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Welsh MP angry as Brexit festival rebranded – and will discuss Welsh independence

21 Oct 2021 3 minute read
David Jones MP. Picture by Richard Townshend (CC BY 3.0).

A festival originally plugged as a celebration of Brexit has been rebranded and will even explore Welsh independence, causing consternation among Conservative MPs.

The £120m project nicknamed Festival of Brexit was originally billed as a celebration of the UK’s future outside the European Union, but has now been rebranded as Unboxed and will make little mention of its origins.

The UK-wide festival will take place next year, and will include a TV drama set in a near-future Wales which could be independent from the UK.

Welsh Conservative MP David Jones, who campaigned for Brexit, told the Telegraph newspaper that he was “shocked” that it seemed Brexit had been airbrushed from the celebration of the UK.

He said: “Brexit is the rebirth of the United Kingdom as an independent nation. It is something that we should be celebrating and this is a huge opportunity to do so. I very much hope that reference to Brexit will be made in future. A lot of colleagues will wish to take this up with new Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries.”

The projects include Galwad which will explore the story of a future Wales in 2052. The organisers are canvassing people across Wales to help devise a future that is not necessarily “utopian” or “happy”, which will be included TV drama and a series of live performances, with independence and the climate crisis potentially factored into the fictional world.

Inspired by the Well Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, the project has been developed by Collective Cymru, a partnership of organisations and creatives led by National Theatre Wales across science, technology and the arts.

Deputy Minister for the Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden, said of Galwad: “We are looking forward to an exciting celebration of creativity, based on co-creating, and involving communities right across Wales.

“The work of Galwad will champion the Well-being of Future Generations Act, our creative talent and will showcase Wales on an international stage. It will invest in the creative and technology sectors, creating opportunities for under-represented talent and supporting the creative industries as we emerge from the pandemic with investment and job opportunities.

“We have pledged to improve our social, cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing through creative solutions to problems that affect our future.   This project is a call – an invitation – to join that conversation.

“We also look forward to welcoming the other four projects which will be working in Wales as part of a number of events next year.”


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Andrew Thomas
Andrew Thomas
2 years ago

Wow what a turnaround

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

What will Jones want to celebrate next? The Black Death? The Blitz?

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

Brexit now becoming a dirty word that has to be removed? And I would wager that certain Tory MS and MP’s will be fuming, that Brexit will no longer be seen as a reason to celebrate for many, as reality starts to bite. Galwad, not British enough for David Jones as he has to run to Nadine Dorries. Oh, the irony of a project, in Welsh, the original British language, not British enough, unpatriotic, even, not trumpeting the disaster that is unfolding, the disaster that is Brexit.

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
2 years ago

I think we should celebrate it seeing as it is the downfall of the UK and pushes everyone towards independence from the corrupt and undemocratic Westminster. Three cheers for the clowns who pushed this!

Hannergylch
Hannergylch
2 years ago

Mr Jones is wrong: Brexit was not “the rebirth of the United Kingdom as an independent nation”. Rather it was the UK’s surrender of its influence in Europe, engineered by Vladimir Putin and his motley crew of useful idiots and self-serving opportunists.

Those of us fortunate enough to be in Scotland or Wales (& perhaps Northern Ireland too) have a way to recover our voice in Europe, so I hope Galwad will portray a future Wales where that has happened.

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  Hannergylch

Agree, except the Putin bit. Putin far too busy to be concerned with clapped-out English neo victorians on a foggy little island off the European peninsula. His country is stuffed with resources, and he now has buyers in Asia, chiefly China, as well as Chancellor Merkel’s project; Nordstream 2.
You are laying yourself open to being accused of “Putin breaks-up UK, with aid of Welsh Nat chancers, spearheaded by a nasty little rag, Nation Cymru”.

Last edited 2 years ago by j humphrys
Hannergylch
Hannergylch
2 years ago
Reply to  j humphrys

True, Vladimir Putin isn’t too bothered about what happens within the UK. However, a weakened EU would suit him well, so he had wider geopolitical reasons to fund the brexit campaign.

But in the long run, if Scottish & Welsh secession cause our benighted friends in England to face up to their own desperate need for constitutional reform, then Britain will be a less welcoming place for overseas organised crime.

Valerie Matthews
Valerie Matthews
2 years ago
Reply to  Hannergylch

The Conservatives receive MILLIONS in donations from the Russians. One alone was £2 million! WHY do they donate? No one does this without expecting something in return.

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

Is he just as angry about the way Wales is having £1000’s stolen from it’s finances by westminster thanks to brexit.

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Wouldn’t cross what passes for his mind.
Please don’t confuse manufacured anger with simulated petulant outrage

Dafydd
Dafydd
2 years ago

a deeply unpleasant character…..

Gareth W
Gareth W
2 years ago

Scary photo !

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

Let’s face it. Having lied and cheated to con the population that Brexit was a good idea, and after have made a complete dogs dinner of the Northern Ireland issues, the Conservative and ‘Unionist’ coalition have grown sick of the word Brexit and want us to stop talking about how they made a pigs arse out of pigs ear.

I also notice, with my accustomed, disappointment that they dare to speak of the UK as a proud independant nation SINGULAR.
There are historical three nations and a slightly dubious more recent post-conflict colony posing, for now, as a fourth.

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
2 years ago
Reply to  Erisian

He has confused the word “nation” with the word “state”, just as his Uncle Boris ordered.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

A festival of Brexit, or Turkeys voting for Christmas extravaganza.

Arwyn
Arwyn
2 years ago

Just wait till he finds out that the Tories having yet again failed to register an electoral majority in Wales are governing our nation from London and are actively undermining our Senedd every which way they can. He’ll be incandescent … won’t he?

Grayham Jones
2 years ago

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 that’s the Tories Labour and all Brexit party’s

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

Clown, what’s there to celebrate? The UK never lost its independence – ask the Welsh what actually losing independence means before talking rubbish !

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
2 years ago

It doesn’t take much to wind up a tory bigot does it.

Sian
Sian
2 years ago

Glad that the organisers are taking ownership of the festival. Brexit has done more than anything else for the growth of support for independence in Wales so the subjects are very appropriate. Although this is not what the Tories envisioned.

Robert G
Robert G
2 years ago

Imagine being angry about this rather than the fact 1 in 3 kids in Wales live in poverty. But anything that makes David Jones angry is ok with me. I hope he self-combusts.

Last edited 2 years ago by Robert G

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