of time and resources to preserving and advancing Welsh culture, nationhood, services, etc. I know it’s easy for an outsider to say, but shouldn’t they be prepared to brave the fear rather than let all their work go to waste? As valuable as all that work might be, it equals fiddling while Rome burns when they don’t also focus on the single most important issue there is in Wales. Giving in to fear is just not an option any more at this point in time. Someone must take the plunge, and make a move. And they must do it very soon.
Speaking of fiddling while Rome burns, Plaid Cymru sound like masters at it, not sure whether due to ideology, infiltration or fear (or maybe a combination). I honestly doubt they’ll be the ones making any meaningful move in defence of Welsh interests. A new movement is the only hope, from what I can see.
As someone who voted against due to the proposal in front of me not being enough and not wanting the salami style self government, the main reason, the clincher, that influenced me was Tony “blood on his hands” Blair’s announcement that he wanted devolution “in order to keep the Union” which says it all and it turned out to be so far, Scotland may test this to the limit and hopefully destroy the project but that will not happen in Wales, we have too many quislings. Reports have come out of the meetings and “a civil servant” said blah blah, who was he/she? Name and shame them we are their employers after all and their customers
The problem remains Plaid Cymru. We would not be in this mess if Plaid Cymru had been more like the SNP. There are two, fundamental, problems with Plaid.
First, the ‘social worker’ wing, for whose members politics is feel-good, middle class, gesture ‘socialism’. It was these who scuppered the possible rainbow alliance in 2007, preferring to go into coalition – on the grounds of socialist solidarity!!! – with the biggest obstacle to Welsh independence, the Labour Party.
Second, there is also within Plaid an influential group of senior figures that has caused such damage it might as well be working for British Intelligence. As it indeed it might be.
A ‘national’ party containing these two groups is doomed. As is the nation it claims to represent.
The issues you’ve highlighted above go unchecked not just because those in power have instigated them but because we, the drowsy Welsh, tolerate it.
As I say in the final paragraph (and have said elsewhere many times), “Our enemies get away with this because we don’t stand up to them.” They’ll push and push until they start feeling resistance.
I think that the Welsh could stand up to this kind of maladministration. The problem is that they’re not getting the information they need in order to enact. I thank you for drawing my attention to this.
It’s worse than maladministration, it’s a widespread con trick. We elect politicians who, when in government, do what they’re told by English civil servants whose only objective seems to be the undermining of Welsh identity. This to be achieved though English colonisation, which will be dressed up as ‘rising population’ which, as we all know, can only be a good thing. Making the ‘Welsh’ Government nothing more than a collection of fig leaves for the unelected civil servants implementing a lebensraum policy.
Sorry to say but you haven’t even scratched the surface! Your’re absolutely correct, but it’s far far worse than what you say. I can’t say more otherwise both you and I will get into trouble.
You intrigue me.
Why not contact me directly, editor@jacothenorth.net? I would love to know the information you have.