#Welsh Government report

[news-buzz]

Panic in Wales as tourist tax could see 700 jobs axed - Government report | UK | News News Buzz

The impending tourist tax for visitors staying overnight in Wales could see dire effects, says the Government’s own report. The Welsh Government is said to be introducing this tourist tax legislation which will give local councils power to impose a visitor levy for accommodation bills. Recently the Government introduced this bill at the Senedd but according to a report for the Welsh Government,…

[tanihanya]

Living in the UK as a trans woman is finding the most "trans supportive" party to only be the ones that view us as an annoyance instead of a threat.

It's having to spread warnings about the Guardian, a Left Wing source, as they are some of the constantly worse in trying to demonise us.

It's holding hope in the Scottish or Welsh governments, just for them to turn on us in the drop of a penny

It's sitting here helplessly as Dr. Cass removes in a single report, what we have worked so hard to gain in Thirty Years.

It's the knowledge that it feels as if there is a deep and intrinsic TERF culture running throughout this country.

It is seeing 'allies' agree that we are so much better than the US with trans people and then seeing zero backlash to the removal of all Puberty Blockers.

It's seeing The Guardian go after DIY, and the response is "to wait it out"

It's having a 48% suicide rate that nobody cares of, and is entirely dismissed.

It's the hopelessness and the dread. We know others have it so much worse. But there's just. this overwhelming feeling. That this is the way it will be for us forever.

[pigeonwhumps]

Courtroom

MD-264N masterlist

So um. You may notice this is not my Whumptober story. This is bc my brain decided it would only write this today. But enjoy anyway! At least I'm writing more than a sentence or two again!

Taglist: @wolfeyedwitch @den-of-evil @dustypinetree @cardboardarsonist @skittles-the-whumpee

@whatwhumpcomments @whump-tr0pes @snakebites-and-ink @painful-pooch @i-eat-worlds

@a-funeral-romance @rainydaywhump

An AU of MD-264N based on this prompt by @lumpywhump. Morgan goes on trial.

1.4k

CWs: living weapon whumpee, minor whump (discussed), past minor whump, meltdown, unintentional attempted self-harm (head banging), guns, gunshots

"I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

Asha glances across at Morgan worriedly. This is the make-or-break evidence of the trial, she's sure of it, she hasn't seen what Blue has to present but she's seen the medical aftermath of it, and she's seen Blue's reaction (she knows exactly when he cracked the files because that's when he brought her the widened cutlery for them, visibly seething). The problem is that Morgan hasn't visibly reacted to anything so far today, and Asha doesn't think that'll help in the eyes of the judges.

Also, against all medical advice, Morgan is standing for the trial. It's standard. They shouldn't be, not on that ankle, not if they don't want to make the permanent damage worse. They didn't even walk here, but apparently weapons don't get seating if they're being reprimanded, so they won't sit now.

But it's been hours, and Asha is really worried about that ankle.

Blue clears his throat and Asha snaps her attention back to him.

"As you all know, Morgan has been with the Regime's Ministry of Defence since they were eight. Within their file was video and written evidence dating back to then. Your Honours, you have the written reports in your evidence packs, but there's videos that I am going to show you chronologically." He clicks a remote control and the screen changes to the hallway of a normal-seeming family home, books and toys scattered around. The 'play' triangle is superimposed over it. "Morgan's parents were well-documented protesters, though by the time they were eight they'd both stepped back from the movement to raise their child. Morgan had several disabilities and powers, both of which put them in danger. They were known as Lili then, and this video, of their... I suppose you could say recruitment, if you want to follow the government's euphemisms, is the last evidence we have of them having a name rather than a serial number until Rhian Williams named them Morgan upon their arrival here. If I may play the video, Your Honour?"

The head judge nods, and the video starts.

There's a high-pitched giggle off-screen, and then a kid charges into view, holding a battered notebook with sticky bookmarks sticking out of the side.

Asha's breath hitches. This must be Morgan. They don't look eight. They're so small.

"Hey!"

Morgan – Lili? – giggles again. A woman runs in, grabbing Morgan around the middle and lifting them into the air. Their long brown hair flies around them, mixing with her light hair.

"Got you! Now give me my notes back!"

There's a movement in the courtroom and Asha glances over. Morgan's dropped to the floor. At first Asha thinks it's just their ankle, but then they get up, clawing at the thin wooden rail attached to the plexiglass sides. Their eyes are fixed on the screen, and at first they look no more emotional than before, but tears stream down their cheeks, and their hands tremble.

"No!"

The woman smiles and snatches the notebook. "Too late. Let's see what you've given me."

As the woman flips through the pages, Asha notices the subtitles for the first time and her breath catches in her throat. She was focused so much on Morgan she didn't notice the language switch – she's not sure how that happened. But Welsh. Morgan's Welsh. A different part of Wales to herself, it sounds like more of a borders accent to Asha's north Wales, but they're Welsh. Can they still speak it? Would it help them if she did? Make them feel less alone?

The woman's eyes widen. "Baby, you–"

A door latch clicks off-screen. "Honey, I'm home!"

Morgan grins and scrambles off the woman, running for the edge of the screen. "Tad!"

Their dad enters the video, catching Morgan around the waist and spinning them in a circle. "Hey little monster. How was your day?"

