Are Plaid Cymru Talking About Independence? I Should Think So Too...

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Yesterday a Plaid Cymru candidate for the National Assembly for Wales resigned from the party. Professor Nigel Copner stated ( from the online article in the South Wales Argus I saw that Plaid was not "determined to win" (well I disagree with that) and the party's position on independence is "not currently economically viable" and loses the party credibility. It is that comment I want to focus on here. That's right a man who's English, not a professor and has not fought an election campaign is going to argue with this guy. So here we go.

I will start by repeating a few things I've said before in this blog but I'd argue is important to reiterate here.

Plaid Cymru is the party of independence for Wales or it is nothing.

Since I moved to Wales in 1997 Plaid's lowest ebb was under the leadership of Iuean Wynne Jones who amongst other things muddied the waters on the issue and the electorate quite rightly punished Plaid for it. After all you might as well vote Liberal Democrat for all the good that it would do.

That does not mean that Plaid does not have other policies (I won't bore you with them here) in the same way that the SNP or Sein Fein in Northern Ireland don't have other policies either. But independence means that policies are made in Wales for the people living in Wales and are not beholden to a weak Westminster Prime Minister or as in the case of the First Minister a devotion to the thoughts of "Jeremy".

As for independence not being currently economically viable Wales is particularly hit by factory closures and/or job losses as well as the cancellation of infrastructure projects already. So the status quo is not viable and that does not include the dark ages of Brexit that might be soon upon us.

Independence is not necessarily a cure for these issues. What it does however is to allow Wales to judge them without looking over the shoulder to Westminster. That's the difference. It gives Wales a purpose, an identity that Westminster and it's supporters have tried to take away.

Independence would give Wales it's groove back.

Polls show that support for independence is on the rise (36%. Not Scottish levels but growing). Brexit has put the issue on the map and as I've stated in this blog before unless it creates a land of milk and honey that level will increase.

The professor is wrong. Independence is definitely on the agenda. And has in time the potential to be the number one issue.

And people will remember the party whose policy it is.

Until the next time.