Wales rising: defying the grip of extremism and unionism
Simon Hobson
The spectre of disunity looms large. Those peddling extremist and authoritarian remedies find an ever-widening platform on our national airwaves, spreading their insidious ideologies across the expansive reach of social media.
As long as the dominant triad of political parties: Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, continue to disregard the legitimate concerns of people over; failing public services, a fall in the real-term value of wages, and a perceived threat from immigrants, the purveyors of these abhorrent doctrines will garner increased support at the ballot box.
Both the populist Right and Left, in their haste to offer solutions, fail to confront the intrinsic weaknesses inherent in the governance model presented by the Union. They suggest nothing to remediate the continued existence of antiquated structures within the United Kingdom.
Public opinion
In an age dominated by social media, where rogue foreign governments, tech moguls, and transient vacuous celebrities sway the tides of public opinion and influence electoral outcomes, the United Kingdom resembles a relic from a bygone era. It stands akin to a telephone exchange operator amidst the rise of smartphones, utterly unprepared to respond to the evolving demands and complexities of governance in our interconnected digital world.
Unionists cling to the illusion that the United Kingdom can persist on its languid trajectory, selectively embracing progressive amendments while resisting substantial reform. They assert that this is the manner in which the system has always functioned, and it is this tempered approach that has afforded the United Kingdom its longevity.
Why should we remain bound to a governance model that has resulted in a diminishing standard of living? What rationale supports faith in their vision for the future, given that these are the very architects of our housing crisis, of the elderly succumbing to the cold in their homes, of a healthcare system woefully unprepared for a global pandemic, of hungry children, collapsing school buildings, crumbling roads, profiteering supermarkets, energy and transport companies – while all about us is in disarray, and the damage to our worlds ecology and climate continues unabated? Their brand of democracy has undeniably failed us.
Awakening
A better path exists. Wales senses this awakening. I am convinced that the forthcoming decades shall herald a period of prosperity for smaller nation-states. With their diminutive stature comes an openness to innovative ideas, an agility to effect rapid change in an ever-accelerating world, and the opportunity to establish a more accessible hierarchy of governance that genuinely serves the people.
Wales is indeed one such nation, and its voice must be amplified upon the global stage. After centuries of being silenced by London’s hegemony, the time has come for Wales to reclaim its narrative. We are not merely a footnote in the annals of history; we are a nation of potential, waiting to awaken to our greatness.
If we are to thrive and secure our future, action is imperative. It demands a transformative approach characterised by bold action and a resolute commitment to shaping our own destiny.
It is our democratic duty to believe in ourselves, to trust that we possess the capability to seize our own destiny, to assert our identity as an independent people.
The people of Wales have always forged ahead in championing progressive reforms concerning land, social welfare, and the safeguarding of religious freedoms. Ever questioning: ‘Is there an alternative? Is there a more virtuous path?’
Vanguard
At the vanguard of these noble pursuits has stood the Liberal Party of Wales, the very embodiment of our quest for self-determination. Liberalism is the articulation of our collective voice which rejects convention, traditions and the perpetuation of the status quo just because it has always been thus. Wales shall attain its full potential only through a movement for change steeped in the ideals of Liberalism.
Those among us who cherish the right of our nation to exist as a bastion of free thought, economic vigour, and social and technological progress cannot but support a Liberal vision for our homeland.
Welsh Liberalism has endured grievous wounds and has bled significantly. Our movement, once a beacon of vibrant discourse and debate, thriving in village halls, after church services, on our high streets, in farms, and in the dormitories of our universities, has been relegated to the shadows.
It now dances to the tune of London’s pipes. To the ideals of English Social Democrats and to Unionism. I fear that, for too long, we have allowed Liberalism in Wales to languish with its sores. What remains of its vitality? Are we, through the very ignorance that our Liberal persuasion mandates us to erode in others, about to let the Welsh Liberal voice fall into silence throughout our land?
Wales requires a robust Liberal Party. A Liberal movement once again engaged in discourse across our land, rekindling the flame of liberty and republicanism in the hearts of every Welsh citizen. Let us realise that dream, be witness to the establishment of a Liberal government within the Senedd. And fulfil Wales’ destiny as a nation-state.
Simon Paul Hobson is an approved Parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats.
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Pure political nonsense. If the author is trying to push Liberalism he better start by joining Plaid Cymwu – which he studiously ignores because PC is the one force standing against the Westminster crew
Westminster moans are irrelevant on day to day life issues. Migrants, jobs, houses and cost of living are the issues for the people, not abstruse ‘ Westminster government’ rubbish. Ignore the people’s concerns at your peril – ask the USA democrats.
