tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post6143279882119894597..comments2024-03-26T09:38:39.888+00:00Comments on Borthlas: HainperboleJohn Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-85049580898276761362011-11-04T11:44:44.922+00:002011-11-04T11:44:44.922+00:00maen_tramgwydd,
” What is it about Wales that we ...maen_tramgwydd,<br /><br /><i>” What is it about Wales that we have a dearth of good political leaders? I suspect it's because we've been ruled by others for centuries and we've lost confidence in ourselves.”</i><br /><br />I don’t know about that. It might just be over-confidence rather than under-confidence – on the part of the politicians at least. The nature of the job is that it requires a high degree of self-belief, and many of them genuinely believe that we’d be better off with them at the helm than with ‘the other lot’ in charge.<br /><br />The problem arises when they start to believe that the only way for them to be ‘in charge’ is to say what they think their target audience wants to hear rather than offer any original leadership.<br /><br />There is a saying, attributed to the French radical, Alexandre Ledru-Rollin, “There go my people. I must find out where they are going, so that I can lead them there” (although apparently he actually said “There go my people. I must follow them for I am their leader”).<br /><br />Either way, I’ve long believed that it is the job of politicians to lead, not follow, and certainly not simply appeal to prejudices and lowest common denominators.<br /><br />Jeff,<br /><br />I completely agree with you that having a degree of control over, and accountability for, the income is a requirement for responsible mature politics. It says something that I had more power to raise revenue as a community councillor for fifteen years than AMs do.<br /><br />And as for <i>” Unfortunately in Wales we have too many politicians who seem too frightened of their own shadow to even do anything radical”</i>, I couldn’t have put it better myself.<br /><br />I’m pretty sure that you wouldn’t agree with everything maen_tramgwydd said above, but the lack of mature leadership is a common thread.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-89903054878022613642011-11-04T11:10:18.457+00:002011-11-04T11:10:18.457+00:00I've read the article on Wales Home and found ...I've read the article on Wales Home and found it pretty depressing to be honest. People should read Alan Trench's recent memorandum to the Scottish Parliament's Committee looking at the Scotland Bill to see that some form of revenue raising is the norm for most devolved administrations in the world. In the 1980s local authorities raised much of the money that they spent. In some cases where there was a strong tax base such as in London the authorities did not receive any grant from central government. In other cases authorities did receive a grant to compensate for the issues such as inequality that Peter Hain rightly talks about. But they still raised the bulk of their expenditure through the domestic rates and the business rate which was then set locally. It can be done without the world as we know it collapsing. It leads to more accountabilty and a much more mature approach to politics. If we are not careful in Wales we are going to have a rerun of the 1980s blame culture where it is all the fault of the Tories. It plays well with the core vote particularly if it is over 60 and still living in a world which stopped in 1979. It will even win in the short term Assembly and local government elections which is important for a professional political class which relies on the money that now follows election to office. What it wouldn't achieve,however, is any re engagement of the majority of voters with the political process. A mature political party would accept that the Assembly has to directly raise some of its finances. It would then start to discuss the percentage that needs to be directly raised and what taxes are required. These taxes could go beyond just simple income tax. Why, for example, haven't we got a tourist tax which is the norm in so many European countries. If we are going to have a plastic bag tax why has it got to go to the good causes approved by the supermarkets? Unfortunately in Wales we have too many politicains who seem too frightened of their own shadow to even do anything radical. Welsh politics would be far healthier if we had a real debate amongst politicians about tax and spend.Jeff Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-65531227183653874682011-11-04T10:49:23.250+00:002011-11-04T10:49:23.250+00:00If people vote Labour, they get Hain and Touhig et...If people vote Labour, they get Hain and Touhig etc<br /><br />That goes for Plaid too... IWJ, DE-T, RhGT and so on.<br /><br />Apart from Gillan, Redwood et al, we get the politicians we vote for. <br /><br />What is it about Wales that we have a dearth of good political leaders?<br /><br />I suspect it's because we've been ruled by others for centuries and we've lost confidence in ourselves.maen_tramgwyddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-29746779810452728032011-11-03T20:37:57.611+00:002011-11-03T20:37:57.611+00:00John
Spot on again
Nice touch for Hain to say t...John<br /><br /> Spot on again<br /><br />Nice touch for Hain to say that the cause of relative poverty in Wales ie England and Westminster is the only hope for its resolution.<br />Its a bit like being bled to death by leaches and being told it is good for you<br /><br />The problem we have now is State dependency <br /><br />In Pembrokeshire sine the mid 80,s<br />we have attracted an elderly population and or those with major medical needs. Also regretably those who want a seaside lifestyle on benefits <br /><br />There has been virtually no effort made to attract serious economic activity to benefit the local economyBoncathnoreply@blogger.com