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YesCymru Chair Siôn Jobbins announces that he is stepping down

09 Jul 2021 4 minute read
Picture by Lluniau Lleucu / Yes Cymru

Siôn Jobbins, the Chair of Yes Cymru, has announced that he is stepping down for personal reasons, saying that as the organisation has grown quickly someone with the “organisational skills” to move the movement forward will now be needed.

Vice Chair Sarah Rees will be taking over his duties as Chair of YesCymru for an interim period.

Siôn Jobbins was one of the three founders of YesCymru and took over as Chair in 2018.

He said that he was not stepping down “to make a political point or under pressure from others,” a reference to some disagreement about the current political direction of the movement which has expanded to over 18,000 members in the last year.

“I’m stepping down purely for personal reasons – because of my health,” he said. “A role like this is life changing.

“I’ve been Chair for over two and a half years, and I’ve recently been unable to cope with the pressures of the role, which is voluntary and extra to my paid work.”

He added that “with this kind of growth, expectations, responsibility, demands for results and the need for structural changes within our organisation have become apparent”.

“This is, I’m sure, a very normal process for all fast growing organisations, and it weighs heavily on me. YesCymru now needs a Chair who has those organisational skills,” he said.

“YesCymru has grown from a core group to a mass movement. With that comes many different views and ideas of why an independent Wales is needed and what it may look like.”

Siôn Jobbins’ full statement

I have decided to step down as Chair of YesCymru.

I am stepping down to make sure YesCymru has the chair it needs for this moment. I am not stepping down in protest or to make a political point or under pressure from others. I’m stepping down purely for personal reasons – because of my health. A role like this is life changing. I’ve been Chair for over two and a half years, and I’ve recently been unable to cope with the pressures of the role, which is voluntary and extra to my paid work.

During that timer, YesCymru has gone from 750 to 18,000 members – this has been beyond anything we imagined possible and totally unexpected. At the same time, the political landscape has significantly changed and support for independence has never been stronger right across the political spectrum. Yet with this kind of growth, expectations, responsibility, demands for results and the need for structural changes within our organisation have become apparent. This is, I’m sure, a very normal process for all fast growing organisations, and it weighs heavily on me. YesCymru now needs a Chair who has those organisational skills.

YesCymru has grown from a core group to a mass movement. With that comes many different views and ideas of why an independent Wales is needed and what it may look like. It’s important that through this all we stay strong as we can already see how Westminster is grabbing powers away from Wales. YesCymru needs to remain a mass movement. It has given hope to thousands, it has made independence a normal part of political talk in Wales, it has inspired an explosion of community activity, music, and social media activity.

Being Chair of YesCymru has been the biggest privilege and thrill of my life. Growing up in Cardiff in the 1970s and 80s I could never imagine a movement like YesCymru could exist – but it does, and it will – until we win Wales’s rightful place as an independent nation state.

I will continue to be a very proud member of YesCymru and support the new Chair, whoever they may be, fully. However, for the time being, I need to put the wellbeing of myself and family first.

In the interim period, Sarah Rees will be taking over my duties as Chair of YesCymru.


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Gareth
Gareth
3 years ago

Diolch yn fawr Sion. Good luck and good health for the future.

Huw Jones
Huw Jones
3 years ago

Well done Sion you have led from the front, look after yourself and stay with us on the journey from Westminster.

Heledd
Heledd
3 years ago

Diolch yn fawr i ti amdy holl waith ar hyd y blynyddoedd gyda Yes Cymru – edrych ymlaen i barhau cydweithio gyda ti ar nifer o bethau eraill gan gynnwys parhau â’r achos dros annibyniaeth!

