Why we need devolution to the north of Wales to see off the threat to the Senedd

You are so right.

Ideally we should be able to devolve power and responsibility and with that accountability to a more local regional level. However that is a long way off. Maybe you will get it when the country is independent. However we could make a start by getting Ministers and A.M's to focus far more on their constituencies, after all this is a representative democracy of sorts. Ditch the fashionable often distant causes that we can do little or nothing about and start getting to grips with poverty, homelessness, education, health, infrastructure, employment, crime etc . Now some of these like law and order are not devolved currently but no one is making a coherent case either. It's all "bleat, bleat, moan, moan" where we need articulate well thought out alternatives to the present dysfunctional mess. My guess is that upping the game of the present crew would do much to ease the concerns of the electorate in the "left behind" parts of Wales which on a bad day is anything more than 15 miles away from Cardiff Bay !

A very important criticism of our government system here. All of us who care about the way our country is governed will be aware that the last thing we should want is a pale reflection of Westminster, but this is what we seem to be getting - even Plaid Cymru has been seduced. I always felt that the preserved counties of Wales would have offered an opportunity for the further devolution of powers, and in some sense I think that was the intention, and it's kind of ironic, (they were formed as a 'temporary' measure, pending devolution in 1979) that the system was changed to the current mess only in 1996, a mere year before the Devo vote, and three years before the commencement of what is now the Senedd. All of them were basically a regional administrations with further devolution within, and in the context of the Welsh Office, they didn't really make a lot of sense, (though probably made more sense than the current chaotic and insane system). The problem is, once again, is our system of government. How on earth are we going to persuade political parties that have a vested interest in the status quo? Neil McEvoy's new party, if it doesn't do a Gwlad Gwlad and implode into internecine strife, could offer a way forward. When I think of Neil McEvoy one of the words that comes to mind is iconoclast. We sorely need an iconoclast to shake up our governmental institutions. If anything, devolution and the way the Senedd operates serves to highlight the traditional fragmentation of Wales, which has never been a nation in the modern sense, and the state, such as it exists in Wales is merely and off the peg adjunct to the system used, and suited to, the nextdoor neighbour that isn't a very good fit at all. In Llandudno, and I dare say for much of North Wales, Cardiff might just as well be New York, so remote it is in a psychological sense. I can understand why people might question the value of having a Senedd of our own when it seems irrelevant to everyday life. I often feel that way, but I supported devolution, campaigned and voted for it under no illusions that it would be anything other than a glorified talking shop, but in the hope that it could be built on, as a stepping stone to independence. I live in Cardiff. I think we do need to consider, not just regional devolution, but also relocating permanently where the Senedd sits. Cardiff Bay is clearly the wrong Place, and what we really need is a Welsh Brasilia as a focus for the nation located in a place that is as easily accessible from all parts of Wales, but isn't Shrewsbury or Llandrindod Wells! Machynlleth would be a preferred choice of mine, as it's pretty much in the centre, and is on major road, rail and bus routes, which would no doubt be much improved with the Senedd located there, especially needed is a railway line that runs north to south entirely within the borders..

Vlalid points - but "North Wales" isn't a homogenous region - I don't feel I blong to "North Wales" in any way. North West Wales and North East Wales are different in many ways, so 2 regions here would make sense or a Noth West and West Wales region, and a separate North East region. Attention does need to be given to all areas of Wales if we are to prosper - but a strong, ambitious and energetic national government in Cardiff is also essential. Very lacking at the moment! We need the leadership and vision of Adam Price in 2021 to get things moving!

Many of the powers exercised from Cardiff Bay would be best exercised at a regional level where they could take into account the many differences across Wales. The powers that would be best exercised at a national level are generally, but not wholly, the ones still reserved to Westminster. North-east and North-west Wales are definitely different.

Gareth Ceidiog Hughes writes: "We need to give people more control over their lives, not less." Although I agree with that sentiment, I wonder who is the "we" privileged to dispense power? I don't say this to be nit-picky but to raise the question of where power actually lies and how it is authorised and legitimated. The fundamental democratic Principle is that the highest authority is the majority will of the people. Our current form of Representative Democracy continually frustrates the will of the people. If you want people to be engaged in politics then you must engage us in politics. Voting every 4 or 5 years to select which party gets to be the king of the castle is an illusion of democracy. Small groups with vested interests (political parties, minority interest groups, paid lobbyists, big finance, etc.) continue to run the show regardless of what people really want. In the last couple of years we have now created the technology to enable genuine democracy for the first time. The voting privileges of elected representatives can now be extended to all citizens. When we the people are empowered with the ability to vote on decisions that affect us, that's when we will become engaged. Only people with a dismal view of our fellow nationals would want us to continue to be herded like sheep by our appointed masters.

