Daily Mail resorts to ‘Principality’ jibe and calls Welsh devolution ‘unmitigated disaster’
A Daily Mail journalist has launched a scathing attack on Wales describing the nation’s devolved power as “an unmitigated disaster”.
Columnist Stephen Glover blasted Wales’s FM for his plans to scrap major road projects branding him ‘Corbynista First Minister Mark Drakeford’ and labelling Wales as ‘the Socialist Republic of Wales.’
Sadiq Khan was also in the firing line with Glover hitting out at both the London Mayor and Mark Drakeford accusing them both of waging a “war on motorists”.
The accusation was in reference to Khan’s controversial plans to extend low emission zones to all 33 boroughs of Greater London.
In the article entitled ‘If only we had a Government with the power to take on the anti-car zealots making money out of punishing motorists’, Glover criticised Wales’s roads.
The article said: “Please note that Wales has an abysmal road network. Try driving from Anglesey to Cardiff.”
Glover added: “A moratorium on road building will inevitably hold the country back, but what does Mark Drakeford care?”
Glover praised the UK Conservative Government for not being “hellbent” on punishing motorist in the way that “Khan and Drakeford evidently are”.
“Amok”
He went on to describe Wales as a “Principality” and “one of the poorest regions in the United Kingdom in desperate need of economic development.”
Glover sympathised with the UK ‘elected’ Government “that feels responsible for all its citizens but lost much of its power through devolution allowing “local potentates to run amok”.
Journalist Glover ended his anti-devolution rant saying: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a robust and judicious government of the United Kingdom, as once we did, which didn’t allow councils to persecute motorists or carve cities into zones or suspend all road building? Dream on.”
It’s not the first time the opinion columnist has opted to tear apart Wales’s devolved power – back in 2021 he referred to First Minister Mark Drakeford as “Wales’s tinpot Jeremy Corbyn” in a rant against Welsh Covid rules.
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Welsh and Scottish devolution has indeed been an ‘unmitigated disaster’ for Westminster, Unionists and the freak press. It keeps on showing that there is another way other than THEIR way and they hate that which is why so many column inches are devoted to bashing it. It’s all they can do when they have lost control and the plot.
If Anybody doubts the fact that it is the leftist Politicians , Drakeford and Sturgeon in particular, who have completely destroyed our countries , then they have either been to uni or been numbed to the state of our towns high streets , This is 100% due to the pro marxist agenda to the letter , Remember ( not a tory) Conservatism involves less govt interference, while more left u go Labour to communism means more or total govt control ..Open border , electric cars ( which they can turn off anytime ) with their world ending lithium battery (,… Read more »
We want to be rid of the y/joke of England.England always takes and rarely gives
You do know Wales are under Labour ..and the policies which have destroyed our towns ..or convenient to overlook . .Wales is a caricature of a once proud nation
When the Telegraph takes a dump – The Daily Mail likes to roll around in it, just like a dog
Yes. A turd can’t be polished, so it rolls it’s self in glitter.
The article said: “Please note that Wales has an abysmal road network. Try driving from Anglesey to Cardiff.”
Well no one can argue with that.
Agreed, but they are being very disingenuous to blame it on devolution instead of the Welsh Labour Government. It actually gets Labour off the hook.
I support full independence, but in 24 years of Labour led devolution we still have not achieved decent north/south road and rail links, nor an economic plan for the country as a whole. Instead we have improved east to west links along with the Northern Powerhouse and the Western Gateway. These projects serve to further divide Wales.
Fast to M6 , M6 join M4 Cardiff
Or enjoy the leisurely drive alond the A470
What would be better is a good train service
Yes and that goes back for both road and rail long before we started the develoution only when we get the hell out of the disunted Kingdom can it be changed
They had three hundred years where they could have increased economic development in Wales, We have had 25! We all know who’s at fault for the state Wales is in.
Agree with you Riki. It will take three hundred years to right their wrongs here. Apart from rob us of our minerals and ores what good have they done? Sod all!!
Indeed, along with the damage done, and resources stolen, it seems the mechanics of The Senedd were purposefully set up to fail in order to get the people of Wales to run back to Westminster at the first sign of difficulty. Sooner we realise the game we are forced to play the better
Agree, trouble is, London media, is far stronger than our joke papers we have in Wales.
