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Labour in Ceredigion want Wales to go it alone and ditch UK party

19 Jun 2021 3 minute read
Keir Starmer picture by Rwendland (CC BY-SA 4.0). First Minister Mark Drakeford. Picture by the Welsh Government.

Labour members in Ceredigion have voted to set up ‘Welsh Labour’ as a completely independent party from UK Labour.

The ‘suggested constitutional amendment’ was passed earlier today and announced as a ‘breaking’ story on Twitter.

Ceredigion CLP member Dylan Lewis Rowlands who proposed the motion said: “It’s about putting Labour’s words into practice . .  . we have heard lots about federalism because that’s the approach that Labour wants to take apparently and where Starmer wants to take as well . . . but what we’re saying is: ‘Put your money where your mouth is’ more or less.

“Obviously, it comes from the perspective of those of us who want independence and we should recognise that federalism is an acceptable first step towards that – but this is about giving Welsh Labour true political independence.

“We’ve got a Senedd with devolved powers, but some of these policies have still got to be decided at UK conference rather than at the Welsh conference. So this is about giving Welsh Labour political independence to go their own way. And if the Senedd election has shown us anything it is that Welsh Labour is completely separate from UK Labour in the eyes of Welsh people.”

 

While accepting that the UK Labour Party had put on an unionist front and joined forces with the Conservatives and Lib-Dems to try and halt the SNP’s march towards independence in Scotland, Mr Lewis said: “Actually the politics of Wales and Scotland are different. The SNP’s gains only came with the demise of the Labour Party in Scotland.”

Mr Rowlands said there were many “soft nationalists” within the Labour Party membership in Wales.

Regarding the amendment, Mr Rowlands explained that there were still “some internal procedures” before it can go through.

“The hope is that if more CLPs pass this motion then it can be voted by the members.”

The motion can then be submitted to both the UK Labour conference in late September and also to the Welsh conference in early November, he said.

‘Downward’

Asked why they had taken this step, Mr Rowlands said: “First of all, we’re talking about the Labour Party in England that is on the down. If anything the Chesham and Amersham election showed us that Labour was hanging in there on a downward curve and the difference with Welsh Labour is that the Senedd elections were outstanding really and we had the best set of results that we have ever had and the Welsh electorate, I feel anyway, put its faith in the Welsh Labour Party.”

He said there was now a need for a “sovereign Welsh Labour Party to make those policy decisions and have the power to forge a new future.”

Mr Rowlands said that campaigning for an independent Wales and for an independent Welsh Labour Party “go hand in hand.”

He said that of the people who had voted for Labour in Wales at the Senedd elction, “51% of them are already in favour of Welsh independence.”

Mr Rowlands insisted that an independent Wales under Labour would be “vastly different” to that under Plaid Cymru, adding that that an independent Welsh Labour Party could “sell a message of hope” to the electorate.


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Nick Randall-Smith
Nick Randall-Smith
3 years ago

I think this is a good move, Mark Drakeford has performed well for Wales and shown that an independent Welsh Labour Party could work. The performance of UK Labour opposing the Johnson government over its hopeless handling of Brexit and Covid has been pitiful, the SNP has done a better job.

Dai Rob
Dai Rob
3 years ago

It’s started…………………………..

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago
Reply to  Dai Rob

What will FM do if/when he’s left all alone?

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
3 years ago
Reply to  j humphrys

House of Lords?

Quornby
Quornby
3 years ago

Yes and about time Dai Rob. When not if.

Last edited 3 years ago by Quornby
Shan Morgain
3 years ago

I have been hoping for this. I do want independence eventually but I want to it to develop gradually, with devo-max, federalism. Home Rule … and then. Building it solidly. When it comes to the national election it will be very difficult to vote at all. I’m very happy to vote for Drakeford, and my AM, but NOT NOT NOT Starmer, nor my limp Labour MP.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago

It would be anhygoel if Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour merged – think about the amazing things they could achieve by working together.

David
David
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr Williams

Ishoo’s & the 3rd sector!!

hdavies15
hdavies15
3 years ago
Reply to  David

Symptoms of a serious dependency culture.

Josh Foster
Josh Foster
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr Williams

What on earth are you blathering on about? They’re already working together and achieving the square route of bugger all.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Foster

I think we should keep debate on this noble website polite please Mr Foster.
We may disagree about things, and that is healthy debate, but I do believe that good manners are the best way forward. My best wishes to you.

Last edited 3 years ago by Mr Williams
j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Foster

The market guys seem to be in Gwlad nowadays.

Alistair Pye
Alistair Pye
3 years ago

The better option would be creation of an independent Welsh Labour Party followed by a formal amalgamation with Plaid. That would create the Welsh equivalent of the SNP and an indomitable force in Welsh politics with independence top of the agenda. Where are the substantial policy differences?

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
3 years ago
Reply to  Alistair Pye

Policy difference:- independence. At least, while Drakeford is party leader. Although he gets more indy-curious with every anti-devolution move by Johnson. A merging of the two parties would at least give the new party representation in the Bro Gymraeg and the anglophone post-industrial regions, but this pre-supposes the latter becoming pro-indy. More probably, a merged party would promote federalism in order not to lose the Valleys and the North East. On the other hand, another couple of years of Johnson is likely to hike up the support for independence, whereupon Westminster could, as you say, have an SNP-calibre Welsh Government… Read more »

Josh Foster
Josh Foster
3 years ago

The comments here say it all. People already see Plaid and Labour as the same party…because they are. Absolute charlatans. Plaid have wasted the time, energy, and money of nationalists for twenty years. They have the collective intellectual capacity of a boiled potato.

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