tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post5667490441547289692..comments2024-03-26T09:38:39.888+00:00Comments on Borthlas: Radical Wales?John Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-12026866943211447502015-05-13T15:01:49.026+01:002015-05-13T15:01:49.026+01:00Fair enough John I thought you implied the differe...Fair enough John I thought you implied the differences weren't significant.<br /><br />One thing is certain is that Wales is become less Labour. From 48% in 2001 to 37% now. Although England has become less Labour over the same period (another similarity).<br /><br />In Wales the non-Labour vote is not harmonious and is fractured.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-37804753043245339622015-05-13T11:12:19.409+01:002015-05-13T11:12:19.409+01:00Anon,
"It is totally possible to recognise t...Anon,<br /><br /><i>"It is totally possible to recognise the closeness of Welsh politics to England without suggesting the differences are tiny or insignificant."</i><br /><br />I don't think that I used the words 'tiny' or 'insignificant'; what I said was that <i>"Welsh politics is becoming increasingly similar to English politics (outside a handful of constituencies where the Welsh language remains strong)"</i> which is something rather different. And the caveat which I included is highly relevant. Overall averages are useful at times, but there is a danger in looking at overall averages that conclusions are drawn about the whole which are valid only in part.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-4477671735056457652015-05-13T10:11:59.857+01:002015-05-13T10:11:59.857+01:00"By looking at the Welsh average and comparin..."By looking at the Welsh average and comparing it with the English average, maybe. But England isn't homogeneous either."<br /><br />By comparing two different nations.<br /><br />The Tories topped the poll in England with 40% of the vote. The Tories came second in Wales with 27% of the vote; 1% higher than in 2010. That gap is pretty substantial. The gap between Labour performances in Wales and England is much smaller at only 6%. UKIP is the clear replicator of an English phenomenon in Wales, not the Tories. The Tory performance was 1% better than in 2010, but they have been expanding ever since 1999. <br /><br />England isn't homogenous. Wales now resembles a northern post-industrial English region politically, but for the existence of Plaid Cymru. Of course, if an English region had a nationalist or regionalist party that could take even a modest 12% of the vote and 3 MPs, we would describe it as having quite distinct politics, maybe even radical politics.<br /><br />It is totally possible to recognise the closeness of Welsh politics to England without suggesting the differences are tiny or insignificant. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-23881191436059628202015-05-12T15:22:34.913+01:002015-05-12T15:22:34.913+01:00The Tories in Wales have been polling at 20 to 25%...The Tories in Wales have been polling at 20 to 25% since devolution so it shouldn’t be a shock to anyone who follows Welsh politics they have a fair amount of support, they’re also the official opposition in the Assembly which passes most Labour and Plaid Cymru supporters by.<br /><br />It’s also the case in UK elections another factor that tops up the Tory vote are English incomers, many are well to do retiree’s or natural Tories with no interest in welsh politics or the Welsh Assembly so most likely wont vote next year.<br /><br />If nothing else this election has burst a few myths about Wales and made the Labour Party slowly wake up to the realities of 16 years of complacency and failed governance of Wales since devolution.<br /><br />Whichever political party accepts the new realities and captures the public mood will shape Wales’s future, that could be a Tory/UKIP future, a Labour future, or an outside chance for Plaid Cymru. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-15281463273368594022015-05-12T14:48:02.870+01:002015-05-12T14:48:02.870+01:00"But there is still a bit of a difference.&qu...<i>"But there is still a bit of a difference."</i><br /><br />By looking at the Welsh average and comparing it with the English average, maybe. But England isn't homogeneous either. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/29/three-new-tribes-of-voters-will-dominate-this-election" rel="nofollow">This piece</a> is worth a read in that context.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-56773354321936017432015-05-12T13:51:50.395+01:002015-05-12T13:51:50.395+01:00Wales is drifting further towards England.
But th...Wales is drifting further towards England.<br /><br />But there is still a bit of a difference.<br /><br />The Tories (not so hated anymore, by any stretch of the imagination) got 27% in Wales, but 40% in England. <br /><br />The Labour result was 37% in Wales, and 31% in England.<br /><br />The UKIP and Liberal Democrat votes were most similar.<br /><br />The differences between Wales and England are still there, but both are now fundamentally not Scotland. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-61214492289863094282015-05-12T11:59:31.867+01:002015-05-12T11:59:31.867+01:00I enjoyed this blog but whatever your the fact is...I enjoyed this blog but whatever your the fact is Plaid remains resilient it has no marginal seats but can win seats that are see links to Scully blog<br />Plaid must stand or fall on its own merit. We see now that the coalition with Labour in Wales was not in our interest nor more worrying in that of the people of Wales <br /><br /> This time the attitude that Wales will benefit from the rise of the SNP is also illusory <br /> The rumblings from the new Conservatives is that they will retain and reinforce a colonial stance to Wales as an anti nationalist anti labour campaign going forward.<br /><br />Plaid needs to get its act together now for the 2016 Welsh Government elections We should all prepare for a difficult time aheadG Horton-Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-80266822565866342512015-05-12T10:57:02.720+01:002015-05-12T10:57:02.720+01:00Brilliant post JohnBrilliant post JohnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com