"I decorated mam's notebook! And I've been practicing my writing!"

"Here, have a look," says Morgan's mam, passing the notebook over with a smile. Their dad's grin widens.

"You wrote your name? And a whole sentence?"

Morgan nods enthusiastically.

"She did indeed. She also coloured in my notes at the same time, but I'm sure my professor won't mind too much."

Morgan's dad ruffles their hair. "Well, I think this calls for celebratory pancakes. Why don't you go and pick out the mould?"

Morgan nods and charges off-screen. Morgan's dad wilts and he runs a hand through his hair. Their mam kisses him.

"Hard day at work?"

"No kidding. I got the number for that specialist, but we don't have long. If anyone catches wind of Lili..."

"We don't have long. But let's leave today for celebrating Lili. 50p she chooses the Archimedes mould?"

"I'd be a fool to take that bet." He puts an arm around her shoulders and they wander off-screen. There's nothing for a minute, just a blank hallway with no sound. Whatever camera bug this is by the former regime, it's good quality.

"Hey baby, what'd you choose?"

"Archimedes!"

"Your favourite. Come and help me with–"

There's a fast, loud banging on a door. "Ministry of Defence! Open up!"

Someone curses. Morgan yelps.

"Lili, I will always love you. Now run. Just like we practiced."

"Mam? Tad? What's–"

"Go! We'll catch you up."

A running child's footsteps. Morgan's dad strides into the hallway and takes down a framed painting, unlocking the safe beneath it and passing a gun to their mum.

She cocks it. Was it already loaded in there? Who were Morgan's parents?

"I love you."

"And I you."

The door crashes in. The sound of gunshots fills the room, and not just from Morgan's parents. They–

"No!"

The scream is strangled and wet. Asha glances around to see Morgan on their knees, their head in their hands, rocking. They look devastated.

The video doesn't end there, as Morgan's dragged on-screen, kicking and screaming, smacked around the head until she stops, and all of this over her parents' bodies, splayed out on the wood, blood pooling around them.

There's a makeshift height chart just visible in the last shot, the pencil marks on the wallpaper sprayed with blood.

This video ends here, with Morgan's removal, but it's not the only one. Asha doesn't know how Blue can stand there and present these so calmly. There's one very soon after, with Morgan's head newly-shaved, a shock harness and mittens freshly fitted, and they look so cold. They're in shock, they're an orphan, but they're not allowed to grieve, the attitudes of the handlers makes that clear. They don't understand but nobody's giving them a chance to do so.

And so it continues. And so Morgan grows up. Never spoken of as a person, never given an inch, locked into the tiniest room, shocked until they stop moving, stop speaking. Stop resisting. Trained, punished. Taught to kill, punished when they resist, hesitate, react violently to the harsh sounds and movements and actions. Hurt until they stop hesitating, forget that they can, perhaps forget that they were ever anything but a weapon, forged in the fires of pain and desperation, purged of everything they don't actively need in an effort to survive.

But the nightmares never stop. They still haven't, Asha knows. She just didn't have the context until now.

Meanwhile, present-day Morgan is getting worse with every piece of evidence. Scrambling back when certain people come on screen, and freezing, and pleading with the videos when they think they're going to be punished. Their face is blotchy with silent tears, and they keen, rocking back and forth in distress from the latest video (active mission testing).

And then they start trying to bash their head against the plexiglass, and one of their guards has to restrain them. Asha should be there, she's their doctor, but she tries to stand and someone official shakes their head at her. It's not fair, she knows she's part of the trial, but she– she–

"They've survived worse, they'll be okay," whispers Rhian hoarsely. Asha nods, unable to speak. She should still be there.

She aches to go to them. She knew it was bad – only a fool would see a young person wearing an electroshock harness and think it wasn't – but she didn't realise it was this bad.

But she can't. She's not allowed, she can't risk the trial, they won't let her. All she can do is sit here and watch uselessly as Morgan's heart is ripped wide open, all over the very public courtroom floor.

[invisibleicewands]

Campaign to devolve the Crown Estate to Wales launched

Siarter Cartrefi, in partnership with Beth Winter MP and Liz Saville Roberts MP, will be holding an open meeting, with the support of Michael Sheen, to launch a new campaign focused on devolving the Crown Estate to Wales.

Beth Winter and Liz Saville Roberts will give an update on the Cross Party Bill in Parliament to Devolve the Crown Rights and a short video message of support from Michael Sheen will be screened, before opening up to a discussion on the future of the campaign. The meeting will take place online on 30 January at 7pm.

This event aims to pull together individuals and organisations in a sustained joint campaign that will demand the devolution of the Crown Estate with the profits directed into a Sovereign Wealth Fund, managed by the Welsh Government, for community benefit.

Siarter Cartrefi, the Welsh Housing Justice Charter, is a grassroots organisation that brings together community activists from across Wales, collaborating with third sector, campaign organisations, Welsh Government and others.

In the spring of last year, Siarter Cartrefi co-produced Ten Recommendations to the Welsh Government via a community consultation and Emergency Housing Conference, devolving the Crown Estate was one of them, and was seen as a way to secure a more sustainable future for Welsh communities.

