Thousands March in Cardiff Calling for Welsh Independence

THE GUARDIAN: Rally by campaigners, who say Westminster government does not serve nation’s best interests, is second in a few months

Welsh independence campaigners in the centre of Cardiff, Wales on Saturday. Photograph: Bronwen Weatherby/PA
Thousands of people have marched through Cardiff as part of a rally for Welsh independence.

Campaigners at the event carried large flags and banners and paraded through the city centre led by a samba band. It was organised by All Under One Banner Cymru (AUOB) and Yes Cymru. It was the second pro-independence rally to take place in Wales this year, after a march attracted about 8,000 supporters in Wrexham in July.

The AUOB and Yes Cymru [Cymru is Welsh for Wales] are campaigning for independence from the United Kingdom, as they believe Westminster does not operate with the best interests of the Welsh people in mind.

Despite rail strikes across the UK, organisers estimated about 10,000 people made it to the march – at the front of which was a banner saying “Annibyniaeth”, meaning independence in Welsh.

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Harriet Protheroe-Soltani from AUOB Cymru said: “Given the UK government’s recent tax cuts for the rich and continual erosion of workers’ rights it’s important, now more than ever, that people come along and demonstrate that we do not trust Westminster to look after the interests of Wales.” » | Gemma McSherry | Saturday, October 1, 2022

How ironic it would be if Scotland and Wales seceded from the Union and Ireland became independent, too. Scotland and Wales could be independent nations in the European Union. The Republic of Ireland is already in the European Union and is prosperous as a result of its membership; so, if Northern Ireland joined Eire, the whole of Ireland would be in the EU. That would leave England truly isolated. Perhaps it could apply to the US to become its 51st state! I'm sure Disney could do something splendid with England's royal heritage! A sad irony indeed. Sad, that is, for the English. – © Mark Alexander

Support for Welsh Independence Is Growing – People Are Fed Up with Being Forgotten

THE GUARDIAN: As in Scotland, many people have looked at the United Kingdom and decided that it’s simply not working for them

‘With his calls for ‘home rule’, Mark Drakeford, the first minister, has essentially parked his tanks on Plaid Cymru’s lawn.’ Photograph: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images
The idea of an independent Wales is no longer just a hobby-horse of bearded men in Carmarthenshire pubs on Six Nations rugby match days. Polls put support for independence at about 30%, (and skew more pro- the younger you go): not enough to signal anything imminent, but high enough for us to be certain something real is happening. After all, Scotland was polling similar numbers in 2007, and just seven years later David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg were making “the vow” to the people of Scotland as they scrambled to keep the union together.

Of course when we look at this 30% figure, there is a question of saliency. People may support independence, but how crucial is the issue for them? Most people support House of Lords reform, for instance, but it doesn’t result in a massive majority for the Lib Dems. Having spent the last 18 months immersed in the idea of an independent Wales, I can attest that this is a real movement, with legitimate grievances which should be taken seriously. This isn’t to say that independence is inevitable but just that, like the leave campaign or those for an independent Scotland, these issues are fringe, minority movements – until they’re not.

Perhaps the biggest surprise when I started researching this area is how, especially for people who have come to the idea of Welsh independence since Brexit, identity is only a secondary motivating factor. For them it is, first and foremost, a matter of the head not the heart. Most supporters have simply looked at the state of the United Kingdom, seen that it isn’t working for Wales, and view independence as the most effective vehicle for fixing Wales’s problems. That doesn’t mean independence necessarily is the answer, just that the status quo is leaving the country both impoverished and unable to fix the problems it has. » | Will Hayward | Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Could a No-deal Brexit Push Wales towards Independence?

Boris Johnson may have given himself a new title of Minister for the Union, but how United is the Kingdom?

In Wales, where he was today, the Tories are out in front in the latest opinion poll. But many in the Welsh independence movement see his premiership as the perfect gift for their campaign.

A no-deal Brexit puts new pressures on Scotland and Northern Ireland, could it change the game in Wales too? Just this weekend thousands gathered to march for independence, so how indy-curious is Wales?

Protesters March in Cardiff for Welsh Independence

THE GUARDIAN: Thousands march in Cardiff calling for Welsh independence » | Mattha Busby | Saturday, May 11, 2019