Yes Cymru - drop the slogans

This is a powerful piece that, if I’m being honest, breaks my heart. The movement, for me at least, should be about everything Llinos Dafydd describes there. We need a genuine umbrella organisation that can bring it all together at key times. I understand my personal policy preferences are in the realm of party politics, but an umbrella org should regularly platform *all* the major parties to set out their political stalls and inspire for an independent Cymru. This article breaks my heart because YesCymru has blown its place as that umbrella. So much promise burnt. There is too much damage done to the brand, which the NGB won’t acknowledge let alone address. Messaging has been a shambles for the last year, it’s putting people off rather than enticing them. Hand in hand with this sharp decline is that content creation has fallen off a cliff. Flags on highways overpasses and the occasional folk evening in heartlands isn’t enough. It pains me to say it, but something needs to replace YesCymru learn from its mistakes (and good practice) then be what the movement needs; fresh and revitalised. I’m off for a lie-down, mam bach… sort it.

Given that the vast majority of independence supporters are on the Left it certainly appears to be a gaffe. The trouble with YesCymru is that its in the news nowadays more often than not, for its problems and not its successes. I have every respect for the early founders of YesCymru and every sympathy with the vision behind establishing the organisation. Indeed I was a member for some years. But if it can't keep clear of controversy, how does it help our movement? It appears to me that it has become an unweildy and overly beurocratic organisation, far too engaged in navel gazing and with an output that basically amounts to the broadcasting of slogans on social media. And a further measure, which is "Has YesCymru increased the vote share of pro-indy political parties?" appears to make for disappointment. Frankly I think the whole thing needs a rethink. I would genuinely rather members who have not yet joined Plaid Cymru would do so. I see zero point in campaigning for indy from within the Labour Party and the Greens are unlikely to occupy the space in Welsh politics that Plaid already cover. At a push I'll conceed that indy supporters on the Right should seek a political home in Gwlad albeit they are not my cup of tea. In light of that, YC needs to be much simplified and a shop front window for the movement - a non-partisan umbrella organisation in which all pro-indy parties cooperate to put solid constitutional offerings forwards to the Welsh electorate and make their case for them. Whatever becomes of YC in the future can it, for the love of Cymru, stop the gaffes and negative press! It is a source of great frustration.

'Who’s steering the ship, anyway? This misstep also brings up another pressing question: who exactly is running Yes Cymru these days? Leadership is crucial in any movement, and right now, it feels like there’s a lack of clear direction.' I agree with the author's concern here, and have cancelled my YesCymru membership earlier today, in part for this reason.  I wish YesCymru well in its important mission to increase suport for annibyniaeth, but control of messaging, and membership retention are important leadership roles to achieving that. 

We only have to look out across the sea to another British country now independent from the English mess. They may have taken a century to get it right and still have troubles up north, but Ireland is an example of how it can work. Unfortunately, independence will be stalled by those who believe their own far left agenda is more important than our country.

Llinos. It' so much easier to be negative and see the downside of things isn't it? Less than ten years ago Yes Cymru did not exist and whatever the problems - real or imagined - the case for independence is now an issue, which by the way, Plaid Cymru failed to do. I may well agree that the slogan to which you mention was indeed unfortunate, but using a one off (now deleted) error as an excuse to attack the movement questions your commitment. The slogan is of course associated with the ultimate right winger, the disgusting Trump and I find anything to do with him, or his politics, frankly reprehensible. But wait! I've seen articles, letters and heard slogans from the left, naive ideas more appropriate to the nineteenth century than today. I cannot disagree more with these outdated ideas - but I don't go running to the media bleating that our movement is somehow soiled. You mention recent (sic) problems. Elfyn Llwyd's excellent report has addressed this and Phyl Griffiths and the governing body work hard, especially in Phyl's case as chair. You forget. We are a volunteer movement totally reliant on members giving of their time, effort and money because we believe.Using one (unfortunate) mistake as an opportunity to question the movement simply helps our enemies.

I think the piece casts a little more negativety than required. Yes, the slogan is a little on the distasteful side, but nothing I've ever seen, or heard from YC suggests any level of hatred or intolerance that the original slogan stems from. The general air of "focusing on love and hope for our country" seems to still be present.

Llinos D, if you don't like the slogan, invent a better one! I am member No.416 of YesCymru so I have followed the ups and downs. Here is why it is more important than ever to join and support YesCymru. Years ago, Prof.Gwyn Alf Williams said that the thing missing in Wales was a broadly-based national movement - not just political parties. YesCymru is that movement. YesCymru has just experienced internal difficulties and has reacted in a competent and organised way. It has drawn the lessons and drawn a line and is now ready to grow again. Can we sort the left v right thing? Many people think this comes from Revolutionary France and is of little use now. There is a ceiling to the number of votes which Plaid and Labour are going to get in Wales. If we look for unity and competence and Indy, we need votes from beyond Indy-Labour and Plaid. There are many voters in Wales who are not Plaid or Indy/Labour but will support Wales if the plan is right. YesCymru is the place where ALL voters can meet, discuss and agree how to organise Indy. In fact, political parties will be downstream from YesCymru and a good thing too.

This article is an overreaction. It was a daft to copy the slogan of a very divisive figure, but it was quickly retracted. YesCymru has dropped a few other clangers in the past (remember that awful cartoon ‘Betty Boop’ Wales, in stockings and stilettos, wiggling her behind at a cartoon England? *shudder*). YC has a small team, and they make mistakes like everyone else. All that is of real interest for anyone watching is whether YesCymru can try and be the broad-church organisation it (sometimes) claims to aspire to. Will trans activists try and get everyone expelled who doesn’t believe in gender identity? (That didn’t work out so well before, did it) Will someone on the Marxian left on Indy accept that a patriotic farmer with small ‘c’ conservative values can come under the same banner? Is it possible to be ‘progressive’ without being caught in a purity spiral? Who would YesCymru exclude, Llinos, in order to be ‘inclusive’? Those are the big questions. Not scrutinising a PR stumble.

‘Native Welsh people’ is a dangerous concept. Are you going to follow Trump and advocate mass deportations? Nearly a third of the people of Wales were born elsewhere. The vast majority have ancestors who arrived here in recent generations, from England, Ireland, the Empire, and beyond. We are a diverse and multicultural people.

Left wingers simply have no sense of humour. Whoever created the Trump post was sloppy and it was ill-advised, nothing more than that. I understand it was removed quickly?

Why would he assume that everyone that wants independence is in favour of the insane race communism the left is enamoured with. Some of us just want a commonsense government that is focused on improving the material quality of life of it's citizens.

Are you speaking on behalf of Yes Cymru here?

Yes Cymru should not be adopting a left or right wing strategy but solely a Wales first one that can appeal to everyone who cares about our nation. Remember devo-scepticism exists on the left as much as it does on the right. Aneurin Bevan, Leo Abse, Neil Kinnock's despicable anti-Welsh rhetoric, his son Stephen. Chris Bryant comparing Plaid Cymru to Nazis, the late Anne Clwyd who blamed devolution as a whole for the state of the Welsh NHS rather than her own party, or George Galloway who recently called for Scotland to return to Westminster rule because he disliked the SNP's policies. Those on the left who do not tolerate nationalism of any kind. Were Reform to become the largest party in the Senedd post-2026 and backed by the Tories in a potential Welsh government (unlikely but not impossible) then you can be sure that left-wing devo scepticism will become more prominent. Particularly from Labour who believe it is their god given right to govern Wales. What happens to the independence movement then? We don't have to agree with Gwlad or Propel on much, but if they are on the same side as we are regarding independence then we need to work with them.