RETURNING FROM Scotland on the last day of August was just the time for yet another bout of consideration about the failures of Westminster and the successes of Holyrood – not the royal palace, but the building right opposite.
The Scottish Parliament and government – it has at last dropped the name “executive”, presumably after it saw how Cardiff got away with using the word London would like to consider its own – had roared ahead of the too-drunken English.
How was it that the Licensing Scotland Act – designed to curb the drunkenness which is too common a feature of our society – could be enacted in Edinburgh while MPs in London are still slobbering into their drinks or puking in the Westminster toilets ?
Perhaps we learned part of the reason when the Welsh ban on smoking in public buildings, in particular bars and pubs, went through a couple of years ago.
The Welsh legislation was separate from that for England in terms of the crucial accompanying regulations. Welsh pub owners created a bit of a stir with their complaints that the ban on smoking would lead to closures – and that has indeed happened in a few places.
But was most interesting was the way they went about campaigning. The drinks industry’s trade federations did HARDLY ONE JOT OF WORK to try and convince Cardiff’s legislators of the problems that their activities would result in.
Why ? As one leading publican told me during one of the few demonstrations against the Welsh legislation – my local AM David Davies has told me that this is all being decided in London.
Dai Davies, Monmouth, is of course anti-devolution. He told a lie – or this publican believed that is what he was told – because he never wanted London to be upstaged.
When the brewers woke up, it was too late, Brains had a go at complaining about the effects of the proposed change. But by then it was too late.
In other words, the entire industry is so London-centred that it has no idea what is happening in Wales. And the same for Scotland, I would suggest.
The London brewers’ lobbyists’ concentration is purely on the imperial parliament. And they have so much money that Westminster is in their thrall. London will be extremely reluctant to take any action which curbs the activities of the brewers (or of the supermarkets).
Which is why the drink problem in the UK has to be tackled from the peripheries. Scotland first. That is where the people have more power, and the vested interests less.
That is why Cardiff has to cut the chain which ties it to London legislation.
When even the Western Mail takes that line – “Give us freedom of the Scots to decide on ban” (on cheap drinks promotions), said an editorial – it is clear that times are a’changing.
Only after strong pressure from Wales (and following Scottish action, with Irish before that) did Westminster ban smoking in public places.
London is equally loathe to deal with drink problems. When the MP for Islwyn next expresses his opposition to further devolution, Don Touhig should be branded a friend of late-night, town-centre drunks.
Not because he would ever wish to be seen in their company. But because his insistence that Wales remain chained to England means that he wishes us to remain shackled to a country which is the friend of the drunken rabble.
According to the Herald newspaper (of Glasgow), the much talked-about curbs on minimum drinks pricing will follow in later Scottish legislation. The current legislation is mainly about sales promotions and methods.
When this next legislation goes through, expect a scream of pain from yet another friend of English parliamentarians – the supermarkets. Historically, the brewers are supposed to be one of the most powerful lobbies in England.
By now, they have surely been surpassed by Tesco and co.
Therefore, don’t expect any pricing legislation of the type talked about a year or so ago to appear from London. The Scots will surely see sense first.
But the English will take a dreadfully long time. Which means we will have to suffer for years to come from the excesses of drunks. Courtesy of Parliament and the anti-devolution lobby
good post. We’re wasting time sending MPs to london. I know it’s the world’s best gentlemen’s club (so I understand their eagerness to stay there) but really, who gives a toss anymore what the UK thinks. It’s just a medium sized state which is getting less and less relevant.
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Agree. Dai, it’s the Empire, you know. Think of all these mediocrities who have clawed their way up the Labour party to the top of their pile. Sitting in the self-styled ‘Mother of Parliaments’ (can you hear George Thomas saying it?). And their ‘Britain’ is still a 19th century Great Power. Big, like France, Germany, Russia. (They can’t handle China, India or Brazil yet).
The best example is Eluned Morgan – Welsh in Wales, British in Brussels – on Pawb a’i Farn with Jill Evans before the EP elections. She didn’t want to bother with small countries like Estonia or Malta. This Great Brit just doesn’t get it. It is the Irish people (a republic, see) who are holding up the Lisbon Treaty, not the ‘Mother of Parliaments’.
Clive, you are getting very unpleasant in your dotage and this post is a prime example of how bad tempered you have become.
I suppose an old nat like you would love the irrelevant little talking shop in Cardiff to try to strut its stuff on the world stage. The problem for you is that very other few Welsh people want to see us relegated to the level of Lithuania or Iceland or to be governed by the bunch of clapped out councillors and Westminster rejects that populate the expensive hothouse on Cardiff Bay.
I’m afraid you’re going to be a very frustrated, embittered old bloke.
What on earth has late-night drunks to do with Iceland and a world stage – although no doubt some drunks in their imagination are strutting such a stage …
Pelagius, in some of his comments, hits the nail on the head. As does a letter in today’s Western Mail on the issue of the future of the House of Lords, and the “rushing” into a decision without any of the deep thought you would expect from the politicians in a truly-great country..
Bluntly, is the Westminster Parliament capable of achieving much any more ? ONce they had an empire to run, which they seemed to have done quite well.
Now, no empire; terrified of Europe (all those funny lingos etc), many of the northern Irish and Scots, and some of the Welsh, want to bunk off. So, what does that leave Westminster with ? The Isle of Wight ? And the UK now a country of lesser importance that Holland ?
Come on, Gareth. The world has changed irreversibly since 1945. You’re the one who’s singing a diseased song.
If the UK ia to have any hope for the future, it lies in the hands of David Cameron, not the present lot. But then when I think of those lurking behind his party’s skirts … Gareth, which country should you emigrate to ? The Needles ?
We’re the future, Clivey.
Enjoy the Celtic twilight.
If you’re the future when you’re squatting on your offshore pinnacle of the Needles, I suggest that even Isle of Wightians would reckon that you’d be glad of a litle Celtic twilight, whatever that is.
And in any case there’s a valley not far inland from Portsmouth which is reckoned to include a large proportion of people of Celtic ancestry. But that was said in the late-19th century. By now unbridled British capitalism – you know, the sort which is so good at producing native-designed cars and lorries and vans – would have wiped them out by buying up their homes and forcing them to become exiles on some distant urban council estate.
Hate your own country, don’t you? Sad, that. Wonder how it happened. Probably an Englishman laughed at your stature.
Oh, dear there speaks a rapid Nationalist, whose thoughts are dictated by his birthplace rather by his place of residence.. Your ealier comments seem to show you as a true Brit, but your intrepid defence of Westminster – duck ponds and all – places you in the English-nationalist category. Hence your future home on the Needles.
The fact that you seem to know my background would seem to indicate you might be more linked with the (Un)True Wales grouping, which means you are once-Labour. In that case everyone who has either read Wales on Sunday last week, Peter Black’s blog, or will happen to buy the next edition of Cambria should have a bit of a laugh at your expense.
But really, it is sensible to be both true in what you say, and moderately civil as well. Otherwise we’ll have to introduce invigilation. Then you’ll spend so much time thinking and writing, and nothing will appear. Oh dear.