The Western Powerhouse? EDF Energy Don't Apparently Believe In It

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I'm chatted before about the tweets from EDF Energy with regard to the building of the Hinckley Point Nuclear power station but another (advertised, trust me I don't follow them) led me to thinking about this further.

But another issue I've also been chatting about is "the Western Powerhouse" the area between the South West of England and the relatively prosperous South East of Wales that Secretary of State Alun "Chucky" Cairns apparently wants to annexe.

For if you look at these tweets again. One from a young South West person about the apprenticeships EDF offers and the other about the contracts they have given to South Western companies for the building of the plant

And the question you have to ask is....where is the Welsh element (other than taking in the mud which for this post we'll avoid chatting about)?

I looked at EDF's website of the contracts currently been given. Let me stress that it was cursory but there didn't seem to be any Welsh businesses involved.

Now I actually don't blame EDF in this. They know they are situated in the South West of England and every right to put as much business there as they feel they can. However it's confirming my belief that any benefits in the Western Powerhouse  for South East Wales is just an illusion. All the benefits seem to be in the English commuter traffic across the Geraint Thomas bridge to England from cheap Welsh homes. Which, as I've said in a previous post could cause anti English sentiment in the long term.

So whilst I'd never thought I'd say this look at what EDF Energy are doing. They understand reality unlike Chucky Cairns.

Until the next time.