‘Of course’ Wales could thrive as an independent nation says Michael Gove
Michael Gove has said that “of course” Wales could thrive as an independent nation, but that it would be a mistake as “the United Kingdom is the single most successful state in the world”.
In a wide-ranging interview with WalesOnline, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up was asked whether he could see Wales thrive as a self-governing nation not under Westminster’s wing.
“I think Wales is one of the most amazing places in the world and of course it could,” he said while on a visit to Merthyr Tydfil.
But he added, “I think it would be a mistake, a huge mistake for people to want to speculate about separation, because the United Kingdom is the single most successful state in the world.”
“And it’s successful because of the contribution that people from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England make to it.”
He went on to say that the UK was “a multi-cultural, multi-national, multi-ethnic state, that shares attachment to the rule of law, to respect for property rights, to democracy, equality and decency”.
These were because of the contribution of people in Wales such as Nye Bevan who had founded the NHS and the BBC’s “best presenter” Huw Edwards, he said.
The Conservative Party had a record of enhancing Wales’ powers rather than reducing them, he said, citing the increase in devolved powers in 2011 and the setting up of S4C under Margaret Thatcher’s government in 1982.
His comments come after the Welsh Government has accused the UK Government of “levelling down” Wales as it was revealed that the country would get £329m less this year than it would have received from the EU if it was still a member.
They have also accused the UK Government of a “power grab” and an “assault on devolution” over attempts to centralise powers over devolved areas at Westminster.
Responding, Michael Gove said that “people in Wales benefit from having two governments – devolution is the best of both worlds for Wales.”
You can read the full interview with Michael Gove here.
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“The most successful state in the world” … ? Really? Has he taken a look at the Gini index recently. Has he looked at the figures for Wales’ GVA? GDP? Average wages? Average house price? In work poverty? Childhood poverty? Our health stats?
Gove’s not on cloud cuckoo land – but he would be if he thought for even just one second that he was telling the truth.
Indeed, just look at how life expectancy in the Valleys is lower than the Home Counties and has plummeted since 2010 and the Tories came to power.
God knows what drugs he is on now
“the single most successful state in the world”…… And so modest, so mislead.
Would this be the same wonderful nhs that these tory charlatans are trying to sell off for quick monetary kickbacks to usa?
What criteria is he using for his “most successful state in the world” claim?
It certainly isn’t economic.
Why is it that Wales with our great mineral wealth that Wales had that drove the industrial revolution we have ended up the poorest part of the UK rape of the fair country comes to mind
When is Gove going to realise that regardless of whether the Union is the most successful state in the world or not – Wales didn’t have any choice in the matter. It is still a conquered nation and just because it was taken over almost 800 years and then helped in the building of the Empire makes little difference. As a people we still have our own culture, language and traditions all based west of Offas Dyke and quite distinctive from the people in the east, so we have a right to self determination, should we choose to do so.… Read more »
Prior to and ever since the Act Of Partition, (not union), the Cymry have been second class citizens on this island that was to become the U.K. Perhaps we should start calling ourselves First Nation Britons and create our own reservation west of Offa’s . The rest of the U.K. could then place us on their school national curriculum and teach about our ethnic minority culture.
I remember in about 1990 having a conversation with a black man at a party who said he had been to wales on a school trip, he then said to me unprompted “you are the white n****** in the uk”. I took me many years to realise that he was absolutely correct
Yes Gareth. Despite the might of Rome, the relentless onslaughts of Saxon’s Angles, Jutes, Vikings and multitudes of mercinary hordes, followed by the Normans, Norman English and eventually the English, we are still here. This narrative however. has been airbrushed from history and deemed not worthy of mention. I struggle to think of another indigenous people who had had their history ignored and hidden so successfully by an agressor state.
touch grass faggot. your the niggers of the UK because you do nothing.
We in wales have got to stop being little Englanders and and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴 kick all English party’s out of wales 🏴
We in wales was getting £650 million pounds from the EU that was being spent in the valleys of wales 🏴 now we are only getting £250 million pounds from the English government it’s time for a new wales 🏴 we in wales have got to stop being little Englanders and and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴
Your estimates are a bit high but take your point
Just read that identical post under a different thread Grayham.
We in wales have got to stop being little Englanders and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 kick all English party’s out of wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴 get the people in your town’s out voting for new wales 🏴
The English have stolen the coal from wales 🏴 and now it is stealing the water in Wales 🏴 start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴
You forgot the copper and the slate
What about the gold?
So Michael Gove thinks that the UK is the “single most successful State in the world” ? Has he never been to Switzerland or New Zealand or Denmark or…the list goes on! One can but wonder what his criteria for a successful State are!
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