YesCymru 2024 – nailing indy?

Anonymous*

 As a passionate supporter of independence and, until recently, fervent supporter of YesCymru, the campaign for Welsh independence, I feel I need to share my growing disappointment and disillusionment with this organisation as the flagship of my desire for a free Wales.

It was wonderful to see YesCymru growing in relevance and impact, firstly during the pandemic as support for Welsh independence seemed to explode on social media platforms.

That rapid growth led to a reset and restructure – perhaps a natural part of ‘growing pains’ for any young campaign organisation.

We all believed this had been successfully negotiated and it was with great joy that I watched renewed progress in 2022 and especially last year, in 2023. There were some great marches, a national conference, a new feeling of energy and enthusiasm, innovative campaigning, a regular voice in the media, across multiple outlets, YesCymru felt like a real and significant part of the national discussion. It felt like we had momentum and a voice.

This all seemed to fall apart last Christmas. The CEO was sacked? Let go? Had their role dissolved for financial reasons?

Fundraising

This is still unclear to me (and to many other members with whom I speak). I do have it on good authority that the financial issues were far from existential. I also understand that the professional team led by the CEO and at the heart of the organisation already had plans in place to move active fundraising plans forward in 2024 (I was very surprised to discover that there had never been any formal fundraising efforts!).

Not only was it concerning to see things fall apart and all communication and the media presence essentially disappear at the start of the year but our executive officer soon followed the CEO out of the door.

Rumour has it they left in disgust at the chaos and poor leadership from the board in the absence of the CEO. Whilst I truly hope it is not the case, there have also been accusations of utterly unacceptable behaviour towards this employee by members of the board, and others connected to them.

Communication

I fear that these have the ring of truth. It seems in keeping with the abrupt and poorly communicated departure of the CEO, something I discovered some days after the fact here on Nation.Cymru – I still don’t understand why the Board which executed such a momentous decision did not see fit to let us, the members, know immediately.

And what of 2024? There was a march in Carmarthen – blink and you missed it. For whatever reason it barely caused a ripple of news.

Little else has happened. Communication has been very poor. Missteps have been frequent. Why has there not been a conference this year? There was one planned for Swansea with provisional venue bookings made in 2023. What an opportunity to develop ideas and engage with members, to strengthen the organisation in so many ways…

The big event of the year seems to have been the Llwyd report. This contained no recommendations for improving the organisation. It had no ideas for strengthening the campaign for independence.

It seemed to be an exercise in justifying the decisions made last year by the members of the governing body who are still in situ.

It must have cost money but I’m utterly at a loss to see any value. What was the point?

Pointless

I feel for Mr Llwyd, who has produced a pointless report, self-serving for those who commissioned it but of no value for the organisation which paid for it.

Most significantly, it adds nothing of value for the membership whose money (our money!) will have been spent in the perceived interests of the board members by those very members.

Mr Llwyd is an experienced politician. I have to assume that he was given a brief and information by the board which was simply designed to justify a single historic (and irreversible) decision rather than consider ways forward for the organisation and the campaign.

What a waste of money, time and energy!

Ironically, it seems that the poor management, inaction and a failure to communicate across 2024 will have led to a loss of annual income equal to, or even larger than, the wage of the former CEO.

I certainly know of many members who have either already left, as I have, or intend to do so.

Of course, it is impossible to know for sure as requests for information, even up to date membership numbers, are never answered with the openness and transparency we as members should expect, and which we certainly deserve.

Members are even actively discouraged from communicating with each other.

The leadership seems determined to operate as opaquely as possible and to treat the members, who are the backbone of the organisation, with contempt.

I suspect my anger is quite clear to those of you reading this but I am disappointed most of all.

The leadership must go, making way for those who have some grasp of what they’re doing and who have a plan to further YesCymru’s goal of an independent Wales.

Incompetence

We don’t have the time or resources to waste any on incompetence, naivety and aimlessness. Those who are natural born campaigners should campaign, those who support independence should to do so however they can, those who are wasting everyone’s time should step away, those who have dubious motives should leave. In their place we should find those who can make an impact and build a movement.

I truly believed this was happening in 2023, only to see it scuppered by the very people in whom we the membership placed our trust. They should be deeply ashamed of their behaviour and their failure.

I will not be rejoining YesCymru until the current leadership has done the right thing, accepted the damage they’ve done, and made way for individuals with the right skills to take things forward but I still harbour a hope that YesCymru can come surging back to fill the space it had begun to make for itself, can play its part in leading Wales to freedom, can be a voice for me in the independence debate.

I hope that 2025 brings new light and impetus for our campaign.

*The writer of this op-ed asked that their identity to be protected for fear of repercussions.