The Welsh Government are powerless to resist being steamrolled on the lockdown

It's hard to disagree with a single line of this.

Drakeford must take the decision that the Lockdown WON'T BE LIFTED IN WALES, and he must do it now - so that there's no ambiguity and the message is simple. We can't have holidaymakers and ramblers coming in whilst our infection rate in north-west Wales is now going up, and there's no test, trace and isolate regime in place. The Daily Mail's front page is a disgrace, an incitement to travel and visit the countryside - to smash the lockdown before even one restriction is lifted. Drakeford must act now and insist, or even buy if needs be, time or advertising space in UK media to get the message across. And Johnson MUST make clear that his Lockdown "easements" are for England only. We need the plan for Wales and we need the testing regime before the Lockdown is lifted. The coming to an agreement across the 4 nations spiel from Johnson means nothing more than a repetition of the brexitesque shut-out. Now really is the time for Drakeford to show that Wales not only has the legal powers but that he will use them! Shut the stable door before the horse bolts!

The message must come from Cardiff that we can't lift the lockdown yet. It can't be the usual willy-nilly quiet announcement that no one will listen to. It has to be loud. It has to resound throughout Wales and the UK. It needs to tell the people of Wales to continue staying in, and it needs to tell the people of England, that we're still closed and for them not to come. In the short term, the Welsh Government needs a PR officer who knows how to work with the UK press to get the message across. In the long term, the WG has to look into the funding of a Welsh only media, be it in print or online. Not the wet flags of Wales Online. We know we can not rely on them because they are pretty clueless and just report on whatever Boris Johnson says, whether it relates to Wales or not. The current situation with the media is the reason people in Wales voted Brexit in droves, now it is causing a public health crisis. Drakeford and his government need to do something now.

Agree totally with this , like I've said in an earlier comment on another article , who do I listen to? , Am a governed by Welsh gov or UK gov? Are we British or Welsh or both or just Welsh or just British ??? This situation has opened that argument and needs to be sorted once and for all . For me having most laws and regulations and aspects of daily life devolved to Wales then I must listen to Welsh gov. So you are right he needs to be shouting from the roof top and get that message out there !

'This crisis has shown that a national media isn’t some nice to have nation-building project – it’s a public health imperative.' I rather think it really doesn't show that. What it does show is that in this degree of crisis a combination of a UK government which doesn't really believe in devolution and a population considerably ignorant of, and even to all intents and purposes unaware of, devolution can make the Welsh devolved institutions largely irrelevant and open to being effectively sidelined. And I suspect that over time this may well emerge as a real issue. Daniel Kawczynski, the hard right Tory MP for Shrewsbury, has offered us a clue there when he recently tweeted: “Do we really need the massive additional expense of this Welsh Assembly? Just another layer of red tape and massive extra cost to taxpayers. I am looking forward to a day when we return to one parliament and one policy for the whole of United Kingdom.” OK, he's at the fruitcake end of the Tory party - Polish in heritage, he's said to be sympathetic to Poland's Orbanesque Law and Justice Party government - and he subsequently deleted the tweet. But it's clear what he thinks, and it's no less clear that in hard right Torydom he's not alone in what he thinks.

Labour don't understand that power and respect have to be won, not given. The complain that Westminster doens't listen to Wales - but Labour has never stood it's ground. When push comes to shove, the unity of the British state and being seen as "sensible" by the Westminster establishment in Wales and London, is more important to Welsh Labour than Welsh lives. There's no point to devolution under Labour - may as well have no Assembly and Alun Cairns as Secretary of State. Useless Labour.

Good article. However, I don't understand. Are some commentators suggesting that we in Wales should remain 'locked down' whilst the Saes are allowed unfettered access (by the UK government)? Or is it being suggested that people from outside of Wales be prevented (by the Welsh government) from coming here because we should still be locked down due to different demographics and circumstances?

It was only a week or so ago that Mark Drakeford was saying HE'LL decide when Wales comes out of lockdown, not Westminster. So why doesn't He back His words up with action? Answer: Because He's a wet blanket. TV was made widely available so that Governments could spread Their propaganda and control the masses, so all it takes is for Drakeford to go on Welsh tv and make His own announcement about the lockdown easing, or not. Not rocket science, is it?...

Boris undoubtedly has a better grasp of the situation than Trump, but unfortunately would rather use his “gift of the gab” to deal with things by bluff and bluster rather than base his approach on a careful analysis of the situation. In Wales, and no doubt Scotland we await his next “speil” this coming Sunday, as he is unlikely to remember that in the context of the Coronovirus Pandemic, he will be speaking as the Prime Minister of England. Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon have said they hope that a 4 Nations approach can be agreed, as it would be regrettable if people coming to Wales had to be stopped and sent home . In Wales we hope for a strategy that takes account of the situation in our neighbours Ireland, England and Scotland, and that harmony will prevail!

Completely agree with this. Wales needs to speak out now much as Nicola Sturgeon has in Scotland. Make it clear that Wales is not yet open or we will be inundated again. Push for devolved power ! Speak up and fight for Wales to govern itself ! Do this or we are going to have a calamity!

What a difference a day makes seems to be more than a Dinah Washington hit. This made so much sense yesterday and right up until Dominic Raab got out his roadmap looking for Dover and rolled back "Freedom" again. Kirsty telling them to get stuffed if they think schools would open might have had something to do with his stuttering. Such a shame that events dear boy events made the article a waste. Try again Monday?

Drakeford needs to be clear that the lockdown is not over. He needs to ensure the Police enforce it and that the army are deployed to protect the border. That will show Westminster where the power lies - in the democratically elected Senedd.