YesCymru announces final members of National Governing Body after election over the weekend

YesCymru has announced the final members of its National Governing Body after an election over the weekend.

Gaynor Jones, Geraint Thomas and Ifor ap Dafydd were elected to posts in the mid and west Wales region, filling the final three posts available on the board.

It means that Geraint Roberts, Owain Williams and John Rhys Davies missed out on places.

Despite the vote only being held in one region of Wales, it was open to all YesCymru members who signed up before December 22. 1,556 members voted in the election which was open between Friday and Sunday.

Last week it was revealed that elections would only take place in one region of Wales due to a lack of candidates.

Three or fewer members stood for election in the other five regions – North Wales, South Wales West, South Wales Central, South Wales East and Outside Wales – and so they were all elected automatically.

The independence movement moved to a new regional structure, based on the Senedd regions, after a vote in December.

Only one region, mid and west Wales, saw more than three candidates standing, with six doing so. As a result, there was n election to choose who represented the region.

YesCymru said in a statement: “After a period of drift with no committee in place to give strategic direction the new board now faces an exciting few months as it beds in and gets to grips with all the challenges and opportunities of running a mass movement.

“This NGB will begin its work at a time when Independence is firmly on the agenda of the Welsh government and demands for Wales’ independence grow as the shambles in Westminster unfolds.”

The administrators, Azets, will now hand over the reins to the NGB in early February.

Administrator, Sarah Case said: “We are delighted to now be in a position to hand back the reins of Welsh independence to the newly elected governing body.

“The period of interim management has moved the organisation into calmer waters and created a foundation of new governance with which to move forward from. Handover will now commence to the new governing body.”

New structure

The final board consists of:

• Gaynor Jones, Geraint Thomas and Ifor ap Dafydd in Mid and West Wales
• John Williams, Elgan Owen and Elfed Williams in North Wales
• Christine Moore and Nerys Jenkins in South Wales West
• Mihangel ap Williams and Phyl Griffiths in South Wales East
• Andrew Murphy, George Hudson and Richard Huw Morgan in South Wales Central
• Louise Aikman and Bary Parkin represent ‘Outside Wales’.

In December YesCymru members voted to adopt a new structure and constitution for the campaign group. 80% or 2717 voted in favour of the motion, and just 489 against.

The changes to YesCymru’s structure come after a period of in-fighting within the movement which saw a vote of no confidence in the Central Committee, whose members collectively resigned from their posts shortly thereafter.

The Gweithgor working group was then set up from voluntary members of different YesCymru branches to look at the structure, finance, governance, procedures, groups and some wider policies such as social media.