The Crown Estate is a collection of land and assets owned by the Crown, but managed by an independent trust. Its profits are funnelled into the UK Treasury, and 25% of revenues into the Sovereign grant, paid for the upkeep of the royal family.

The Crown Estate in Wales owns about 65% of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed, and more than 50,000 acres of land. In 2020-21, the value of the estate went from £96.8m to £603m, reflecting the value of the land for renewable development and other projects.

The estimated annual revenue in 2020-2021 was £8.7m.  As revealed by Cymru Republic, the value in 2023 is £853m.

Since 2016, the Crown Estate has been devolved in Scotland.

Catrin O Neill, founding member of Siarter Cartrefi said: “Devolution of the Crown Estate is a key recommendation from our community consultation work. The people of Wales increasingly see this as a really important cause.

“In the coming weeks we will be working with other campaigners to build momentum behind this fundamental issue. Wales should benefit directly from the profits of renewable energy, and to use this money to address the poverty and inequality in communities across Wales.”

Dylan Lewis Rowlands, member of Siarter Cartrefi said: “Our work on housing in Wales proved that, as the title of our report states, Housing is not just about Housing.

“Housing is a fundamental bedrock of communities, but there are so many inter-related issues that we could not ignore them. We are working on this campaign as a natural next step of our work, and we must win it, for the future of our communities in Wales”

The meeting will take place online, on 30 January at 7pm. Join via the Eventbrite link here.

[bluescreening]

For any US residents who don't fully understand how much your politics affects the rest of the world:

The other day, a Welsh teenager stabbed several children at a dance class in Southport, killing three. He was arrested.

A US right-wing outlet incorrectly reported his name and claimed he was Muslim. The kid's name is actually unknown because of reporting laws about minors committing crimes.

Last night there were targeted riots outside a mosque in Southport, trapping several people inside. They were wrecking the pavement to throw bricks. A local shop owned by an immigrant man was also robbed. A white woman had to step in and claim the shop was hers to end it. The UK's right wing extremist groups had travelled there specifically to increase numbers. Riots targeted at mosques also occurred across the UK.

Luckily the Southport locals have come together to help clean the street, repair the mosque and provide aid to the shopkeeper, but none of this would have happened if it wasn't for US extremists shoving their nose where it doesn't belong, led by their government.

[ultramaga]

English police are turning Islamist Mosques into armouries. Are they hoping to turn England into The Caliphate?

I’ve noticed when Leftists describe the attack that sparked it all off, they claim the Rwandan child murderer was Welsh, akshueallly, and caucasians don’t exist anyway so it totally doesn’t count when you kill them.

I don’t like the craziness of the riots, but that’s what riots are like, and I can’t help but notice the media is not kneeling and talking about how the protests are “mostly peaceful”, and from what I have seen online, they were until they were attacked by armed Islamists - as the police stood by and did nothing.

So if the police are taking sides, how do you survive without violence? Does the UK government advice all citizens to convert immediately?

I do find the suppression of the story interesting.

I remember giving up on Facebook because you were not allowed to say “men are not women”. It was deemed hatespeech to observe a simple face humanity observed around a million years ago.

Now, ironically, Twitter - or rather X - sorry, Elon - is becoming the bastion of Free Speech. I saw nothing reported on this on the Australian News when I flipped around at the start, and there was definitely some sort of suppression going on.

When it was reported, it was strictly using the formula of “the Natzees are natzeeing because white. Natzeee!”

There was no attempt at any balance. It was The Message only.

I am glad that there are at least a few dissenting voices on Youtube and elsewhere. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/29706765/shocking-footage-gang-palestinian-flags-punch-man-kick-head/ There’s a reason for the Second Amendment, and there’s a reason Leftists globally subvert and destroy self-defence laws. In Britain, as locals point out, you can be arrested for a letter opener, but Islamists are permitted to carry machetes and clubs.

Why the double standard?

Why does the media suppress stories like this, and only promote stories of innocent Muslim victims - which generally just seem to have mean words used on them, rather than kicks to the face.

“Indigenous people protesting against violent colonization is now far right.” I wish some equivalent of Diana's Lasso could be applied to Leftists, so they could just admit they want to kill white people as revenge for the failures of Communism. Imagine how refreshing it would be to see them speak honestly for a change.

[songofwizardry]

Ok I'm out of the UK and meant to be on an organising break so I don't even know the worst of it, because I'm off all my usual networks and chats, but here's a long post, because I'm angry: in the last few days, across the country, there have been (halal and Muslim owned) businesses burnt down and attacked including cafes (1 and 2) and a supermarket in Belfast; a Muslim cemetery was vandalised; multiple hotels housing asylum seekers or said to be housing asylum seekers were set on fire sometimes with people inside. And that's just what's on the news. The stuff coming out anecdotally, from the people I'm talking to, is even worse. And again, I'm not hearing the worst of it right now.

The rhetoric is blatant and obvious: the leaked list of targets for Wednesday evening that's going around explicitly says they won't stop coming until we make them. It explicitly targets immigration support, immigration lawyers, and asylum seeker and refugee support centres; and just because you think you live in a diverse area does not mean it’s not a target and that numbers aren’t needed. By virtue of it targeting immigration support (and by design!!!) they’re targeting areas with large Brown, Black and immigrant populations. Particularly Muslim populations.

