Wales feels ‘failed’ by Westminster, Prime Minister’s deputy warns

The UK Government’s Cabinet has been warned that Wales is feeling failed by Westminster and that support for independence is on the rise.

A document written by Minsiter for the Cabinet Office David Lidington, the Prime Minister’s de facto deputy, warns that “we cannot be complacent about Wales’s attitude to the Union and independence”.

Sections of the cabinet document were seen by the Financial Times newspaper.

While demands for independence had been muted in Wales, the mood was shifting and support for Plaid Cymru was on the rise, it said.

The document also said there was a growing perception in Wales that the UK government had failed to support key industries, warning that recent decisions by Hitachi to suspend work on Wylfa nuclear power station and Ford’s decision to close its Bridgend plant had fuelled that sentiment.

Mr Lidington suggested improved “branding” on projects funded by the UK government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, saying that too often only the devolved administration’s logo was prominently displayed.