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Okay, here we go.
A response to Keir Starmer's speech on the future of devolution in the UK.
THREAD. [1/25]
A response to Keir Starmer's speech on the future of devolution in the UK.
THREAD. [1/25]
First of all, the stark difference between where the debate actually is and where UK Labour thinks the debate is has been once again put in focus.
Starmer has brought a normative, emotional argument to a sober, practical discussion.
[2/25]
Starmer has brought a normative, emotional argument to a sober, practical discussion.
[2/25]
When he argues that “together we fought slavery, we fought poverty, we fought fascism, and we’re fighting Covid”, his very l i b e r al interpretation of history betrays who this speech is pitched to. It's not to the Scottish and the Welsh.
It's to the British.
[3/25]
It's to the British.
[3/25]
Our Whigs fought our Tories, our working class fights the capitalist class, we fight fascism every day, and our Covid response is a constant clash between our governments.
These are nostalgic throwbacks not based on lived experiences, not arguments for the union.
[4/25]
These are nostalgic throwbacks not based on lived experiences, not arguments for the union.
[4/25]
These arguments target the same demographic Starmer courted with the People's Vote - modern, 'more-British-than-English' voters, based in multi-seat, marginal cities.
These are the people Starmer needs in order to win in England. And fair enough.
[5/25]
These are the people Starmer needs in order to win in England. And fair enough.
[5/25]
This notwithstanding, it's just wrong.
Every other country has fought the same, and most - with 1/3rd of our children in poverty, the far right ascendent everywhere, and the highest death rate in Europe - have managed better than this union.
[6/25]
Every other country has fought the same, and most - with 1/3rd of our children in poverty, the far right ascendent everywhere, and the highest death rate in Europe - have managed better than this union.
[6/25]
"Our families live across borders, our businesses operate across borders, we're interconnected and interdependent" could be said of any region of independent states.
Benelux, perhaps?
Again, this is not an argument for the union.
[7/25]
Benelux, perhaps?
Again, this is not an argument for the union.
[7/25]
"Since Labour lost power... a decade of austerity, which undermined our public services, widened inequalities, and made communities across the country poorer"
Wales didn't vote for any of this - we voted for Labour, and yet all of this happened. [8/25]
Wales didn't vote for any of this - we voted for Labour, and yet all of this happened. [8/25]
We have experienced over the last 10 years a systematic dismantling of our social securities enforced without consent.
That the voting behaviour of 1 country CAN cause this irreperable damage to the other 3 is indicative of an unequal and exploitative state.
[9/25]
That the voting behaviour of 1 country CAN cause this irreperable damage to the other 3 is indicative of an unequal and exploitative state.
[9/25]
Starmer's attacks on the SNP government, due to his characterisation of the majority of Scots (58%) as "separatists", land like a criticism from across the border of all of Scotland.
The SNP's record in gov't requires scrutiny, but this is not it.
[10/25]
The SNP's record in gov't requires scrutiny, but this is not it.
[10/25]
Every swing he hits the SNP's record with falls like a hammer blow to the Welsh Gov't. Take Starmer's key indicator of SNP failure: child poverty.
Wales already has higher levels of child poverty than Scotland.
It doesn't matter who is in office, it won't get better.
[11/25]
Wales already has higher levels of child poverty than Scotland.
It doesn't matter who is in office, it won't get better.
[11/25]
This isn't because we have a particular party in power in either country, but because our governments are being asked to eradicate poverty without the financial autonomy to be able to even scratch the surface
You can't eradicate poverty with only power over paper clips.
[12/25]
You can't eradicate poverty with only power over paper clips.
[12/25]
Our peripheral countries have both struggled with tackling inequalities because they've been exploited, divested, and underinvested, time and time and time again.
No amount of muscular unionism can change that fact that the common thread IS the union.
[13/25]
No amount of muscular unionism can change that fact that the common thread IS the union.
