Thursday 28 April 2011

Plaid Cymru's vision of an independent Wales

In 2003 Plaid Cymru's director of policy Simon Thomas outlined his vision of an independent Wales in the Wales on Sunday. The points he makes are as valid today as they were eight years ago:

SO what does independence in Europe really mean?
"Plaid Cymru's policy hasn't changed. We've always believed that Wales should have the right to a seat at the United Nations, and have long advocated that Wales can become a member state of the European Union. Six countries smaller - and poorer - than Wales will be joining the European Union soon. We simply want Wales to have the same chance.
"You could call this self-government, full national status or independence in Europe.
"Everyone living in Wales would become a citizen of Wales. There would be a written constitution and Bill of Rights."

WHEN would it happen?
"Only when the people of Wales wanted it.
"We want to see a full legislative and fiscal Parliament established in Wales as soon as possible. This in itself wouldn't change the UK - Scotland already has such a Parliament.
"Any future steps - such as becoming a member of the European Union could only be decided by a referendum."

WOULDN'T it cost a fortune?
"It could save us a fortune. Blair and Bush's illegal and immoral war in Iraq has already cost the taxpayer £3bn. It's predicted to soar to at least £6bn. That's £100m a month or the equivalent of 2p on income tax.
"Independence in Europe means the freedom not to waste our money on capitalism's wars or nuclear weapons!"

BUT doesn't England subsidise Wales?
"Only if you believe the Tory myths still peddled by Peter Hain.
"Back in the mists of time the anti-devolution William Hague published figures claiming Wales received £5.7bn annual subsidy from the UK.
"These figures were comprehensively rubbished by Rhodri Morgan and Kevin Brennan MP. It's a disgrace that Peter Hain prefers Tory maths over his own party's figures.
"The Labour Party itself claimed the figure was more like £1bn.
"This still sounds a lot, but would be wiped out by the Assembly Government's own claim of economic growth in Wales over the next three years.
"So if you believe Peter Hain's figures, you must also believe Rhodri Morgan will fail to improve the Welsh economy. One thing's for certain, Plaid Cymru can do better."

WHAT will happen to the Queen in an Independent Wales?
"The Queen could remain head of state. Plaid Cymru would want Wales to be a member of the Commonwealth.
"This is a real question for the current United Kingdom as well."

WHAT about the £?
"Plaid Cymru has no plans for an independent Welsh currency.
"Sooner or later, the UK will have to decide whether to join the Euro, so this is a question for the UK as well as Wales. We want to see the Euro introduced in the UK when the time is right. This bridge will certainly have to have been crossed before self-government becomes a reality.

WOULD there be a Welsh army?
"Not necessarily, though of course there would be Welsh soldiers as now. The growth of European integrated defence will overtake any feasible timetable for self-government.
"Wales could be like Ireland - making a valuable contribution to UN peacekeeping - or could negotiate a different defence relationship with the rest of the British Isles. Plaid Cymru would want Wales to be part of European co-operation on defence.
"One thing's for certain, Wales would not need to be part of the post-colonial clean-up of the British state's past mistakes (such as Iraq, formed as a British protectorate), and we would not need immoral nuclear weapons.

WHAT about immigration and passport control?
"These are again issues moving increasingly to the European level of deliberation even under the current UK arrangements.
"If you've ever taken a day trip to Ireland or driven between Belgium and France, you'll know that the European Union is founded on the free movement of goods and people.
"Wales would share immigration control with other European countries and certainly I hope provide a real welcome to bone fide refugees.

DO you really believe an independent Wales could be economically viable?
"Independence in Europe would undoubtedly bring a huge boost to the economy of Wales.
"Plaid Cymru wants Wales to take its place among the nations of Europe, not to make ourselves separate or isolated, but to get the best deal for our nation.
"At present the Barnett formula and lack of full additionality for European funding shortchanges the Welsh nation. Like Ireland, we believe Wales in Europe could become a beacon of regeneration.
"There is no lack of ambition, invention and go-ahead in Wales. What holds us back is being tied in to the most centralised and unequal economy in Europe.
"The UK has the worst level of regional disparity of all European countries. The Labour Party seems content to let Wales stew in a state of constant dependency.

HOW would the Welsh health service stand up to independence?
"The present situation has led to one in 10 of the Welsh population being on a waiting list. It's a scandal and an indictment of the National Assembly Government.
"A Parliament could negotiate a funding formula for Wales to make up for the years of under-investment and to reflect our real needs. For example, 18 per cent of the population in Wales have long term sick needs compared with a UK average of 13 per cent.
"Long-term care for the elderly could be provided as in Scotland, and legislation to set up Foundation Hospitals would not apply in Wales.

AND what about our schools and education?
"A Parliament could usher in curriculum reflecting Welsh needs, including citizenship and our place in the world. With a Parliament, Wales could decide differently to England on top-up fees.
"The Welsh language could be more fully supported and promoted, particularly for adult learners. English and Welsh would be official languages and neither monolingualism nor bilingualism would be thrust down peoples' throats.

WHAT about Wales' environment and its agriculture?
"Sustainable development would be at the heart of Plaid Cymru's self-governing Wales.
"We are fast becoming the dirty man of Europe. Our greenhouse gas emissions are up, not down, and we have atrocious recycling rates.
"Most environmental legislation now originates at the European level. Wales would be part of planning a clean, green future for all of us.
"We have huge water and renewable energy resources and we could reject the massive subsidy to the nuclear industry.
"Already this year, British Energy has received £1bn from the Treasury to prop it up.
"We would be able to negotiate directly with the European Commission on agricultural reform, fighting to keep our rural economy and family farms in business.
"We could reject GM crops. We could ensure land in the right place for affordable homes, a socialist objective that has been sadly ignored.

