Wales has some of the best renewable energy resources in Europe, but profits flow outwards whilst we struggle with rising costs 📈
Plaid Cymru is proposing a new clean energy company - owned by Wales, to benefit Wales.
Creating jobs, growth and lowering bills 🏴💪
Somewhat ironically, considering where are now energy bill wise, back in the 1960's people were told that by the year 2000 energy would be so cheap that it would be impossible to bill people for it. Now this obviously never happened, largely as a result of the ideologically driven privatisation of the energy boards which rapidly created a privatised monopoly.
Once ‘market forces’ set to work we were left with the big six energy suppliers - a cartel by any other name - that emerged in plain sight. With weak regulation - despite some periodic and actually very effective work by Westminster parliamentary select committees - the cartel members have been able to get away with much - mostly at our expense (literally).
We need to recognise that this costly experiment has failed - much like the privatisation of the railways and the water companies and the flogging off of state assets on the cheap. Yet rolling back the clock to having it all run by the indifferent dead hand of a re-centralised post Brexit Brit state is just not a realistic option.
We need to do something quite different - firstly we need to make sure that we don't get fleeced over our energy bills by the members of the 'Big 6 Energy Cartel' - who have made and continue to make fat if not excessive profits over the years at our expense.
In Cymru / Wales having recognised that what we have does not work, we need to change the rules of the game and to create a national energy company for Wales to generate sustainable and reasonably priced energy, which can also be part of the solution to create a low carbon society.
There is no reason to suggest that similar solutions would not work in parts of England. Ynni Cymru, should be run as a not-for-dividend company at arms-length from the Welsh Government. This would prevent the agencies of the state from skimming profits off the top and ensure that they get reinvested.
This is a viable vision for energy and the environment for a Wales that reduces its carbon emissions, harnesses our natural resources sustainably, and seizes opportunities in the low-carbon and circular economies. The link between energy and climate change is clear.
A number of actions could fall into the remit of Ynni Cymru, including: reducing the cost per unit of energy to homes and businesses in Wales, reducing the consumption of energy in homes and businesses and helping consumers to make informed decisions based on smart metering technology.
Ynni Cymru should be tasked with funding the mass installation, outsourced to local companies, of solar panels on the roofs of households, business premises and lampposts in Wales, beginning with public buildings and social housing. The company would coordinate and facilitate the use of publicly owned land for renewable energy purposes.
Such a company could finance the acquisition and development of new large-scale generating and storage capacity, ensuring Wales becomes self-sufficient in renewable energy and becomes a renewable energy exporter. It could boost our energy market by ensuring the development of a national producer cooperative among community energy organisations.
The problem we face is that our energy production and distribution model has been effectively restructured to primarily benefit the big 6 energy cartel members, their interests and their (City and shareholders ) profits.
From the perspective of energy consumers and smaller scale energy producers, or anyone who wants things to change things - the problem is that all the Westminster focused political parties have happily bought into this cartel dominated model of energy production and ownership (or perhaps more truthfully were quietly bought).
The reality is that the UK’s cartel dominated model for energy production and distribution is not necessarily the norm everywhere in Europe or around the world. Now contrary to what you might think, and tend hear from Westminster and much of the UK media; realistic alternatives exist and actually prosper, a particularly good example of a balanced and healthy energy mix can be found in Germany.
Small may very well be beautiful, both politically and economically, even with a geographically sizeable state, perhaps especially in relation to energy, in 2012 some 22% of the countries energy came from small scale green entrepreneurs, and by 2024 it was between 40% and 50%.
Small-scale, citizen-driven initiatives are particularly dominant in solar energy. In 2024, rooftop and building-integrated systems accounted for two-thirds of the new solar capacity added, which itself generated 13.8% of Germany's total electricity. And small-scale generation has been boosted by a surge in "balcony solar" (plug-in solar devices), with approximately 435,000 new units installed in 2024.
Community based co-operatives (both urban and rural), farmers and homeowners are part of the 2.7 million renewable energy producers (2023) and part of the energy mix. In Germany, citizens’, cooperatives, and communities own more than half of German renewable capacity. Small-scale electricity generation is having a knock on effect encouraging change throughout the energy system.
It’s a fairly simple idea with citizens’ owned energy in Germany which involves:
In Berlin, a citizens energy cooperative (Burger Energie Berlin – literally Berlin Citizens Energy) continues to strive to take control of the capital's electricity grid with some 35,000km of underground cables. The cooperative is a free, cross-party coalition of citizens who are committed to a sustainable, sustainable and democratic energy policy in Berlin. Members have one vote regardless of the amount their deposit and anyone who wants the power network to be in civil hand, is welcome.
