This article was original written in October 2019 but has been unpublished until now.
In the last 6 months there has now been three
sizeable demonstrations calling for an independent Wales, first in Cardiff,
then Caernarfon and most recently we saw over 5,000 march through Merthyr. The
motivations of those involved are quite mixed, this of course though is
happening with the backdrop of a crisis in British politics after years of
seemingly endless austerity.
Large areas of Wales had not managed yet to recover
from large scale deindustrialisation and privatisation from the 1980’s and
early 1990’s leading to the loss of many large industrial and manufacturing
work places. This even before the austerity measures of the financial crisis starting
in 2008 has led to a feeling that Wales is getting a raw deal, as with many
other working class areas throughout the UK this is very true.
The crisis in Westminster politics, the austerity
measures and the prospect of a No deal Brexit which will hit working class
people particularly hard. There is also a disconnect between Corbyn and Welsh
Labour with many Labour politicians distancing themselves in words and actions
from the policies of Corbyn. Corbyn’s main challenger who failed to topple in
him Owen Smith is of course the MP for the Pontypridd constituency in Wales and
the led Labour led Welsh Assembly and Labour controlled Welsh councils have
been more than happy unfortunately to pass on austerity measures.
These factors combined has brought about a huge rise
in the idea on an independent Wales. Previously support for independence has
typically hovered around the 10%, recent opinion polls have shown that 41%
either support Welsh independence or to some extent further autonomy for
Wales. Since then three sizeable
demonstrations have taken place and recent reports from the Office of National
Statistics show that the Welsh economy is growing 0.1% faster that the UK
economy as a whole. Albeit starting from a lower base rate.
The question that we must ask as socialists is what
type of Wales do we want. The demonstrations for example have been called under
the name ‘All under one banner’ which has taken its name from the organisation
in Scotland. This is a mistaken road that many will be taken down. If we talk
about independence for Wales in and of itself in isolation of politics then it
will mean more of the same.
The Welsh Assembly has now existed for 20 years
throughout that time Labour has been in power including one term in coalition
with Plaid Cymru. In many respects though this has not helped improve the lives
of ordinary Welsh people as the assembly have presided over hospital closures
and funding cuts to education, as well as mergers in further and higher
education resulting in job cuts and lowering educational standards.
This is symptomatic of the problems of the movement
and the official wing in the form of Yes Cymru, the would-be leaders of an
independent Wales would be those either from Labour or Plaid Cymru who cannot
not see past the capitalist system and therefore will offer little in the way
of real change for ordinary people. whilst it is clear that many involved in
the movement are actively looking for a working class alternative for Wales.
Former Wales rugby International Eddie Butler said at the demonstration in
Merthyr “This today is not entirely
political – not yet” indicating the need to go further than a simple call
for independence Neville Southall the famous ex-footballer for Wales went a lot
further when he said:
“There is no
point having a dragon if you cannot roar, and at the moment we cannot roar because
we do not have the money. We need to build up a country that looks after the
lowest of the low We need to treat them the same. There should be o class
system in Wales. Everyone should be the same.”
Essentially Eddie Butler asks the question what next
and Neville Southall provides the answer, whilst not explicitly saying as such
Southall, in reality, is calling for a Socialist Wales.
Welsh people have a proud working class tradition, it
should not be lost on anyone that the march in Merthyr started in Penderyn
Sqaure, named of Dic Penderyn one of the Martyrs of Welsh working class
history, executed for his role in the Merthyr rising which also saw the birth
of the red flag.
Questions need to be asked within the independence
movement, what type of independence should we have? Independence based on the
capitalist economic system will not give us any freedom! A decisive break needs
to come within the independence movement amongst those who both want an
independent Wales and who oppose the ongoing austerity blighting all our lives.
This needs to be put into practice. Socialist
Alternative calls on the Welsh Assembly to stop all cuts to devolved public
services in Wales. All cuts already made with the NHS and education must be
reversed. The Welsh assembly are also known for using zero hour contract
themselves, we call for an immediate end to this and for decent employment with
guaranteed hours available for all those currently on zero hour contracts. All
public services such as utilities and public transport should be brought back
into public ownership and run democratically buy those working in the
industries and the communities which rely on them.
This measures would be a prerequisite for a Wales in
which as Southall described, there would be no class system.
Socialist Alternative calls for a Socialist Wales, linking up on a voluntary basis in a Socialist confederation of England, Scotland and Ireland as part of a wider Socialist Europe in the interests of ordinary working class people unlike the bosses European Union
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