Wales what's the point in voting when it's devolved

[justasking111]

What is the point? So many family and friends aren't bothering because it's irrelevant to Wales. Nobody gives a toss in Westminster.

Because I give a shit about people in other parts of Britain.

They can vary rates of income tax but they can’t introduce new ones.

I saw a meme that explains it. George Andrew and David share a flat. They all work but all the salaries go into George's bank account and he controls its distribution.

I'm in Wales. Everyone I know is voting and the two polling stations local to me were really busy this morning.

As pp said, not everything is devolved. Plus I care about what happens to people in the rest of the UK, whether those living in the other devolved administrations or in England. If I can help vote this cruel government out for their benefit as well as mine, I will.

North Wales here, English born but with Welsh parents. I’ve lived in Wales for six years now. Can’t say I’m impressed with Plaid Cmyru. Seems people just vote for them because their Welsh, nothing more. No one was in my town centre polling station this morning when DH and I walked down, but we were only in there for a few mins so that’s not saying much. First time I voted 1997 in Cambridge, there was a huge queue and the atmosphere was incredible.

They can raise or lower the rate of income tax by a certain percentage as I understand. So instead of being 20% over personal allowance it could be 17% or 23%

Of course it affects Wales. As PPs have said, Westminster holds the purse strings. And your local MP should be useful for local issues, so if they’re not, vote them out. Our Welsh constituency is predicted to boot out the sitting Tory MP today and I can’t wait.

We have similar conflicts! Our Labour candidate is a parachute... constituency party said no and were over-ridden. The irony being he is a smart, intelligent guy who might well do a good job, but they couldn't find someone better in the WHOLE of Swansea or who has actual Welsh connections? It's pitiful at best and patronising at worst. My parents (Pembrokeshire) have a Labour candidate who is from Essex but his mum has a holiday home in Tenby... so obviously he knows everything about Wales... but to be fair to him, the party voted him in there. But I find it contributes to this idea of Wales being a second class place and that we should be grateful that these civilised beings are being parachuted into our midst. Although there is no longer a legal requirement to live in the constituency in which you live, I have said to Plaid that they need to make it a party policy of their own. As well as not employing your family or your mates in your constituency office. It's not hard is it? And surely obvious!!

Your first sentence is correct.
Your second falls down because there’s no such thing as the WAG. You may mean the Senedd. Local democracy is a good thing.

@justasking111 it isn’t irrelevant to Wales because a) not everything is devolved and b) funding for devolved things plus decisions on what will be devolved are both decided in Westminster. We pay tax to Westminster, not the Senedd.

Welsh MPs can sit in the cabinet if they are chosen to be cabinet ministers. Why would you think they don’t? You don’t seem to know much about this.

That doesn't make sense - we have Welsh Labour and Welsh Conservatives and Welsh Lib Dems - it's literally in their name... you're allowed not to be impressed by PC but you can't say that the main parties don't have Welsh offshoots... which rather upends your argument.

I first voted in 1997 too, turned 18 the February before the election. I was in Horsham (put a blue rosette on a donkey territory), I voted yellow. I was the only person in the whole place, didn't mean that it didn't turn out to be an historic day. There's a reason why polling stations are open for 14 hours...

I am hoping that Wales gets rid of the blue... including Carmarthen, Colwyn Bay and other strongholds.

Their rosette colours are all blue…you can’t extrapolate about other colours from them.

Why not change it so it is not toothless rather than abolishing?

Agree, OP, probably best that you don't vote. You sound way too ignorant to be able to make an informed choice.

I very much know they are... the point I was making was that I wasn't putting the boot in just because they are Tories, but because regardless of their politics they have been bad servants to Wales. Maybe I should have made that point clearer.

Ah. Fair point. I’m with you on Plaid too - I’ve hung on in there with a Labour membership etc so far but after the election I may resign and join Plaid.

Because no single government since I have been alive (45 years) has done anything to make it a functioning government department. It's literally THE reason why we have devolution (albeit limited in functionality).

I definitely don't feel we are arguing with each other! I think we are frustrated and both believe in democracy in Wales very strongly!

And I like chatting with you about these things on here!

What on earth makes you think Welsh MPs can't be in the cabinet?

I’m nearly 60, and I know what you mean. But if we are going to stay tied to Westminster, then I’d like to agitate for more influence for the Welsh Sec.
Edit: that’s a fairly big IF from where I’m sitting.

We certainly don't want the high marginal rates now in place in Scotland.

The way funding works means that the decisions in Westminster have a direct effect on the money Wales have.

Plaid Cymru have made the point that the money spent on HS2 has come out of the “England and Wales” budget and yet not an inch of it is within Wales. That is billions of pounds that I should be allowed a voice on.

I’d say the biggest thing is that whilst we remain one economic block, one national debt, one inflation rate, one GDP; I should get a say in the decisions made in London. A single decision by Liz Truss added £800 to my mortgage every month. There’s lots of other indirect effects but that is one very bloody clear and effects my day to day life hugely.

I am bothered that Wales has lost some voice this year with the electoral commission boundary changes.

They don't tend to get picked is what I meant.

I've blushed for many a Welsh secretary over the decades because they just seem not to want to be there.

What extra functions would you have the Welsh Secretary perform these days? Most of what they used to be responsible for is now devolved.

Nope. This is one part of devolution that I don’t think is good.