Sir,
I'm sorry if Richard Jones, of Phoenix Way, Swansea, had his day out in Tenby seriously marred by my letter in the 'Observer' of February 25, but I couldn't help having a wry smile as I read his letter, as I was simultaneously listening to Radio Wales as the results of the referendum were being read out.
Region after region showed a resounding 'yes' vote for law-making powers to be given to the Welsh Assembly, in some regions, as many as two-thirds voting 'yes.' Even those areas which voted against the establishment of the Assembly in 1997 swung to a confident 'yes' vote.
Especially pleasing to me was the 'yes' in Pembrokeshire and Powys where there are many English 'retirees'. Monmouthshire was the only county to say 'no' and that by the narrowest of margins. (But I remember as a schoolgirl in Glamorganshire always thinking 'Wales and Monmouthshire' - as if Monmouthshire wasn't really Welsh at all).
So, though there were, of course, many votes against the extension of powers for the WAG, Mr. Jones will, I'm sure agree, that those Welsh people who cared enough to vote (35.2%) voted overwhelmingly, by 63.5% to 36.5%, in favour of the assembly having full law-making powers.
I'm surprised that Mr. Jones thought my letter 'full of inaccuracies.' He could not refute any of my statements about the massive injections of extra money into health and education since 1999, or my detailed personal knowledge of what happened about Tenby Cottage Hospital. The other issues I mentioned, anti-smoking legislation, free bus travel for over 60s, free medical 'scripts,' abolished SATS tests, the transformation of Cardiff Bay etc., he ignored, but instead, focused on my suggestion to Sir Eric Howells and others who decry everything the assembly has done, to move a few miles across the bridge, if they want Westminister to rule every aspect of their lives.
I think this vote shows that there'll be plenty of us very happy to stay in Wales and pay our taxes and keep that 'dwr goch clir' that Rhodri mentioned, between Cymru a Lloegr.
Mollie Neate,
Tenby.