Answering London's Call.

A curious article on Wales Home  by Jez Caudle entitled " London Calling belittling Plaid and the SNP's reference to the "London Parties". I think Jez's defence of London completely misses the point.

I lived in London during the nineties and loved my time there, it was an exciting City in which  there is an amazing mix of cultures that enriches the city.

I used to drink in Irish pub in Camden called the Stags Head. Strangely it was a gathering point not only of the Irish, but exiles from Wales, Scotland,and the rest of England (Indeed the World). Londoners seemed to prefer to gather in other Public Houses. Perhaps it shows a inbuilt hostility to outsiders or viceversa I don't know?

However I agree with Jez that despite great degrees of wealth in some areas London has huhe problems . Because of the massive poverty in many London boroughs, health and social services in the capital needs more money but then do all areas of poverty throughout these Islands.

However London gets funding through projects such as the Olympic Games and the Millennium Dome which we in all parts of the UK can only dream about.

When however the Nationalist Parties refer the "London Parties" it is in opposition to the London centric view that these express, and the influence of the London based Institutions such as the Banks and the Media as well. Indeed the latter is often most at fault and it sometimes seems from all aspects of the "London Media" that devolution never happened.

I believe that you will find more hostility to London, coming from Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester who also suffer from the London Centric emphasis, rather than Cardiff and Edinburgh .

If Jez were  to return to Wales now he would see  the Assembly working on  issues such as Health and Education  which are ignored outside London. He would also see Parties calling themselves Welsh Labour, Welsh Conservative and Welsh Liberal Democrats who attempt to give the impression that they are outside the "London Bubble",  but in truth they are under central control.

If you here London Calling by all means answer it but come home soon.