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Wales could exist in a union with England after Scotland gains independence – Drakeford

19 Jun 2021 2 minute read
Mark Drakeford. Picture by Doubledoppler (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Wales could exist in a union with England after Scotland gains independence – according to Mark Drakeford.

While a United Kingdom of England and Wales might lead to a terrifying nightmare for Welsh patriots, Wales’ First Minister admitted to The Spectator magazine: “It is not a comfortable thing to think about.”

However, he conceded that Wales could exist in a union with England. In an interview with Theo Davies-Lewis he said: “I don’t think it’s impossible to design a relationship that will be to Wales’s advantage.”

He said that “the geometry of the United Kingdom would have altered fundamentally and Wales would have to think through the relationship that she would want to have with the component parts that remain.”

‘Pretending’

In the interview, Mark Drakeford also argues the case for a radical federalism in which all four parts of the UK are sovereign.

“Sovereignty in the United Kingdom is now dispersed to four parliaments, each of which is elected,” he says.

“When you go back to 1999, the facts on the ground were that there was a sovereign UK parliament, and it was handing things out to newly constituted devolved institutions. 25 years later, I think the facts on the ground are different.

“It’s no longer a reflection of reality to go on pretending that there is one sovereign parliament, and everything else is somehow subsidiary to it.”


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Mark
Mark
3 years ago

Wales would not exist in a union with England, it would be England first and last,

Dr John Ball
Dr John Ball
3 years ago

The relationship has been impossibly one sided since 1836!

Quornby
Quornby
3 years ago
Reply to  Dr John Ball

Kind of you John, I was thinking of 1410..

Collard
Collard
3 years ago
Reply to  Dr John Ball

Try since 1282.

Dr John Ball
Dr John Ball
3 years ago

Sorry! My history slipped, I meant of course 1536!

Alan Reilly
Alan Reilly
3 years ago

Even the most ardent annibyniaeth supporter, and I’m one of them, would argue in the strongest possible terms for a positive relationship with England, at least those of us with our heads screwed on would. However, it must be a relationship of equals. The only way to achieve that is through independence and two separate states establishing friendly relations like happens between individual nations the world over.

Quornby
Quornby
3 years ago

How can the FM continue to believe in an institution that derides our nation on a daily basis and where the ranking elected Labour leader is not even considered to lead the UK manifestation of his own party? Isn’t it about time for him to disown Ms Nandy who believes that “Spanish methods” should be used against those advocating free nations?

Gareth Wyn Jones
Gareth Wyn Jones
3 years ago

Sometimes I think Drakeford needs his head testing

Nick Randall-Smith
Nick Randall-Smith
3 years ago

If Scotland leaves the Union then Wales should as well, I suspect Mark Drakeford may think so too but can’t say so because he knows that would radically change Labour policy

Levi
Levi
3 years ago

If Scotland leaves, that’s it. It will start a domino effect through all the nations that England has pulled down. Ireland is already having issues and will have to re-unify. Scotland don’t want to be here and, since the last poll, calls for independence increased by double. England need to get their act together or there is no hope for them

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
3 years ago

‘To Wales’ advantage’…in your dreams! The First Minister does make me think him an innocent abroad, and it worries me.

What we need is a good criminal lawyer and an equally good constitutional lawyer at the top for the time being.

I can think of one man but I’m not sure if he wants to be in the spotlight and as we are the same age a 60 hour week sounds daunting! However he has the gravitas and the voice…

paul-neath
paul-neath
3 years ago

Is this man the ”Full shilling”?

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago
Reply to  paul-neath

I remember Alexander Dubcek……………..

Collard
Collard
3 years ago
Reply to  paul-neath

I doubt it.

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
3 years ago

After watching the last Wales game, perhaps the FM believes we could have a Turkey-Azerbaijan ‘one nation two states’ situation! Our border is too long for that to ever work.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago

We could in theory survive in a union with England alone. However, we would always be the disregarded party – felly dim diolch.

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
3 years ago

All the signs are that the UK government doesn’t want Cymru to run its own affairs in any shape or form – in other words complete control via Westminster. Cymru will never have equal status with England and even less so if Scotland leaves the Union. Drakeford can dream about a new Union all he likes – but it will never happen – time to wake up.

Alistair Pye
Alistair Pye
3 years ago
Reply to  Steve Duggan

An independent Scotland and a united Ireland seem inevitable. Wales must not be left behind as England’s first and last colony and whipping boy. We have to have independence. My strong preference would be a radical Celtic Federation.

David Harking
David Harking
3 years ago

Drakeford is probably fearful of being branded as a ‘nationalist’. Desire for independence is nowhere near a majority. Makes sense for him to just keep on farting this rhetoric.

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