The downtrodden Welsh

#Don't the Welsh do downtrodden well.

Wales is the poorest of the UK nations.  indeed the poorest of the UK regions.  Wages less than the UK average,  productivity lower and profitability of Welsh businesses lower. Wales so poor that it has handouts from Europe.

Never mind it could be worse.

Well not much. 200000 Welsh children in poverty.  30000 in extreme poverty.  Education standards below average.  Local councils closing amenities.  Homelessness and rough sleeping.  The problems with the health service and social care.

I know,  but its the economy.  What can you do?

Doesn't it drive you crazy.

Why this passive acceptance?

#Wales the last Colony.

They take resources that could have been used at home
They make laws on our behalf.
Their people cross our borders without control.

They decide the direction of our lives.

The only answer is to take back control.

Familiar. The arguments for Brexit

No. This is Wales relationship with England.
The difference is that Wales has never had control to take back.
Wales has always been subservient to England.
Wales is England's last colony.

But Wales has its own government. So did the colonies, as with Wales, overseen by Westminster.
Wales sets its own budget. So did the colonies, as with Wales, within an allocation from Westminster.
Wales can make its own laws, So did the colonies, as with Wales, only those allowed by Westminster.

Wales functions within rules dictated by Westminster.
Wales has its own Colonial Governor. Who could doubt the Secretary of State, was Westminsters representative in Wales, rather than Wales advocate in Westminster. The present one is still practicing  three steps behind.

Ha! but Wales is a partner in the United Kingdom.
There is no partnership. There is no United Kingdom. There is England and the rest.
The UK is governed from London, the capital of England.
The UK laws are made in London, the capital of England.
The financial  centre of UK is in London, the capital of England.
England has 533 members of the UK government. The rest has 117.
England has a population of 56 million. The rest has a population of 10 million,
lets stop fooling ourselves. As the advert says, you do the maths.

The colonies have broken away now. Except for Wales.
Of the UK countries Scotland and N Ireland have get out options. Sadly not so Wales.
Scotland has legal routes to independence.
N Ireland has the option to unite with Eire to separate from UK, if its people so wish.
Wales has no such route.

However all is not lost. The colonies gained freedom against much resistance. To join them Wales must desire it. Have different horizons. Greater ambitions. Confidence.
It must aim for the best health care, instead of just muddling along. That the children in education in Wales can look other countries children in the eye, rather than looking up to them. That earnings in Wales are no longer at the bottom of the league and Wales industry can compete with the best, rather than languishing with worse.

Wales cannot have these ambitions as a colony.
We start by demanding rather than pleading. By having rights rather than offerings.
By having the confidence that we can make it on our own, just as others have done before us.

Wake up Wales.

It will take more than marches to bring Welsh Independence.

Scotland has a nationalist party in government, supported by a pro Independence Green Party.

There is constant polling close to a majority by Scottish voters.

The subject of Independence is rarely off the agenda in Scotland.

Contrast this with Wales.

An anti Independence, pro Unionist Wales government.

A stagnant and ineffective opposition in the ‘  pro Independence ‘ Plaid Cymru.

The main campaigning group, Yes Cymru, with one full time employee, no office and no HQ.

A largely apathetic public.

What hope for Independence in Wales.?

In spite of this, support for Independence remains remarkably strong.

The problem remains of how to build on it.

In search of a Unicorn. Seeking a federal UK!

Some in the Wales political elite are fearful of Welsh Independence. They have no confidence in Wales and the abilities of its people.

They still need the comfort of Wales dependent on the UK.

They cling to the illusion that Wales can negotiate this halfway house of federalism, in which Wales can reach its economic and social potential, no longer needing the begging bowl, but just in case, it has the federal UK to hold it's hand.

One Welsh Labour minister called Independence ' a dream '. preferable to the nightmare of a federal UK.

In this search for ' federalism ' and before the arguments on a constitution, on representation, on powers and responsibilities, on finance and legislation. Before we find how to start and agree a process and get agreement of the proposed parties. And while we contemplate the unimaginable time scale. There is a difficulty to overcome.

England must become a nation.

Rape of the Fair Country. The next episode

We take a short interlude from the marathon that is an Independent Wales economy, just to take a quick look at the latest attempt to exploit Wales.

Renewable energy.

The latest, in a long line of industrial exploitation of Wales workers and resources.

Rape of the Fair Country, a 1959 tale by Alexander Cordell, describes the iron industry in the 19th century.

An industry that left a few, the iron works owners, very rich and the workers  poor. With no wealth gain to Wales.

It was for Wales only a  job creation scheme.

Then came the steel and coal era.

Wales was a leading world industrial powerhouse.

Steel and coal made a few, the coal and steel owners, very rich and after nationalisation, made huge profits for the UK government, but left Welsh workers poor.and no wealth gain to Wales

It was for Wales, only a job creation scheme

The economy of an Independent Wales.

Wales wealth and how to get it,

Wales' abundance of energy. And its part in the economy.

Energy.

To recap.

An Independent Wales can raise the money to invest in its future Plan, by running a deficit.

It can sustain that deficit as a sovereign nation, with a sovereign currency.

As such, it can guarantee its financial commitments.

But not any old deficit, but managed spending to specific aims that will improve the Welsh economy and the wellbeing of its people.

Energy is the first area that government spending is to be directed.

Not just energy, but green renewable energy.

We start here for two very good reasons.

It is central to an Independent Wales economy.

The natural resources to generate such energy, exist in abundance in Wales.

This from the Engineer, a leading UK engineering publication,

The Celtic Sea and coastal water around Wales have a higher concentration of renewable energy resources, than perhaps anywhere else on the planet……..

Wales' geography, particularly tidal resources, means that every form of marine energy is abundant.

This is reinforced by initial studies by Carbon Trust, Marine Energy Wales and THe Crown Estates, which found that 14 GigaWatts of capacity was available through, Offshore Wind [ 2 GigaWatts ] Marine and tidal resources [ 8 GigaWatts ] and floating turbines [ 4 GigaWatts ], while, the Crown Estates finds, a further 20 GigaWatts potential from floating turbines by 2045.

So 14 GigaWatts  capacity were already identified before Independence. That is 50% more than Wales total energy usage, from all sources.

Wholesale energy prices fluctuate daily, the average price projection by Statsta 2024 to 2040 shows a price of £80 per MegaWatt/hr, over that period.

That would value our 14 GigaWatt capacity at £10 billion per year.

The economy of an Independent Wales.

Wales wealth, How to get it. How to spend it ?

Wales currency and how to get the money to start?

In earlier posts, initial , but not comprehensive areas were identified to kick start the Wales economy and grow its wealth. 

Energy, research, development and innovation, together with technology and skills training were targeted for initial areas of investment.

In addition, public services and affordable housing were also prioritised as necessary for the nation's welfare and to start the improvements to the public well being.

The choice of these areas is not to minimise the importance of issues such as the environment, state pensions,welfare, taxation changes and more.

As we shall see the money spent in the identified areas, does not exclude spending elsewhere.

The new Plan for Wales is not based on outdated policy thinking.

Wales currency.