Tories have ‘real problem among voters with strong sense of Welsh identity’ says politics prof

The Tories “have a real problem among voters with strong sense of Welsh identity”, a politics professor has suggested.

Professor Richard Wyn Jones, of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, was responding to a claim by Jacob Rees-Mogg, when he made the comments.

The Eton-educated Conservative politician had claimed that “England and Wales have both benefitted from being part of a single kingdom since the reign of Edward I”.

According to Professor Jones “it’s hard to see what they’re trying to achieve here beyond mere self-gratification”, by making such comments about Wales.

Rees-Mogg was responding to comments from the Westminster-appointed Welsh Secretary Simon Hart about England being loaned four million Lateral Flow Tests by Wales, amid a shortage in the country.

Professor Jones said: “Given that the Tories have a real problem among voters with strong sense of Welsh identity, it’s hard to see what they’re trying to achieve here beyond mere self-gratification? Has 2019 led to complacency? At any rate 1997 & 2001 reminder of the very serious risk they’re running.”

‘Annexed’ 

Wales was conquered and annexed in 1283 by English monarch Edward I.

Following the annexation Edward embarked on a policy of English colonisation and settlement of Wales, which included building a series of imposing castles, known as the Iron Ring, to secure the conquered territory.

The territory did not become one kingdom at the time. Some of the land was divided between Marcher lords. Other lands were retained by Edward under direct royal control and were organised under the Statute of Rhuddlan of 1284.

However, they did not become part of the Kingdom of England because were the English King’s personal fief. In 1301, they were granted to Edward’s son, Edward of Caernarfon (the future Edward II), with the title “Prince of Wales”. The lands and title then became the customary endowment of the heir to the throne.

Wales was formally incorporated into the Kingdom of England with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, which was during the reign of King Henry VIII of England.