Why it’s time for Wales to stop being ignored and excluded

Westminster’s crisis shows the need for independence in Europe, says Jill Evans MEP

THE current political crisis will go down in history as a turning point for Wales as a nation. Whatever happens in the next weeks, it is abundantly clear that Wales’ place is firmly at the heart of the European Union, as a member in our own right.

Westminster is broken beyond repair. It cannot solve the problem because Westminster itself is the problem – rigid and archaic, with a Prime Minister that refuses to accept the politics of compromise that is the norm in the rest of Europe.

Throughout the process, Wales’ democratic institutions have been completely excluded. Despite the Welsh Government and the National Assembly offering positive solutions, Wales has been consistently ignored.

This is in stark contrast to the way in which the EU has conducted its side of the negotiations. It has acted like a genuine union, protecting the interests of all its members, with Ireland’s position getting the full support of other member states.

A small nation of five million people has had the weight of 26 other governments behind it. Wales does not even have the support of the UK Government.

The EU’s support for Ireland seemed to come as a surprise to the UK Government. It did not expect the EU to protect Irish national interests as collective EU interests, because, unlike the EU, the UK is not a union of equals.

The UK is in fact the most unequal state in Europe; recent figures showed that the worst inequality in Europe is between London and Wales. Inner London’s GDP is 614% of the EU average, while West Wales and the Valleys possess a regional GDP of 68% of the same EU average. The UK’s economic model is inherently bad for Wales, and Brexit will only make it worse.

Today, hundreds of thousands of people will be marching in London for a final say on our membership of the EU. Scores of buses will be travelling from Wales, with hundreds more travelling by train. The people of Wales are demanding the right to voice their opinion on this defining moment of history.

Plaid Cymru’s aim as a party is to achieve “independence in Europe”. Not for the sake of it, but because we believe that being a small, independent member state of the EU can mean enormous benefits for Wales as a nation.

I am proud to have represented Wales in the European Parliament since 1999.

Regardless of what happens over the next few weeks, I will continue to work for that vision of an independent Wales in Europe, delivering prosperity and equality for all.