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Welsh Secretary says there’s no ‘common ground’ between him and Drakeford

02 Aug 2021 2 minute read
Simon Hart (left) by Chris McAndrew (CC BY 3.0). Mark Drakeford AM (right), picture by the National Assembly (CC BY 2.0)

The Welsh Secretary has said that he doesn’t think there’s “any common ground” between him and Mark Drakeford.

Simon Hart believes there’s a “fundamental difference of opinion” because the First Minister’s approach to saving the union involves devolving more power to Wales.

He told The i Newspaper: “Drakeford’s pitch is that the Union can only survive if we devolve more powers to Cardiff. That’s a fundamental difference of opinion. I don’t think there is any common ground between us.”

Hart argued the UK Government should not be complacent about the rise in support for independence in Wales, which has hit an all time high of 35%.

He said: “We’re where Scotland was 15 years ago in polling terms so anybody who says to me, ‘It’ll never happen because it’s such a low number’ I just say ‘Yeah, that’s what they said in Scotland 15 years ago and, and maybe we should be doing now in Wales what we wish we’d done in Scotland 15 years ago.’”

‘Critical’ 

The Welsh Secretary was also critical of previous attempts by unionists to focus on the possible financial implications of independence, which were seen in some quarters as belittling.

He said: “We possibly we got the tone wrong. I think the argument we have to have to make it goes far deeper than just talking about the money.”

“We have to make a very good and respectful argument as to why [independence] isn’t inevitable. I think just sitting back and thinking, it’s not going happen would be a mistake.

“I think we have to work hard to explain why the Union is a good place to be for Wales, and doesn’t in any way compromise national identity or patriotism.”

“You don’t have to have a flag to be a unionist and you don’t have to be a unionist to have a flag.


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Charles L. Gallagher
Charles L. Gallagher
2 years ago

Pity he hasn’t told Bojo this or is he feart?

Joc
Joc
2 years ago

The more the robots from the Westminster Tory party say, the closer we will get to independence. They just don’t get it.

Cai Wogan Jones
Cai Wogan Jones
2 years ago

The difference is that one has a democratic mandate from the people of Wales and the other is a personal appointment by Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnston.

Last edited 2 years ago by Cai Wogan Jones
hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

Daft boy hasn’t got common ground with ANYONE other than those in his peculiar bubble.

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

Does Hart actually do anything other than constantly whine about Drakeford,

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Yep…. He puts union flags on tax offices.

#1Chris
#1Chris
2 years ago

Then there is no point in having him as Welsh Secretary. The people of Cymru elected Mr Drakeford. We didn’t elect the elitist Hart.
send us a better Viceroy Johnson. It better yet, get the hell out of our business altogether.

CJPh
CJPh
2 years ago
Reply to  #1Chris

Clywch clywch! It’s telling that a role that should entail representation of the designated polity to the overarching government seems to work the other way around – he represents Westminster to the Welsh. Given that we have a parliament of our own, it will always be the case that a Secretary of State will have an adversarial relationship with the devolved body. Who does this serve, save the political classes? Mind you, long (OK, not too long) may it continue – this increasingly incoherent, ladder-climbing, pillow-stuffing nonsense is beginning to get noticed by our people. Shout louder, boys; you’re petty… Read more »

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

We should just tell this poodle, that we want to take back control, and make our own laws. Perhaps he will recognise the words. If it was good enough for him to support it when it came to his precious union, then he should respect us for wanting the same. And if he ever did have “common ground” with Mark Drakeford I would be very suspicious.

CJPh
CJPh
2 years ago
Reply to  Gareth

The Tories are playing for Drakeford’s middle ground position, trying to draw him closer to a harder indy-scepticism. By claiming they have no common ground, he hopes the Welsh Labour leadership will buckle a bit at the notion of isolation within the current system, locked out of monies owed, and start saying “Well, politically disparate we may be, we both want to maintain the union”. This move could serve to push Welsh Labour further away, but I’m not so sure. How can it be countered? The movement towards indy outside of party politics is a far more powerful draw than… Read more »

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  CJPh

Water, Power, land reform, border forest(green), Our History and Culture.
I’m sure you guys have better big themes…… Build for Our People?

CJPh
CJPh
2 years ago
Reply to  j humphrys

All sound cool, would all be things that we could choose, build and maintain ourselves. Or vote down, waste and do something else. Whatever happens, we’ll be responsible. Beneficiaries of the good, solely blamable for the bad – That’s freedom. Rhyddid i Gymru, nawr ac yn fythol.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago
Reply to  CJPh

Mr Drakeford, to my mind, has not been the same since he got back from Llundain…

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

The unionists have begun to squabble over a corpse.

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
2 years ago

“You don’t have to have a flag to be a unionist and you don’t have to be a unionist to have a flag.”

Then why do they want to drape the Butcher’s Apron all over Wales?

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

How can there be common ground between a thief and his victim?
It takes a very special sort of groveling subservience to imagine that stealing money, power and opportunity from an entire nation would make you the best of friends. The Imperial English mindset at it’s most deluded.