Yeah, and They have connections everywhere. Anywhere else and the treatment Scotland and Wales suffer would be all over other nations Television sets. But for some reason England gets away with actions others nations could only dream of.
Those dammed mountains get in the way and you have to go round them and many bridges are beyond their use by date and should become treasures in situ. (Rail Track take them seriously but just don’t give them a concrete mixer). Talking of bridges, did anybody else count how many times Lee Waters looked lost for words, except that he used the word hope so many times I lost count and hope… We must not be ashamed that Cymru cannot be traversed at a mile and a half a minute. That is not the kind of place this geological… Read more »
Lol you’ll be lucky to traverse Cymru at a mile and a half an hour once you have to use the sustainable travel modes of walking and cycling!!
One person’s opinion. One sad writer who is as significant as a bubble in a cesspool.
The fascist degerates are at I again: the hatred of anything not English.Keep supporting paedophili , and illegal greed of TORIES!
The journey from Anglesey to Cardiff is absolutely beautiful, enjoyable and definitely worth doing.
Disaster or not, you and many others still fail to see the most important factor. It’s for us to fail, or make mistakes! It’s our Country! It’s not for someone else to tell us what to do or indeed do it for us. It’s hypocritical If Ukraine is entitled to sovereignty, but two far older countries like Scotland and Wales aren’t
Wales has an abysmal road network because of a colonialist extractive economy. The Daily Mail probably only wants better roads to open up Playground Wales to its readers. Probably opposes a tourism tax too, as the conquerors thinks it’s their playground.
Although I agree with you in most of your comment, I fundamentally disagree that England conquered Wales! If it had, why would the tudors have needed to annex it in their day? The reason is because from 1284 to 1400, Wales was occupied by English forces. It then became self autonomous thanks to Owain Glyndwr from 1409 to 1536. This is why Henry Tudor didn’t annex it, he knew he had no right to Wales, despite the power he had in England. His son however didn’t care. The laws of Wales act effectively ended the English Principality of Gwynedd in… Read more »
The columnist is correct! Wales will never be progressive with politicians who gain votes by claiming to rectify some ill or other; I.e. grievance politicians. As for transport infrastructure, it is a joke. Industry will not locate anywhere west of the Severn Bridge because of the delays at the Newport Tunnels. Labour and Plaid have absolutely no idea how to run a country.
Perhaps if Wales had a credible centre-right alternative then Labour and Plaid would be kept on their toes. Instead you have R2D2 Davies a Boris sycophant who puts England’s interests over Wales. If Paul Davies, Nick Bourne or David Melding was Welsh Tory leader then I may actually consider voting Conservative. Instead its been dragged further to the right by the likes of Rees-Mogg and his ERG pals.
As soon as it the article mentioned Cymru as a principality you realise what the tory supporting rag was getting at I agree develoution is not working as we would like it too but a total break from the disunited kingdom would be far better for us hundreds of years being ruled from london did not work for us and centuries of neglect will take a long time to repair i would say look at the state of little england under the tories
But the blame should not be put on devolution but should be put on the Welsh Labour Government. The idea that somehow London knows best on Welsh specific matters, especially the Welsh language is ludicrous and insulting. What the people of Wales need to do is vote Labour out. But when the media shift the blame onto devolution then Welsh Labour get away with it.
Wales hasn’t been a Principality since 1542, and only included mid and north Wales. If England and Scotland are countries then by the same logic so is Wales. Unfortunately the English right wing media are too wilfully ignorant too understand this, and sadly many Welsh people will buy into this. I think we know our country better than anyone else does.. As for devolution being an unmitigated disaster, this is also misleading, and very damaging for Welsh democracy. The problem with Wales is not devolution, the problem is with the Welsh Labour Government, and what Wales needs to do is… Read more »
While cutting the much needed road and bridge program to pay for more buses that young Lee can play with – the silly and overpriced Mail seems to be derermined in its aim to have us west anglians put in our place asp ie England 🏴…
This reminds me of Brian Bilston’s hilarious poem ‘How much I dislike the Daily Mail’: I would rather eat Quavers that are six week’s stale, blow dry the hair of Gareth Bale, listen to the songs of Jimmy Nail, than read one page of the Daily Mail. / If I were bored in a waiting room in Perivale, on a twelve hour trip on British rail or a world circumnavigational sail, I would not read the Daily Mail. / I would happily read the complete works of Peter Mayle, the autobiography of Dan Quayle, selected scripts from Emmerdale, but I… Read more »
Do any of article’s writers live/work in Wales? If not, how the hell do they know enough to comment on Welsh affairs. Go back to your non dom tax abode!
