Tuesday, October 30, 2007

No GB Footbal Team.

The British Olympic Assosation wants to field a "British" team (read English with a token Welsh, Scottish and Irish Play, especally if the British Lions Rugby team is anything to go by) for the 2012 Olympic games.

This move is opposed, thankfully, by the FAW, SFA and Irish Football Association, due to worries over what it could mean for the FAW, SFA and the Irish's place in Europe and other governing bodies. It could slowly lead to the erodision of the Welsh, Scottish and Irish football teams, and even though I am not a football fan, actually cannot stand the "sport", I still do not want to see the eradication of the Welsh football team, even if it is rubbish.

If a British team did become the norm, then what would happen to the football talent in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, surely the Celtic nations would be dispropotionatly effected by any such a move in the developement of the future Welsh, Scottish and Irish footballers.

Then there would also be an issue of the location of the main stadium of the British team, it would go to Wembely, without a doubt, this would mean loss of revenue for the football stadiums in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, since there wont be as much games being played in those, as there is at the moment.

To be frank, it would be a bad idea all around, especally due to the long term conquences of such a move, even if it is a "one off".

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Sunday, October 28, 2007

The battle between Westminister and Cariff

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has told BBC Wales' Politics Show that he does not believe that a referendum on full law making powers can be won by 2011, despite polls showing some increasing support for full law making powers. This comes shortly after a simular split in the Conservative Party with a Tory MP slamming devolution in his blog.

The battle for full law making powers if fastly becoming a battle between Westminster Welsh MPs, who want to keep the status quo, and AMs who want to progress on with devolution and allow Wales to make it own laws.

This is a very dangerous road to go down for the Welsh MPs and Westminister, since if it is seen that Westminister is frustrating the Welsh Assembly, which has just as much, if not more, democratic legitimacy then Westminister, then it can only lead to more support for the Welsh Assembly, devolution and, if they are not carefull, even Plaid Cymru.

Westminister needs to stop blocking Wales, or risk destorying the United Kingdom, by allowing Plaid to point out that Wales cannot pass the laws which it has elected the Assembly government to do so, because Westminister does not want them too. It could become a very powerful message as time goes by, and will eventually lead to increased support for independence.

The MPs must stop trying to frustrate Wales just so that they can try to protect their own jobs, they are elected as MPs to do what is best for their consituancys, not to do what is best for themselves. They must accept what devolution means, and that, in Wales, full law making powers is eventually outcome.

Of course that is not to say that there is not an arguement to be made about their not being enough support for it, despite in polls there is a majority in support of devolution, this majority is not over 50%, and witht he low turn out at the last referendum, the higher the support is for full law making powers, the better, especally with turnout amongst young voters, who are more in favour of devolution then then other groups.

However, it is possible to win a referendum on a full law making parliament by 2011, and the more the MPs whine about this, the more possible it will come for Wales to win a Scottish-Style Parliament.

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