Senedd Election 2026

[Londonlisa2001]

Your final comment, unfortunately renders a reasonable debate with you on this subject futile, which is a same. Maybe next time

Huh?

Don’t understand.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

I didn’t read that comment meant as a slight on you, more that there’s not enough clear information out there at the moment. I could be wrong of course (doubt it though )

Yeah, it wasn’t a slight at all.

It was a comment about the level of challenge Wales will face as the scale of the opportunity isn’t understood with renewables.

It’s like water.

People will read my comment about opportunities with water and think ‘oh, it’s just selling a bit of water to England’. Whereas that’s not the point. The point is that an abundant supply of water will be one of the most crucial (and therefore valuable) resources over the coming decades due to the enormous water demands of AI. Places that have a huge natural advantage because of the availability of water will be the equivalent in the AI revolution to those which had huge availability of coal in the Industrial Revolution where Wales (and Yorkshire / Notts) powered an Empire that span the globe.

It’s whether we have the politicians that can understand and exploit.

 

[Jack2jack]

Yeah, it wasn’t a slight at all.

It was a comment about the level of challenge Wales will face as the scale of the opportunity isn’t understood with renewables.

It’s like water.

People will read my comment about opportunities with water and think ‘oh, it’s just selling a bit of water to England’. Whereas that’s not the point. The point is that an abundant supply of water will be one of the most crucial (and therefore valuable) resources over the coming decades due to the enormous water demands of AI. Places that have a huge natural advantage because of the availability of water will be the equivalent in the AI revolution to those which had huge availability of coal in the Industrial Revolution where Wales (and Yorkshire / Notts) powered an Empire that span the globe.

It’s whether we have the politicians that can understand and exploit.

Lisa, please accept my apology, if I took your comment out of context.

 

[Darran]

Lisa, please accept my apology, if I took your comment out of context.

Oh ffs Big A man up it was obvious she was having a dig at you.
She should be apologising to you.

 

[Jack2jack]

Oh ffs Big A man up it was obvious she was having a dig at you.
She should be apologising to you.

You know me Dar, big softy.

 

[Longlostjack]

Establishing the fiscal gap is difficult.

Firstly Wales is allocated ‘its share’ of UK projects (defence for example) and English projects (HS2 being an obvious example).

Secondly companies registered in England but operating in Wales (most of them) will show as profits being generated in England rather than being split.

Thirdly VAT take from those companies is not split (VAT is not devolved).

So the actual deficit will be a lot lower than it first appears.

Plus the UK as a whole runs a significant deficit. Most countries do. So expecting Wales to have zero deficit is unrealistic.

Economically there will be significant challenges. But Wales does also have some significant resources that could be exploited. Tidal energy, access to significant coastline for off shore wind (Cardigan bay), and a relatively highly skilled workforce. And water. Of course which will become an increasingly valuable commodity. Plus it would have the opportunity to establish taxation policies that could be very attractive for business and incoming investment.

It would need to significantly up its political game of course. I worry that the prevailing ‘committee men in club blazers’ mindset so obvious in anything run in Wales would spill over into petty small mindedness which would singularly fail to properly exploit opportunity at a national level and would end up being a disaster. Wales would need to drop the parochialism and see a cultural shift. It can happen - Ireland is a great example - but it’s not guaranteed.

Ireland pays a pittance towards defence though. They really fly under the radar on that.

 

[Darran]

You know me Dar, big softy.

Too nice you are.

 

[Jack2jack]

Too nice you are.

Thanks.

 

[MajorR]

Aye some challenge having a government that forces its citizens to fundraise for vital cancer equipment when money was at the very same time being wasted in Cardiff.

And that protest resignation in order to get vital cancer equipment in Singleton Hospital… To be then followed by another a local cancer clinician refusing the attendance of Welsh Government politicians at an NHS event. Looks great doesn't it?

