YesCymru calls on members to vote in governing body election

YesCymru has called on its members to vote in an election to the pro-independence campaign group’s new National Governing Body.

The vote opened yesterday via an email link and will close at midday tomorrow, 30 January. Six candidates are contesting the Mid and West Wales region, with three to be elected under an STV system.

Geraint Roberts, Owain Williams, Gaynor Jones, John Rhys Davies, Geraint Thomas and Ifor ap Dafydd will compete for votes.

Despite the vote only being held in one region of Wales, it is open to all YesCymru members who signed up before December 22.

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 seven doing so. As a result, there will be an election to choose who represents the region.

Three directors will represent each of the five regions, with an additional two from outside Wales. There were a total of 19 nominations, with 17 slots in total.

New structure

The members already on the governing body without an election include:

• 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.