Imagine a land with a population of just under 3 million people – with an elected assembly with full law-making powers, able to raise its own taxes, in control of its police forces and even with a limited military capability. This land would cooperate fully with its neighbours, allowing unrestricted movement between them, and be part of a free market of over 300 million people. The land would agree to cede limited powers to a central government, but would fiercely defend its sovereignty from central interference.
Is this the post-devolution vision of Wales that frightens Neil Kinnock & friends so much?
Well no – it is actually the US State of Mississippi (or Iowa or Arkansas etc). The Americans are mature enough (!) to allow its people to run their own affairs without getting hysterical about economic meltdown and balkanization.
Why can our Westminster politicians not see that as long as they deny us the right to run our own affairs, that they are actually speeding up the break-up of the UK?
Sunday 26 August 2007
Sunday 19 August 2007
Trip to England?
I received this anonymous email today. It may be of interest to some of you:
What are you doing on 15 - 16 September. How about celebrating Glyndwr Day (16th) and the tenth anniversary of the Referendum Yes vote with a visit to support the English Democrats at their In My Heart 2007 Conference in Leicester?
Isn't it time Welsh nationalists made links with English nationalists? Sure we'll get some flack, but there's no harm in talking. Don't believe the Brit Nat propaganda that English nationalism is inherently racists - the English Nats are open to all ethnic groups and religions. Saying that English nationalism is automatically racists is like saying all British nationalists are racists because the BNP believe in Britian as a nation state as does Gordon Brown.
It would be interesting to learn more about the Campaign for an English Parliament. Maybe a delegation of Welsh nationalists could ask for observer status and see what's going on there too.
Both ourselves and the English have a common enemy - British nationalism. It's time to talk. Who's interested?
English Democrats: www.englishdemocrats.org.uk
The CEP: www.thecep.org.uk
Wales on Sunday
Following last weeks article in the Western Mail, the WoS has now joined the debate on independence.
It seems that Ray Gravell is in favour, Stuart Cable is undecided & Max Boyce is against.
Gripping stuff....... FFS
As Scotland is openly debating independence, our media turns out this drivel.
It seems that Ray Gravell is in favour, Stuart Cable is undecided & Max Boyce is against.
Gripping stuff....... FFS
As Scotland is openly debating independence, our media turns out this drivel.
Tuesday 7 August 2007
An Independent Wales Be Too Poor.....
Wales is clearly one of the poorer parts of the UK, but this is relative. According to the International Monetary Fund, the UK has a GDP per Capita of around $35,000 making it the 12th richest country in the world.
I do not have exact figures for Wales available, but I have seen it quoted that Wales’s GDP per Capita is only 80% of the UK’s figure. This would put the Welsh figure at around $28,000, which would place us at around 26th place – out of more than 200 countries.
This would also place us around 12th place in the EU.
Would an independent Wales be poor? – only relatively.
We would actually be the envy of much of the world!!
I do not have exact figures for Wales available, but I have seen it quoted that Wales’s GDP per Capita is only 80% of the UK’s figure. This would put the Welsh figure at around $28,000, which would place us at around 26th place – out of more than 200 countries.
This would also place us around 12th place in the EU.
Would an independent Wales be poor? – only relatively.
We would actually be the envy of much of the world!!
An Independent Wales Would Be Too Small.....
With a population of just under 3 million, Wales is a relatively small country.
According to Wikipedia there are 221 countries and territories in the world, and an independent Wales would slot in between the 135th largest country (Armenia @ 3 million) and the 136th country (Kuwait @ 2.8 million). In fact there would be 86 independent countries in the world smaller than Wales.
Within the European Union’s 27 states, Wales would fit between 21st placed Lithuania (3.4 million) and 22nd placed Latvia (2.3 million), and there would still be 6 smaller independent countries.
So would an independent Wales be small ? Yes.
Would it be too small ? Not at all!
According to Wikipedia there are 221 countries and territories in the world, and an independent Wales would slot in between the 135th largest country (Armenia @ 3 million) and the 136th country (Kuwait @ 2.8 million). In fact there would be 86 independent countries in the world smaller than Wales.
Within the European Union’s 27 states, Wales would fit between 21st placed Lithuania (3.4 million) and 22nd placed Latvia (2.3 million), and there would still be 6 smaller independent countries.
So would an independent Wales be small ? Yes.
Would it be too small ? Not at all!
Sunday 5 August 2007
Y Repwblic
For those of you interested in Welsh Republicanism, there is a new forum that has been established to replace various older forums. It is still being tidied up but it is worth visiting as there is a lot of interesting information in the archives.
Go to: http://repwblic.informe.com and sign up to join the debate.
Go to: http://repwblic.informe.com and sign up to join the debate.
Wednesday 25 July 2007
Monday 16 July 2007
Welsh Claim of Right
We do hereby acknowedge the sovereign right of the Welsh people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs, and do hereby declare and pledge that in all our actions and deliberations their interests shall be paramount.
