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they are public servants first and foremost, constituted and elected with the core purpose of improving society as a whole so that everyone benefits
LOL where did you get that idea from?
They are there to represent, enact, implement and deliver for the whole population.
No they are not. They are there to benefit themselves.
I think it's a case of the author saying how things are supposed to be, rather than than the uncomfortable reality we seem to have settled into.
What happened in your life to make you believe that things are supposed to be the way the author said? Or that they've ever been any other way than our uncomfortable reality?
I'm not sure what you mean about my life having any standing on what I think the author is trying to convey here? I'm not the author, I was merely suggesting what I believe the intended message was. I literally said that the state of things, in reality, is far from what the author is conveying.
You said:
I think it's a case of the author saying how things are supposed to be
Meaning that what the author said is how you believe things are supposed to be. I'm asking what happened to make you believe that things are supposed to be the way the author said.
Well, it's no secret that the current state of democracy in Cymru isn't what it was 'supposed' to be, or what it was sold as. I would argue it's not unreasonable to keep a hold of the vision of what democracy was promised to be, and by doing so referring to what we have currently as something that shouldn't be the way that it is.
I'm not naive enough to think that this is the best it gets for us, nor am I naive enough to think that meaningful change is right around the corner for us. I have no doubt the path to a healthier democracy in Cymru is a long one, but to give up on the very idea of it, is not something that I intend on doing.
the current state of democracy in Cymru isn't what it was 'supposed' to be
Supposed by whom?
or what it was sold as
Sold by whom? When?
the vision of what democracy was promised to be
What vision? What promises?
Supposed by whom, I cannot answer. I could describe what I believe is an almost ephemeral sense of what democracy in Cymru was 'supposed' to be, but I think that won't be answer enough for you.
As for sold by whom - Welsh Labour, UK Labour, Welsh & UK Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats besides that. Democracy in Cymru is practically still in its infancy at this point, and it was sold to the people of Wales by the political parties of the UK that supported devolution back then, and those that support further devolution and even independence for Wales now.
it was sold to the people of Wales by the political parties of the UK that supported devolution back then
Did they claim that politicians will be working for the betterment of the nation and the public rather than for the betterment of themselves?
Yes, they did.
They may have lied, and I imagine quite a few of them did, but that was the line.
Yes, they did.
Could you possibly provide a source to back that up?
Yeah, no problem at all.
There is some debate around where exactly the talk of legitimate devolved powers for Cymru originated and indeed finished, but I would say that there are 2 documents you can pin it down to pretty well.
A white paper called: A Voice for Wales - https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP97-129/RP97-129.pdf
And the Government of Wales Act of 1998 (As it was enacted in 1998) - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/38/contents/enacted
I was unable to find a free link for the white paper above, though the document I substituted it with, discusses it in great detail.
Both discuss devolution in great length, you should find what you're looking for here.
A white paper called: A Voice for Wales - https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP97-129/RP97-129.pdf
I've had a look through this paper and I can't find any claim that politicians will be working for the betterment of the nation and the public rather than for the betterment of themselves. I'd be absolutely astonished if there was such a claim published in an official UK government publication because such a claim would constitute an acknowledgement that contemporary UK politicians act for their own betterment rather than for the betterment of the nation and the public. If you're adamant that this document contains such a claim, could you be more precise with your referencing? That is, provide page numbers, etc?
Both discuss devolution in great length, you should find what you’re looking for here.
Devolution doesn't interest me. What interests me is what happened in your life to give you the impression that politicians are supposed to work for the betterment of the nation and the public rather than for the betterment of themselves. Where did you get this idea from? If it came from campaigning around devolution, who said what and when during the campaign to give you this impression? Exactly?
Before I go through the answers I've already provided for you and pick out specific things so that you don't have to read through it yourself, will you agree to stop moving the goal posts here and actually engage meaningfully in this discussion, or is this ultimately just a waste of both of our times as you have your position, and you have zero interest in moving it? For the record, I don't mind if you have zero interest in changing your opinion, I would just like to know, so I don't waste more of my time.
stop moving the goal posts
I haven't moved the goal posts. The goal is to understand what happened in your life to make you believe that politicians are supposed to act any other way than putting their own interests first. I'm not sure why you think those goal posts have changed.
actually engage meaningfully in this discussion
There hasn't been much discussion.
or is this ultimately just a waste of both of our times
The fact that when I asked what happened to make you believe politicians are supposed put the nation and the people above other interests, you responded with a government publication about devolution, tells me that (1) you don't understand the question, (2) we're not communicating and (3) it's unlikely that we will be able to communicate.