COULD Wales really be seen as a nation of its own?
"Like the 90 or so nations that are smaller than us, Wales would play its full part in the United Nations.
"However, independence in Europe would give us the opportunity, when appropriate, to reject war-making as the French and Germans did over Iraq.
"We want independence in Europe to join with other nations, including England, Scotland and Ireland, in the fight for a more peaceful, just world.
"This won't set us apart, but rather bring us even closer together with other nations. Wales has nothing to lose but its chains."

Posted by Ie Dros Gymru Sir Gar / Yes for Wales Carms


From Politics.co.uk



Welsh Independence

Background

Wales was last an independent principality in 1282, when Edward I of England finally defeated the Prince of Wales, Llywelyn the Last, after years of on-off warfare and manoeuvring. Edward named his son as Prince of Wales in 1301 to seal his victory.
The late 13th Century saw a series of unsuccessful revolts against English rule, and from 1400 to 1409, Owain Glyndwr waged a war of independence against England, reclaiming the title Prince of Wales for a time.
However, Wales was not formally incorporated into the English state until the 1536 Act of Union, under Henry VIII. As well as abolishing the power of the local marcher lordships, the Act banned the use of the Welsh language in official proceedings and documents - excluding much of the population from public life. Wales was subjected to English law and permitted to send Members of Parliament to Westminster.
Nonetheless, the Welsh language survived, and throughout the following centuries stood at the heart of Welsh nationalism, supported by a persistent cultural distinctiveness and shared sense of history. The second half of the 19th Century and early 20th Century saw Welsh nationalism, along with many other European nationalisms, begin to grow, generating unsuccessful home rule movements in the 1890s and again in 1910.
But at the same time, industrialisation and the decline of the Welsh language (50 per cent of the population was wholly Welsh-speaking in 1901, compared to 43 per cent by 1911) was thought to be eroding 'authentic' Welsh culture itself, to the alarm of the nationalists.
In 1925, the Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (National Party of Wales, later shortened to Plaid Cymru) was founded, but the domination of the Labour Party in industrial Wales left political, as opposed to cultural, nationalism on the margins until the 1950s. During that decade, Wales' staunch support for the Labour Party left it unrepresented during years of Conservative rule - exemplified by the decision to flood the Tryweryn Valley, which was not supported by a single Welsh MP.
Efforts were made by the Conservative Government in 1955 to foster a sense of Welsh identity, with the establishment of Cardiff as its capital, and the new reference in Acts of Parliament to "England and Wales", rather than just England. In 1964, the Labour Government established the Welsh Office and a separate Secretary of State for Wales in the Cabinet, creating a new context for the governance of Wales.
Plaid Cymru achieved a modest share of the vote in the 1959 general election, and won its first Parliamentary seat in 1966, securing more seats in later elections.
The Labour government of 1974-1979 promoted the cause of Welsh devolution within the UK, impressed by the German federal model and alarmed at the emerging wealth gap between London and the south east and the rest of the country. However, the 1979 referendum saw the proposed Welsh Assembly comprehensively rejected by a vote of 956,330 to 243,048.
Devolution was off the agenda during the Thatcher-Major Conservative governments, but remained a Labour commitment that was executed shortly after the 1997 election.
The September 1997 referendum produced a narrow majority in favour of devolution of 559,419 (50.3 per cent) to 552,698 (49.7 per cent). The Welsh National Assembly - a body without primary lawmaking or tax-raising powers, and excluded completely from large 'reserved' areas of policy-making kept at Westminster - was established under the Government of Wales Act 1998.
Controversies
Welsh independence is generally regarded to have generated less popular support than Irish and Scottish nationalism, which some say is a reflection of Wales' longer integration with England.
Plaid Cymru has been unable to consolidate its position as the dominant political force in all but a few parts of north and west Wales, and although it is the official opposition in the Welsh National Assembly, its numbers of Assembly Members fell from 17 to 12 in the 2003 election. However, four years later Plaid did manage to take three more seats from Labour in the 2007 election, although the latter remains the largest party in the Assembly.
Plaid Cymru has been accused of having an ambiguous position on full Welsh independence: it only adopted independence as an objective in 2003, during a highly divisive party conference, after years of promoting the more vague aim of 'full national status'. Former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Wigley was famously emphatic that his party had "never ever" demanded independence. The refusal of leader Ieuan Wyn Jones in 2000 to support the adoption of independence as an objective led to many Plaid Cymru separatists leaving to form Cymru Annibynnol (Independent Wales Party).
Therefore, popular Welsh political nationalism is largely limited to the goal of winning more power from Westminster. Much of the perceived lack of enthusiasm for devolution shown in the 1997 referendum may have been because of the weak powers proposed for the National Assembly, compared to those proposed for the Scottish Parliament.
However, the translation of Welsh national sentiment into votes has also been hampered by the longstanding dominance of the Labour Party in the populous Welsh industrial heartlands. Much of the energy that might have gone into a campaign for independence is today channelled into the campaign for greater powers for the Assembly.
Subsequently, support for an independent Welsh state, separate from the UK, remains a minority cause.
Nevertheless, the leader of the Plaid group at the National Assembly, Ieuan Wyn Jones, has acknowledged that questions continue to be asked about Welsh independence and the party has recently launched the WalesCan website to provide a forum for debate and discussion about "how a future independent Wales would look."
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