Siol nan Gaidheal forum

Just coming onto a topic that hasn`t really been covered namely the Welsh Assembly elections. Anyone down in Wales got any news about the elections down there ? I found these two opinion polls.

The Institute of Welsh Affairs:
Lab - 25
Plaid - 13
Con - 13
LD - 7
Other - 2

NOP/ITV opinion poll:
Lab - 25
Plaid - 12
Con - 14
LD - 7
Other - 2

Currently the Welsh Assembly is like this.
Lab - 30
Plaid - 12
Con - 11
LD - 6
Other - 1

And at the present, sadly only about 20% of the Welsh public think Wales should be independent.

However, Jacobus, there is another side to this whole thing. Since devolution, a clear majority favour the Assembly - unlike before the referendum. Support for Welsh independence is increasing all the time, and will probably continue to do so.

For Wales at least, the gradualist route has certain value that it doesn't have here.

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"The thistle rises and forever will" - MacDiarmid

NB - I am not the same person as the poster "Scottish republic".

They have a far higher percentage of english folk within their population than we do. Im sure some of them would be happy to vote plaid but for the most part probably not. Thats not the only reason right enough Any boyos out there who could enlighten us? Albagubeavis is (i think) living there the noo, mebbe he could fill you in, so to speak.

awright troops !!

The call for independence down here in Wales is nowhere near as strong as north of the border. there are a few people muttering in wales but thats all it seems to be.
Labour still has a really Strong grip on Wales - almost a legacy from the 70's and the 80's when the tories decided to shut nearly all the mines (especially in the valleys).

Where i am (Newport) they are still tryin to decide whether they are english or welsh

I got a leaflet through the door the other day with the heading .
Basically the english democrats are trying to get the county of Monmouthshire back into english hands

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"S ann a Glaschu a tha mi"

There are two main problems with Plaid -

1 - It is seen as the Welsh language party. Now while as someone who's been campaigning for the SNP etc to actually pay attention to our languages and culture, instead of the Philistine attitude some currently have, Plaid are possibly the other way. But there is at least a good reason. Welsh that don't speak Cymraeg have tended to assimilate quicker and become good Anglos with accents to match.

2 - Plaid like certain parts of the SNP can be ham fisted, and not be strong when it is needed, or respond to things when they need to - e.g. industry problems/strikes etc and so on. The SNP is certainly guilty of heeding slanders by the other parties, and takes them to heart.

I think the Assembly/Senedd has been much better for Cymru than the parliament for Alba, although it has speeded our journey to independence to some degree.

"Labour still has a really Strong grip on Wales - almost a legacy from the 70's and the 80's when the tories decided to shut nearly all the mines (especially in the valleys)."

Another point is that traditionally Welsh Labour has been very anti-Welsh anything. Unlike Scottish Labour which has long paid some lip-service to Scottish matters. They have only started being positive really about Welsh home rule since the 1980s.

Kinnock in particular was extremely anti-Welsh, despite Glenys his wife speaking Cymraeg. He made a nonsensical claim that Wales had no history. Everywhere has some kind of history - even places like Milton Keynes, Surbiton, Tiger Bay or Newton Mearns.

"Basically the english democrats are trying to get the county of Monmouthshire back into english hands"

Sir Fynwy is no more English than Berwickshire is.

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"The thistle rises and forever will" - MacDiarmid

NB - I am not the same person as the poster "Scottish republic".

Part of the problem being that much of the ''Welsh'' public aren't Welsh

The same could be said about large chunks of Scotland.

For example, I sincerely hope that Edinburgh gets to redeem itself in the near future - to reverse its historical trend.

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"The thistle rises and forever will" - MacDiarmid

NB - I am not the same person as the poster "Scottish republic".

As for the English Democrats in Monmouth, I wouldn't worry too much because all they will do is split the BNP, UKIP, Tory vote another way.

Its not like they are poaching Welsh nationalist votes is it.

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The Cornish Republican
The Breton Connection

Do you mind the Tory that tried to have "Free Monmouth" campaign?

Anyway, if you want an idea of how much territory has been lost, cross the Monmouthshire border into Herefordshire, and you'll find the likes of "Maes Coed", "Ewyas Harold", "Llanwarne", "Pencoyd" (Pencoed), "Welsh Newtown", "Llangrove" etc! That's on the "English" side of Monmouthshire's border

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"The thistle rises and forever will" - MacDiarmid

NB - I am not the same person as the poster "Scottish republic".

I hope wales does itself justice and get's independence one day, but i don't think it's their time yet. Yet, i don't understand it cos the welsh are a very proud folk and i'm suprised they aren't pushing for it right now. If they were pushin for it, it would do our cause double good!

I think we may be pleasantly surprised with the split up of the UK. With Scotland gone, Wales's days in the UK would be numbered, and it would bolster Cornish self-determination, and probably reunite Ireland.

The proper Welsh are a mixed bag. I've met good and bad - Martin mentioned some bad Welsh on an earlier thread.

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"The thistle rises and forever will" - MacDiarmid

NB - I am not the same person as the poster "Scottish republic".

The biggest problem with many Welsh is they still believe the Labour party is some sort of working class socialist peoples party, similar to much of the West coast of Scotland.

I think your right there Mr Miles. Labour are still quite popular down there as they don`t follow orders from Westminister as often as Jake MacDonald and Co do.

I agree with that sir. I've tried to explain this to my mum and ma grandpa. I said that it's second nature for them to vote labour and i've pleaded with them to vote SNP this year for me..... my future.

I go off ma nut wae ma grandpa cos everytime i see him, i try to drum it into him that we are being trampled on and hindered and he doesn't seem to want to listen. At some stage during the conversation, he always refers to us as ''british subjects'' and i start to boil. It must be because he was alive during the war. Yet, he hates england and loves scotland. He always gets into fights on holiday wae the english when he gets drunk.

I think you should borrow your grandfathers voting card (if you know what i mean) Kill two birds with one stone

Wales do not have the resources that we do in Scotland, our position is much stronger..

Would i get away with that??

Feck, Luxembourg and Iceland do not have the resources that Wales does. And they're far better off than either of us!

There is a lot of variables involved though they have emerged as states from totally different historical outcomes.

I am hoping that Leanne Wood AM will be re-elected. Do a websearch for her. She's done some interesting stuff.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4060043.stm

Personally I hope that Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas won't be.