Perhaps if the Welsh Tories actually stood up for Wales and stopped taking orders from their masters in London, then we they may actually become a credible opposition and hold Labour/Plaid to account.
South Wales? ‘Workshy’? Are you sure?
Why is self government acceptable to the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey? However, this Lee Walters, I’m sorry not up to the job. What is he thinking, banning all road developments, asking for trouble.
His words prove not only why good media like ‘Nation Cymru’, is so needed. But also how the English government has both failed us and constantly insults us.. The hate mail has no journalists, just angry, abbussive and arrogant fools, writing whatever they can do drive up sales.
Any with at least a £10billion shortfall on income which currently comes from the English taxpayer how are going to fund this banana principality?
Oh didums the poor English taxpayer never mind the fact that people in Cymru also have to finance the War in Ukraine and pay for HST.
If English taxpayers are so concerned then why don’t they campaign to kick the banana principality out of their archaic union.
Please avoid reading tht mail. Remember it supported Moseley.
Worked in Swindon a few years back and constantly had the ‘Principality’ label thrown at me. Remember being told that “the Welsh are all peasants, but Prince Charles looks after you”. And these people tell us how proud they are of the Union.
Same thing occurred to me While I lived in sluff. Oh how their face changes the moment they hear your accent.
It’s is an absolute disaster and should be disbanded immediately.
So the Britons shouldn’t have a right to self determination then? I suppose you support Ukraine’s right, And An English right? So why not Wales?
I’m certainly no fan of the Senedd government but people have the option to abolish the Senedd at election time.Yet the voting performance’s of UKIP and The Abolish The Assembly Party have been abysmal.
Wrong!! Its Labour thats been a disaster. You don’t just disband a nations right to govern itself just because the current government is poor. You vote them out.
The devolved Welsh government is an unmitigated disaster. It’s a toxic coalition of authoritarian, ideologically-obsessed, control freaks including labour, plaid and the greens. Between them they are turning this wonderful nation into a woke, economic wasteland and Drakeford, the n u t t e r-in-chief, is spearheading the nose-dive into oblivion.
Well perhaps if we had a credible centre-right opposition party that actually cared about Welsh interests then maybe Labour and Plaid would be kept on its toes. Instead we have a Welsh Tory party who takes its orders from London, and the ERG who want Boris Johnson to return as PM. They are a gift to Labour and Plaid.
If you look to the last 20 years in Russia, you will find that the Putin regime used the Russian press to discredit Ukraine independence. This then proceeded to the full invasion of the Ukraine as a ‘special operation’.. The same is happening now with the UK London based press against the Welsh (and Scottish) government. I may not support Welsh Labour but I will support them if they came under similar attack, Military or politically. Wales is our nation, and we demand respect as an equal member of the world’s community of countries. Is the UK regime planning to… Read more »
Of course it’s a disaster drakeford couldn’t run a bath, we need to shut down the we need to close the ridiculous assembly as soon as possible , nobody voted for it in the first place , with the original vote turn out it was obvious the vast majority in Wales thought it was a joke , and that idiot drakeford claiming he speaks for Wales it’s still a joke
This isn’t the 1990s. Attitudes have changed since the 97 referendum. A second one was held in 2011 in which a bigger Yes vote was recorded. The Abolish the Assembly party failed to win a single seat at the last election, was is quite remarkable considering it has Proportional representation. People who harp on about devolution as being such a failure act as though as if incompetent politicians only exist in Wales. I don’t hear anyone calling for the abolition of the NI Assembly which can’t even get its act together, or even the Scottish Parliament. If you think the… Read more »
The main road north from Llandudno to the south is the A470. If you follow this road and other routes I would agree with the comments of a crap transportation policy made worse by the no spending rules recently announced by whom I do not know but this is not a democratic decision. Google will allow you over 4 hours on the above route and 180 miles…I would not take it in the Winter. It is better to stick with the A55 then south using the M6 and M5. Going inland slows the process. If Kenneth was still alive he… Read more »