A road map to nowhere

PLAID Cymru’s Independence Commission was supposed to be a road map to independence. It is not. It is a road map to nowhere.

The unprecedented growth in support for independence across all political and non-political movements confirmed by recent polls meant that Plaid Cymru needed to pretend to do something.

The report is unclear, confused, unworkable and long enough to be unreadable, ending with an incomparably silly idea; a referendum to decide on a referendum.

The report calls for a multi-choice exploratory referendum to “gauge views and thus have a clear understanding of the issues”. So how many choices will there be? I can think of seven ranging from abolish the Senedd to independence. Plenty of choice helps with encouraging confusion, provide any number of alternatives to ensure no clear result.

There then follows a further binary referendum with two questions; the status quo versus the outcome of the exploratory referendum – what happens if that outcome is unclear with little difference between the alternatives? What happens then and who decides?

Before the exploratory referendum there would be the establishment of a Statutory National Commission and citizens’ assemblies to test the views of the people of Wales and then draw up a written constitution apparently before the first, exploratory referendum. It is impossible to think of anything more utterly pointless.

The commission will “ensure maximum awareness, participation and involvement.” Apparently, this is not possible in a straightforward independence debate.

Further into the report is yet another referendum, this time on whether to keep the Queen as head of state. Quite how this fits into the two suggested referenda and indeed its relevance is a mystery, and with most Welsh people supporting the monarchy such a referendum is potentially both heated and divisive. Yet another way to start a superfluous debate which would have the great advantage of further confusing the real debate on our national future.

Overall, the shabbiness of the party’s approach to independence is clearly illustrated with its notion that a “cold turkey” break with the UK would be “difficult financially”. The party seems entirely unaware of research and evidence consistently showing that this is simply not the case.

The report’s aim is clear: save face and hide the party’s continued insincerity and duplicity on the question of independence. There has never been a more important time for an unequivocal commitment to national freedom. Those seeking leadership must look elsewhere. It will not come from Plaid Cymru.

There is a case for a referendum – just one. Independence, yes or no. DR JOHN BALL Penllergaer, Swansea