I don’t want to fear monger, bc where communities have been showing up, the fash are being driven out. But like. I will not lie. It is terrifying to see blatant far-right, Islamophobic, explicitly anti-immigrant and anti-asylum rhetoric so openly on our streets, days on end. It makes me incandescent with rage to hear about mosques across the country issuing warnings and shutting down events, and to hear about my friends outside London whose families haven’t been able to leave their homes in days, to hear from my friends who are or support asylum seekers about how terrified they are. It infuriates me to see, even at this point, the language and reporting, because to make the news we have to step out of a mosque being targeted and offer the fash food and a tour of the mosque; because they're still talking about how much we "contribute" to this country and that's why you shouldn't target us; becaus there's still people pointing out super "reasonably" that this is a natural response of the white working class to unchecked immigration or our terrible crimes or the violence of Muslims or those fucking savages or because there's too many goddamn people crossing the channel or. Whatever new bullshit. Genuinely, this is still turning up in the reporting, and on socials, go look on twitter and you will be utterly horrified at the shit that's being said. I'm seeing it on tumblr too.

It makes me so fucking angry and yet I am unsurprised, because Nigel Farage is an MP and can still say that this is a “response to unchecked immigration”, because the shadow Welsh secretary can say there is “political justification” for the far-right action on our streets, because my friends who are asylum seekers have seen years upon years of being blamed for every ill and failure of the social safety net that the government has been responsible for. This is where we end up after years of talking about “no-go zones” in Muslim areas of cities, after “Stop the boats” (full of terrified people who are escaping unimaginably bad circumstances) becomes a reasonable political chant, after we had a prime minister whose blatant islamophobic comments were just… ignored for years, after years of newspaper front pages demonising us.

This isn’t just about the stabbings. (Tommy Robinson was in London leading a fash march before these stabbings. This has been a long time coming.) This is the result of years of this shit. So yeah, we are scared, and concerned, but also angry (maybe that’s just me; I am always angry). Look out for your friends. Check in on people, particularly if you know PoC and people targeted by Islamophobia (misplaced or otherwise, our Sikh friends get a lot of this shit as well), immigrants, and asylum seekers and refugees.

Numbers have been key to keeping the fash down. Counterprotests are happening everywhere—if you can get to one SAFELY (being the key word here—if you’re visibly going to be a target, there is no shame in staying home and staying safe) please do, don’t go alone under any circumstances, take the GBC number, don’t split off from the group, etc. Repeatedly, we have been the ones keeping each other safe. Counter-protests are being called by Stand Up To Racism (which is a SWP front), but particularly within London, BLMUK and LAFA (the London Anti-Fascist Assembly) are also coordinating responses—you can see stuff on the BLMUK instagram. Do what you can to help, but if you’re going out there, do it as a group and do it safely.

And please please push back against the anti-immigrant rhetoric, against these prevalent ideas (even) amongst “polite” middle class white liberals about Muslims who refuse to assimilate, about the “state” of “those” areas of Birmingham and Manchester and London, against the good immigrant narratives and the blame we get for everything from inflation to overcrowded classrooms to NHS underfunding, against the fucking vile way people talk about asylum seekers and people crossing the channel.

I am tired and sick to my core of the myth of “polite” British racism. I am tired of being told that things like that don’t happen here, of the shock I get anytime I describe the Islamophobia and racism that people (that I) experience. I’m actually very very tired full stop, and I don’t know how to end this paragraph.

Fuck the fash. We keep ourselves and each other safe. We need each other to keep our communities safe. Organise. And for the love of god, listen to us.

[ward-en]

originally wrote this out as a silly rant, but honestly I'm kinda irked and also find Welsh history stuff fascinating, so here's a slightly more coherent rant about the Welsh language, it's history and why I think that efforts to make Welsh more prominent in Wales is a positive and undeniably important thing (ended up being kinda long so see rant under the cut) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Basically, this article outlines how people think that efforts to increase the amount of Welsh speakers, which includes making more schools Welsh-medium and requiring knowledge of the language for certain jobs, are "forcing Welsh upon people". Just to clarify, this article is only about Ceredigion, but efforts to increase Welsh fluency are happening all over Wales, so I think this is still relevant regardless. Anyway, people are claiming that they feel they are being pushed out of the country, and that the council should be spending money elsewhere. There is an argument to be made with that last point, but ultimately this while opposition has a whiff of colonisation to it, a hint of English bullshittery. Opponents of these efforts seem to see it as a personal attack, as though trying to teach a country it's own language is discriminatory. I do not understand this point of view at all. The Welsh language had been in decline ever since (mostly) English settlers started to promote the replacement of Welsh with English. Welsh was stopped from being taught in schools, to the point where children heard speaking Welsh were made to wear something called the "Welsh Not" (pictures below)

