Wales’ demographic time bomb is the biggest threat we face as a nation
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Now guess why Wales voted for Brexit.
Ond syt yw mynegi y barn hon ?
Sobering.What policy steps however are needed a)using existing devolved powers Eh planning, b)powers that might be crowbarred out of Westminster?
This is something we do need to be able to talk about more openly, because as you say the debate is shut down by accusations of ageism and racism and its none of those things. It as you say a fundamental economic issue for our economy and without an open debate we will never be able to have an impact on planning decisions and the like. If we were to divert funds away from things that are underfunded already like health, then people have to appreciate why and without a frank and open public debate we simply can’t consider longer… Read more »
I think most people would agree that we are facing a potential demographic ‘time bomb’ (outside of the cities). I also don’t disagree with most of the points you make. However, what you’re looking at is a symptom of the problem rather then the problem itself. One of the famous mantras in the Clinton Administration in the US was: “it’s the Economy, stupid”. A successful economy is one of the key building blocks for a future independent Wales. It will also address many of the issues you raise relating to the brain drain, the housing market, the type of in-migration… Read more »
Un o’r pethau sydd yn angenrheidiol yw gwariant digonol at yr isadeiledd [infrastructure]. Mae llywodraeth Cymru at y trywydd iawn gyda hyrwyddo bandlydan, ond mae wir gofid ynglyn ag elfenau sydd o dan San Steffan, e.e.gwrthod cynllun I gael trenau trydan heibio i Gaerdydd. Ar adeg pryd bydd ceir yn newid o betrol i drydan, bydd locomotives olew fwy drwm yn rhedeg i Abertawe felly yn llosgi fwy o olew nag or blaen! Welais erthygl am y wariant ar isadeiledd yn y wahanol ardaloedd yn y DU., ac yr oedd y wariant yng Nghymru yn hollol warthus.
You have absolutely no understanding of modern economics in Wales.
At last someone is willing to acknowledge the elephant in the room: i.e the real immigration problem that we face in Wales, especially the number of retirees settling here. I voted to stay in the EU last year but at the same time i wanted Brexit to happen because i believed that the external convulsions caused by leaving the EU would be accompanied by internal convulsions which could lead to the final end of the British Empire. I think this is being played out in front of us at present. I also believed that the (long postponed) debate about immigration… Read more »
The situation in which we find ourselves today did not come about overnight, it’s taken decades and can be traced back – like so much else – to the 1960s. The fundamental problem is the lack of a healthy and diversified economy in rural Wales, due to the refusal of both UK and ‘Welsh’ Governments to invest in the economy and to provide skills and training for local people. Appalling infrastructure is another issue. The only hope offered to rural areas for 50 years has been tourism, which provides business opportunities for wealthy outsiders, low paid seasonal employment for locals… Read more »
I agree with most of what you say, but I disagree completely with your apparent blaming of the Left for all the negative developments in Wales. Not all the Left are supportive of colonisation, though it has to be said that the English Left in general is hypocritical in the extreme. and Plaid Cymru takes a similar line as it doesn’t want to have to robustly challenge charges of ‘racism’, plus we have to remember that the naïve approach of Plaid towards the various settler groups is one of being nice and appeasing them at every step in the vain… Read more »
I think if we use only experiences, gut feel and are simply expressing fears, then not only will this be construed as prejudiced and verging on the dark side of things, it might actually lead to us that way. We need to look at the real statistics in detail, not as a whole, because there are big differences between Blaenau Gwent and Ceredigion or the university towns, with very high percentages of young students, that make the population stats appear younger, but not necessarily economically productively younger. This is a complex issue and we need to identify where there are… Read more »
Local councils are not over-ruled by the ‘Welsh’ Government they’re over-ruled by the Englandandwales Planning Inspectorate.
There is no part of England where the NHS is devolved.
I had no idea and totally ignorant of the EnglandandWales planning inspectorate.
I generally take an interest in theae things and if itvajust shows how week our media is and how poorly we are informed. That cannot be accidental as you sa.
Nonsense. These people pump billions into the Welsh economy. The flow of people out of Wales (and brain drain is a bit flattering to many of these people) has been going on for generation since industrial jobs started disappearing. It has also been a huge ambition of parents to get their children to better jobs in England than stay in economically backwards Wales. This is yet another Welsh Government apologist article. Wales is making a botch of devolution so let’s now blame the English in Wales.
Would you care to expand on “These people pump billions into the Welsh economy”.
Billions pumped in by retirees! I think not!! This is not an apologist article but an analysis of the actual facts. I live in a small market town and see the effects every day. Our young people cannot afford to purchase houses and rents are inflated. Jobs are in the “service” industry and a few weeks ago, I was the only Welsh person in a crowded surgery.There are also many second homes here and the owners arrive with their Waitrose stock.As the writer makes clear , the English buyers naturally look after their own interests.Well they would , would n’t… Read more »
Mike Smith says “these people pump billions into the Welsh economy”, and unfortunately fails to say who is pumping what to where. The article shows that Welsh expenditure, which adds to the so called “Welsh deficit”, is increased by Billions by funds allocated to retirees from England. In addition many others with social problems are relocated to Wales from over the border. These are people with drug problems, ex offenders and others designated as vulnerable people. The prime example which represents the effects of this relocation is Rhyl where crime rates and unemployment are astronomical. A crime rate of almost… Read more »
[…] referred to in an article last week, the rise in Wales’ population since 1992 of around 200,000 has seen this increase occur in the […]