Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

YesCymru restructure finished by the end of next month, claim working group

20 Oct 2021 4 minute read
Picture by Ifan Morgan Jones / Llinos Dafydd. (CC BY 2.0)

The working group who are restructuring YesCymru after the resignation of the Central Committee have said that the work will be finished by the end of next month.

The ‘Gweithgor’ was set up in August following concerns that YesCymru’s constitution and electoral processes needed to be updated for a movement with a membership of almost 20,000.

The pro-independence group had been afflicted by bitter infighting and a period of turmoil earlier this year which led to a number of resignations from the Central Committee, including that of Sion Jobbins as Chair.

There was a vote of no confidence in the Central Committee from regional groups of the National Committee. All members of the Central Committee collectively resigned from their posts shortly thereafter.

A working group was then set up that also formed sub-committees to look at the structure, finance, governance, procedures, groups and some wider policies such as social media.

“This work is now complete,” a statement from the Gweithgor said today. “The proposals have been transferred to a team of specialist solicitors to restructure them as Articles of Association and bye-laws in a single legal document.

“A liaison team of five have been appointed from the Gweithgor to aid the solicitors in their work, and to ensure that the wording of the documents is in keeping with the intent of the Gweithgor and the proposals of the wider membership.

“To further aid the final stages of this work a ‘Task and Finish’ group has been appointed to smooth out any snags or risks in the final wording and to proof read.”

‘Quick’

They added that the completed document would be presented to members by the end of November and an EGM called. In the EGM, the membership will then have the opportunity to vote on these proposals and to incorporate the movement, they said.

“If accepted, the process of electing new officers to the new governing structures of Yes Cymru will immediately begin,” they said.

“The Gweithgor and its partners (the solicitors and the accountants) are working as quickly as possible to ensure that the process is not delayed unnecessarily – after all we need to get back to our task as soon as possible – to campaign for independence for Wales.

“We need to get this right.  Our new constitution needs to serve us for years to come –– for an organisation of 30,000, 50,000 or even 100,000 members. It needs to be fit for purpose.

“We’re nearly there and soon the finished proposal will be released to our members along with the details for the EGM.”

‘Delay’

The process has not been without its critics, with some arguing that it was happening too slowly and that an interim Central Committee needed to be called.

YesCymru Bethesda, who were part of the Gwithgor, wrote to Azets, YesCymru’s administrators, to ask them to call an extraordinary general meeting.

“We have been eager to ensure that that the Gweithgor was given fair play and sufficient time to complete the task it has been given,” they said in a letter to YesCymru groups.

“We hoped that this would lead to calling an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in the Autumn, for all YesCymru members to convene to decide on a way forward. Indeed, that was the promise made to all YesCymru members in an email to us on 29th July.”

However, they said that while their representative had reported that some constructive steps had been taken, it now appeared that the Gweithgor’s current timetable makes it impossible for the EGM to be held in the Autumn.

“Indeed, we understand that work is likely to continue for another number of weeks and, if so, it is unlikely that an EGM would be held until the new year,” they said.

They added: “We do not believe that delaying the EGM further, or delaying the election of a new leadership for YesCymru, is justified.

“The Scottish Government has recently announced that it will hold an independence referendum in 2023, and the British Government is in disarray, facing one crisis after the other. This is a period when it is essential that YesCymru’s voice is heard clearly in the debate surrounding the future of the UK, and therefore the future of Wales.

“We are not able to properly participate in this debate in the absence of an elected leadership.

“YesCymru Bethesda is a group of ordinary grassroots members. We have no agenda beyond returning to campaign effectively for independence. We certainly do not want to create any further tension and argument within our movement. We just feel that we should move forward and that it’s time to make arrangements to allow YesCymru members to make decisions.”


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
11 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Grayham Jones
2 years ago

We in the nationalist party must stop in fighting and start fighting for a new wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Ed Jones
Ed Jones
2 years ago

If the British state had infiltrated YesCymru, it would have resembled the mess it now finds itself in. Pity. I had such hopes.

Sion Cwilt
Sion Cwilt
2 years ago
Reply to  Ed Jones

Given the nature of the way YC was structured, and an election passed as valid when less than 500 people of a potential 1800+ there was bound to be trouble. I doubt that agents of the British state would be capable of making this much of a mess – that can only happen when a special kind of Cambrian genius is involved! If the comments by YC Bethesda quoted in the article are true it would seem there could still be trouble ahead if individual branches don’t have the autonomy to act as they see best on their own patches.… Read more »

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

British Unionism wants to tear Wales apart, where we who support YesCymru should be pulling together. #YesCymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Last edited 2 years ago by Y Cymro
Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
2 years ago

After the debacle over the summer this is good news but with welsh independence now on the political agenda in a way it’s never been before YC needs to return to being the highly effective campaigning group it once was asap. The EGM and election of new officers cant happen soon enough

Keith Gogarth
Keith Gogarth
2 years ago

Typical isn’t it.

Paul
Paul
2 years ago

They need to focus entirely on the core message and on bringing people onside. Everything else is a surefire way of losing support. ‘inclusiveness’ is not directly relevant as that is for the government of an independent Cymru to take up.

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  Paul

Most people are naturally “inclusive”. The trouble makers are those who focus on “inclusion” to the exclusion of the core issues. Meat and drink to those who wish to derail a successful campaigning group.

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
2 years ago

Full marks to YesCymru Bethesda for pushing to get these matters sorted out ASAP. I can see the need to get principles and guidelines set in stone to prevent another group of saboteurs from compromising the central issue of independence, but, with a shortage of pro-Wales media it’s essential that the independence campaign regains the kind of effective oxygen of publicity that the marches created before the pandemic.

Philip Jones
Philip Jones
2 years ago
Reply to  Wrexhamian

You clearly have more faith in the motives of the representative for Bethesda than many of us. If anything was slowing down progress it was him. Now he’s gone quiet things are moving in the right direction.

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
2 years ago
Reply to  Philip Jones

Glad to hear it. You know something I don’t, by the sound of it, Philip.

Last edited 2 years ago by Wrexhamian

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.