Telegraph launches scathing attack on Welsh devolution
The Telegraph has launched a scathing attack on Welsh devolution saying it has “enshrined dependency, resentment and a begging-bowl culture.”
The opinion article by Sunday Telegraph editor Allister Heath tore apart Wales’s legislative powers saying it had “failed disastrously” and “rather than saving the UK, it has fractured it.”
Cardiff was bashed throughout the piece along with Edinburgh which didn’t escape Heath’s penned condemnations.
Wales and Scotland were decribed as having a “dirty secret” as “Holyrood or the Senedd don’t want the real deal, they are terrified of having to pay for their spending. They don’t want to risk going bust.”
In the piece published on Thursday night, Heath aimed heavy criticism at Nicola Sturgeon saying Scotland had been ruined by both her and former Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond.
Blasting both the Senedd and Holyrood, Heath wrote: “After 25 years, what more evidence do we need that Britain’s brand of devolution is broken.”
He added that devolution encourages “pork-barrel politics”.
In November last year another Telegraph columnist wrote that Mark Drakeford had enforced a “scroogefest” during the pandemic as Wales’s lockdown rules were stricter than those over the border.
In yesterday’s latest Telegraph devolution disapproval, Wales was again ridiculed for its “absurdly strict” lockdown rules.
The article said: “Wales mirrors Scotland’s decline. It is controlled by an even lower calibre of power-crazed bureaucrats, as epitomised by their absurdly strict lockdown which saw the erection of a border with England and clothing and toys sections of supermarkets cordoned off.”
Heath also condemned Wales’s NHS accusing it of being “even worse than England’s” as “Welsh patients have been more likely than those in England to wait four hours in A&E in every single month since 2012.”
Sadiq Khan didn’t escape the Telegraph finger pointing fest with Heath writing that “Unlike Scotland and Wales, London craves real devolution”.
Heath then went on to jab at Khan’s plan to tax older vehicles as “idiocy”.
He added: “The mayor’s failure on crime and the Met is unforgivable. Proponents of devolution point to the improvements in public transport since 1997 as the principal benefit of the mayoralty, but Khan’s management of the loss-making Transport for London has been abysmal.”
“Rotten boroughs”
Editor, Heath also speculated that Scotland and Wales would be “richer, better educated and healthier today had they been governed directly from Westminster by Labour, Coalition and Tory governments since 1997” but the writer also accused Labour of weakening Westminster by “handing powers to Brussels, judges and devolved assemblies.”
The Telegraph publication said the “failure” of Wales and Scotland’s self governance or “sham devolution” is why “nations or cities have become rotten boroughs.”
Heath also accused voters in Wales and Scotland as making their choices on “identitarian grounds, backing Labour in urban areas or the SNP in Scotland regardless of results. They might hate anti-car low-traffic neighbourhoods, but can’t find it in themselves to vote Tory.”
The Sunday editor applauded Rishi Sunak’s decision to veto Sturgeon’s “appalling” Gender Recognition Reform Bill calling it a “masterstroke” as it had sent her support for independence “plummeting”.
Heath ended his anti-devotion rant by suggesting Sunak intervene in other areas of devolved power saying “Tories need to rethink devolution from first principles”.
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If Scotland and Wales are so bad why doesn’t England declare independence and get rid of us. Why do they oppose the independence vote in Scotland? Not surprising to see that the Telegraph believes in extreme right wing measures or complete centralization, something that has been proven for centuries not to work
It’s to bad that we have to have “permission” to break away!!
“too” bad..
Excellent idea. Then Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland would really have to work. The English would be better off financially. Wales depends on employment within utilities ( about 70 % employed in it ). We could employ people in the Welsh version of the RAF, Army and Navy too. We, in North Wales would really have to work as the North has lost out..
Utilities include Electricity, we have plenty of wind for our turbines to generate electricity. We have plenty of water in our values – that England just takes without payment. If the Telegraph really feels that way why don’t they campaign for an independent England and let us in Wales and Scotland have our own countries, our own choices. It is taking back power. Imperialism is dead. All countries have their right to be independent whether it be Cymru/Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Ukraine, Latvia or Estonia and treated by respect. Incidentally, England is really in need of a properly elected English parliament… Read more »
I call on every person in Cymru, be you born on the land or come here to live, if you love this country, if you see the word “Cymru” and get that feeling in your chest and your head feels a little clearer, if you see the mountains and feel that you are home, if you see the valleys and the moors and are struck by their majesty, if every time you think of the rivers, seas, lakes, waterfalls you smile in contentment, then stand up for it all, because The Time is NOW. The Senedd is all we have… Read more »
This is your best work yet. Da iawn (very good). Beautifully done.
Simply not voting labour would earn Wales more respect from sensible people.
Excellent comment. Watch out Mr. Sheen. The Senedd needs you…. NOW Cathy!!! I’ll vote for you.
If we don’t buy the Telegraph why should we even consider, as serious, the nonsense it writes? Seems the old Tory story, bash something else so our mistakes don’t show.
