The ugly side of Welsh democracy

Other bloggers are surprised and depressed in equal measures at the judgement in favour of Carmarthenshire County Council against Jacqui Thompson the blogger, i've not followed the whole saga closely, but the Council will feel vindicated and Jacqui probably left feeling what’s the point of it all, but as a fellow blogger I wish her well and hope she hasn’t lost all faith and keeps holding Carmarthenshire Council to account, however for me it’s an all too familiar story.

Jacqui isn’t the first and won’t be the last person in Wales wanting to be part of and contribute to Welsh public life and is then singled out and destroyed personally and professionally for pointing out flaws in the self serving policies of those who run Wales and the negative impact it often has on people’s lives

The list of people from inside and out who came up against the powers that be over the years and been run out of town and the country despite having legitimate issues and grievances is long indeed and reflects badly on the Labour Party who created the suffocating yes man and party before anything else culture that continues to hold sway in much of Wales even with other parties in charge of local government.

The dislike of criticism is also a hanger over from before the Assembly’s introduction where we had of a virtual one party state, a weak ineffective opposition, a largely non indigenous media and a disengaged electorate which has changed little since 1999.

But perhaps the most galling thing about these episodes is the same self serving elite in Wales are outraged at seeing the same behaviour it in other countries and quick to point it out, all incredibly hypocritical.  

So perhaps now, most of the people who read this blog will understand the need for political reform in Wales with less local authorities, more AM’s to properly scrutinise the Welsh Government, a stronger Welsh media (nationally and locally) and a more engaged electorate, because without it those who govern will continue to run riot and bully at will anyone who gets in their way.

Any source