Editorial comment
The rejection of the right in The Senedd elections should be welcomed, but there can be no celebration of the continuation of the status quo.
voice wales has spent two years exposing the true extent of poverty, racism, exploitation and oppression in Wales. What we’ve uncovered has often been shocking, and highlights the true extent of the crisis we face.
The Tories would have only made this situation worse, and instigated a number of policies aimed at entrenching the wealth of the minority at the expense of the majority.
As such, their poor performance in Wales, and the defeat of every Tory candidate, should be roundly welcomed. Boris Johnson was hoping to make serious inroads into Wales, attack devolution and impose free market reforms. He failed.
The far right, and an assortment of racists and fascists, wanted to extend their numbers in The Senedd, and have a greater platform to promote their divisive politics. They also failed.
These are causes for celebration.
However, when we consider the Wales of today, these celebrations only go so far. Because it cannot be said that after 22 years of a Labour led government, Wales is a place where the poor are looked out for and systemic injustices are tackled.
In fact, the opposite has too often been true. Even when decisions that could radically improve the lives of ordinary people have been in the grasp of politicians in Cardiff Bay, they have often looked the other way.
Over half of the poorest children in Wales are denied access to free school meals, even though the cost of providing them with one is so low.
Millions in public money has been handed to corporations – some of which have profits greater than the GDP of Wales – whilst women raising children by themselves have been left to live in squalor.
Tory spending cuts have rarely ever been resisted, only implemented, and whilst some free market reforms have been prevented by Welsh Labour, public services have nevertheless been devastated by more than a decade of austerity.
And when a young Black man died after telling friends and family he had been assaulted by police in South Wales, our ministers largely stayed silent.
Our readers know these things to be true because we have spoken to people who live and breathe this reality many times, and have proudly put their stories on our website. We have no interest in hiding reality.
This has to be a turning point. The question now is, what difference will this election make?
What difference will it make to the third of children living in poverty in Wales, to the workers on hyper exploitative zero hour contracts, to tenants facing unpayable rents in return for appalling accommodation, or to the 15 year old Black high school student who’s frisked by police on his way home?
If these things don’t change, then any victory will be a hollow one.
The election was not a mandate for more of the same, but a welcome rejection of the right, confounding the mainstream narrative. But if we don’t address the deep problems that exist in Welsh society, then the right will only be back in future.
Neither was the result a rejection of independence, which has grown exponentially in the past year and will continue to do so as people look for an escape route from a rampant Tory government in Westminster.
And the fact that less than half the population voted should give anyone pause for thought before they declare a stunning victory.
So while we celebrate that Wales has denied denied Boris Johnson his desired outcome in Wales, we cannot join in the cheering on for the status quo under another Welsh Government.
Instead we applaud all those who recognise the true extent of the crisis we face, and who resolve to go on from this election determined to create a society that is run in the interests of the majority.