I agree with the end of your post and this is in no way a criticism of you but why we should consider as serious what it writes is that we have so many shameless anti Welsh WELSH people walking amongst us preventing our progress to freedom, and THEY know it, that we need to create a culture where real Welsh people would be too embarrassed to be seen buying and lapping up this crap. I see them every day and I sneer at them when I witness them defecating on their own country. Only the onset of the young… Read more »
This comes in the tory rags at regular intervals especially the Torygraph the tories are control freaks they want to hold on to whats left of their colonies because thats the way they look at us. Previous to develution we where ruled from London for donkeys years did we fair any better NO look at the state of the U K under tory rule a mess as i say to people i know who are tory as a Citzen of Cymru why do you vote for an english nationalist party because that is what tories are
What sheer arrogance. It clearly implies that Wales and Scotland cannot govern themselves properly without England. And its not like Westminster has ever made bad decisions, partygate anyone? Yes the Welsh and Scottish governments can make bad decisions from time to time, but if we don’t like their policies then we can vote them out. Overcentralised government does not work. I notice that Heath doesn’t include the Northern Ireland Assembly in his criticism? Which half the time is suspended because of political deadlock. It has had former paramilitaries in its ranks as well as far right nutjobs known as the… Read more »
The unashamed hatred of the Empire in print for all to read. An Empire which purports to respect and defend democracies around the world except for those colonies still under its’ oppressive authoritarian jack boot. It wants us to vote for its’ political hench mob which plots our eradication but at every opportunity, we trumpet loud and clear that WE DO NOT WANT THEM! Their problem is that the governments in Wales and Scotland are showing what governing FOR the people is about which is diametrically opposed to the Tories’ profit first and anti people agenda. When we are free,… Read more »
This the day after a visit by the Ukrainian leader who is lauded for his bravery and resolve in his attempts to save his democratic right to be an independent nation. But if their neighbours have any notion of a separate identify from their English overlords the are ridiculed and slated!
This is exactly why I can’t get behind all this love and respect for Ukraine struggles. The world United for them, but if you are Welsh or Scottish – Tough luck! The English are far cleverer than the Russian, the English do it through finance. Rather than force. This is why the Welsh can’t see it.
Pork barrel politics = Levelling Up!!
The Telegraph makes more Welsh nationalists – even if it is for a few hours – than Plaid Cymru and Yes Cymru ever will. They must envy that. What they do share with The Telegraph is creating a nationalism based on hate rather than a true love of Wales.
Westminster is the worst parliament, its not fit fun use. It’s drunk, anti democracy is a sickness. So please, let us go if we are a bother. English press are so arrogant
Yes, and get out of England, it belongs to the Celts. Go back to whence you came.
Heath says “After 25 years, what more evidence do we need that Britain’s brand of devolution is broken.”
Does he not know that Westminster or rather Crapminster has ruled this country for centuries and has finally succeeded in making the UK the laughing stock of the developed world. I think he should engage his brain before putting pen to paper!
Pwy falia iot am beth ddywed y rhacsyn imperialaidd Prydeinllyd Torïaidd adain dde yma. Da i ddim ond i leinio grât
Heath sounds like a truly vile person.
Not sure how many folk under 60 read the Torygraff these days but it’s not the must read for John going to work on the A21 bus 🚌 to Deeside Industrial Park or Mary the hardworking class room assistant at Welshpool Primary or even Gwyn the farmer in Powys hill farming …. ……however amongst all the bile and miss information there is perhaps a touch of truth regarding the failure of the West Gvt to actually use their funding powers to change working peoples lives . While Community and County Councils, Police and Fire Authorities plus National Parks all set… Read more »
The Senedd has had 25 years of devolution to mend centuries of neglect and abuse, it is not perfect but it has done one thing Westminster has never done – put Cymru first. Mr Heath please please, keep up your attacks on us – it will lead to Cymru becoming independent quicker and a far far brighter future for our children.
The Telegraph has a lot to say about Wales’ business. Better if they concentrate on the major failures of Westminster as Wales’ downfalls diminish into insignificance in comparison to how England is run.
Quote: “The Telegraph has launched a scathing attack on Welsh devolution saying it has “enshrined dependency, resentment and a begging-bowl culture.” Well Mr. Telegraph, that is because Wales only gets crumbs from Westminster. If we were actually given a fair share we might do better than England and we can’t be seen to do that now can we!!!
Sticks and Stones…
And are people still not understanding that Englands sole goal for the last thousand years is the complete destruction or absorption of the native British people into A British identity created solely on Englishness. Any Welsh or Scot who falls foul of this is unwittingly playing A part in the destruction of their own people. What these people fail to realise is…Wether the The Welsh or Scots can effectively run their own affairs is beside the point. They clearly miss the fact it’s THEIRS TO DO SO!!! That’s what sovereignty is. Side note: We will still see The likes of… Read more »
Why oh why do these right wing London writers continue with their negative view of the UK State and its components. Surely it is time for English people to get off their backsides and start to campaign for democratic representation and self-determination for their nation, What are they scared of? They are all mouth and no action.
Oh dear, an anti-Welsh Tory paper doesn’t like Wales and Scotland running some of own affairs….
Excuse me while I lose sleep!
So is the Tory trash Telegraph advocates of Welsh independence seeing this half-way-house devolution settlement has made Wales ‘dependent’ on so-called English handouts in their eyes, which is ironic seeing direct rule would meant all enveloping dependency , although this English imperialist Tory toilet paper forgets how little England is dependent on Wales for water & other resources. I suggest these Sloan rangers shut up and be grateful for what they receive at our expense..
Were goverened by lower calibre politicians than Scotland? OMG – what about the utter self serving obscenities within the Tory party?
This narrative from the Telegraph reminds me of Russian Media – totally divorced from reality, complete blindness to their own internal failings plus the desire to force their will on their neighbours.
Go launch yourself into orbit you vile excuses for humanity.
I love the phrase “enshrined dependency, resentment and a begging-bowl culture” as it actually describes perfectly the Tory Party’s policy towards business. Anybody who has read al the material that is coming out of the enquiries into the Covid ViP lane affair will see all of that in bucket loads. Clearly this is a Dead Cat story, but the question is, from which particular c**k up are they trying to divert our attention?
It’s the Telegraph. It can be filed, as all their articles, under “safe to ignore”.
A one eyed capitalist view no surprises here except it is wrong on many accounts