The challenge facing YesCymru

Rob Hughes, Chair, YesCymru

I can’t think of a better time of becoming the chair of YesCymru.

I have been a director of YesCymru for nearly 3 years. During this time, we have seen a period of stabilising and the green shoots of growth.

YesCymru is in its happy place; increased community engagement, a healthy financial position, improved communication both internally and externally, and stability within our leadership frameworks.

Now might be considered to be a good time to take a breath and give ourselves a pat on the back for the work that we have done. This is exactly what we won’t be doing.

This is an important week for YesCymru.

I have just come out of our first official meeting with the Welsh Government. On Sunday in Eisteddfod y Garreg Las we will outline our timetable for independence. During ‘Steddfod week we will be putting on a series of interviews and debates with leading thinkers on independence including a session with the Constitutional Minister on Thursday.

We have started to build dialogues with the independence movement in Scotland and with pro-Unification groups in Ireland, as well as being a central movement in the pan-European confederation for independence, ICEC.

Then we convene with thousands of our supporters in Aberystwyth on the September 26th.

So a quiet start to my time as Chair is not on the cards. Behind the scenes we have work to do.

We need to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation – our NGB doesn’t represent the demographics of a contemporary Wales, so we need to address that.

In order to represent Wales, our Board needs to be a representation of Wales.

I am committed to reviewing our processes to ensure that we are the change that we want to see in Wales and the world – a genuinely inclusive country that delivers independence for the benefit of everyone who calls Wales their home.

We have pockets of active groups throughout the country and where groups are active they tend to be very active. We need to develop this so wherever you are in Wales, a local YesCymru group will provide activities which engage communities in order to grow contributions to and raise awareness of the national debate for independence.

We need to grow our membership even more, increase the reach of our voice and make YesCymru home for all who believe in an independent Wales.

So YesCymru is indeed in its happy place. But in order to make independence a realistic proposition we have work to do.

And that work is to challenge our place in the Union and to convince a majority of voters in Wales that they, and future generations, will be best served by Wales as an independent nation.

We realise, of course that this is challenging.

Historically, Wales has had a low base of support for independence, I remember being one of the 5% that supported it twenty years ago.

But due to a number of factors there has been a seismic change and generations growing up with no experience of a Wales pre-devolution are particularly supportive.

We have a Party in government that claims to support independence. How strong that support is and how ambitious they are remains to be seen, but we will be knocking at the door, doing everything we can to keep independence at the top of the political agenda.

This is our time. We realise it.

When we speak to groups, particularly from Scotland but also from around the world, we detect a bit of envy. They see it too.

The longer Wales is ignored, on the Crown Estate, on Rail funding, on energy, on powers, the stronger the calls grow and the stronger we grow.

Our time in the Union is coming to an end. I can’t think of a better time of becoming the Chair of YesCymru.

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