Children caught speaking Welsh would have this wooden plaque with "WN" carved into it hung around their necks, and any student seen wearing one by the end of class would be beaten with a cane for it by teachers. From ~1840-1940, the Welsh language was literally beaten out of children. A factor in this was an investigation into the "lawlessness" and "laziness" of the Welsh, which was carried out by monoglot English speakers, that decided the Welsh language was the primary cause. There is probably a lot more I could talk about regarding the erasure of the Welsh language and culture, but my point is, it happened. And the Welsh language declined for it, to the point where from 1911 to 1961 the census reported that the percentage of Welsh speakers had decreased from 43.5% to 26%. The Welsh government have been making efforts to raise this number, with methods including making Welsh lessons mandatory in school (I believe most students must take a Welsh GCSE), providing more Welsh-medium schools and providing more job opportunities to those who speak Welsh; things that the original article take issue with. But these things haven't been introduced to flush out non-Welsh speakers from the country, it's to create more of them. We can see that these efforts aren't in vain either; the percentage of Welsh speakers increased for the first time in over 100 years in 2001. The numbers decreased in 2011, but have since rose to even greater figures in 2021. The pandemic had an effect on these figures, which is to be expected as schools closed, limiting most children's access to proper education, which just adds to the necessity of bolstering the Welsh language today. To make the most general of conclusions, we are slowly but surely regaining the language that many of our ancestors had beaten out of them, stripped from them against their wills. Our country should be able to speak it's own language, the same way you'd expect people living in Spain to speak Spanish, people living in Germany to speak German. This isn't an attempt to erase the English language from Wales, that would be impossible at this point. Instead, bilingualism is encouraged, to keep the language that most of us already speak from birth whilst still promoting a language that had previously been dying. A language that previously represented Wales. The fact that, as seen in the original article, most of the opponents of the council's decisions identified themselves as "British" rather than "Welsh" (as most of the supporters did), is honestly to be expected. It was non-Welsh (mainly English) people that have tried to erase this language multiple times before, and history seems to be repeating itself. This will sound harsh, but if you disagree with the people of a country speaking it's language, then maybe it's time to pack your bags. You want a country that speaks majority English? Go to England or something. But I think it is reasonable to say that in Wales, we should be encouraged to learn our own language.

Sorry for this being such a departure from my usual stuff. Anyone who follows me probably gets whiplash every time I post lol. But I've been thinking about stuff like this a lot so seeing this article kinda just sent me into a frenzy. Honestly I wish I spoke more Welsh. Duolingo is the only decent language learning app I can find but it only does Northern Welsh and I'm a southern gal so I've been hesitant. I did get an A* in my Welsh GCSE though so at least there's that. Rant over now lol. Hwyl fawr a nos da!!

[scotianostra]

On March 1st 1979 Scots voted in favour of Devolution, but failed to reach the required 40% of the population in favour of implementing it - due to 36% of the electorate not voting.

THE PLOT.

The introduction of devolution legislation in 1976 was largely the product of nationalist pressures on the Government. James Callaghan's Labour government had a majority of only three after the 1974 (October) election and by 1977 had no majority at all after a series of by-election defeats. The government was therefore vulnerable to pressures from the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru, who between them won 14 seats at the election (SNP 11, Plaid Cymru 3). The Kilbrandon commission had reported in 1974, recommending the establishment of a Scottish parliament and endorsing the principle of devolution.

A combined Scotland and Wales Bill was introduced in November 1976. It gained a second reading only after referendums in both Scotland and Wales had been conceded. The Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Alick Buchanan-Smith, and one of his front benchers, Malcolm Rifkind, resigned their posts when the Shadow Cabinet decided to oppose its second reading. On the first day of committee 350 amendments were put down. Michael Foot, (then Lord President and Cabinet Minister responsible for the devolution bill) was reluctant to impose a guillotine. After nearly 100 hours of debate only three and a half clauses of the bill had been considered. A guillotine motion was tabled but defeated in February 1977. The Bill was withdrawn.

In November 1977 separate Bills for Scotland and Wales were introduced, with support from the Liberals. This reduced opposition from those who had previously opposed the combined Bill on the grounds that the Welsh did not really want devolution. This time the guillotine motion was won.

As the committee stage was nearing its end, it scrutinised an amendment from Labour backbencher George Cunningham. It required the Secretary of State to lay before Parliament an order repealing the Act unless at least 40% of the eligible electorate voted "yes". The amendment was strongly opposed by the Government, but they lost the vote by 166 votes to 151.

In the referendum, on 1st March 1979, Scotland voted in favour of devolution by 52% to 48% - but only 32.9% of the electorate had joined the majority. In Wales the vote was against devolution, by 80% to 20%. The Acts were repealed the next month.

The Government was not helped by the extent of internal dissent within the Labour party. There was an active Labour 'Vote No' campaign in Scotland, of which Brian Wilson was Chairman, and Robin Cook a Vice-Chairman together with Tam Dalyell.

In Wales, Neil Kinnock was among those who campaigned for a "no" vote. During the last few days of the campaign in Wales, the pro-devolution Labour party -TUC group argued that a "No" vote would be a vote for the Tories, and a vote against the Government. This was a gamble that did not pay off; the scale of the "No" victory meant that those who had campaigned against the government could feel vindicated.

A motion of no confidence in the government was tabled by the Conservatives and supported by the SNP, the Liberals and eight Ulster Unionists. This motion was carried by one vote on 28th March 1979. The next day Callaghan announced that Parliament would be dissolved.

The 1979 Results:

Scotland: Question: Do you want the provisions of the Scotland Act 1978 to be put into effect ?

