IT’S exactly a year since a new pro-independence party for Wales was launched.
It’s thus a good opportunity to take stock of the year that has gone by since GWLAD, GWLAD was launched in Llanelli in August last year.
Probably the first place to start is to state that the party is still in existence, despite all the predictions that it would prove to be another fly by night venture destined to fail in Welsh politics, like so many of its predecessors.
Still in place despite the fearmongers
It’s also survived the attempts by some, fuelled by that poison-churning medium of Twitter, to declare that the ‘far right‘ had arrived in Wales, with some going as far as saying that an openly fascist party was now operating in Wales.
That came as quite a shock to most of the party’s supporters, especially considering that GWLAD, GWLAD’s steering committee actually include two lay preachers in their midst!
All that just goes to show once again the lunacy of the modern left in Wales who seem hell-bent on importing the culture war language of the United States, and the antics of the Antifa movement into Welsh political life to suit their own agenda.
Even though there’s never been any tradition of fascism in Wales and never likely to be either in view of the nature and character of the people of Wales.
Lunacy of importing America’s culture war into Wales
There have been a number of significant markers during the year, including the publication of ‘Gwlad! Gwlad? An Invitation To A Party‘ which charts the process of setting up the party in the first place(November 2018), the official registration as a political party with the Electoral Commision (February 2019), the publication of the first party manifest o(May 2019), and the selection of the first candidates for the Welsh Election of 2021 (June 2019).
But, perhaps the most significant development over the past 12 months has been the setting up of the dedicated GWLAD,GWLAD news portal – providing news and commentary on Welsh political life on a daily basis.
Political narrative developed in “real time”
The respective editors, all working individually, in responding to the other articles in turn as well as readers’ comments as the months rolled by, have found themselves actually developing a working narrative for the party.
That narrative continues to evolve of course, but it appears that GWLAD is positioning itself as both a small ‘c’ and a large ‘N’ party at the same time.
Small ‘c’ to represent common sense and coherent policies, allied to that traditional small ‘c’ conservatism that has always been an important feature of life in both Y Fro Gymraeg (Welsh-speaking Wales) and Welsh Wales.
Quite a strategic position to adopt in view of the natural pendulum swing against the 50 year dominance of cultural and social leftism that we are seeing all over the western world at present.
Small “c” and big “N” approach
The large ‘N’ then to signify that the party is also unashamedly framing itself as a traditional nationalist party, dedicated to Welsh Independence. Again, a good strategic position to adopt following our departure from the EU.
But, a year down the line, people might well be justified in questioning whether such a new party can ever make headway in Wales today.
Especially in view of the fact that traditionally, Wales has been so change averse and so apolitical for so many years as well.
That is undoubtedly a fair point, and it’s as well to be mindful of that argument and to be realistic about what can be achieved.
Even so, we are living in extra-ordinary times. The ground is shifting under our feet on almost a daily basis.
When the Daily Mail of all newspapers openly report of Lord Mountbatten’s unhealthy interest in young boys and linking that to the current furore over nephew Prince Andrew’s close links to child sex trafficker for the rich and famous, the late Geoffrey Epstein- well you know that the pillars are starting to crumble.
At this rate, England might well need to find itself a new national anthem in the not too distant future.
Brexit, it goes without saying, has been a huge catalyst in all the change we are now witnessing all around.
And as part of all this, YES Cymru have made a significant inroad here in Wales, attracting thousands of people to consider Welsh Independence as a real possibility for the very first time.
Unencumbered by all the baggage of the past
One could argue that all the momentum and all the new energy is now with YES Cymru. GWLAD seems to have been steamrollered somewhat in this process this year in all truth.
But then we are told that good things come to those who wait patiently and expectantly.
The thousands upon thousands of new people enthused about Welsh Independence, will need to find a political vehicle for their wishes in 2021.
Independence won’t come by means of marches, and addresses by various media luvvies and public figures- important as they are in building up the narrative.
It will only come through the ballot box in one shape or other. That starts in 2021.
Who’s to say that GWLAD, as a new party, unencumbered by the “baggage” of the past, and thankfully free of the poisonous civil war raging within Wales’s first national party, won’t be able to appeal to a segment of these voters?