{"id":22423,"date":"2022-10-21T19:29:34","date_gmt":"2022-10-21T19:29:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/?p=22423"},"modified":"2022-10-21T21:10:21","modified_gmt":"2022-10-21T21:10:21","slug":"independence-in-wales-is-an-inevitable-consequence-of-the-end-of-britains-imperial-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/2022\/10\/21\/independence-in-wales-is-an-inevitable-consequence-of-the-end-of-britains-imperial-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Independence in Wales \u201cis an inevitable consequence of the end of Britain\u2019s imperial project\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom Anderson wrote \u00a0the following report of the Welsh indepencence demonstration in Cardiff in early October outlining how Welsh independence flows from the ongoing crisis of the UK’s imperialist and unionist state. This article first appeared in The Canary.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

INDEPENDENCE IN WALES IS THE THE INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE OF THE END OF BRITAIN’S IMPERIAL PROJECT<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At the beginning of October 10,000 people marched in central Cardiff calling for Welsh independence. Marches like the one on 1 October are becoming a more frequent occasion. An increase in support for an independent Wales went alongside the UK\u2019s final exit from the European Union.<\/p>\n

Wales\u2019s independence movement<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2019, the year running up to 2020\u2019s Brexit, people held at least three mass marches for Welsh independence. Over 5,000 people\u00a0marched for independence through Merthyr Tydfil<\/a>. In 2019, a\u00a0majority of councillors in Gwynedd County Council<\/a>\u00a0in North Wales voted in support of independence. During the same year a\u00a0YouGov<\/a>\u00a0survey<\/a>\u00a0of over a thousand people\u00a0showed that 21% of respondents would support Welsh independence if there was a referendum.<\/a><\/p>\n

The thousands that marched in Cardiff on 1 October show that the movement is still strong. Many supporters of independence tweeted out pictures of the march:<\/p>\n

We asked Welsh think tank\u00a0Melin Drafod<\/a>\u00a0why the Welsh independence movement is growing in popularity.\u00a0Talat Chaudhri, chair of Melin Drafod, commented:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear, not only from the success and popularity of the recent rallies in Wales, but also other events here and elsewhere, that change is afoot in these islands. For us, independence is an inevitable consequence of the end of Britain\u2019s imperial project \u2013 a completely unjust and exploitative endeavour. Wales\u2019s part in that project and the evils committed in its name cannot be denied. As we forge a new, free Wales, we have a moral duty to learn from the lessons of our past and the experience of other countries.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cA\u00a0real need\u201d to \u201cprepare for Welsh independence\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

Melin Drafod ran\u00a0an event called \u2018Imagining an independent Wales\u2019<\/a>\u00a0in the run up to the independence march in Cardiff. Talat explained what the group\u2019s values are. He said:<\/p>\n

Given that sooner or later Wales is going to gain its independence, as a group our focus is on how we as a society with those new freedoms can make choices that are progressive and rooted in the left-radical traditions in our communities. After all, Wales gaining its independence will be a reflection of a desire to see a very different way of life from the UK establishment\u2019s hegemonic, hyper-capitalistic, militaristic consensus.<\/em><\/p>\n

Talat explained that Melin Drafod\u2019s priority was preparing the way for a \u201cprogressive independence\u201d. He said:<\/p>\n

Given that the United Kingdom is unravelling apace, there is a real need for us as citizens to thoroughly prepare for Welsh independence. Our priority is promoting progressive independence, not independence for its own sake. That\u2019s why we are discussing solutions to the major crises of our age \u2013 from climate change and language minoritisation to the scourges of poverty and racism \u2013 both here and around the world.<\/em><\/p>\n

A danger of \u201ccreating a smaller version of the British state\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the speakers at Melin Drafod\u2019s event<\/a>\u00a0was Leanne Wood, the previous leader of the Plaid Cymru parliamentary party. She spoke about how she thinks the independence movement has progressed over time. She argued that:<\/p>\n

the\u00a0debate\u00a0has\u00a0moved\u00a0on\u00a0a\u00a0lot\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0last\u00a0two\u00a0decades\u00a0from\u00a0where\u00a0we\u00a0were\u00a020\u00a0years\u00a0ago.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0gone\u00a0in\u00a0theright\u00a0direction.\u00a0I\u2019m hearing\u00a0lots\u00a0of\u00a0optimism\u00a0and\u00a0excitement\u2026\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0kind\u00a0of\u00a0Wales\u00a0that\u00a0we\u00a0can\u00a0create…\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0all\u00a0possible,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0all\u00a0within\u00a0our\u00a0hands,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0only\u00a0us\u00a0that\u00a0are\u00a0going\u00a0to\u00a0create\u00a0that\u00a0Wales\u00a0thatwe\u2019re\u00a0talking\u00a0about\u00a0tonight.\u00a0But\u00a0there\u00a0are\u00a0no\u00a0guarantees\u2026\u00a0It\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0mean\u00a0if\u00a0we\u00a0get\u00a0independence\u00a0thatall\u00a0our\u00a0problems\u00a0will\u00a0be\u00a0magicked\u00a0away.<\/em><\/p>\n

