Consulting kids shows what a joke Assembly is

It’s not often I feel compelled to put pen to paper but all too often down in Cardiff Bay things occur which would be enough to push Mother Teresa over the edge.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Welsh Government, an organisation that for the past 20 years has endeavoured to achieve mediocrity and even failed to hit that low bar.

Every day I dread to open the pages of the Echo in case there’s another ludicrous caper from the Senedd which defies all logic.

I refrained from writing in when our political elite in their wisdom decided it would be wise to try and give the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds and then passed a law banning 16 and 17-year-olds from having certain parts of their anatomy pierced because they deem them too immature to make an informed decision about it. So in the assembly’s opinion they’re too immature to decide on body piercings but mature enough to vote and decide the future path of this country. The phrase “joined up thinking” doesn’t appear to have entered the vocabulary of the people down the Bay.

Then I read about that Titan of Welsh politics Huw Irranca-Davies and his visionary idea to consult children as young as seven about their views on Brexit. Yes folks children as young as seven. Now it’s been a long time since I was in school but I would have been about that age when Britain voted to join the EEC back in the ’70s and I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t all the talk in the playground.

I distinctly don’t remember being worried about it when I played with my train set and I’m pretty sure I don’t remember this being a hot topic around the table at birthday parties. At that age the only thing I knew about Brussels was that they didn’t taste very nice but mum still made me eat ’em.

Children at this age are even below the age of criminal responsibility yet Huw in his wisdom wants to elicit their opinions. My God, are these AMs so bereft of ideas they have to resort to this.

We have something called an education system in this country because children are deemed not to know anything. That’s why we spend lots of taxpayers’ money on kids to stuff their heads with knowledge up to the age of 16 and only then do we deem it safe to let them loose in the big wide world. Eliciting opinions on complex issues like Brexit from children is gesture politics of the most cynical and patronising kind and that’s putting it mildly.

This wheeze will no doubt cost taxpayers money as focus groups and their logistical back-up are sourced, not to mention Huw racking up his mileage expenses as he races around the schools of Wales with his clipboard to get the views from behind the bike sheds.

I had the misfortune to visit the assembly recently on a Thursday afternoon about midday. It was so empty there was tumbleweed blowing through it. When I inquired as to why I wasn’t quite feeling the white heat of politics in the throbbing heart of Welsh government I was informed by a staff member that the AMs go home to their constituencies on a Thursday afternoon. Bear in mind this institution claims it needs another 20 or more AMs as they apparently can’t cope with their workload. Mmmm...

The Assembly is costing Wales a fortune and for little or no benefit. The calibre of AM is woefully low across all parties, a fact which is well known across the Welsh civil service.

It’s had its chance and in my view it’s failed. Maybe it’s time to get rid of another tier of interfering politicians before any more damage is done.

Alan Parker

Tonyrefail

Showing solidarity with uni workers

As a coalition of organisations and representatives, we would like to offer our unreserved solidarity to striking Cardiff University workers.

During the past decade, we have noted how attacks upon terms and conditions in one sector readily generalises into the next. Whether public or private, as representative organisations we all share an interest in reversing this race to the bottom.

We believe fairly rewarded staff are the cornerstone of quality higher education. The proposal by Universities UK to substantially cut the pensions of members of the USS pension scheme will be hugely damaging if implemented; not only to university lecturers but Wales’ skill base, research capacity and future prosperity.

Currently, the University Colleges Union Cardiff picket remains firm. We have both seen and, in many cases, attended some of the largest and most vibrant rallies recently witnessed in Cardiff.

Nobody chooses to strike. However, we are heartened by news of the local unions gathering strength and a new spirit of confidence felt across Cardiff’s campuses.

UCU members are making the case for strong trade unionism. A case that is finding purchase across Europe, in the OECD and corridors of power. Policy makers now acknowledge that strong trade unions provide the best means of promoting sustainable growth whilst tackling inequality.

To that end, we each have an interest in extending our sincerest best to striking UCU activists whilst urging Universities UK to engage and present a meaningful offer.

John James - Chair UCU Wales Council; Julie Morgan AM; Bethan Sayed AM; Cerith Griffiths - Wales Secretary, Fire Brigades Union; Shav Taj - Wales Secretary, Public & Commercial Services Union; Gareth Howells - Wales Secretary, Prospect; Sue Leader - Cardiff Secretary, Unite Community; Lyn Eynon - Welsh Labour Grassroots; Claudia Boes - Sisters of Solidarity; Greg Cullen - Cardiff Peoples Assembly; Marianne Owens - PCS NEC

Free advice to help with foot care

With the expectation of spring on the way, many of us will be going for walks and working in the garden.

People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are no exception to this but they do need to take a little more care, especially of their feet. Unfortunately, we have found some people with diabetes are not aware they need to take the extra care of their feet.

Around 130 diabetes-related amputations take place every week in this country, mainly as a result of foot ulcers but 80% of these are avoidable with proper foot care. So, people with diabetes should have their feet checked at least annually by a trained healthcare professional and should also be taught how to look after their feet themselves.

To try to reduce the risks of foot damage and amputations, the InDependent Diabetes Trust (IDDT) has published a FREE booklet called Diabetes – Looking After Your Feet. A more active life in the spring can also mean a change in eating habits, so our booklet, Diabetes – Everyday Eating, which contains 28 days of menus of everyday, affordable meals, and much more, is also useful to help people manage their diabetes. All our booklets are free. Contact IDDT: telephone 01604 622837 or email: jenny@iddtinternational.org

Jenny Hirst

Co-Chair, IDDT, Northampton