We further declare and pledge that our actions and deliberations shall be directed to the following ends:
To agree a scheme for the effective government of Wales
We further declare and pledge that our actions and deliberations shall be directed to the following ends:
To agree a scheme for the effective government of Wales
To mobilise Welsh opinion and ensure the approval of the Welsh people of that scheme, and
To assert the right of the Welsh people to implement that scheme
Wednesday 11 July 2007
The Redwood school of though...
It would seem that David Cameron's all new and improved compassionate Tory party hasn't changed that much since the John Redwood Years.
The Conservative spokesperson on Wales in the House of Lords stated...
So Wales is once again at the top of the Tories agenda then!?!
The Conservative spokesperson on Wales in the House of Lords stated...
"As far as the politics of Wales is concerned, as of 48 hours ago I knew absolutely nothing. I now know nothing, plus a bit. I know nothing about the politics but I know quite a lot about the geography, having climbed most of the mountains."
So Wales is once again at the top of the Tories agenda then!?!
Tuesday 10 July 2007
A Welsh Republic
A lot has been said and written over the last few months about the WA election and its eventual outcome, and it wont be long before we start all over again discussing the possible strategies and outcome of a referendum on a Welsh Parliament. So I thought it was about time that we got back to discussing Welsh Independence - in particular, what form a future Welsh state might take.
I personally believe that we should be aiming to create a Republic but the use of the term Republican often solicits a negative response. To most people the term is simply anti-monarchist, and provokes unionists to start weeping nostalgically about the Royal Family, the loss of the British Empire, and Britishness (whatever that is Mr Brown). To others the term is associated with Irish Republicanism and they immediately start to make comparisons with Sinn Fein and the IRA and other assorted terrorists.
But republican ideals are the basis for many modern democracies, most notably the American & French Republics, and their guiding values are simple:
Republicanism stresses personal liberty, and gives all individuals inalienable rights – rights which can not be voted away. In our context, individuals would have the right to communicate in Welsh – a right that could not be voted away by the majority English speaking electorate
Republicanism establishes that we are not subjects, but citizens. It rejects the monarchy and aristocracy but also all forms of inherited political power, including from the military, churches, trade unions, and lobby groups such as CBI. Instead all political power is democratically vested in the people, who are expected to actively use this power and to participate in civic duties.
Abraham Lincoln defined republicanism in terms of Freedom, Equality & Democracy and described ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’.
Surely these would be excellent ideals for a new Welsh democracy, and we should not be afraid to promote the cause of a Welsh Republic.
Many people are not aware, but much of the inspiration for the American & French republics actually came from Wales. On his blog, Adam Price has been recently quoting the Italian political thinker Antonio Gramsci – but he should look nearer to home for inspiration, and look up the work of his namesake Richard Price. Born in Llangeinor, Bridgend in the 18th century he was in regular correspondence with Benjamin Franklin and his writings proved to be inspirational in the American and French revolutions, and could be considered to be the father of a Welsh republican ideal.
The French Republic has as its motto
Liberté - Egalité - Fraternitié.
I suggest that we should develop this into a Welsh context and suggest our own motto of:
Rhyddid – Tegwch - Cymuned
I personally believe that we should be aiming to create a Republic but the use of the term Republican often solicits a negative response. To most people the term is simply anti-monarchist, and provokes unionists to start weeping nostalgically about the Royal Family, the loss of the British Empire, and Britishness (whatever that is Mr Brown). To others the term is associated with Irish Republicanism and they immediately start to make comparisons with Sinn Fein and the IRA and other assorted terrorists.
But republican ideals are the basis for many modern democracies, most notably the American & French Republics, and their guiding values are simple:
Republicanism stresses personal liberty, and gives all individuals inalienable rights – rights which can not be voted away. In our context, individuals would have the right to communicate in Welsh – a right that could not be voted away by the majority English speaking electorate
Republicanism establishes that we are not subjects, but citizens. It rejects the monarchy and aristocracy but also all forms of inherited political power, including from the military, churches, trade unions, and lobby groups such as CBI. Instead all political power is democratically vested in the people, who are expected to actively use this power and to participate in civic duties.
Abraham Lincoln defined republicanism in terms of Freedom, Equality & Democracy and described ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’.
Surely these would be excellent ideals for a new Welsh democracy, and we should not be afraid to promote the cause of a Welsh Republic.
Many people are not aware, but much of the inspiration for the American & French republics actually came from Wales. On his blog, Adam Price has been recently quoting the Italian political thinker Antonio Gramsci – but he should look nearer to home for inspiration, and look up the work of his namesake Richard Price. Born in Llangeinor, Bridgend in the 18th century he was in regular correspondence with Benjamin Franklin and his writings proved to be inspirational in the American and French revolutions, and could be considered to be the father of a Welsh republican ideal.
The French Republic has as its motto
Liberté - Egalité - Fraternitié.
I suggest that we should develop this into a Welsh context and suggest our own motto of:
Rhyddid – Tegwch - Cymuned
.
I guess we can have our own TRILLIW as well.
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