Hands off Wales’ pensions

This really goes to the heart of the matter so far as Wales' constitutional status is concerned. In one example, all that is wrong with lumping Cymru in with England both economically and politically is revealed. All our resources are pooled, the core sucks in the wealth, we are left with the scraps and told how wonderful and progressive this all is by the British nationalist Left and how benificent it is by their Right wing counterparts. What a sham! What a lie! This UK State denies Cymru the means to retain and invest its wealth to our benefit and that, coupled with ludicrous cultural prejudices, explains precisely why we are where we are. About time we came out of our corner punching!

This is how much the woman who wants pensioners to give up their heating allowance earns.

Rob Ford's timely plea for Welsh control over Welsh assets is likely to be ignored by the Labour league of empire loyalists in the Senedd. Just as the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee ('high interest rates are good for us - no, not you, or you') is beyond transparency and accountability, the leadership vacuum that has descended on Welsh Labour, their directionless policies and overall incompetence will fail us too. Starmer, clearly no democrat, won't allow any further devolution (always a mostly wasted effort anyway and easily reversed), and Reeves' contradictory and ignorant policies will continue to impoverish Cymru, more by accident than design. Her ridiculous and scandalous paraphrase of Keynes has made a nonsense of sensible economics, of which we have had precious little in the last 40y. There is a durable and sustainable future for an independent Cymru. It is time for Pobl Cymru to start discussing that - through citizens' assemblies, through our media, with our friends and neighbours on this side of the border, and through empowering Plaid Cymru, its excellent leaders and other pro-independence parties - not the 'why' anymore but the 'how' and 'when'. Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité? Os gwelwch yn dda, diolch yn fawr iawn!

Apologies, Rob Jones! And more power to your arm...

The pension funds should be left to make their own decisions on investment, not act as 'piggy bank' to the 'New Tory Party'.

Rob Jones makes a couple of valid points. No - Wales should not be swallowed up in a pension fund overwhelmingly run for England. Yes- there should be a stand alone fund to meet the needs of Wales.   But, his solution, allowing Welsh pension priorities to be set by an indigenous financial sector, oversimplifies a complicated issue. He risks replicating the current model which is deeply flawed. Pension funds are currently not answerable in any meaningful way to elected representatives. They are run by investment managers and officials. These delegate decisions to huge overseas investment companies who charge millions for their services Those who contribute have no voice in investment priorities and very little of their money stays in Wales .As an example, fossil fuel investments continue to make up over 11% of funds invested despite repeated calls from members councils and the Senedd to divest.  So, any new all Wales fund must do more than replicate the current system. It should be answerable to those who contribute. It should have its priorities set by elected representatives here.  We have an opportunity to ensure that any new set up genuinely helps meet the priorities and needs of people in Cymru. It must be more than the current system rebranded.

People in Westminster brush off the fact that Cymru isn't represented on the Union Jack, UK coat of arms or the British Royal Standard due to Wales still being seen as part of England as not a major issue but this continual bunching together of the two countries affects us enormously in other ways too, and this use of Welsh pension funds is just one example. Just after the election Starmer was seen trying to promote the different countries of the UK, with the flags of the countries behind him, but equality amongst the nations is only seen when Westminster wants it to be seen. HS2, Crown Estates and now pensions are just some of the areas we are simply ignored. It'll continue until we become independent - it's the only way to stop being shat on.