Ordinary Berliners have invested their cash in the venture with the intention of producing a reliable 100 per cent renewable energy supply. The aim is to promote the integration of renewable energy into the grid and to invest a portion of the profits from this directly into the transition to renewable energy. After some serious campaigning, on the 5th March 2019 the Berlin electricity grid was awarded to Energie Berlin.
This is grass roots energy generation from the bottom up that has potentially the power to change the nature of the energy supply system (in Germany and elsewhere). The aim to build an energy grid that is better handle the rise of green power and allows local use of locally produced energy. This may well be a case of small being both beautiful and perhaps deeply disturbing from the perspective of Westminster and Cardiff Bay something that can be both community beneficial and community owned.
There is no practical reason beyond ‘thats not the way it’s done here’ why people living here and Wales could not benefit from membership of citizen owned energy co-operatives. In Germany, there is a deliberate promoted policy of energy transition (or ‘Energiewende’) – this is a very different approach to what is practised in these islands (at least south of the Scottish border). For a start the ‘Energiewende’ is driven by a desire to reduce and eliminate any dependency on nuclear energy.
The introduction of the Feed-in-tariff (EEG) in 2008 was an important part of this process, along with (post Fukushima) the almost unanimous across the board political commitment to a wide range of targets (in 2011) which included a commitment to reduce energy demand (with a 50% reduction in primary energy use by 2050) and the achievement of an 80% renewable electricity share of total consumption (by 2050). This has resulted in a significant uptake of renewables in Germany.
The real striking difference is that the operation of the grid in Germany means that generated renewable electricity is used first and that distribution network operators (DNOs) are also seeking to reduce demand. This is so radically different from the way the energy is generated, distributed, moved around and used here in our country that it no doubt, at least from their limited perspective, something that quite understandably frightens Westminster focused politicians, the civil service and the city.
A significant difference, aside from the scale and pattern of investment (in Germany), is that small businesses, co-operatives, individual households and local authorities benefit from investment distributed by a network of local banks (again something we pretty much entirely lack here in Wales). The whole thing has been supported by the KfW (state investment bank) to the tune of 23.3 billion euro in the area of environment and climate protection.
These developments are a million miles away from the so-called ‘Free market’ for energy that exists in the UK, which remains, despite various price caps and payments to more vulnerable members of society, effectively dominated by the ‘Big 6’ energy cartel members. The fact that some former politicians have found rewarding post political career employment within the energy sector may be purely co-incidental but perhaps could be interpreted to suggest that there remains little desire for change or improvement within Westminster and perhaps a complete lack of understanding of the concept from any Labour in Wales government(s) be they previous, current or future.
The way the current set up works, it is difficult to imagine ‘a Government’ at most levels (at least outside of Scotland in the UK grasping the concept, the practicalities and real possibilities of genuine community owned beneficial energy generation projects. Pending some real change in the way energy policy works we are all pretty much trapped with a real lack of meaningful choice or realistic alternatives when it comes to customers securing domestic energy from the big 6 cartel members.
Over the years we have had a largely visionless New Labour, Conservative-Lib DeM and then Conservative and now Labour governments in Westminster, which have remained hand in glove with despotic oil and gas-producing regimes in the Middle East ( aside from the vassal like relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia ) who have had has little real interest in renewables. The successive governments of Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak, and Starmer have not, and are not are interested in changing the current situation at all beyond gesture and window dressing - that has to change if we are
wobbly and unstable Brexit fixated Westminster government, along with its predecessor continues to actively work to pull the rug out from under the renewables sector by cutting the feed in tariff something that has cost highly skilled jobs here in Wales.
The one lesson that should have been rammed home as a result of the current energy crisis is that these islands need to achieve energy independence by developing sustainable energy sources that are not dependent upon imported oil and gas, unstable autocratic states and energy companies that are simply driven by ramping up vast dividend profits.
Successive Westminster government’s from Tony Blair onwards have entirely failed to even come close to achieving this. What we have had over the years has been visionless New Labour, Conservative-Lib DeM and then Conservative governments in Westminster, which have remained hand in glove with despotic oil and gas-producing regimes in the Middle East ( aside from the vassal like relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia ) who have had has little real interest in renewables.
The relationship between the energy cartel members and the Westminster government’s is close to being corrupt. Teresa May’s wobbly and unstable Brexit fixated Westminster government, was followed by Boris Johnson’s majority Conservative government which continued to actively work to pull the rug out from under the renewables sector something that has cost highly skilled jobs here in Wales.
