The Senedd’s only Liberal Democrat has claimed that independence would be so devastating for Wales that it would “make Brexit look like a walk in the park”.
Mid and West Wales MS Jane Dodds made the comments on Monday (April 28) following the announcement of Plaid Cymru’s new economic plan for Wales.
The party – led by Ynys Môn MS Rhun ap Iorwerth – has promised to “breathe new life” into the Welsh economy if they win the next Senedd election in May 2026.
How do Welsh folks feel about independence?
It polls badly(but has increased a bit in last decade) but that’s cause there so many English people there, it’s more popular in the north where there are more Welsh speakers and Plaid Cymru (the Welsh nationalist party) actually hold some seats
Plaid are further left than labour
There were actually small militant groups back in 60’s/70’s trained by the IRA(the Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru MAC and the Free Wales Army) who in turn supported the even smaller and less effective Cornish nationalists, two major impetuses for their creation being the Aberfan disaster in which the negligence of english coal companies led to entire primary school being buried in spoil(and subsequently all died), and Tryweryn(Cowfiwch Dryweryn/Remember Tryweryn being a common independence supporting slogan/graffiti) when the state kicked a village of Welsh people out of their homes flood it and the valley to create a reservoir to supply Liverpool, but they fucked up their only major operation(trying to bomb the train on which Charlie was being carried to his investiture as ‘Prince of wales’
Cymru am byth, yma o hyd, ffyc y saes
Anecdotally, I don’t know if it’s as popular as it used to be but it is starting to come back.
Back in the 80’s there was a huge movement for it with the likes of Meibion Glyndŵr and the Free Wales Army having a big presence in the valleys.
The establishment of the Senedd functioned as a sorta release valve for the more moderate in the pro-independence movement with the occasional concessions in the form of minor increases in devolution every so often.
Parliament seems more hands on than ever with trying to steer the Senedd into line with the rest of the UK while fucking around with funding of devolved powers, so I’ve started to notice a slight tilt in favour independence here and there.
Despite what some idealistic people will say, independence will require a huge amount of bureaucracy to achieve which will dwarf that of leaving the EU.
I realise the Lib Dems are likely trying to put a wedge between the parties with this statement, but I am fairly certain they have been pushing for increase devolution which is a pretty similar viewpoint of Plaid at the moment.