Yes 1,230,937 (51.6%)

No 1,153, 502 (48.4%)

Rejected ballot papers 3,133

Electorate 3, 747,112

Turnout 63.6%

But, we Scots are known the world over for this saying. Try, try and try again we did and won our parliament. We did and we put the party in powder who would take us to freedom. We will never give up our fight to be an Independent country once more.

[tanihanya]

Living in the UK as a trans woman is finding the most "trans supportive" party to only be the ones that view us as an annoyance instead of a threat.

It's having to spread warnings about the Guardian, a Left Wing source, as they are some of the constantly worse in trying to demonise us.

It's holding hope in the Scottish or Welsh governments, just for them to turn on us in the drop of a penny

It's sitting here helplessly as Dr. Cass removes in a single report, what we have worked so hard to gain in Thirty Years.

It's the knowledge that it feels as if there is a deep and intrinsic TERF culture running throughout this country.

It is seeing 'allies' agree that we are so much better than the US with trans people and then seeing zero backlash to the removal of all Puberty Blockers.

It's seeing The Guardian go after DIY, and the response is "to wait it out"

It's having a 48% suicide rate that nobody cares of, and is entirely dismissed.

It's the hopelessness and the dread. We know others have it so much worse. But there's just. this overwhelming feeling. That this is the way it will be for us forever.

[film-classics]

Myrna Loy - The Queen of Hollywood

Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams in Helena, Montana on August 2, 1905 ) was an American actress who reigned as one of America’s leading movie stars in the 1930s and the 1940s. Millions of fans idolized her as ‘the perfect wife,’ a paragon of charm, sophistication and intelligence, earning her the title as "The Queen of Hollywood."

Of Welsh, Scottish, and Swedish ancestry, Loy moved to Culver City in her early teens. She first attended the exclusive Westlake School for Girls. When her teachers objected to her extracurricular participation in theater, her mother enrolled her in Venice High School.

To help the family, she wroked at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, where she performed in prologues, musical sequences that served as preliminary entertainment before the feature film. This led to work as an extra in Hollywood productions in 1925 and then a contract with Warner Bros. in 1926.

With the advent of sound films, she then became associated with musicals, and when they began to lose popularity, her career slumped. In 1934, after Loy's move to MGM, John Dillinger was shot to death after leaving a screening of her film Manhattan Melodrama (1934). She received widespread publicity, with some newspapers reporting that she had been Dillinger's favorite actress.

Loy gained further fame from the box office hit, The Thin Man (1934), which spawned five sequels. This marked a turning point in her career, and she was cast in more important pictures and became one of Hollywood's busiest and highest-paid actresses,

With the outbreak of World War II, Loy focused on the war effort, becoming an active member of the Hollywood Chapter of 'Bundles for Bluejackets,' helping run a Naval Auxiliary Canteen, going on fundraising tours, and volunteering for the Red Cross.

In the coming decades, she continued acting alongside her activism work. She organized opposition to the House Unamerican Activities Committee in Hollywood through radio broadcasts and petitions, worked with the federal government, and served in UNESCO.

In 1975, Loy was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent two mastectomies. She kept her diagnosis and subsequent treatment from the public. This resulted in her progressive retirement from acting; her last film performance was in 1980 and her last acting role on TV in 1982.

In failing health, Loy died at age 88 in a Manhattan hospital during surgery following a long, unspecified illness.

Legacy:

Received an Honorary Academy Award in 1991 in recognition of her life's work both onscreen and off

Bears the likeness of the 7-foot statue outside Venice High School, titled 'Inspiration," created in 1922 and has since become a symbol of the school and the community

Has a building named after her at Sony Pictures Studios, formerly MGM Studios, built in 1935

Named Queen of the Movies in a 1936 national poll by New York Daily News

Honored with a block in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1936

Listed by the Motion Picture Herald as one of America’s top-10 box office draws in 1937 and 1938

Served as the full-time assistant to the director of military and naval welfare for the Red Cross from 1941 to 1945

Became a member-at-large of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO from 1949 to 1954, the first Hollywood celebrity to do so

Has been the namesake of Venice High School's annual speech and drama awards, the 'Myrnas' since 1953

Served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Council of the National Committee against Discrimination in Housing from 1961 to 1962

Became a founding board member of The American Place Theatre in 1963

Commemorated with a cast of her handprint and her signature in front of Theatre 80, on St. Mark's Place in New York City in 1971

Appeared in John Springer's "Legendary Ladies" series at The Town Hall in 1973

Presented with the 1979 Career Achievement Award by the National Board Review

Honored by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards in 1983 with the Career Achievement Award

Published an autobiography, Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming, in 1987

Was the winner of the 1988 Kennedy Center Honors

Honored by the Steel Pole Bath Tub with a song on their 1991 album Tulip that is both named after Loy and samples dialogue from one her film, The Thin Man Goes Home (1945).

Named by The Guardian named her one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination in 1991

Has been the namesake for The Myrna Loy Center for the Performing and Media Arts in downtown Helena since 1991

Honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month for December 2016

Has a song named after her in Josh Ritter's 2017 album Gathering

Has a star on the  Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6685 Hollywood Blvd for motion picture

[beardedmrbean]

Vapes containing the drug Spice put five schoolchildren in hospital after smoking them in south London.

