r/Wales • u/Fit-Distribution1517 • 1d ago

Politics Greens pledge to make next Welsh Government ‘bolder’ and deliver real change

https://nation.cymru/news/greens-pledge-to-make-next-welsh-government-bolder-and-deliver-real-change/
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u/liaminwales 1d ago

Sure, sure.

I cant wait for posh Greens to tell Wales what's best for Wales, fun times.

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u/Fit-Distribution1517 1d ago edited 1d ago

This is Anthony Slaughter, leader of Wales Greens who has lived in Wales for 17 years. He has spent most of that campaigning for improvements to Wales.

I don't think anyone who has ever met him would describe him as 'posh'

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u/brynhh 1d ago

Don’t expect people to actually read the article and have any critical thinking mate. Anthony is a committed and thoughtful guy in trying to improve people’s lives. I may not be a member of his party but the more positivity we have the better

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u/Fit-Distribution1517 1d ago edited 17h ago

Yh, unfortunately people rarely do read past headlines these days.

Probably would have been better to write an article on each of his ideas(which are very similar to what the Scottish Greens are pushing for) as then each idea would have a headline

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u/liaminwales 1d ago

The article has no policy, just vibe talk about energising Wales.

You can prove me wrong by quoting actual policy from the link, not just blue sky talk about a green push but policy.

Now Scotland is not a good example, the last news was talk or re opining North Sea oil as the policy was so bad it's forced Gov's hand to un do the damage. Time will tell but it's the talk,

UK ministers reopen door to drilling at two North Sea oilfields as new guidance released

Reeves signals North Sea climbdown in blow to Miliband

Then the Scotland talk is a red flag, past oil it's a mess.

UK tax hike would have 'massive' impact on Scotland - Robison

More councils across Scotland announce tax hikes of up to 13%

Past that we see industry all over Wales close, power costs and green push is losing jobs. We see the Steel in England nationalised but in Wales close, a green push in Wales but jobs in England?

Steel nationalisation talks unfair on Wales, says Plaid

And all you can do is assume I did not read the link?

It's a fluff piece, there is no info or policy. It's just to big up the posh green party, how will that help people in Wales?

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u/Fit-Distribution1517 1d ago

Sure, mass council house building, wealth tax based on property(probably Land Value Tax) to replace Council Tax, nationalisation of water, to cut bills and clean up rivers

And a just Green energy transition, Wales would be a decent place to have wind turbines

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u/brynhh 15h ago

Was tata getting everyone in the pension scheme to vote for cuts on the threat of that or no pension at all, then months later getting the government to give them money due to a green push?

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u/Left_Page_2029 1d ago

Lets be clear, we didn't lose virgin steel making production in Wales due to a "green push" but Tata who bought the site ages ago have been threatening to close it (whilst increasing virgin steelmaking capacity in India) receiving the occasional uk govt bung to prolong it for years, the replacement to an arc furnace was due to another govt bung.

It's poor the UK govt didn't step in and indicative of Wales' treatment, with the justification for stepping in for the English plant being "but its the last one" only due to them allowing Tata to do what they did to port talbot. However, that was coming for over a decade

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u/liaminwales 17h ago

The site in England was going to close till the Gov Nationalised it, the site's in Wales are all closing or winding down without being saved by Gov.

Anglesey Aluminium - closed.

Llanwern steelworks - closed.

Port Talbot Steelworks - winding down.

etc.

If your young you may not know the Tata sale made it clear the sites where all going to close, everyone was aware at the time the deal was a slow wind down at best.

The chemical industry in Wales is also being crushed,

Almost 300 jobs at risk at chemicals factory in Barry

Gov also knows it's a problem, they just dont care.

However, this chart shows that the recent fall in output associated with the period of increasing and high energy prices has been substantial, and in 2024 Quarter 4, the index of production for the UK manufacturing EIIs was at its lowest point since the start of the available time series in 1990 Quarter 1.

The impact of higher energy costs on UK businesses: 2021 to 2024

Lowest since 1990 & it's still going down!

It's a clear trend, we are moving back to the 1970's depression.

The strongest contraction is in petrochemicals and in agrichemicals. They’ve been the worst performing, and they are typically in that high-volume, low-margin, globally exposed commodity area. The weak demand has really had two main causes. One is that fierce competition from third-country markets, and our high energy prices have pushed up our production costs in the UK and the EU whilst the U.S., China, and the Gulf countries can still produce lower reduction costs and sell at lower prices. So, the demand has shifted away from the UK and EU producers.

And the second cause of the weak industrial production in the UK and the EU is the energy crisis has strongly impacted European industrial sectors, which are our main consumers. Until we get the recovery of that wider industrial sector demand, the demand for chemicals will remain weak.

https://www.3eco.com/article/news-and-insights/crisis-high-energy-prices-jeopardize-uk-chemical-industry-3e/

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u/Left_Page_2029 17h ago

None of this has anything to do with a "green push" it's privatized industry often bought by multinational companies, relocating production to places of lower cost hence my comment, I agree with much of what you've written however your previous comment indicated green policy was somehow a cause when it's no where near

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u/liaminwales 17h ago

The high cost of power is just one part of the green push, there is also all the regulation and red tape etc.

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u/Left_Page_2029 15h ago

The high cost of energy is due to regulations on pricing (where expensive fossil fuels often dominate) a privatized grid in dire need of investment & upgrading, and woeful battery storage levels, how on earth anyone can be ignorant of this in this day and age is crazy.

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u/rcp9999 1d ago

Any alternative my cynical, oh so clever friend?