Wales finally draws a line in the sand with England – and just in time

Today the London based media are trying to accuse Drakeford of "stealing a march on Johnson" with his announcements yesterday. The reality is that the English-UK government were legally mandated to renew England's lockdown on Thursday, the day before Mark was scheduled to speak, and Boris delayed it to avoid parliamentary scrutiny. It also gives him a chance to wear his toga and go all Imperial with edicts and mandates. Just because it is illegal and anti-constitutional probably doesn't bother or even occur to most Tory voters either in Wales or England.

'... only last week a YouGov poll showed that the Welsh public had more confidence in Boris Johnson in his response to the deadly pandemic. But as the saying goes, a week is a long time in politics. In a global health emergency, of course, 24 hours seems to feel like an eternity.' Unsurprising: Johnson inevitably gets the greater publicity because of his role, and even his best friends would hardly maintain that Drakeford's distinctly plodding leadership style is anywhere near as charismatic! But right now 24 hours does indeed seem 'to feel like an eternity' and, as poor Gordon Brown's days at no. 10 amply demonstrated, the public mood can shift quite swiftly and sharply - 'Stalin to Mr Bean'! The Independent's travel correspondent Simon Calder was on Radio Wales this morning reporting the airline industry's reaction to the UK government's extraordinary decision at this late stage to impose two weeks' quarantine on everyone and anyone- other than essential workers like lorry drivers - arriving in the UK from anywhere outside the British Isles. The industry response, said Calder, was incredulity and fury; they could have reluctantly accepted such an imposition at the very outset of the epidemic reaching Europe because the reasons for doing so back then were so evident. But it didn't happen, and people were able to enter the UK in very large numbers without any checks at all; I well remember returning British tourists expressing their absolute incredulity that they were able to pass through airports with no checks whatsoever. The unanimous airline view was that suddenly imposing such restrictions several months on when the virus is already pretty rampant here would achieve nothing at all in public health terms, but would further cripple their industry. They saw it as inexplicable and incompetent. And if much of the British public comes to that same conclusion, Bunter could find himself undergoing a Gordon Brown experience in terms of confidence in his leadership. Whether Drakeford and his government have the stature and the confidence even in part to capitalize on that, were it to happen, is another matter.

Historically this is way off. There have been many occasions when clear red water has been evident between Cardiff and Westminster over 20 years. Plenty of spats have broken out. Try reading about them. I will give you two names to look up: Rhodri Morgan and Leighton Andrews. Politics did not begin with Coronavirus, kid.

Just in time? just in time for what? I'm all for the devolved goverment as a rule, but their doing even less than the english lot at the moment. They don't plan on testing anyone and their only answer, that I've been able to find, is hide indoors till this all goes away by itself, best of luck not to going mad or bankrupt first.

Drakeford, the grey man. Let's face it, pity he doesn't do anything about the closure of A+E department in the Royal Glamorgan hospital.

O'r diwedd, wedi hir ymaros! Ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi hefyd gadael i gyfryngau UK wybod fod Cymru yn wlad wahanol efo'i phwerau ei hun. Pam gymrodd hi gymaint o amser? Tybed am faint fydd LLC yn parhau efo'i hagwedd newydd? Dim ond ddoe daeth adroddiad i'r amlwg yn yr Alban fod UK Gov yn cyfarwyddo ei swyddfeydd tramor i beidio cefnogi unrhyw geisiadau am help i ganfod PPE a phrofion gan y gwledydd datganoledig fel Cymru! Gobeithio bydd digon o asgwrn cefn o hyn ymlaen felly i sefyll yn erbyn unrhyw fwlio a phob ymgais i'n rhwystro rhag amddiffyn ein pobl!

At long last! And Welsh Govt has also let UK media know that Wales is a different country with her own powers. What took it so long? I wonder how long this new attitude will last? Only yesterday a report came to light in Scotland that UK Gov is instructing its overseas offices not to support any requests for help to source PPE and tests by the devolved nations such as Wales! Hopefully there won't be a spineless reaction to any bullying or attempts to prevent us from protecting our people!