Will Jones
Will Jones
2 years ago

That’s because he’s a Tory. They have no common ground with human beings period.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
2 years ago

Do us all a favour then Mr Hart, stand down and allow someone who does have common ground with the Welsh people to do the job. Remember that we elected Mark Drakeford as our leader, you were appointed.

Crwtyn Cemais
Crwtyn Cemais
2 years ago

A beth yn union y dylen nhw (y Toriaid) ‘wedi ei wneud 15 mlynedd yn ol yn Yr Alban’, tybed?! ~ And what exactly is it that they (the Tories) ‘should have done in Scotland 15 years ago’ , I wonder?!

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  Crwtyn Cemais

Diolch. Yes, it made me a bit nervous.

CJPh
CJPh
2 years ago
Reply to  Crwtyn Cemais

Na’r peth – mae’r rhethreg yn dechrau troi’r ffordd yna – dirmyg a thrais. Ma’ hwn yn arwydd deche i ni, dangos fod yr achos yn symud mlaen, fod ofn yn dechre treuddio tryw’i gwythienne. S’dim ffordd nawr ond ‘mlaen i ni. Eisiau cadw’n glur yn athronyddol, union yn ein rhinwedd a fe fydd rhyddid yn dod.

Shan Morgain
2 years ago

I read the original interview. Interestingly although Hart says several times that it’s important to show the Welsh the advantages of union, he fails to mention any at all. It is also disgraceful that he shows no respect for the First Minister. He may disagree which is fine, but when doing so he should mention something he respects about Drakeford. As it is, he expresses not so much ‘lack of common ground’ but lack of respect and courtesy – by him.

DarkMrakeford
DarkMrakeford
2 years ago

But ofcourse – if Wales has more powers his job becomes even more redundant than it already is.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart is merely an English overseer to Wales, an approach done ever since the Act of Union Wales of 1535 – 1545 when our country was illegally annexed by England. Our Welsh law dissolved and language banned and made an offence under English Law. Simon Hart is a Tory agent provocateur and is no democrat. He states he will force English policy on Wales , even in areas already devolved if & when our Senedd decides to diverge from England. Brexit has slowed the far-right Unionist element of the Conservative party to rollback on devolution by stealing… Read more »

Llywelyn ein Llyw Nesaf
Llywelyn ein Llyw Nesaf
2 years ago

To be fair, they have some very important common ground, at a fundamental level. They both support the continuation of the United Kingdom, with Cymru under the control of England. Their differences are just minor details in comparison.

Eifion
Eifion
2 years ago

Why do these British MPs want Cymru to be part of their union. They only critise us and the country,always say we couldn’t survive without their rule and imply they effectively keep us afloat with handouts. That’s OK, that’s their point of view, but the obvious next question is why aren’t they actively looking to have an independent Britain solely within England. Get rid of these poor relatives. Is it their imperial past, now desperately trying to hold on to their final few colonies. Or, are there significant benifits to them in ruling us, some of their major cities are… Read more »

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  Eifion

I believe it’s about significance. Didn’t have it, or enough of it, in the EU.
When we depart it will be even worse for them than before Brexit?

Last edited 2 years ago by j humphrys
Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

There is no point in listening to Hart, he just doesn’t see the poverty or the neglect that created it. He doesn’t understand the need for more autonomy or what drives the independence movement.

#1Chris
#1Chris
2 years ago

Has Anyone else noticed that Simon Hart looks like Alun Cairn if he had been cursed by a witch?

Last edited 2 years ago by #1Chris
j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  #1Chris

Stop it! It’s nearly bed time for me.

#1Chris
#1Chris
2 years ago
Reply to  j humphrys

Honestly though, It’s like Simon Hart is his Dorian Gray portrait

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
2 years ago

Increasing devolved powers turns the Welsh Secretary into a talking Chocolate Teapot, worthy of a Disney cartoon. “…the union is a good place for Wales, and doesn’t in any way compromise national identity or patriotism.” That certainly sounds like a fairy tale to me.

Welsh_Sion
Welsh_Sion
2 years ago

Dedicated to the great man himself: I am the very model of a modern Viceroy-General I am the very model of a modern Viceroy-General I only have information on matters Better Togetheral, I know nothing of Welsh kings, nor of battles historical Not Glyndŵr nor Llywelyn, in any order categorical. I’m not at all acquainted with matters mathematical, I mis-understand equations, both the simple and quadratical About binominal theorem, I really have no news, With a doleful look about the square of the hypotenuse. I’m hopeless at integral and differential calculus; I dunno scientific names of beings animalculous: ‘Tis only… Read more »

#1Chris
#1Chris
2 years ago
Reply to  Welsh_Sion

This is brilliant Welsh Sion. It really is laugh out loud funny.

Welsh_Sion
Welsh_Sion
2 years ago
Reply to  #1Chris

I have more of this type for indy, #1Chris … 😉

Dafydd Evans
Dafydd Evans
2 years ago

“Don’t have any common ground with Mark Drakeford”…. or most other human beings…. most normal, civilised people think its utterly abhorant to hunt down wild anmals (foxes) with packs of dogs …. you sick individual!

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