dai..

you`d never tell looking at Swansea city centre brother, in fact it looks like it did when you went bust with all the money some years back............
I wouldn't know myself tho, Its just what ive read from your jack forum, infact so many jacks shop in Cardiff, old bonymaen went off on one calling them scummers or similar for using THY CAPITAL instead of Swansea city centre
so all in all your a large town with a football team enjoying its own five minutes of glory
This is true to a certain extent. Our city is in a real bad state and it is so bad that it drains the resources of the entire country, it very much feels like a large town instead of a city and that is down to the decades of poor management in the council. Without the additional 40 miles from London then it would have appeared an odd situation why Cardiff is a more attractive option for workers and businesses, and dare I say it, the choice as a Capital City. Until not so long ago Swansea and Cardiff had the same population.
However Cardiff had leaders with intelligence to match their ambitions, Swansea has had leaders whose ambition has always been significantly lower than their own personal wellbeing.
Swansea has the football team, the scenic beauty and apparently the charisma due to it being a predominantly tourist town, I don't see it to be honest and doubt anyone getting off the train will at first look!! Cardiff has the aim to be a top city and it is evident, it's people are confident and how could they not be? They built that city more than the Welsh Assembly which is a common misconception even inside the capital. Cardiff is a self sustaining hub with a can-do attitude, it proudly boasts to be Welsh and flies the flag more than any other major population centre, it has a drive for improvement and growth unlike any other in the UK which is shown in the fact it is biggest grower both in population and financial growth (figures released last month!). But it doesn't have the sport.
Swansea cannot fall into a trap and try to copy Cardiff, Cardiff does what Cardiff is the best at. Swansea needs a major step change and now it is a City Region with a population of nearly 750,000 it should make its case for increased financial independence in both revenue collection and revenue spending, the leaders of the council should no longer be the top line ruling body and instead the Mayor should be elevated in stature because he/she is nothing more than title. Swansea Bay City Region needs Mayoral Elections before the public, who is given powers to mandate public spending and control revenue collection which includes setting council rates for businesses etc. This is how London works, Sydney, New York etc. The council should be tasked with simply running what is already there and have no decision on change, they have had that power for too long with no results being delivered.
As cities go Cardiff is the Golden Goose because it is run by a competent and hungry council, Swansea is a goose that Tiny Tim had to make do asa paupers meal on Xmas Day, not fit for purpose. The Mayoral Elections effectively make a city a business and businessmen are always the ones elected to be the Mayor as they are hungry for success, forget the notion they may favour their own business needs as it does happen every time in these circumstances, they must improve the city to improve their own business and it is a win for the public.