The many sarcastic comments and sheep jokes in the comments section of an article on MSN UK on Drakeford's announcement of Wales's lockdown strategy yesterday suggests that your average citizen of England hasn't yet accustomed him/herself to the fact that Wales has some wiggle room for a bit of independent policy-making. The fact that Drakeford has been sidelined so often during Westminster covid-19 deliberations indicates that Boris Johnson has been labouring under the same illusion, and shares that same mindset. I would hope that the Welsh Labour Government will accustom itself to follow its new precedent and continue now to: 1/ act independently of London and 2/ act in Cymru's best interests. They should also get an honourable mention for the M4 decision and for banning second-homers from risking the health of people in Welsh 'tourist' areas.

What's the point of autonomy if you dont use the powers you are given. Without a vaccine lockdown is forever unless we have really good test and trace (S. Korea: pop 50M only 250 cc deaths) or you go the Swedish route which now looks to have been the right option (no lockdown, establish herd immunity, far fewer deaths per million than UK, no fear of 2nd wave). The Swede's attitude is that people in care homes are old infirm with multiple life threatening conditions and in those homes because they can't look after themselves so those places are bound to be a hotspot for deaths.

Drakeford quietly doing not too bad, even with the Welsh Tories and civil snoopers tying his shoelaces together.

At last, the Welsh Government has grown a set of balls!!! It's time for Wastemonster (including the Sun, Mail & Express) to realize that 'London' is not England let alone the UK for I'm sure English people in the NE, NW & SW probably feel closer to the views of Scotland and Wales when it comes to reopening schools, etc. Sure we all want this to come to an end soon but not before we have reached a point where a second spike of cases and deaths does not occur.

Anyone else noted how we Welshies have been consistently been denied a Bank Holiday to celebrate our national day on 1 March (by both Red and Blue Tory Governments, respectively) - the usual reason given being that it would affect the economy, productivity and jobs - whilst a new Bank Holiday Friday can be instigated at the click of the fingers of Bwana Johnson, in the midst of a pandemic which is devastating those self-same economy, productivity and jobs - never mind the citizenry (? subjects) of 'the country'? Don't expect anything less from incompetent, venal, self-serving, jingoistic b*stards that are this shower of murderous Tories.

Nicola Sturgeon was first in the ring, declaring she is not convinced, so no change in the lockdown in Scotland. No longer follow the science but the convictions of the leader. Mark Drakeford, inhibited by a Chief Medical Officer who says the same, is trying to give us something. The CMOs were saying, do not confuse/weaken the clear and simple message; this week they spun a story about the 'R-value' increasing. Of course the R-value is increasing when there's an epidemic in care-homes and Covid deaths there count for 40% and rising (that's the proportion in NI - Wales's figures are very uncertain because our CMO refused then delayed to test). The 4-nations' CMO's surely know that a community R-value is needed to decide on easing the community lockdown; it's quite unscientific to use the trend of a combined R-value. Boris Johnson apparently wanted to ease the lockdown, but was stymied by the 'R-value' trickery. Drakeford was questioned this week about the Welsh R-value (about 0.8) and the R-value for Welsh care-homes. His hesitancy indicated he sees through the trickery, but hadn't been supplied with the arguments. As the one hope we have for standing up to the buffoon Boris, let's give him support.

At last i have been texting and emailing English media outlets and our own , from the start re the ' for UK see England/ London' coverage of covid. Since last night I have actually heard bbc radio mention the different national contexts, 7 weeks into the epidemic. Please. all of you get on this media lobby train and keep on reminding them to communicate the facts and not keep on misinforming the public. Misinformation costs lives.

The message is loud and clear from the Welsh Parliament - it is in charge of health in Wales - it says - 'Stay Home' . No mixed messages, no ambiguity. If you live in Wales - spread the message far and wide and please - do not listen to Johnson !

The problem is how many of our people are observant of the 'Assembly' and of Welsh News, indeed how many English people are same? Boris in his latest speech spoke for the UK, I don't think he even mentioned England and most of our people would have been listening to him? There are so many contradictions that will cause confusions this 'Stay Alert' nonsense will be critical back ward step for Cymru . But what do do, for starters lock down our border with England as the LAKOTA have done at their 'Reservation Frontiers' (see in a Google search) in other words call the BORIS BLUFF! Gethin.