mikehoncho

The media in Wales is too Cardiff-centric; it's like the M4 ends at J33 (at a push) & that's that. The major stories emanate from Cardiff, while fluff pieces are visited (unless there's an AM/MP involved) to pad out the "main" 27-minute news slots. It's funny that places like Swansea, Pembrokeshire, Powys, RCT & Neath Port Talbot have all had the Objective One money flung at 'em in the past, but opted out of the EU. Ceredigion & Gwynedd aren't the most affluent places, but they want to remain. Cardiff & Vale need not be mentioned for well-off-ness (sp?) but Monmouthshire really does surprise me, 'cos a lot of folk there would rather the county was returned to Westminster as a unitary authority, going on conversations I've heard & read from residents over the last 20-or-so years.

The "against" crew hinted heavily that funding for Wales would be diminished if the NAfW was brought into being, due to lack of solid legislation for tax-making, etc. which in turn was addressed by the Labour government of the time, & there has been a standardised formula for funding, plus further debate on tax-raising powers of the, now, Welsh Government via the varying amendments to the Government of Wales acts. But I get what you were thrusting at. Brexit was voted for in Wales, in the round, despite quite a lot of EU Objective One funding for many projects; the only counties that voted majority remain are Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Ceredigion & Gwynedd. Divisive as it has been Brexit is also highlighting the wrong in the EU, namely that the parliament is elected however they don't have the final say in things as the unelected EU commission can over-ride any (God I hate this phrase) meaningful vote. Magic money-trees aside, & I'm no fan of Corbyn, but he was the only politician who "showed the workings out" for his manifesto last time around, as I recall. Anyway, I can't agree more about the term clusterfuck; the fuck is indeed clustered!

The modern devolution movement was kick-started in 1979, & it didn't succeed so stayed dormant until 1996/7 ... the "for voters" accepted the 1979 result. The "against" voters in the 1997 referendum also accepted the result to approve devolution by the narrowest of margins as the country was gaining ground what with Cool Cymru, etc. And of course Tony Blair was instrumental in that, for good or bad. The National Assembly for Wales was born by the 06 August 1999 election process. Since 2011, varying reports, papers & referenda have been held to further pad out the legislative powers for the Welsh Government, as it's now called. As far as I can tell, given my advanced years & having lived, voted & wot-not through processes since 1997 (too young in 1979) the arguements against devolution have been listened to, & the concerns have been reasonably addressed, which makes for calm debate on the whole.

That did spoil it, but the context of the bit is about right.

And for a little light relief, this is Mrs May's Brexit defined:

Wales voted for devolution in 1997 on a tighter margin than that though; 50.3% in favour, to 49.7% opposed, & it stood. Smaller fish, I grant you, but if it's tight margins you want, then ...

Let's face it, I'm sure the Saudis would come up with a fuck-tonne of C4 & expect Foley to put on one of their "special jackets".

Fair play, this looks like it would be a cracking three-way POV.

Wrestling related of course. I'll start. IJW'd ... some 'classic' WoS shows which mainly featured Big Daddy. I'm of an age where I thought, "this will be great nostalgia!" but alas I'm utterly pissed off. One, I've used a chunk of 'download allowance' & two, big Shirl was fucking wank (as Daddy). I've seen footage of his Battling Guardsman gimmick, & to be fair he was reasonable then ... Call me a sucker for nostalgia, but Christ on a bike Daddy was the drizzling shits. I didn't know it at the time, of course, but I'm gutted I have this now on disk. Your turn.