THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 6 2017


49 Comment Plaid Cymru Youth with Llyr Williams IS TRAVELLING a luxury or a


necessity? The cost of travel is increasing,


and very little is being done about it. According to a press release


steel. They’d break your teeth. Far better to have an eclair and be done with it, he reasoned. So he did. Number two was ankle


rotations. Badger gave them a go. Five sets of eight rotations it said. In both directions. Per ankle. Badger did a quick count. Forty clockwise and forty anti-clockwise in each direction, times four ankles. The website Badger stumbled upon suggested nobody would notice this exercise. However, when one takes to waving one’s paws in the air people tend to take notice; they look askance, as though what senses you once had have taken flight to exotic climes. Badger binned that one after one attempt. “Just because you’re seated at


your desk doesn’t mean your arms can’t do just about anything they want. Many arm exercises can be performed while seated at your desk.” No, they cannot. Not when


you have a hot cup of tea. The bits of Badger that make Badger particularly badger are still recovering from being scalded by a pint of PG Tips finest. Badger tried calf-toning and


waist rotation for good measure, but when that snivelling wretch Winston Weasel stuck his head round the door and started joining in with the actions to The Time Warp, Badger decided enough was enough. Crunches were next. “Move


to the edge of your seat and lean back on the backrest. Then lift your straightened legs a few inches above the ground and raise your back a few inches off the backrest. Feel the burn in your abdomen.” Ever one not to learn from


experience, Badger decided to give it the good old college try. There are a couple of things


to consider when attempting this exercise that it would have been helpful for the website author to


consider. The first of them is castors. The


second of them is a consequence of the first, a sudden loss of balance followed by the deep boing of a head striking the floor as the seat shoots away across the floor like a startled cat.


Not recommended. The author of the article


breezily concluded: “Doing a couple of simple exercises while sitting down in the office each day can, when done regularly, help to improve your flexibility, muscle tone and strength.” To say nothing of the improvement to one’s mental resilience through withstanding the mockery of co-workers. So, Badger has decided to


eschew workplace callisthenics in favour of investment in multi- coloured resistance bands that can be used in the peace and quiet of his own sett. They arrived quickly and looked very impressive. Badger swiftly read through the


encouraging and lavishly illustrated manual that came with them. Getting into some comfortable old kit, he proceeded to thread them under his favourite armchair and got set to partake of some moderate exercise intended to prolong life, but not too much. He grabbed a handle and flexed


his paws. There was resistance. Badger flexed his muscles to increase the intensity of the exercise. There was a twang which


Badger sensed more than heard and a sudden feeling of rapid acceleration. Readers, if any of you know


how to extract a wing-backed chair from a ceiling, please write to the editor of this newspaper. Badger is in no condition to do so.


by Jonathan Edwards, the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, last November, the price of petrol hit the highest level for two years, with it still being 11% higher at the end of 2016 than it was at the start. With 90% of passenger journeys


across the UK made by car, this increase will hit all of us who drive regularly, especially us in rural areas, as we have to drive further for work, study, family visits, hospital appointments and taking children to school. Jonathan Edwards said: “Plaid


Cymru has repeatedly called for a fuel duty regulator, which would offset increases in the cost of fuel by cutting the added cost of duty. This is the kind of policy Westminster should be adopting if they want to help those


just about managing.” Yet, the UK Government isn’t


listening. As the price of petrol increases,


you could look at public transport as the great substitute to save us all money. But, despite being greener and reducing congestion, public transport isn’t necessarily affordable to all of us, or convenient. This week, it was announced


that train fares would again go up by 2.3%, the largest price hike since 2014, meaning our already expensive train journeys will once again get more expensive. Rail passengers in the UK pay six times more than passengers in mainland Europe. Despite reassurances that the money goes to better and faster services, more trains and better stations, do we really see value for money? Arriva Trains Wales receives


daily complaints about the lack of carriages on certain services, leading to cramped trains. They also receive


complaints about delays. Will those passengers see this 2.3% increase as value for money? Coming back to my initial


question of whether travel is a luxury or a necessity, travelling for work, family or health reasons is getting more expensive on both road and rail, yet they are necessary reasons for travel. But those people caught between


these two price increases are ignored by the government. Chris Grayling, the UK Transport Secretary, wants to sell off more railways and washes his hands of any poor service passengers receive. The UK Government celebrates the freezing of fuel duty rates, but hasn’t acted effectively to minimise the pinch felt by higher petrol prices on drivers. Travel is necessary and it’s time


the UK Government did something to ease the pinch felt by rising fuel costs and rising public transport costs.


WITH each new year comes an Te Blue View


opportunity to reflect and to look to the future. The last 12 months have been challenging at times but the year closes with every reason to feel confident for the year ahead, and there were notable moments in 2016 which left us with so many reasons to feel great pride. After 58 years, a Welsh team reached


a major football championship, making history, and friends, at every step of the way. And we mustn’t forget the wonderful efforts of our Olympians and Paralympians, proudly representing Wales as part of a hugely successful Team GB effort in Rio. The efforts of Gareth Bale, Jade Jones, Becky James and countless others will inspire a new generation of Welsh children to take up sport and to wear the national shirt with pride. In so many ways 2016 was a


momentous year for Wales, and for the United Kingdom as a whole. Whilst it started with the shadow


of TATA looming large like a black cloud overhead, for the families of Port Talbot there are at last positive signs of the rewards of working together – with a deal on the table that could provide a sustainable future for Wales’ largest steel plant.


But where 2016 ends with reasons to


be optimistic about the future, 2017 must represent a red line for this Welsh Labour Government.


Devolution is not to blame for


Wales’ poor GVA figures, or for Pisa results which show just how far behind the rest of the UK the Welsh education system is – that responsibility lies squarely with the First Minister. After 17 years of devolution, it is


clear that in the three main devolved competences, the Welsh Government has failed to make adequate improvements: whether measured in terms of economic development, educational performance or health outcomes. 2017 must be make or break for a First Minister who has had seven years to turn things around. He needs to show the public that his government has reached its low water mark in terms of delivery, and that the tide is starting to turn. For the country as a whole, it is


without question Brexit that poses the greatest challenge – and opportunity – in 2017.


The Prime Minister has been clear


that the result of the referendum will be respected, and that negotiations will commence promptly once Article 50 has been triggered in March. She should be supported. The Welsh Labour Government must


now show greater leadership. The First Minister and his colleagues have become too preoccupied with Article 50, and spent far too long coming to terms with the result of the referendum. We now need to see a positive and productive approach to shaping our new relationship with Europe.


With more than £1 billion of


structural funding yet to be allocated between now and 2020, there is a pressing need to consider how this money can best be spent to deliver economic growth. There are challenges, but there are also huge opportunities for the Welsh economy. And just as important is the challenge


faced by all of us in 2017: to heal a fractured society. Despite the rhetoric, our democracy


isn’t broken. Far from it. More people than ever voted in the


EU referendum – we just need to work harder to bridge the gap between groups in society who disagree. It’s considered ‘progressive’ to preach


the values of tolerance and diversity, but tolerance and diversity must also extend to those who hold opinions with which we do not agree. We have to accept when a majority of


the public does not share our world view, for it is far better to have a democracy that doesn’t always go your way than the alternative. This country of ours has bags of


potential lying dormant and incredible opportunities lay ahead. In 2017, let’s pull together and secure a brighter future for Wales.


My very best wishes to everyone in


Wales for a prosperous and successful 2017!


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