The incident involving five teenagers happened in Eltham, south-east London on January 29 and comes amid growing concern about the use of vapes by children.

One of the five, all of whom were aged fourteen to sixteen, was put into an induced coma, reported The Mirror.

The teens are alleged to have used a rechargeable vape pen containing blue liquid labelled Vaporesso.

In a separate incident, two youngsters were also left unwell after using a Spice-laced vape labelled Lemonade Vape Cookies in Merton last month, the paper also reported.

It comes after public health officials in Wales warned of people consuming Spice-laced vapes, saying many thought they instead contained cannabis oils or liquids.

The Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances service. (WEDINOS), said their latest showed that of 196 samples of liquids submitted to them in 2023, almost a third contained the class of chemicals to which Spice belongs.

The effects of the drug are similar to cannabis but stronger, and has been described as leaving users in a “zombie-like” state. Side effects can include nausea and mood swings.

Professor Rick Lines, Head of Substance Misuse at Public Health Wales said “The increased risk of overdose from high potency drugs shouldn’t be underestimated.

“We are concerned that people may not be getting what they think they are getting, when they buy drugs online.”

Last year, Middlesbrough Council issued a warning about the dangers of unregulated vapes after similar reports of Spice-filled vapes in schools in Teesside.

Dozens of vapes were confiscated from pupils in Middlesbrough over a period of a few weeks, with a number sent off for testing for class B substances like Spice.

It comes as the Government last month confirmed it would ban disposable vapes amid concern at their take-up by children.

Measures will also be introduced to prevent vapes being marketed at children and to target under-age sales.

However, rechargeable vapes are not set to be affected by the changes.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Dirty Water

Britain pumps over 300 million gallons of sewage into the sea every day and water companies spend millions of pounds on purifying water, 32% of which is then used to flush toilets. Water suppliers are unwilling to pay for pipes to separate high quality water used for washing and cooking from less treated water for other uses, meaning that costs remain high and recycling and re-use remain low. Inland cities, due to the threat of epidemic disease, developed elaborate systems of sewage processing and sought to link every household with the sewage system. Coastal and estuary towns frequently discharge untreated sewage into coastal water as the cheapest solution, assuming that the sea is big enough to absorb and dilute the faeces, industrial wastes and nuclear industry effluent. Since 1990, the activist group Surfers Against Sewage have been demonstrating to oppose and publicise this environmental vandalism. In 1995 an NRA report found that spending £300 per family for a new lower flush toilet could cut demand by 13%. A 1970 government report found that in some areas processed sewage sludge would be too contaminated by toxic metals to be used as agricultural fertiliser. British governments undertake to conform to EU water standards, but in practice do their level best to avoid them. For instance, in the 1990s standards on the acceptable quality of beaches were circumvented by the Tory Government’s (re-) definition of beaches as places where 500 bathers were in the water at any one time; this definition excluded all Welsh beaches as well as Blackpool. The EU standard for discharges into rivers contained an exception for ‘high natural dispersion areas’ where the sea would quickly carry waste away. This led the 1994 Environment Secretary, John Gummer, to declare that more than 30 miles (48km) of the River Humber was open sea so that it could continue to receive raw sewage from Hull. The ruling saved the privatised Yorkshire Water Company £100m. He made a similar ruling for Bristol on the River Severn, although the High Court ruled in 1996 that both decisions were unlawful.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Tensions came to a head when the federal government announced that it was contemplating conscription. For reasons unknown, both unions and the Trades and Labour Councils in both Port Arthur and Fort William reversed their previous position and joined local socialists in condemning the idea. The subsequent qualified decision of the TLC to approve the government’s conscription policy exacerbated the growing divide within the region. Predictably, local newspapers began to attack all those who opposed both the idea of conscription and the signing of national service cards. In turn, socialists became more vocal in their denunciation of the local press. Most meetings occurred in the Port Arthur Finnish Labour Temple, which was still under the control of the local Finnish branch of the SDPC [Social Democractic Party of Canada].

In January 1917, 700 men in Port Arthur rallied to the banner of the SDPC at a meeting about the National Service Bureau and its plans for a manpower survey, accurately interpreted as a first step towards a conscription policy. “The government ignored us then and has done so since,” Bryan declared, “except when they wanted to use us for their purposes.” He also proclaimed to the largely “foreign-born” audience that

they [the government] will never force me to sign this card, but they may put me where it is unnecessary to do so. If they made a practice of this, they will have a large board bill to pay. How many of you are willing not to sign the cards and go behind the bars if necessary? To be behind them would not be much more a form of slavery than that we are now in.

To those who stood up and began to cheer, Bryan said:

This was the kind of spirit that will make them [the government] sit up and take notice.

...

As increasingly became the case in the months following the first Russian Revolution in February 1917, the ethnicity of the strikers became the main point of discussion in local newspapers and in negotiations with government officials. A strike by pulp mill workers and freight handlers in Fort William in April, for instance, immediately led to concerns over a general strike and a focus on the fact that many “non-naturalized immigrants” were on the strike committee.

