To wonder wtf is going on in Wales?

[brexitstolemyfuture]

www.google.co.uk/amp/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-labour-poll-wales-yogov-majority-seats-first-time-century-a7699776.html%3famp

Tories predicted to get a majority for the first time in a century. I thought this was fake news, but no it's real

I cannot believe Wales is Tory ! Have they no idea that these austerity measures are the tip of the ice-berg, that when May returns with this giant mandate they are handing her they will be way worse off than they are even now?

omg

BadBunny What are we going to make and with what infrastructure? We are a completely services-based economy, which was created by Thatcher as a way the UK could continue to compete globally. The government are fully aware that the economic arguments for building up a new manufacturing base don't add up. Look at what's happened to the steel industry. The best our government has come up with so far is "innovative jam".

It's an absolute certainty the Conservatives will protect their own.

I wish that were true. I live in an area where you could put a blue rosette on a donkey and it would win. The Cons are so sure of their electorate that they never bother to court us. The town is haemorrhaging jobs whilst, in a safe seat, the local MP's political career goes from strength to strength.

What are we going to make and with what infrastructure?

Grace: Despite what some people believe, the UK remains one of the largest manufacturing countries in the world. We are fair from being a "completely service based economy". We are the world's ninth largest industrial nation, only slightly behind France and Italy.

GraceGrape

We've got the Swansea tidal lagoon coming - that'll create 2000 jobs plus related opportunities for the Welsh. It's predicted to be the start of a projected 15 Billion economy (for the UK generally, not just Wales).

So it's not just 'innovative jam'.

BadBadBunny: "When I look around, and see crazy statues, artwork in the middle of roundabouts, schools that look more like shopping malls, art galleries, I don't have to look far to see the EU flag. Perhaps once we've left the EU, some of the money could be spent on grants for things that will be far more useful, such as rural broadband, better public transport, better education especially in the trades, etc."

Not sure if someone has already linked to this, but in fact the EU has given a lot of funds to support regeneration and create jobs:

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/19-things-european-funding-done-10939396

What's with the assumption that art and culture are useless. They provide jobs too.

"What's with the assumption that art and culture are useless."

They are things the elites like.

I am Welsh and all five people in my household will be voting Tory, including my DM who has been Labour all her life and can't stand JC and our local MP (Labour) is totally useless.

Also wondering what will happen in the neighbouring constituency where the leader candidate was Owen Smith is. My friends in that area can't stand him.

clairethewitch70 Mon 27-Feb-17 10:21:54
I am in a very safe Labour seat, but always vote Conservative.

But you always vote Conversative.

titty I know that ...but if Labour did win a majority it would be Corbyn. And actually for us to get the best possible deal out of the Brexit negotiations having a government with a decent majority -or actually even a good coalition who are working together (which I don't think is currently feasible) - is what we need. I think a problem with our politics is that is oppositional. It is almost forbidden for parties to agree on policies ...if that makes sense. It isn't cooperative.

The EU funding thing - I think the point was made a few years ago when Wales were given (yet) another large funding allowance for being one of the most deprived areas of the EU -if the money was actually doing any good they wouldn't need it - again.

Why it isn't helping - it could be due to a number of reasons - bad political decisions etc.
But it also could be down to it having conditions attached. I don't know if this is the case. I do know it is a lot easier to get grants from anywhere towards a 'project' that has reportable and visible results than for running costs (many years ago for a struggling charity I was advised to get a grant for unneeded new equipment and to sell the old equipment (obviously for less) and to use the proceeds for day to day expenses )
And the EU do insist on it being made known where the money 'came' from. Eg paying for milk was mentioned earlier - for the under 5s as part of the conditions of the funding where it is provided has to display an A3 (iirc) poster saying that....
So -' improving an environment' - a dragon statue with a sign up where everyone can see it - or paying for pot hole repairs or extra street cleaners or refurbished social housing?
(And actually it could go towards Arts funding too)

Actually years and years ago - pre Brexit/UKIP - I was listening to someone on the radio talking about Urban regeneration. And how it was/could be be paid for - EU funding came up and he described applying for it as a complicated and expensive process -you needed to have the funds to invest in the application before you actually got any of the funds . He said it might be a better idea for the EU to give the UK government a lump sum towards it - it would be a more straightforward, cheaper process - someone from the UK rather than Brussels would have more idea about whether Peckham or Putney was more in need of the funds and he made a 'jokey' comment about cutting out the middle man....
He wasn't being a eurosceptic...he wasn't thinking it was money the UK had given the EU in the first place -it was purely about the decision making.

Everybody else in the world has gone fucking mad so why not Wales?

Yeah, we could replace EU funding to Wales with our own funding, but voting for a Tory government isn't going to make that happen, is it?

I've also always voted conservative in a (usually) safe Welsh labour seat. From that poll it's not looking so safe now.

It was a small sample poll so not thinking too much of it.

There is EU funding, but there are limits to what it can be spent on (as detailed by a PP above) and the process to get the funding can be complex.

Not Wales, but R4's Any Questions on Saturday was in Cornwall and one of the things they asked about was a post to run the bid for the 2023 City of Culture for the EU - the salary was £50k/year with significant departmental costs accompanying it too. Now obviously that was completely bonkers because we won't be in the EU by then but it illustrates how easily money can be spent to try to get funds.

If the EU gave a lump sum to the UK government, what are the chances Wales would see any of it? Decision -making about where the funds are allocated is already done at a local level. It has to meet the fairly broad criteria that I pasted upthread.

I was brought up Labour, canvassing as a child for my Godmother who was a Labour Councillor, (incidentally my best friends father was the Conservative candidate, so we delivered both leaflets at the same time . I changed my mind when I studied health & social policy with the OU, and have been Tory ever since.

My MP is WD Beyond

Yep you're right next to me
I'm in Newport

Beyond PF or JM? Lived in both :-)

PF :)

Safe!

Pmed you.

If the EU gave a lump sum to the UK government, what are the chances Wales would see any of it?

Fuck all. (Technical term.)

And essentially that's what will be happening post-Brexit, Titty. The UK government will decide where it allocates funds. I suspect Wales isn't top of the list. And if the economy shrinks, there'll be less money to share out anyway.

I live in the same part of Wales as jellycat. Farmers here did benefit hugely from the EU- I don't personally know any that voted for Brexit, although obv that isn't a very scientific poll! I feel that there has been a waste of EU money on some "tourist" based things that cost shocking amounts (why?) with not much local benefit. This isn't true of every project tbf. The valleys voted for Brexit though, and I agree that immigration seemed to be a factor- I wonder if there is a fear of immigration there because it is so run down? They fear losing what little they have? We seem to have a problem nationwide , Labour seems in the weakest state I have ever seen, and so people feel that the Tories are their only option. I'd like to see Yvette Cooper as leader.