Britain | Devolution in the United Kingdom

Welsh voters think their government has mismanaged public services. Rightly

Trouble in the Labour heartlands

The Welsh dragon on the gates of the Tata Steel sports and social club.
Photograph: Getty Images
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Wherever you stand in the Caerphilly Miners Centre, somebody will ask you to move. The grand building, acquired by pitmen in the early 20th century for use as a hospital, now hosts a busy programme of toddler groups, social clubs, exercise sessions and Welsh-language classes. It keeps alive a tradition of working-class self-help and self-improvement, which is stronger in the Welsh Valleys than almost anywhere else in Britain.

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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Red mist”

From the December 7th 2024 edition

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