Now Liz Truss, an ex Lib Dem former Shell employee is running the show and to all intents and purposes she is indifferent to developing renewable energies, favours pursuing further exploration of hydro carbons and as a die hard unionist hostile to devolution. So any real and meaningful change in relation to the development of sustainable renewable energy is to all infested and purposes unlikely.
It should now be clear that neither the Conservatives and Labour are not going to change or upset the exceptionally comfortable lucrative relationship between the Westminster focused political party’s and the big 6 Cartel members which is something that has done many of us no favours over the last twenty five years.
It has also despite some progress failed to deliver energy independence for these islands, which are still far to dependent of hydrocarbons from unstable regions of our planet and some very questionable despotic regimes, with whom Westminster is quite happy to deal with. If Westminster is incapable or unwilling to develop sustainable energy, then it should not stand in the way of the devolved government’s in Wales and Scotland.
Back in the spring of 2021 the news was released about the developers being chosen to develop off shore wind energy fields of our coast is actually some good news. That said, once again Wales will receive little or no benefit from the economic exploitation of its own natural resources, except this time the waters are off-shore rather than inland or underground. Why should the fees go to the Crown and the UK Treasury? And not to Wales?
The Welsh Government should have ( but didn’t ) insist that decisions about the use of Wales’ natural resources should be made in Wales for the benefit of Wales. Even without devolved powers they should have been able to set up a Welsh national energy company immediately to develop our own Welsh-owned sector and have at least explored the possibilities of setting up an embryonic sovereign wealth fund for receipts, rents received, etc.
The two companies - BP and EnBW ( described by the BBC as a German energy firm) have been chosen as the preferred developers for a major new wind farm off the north Wales coast. Both companies are effectively the preferred developers for a 500 square kilometre lease, situated approximately 30 kilometre off the north Wales coast, and another 300 square kilometre site east of the Isle of Man. These off shore wind farms have the potential to generate enough power for 3.4 million homes.
Now what is worth noting in passing is that EnBW is over 90% owned by the regional government and local authorities of Baden-Wurttemberg - not they you will find any reference to that on the BBC. It is doubly ironic that the Scandinavian State-owned Vattenfall and Statkraft and largely State-owned EDF mean that citizens of other countries will own more of Wales' renewable sector than we do ourselves (and also benefit from it).
The Welsh Government has understandably stated that it is looking forward to working with the two companies. The devil, as they say, lies in the detail or perhaps in the case the literal small print, once you get beyond the spin. Understandably the Westminster government, has called this development a "major vote of confidence in the UK's green economy and net zero ambitions”.
Now that’s all very well and good. However, it gets more interesting the further you delve, it turns out that it is the Crown Estate, not the Welsh government, which manages the seabed around Wales, as it does with the seabed of England and Northern Ireland, has also announced six proposed new offshore wind projects.
The auction of seabed rights - which was the first of its kind in a decade - apparently attracted frenzied bidding. Both the projects will now move onto the next stage in the lengthy process for acquiring rights to build out at sea - which involves assessing the potential impacts on habitats and wildlife.
The Crown Estate expects this to conclude in Spring 2022 and subject to the outcome the developers could then be granted an agreement for lease and be able to start getting their projects through the planning process - including consulting with local communities. With luck and hard work the projects could begin to generate electricity by the end of the decade.
Beyond being either a willing or a reluctant minor partner the Welsh Government has little choice in the matter but to co-operate. Of course once our nation achieves independence, then there will be no question, of course, of the Crown Estate auctioning off development rights with no direct benefit then to the people of Wales. This deal clearly demonstrates that Wales' marine energy potential is of international significance.
The Crown Estates, plays the role of barely mentioned absentee landlord, in Cymru / Wales. As far back as March 2012 a report produced by the then Scottish Affairs Committee (in Westminster) stated that the Crown Estates management of the marine environment around Scotland lacked transparency and public consultation.
The Crown Estate's owns portions of our coast, almost all the seabed, and some of the land beneath our feet - little appears to have changed in relation to the lack of transparency and the lack of public consultation . It owns around 65 per cent of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed, and inland, and also owns around 27,800 hectares (68,700 acres) of Welsh common land, owns the rights to the sites of fish farms, renewable energy developments, ports and marinas.
