The news that the Welsh Government has been warned that it is not harnessing the full potential of its natural environment should come as no real surprise. A report produced by the Green Alliance (an environmental think tank) shows that the UK's green economy has remained relatively healthy since the banking crisis but Wales could do much better when it comes to developing sustainable energy and sustainable energy related jobs.
Some 41,500 people work in what are classed as low-carbon or environmental jobs in Wales. While that is more than the work in financial services or the motor trade it is well short of the biggest employers such as the health sector where more than 190,000 people work or the retail sector which employs 140,000. The report reveals that £ 443 million was invested in renewable energy sector in Wales last year, yet only around 6.29% of the electricity used in Wales is produced from renewable sources.
This depressing figure is actually lower than the UK average of 7.45% and significantly behind Scotland's 22.45%. This might be interpreted to suggest that the Welsh (Labour) Government in Cardiff is fairly indifferent to developing sustainable energy resources in Wales. The situation is very different in Scotland where the Scottish Government views things very differently and is acting with a sense of urgency.
Perhaps, aside form having their hands tied by planning restrictions and powers, more to the point they have (so far) utterly failed to grasp a real opportunity to think differently and generate energy jobs. Perhaps simply lacking the imagination or the political will to think for themselves, preferring to rely on costly inefficient ‘British’ solutions to our energy needs. The later may be closer to the mark considering New and Old Labours historic indifference towards the concept of Wales.
Showing posts with label Old Labour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Old Labour. Show all posts
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Monday, 23 July 2012
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
OLD LABOUR WINS - WE ALL LOSE
So Old Labour won in the end over New Labour - which finally expired at the polls on May 6th - in the end finally putting narrow minded party and personal self interest before the peoples interest by finally killing off any slim possibility of a 'progressive grouping' of parties gathering in Westminster to resist proposed Tory cuts.
Now we in Wales (and Scotland) face a questionable Tory / Lib Democratic Government - public sector cuts here we come. Hope Old Labour is proud of itself... I wonder what all those people who voted Liberal Democrat on May 6th are thinking because they did not want a Tory Government...
Monday, 11 May 2009
The legacy of Thatcher, Major and Blair
The last few weeks have been interesting, as the real legacy of Thatcher and Blair has come home to roost with a vengeance, as both the Brown government’s minimal credibility and any claim to moral authority have been blown away. As some Westminster MP’s run for cover or are left trying to defend questionable ‘expense claims’ and the on-going saga of MP’s expenses continues to run and run it may well be time to take stock as to how we ended up in this mess.
Some of the responsibility lies with Mr’s Thatcher – those blighted and wasted (from a Welsh and many other perspective(s) 18 years of Conservative Government saw an amazing growth in what can best be called ‘institutionalised corruption’ as the culture of ‘making a quick buck’ and ‘lining your pocket’ took hold. With some MP’s acquiring lucrative non executive directorships in the privatised previous nationalised industries (that they had helped to privatise), as well taking back handers and brown envelopes to ask parliamentary questions, as well as having second jobs, etc.
By the early 1990’s discontent outside Westminster was rising, in some pretty unexpected places, I can remember the significant cheer going around a large south London Police station when it was announced that Mrs Thatcher had resigned. The Conservatives were as surprised to be returned to power in 1992 as everyone else was by the fact that they were back in office. I can remember the bitter disappointment of the Basildon result – which meant that there would be more wasted years and more of the same. Majorism came and went dying a slow death mired in sleaze, corruption and back ti basics.
New Labour and Blair at least offered the illusion of change in 1997. Sadly New labour turned out to be an illusion and for all the talk and the spin, little changed and any moral credibility not so quietly died in the deserts of Iraq. What was really scary was that it took an incredibly short time for New Labour to lose the plot, the scams, the backhanders and the sleaze never really went away. The only real difference was that now if was New (and Old) Labours turn to get their noses in the trough like so many possessed Gadarene swine.
Now many of the New (and not so New) Labour MPs had a real advantage for when it came to lining their wallets as they came from the ‘corrupt’ culture of Labour dominated local government, so exposure to corruption and sleaze was second nature and it is beginning to appear like a number of them took to milking their expenses in exactly the same way Labour does it at local level, especially in the areas where they have been in power for generations.
It’s quite interesting, in the south east, Plaid had some hard earned successes at County Council and Community Council level in 2008. I have been lucky to spend time working with, talking to and listening to our new elected representatives as they get an understanding of how local government does and does not work.
One thing became pretty obvious was the fact that the Labour Party locally went out of its way to try to encourage our elected reps to follow their example of claiming everything you can claim – fortunately our Plaid Councillors were forewarned and wise to this old trick. Once you get sucked into that culture of municipal ‘corruption’ it’s very difficult to get out of it, and very difficult to condemn it - as some Westminster New (and not so new) Labour and Conservative MP’s are finding out to all our cost – when polling day comes lets hope the electorate remembers who claimed what and vote accordingly!
Some of the responsibility lies with Mr’s Thatcher – those blighted and wasted (from a Welsh and many other perspective(s) 18 years of Conservative Government saw an amazing growth in what can best be called ‘institutionalised corruption’ as the culture of ‘making a quick buck’ and ‘lining your pocket’ took hold. With some MP’s acquiring lucrative non executive directorships in the privatised previous nationalised industries (that they had helped to privatise), as well taking back handers and brown envelopes to ask parliamentary questions, as well as having second jobs, etc.
By the early 1990’s discontent outside Westminster was rising, in some pretty unexpected places, I can remember the significant cheer going around a large south London Police station when it was announced that Mrs Thatcher had resigned. The Conservatives were as surprised to be returned to power in 1992 as everyone else was by the fact that they were back in office. I can remember the bitter disappointment of the Basildon result – which meant that there would be more wasted years and more of the same. Majorism came and went dying a slow death mired in sleaze, corruption and back ti basics.
New Labour and Blair at least offered the illusion of change in 1997. Sadly New labour turned out to be an illusion and for all the talk and the spin, little changed and any moral credibility not so quietly died in the deserts of Iraq. What was really scary was that it took an incredibly short time for New Labour to lose the plot, the scams, the backhanders and the sleaze never really went away. The only real difference was that now if was New (and Old) Labours turn to get their noses in the trough like so many possessed Gadarene swine.
Now many of the New (and not so New) Labour MPs had a real advantage for when it came to lining their wallets as they came from the ‘corrupt’ culture of Labour dominated local government, so exposure to corruption and sleaze was second nature and it is beginning to appear like a number of them took to milking their expenses in exactly the same way Labour does it at local level, especially in the areas where they have been in power for generations.
It’s quite interesting, in the south east, Plaid had some hard earned successes at County Council and Community Council level in 2008. I have been lucky to spend time working with, talking to and listening to our new elected representatives as they get an understanding of how local government does and does not work.
One thing became pretty obvious was the fact that the Labour Party locally went out of its way to try to encourage our elected reps to follow their example of claiming everything you can claim – fortunately our Plaid Councillors were forewarned and wise to this old trick. Once you get sucked into that culture of municipal ‘corruption’ it’s very difficult to get out of it, and very difficult to condemn it - as some Westminster New (and not so new) Labour and Conservative MP’s are finding out to all our cost – when polling day comes lets hope the electorate remembers who claimed what and vote accordingly!
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