Defence: Deceit & Denial

We’ve discussed before the centuries-old military occupation of Wessex by the UK’s armed services, and how this distorts both our economy and our objectivity in making moral judgments about foreign intervention or the ability to ‘project influence’ abroad.  There’s also an environmental cost.  Enter Tidworth from the north at present and you’ll find it aContinue reading "Defence: Deceit & Denial"

Democracy’s Debt

Malmesbury – the oldest borough in England – is one of many Wessex market towns on the front line in the struggle against London overspill.  The Coalition, for whose parties all constituencies in Wiltshire mainly voted in 2010, is doing its best to make sure that Malmesbury loses. The National Planning Policy Framework – theContinue reading "Democracy’s Debt"

Not Gingerbread Houses

What have we been saying?  That the range of demands increasingly being placed on our countryside could soon exceed the supply of rural land. Now it’s been confirmed.  Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership has published a report – The Best Use of UK Agricultural Land – quantifying the UK-wide shortfall at up to 6Continue reading "Not Gingerbread Houses"

Don’t Mention The Region!

A recent post on a left-leaning website makes an excellent case study, for all the wrong reasons.  Dan Holden’s piece, ‘Westminster Must Address Regional Identities’, is the sort of thing that has been written many times before and doesn’t get any better, because centralist assumptions are never challenged. First up, the writer appears to sitContinue reading "Don’t Mention The Region!"

The Summer of Discontent

David Cameron would like to think of Scotland’s referendum as a little local difficulty.  Perhaps that’s why the mainstream media stay so quiet about the widespread discontent now simmering across Europe as our continent awakes to new possibilities.  Catalans are ignoring Madrid’s refusal to allow them a vote on independence.  Basques are thinking along theContinue reading "The Summer of Discontent"

The Wyvern Flies Again, No Thanks To Labour

News reaches us of a groundbreaking initiative by WessexSociety, the cultural association devoted to promoting our region’s identity.  To mark St Ealdhelm’s Day, which falls today, the Society offered Wyvern flags to all the county and unitary authorities in Wessex to fly outside their offices. There has been a good take-up from county councils –Continue reading "The Wyvern Flies Again, No Thanks To Labour"

Getting Our Own Back

Wessex Electricity, Wessex Trains, Wessex Water.  All run by managements located solely in Wessex.  All democratically accountable to a Wessex Witan.  Interfering London lawmakers and exploitative global finance just a fading memory of less pleasant times. We can dream.  And why not?  A poll last autumn showed that two-thirds of the public – including someContinue reading "Getting Our Own Back"

A Voice in Europe?

Postal ballot papers for the Euros have started to arrive, allowing some of us to see what ‘choice’, if any, the 'democratic' process has thrown up this time. Although WR has contested European elections in the past, this was when the constituencies were smaller, single-member ones that did less damage to regional identity.  We haveContinue reading "A Voice in Europe?"

Another Fine Miss

“The slightly eccentric Wessex regionalists have been around for a while but tend to be backward-looking and potentially reactionary.” So writes Professor Paul Salveson in his online newsletter, Salvo.  It’s always good to see regionalism recognised, but it’s simply sloppy to misrepresent us.We’d prefer to describe ourselves as more than usually different, and refreshingly so. Continue reading "Another Fine Miss"