The Westminster government (post BREXIT) if it believes in ‘local control’ should commit to having the Crown Estate's seabed and marine responsibilities and all rights related to Wales devolved to the Welsh government. Those who have dealt with the Crown Estates on a regular basis are often highly critical of the Crown Estate - back in 2012 the then Scottish Affairs Committee (in Westminster) heard that the organisation effectively behaved like an "absentee landlord" and "tax collector".
The revenues do not belong to the monarch and surplus revenue from its businesses are paid each year to the Treasury. The Crown Estates revenues in Cymru / Wales are not vast at the moment, but, the assets have what could best be described as game changing potential. That's why control of these marine and and coastal assets particularly in the case of renewables and off shore wind generated hydrogen could our nation to opportunity to reboot our economy and make a significant contribution to fighting global climate change.
Our energy and water resources including the responsibility for sewerage for the whole territory of Wales should be the responsibility of the Welsh Government. The Crown Estate still remains largely unaccountable to the people of Wales and all profits from its holdings (which includes on and off shore wind farms) are passed to the UK Westminster Government. Profits from these holdings are likely to grow significantly mostly due to the growing demand for renewable energy.
For far too long our natural resources have been run for the benefit of others with few real or lasting benefits trickling down to the people of Wales. Ownership and control over the Crown Estates in Wales should be transferred to the Welsh Government. The final say on how our natural resources are exploited and developed should be the direct responsibility of the Welsh people (and the Welsh Government) with 85% of the profits or dividends directly benefit the people who live here rather than opaque indifferent absentee landlords.
Westminster is incapable and unwilling to change, its leaders - in the Westminster focused political parties at least are happy with the current set up and the status quo and the institutions relationship with the City of London. Energy independence is vital, the consequences of being dependent on imported hydrocarbons from despotic regimes should now be crystal clear as is expecting the Westminster Political Parties to stand up for our nation and our needs beyond lip service.
The Westminster government is to hold urgent talks (Saturday 18th September) with the energy industry amid growing concern about a spike in wholesale gas prices. Kwasi Kwarteng ( the Business Secretary ) will talk to gas suppliers and others on Saturday to hear how wide-reaching the impact of the surge in prices could be. The combination of high global demand, maintenance issues at some gas sites and lower solar and wind output are blamed for the rise.
A knock on effect of the price rises is that two large UK fertiliser plants to close. The Westminster Government sources have stated there is no threat to UK gas supplies and the impacts on small energy companies that might be the most exposed are being monitored. Westminster government officials are looking at whether products that could end up being in short supply, such as fertiliser, could be imported from abroad.
Natural gas prices are at currently at record highs as economies around the world begin to recover from the Covid crisis. In the UK, lower winds have meant less renewable energy is generated. There have also been outages at some nuclear stations and lower flows into the UK of natural gas from Norway, pushing up the price of natural gas. Another thing to consider is that at some point there will be a significant rise in domestic energy bills.
Saturday’s discussions with senior figures from the UK's energy sector were requested urgently with the chief executives from gas producers, the National Grid, suppliers including Scottish Power, EON and EDF and the regulator Ofgem to hear how far-reaching the impact of the surge in prices is likely to be.
The high prices have led to fertiliser plants in Teesside and in Cheshire to close, leading to a major drop in supplies of carbon dioxide gas - a by-product of fertiliser production - which is used across many industries. Meat processors are also in talks with the government over this carbon dioxide shortage because of its use in the meat production process. The gas is used to stun pigs and chickens prior to slaughtering and also in the packaging and preserving process.
There is is still an opportunity to develop a different vision for energy and the environment for a Wales that reduces its carbon emissions, harnesses its natural resources sustainably, and seizes opportunities in the low-carbon and circular economies. The link between energy and climate change is clear. A number of actions could fall into the remit of Ynni Cymru, including: reducing the cost per unit of energy to homes and businesses in Wales, reducing the consumption of energy in homes and businesses and helping consumers to make informed decisions based on smart metering technology.
Ynni Cymru should be tasked with funding the mass installation, outsourced to local companies, of solar panels on the roofs of households, business premises and lampposts in Wales, beginning with public buildings and social housing. The company would coordinate and facilitate the use of publicly owned land for renewable energy purposes.
The company could finance the acquisition and development of new large-scale generating and storage capacity, ensuring Wales becomes self-sufficient in renewable energy and becomes a renewable energy exporter. It could boost our energy market by ensuring the development of a national producer cooperative among community energy organisations.
