‘We wish Carwyn would talk Wales surviving’ YesCymru criticises former FM’s union comments

YesCymru has criticised Carwyn Jones for “fretting about the UK” instead of talking about Wales.

The grassroots pro-independence group was responding to comments by the former First Minister of Wales where he said that UK needs “needs major surgery if it is to survive”.

YesCymru said: “We wish Carwyn would talk ‘Wales surviving’, rather than fretting about the UK.

“The continuous concern for saving the UK creates the warm water environment where anti Senedd forces can use Welsh naivety + undermines a mass popular campaign to support Senedd. Carwyn it’s Wales.”

The former First Minister said: “The UK needs major surgery if it is to survive. These are Four Nations and sovereignty must be shared, not held by Westminster alone and the constitution needs to reflect that.

“The alternative is to see Scotland leave, as most of Ireland did.”

 

‘Less influence’ 

Carwyn Jones was responding to comments by the incumbent First Minister, Mark Drakeford, who had said that Wales has had less influence on UK affairs under Boris Johnson’s leadership than Theresa May’s.

“I don’t think our voice in Wales has a lot of influence on Mr Johnson,” Mark Drakeford told the BBC Radio Cymru show Beti a’i Phobol.

He added: “I think the UK’s prime minister has a responsibility to listen and to collaborate and to see what can be agreed by the four governments of the United Kingdom.”

“I don’t want to see Scotland disappearing from the United Kingdom. If Scotland decides to take its own path – it’s different in Northern Ireland – we’ll have to rethink about our relationship with England – and will need to consider the arrangements and the options.”

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has also weighted in by the comments by Mr Drakeford. He believes that Wales shouldn’t wait for Scotland to leave the UK before considering its constitutional future.

Mr Price said: “As First Minister I would take a pro-active approach to our constitutional future as a nation, in contrast to Mark Drakeford’s passive policy of refusing to consider the matter until Scotland votes to become independent, a policy which would allow us only 18 months to pass legislation, hold a referendum and implement its result.

“The constitutional and social upheaval that Brexit has wrought on us and the need to build a more progressive post-Covid future than Westminster would be willing to countenance means that the people of Wales must be allowed to choose the future course for our nation within the next few years.”