O Rob
O Rob
3 years ago

Diolch Sion, – gwladgarwr yn wir ystyr y gair

Nick Randall-Smith
Nick Randall-Smith
3 years ago

Well done and thank you Siôn. YesCymru has gone to 18,000 in the last three years, may it go to 180,000 in the next three and stand at 1,800,000 by 2027, that’s only an extra 0 every three years.. 😄😄😄👍🏻👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
3 years ago

There We Are Then

hdavies15
hdavies15
3 years ago
Reply to  Huw Davies

That’s a touch bitter but also perceptive. There are those among us who do rather well from the status quo while appearing to advocate change. Always the case. Nevertheless the broad church approach will be the only route to real success and that is what the new wave of entryists into YC appear to have ignored. Their mantra is “our way or no way” and they are doing the work of defending the interests of the status quo establishment just as effectively as the contented middle class of which you spoke. Read the words of James Connolly to gain insight… Read more »

Glen
Glen
3 years ago

Coward is a bit unfair, he just lacked the will and strength of character needed to defeat the hard left infiltrators that are now running (or should that be ruining) YC.

Gruff Williams
Gruff Williams
3 years ago
Reply to  Glen

Who would you suggest?

Josh Foster
Josh Foster
3 years ago

Wow! Why does Nation keep deleting my comments? No difference of opinion allowed, eh? Come on Ifan, let’s hear it. Why are you protecting Siôn?

hdavies15
hdavies15
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Foster

Yes indeed. I responded to one of your comments and that too was deleted. Might be useful to know why it was necessary to take down comments which were not defamatory and did not contain any profanity.

Is there a party line being protected here ?

GARETH WESTACOTT
GARETH WESTACOTT
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Foster

I’d be interested to hear what you said, Josh. Come on Nation Cymru! – if what he said was couched in temperate language, why the censorship?

Josh Foster
Josh Foster
3 years ago

I’m careful not to swear, defame, or generally resort to ad hominems.

The reason it was taken down is because I told the truth about what’s been going on in YC since 2018, and the role played by Jobbins in that. Or at least hinted at it.

Nation’s role, and its receipt of public money must be questioned if this persists.

Josh Foster
Josh Foster
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Foster

I’d suggest you follow me around, guys. They delete me a lot. They don’t like what I have to say.

Let’s not forget that Jobbins lives in Aber, where the books council is based. It’s a very small town. Just saying.

And let’s not forget the hatchet job Nation did on the previous Chair, in whose back I think Jobbins’ knife is still firmly wedged.

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Foster

All YC members should have a vote.

Mick Tems
Mick Tems
3 years ago

Diolch o’r galon, Sion; you have successfully led us on the long path to independence, which has been boosted by Bonking Bozo and his corrupted shower of lying weasels. Annibyniaeth!

Quornby
Quornby
3 years ago

Well done Sion. Stay strong and on board. You will be part of our national history.

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
3 years ago

Diolch yn fawr am y cyfan yr ydych wedi’i wneud, dymuniadau gorau ar gyfer y dyfodol.

defaid
defaid
3 years ago

Diolch o nghalon, Siôn.

We’ll soon find you’ve made the most extraordinary contribution to our country.

Gill Jones
Gill Jones
3 years ago

Diolch Sion am dy waith annhygoel.
Da, was da a ffyddlon.
Edrych ar ôl dy hun.

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago

Rest well, Sion. Diolch!!!

CJPh
CJPh
3 years ago

Mawr ddiolch a phob parch, Sion. Brysia nol i lefel o iechyd sy’n iawn i tithe’.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago

Pob lwc am y dyfodol Mr Jobbins. Diolch am eich gwaith anhygoel.

Gary Owen
Gary Owen
3 years ago

Diolch o galon Siôn. Ti ‘di deffro’r cenedl.

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
3 years ago

Dan ni’n mynd i golli chi, Sion.

The departure of Sion Jobbins is greatly to be regretted, but his own wellbeing has to come first. The decline of YesCymru from a grassroots pro-indy campaign movement to a woke-fest with narrow parameters and a culture of hatred is a body blow to the independence movement. The proposed meeting between the new Central Committe and groups of ordinary members will hopefully nip this recent change of direction in the bud and allow YesCymru to return its focus to the campaign for independence.

West
West
3 years ago

Now, allow full inspections of your books to declare who is railroading this organisation. My guess is it’s people with little interests in Wales such as IRA supporters in USA, foreign interests supporting SNP, or supporters for EU.
YesCymru is a business and political party which should declare true identity. Proud to be Welsh and also British!

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