Wales firmly part of the British establishment, while Scotland continues to chart its own course

Yesterday’s Royal Wedding was accompanied by reams of analysis on TV and in the newspapers by Royal and Political experts as well as historians about what the marriage meant for the monarchy and Britain in the short, medium and long term, most of it was of the cut and paste variety that gets churned out for these events adding very little to our understanding, but there was a piece from Royal Historian David Starkey in the Times that didn’t fully conform and is worth a closer look.

In his article (behind a Times pay wall sadly) he stated there was a North/South divided in yesterday’s Wedding Celebrations that was caused by the changing nature of politics on these islands, mainly since devolution and if you looked at the map of street parties its add weight to his argument, lots in the South East and fewer the further North you went and in Scotland with Glasgow being the only city in the UK not to hold any street parties to celebrate the marriage of William and Kate.

He went on to talk about this separation forming two political entities that of Scotland and England, both alien and non compatible with the other. There was no mention of Wales until he stated that Wales, particularly South Wales was firmly on South side of this divide, that of British establishment and England politics in this new political order.

Given Welsh folklore his comments will be easily dismissed, but there were very few places in Wales where the Royal wedding wasn’t celebrated, symbols of Wales were on full display yesterday from Kate Welsh gold ring to Welsh Royal harpist and daffodils on the Wedding Cake as well as the many Welsh establishment figures who were present in Westminster Abbey for the big day.

It could all simply be dismissed as a rant if we we weren't in the middle of Election Campaigns to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly where this analysis rings true in the battles for control of the two legislatures, which couldn’t be more different.

Labour in Wales is firmly back in control and unchallenged for power (if it ever really lost control) while in Scotland the SNP and Labour are in a bitter battle for control of Holyrood, which many commentators including Gerry Hassan believe will define Scotland and the UK in the near future.

David Starkey’s thesis also challenges the notion of Wales as a socialist bastion holding out against English Tory rule, a narrative that dominates so much of Welsh political debate and has informed how we Welsh see ourselves and want to be seen by others over the years.

So it’s worth asking is Wales more tuned into the British establishment and English politics than anyone including our politicians are prepared to admit to or acknowledge?Any source