And to top that i.e. making local ‘save our NHS service’ petition campaigners from Swansea stand outside the Senedd in the wet and cold instead of inviting them inside. That is the contempt shown towards Swansea,

And some challenge it will be if Wales ‘goes it alone’ with two options to choose from when it comes to future reliance on English services.

Option 1: Go it alone completely and suffer the dire consequences of, because setting up a surgical specialty with yokels that (Llew Smiths words on Dragons Eye) prefer “Noddy Cars” to radiotherapy machines is going to be some major challenge.

Option 2: Go groveling to English masters with a begging bowl begging in order to continue with English reliance, WHEN full independence was the objective. Hypocrisy or what?

Wales is onto a real winner here?

New machine at Glan Clwyd Hospital will help with cancer treatment for next 10 years

The device uses high energy X-rays to treat cancer patients and is capable of a wide range of complex radiation therapy procedures.

www.rhyljournal.co.uk

The point you make about money being wasted may well be valid, but there are quite a few countries who have agreements to send patients who need specialist care to other countries including Norway, England and Denmark for starters. We should always aim to provide the best possible care here, but there’s no way we could compete with the likes of Harefield, Addenbrooks, GOS who are world class leaders in their field. That doesn’t mean we can’t up our game and still commission services when we need them .

 

[Wing_Stand_Wood]

The point you make about money being wasted may well be valid, but there are quite a few countries who have agreements to send patients who need specialist care to other countries including Norway, England and Denmark for starters. We should always aim to provide the best possible care here, but there’s no way we could compete with the likes of Harefield, Addenbrooks, GOS who are world class leaders in their field. That doesn’t mean we can’t up our game and still commission services when we need them .

Why do you think that 'no game has been upped for over a quarter of a century' (the complete and total opposite in fact) and why the default position has been taken.

 

[MajorR]

Why do you think that 'no game has been upped for over a quarter of a century' (the complete and total opposite in fact) and why the default position has been taken.

The situation with the NHS wasn’t great in the 90s and public dissatisfaction with the state of affairs was one of the reasons Blair swept to power.
The situation in the NHS improved during the 2000’s with the record levels of investment, but it went down hill again post 2010 and significant factor was the reduction in funding from Westminster we saw under the austerity programme.

Wales has higher levels of social deprivation, and older people and these are considerable determinants in health outcomes.

I’m not saying things are great because they aren’t and there is obviously scope to improve, but there are factors beyond Cardiff Bay impacting on service delivery and that must be acknowledged.

 

[monmouth]

The situation with the NHS wasn’t great in the 90s and public dissatisfaction with the state of affairs was one of the reasons Blair swept to power.
The situation in the NHS improved during the 2000’s with the record levels of investment, but it went down hill again post 2010 and significant factor was the reduction in funding from Westminster we saw under the austerity programme.

Wales has higher levels of social deprivation, and older people and these are considerable determinants in health outcomes.

I’m not saying things are great because they aren’t and there is obviously scope to improve, but there are factors beyond Cardiff Bay impacting on service delivery and that must be acknowledged.

Indeed. Unless you are a thick f***wit or have an agenda. Or both. You choose.

 

[Wing_Stand_Wood]

Indeed. Unless you are a thick f***wit or have an agenda. Or both. You choose.

Or are more inclined to agree with a Swansea Bay University Health Board member, whom is in the exact location and position to know exactly how things actually work. NHSBT etc.

And agreeing with a highly qualified medical professional makes someone thick as f**k apparently. Why do you think the systemic/operational/structural status quo has remained for over a quarter of a century and why reliance on England has remained?

And all those Swansea NHS delegates that fly by charter plane out to places like Dublin for conference to encounter their English NHS kith and kin, and all of whom are in vastly better position than yourself to discuss the doctor-patient ratio and recruitment/retention figures

You do realise that stark reality and living in the real world comes way before wishful thinking, fantasy and Welsh-Nat daydreaming?
https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/