[13/25]
"When Labour loses elections, we fail in our historic mission, we fail the people of Scotland, and we allow the fabric of our United Kingdom to be weakened"
A timely reminder of the circumstances in Wales for the casual viewer:
[14/25]
A timely reminder of the circumstances in Wales for the casual viewer:
[14/25]
Labour has not lost a domestic parliamentary election for over a century. Yet here we are.
Austerity imposed, inequalities widened, our communities poorer.
Because it doesn't matter who wins in Wales, the decisions we need to make are taken beyond our control.
[15/25]
Austerity imposed, inequalities widened, our communities poorer.
Because it doesn't matter who wins in Wales, the decisions we need to make are taken beyond our control.
[15/25]
Starmer suggests that he may be the first to seek power to cede it. In Wales, this is an easy sell.
Our people are consistently, enthusiastically pro-devolution and for the time being Labour hegemony doesn't seem to be waning.
But Starmer doesn't need to win in Wales. [16/25]
Our people are consistently, enthusiastically pro-devolution and for the time being Labour hegemony doesn't seem to be waning.
But Starmer doesn't need to win in Wales. [16/25]
He needs to win in England - and how this position of winning power to cede it to the periphery nations will go down next door is a question for @RWynJones.
But this isn't a speech on devolved nations, remember- it's a speech on English local government arrangements.
[17/25]
But this isn't a speech on devolved nations, remember- it's a speech on English local government arrangements.
[17/25]
Finally - we get to the substance.
The Constitutional Commission.
[18/25]
The Constitutional Commission.
[18/25]
Starmer's justification for this commission came entirely from the UK Government's approach to English local gov't leaders.
This DOES need addressing, but it's a matter for England alone - the internal configuration of local gov't in England is not our concern.
[19/25]
This DOES need addressing, but it's a matter for England alone - the internal configuration of local gov't in England is not our concern.
[19/25]
This demonstrates an age-old inability of UK Labour to think of England beyond the whole of the UK, and it therefore renders the UK party unable to talk about devolution properly.
Our friends at @HiraethBlog captured it best.
https://twitter.com/HiraethBlog/status/1336400214320668672?s=20
[20/25]
Our friends at @HiraethBlog captured it best.
https://twitter.com/HiraethBlog/status/1336400214320668672?s=20
[20/25]
This speech is a cacophony of oversimplifications and of fundamental misunderstandings about our nations and the debates we have.
And in response to this misreading, Starmer is throughout using attitudes to the devolved nations in order to win support outside them.
[21/25]
And in response to this misreading, Starmer is throughout using attitudes to the devolved nations in order to win support outside them.
[21/25]
Starmer comes to the crux, eventually – “it’s about listening”.
He has already in this speech written off the majority of Scots as "separatists".
Will he listen to them? Will he listen to the 1/3rd of Wales who are similar? This speech doesn't suggest it's likely.
[22/25]
He has already in this speech written off the majority of Scots as "separatists".
Will he listen to them? Will he listen to the 1/3rd of Wales who are similar? This speech doesn't suggest it's likely.
[22/25]
“There’s nothing that separatism can offer a child in poverty in Glasgow, and there’s nothing that nationalism can offer a child in poverty in Camden”
Dismantling this sentence alone requires a litany of Nation articles that even we haven’t the time for.
[23/25]
Dismantling this sentence alone requires a litany of Nation articles that even we haven’t the time for.
[23/25]
But we'll end with this.
Our material conditions have pushed us to see indy as our means with which to eradicate poverty, to improve our lives, and rebuild our communities - to bring about socialism.
These are responses to reality - not emotional lunges to nostalgia.
[24/25]
Our material conditions have pushed us to see indy as our means with which to eradicate poverty, to improve our lives, and rebuild our communities - to bring about socialism.
These are responses to reality - not emotional lunges to nostalgia.
[24/25]
"Separatism" puts the financial and constitutional levers into the hands of the people whose lives and communities have been ripped apart by this union.
Welsh Labour can’t afford to defer on these responsibilities much longer.
Socialism through independence.
[/END]
Welsh Labour can’t afford to defer on these responsibilities much longer.
Socialism through independence.
[/END]