I do agree that Cymru has to find it’s liberal heart once again. If you look at our history the pursuit of equality, civil and individual rights and the willingness to seek change, has always been present in our society and often laws. Remember the laws of Hywel Dda, the Rebecca riots and the Tredegar Medical Aid Society – the foundation of the modern NHS all challenges, changes and innovations created from a sense of liberalism. As an independent country we can continue that tradition. We can challenge the threat to democracy we see from an out of date Union.… Read more »
There is no ‘left extremism’ in Cymru. What there is of an extreme left is very fragmented, powerless and more concerned with sectarian issues that in seriously threatening the status quo. Next door’s pet cat is more of a threat!
The only way forward for Wales is Plaid Cymru, the only party dedicated to Wales and Welsh people. Admittedly some of their policies could do with an update to include working class issues and people but their strength is undeniably Welsh
I agree, but with a bare eighteen months before the next Senedd elections, and with Reform clearly taking the Senedd elections very seriously, I have my doubts that Plaid, the Greens or anyone is seriously awake enough to turn things around quickly enough to head of a significant number of Reform crypto-fascists entering the Senedd after having peddled their poison.
It’s not very often I agree with Paddy, but in this case he has hit the nail very firmly on the head. Eighteen months to go and from Plaid Cymru there is a deafening silence. I watched the news yesterday and saw that sickening snake oil salesman with his short measure smile, announcing his plan to win a zillion seats at the Senedd elections. God help us! Then I thought – this was a good example of Plaid Cymru’s silence. When was the last time ap Iorwerh appeared on the news, or any of his party worthies? Or had anything… Read more »
Sorry John. That’s nonsense about Llanelli. I was there. Reform directly picked up the Tory vote. We fought hard and we had a good candidate. We picked up a sizeable chunk of the lost Labour vote. Our problem was that the Greens and Libs also picked up a chunk of the progressive vote. In fact in terms of numbers, enough to have delivered a Plaid MP. Yes it was disappointing, yes we could have done better but don’t accuse us of being asleep on the job. Where were you? Were you helping Plaid win votes? I know I did my… Read more »
Sound to me like too many excuses. That many Tories in LLanelli.
You may well have worked hard, but the fact remains that you were once very, very strong in Llanelli.
What went wrong?? Apart from interference from the centre
Keeping the powder dry and staying under the radar may be a shrewd move for Plaid currently. Drakeford when agreeing the 96 seat closed list Senedd in the period of Spring 2022 seriously miscalculated as he probably did not think that Reform would rebound to their current level in the polls. The agreement hatched with Plaid made the assumption that Reform would not get more than about 12% of the Senedd election vote tops so would be kept out completely. So called ‘Welsh Labour’ have a lot more to lose than Plaid from a Reform surge in my opinion but… Read more »
Plaid, the party I usually vote for out of sheer desperation, hasn’t really done a good job of being an effective challenge to Labour in all of the time we’ve had a devolved government. I’m not sure if the phrase ‘asleep at the wheel’ quite expresses the somnolent nature of the party.
Just a polite correction, the name’s Padi 🙂
Apologies!
Thank you, sadly you are far from alone, though I was surprised that someone usually so observant as yourself would have noticed that!
I don’t think that you can honestly say that the populist Right and populist Left are equal and opposite dangers like Scylla and Charybydis.
A populist left in the form of George Galloway’s Workers Party of GB didn’t really gain traction, and even George Galloway himself didn’t retain his seat in the general election. Although that wasn’t really a populist left, more like a syncretic populism taking certain social issues more associated with right wing politics and combining them with a left-wing economic platform.
Alt-Right, Ctrl-Left, Esc-Centre, Spacebar-Syncretic-Populist, CAPSLOCK-Crazies. Take your pick.
Once I’d read that bit I stopped taking the writer seriously. Clearly an advocate of the modern ‘two sides’ presentation that determines that there has to be some kind of balance, even where that balance is as here, where the threat presented by the far-right is far greater than a perceived threat from a far-left that is preoccupied with infighting to the extend that it’s becoming more fragmented and powerless where being a threat is infinitely unlikely. The writer is obviously unaware of the history of Liberalism in Cymru, and what went wrong to sour relations between capital and labour… Read more »
just means that the old Right-Left dichotomy is a load of bollox !
Yes and no. If that dichotomy is bollox now, it means that it’s always been bollox. We all know the history of the categorisation, and it was only ever a very rough shorthand – which is as useful today as it always was.
a perceived threat isn’t a legitimate concern.
you don’t get to have it both ways, rolling out the old dog whistle of ‘legitimate concern’ about immigration only to negate the legitimacy in the same sentence.