You better be careful with this! Westminster will see it as an opportunity to ditch the Senedd. Wales is a little country. I could just as well shout "home rule for Coedpoeth!".

Divide and conquer.

It's interesting how the article mentions Europe and how things on the continent are done. Germany is highly devolved, the reason being they have tried to avoid the mistakes that led to the 2nd World War. There was an article on their power structure way back in 2004 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/nov/04/regionalgovernment.politics4). 16 years later and the UK has not followed suit and so is still riddled with inequality. In my view - if you have the Tories in power you will NEVER achieve that level of devolution, they want the power centralised in London and if they had their way would scrap the devolved Parliaments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Labour had their opportunity before 2010 and failed to do anything. What does that tell us ? The only way we are to safeguard the Senedd and deliver true power sharing across our country is if we are independent and do it ourselves. Just like the 13 Colonies in 1776 we'll have a clean slate, a chance to devolop a new beginning. That is the way forward.

Personally I'd be happiest seeing local government reformed under a sovereign Welsh government. Probably along the lines of Gwynedd, Clwyd, Powys, Dyfed, Gwent, West Glamorgan & East Glamorgan. They would need the political clout to build up local economies.

The feelings of alienation are genuine, but is more politicians the answer? Are Wales'local councilors held in more esteem than member of the Senedd? Would a regional assembly attract high quality candidates? If the Barnet formula isn't fair on Wales, how can a fair funding settlement for the regions be assured? Better decision making and swifter delivery of projects might improve perceptions of Wales'political institutions.

Certainly not! No way! That would divide the country - like partition in Ireland after the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.

You are spot on for the need for devolution within Wales. We perhaps need 2 chambers in the Welsh government - the other chamber with representatives from the regional assemblies. The federalisation of Europe into regions has been progressed through the years by groups in the EU parliament such as the EFA (which Plaid Cymru/SNP and Greens are part of) and the ALDE groupings. As a party fighting centralism - Plaid Cymru should campaign to reform the WG into a federal system and introduce / devolve income and business tax powers. There is a real danger that Wales could split into 2 or possibly 3 separate identities because the 3 rail networks are not linked up within our own country ! Bringing power to local communities is a first step before we build a national identity - to do this we need to link our regions by transport connections and that means: Railways, Buses for passengers and rail/road for road haulage. Bringing wealth to local communities: institutions to channel savings into local business investment - local stock exchanges and access to federal exchanges.

One thing that's striking with regards North Wales and the Senedd is the apparent utter failure of the Betsi Cadwalladr Heath Board. This will clearly affect perceptions on the success of devolution for a significant proportion of the North Wales population. The Minister responsible, Vaughan Gething, surely should have resigned over this debacle? If he or Labour really cared they'd be going on days off to the hospitals covered by this failing health board and asking staff what's going on and what can they do to turn it around? On Welsh NHS finance it's also interesting to note that in September 2017 the Western Mail ran a front page on how "The huge under-funding of the Welsh NHS by Westminster has grown to £500m"  when compared to England's. So again its no surprise the Welsh NHS is struggling in some departments when compared to the rest of the UK when Westminster refuses to put in fair funding. But when Betsi Cadwalladr Health Board is worse than other Welsh Health Boards then clearly it's not just missing finance that is the problem?

The reason why the North is apparently disproportionately in favour of abolition could be to do with the huge inward migration from England to the Northern coastal strip.

If the Senedd, is dissolved, Wales as a political identity does not exist. From that moment on, we become a region of England, and will only exist on the sporting field. ALL AM's need to wake up to this fact. At this moment in time, the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party maybe on the rise, they need to be watched, and taken seriously.

Adfer gwledydd neu daleithiau hanesyddol Cymru. Gweler yr ysgrif 'Sir Gwymon a Sir Conbych' yn fy llyfr 'Wele Wlad'. Dyma'r ateb.