Thursday 8 February 2007

It is National Freedom that inspires a people - by Dr Dai Lloyd AM

A great piece by Dr. Dai Lloyd, Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West:

I fervently believe that we are capable of running our own affairs here in Wales – we are not somehow genetically enfeebled such that fate condemns us to be always dependant on England for all the important decisions.

The people of Slovenia or Malta or Vanuatu and a myriad of other independent countries smaller than Wales do not think like this either. After all, the model of government that works round the globe is a proper parliament that can legislate and can vary taxation – rare are the popular peasant campaigns to continue being shackled by a powerless Assembly.

It is National Freedom that inspires a people – that fulfils a yearning and in Wales, Plaid alone believes in that – in Wales as a Nation State. Others might be content with some sentimental, superficial Welshness and bow down before allegedly superior outside interests and talents that have pillaged our proud country repeatedly over the centuries. Others may forfeit a proud nation vision in favour of naked self-interest.

Others, outside Plaid, are content with Wales as a region, yet Wales continues to be at the bottom of every league table for social, health and economic indicators – we have surely waited long enough for this unequal union of the United Kingdom to deliver for Wales?

The tide of history in favour of a parliament for Wales is slowly flowing in Plaid Cymru’s favour. Only a parliament with legislative powers and tax varying capability can transform our economy, develop public health and education services, develop our own natural resources like water, and protect the people of Wales from a pro-nuclear London Government.

That is why I campaign every day for Plaid Cymru, and my Wales will be free.

Dr Dai Lloyd AM

Assembly Member South Wales West

1 comment:

Bartleby said...

It is interesting that the countrys that Plaid lionise varies over time, and pays little regard for the huge differences between these examplars and Wales, save for being small!

Ireland was once the 'Celtic Tiger' that Plaid hankered after, but then that tiger proved to be something of a branchplant for global concerns and the people who really benefitted where a handful of the Irish elite (what was it that Connolly said about independence and the accents of the powerful?).

The ascension states to the EU, such as Slovakia are not directly comparable to Wales since they are developing countries rather than peripheral parts of a developed one. The comparison with places such as Catalonia are false since the sort of Europe that would benefit Catalonia is not the sort of Europe that would benefit Wales.

Anyway, the crux of this blog entry is that Wales needs a sovereign parliament, with tax vary powers, to prosper. However, and independent Wales may have less function sovereignty than it presently does within the UK. Yes, it could vary taxes to 'race to the bottom'of the corporate tax barrel but it couldn't use macro economic policy to make exports more competative, attract investment or to make credit cheaper, since these would be matters for Brussel in the same way as they are currently matters for Whitehall.

Do you really think that the Welsh Government would have more influence in a 26 state plus EU than it does in the UK?