Are "Welsh" Labour are deliberately sabotaging the effectiveness of the devolution settlement.

"Bread and circuses" (or bread and games; from Latin: panem et circenses) is a metonymic phrase critiquing superficial appeasement. It is attributed to Juvenal, a Roman poet active in the late first and early second century AD — and is used commonly in cultural, particularly political, contexts.

In a political context, the phrase means to generate public approval, not by excellence in public service or public policy, but by diversion, distraction or by satisfying the most immediate or base requirements of a populace^[1] — by offering a palliative: for example food (bread) or entertainment (circuses).

Now it appears that giving the Welsh Government full control over railways would "address some of the concerns" of Wales' "growing independence movement", according to the economy minister.

In a letter to MPs, Labour's Ken Skates warns UK ministers against giving Wales "an inferior degree of devolution".The Brexit Party's Mark Reckless called using independence to put pressure on UK ministers "preposterous".The first minister said his government "always speak up" for Wales' interests.
In the letter Ken Skates says: "We have a clear template for delivering the remaining elements of devolution, we have unprecedented cross-party support and we have an ambitious and deliverable vision that will reverse the decades of under investment in our railway."We would regard any outcome that resulted in an inferior degree of devolution for Wales to that proposed for other areas of the United Kingdom as a significant missed opportunity."An equitable rail devolution settlement across all nations of the UK would address some of the concerns being raised by the growing independence movements in both Scotland and Wales."

 The latest YouGov poll for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University found 21% of the 1,009 adults polled said they would vote for Welsh independence.

However, 57% said they would not.

The question was: "If there was a referendum tomorrow on Wales becoming an independent country and this was the question, how would you vote? Should Wales be an independent country?"

Yes	21%
No	56%
Would not vote	8%
Don’t know	12%
Refused	3%

A separate question asked: If there was a referendum tomorrow on abolishing the National Assembly for Wales and this was the question, how would you vote? Should Wales abolish the National Assembly for Wales?

Yes	24%
No	47%
Would not vote	8%
Don’t know	17%
Refused	4%

Comparing like-for-like results of adults, it is the highest level of support for independence in this type of poll.

Cardiff University's Roger Awan-Scully said: "This is the highest level of support for independence in any poll using this multi-option that I can recall; certainly the highest that we have seen in any Barometer poll. But such support is still a little lower than support for abolition.

"Overall, our new Barometer poll suggests: Some rise in support for Welsh independence; Support for independence in Wales still lower than for abolishing the Assembly; Support for both still well below support for devolution but lots of 'wishful thinking'!"

Brexit Party assembly group leader Mr Reckless raised Mr Skates's letter in the Senedd on Tuesday. Referring to the poll he said: "We're reminded today that support for abolishing this place is greater than support for independence"."First minister, surely it's preposterous to pressurise the UK government as if you're Cardiff's Nicola Sturgeon [the Scottish National Party leader]."Responding, Mr Drakeford said: "When our interests are different to those of the UK, of course, we will always speak up for them"."We will stand up to that responsibility and we will never leave them in any doubt, not because we are looking for confrontation, but because we have a job of work to do which means that this Senedd is here to represent people's views in Wales, and we must do that without fear of any contradiction by others."

We must not discount the rise in calls for the Abolition of the Assembly  and after 20 years of Labour Governments in Cardiff Bay, with very little to show for it is understanding and once again  I repeat this table 



Small wonder that support for Independence has reached a majority in Scotland

It would take a conspiracy theory of high magnitude  to come to the consensus that "Welsh" Labour are deliberately sabotaging the effectiveness of the devolution settlement , but they seem to be having that efect in sime quarters


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