An Independent Wales in the EU

Another of the unionists arguments against Welsh independence is that we would find ourselves outside of the EU, and would have to join the queue of applicant countries which would leave Wales isolated for years.

This is just another myth which is being peddled to keep us in line, but which is easily dismissed, as we would have the full backing of international law, in the shape of:

The Vienna Convention on Succession of States in respect of Treaties 1978

Which deals with how international treaties are to be applied to newly independent states. In particular, the following article seems to sum things up nicely:

Article 34 -Succession of States in cases of separation of parts of a State
1.When a part or parts of the territory of a State separate to form one or more States, whether or not the predecessor State continues to exist:
(a) any treaty in force at the date of the succession of States in respect of the entire territory of the predecessor State continues in force in respect of each successor State so formed;

or to put it as simply as I can:

If Wales splits from the UK, irrespective of whether the UK would still exist, any international treaty, eg relating to EU membership, would remain in force relating to bothWales and England/UK.

The Convention also gives us the right to withdraw from such treaties if we choose, subject to suitable notice, and we could for example choose to leave NATO. The Convention also gives us the right to notify that we want to be bound by only part of the treaty, and we could for example opt out of fishing quotas (just to use a hypothetical example).

The important thing is that we would be deemed to be already covered by the EU treaty, and that it would be up to us to choose our future within it – this is not a decision that the remaining UK would make on our behalf.

So we'd lose all international influence if we went our own way?

Or at least that’s what Peter Hain says.

Let’s examine the contention carefully. He’s actually claiming that we have more influence (whatever that means) on international affairs as a small component of a much larger state, than we would have as a state in our own right.

The Republic of Ireland is roughly similar to Wales in terms of population & size (they have a population of roughly 4,000,000 – we have a population of roughly 3,000,000). The external body that’s most important to them & us is the European Parliament. We have 4 MEPs, they have 13. They have a seat on the Council of Ministers, we don’t. They get to chair the EC (and thus set the agenda) when their turn comes round, we don’t.

If we take a wider perspective the story’s pretty much the same. They have a seat in the UN, we don’t. They’ll get a seat on the Security Council when their turn comes round, we won’t. If they think that some country or other is worth influencing they’re free to open an embassy with full diplomatic status there. We can’t.

It’s difficult to know exactly what Hain is saying. I suppose that what he really means is that the UK has more influence internationally than Ireland. This is probably true, but that influence doesn’t often help us. Although Wales has never come close to voting Tory since the commencement of universal suffrage, we usually end up with Tory governments. So the normal state of affairs is that we have little influence on the international policies of our own government.

And of course there’s the fact that the UK has historically been more likely than virtually anyone else to wield it’s international influence by means of armed conflict. But that’s another story.

More arrogance from Governor Hain

An independent Wales would "leave Wales isolated and irrelevant." - Wales and Northern Ireland Secretary, 'Governor' Peter Hain.

Responding to the Wales on Sunday newspaper's opinion poll which showed an increase in support for independence, Peter Hain again displayed the insulting and bullying arrogance of his British Nationalist credentials.

Irrelevant? Why would an independent Wales be 'irrelevant'? Irrelevant to what? To Britain? To the world?

Every other independent nation is relevant to the international community. Why would Wales not be? Why do Peter Hain and his British nationalist stalwarts consider the Welsh as inferior, unequal and unfit to govern their own affairs?

Is Wales relevant now, as a sub-ordinate part of the United Kingdom? Where is Wales' prominence? Where is Wales' fair share of recognition, status and economic growth?

And if Wales were relevant now, why would she stop being relevant having gained independence?

Isolated? How could Wales possibly be any more isolated than any other independent nation? Is Denmark isolated? Is Ireland? Is Luxembourg? Is Finland? Lithuania? Latvia? Bulgaria, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, India? Is Italy, France, America and indeed the United Kingdom, isolated?

So what does Hain mean by 'isolation'? Would England dig a trench the length of Offa's Dyke to keep us apart from the rest of this island? Would England impose economic sanctions - or even roll the tanks in? Would the EU make us the North Korea of Europe?

Come on, Peter Hain. If you don't support Welsh independence then at least treat Wales with respect. Award us the dignity of a mature and measured argument rather than this continuous conquistadorian nonsense. This simplistic, dissmissive, patronising patter is both insulting and nauseating, and reveals a superior imperialist attitude towards us inferior, notionless natives.

Who do you think you are? And what do you think we are?