Crafwr: 20 really is plenty

It seems the whole of Wales has been exercised at 20mph this week- which is excellent news for our fitness, health and general wellbeing!

Somewhat late in the day, 100s and 1000s (you know the ones, those little multi coloured sugar sprinkles), have decided to object to a law long since planned, trailed and trialled, promised and delivered by the elected government.

Truly shocking that an elected government should actually deliver on a promise in modern Britain!

Crafwr is outraged at this sensible, democratic and purposeful outcome in our modern democracy.

Andrew R T Davies shares this outrage but was (as usual) left red in the face when his Twitter poll delivered a slap in the face to his principled stand. Rubbing salt in the wound, a proper poll by Redfield & Wilton showed the same comfortable majority in favour of the change.

Seatbelts, breathalysers, 20mph in residential areas – equally resisted by populists and stick in the muds – ‘but that’s the way we’ve always done it’.

Time, one feels, will be on the side of the exercising 20…

Bad Penny

The dowager Duchess of Conservatism, Penny Mordaunt, always one to put Welsh priorities at the very top of her list, has labelled the Welsh 20mph legislation as ‘insane’.

Crafwr presumes she backs an alternate policy of turning all of our cities into Copenhagen (excellent public transport, default rights of way for pedestrians and cyclists, fewer cars and far less need for them).

Absurd to think that such a shining beacon of hope for the future of conservatism would think that saving lives, reducing harm and (contrary to selective reporting) a net saving to the Welsh economy of almost £2Bn, was insane. She must simply differ markedly in her policy proposals to achieve such evident benefits.

Of course, Crafwr may be wrong in this assumption. She may be a Bad Penny, keen to defend motorists’ right to rule the roads so that they can get to their destination on average around 60 seconds faster.

Crafwr’s words of wisdom – ‘listen to better music and podcasts, you might appreciate the extra minute!’.

Seek Enlightenment Young Grasshopper

Talking of podcasts, political nerds and data geeks, have a listen to Professor Richard Llywelyn Wyn Jones, also known as Deke Woo, in this podcast. Enlightening.

Green Tories

Crafwr may be misreading the splendid ship of state that is Bad Penny – her current boss (one day she’ll steal his hat) managing to annoy the Net Zero heroes and the Net Zero sceptics with some half arsed tinkering to policy.

So sharp and refined is the Richie Sunak political compass that perhaps the Pennster will get her chance at the hat sooner rather than later.

Bigger is Better?

And so, finally, the long awaited expansion of the Senedd has been announced – a bit battered by 20mph winds but it was there if you looked hard enough. An extra 36 titans of Wales for the Senedd from 2026. Subdued resistance thus far, a decent hash of making the case. Hard to object perhaps when Cardiff City has 79 councillors and over 13,000 staff for a budget of £700M or so whilst the Senedd runs a country and a £20Bn plus budget with 60 Members and around 5,000 staff. More tools required.

Winds of Change

Speaking of winds, at speeds of considerably less than 20mph, those rebels at YasSimroo are at it again with a King Whopper of a march in Bangor, North Wales – somewhere between the entire Senedd staff (plus tools) and the entire Cardiff Council staff (plus organs of direction) expected.

As a fresh fan of this Indy juice, the Crafwr may even amble along themself.