The problem we face is that our energy production and distribution model has been effectively restructured to primarily benefit the big 6 energy cartel members, their interests and their (City) profits. From the perspective of energy consumers and smaller scale energy producers, or anyone who wants things to change the problem is that all the Westminster focused political parties have happily bought into this cartel dominated model of energy production and ownership (or perhaps more truthfully were quietly bought).
The energy sector is quite simply warped to favour the larger providers - it is very difficult to break into a sector that is dominated by large companies that are favoured by the Westminster government, At the beginning of 2021 there were 70 energy suppliers in the UK. Industry sources have said that there may be as few as 10 left by the end of this year. The reality is that the UK’s cartel dominated model for energy production and distribution is not necessarily the norm everywhere in Europe or around the world.
Now contrary to what you might think, and tend hear from Westminster and much of the UK media; realistic alternatives exist and actually prosper, a particularly good example of a balanced and healthy energy mix can be found in Germany. Small may very well be beautiful, even with a geographically sizeable state, especially in relation to energy, in 2012 some 22% of the countries energy came from small scale green entrepreneurs, by 2019 it was 46%.
Community based co-operatives (both urban and rural), farmers and homeowners are part of the 1.3 million renewable energy producers and part of the energy mix. In Germany, citizens’, cooperatives, and communities own more than half of German renewable capacity. Small-scale electricity generation is having a knock on effect encouraging change throughout the energy system.
Citizens’ owned energy in Germany involves:
In Berlin, a cooperative (Burger Energie Berlin – literally Berlin Citizens Energy) continues to strive to take control of the capital's electricity grid with some 35,000km of underground cables. The cooperative is a free, cross-party coalition of citizens who are committed to a sustainable, sustainable and democratic energy policy in Berlin. Members have one vote regardless of the amount their deposit and anyone who wants the power network to be in civil hand, is welcome.
Ordinary Berliners have invested their cash in the venture with the intention of producing a reliable 100 per cent renewable energy supply. The aim is to promote the integration of renewable energy into the grid and to invest a portion of the profits from this directly into the transition to renewable energy. After some serious campaigning, on the 5th March 2019 the Berlin electricity grid was awarded to Energie Berlin.
This is grass roots energy generation that has potentially the power to change the nature of the energy supply system (in Germany and elsewhere). The aim to build an energy grid that is better handle the rise of green power and allows local use of locally produced energy. This may well be a case of small being both beautiful and perhaps deeply disturbing from the perspective of Westminster and Cardiff Bay something that can be both community beneficial and community owned.
There is no practical reason beyond ‘thats not the way its done here’ why people living here and Wales could not benefit from membership of citizen owned energy co-operatives. In Germany, there is a deliberate promoted policy of energy transition (or ‘Energiewende’) – this is a very different approach to what is practised in these islands (at least south of the Scottish border). For a start the ‘Energiewende’ is driven by a desire to reduce and eliminate any dependency on nuclear energy.
The introduction of the Feed-in-tariff (EEG) in 2008 was an important part of this process, along with (post Fukushima) the almost unanimous across the board political commitment to a wide range of targets (in 2011) which included a commitment to reduce energy demand (with a 50% reduction in primary energy use by 2050) and the achievement of an 80% renewable electricity share of total consumption (by 2050). This has resulted in a significant uptake of renewables in Germany.
The real striking difference is that the operation of the grid in Germany means that generated renewable electricity is used first and that distribution network operators (DNOs) are also seeking to reduce demand. This is so radically different from the way the energy is generated, distributed, exported and used here in our country that it no doubt, at least from their limited perspective, quite understandably frightens Westminster focused politicians, the civil shrive and the city.
A significant difference, aside from the scale and pattern of investment (in Germany), is that small businesses, co-operatives, individual households and local authorities benefit from investment distributed by a network of local banks (again something we pretty much entirely lack here in Wales). The whole thing has been supported by the KfW (state investment bank) to the tune of 23.3 billion euro in the area of environment and climate protection.
These developments are a million miles away from the so-called ‘Free market’ for energy that exists in the UK, which is pretty dominated by the ‘Big 6’ energy cartel members. The fact that some former politicians have found rather rewarding post political career employment within the energy sector may be co-incidental but suggests that there is little desire for improvement within Westminster and perhaps a complete lack of understanding of the concept from any Labour in Wales government(s) be they previous, current or future.
The way the current set up works, it is difficult to imagine ‘a Government’ at most levels (at least outside of Scotland in the UK grasping the concept, the practicalities and real possibilities of genuine community owned beneficial energy generation projects. Pending some real change in the way energy policy works we are all pretty much trapped with a real lack of meaningful choice or realistic alternatives when it comes to customers securing domestic energy from the big 6 cartel members.