She continued by saying that a progressive independence for Wales is:<\/p>\n

something\u00a0that\u00a0we\u00a0all\u00a0want.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0something\u00a0tangible\u00a0and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0doable,\u00a0but\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not\u00a0going\u00a0to\u00a0just\u00a0happenautomatically.\u00a0And\u00a0I\u00a0think\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0danger\u00a0of\u00a0creating\u00a0just\u00a0a\u00a0smaller\u00a0version\u00a0of\u00a0the British state\u2026 andwhat\u00a0would\u00a0be\u00a0the\u00a0point\u00a0of\u00a0that?\u00a0We\u00a0have\u00a0to\u00a0build\u00a0something\u00a0that\u00a0enables\u00a0people\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0better\u00a0off\u00a0thanthey\u00a0are\u00a0now.\u00a0We\u00a0have\u00a0to\u00a0build\u00a0something\u00a0that\u00a0enables\u00a0people\u2019s\u00a0lives\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0tangibly\u00a0improved.Otherwise,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0wasting\u00a0our\u00a0time.\u00a0So\u00a0I\u00a0think\u00a0we\u00a0have\u00a0to\u00a0think\u00a0very\u00a0carefully\u00a0about\u00a0the\u00a0kind\u00a0ofindependence\u00a0movement\u00a0we\u00a0are,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0kind\u00a0of\u00a0Wales\u00a0that\u00a0we\u00a0want\u00a0to\u00a0build.\u00a0I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think\u00a0we\u00a0candivorce\u00a0ourselves\u00a0from\u00a0other\u00a0struggles\u00a0like\u00a0the\u00a0climate\u00a0crisis,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0cost\u00a0of\u00a0living\u00a0crisis.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAn\u00a0alternative\u00a0economic\u00a0system\u00a0to\u00a0capitalism\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wood spoke about her involvement in creating a plan for a new type of economy in the Valleys. Wood said the plan argued:<\/p>\n

for\u00a0an\u00a0alternative\u00a0economic\u00a0system\u00a0to\u00a0capitalism,\u00a0so\u00a0that\u00a0we\u00a0could\u00a0put\u00a0the\u00a0control\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0hands\u00a0of\u00a0theworkers\u00a0or\u00a0the\u00a0owners\u00a0of\u00a0energy\u00a0and\u00a0food\u00a0production\u00a0in\u00a0Wales\u00a0so\u00a0that\u00a0it\u00a0would\u00a0stay\u00a0in\u00a0thosecommunities\u2026 At\u00a0the\u00a0time,\u00a0lots\u00a0of\u00a0factories\u00a0were\u00a0closing\u00a0down\u00a0and\u00a0relocating\u00a0to\u00a0Asia\u00a0and\u00a0EasternEurope.\u00a0If\u00a0we\u00a0had\u00a0worker-owned\u00a0cooperatives\u00a0creating\u00a0renewable\u00a0energy,\u00a0feeding the benefits back\u00a0intolocal\u00a0communities,\u00a0that\u00a0would\u00a0create\u00a0a\u00a0whole\u00a0system\u00a0that\u00a0could\u00a0potentially\u00a0provide\u00a0an\u00a0economic\u00a0base,as\u00a0well\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0response\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0climate\u00a0crisis.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCulture, history and language are being destroyed\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speakers at the 1 October march echoed the calls to renew Welsh independence efforts. One of those speakers was Agit Ceviz. He is a Kurdish resident of Cardiff, who has been organising for Welsh independence for many years.\u00a0Described as \u201ca proud Kurdish man who has adopted Wales into his heart\u201d<\/a>, Agit said:<\/p>\n

Underground and above-ground resources are being plundered. Welsh culture, history and language are being destroyed. Colonial nations put their own culture, history and language in [its] place. We want to develop our culture, history, language, freely.<\/em><\/p>\n

According to Agit, people:<\/p>\n

have to unite in our common interests. We are fighting for our right to live, to exist. We will not vanish without fight.<\/em><\/p>\n

The need to create something different<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now is the time for radical ideas to blossom within the independence struggle. If the Welsh independence movement \u2013 and other similar ones \u2013 are going to move us toward real freedom, then ideas and visions are of paramount importance. We don\u2019t need movements which are going to recreate the inequality and oppression of the British state. To be truly liberatory, these movements need to decolonise themselves. They need to create an economy that is based on co-operation not capitalism.<\/p>\n

Ultimately they must critique the concept of the state itself, and its repressive institutions. Otherwise Welsh people\u2019s dreams of independence may become just another form of domination by a new parliament and a new political class.<\/p>\n

19.10.22<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

__________<\/p>\n

also see:<\/p>\n

Welsh independence hits the road gain in Wrexham \u2013 Geoff Ryan and Keith Sinclair, Anti*Capitalist Resistance<\/a><\/p>\n

Emancipation, Liberation \u00a0& Self-determination – Welsh Coverage<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tom Anderson wrote \u00a0the following report of the Welsh indepencence demonstration in Cardiff in early October outlining how Welsh independence flows from the ongoing crisis of the UK’s imperialist and unionist state. This article first appeared in The Canary. INDEPENDENCE IN WALES IS THE THE INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE OF THE END OF BRITAIN’S IMPERIAL PROJECT At…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1861,1867,1873,1877],"tags":[9055],"class_list":["post-22423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alienation-self-determination","category-emancipation-liberation-and-self-determination","category-against-unionism","category-wales-against-unionism","tag-author-tom-anderson"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"views":7221,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22423"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22436,"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22423\/revisions\/22436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}