Some thoughts on why Wales is a backyard...

The issue of Wales as a development area for rich English companies and people will not go away soon. As I live in Wales this issue is close to my heart. At first I believed that owning a second property was OK. At least that was when there there were very few. But now, in Gwynedd (North Wales) there are areas where 50% of the properties are holiday-lets or second homes. Meaning that in winter those areas are like the proverbial Wild West towns. The only things missing are the dirt road and the horse stable. Seriously, it is a growing problem basically because of the lower property prices in Wales. To be frank, Wales has always been used as a quick get-rich scheme for England. That mentality by England has never left them, it has been like that ever since 1066. So, when coal measures were found, pits were dug with English money to back the cost. So, all profits ended up in good ol’ England. It also had as an aside the movement of destitute people from the rat-infested, cholera suffering English inner cities to be used like the proverbial slaves in the mines. It is a great discussion to be had whether they really were improving their lives. Yes, they were alive but starvation and poverty were rife. Now that the coal has gone, at least the easier seams to reach have been depleted, we now have the second incursion into Wales. The wind-turbine! They are appearing all over the place! Why? Because Wales is wet and windy and it is hilly. I am not going to argue why, because it is a fact we all need more electrical power but surely there are other ways and means? There is yet another fact, retired people are coming from larger English cities like Bristol and Reading as well as London to live in Wales because it is cheaper to live there. Plus the medicines are free! Instead of paying £9+ per prescription item. Can you now understand why so many people are on benefits? Or if able to move to areas where things are free or lots cheaper? It shows the enormous inequality that it still all around. I have said so many times before, London and the South-East are the only areas counted, the rest just trundles along in hope of better times. In fact, London and the South-East is a different country altogether. This is the greatest failure of the UK government, all governments, to equalise development across the whole nation. Now with devolution, it is still the same. But to be fair, far bigger things are at play. There is also the question of should there be more development. More housing, more roads, less green spaces, just to name a few. The question of global warming hinges on development in all forms. The fact that we have allowed civilisation to develop in the manner we see today, is humanity’s sad epitaph on its future grave-stone. It ought to be obvious to every human, we cannot go on like we are. But we still do and it is accelerating! Some scientists have asked ‘Why do we not hear from other galactic civilisations’? Well, perhaps the almost inevitable reason is that 99% of such advanced civilisations destroy themselves. Just look at our political problems today! We might just do the same. Obviously, it is not a fait d’accompli as the Eskimos would say, but nevertheless a danger. Can someone tell Rishi Sunak please? Forget every other MP, they wouldn’t understand the issues.