What we have had over the years has been visionless New Labour, Conservative-Lib DeM and then Conservative governments in Westminster, which have remained hand in glove with despotic oil and gas-producing regimes in the Middle East ( aside from the vassal like relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia ) who have had has little real interest in renewables.
The relationship between the energy cartel members and the Westminster government’s is close to being corrupt. Teresa May’s wobbly and unstable Brexit fixated Westminster government, was followed by Boris Johnson’s majority Conservative government which continues to actively work to pull the rug out from under the renewables sector something that has cost highly skilled jobs here in Wales.
Things need to change as the exceptionally comfortable lucrative relationship between the Westminster focused political partisans the big 6 Cartel members has done all of us no favours over the last twenty years. It has also despite some progress failed to deliver energy independence for these islands, which are still far to dependent of hydrocarbons from unstable regions of our planet and some very questionable despotic regimes, with whom Westminster is quite happy to deal with.
I believe that there are six important policy areas that that should be important in the Senedd elections in May 2021. They are Housing and Planning, Public Transport, Economic Development and Regeneration, the Devolution of control of Policing and Criminal Justice, control of our Water; and Energy. I firmly believe that these policy areas can set the agenda for our nation for the next ten years +
We need to talk about Housing, Labour in Wales is silent on the matter and the other Unionist or anti devolution parties are silent on this issue. For the life of me, I cannot see any positives for Cymru / Wales simply being a simple adjunct to England, or Newport being a simple dormitory town for Bristol. I have never, and never will subscribe to the Severnside agenda, no matter how many times it gets rebranded and relaunched. In our south east, along the coastal belt and in and around Newport and Torfaen (not to mention around Cardiff and Caerphilly) and across Monmouthshire the last thirty years we have seen a significant if not spectacular growth in the amount of housing, a significant percentage of which of late has never quite been aimed to fulfil local housing needs.
The other side of the coin, in relation to the pressing issue of Housing, is planning. Our Planning system is shambolic, Here in Cymru / Wales we face number of pressing problems, covid aside, many of our pressing problems are not helped by the inherent problems with our 19th planning system with its out of touch focus on unitary development plans, and the lack of decent affordable integrated public transport, which are all part of the problem we face. Other than being an enabler to help with social and economic problems and the implementation of solutions, our Planning system is simply part of the problem.
Another pressing problem that afflicts many of our communties, right across Cymru / Wales is that of redevelopment. Redevelopment is perceived by many people as something that is done to them, rather than by or for them. I have lived in Casnewydd / Newport for 43 or 44 years of my life - like many people in the Port I have watched my home town / city get redeveloped to death. With the redevelopment companies moving in hoovering up the cash and departing. Newport’s 19th century Market which has served the city well, through good and bad times and two world wars, is to undergo yet another redevelopment. This redevelopment may be the final blow, as most to the remaining stallholders are in the process of moving out and the builders will soon begin work to transform the market into a multi-million pound, multi-purpose centre.
Another key area, where the Unionist Parties are largely silent is that of Policing and Criminal Justice. At Westminster Unionist machinations (with Labour in Wales and the Conservatives working hand in glove in the voting lobbies - or Labour simply absenting themselves or abstaining) has resulted in a strange end result. Our Senedd is quite unique, it is the only devolved legislature within these islands not to have any control over its nation’s police forces. Now it’s worth noting, that control over Policing is devolved to Scotland (effectively since 1945), Northern Ireland, England, London, Manchester and even the City of London.
The issue of Water, in Cymru / Wales should still be more contentious than it is - again the Unionists are as quiet as Church Mice on this issue. On the 15th July 2020, for the first time in our history, our Senedd debated the issue of independence. While most independent observers will note that our devolution settlement is deeply flawed, by way of comparison to Scotland and Northern Ireland. It’s sometimes shocking when you actually look at the things that we don’t control - aside from Policing, and large aspects of the planning process, significant aspects transport infrastructure development and probably most surprising of all our water resources.
The final key issue is that of energy (both Policy and Development). Back in the 1960's people were actually told that by the year 2000 energy would be so cheap that it would be impossible to bill people for it. That never happened, largely as a result of the ideologically driven privatisation of the energy boards created a privatised (effective) monopoly. Once ‘market forces’ set to work we were left with the big six energy suppliers (a cartel by any other name). With weak regulation - despite some periodic and actually very effective work by Westminster parliamentary select committees - the cartel members have been able to get away with much - mostly at our expense (literally).
