Stephen Price
George Monbiot has been praised for his ‘stunning incisive analysis’ of the legacy of Wales’ extractive economy and transportation networks on a recent episode of BBC’s Question Time.
The episode, which aired on Thursday 15 October, saw Fiona Bruce present an hour of debate from Brecon. On the panel were Stephen Kinnock, Mims Davies, Delyth Jewell, James Evans and George Monbiot.
In a segment aimed at Reform’s James Evan, Monbiot shared: “The truth is that whoever is in charge in Wales has got a mountain to climb
“In 1971 the Uruguayan author, Eduardo Galliano published The Open Veins of Latin America, and in it, he said, ‘You can tell the economic character of a nation by the way infrastructure works’.
“If the roads and railways drain down towards the ports, and if the major trunk roads and railways lead not connecting region to region but to the colonial capital, you know you’re looking at an extractive economy.
“If you look at the infrastructure map of Wales, this is exactly what you see. If you look at the map of Cardiff, all the old roads go straight down to the docks, built by the Marquess of Bute to extract coal while leaving as little wealth behind as possible.
“The main roads, the main railways, they go to London.
“If you want to go north south, through Wales by rail, you have to go into England and do most of the journey there.
“What we’re looking at is an extractive economy – it has been that way since 1284.
“The wealth which could have enriched Wales – and this was potentially the richest part of the United Kingdom because of the immense amount of coal, slate and other resources – that was instead extracted, leaving Wales in poverty, leaving Wales with a resource curse.
“The reason these statistics which James so gleefully cites, of the poor educational performance, of the waiting lists of the NHS, of the horrendous deprivation – 6 of the 10 most deprived boroughs in Britain are in Wales. And they’re all in places from which enormous wealth was extracted.
“The reason is that for so many centuries, the economy was run not for the benefit of the Welsh, but for the benefit of the English.
“Whoever is in charge now, has to try reverse some of that, try to reverse that legacy of centuries. And it is a huge job.
“When Welsh politicians call for more funding from England, they’re not calling for charity, they’re calling for restitution.
“And when Welsh politicians and the Welsh people call for more powers, powers to set their own income tax bands, powers to escape the fiscal straitjacket on borrowing, they’re calling for justice.
“The Welsh economy should work for the Welsh.”
The video was shared to the Welsh Politics Facebook page following its broadcast, where it garnered wide praise.
One commenter added: “The most accurate and honest socio-economic summary of our country by an Englishman I have ever seen.”
While another shared simply: “Parity with Scotland is the baseline. Show this to anyone and everyone that dares say we don’t at least deserve some simple chwarae teg.”
Plaid
Plaid Cymru has consistently challenged Andy Burnham to match his promise of a “new politics” with more powers for Wales.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s Labour conference speech, the party’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts welcomed plans to reform Westminster’s voting system but questioned what his proposals would mean for the devolved nations.
Mr Burnham’s first conference address as Labour leader included plans for free social care in England, changes to state pension increases and closer ties with the European Union.
Ms Saville Roberts said: “On many issues, there is clear common ground between Andy Burnham’s plans for England and what the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government is already delivering in Wales, and we stand ready to work constructively where that can benefit the people of Wales.”
The Prime Minister promised greater powers for English mayors during his speech in Liverpool.
Ms Saville Roberts said: “While much of the Prime Minister’s speech focused on England, including giving mayors greater powers and control, there was far less detail on what his vision of rewiring the British state means for the devolved nations.
“If that vision is genuinely about improving the lives of people in every postcode, it must also be about shifting power from Westminster to Wales.”
Ms Saville Roberts said Plaid would support UK Government measures that benefit Wales, adding: “But constitutional renewal cannot simply be about reforming Westminster. It must also be about shifting power from Westminster to Wales, strengthening our democracy, and equipping our nation with the tools it needs to build a stronger economy.”
Watch the full episode of Question Time on iPlayer here.
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