Eddie Butler: Wales has been abandoned by Westminster
BBC rugby commentator Eddie Butler has taken a swipe at Boris Johnson’s government, saying that Wales has been abandoned by Westminster.
The former Wales captain, a keen supporter of independence, said that although the thirst for independence is growing, in general Wales lacks the confidence to govern itself.
“Wales has been abandoned by the landlord, England,” he told told Irish sports podcast off The Ball.
“The government in Westminster has become a more brutal, harder place and to fight a Welsh corner. It started off as a small scrap but it is growing. The theme of independence of devolved powers at least is on the increase.”
Addressing the question of those who can’t see Wales breaking free from the union, he added: “There’s a terrible lack of self confidence in Wales. There’s no question that we in general, simply do not feel we are strong enough or even brave enough to take on the responsibilities of governing ourselves.
“There’s a saying that the Welsh make great footsoldiers, but don’t produce officers. There’s no officer class in Wales because the decisions are left to others. And we have to disprove that.
There is a truth that young people leave Wales to go and find jobs elsewhere, and so we have to get those people who can take on big jobs and big responsibilities, we have to get them to come back to Wales, which is going to be a challenge.”
Abandoned
One of the most distinctive voices in sport, the former Wales international rugby player, who was capped 16 times between 1980 and 1984, gave the inaugural Gwyn Alf Williams Memorial Lecture for YesCymru in Merthyr Tydfil last year, and has become a increasingly vocal supporter of the independence movement.
“If you neglect a land for so long, then the incentives to come home are limited,” he said. “So we are starting from a low base point. But that is part of the problem that you have to ask the question, why is Wales in such a poor state? And it is because the Westminster Government has abandoned it, and we have to do something about it.”
“The Westminster government gives Wales the money to look after itself, they say – to run the Senedd in Cardiff. But that money on its own left Wales in a state where it automatically qualified for emergency European funding. And now that funding has gone because we have left the European Union. We are left with this block granted according to the Barnett formula, and we’re stuck with it. And it is never going to be enough, so we are always going to be impoverished unless we do something about it ourselves.”
“There’s a saying that the Welsh are great foot soldiers but they don’t produce officers”
Eddie Butler is one of the most recognisable Welsh rugby voices around, and he was fascinating on Welsh identity and the possibility of independence.pic.twitter.com/75iqk6heqk
— Eoin Sheahan (@EoinSheahan) February 4, 2022
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Yes it’s time for a new wales 🏴 the older people in wales have let wales down by still voting for a English party’s in wales 🏴 we in are now losing out on £345 million pounds from the EU since we left the EU which a lot of that money was being spent in the valleys of wales 🏴
With out of the The Welsh Government North and mid wales would get nothing from the English government stop being little Englanders and be proud to be welsh kick all English party’s out of wales that’s the Tories Labour and all Brexit party’s it’s time for a new wales 🏴 the UK is finished
And no more second homes in wales 🏴 and all second homes to be taxed by 100 percent taxes
After watching the debate about Wales in Westminster there was no order and you could hardly hear anything being said the speaker never brought them to order no respect to what was being said.And the two conservative MPs that did speak spend All the time talking Wales down I couldn’t believe that they are supposed to speak up for Wales it was disgusting to think they are being paid to look out for Wales but All they did was being against Wales that performance should be shown on All The WELSH TV channels
The last time I watched Welsh Questions it was nothing more than Cairns banging on about his precious “Southwestern Powerhouse”, as well as collective sneering and giggling at Liz Saville Roberts. I don’t know how she puts up with it.
In reply to Richard,
Sorry but you display the result of the English method of “divide and rule,” Welsh speaking against English, north against South, etc. The fact there are no good roads north to south is deliberate, good roads linking us with England and non linking us as s nation.
This should be a high priority for the labour government but they are fundamentally a unionist party and are happy with y way it is.
Indipende dance is y only answer and for that to happen we must be united, north and south together.
If anyone sites terrain, google Jeremy Clarkson “In Britain we are doomed”.
I don’t recall contributing to this page : debate ?
Might this reply have been reviewed and miss placed from the piece around the road needs of the small Oswestry corridor ?
If it is – you appear not to know our area and its historical and geographic place in our nations history and langusge.
I would suggest you visit, observen and perhaps chat with folk.
I agree completely with Eddie Butler’s comments Wales has been abandoned and we need to take ownership of our future. I also applaud Eddie for taking a public stance in favour of independence. I know a number of people who are reluctant to go public and make their view of supporting independence known.
Sure enough Cwm Rhondda….. All change is brought about by the valiant.
Eddie spoke well from Merthyr town hall to a huge crowd at the independence march a few years ago. Good to see public figures commitment to what is best for Wales.
Eddie is an articulate advocate for Wales. Jeremy Bowen, take note and learn.
Eddie is absolutely right. We need to have the confidence to take responsibility for our own destiny because no-one else is ever going to do anything for us.
Eddie’s analysis is spot on. The benefit of Eddie espousing these views is that his gravitas precludes him being referred to as a “fanatic” as is sometimes said of others sharing these views. He is absolutely right about the lack self-confidence that exists. It is deep-seated particularly among our older generations. So if any prospects of independence exists the messages Eddie spells out need to be targeted at out younger generations before they to succumb to the same mind-set. It is extremely unlikely that our older generations will be purged of this and it is little wonder when over the… Read more »
Maybe now the Welsh Clarkson will abandon his own overt kowtowing to the OneNation (not four) agenda that he has been known for, for decades.