Immigration isn’t really a legitimate concern, just one that has been weaponised over and over. The only reason Reform and their ilk rail against immigration is so that they can point to poor migrants as being responsible for a disintegrating society instead of pointing at the real culprits, the obscenely rich, a group to which Farage is a fully paid up member. Most people who are doing alright probably don’t give a tinker’s cuss about immigration, so long as their kids can find a job and a house, and I dare say, who are really quite pleased that there are… Read more »
In most of Wales the greatest proportion of impactful immigration comes from England!
There are many facets to immigration, in my opinion, some positive some less so. It’s an issue that is taboo, no discussion about the concerns or even fears some may have. An individual raising the issue is automatically labelled a racist, a nazi etc etc. Such gaslighting pushes the issue underground and subject to misinformation and misinterpretation by those seeking to weaponise it. We need an open discussion on the issue
that’s not actually true though, is it Linda?
the entire mainstream political conversation is dominated by the presumption that immigration is bad and that there’s too much of it, and where even left wing parties and media are too cowardly to challenge the presumption that there are ‘legitimate concerns’, without ever defining which concerns it is that they agree are legitimate.
you sound like one of those comedians who gets paid a million quid by netflix to spend two hours ranting about how they’ve been cancelled and how you’re not allowed to say anything anymore.
There is plenty of propaganda in the media re immigration. That is quite different to openness, transparency and in depth research /discussion about immigration, assimilation and the impact of immigrant cultures on our own. Eg, does the UK want multi culturalism or assimilation?
There are a few legitimate concerns, all of them, sadly weaponised by the far-right to play on people’s legitimate fears. However, it’s never immigration that threatens their jobs, their houses, healthcare or jobs, All those are threatened by the filthy rich and the politicians, like the current Labour government, who support them. There, I’ve managed to discuss immigration without feeling that I’ve either broken a taboo, or descended into a racist pit. However, the problem for so many when they try to discuss these issues is that they start to scapegoat immigrants rather than those who are really responsible hence… Read more »
Is this the same Liberalism that propped up the David Cameron administration in 2010 that terrorised the unemployed, working poor & disabled? Yes it did. It also reneged on its core principle regarding tuition fees and maintained our devolution deficit as the junior partner to the Conservatives until they were surplus to requirements and tainted by association. So why liberalism is a viable option when it was responsible for aiding the Conservative party which led to 14 years of absolute power. The era of idiocracy that included Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishy Sunak’s tenure doesn’t fill me with hope… Read more »
In Wales I will vote Plaid Cymru, but if I was living in England then I would vote Lib Dem. Yes they made a mistake by jumping into bed with the Tories, but Clegg is gone and not coming back. That was then, this is now. The demise of the Lib Dems over the last decade or so has meant that the third largest party in terms of vote share has now been replaced by Reform UK, and this has shifted the Overton window further rightward. Tories have gone further to the right to appease the Faragists, as do Labour… Read more »
I agree. When I lived in England I voted Lib Dem, even after, in the dismal later stages of the Clegg/Huhne era, I’d lost all confidence in them. I thought they were worth my vote, even if only as the ‘least worst’ available option.
This laptop has turned into a time machine, from Llangelynnin to Llanystumdwy via Llanaber, pilgrims, all are welcome…take the causeway to Ireland a hop, skip and a leap away…
‘At the vanguard of these noble pursuits has stood the Liberal Party of Wales, the very embodiment of our quest for self-determination.
The writer curiously ignores the inconvenient reality that while the Lib Dems have certainly embraced devolution with enthusiasm, they nonetheless remain an avowedly unionist political party!
Unless this article is the author’s way of preparing LibDems for an impending new break away political party, pro independence and wholly independent of the current LibDems then he’s just perpetuating the
‘dominant triad of political parties: Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats,’
Though he should be well aware that unfortunately for him, with Cymru any talk of any sort dominant triad doesn’t include the Liberal Democrats.
Can you lot just go away? This is mot the age of Lloyd George, Welsh Liberalism served its purpose and now it is no longer needed, attempting to revive it isba dead end.
The Liberal Party disappeared in Wales because it no longer had a reason to exist once Plaid Cymru started to gain traction, the Liberal Party was a party of Welsh Home Rule and the Welsh language, the biggest figure of which being Lloyd George. Its role as the party of Welsh self-determination was taken by Plaid it no longer had a reason to exist.