...over 850 men and women, mostly from the Finnish and Greek communities of both cities, attended a meeting chaired by Bryan in the Port Arthur Finnish Labour Temple on 3 June and passed a resolution condemning conscription. ... Many applauded William Welsh when he told the government officials present, “I’ll fight for my country when you show me where my country is.” Bryan, quoting from a speech made by German socialists to the Reichstag, told those present that

it is the duty of workers to fight the tyranny of government in their own country. Because a man is born on a piece of land which he never owns is no reason for his having to fight for it.... Conscription means that we favor putting a debt on the heads of our children. They will have to pay the national debt when we are dead.

Tensions came to a head in late July, when Fort William police uncovered the existence of an anti-conscription league operating in the twin cities. Headquartered in Port Arthur, the league’s membership drew heavily from members of the SDPC. Its executive consisted of Kettridge (president), Barker (treasurer), and J. Brown (secretary). Despite attempts by local officials assisted by the militia, meetings occurred in secret and, as one newspaper reported in September, “all is quiet and [unclear] along Bay street, especially in the neighborhood of the [Finnish Labour Temple] which is generally supposed to be the headquarters of the socialistic and anti-conscription element.”

In early October 1917, about 1,100 elevator employees in both Port Arthur and Fort William went on strike over wages, hours, and working conditions. All activity in both cities ground to a halt as the ports could no longer take incoming ships and the CPR became congested when grain coming from the west could no longer be unloaded. Much of the discussion in both cities regarding the strike focused on conflicting reports over how many “aliens” were involved. The Grain Elevator Workers’ Union Local 934, in particular, took issue with claims by employers and some officials that workers of certain (i.e., non-English) “nationalities” on strike had been discriminating against returned soldiers. The unions involved claimed that only 40 percent of the militants were “aliens,” whereas the employers reported to local newspapers that such people made up over 80 percent of the strikers. The ethnicity of the strikers was clearly a paramount issue in public discussions of the strike. By the fifth day, the workers were being ordered back to work, on pain of being arrested. They refused. Only after the personal intervention of Prime Minister Robert Borden– who assured strikers that arbitration proceedings would be instituted and that the government would assume control of the elevators – did they return to work after two more days."

- Michel S. Beaulieu, Labour at the Lakehead: Ethnicity, Socialism, and Politics, 1900-35. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2011. p. 52, 56-57.

[warningsine]

A rare butterfly is being reintroduced into the Welsh countryside decades after it disappeared, thanks to a team of conservationists.

Hundreds of marsh fritillary butterflies, with their unmistakeable cream and orange wings, can now be spotted on Llantrisant Common in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The man behind this resurgence is Rob Parry, the founder of Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru.

His team took caterpillars from the wild, reared them and released them back into the area - a controversial approach but one he feels is increasingly necessary.

"Many of our species are on the brink, right on the edge, and we can't afford to monitor them disappearing," he told BBC Wales Live.

"Once we do that - getting them back is so much harder. That's why these projects - where we are intervening before they become extinct - is really important."

According to the latest State of Nature Report almost one in five species in Wales were classed as being at risk of vanishing in years to come.

But why butterflies and why this particular one?

According to Butterfly Conservation UK, butterflies are recognised as indicators of biodiversity and their survival can provide a serious warning about our environment.

"Marsh fritillaries are incredibly rare and we are losing populations in Wales as well as throughout the UK and Europe," Rob said.

"Wales is still a bit of a stronghold for the butterfly, so it felt right. The marsh fritillary is a bit of an icon here."

The project has seen butterflies mating and laying eggs on the common.

Vaughn Matthews, who has helped rear and release caterpillars, said it was "an incredible experience" after "20-odd years of there being no marsh fritillaries on there".

But reintroduction is not without its critics.

Last year, the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said this was not a priority and it aimed to reach biodiversity targets through methods such as habitat restoration.

Natural Resources Wales rejected Rob's original project proposal in 2016, which he felt was "a sign of where nature conservation is or was at".

"A lot of it has been protecting what we’ve already got, monitoring and doing science, research and so on," he added.

This changed when he resubmitted plans in 2019.

Liz Halliwell from NRW said she understood the role reintroduction could play, but it had to be considered against other options.

"This is one tool in a toolbox of things that we need for species recovery," she said.

"We need to look first at the causes of the things that have made that species decline or go extinct.

"It's that balancing act of saying 'it’s important, let's do it properly'."

She also points to some of the risks of reintroduction, saying "it is not enough to just get some animals and chuck them out" as there could be risks to native wildlife through competition and disease.

"Habitat restoration would be needed in advance to make sure you're not releasing animals that are then lost as well," she added.

The Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru always intended that the caterpillars' environment would be at the heart of their plans.

"Although the focus is the butterfly, fundamentally, it’s about getting more habitat in the landscape," said Rob.

The butterflies thrive on Rhôs Pasture, a distinctive marshy grassland, that is home to a number of different wetland species.

Food production and a movement from cattle grazing to sheep in Wales has led to a lot of this land being drained.

Rob and his team have been working with landowners and communities to help bring the landscape back to life and give their butterflies the best chance of survival.

In response to wider reservations around reintroduction, he said: I would love to see a Wales where we didn't have to intervene, but that ship sailed decades ago."

A period of monitoring is the next phase for the project and a team will monitor them over several years with the hope they are able to build the population and thrive.

They then look at other species that might need a helping hand.