YesCymru membership passes 15,000
At the start of the year YesCymru's membership stood at around 2,500, but a combination of factors has seen the campaign for Welsh independence gain momentum. Membership had more than trebled to over 8,000 by mid October, and has now nearly doubled once again to over 15,000 paid members in 3 weeks.
Siôn Jobbins, YesCymru Chair, welcomed the new members, he said: “This is fantastic news! YesCymru is determined to create a welcoming, colourful and progressive mass movement for independence. We believe that there will be a referendum on Scottish independence in the coming years, followed by the reunification of Ireland, what then for Wales?"
"Due to Westminster’s handling of COVID-19, the people of Wales are seeing that they and the Senedd can do a better job of looking after our interests than Westminter."
"When the Senedd has ignored Westminster and put the interests of Wales first, they have done things better. The two week lockdown in Wales, which was difficult and stressful for us all, was mocked by Westminster and sections of the UK media. But now the Wrestminster Government has had to lock England down, and for longer. Where Wales leads, others follow."
"But devolution isn’t enough. We need independence."
"Westminster is rolling back devolution. In the Internal Market Bill – a boring document which we in Wales 'need not worry about' – Westminster has taken away powers from our Senedd, powers we in Wales have voted for in not one but two referendums."
"Westminster is incompetent. We’ve seen the UK Government in London give contracts worth billions to their friends, with money paid upfront to brand new companies to deliver PPE which doesn’t work. Some £12bn – more than the entire health budget in Wales – is being wasted on a privatised track and trace system that barely works!"
"Westminster doesn’t care about Wales. During our lockdown, The First Minister asked the UK Government for money, which the Welsh Government even promised to pay back, to support our businesses and our people. Westminster said “NO”. When Johnson announced the English Lockdown, suddenly the ‘magic money tree’ began blooming!"
"Our new members are already adding a massive boost to the movement. Our members are vibrant and passionate in their determination to build a new Wales that looks after all of its people."
"2021 is going to be a very interesting year in the history of Wales, and it will be onwards and upwards for YesCymru and the campaign for an independent Wales.”
YesCymru membership passes 8,000
YesCymru, the campaign for an independent Wales, has seen a huge increase in support this year, recently hitting 8,000 members, up from around 2,500 at the start of the year.
Sion Jobbins, YesCymru Chair, welcomed the new members, he said: “This is fantastic news! These new members are already adding a massive boost to the movement. Our members are vibrant and passionate in their determination to build a new Wales that looks after all of its people.
“What has helped speed the growth of YesCymru, is that people have seen that the Senedd in Wales is much more competent at running Wales’ affairs than Westminster, and we can do so with more empathy and compassion as well.
“Traditional campaigning has not been possible this year, with the cancellation of three large independence marches in Wrexham, Swansea and Tredegar due to Covid-19, but our members are bright and innovative and we are already seeing new ways of convincing others of the need for independence. 2021 is going to be a very interesting year in the history of Wales, and it will be onwards and upwards for YesCymru and an independent Wales.”
Yes, Yes, Yes Cymru! - iTunes Charts
Music fans and supporters of Welsh independence are being urged to rally around and get Dewi Pws Morris’ song Yes, Yes, Yes (Cymru) into the iTunes charts.
Let’s get this brilliant song into the iTunes Charts!
— YesCymru 🏴 (@YesCymru) October 15, 2020
Buy the song from *Friday 16th October*
👉 https://t.co/UBhlexCqf7#indyWales
🎵 Yes Cymru, YesCymru, Yes!
Let’s get ourselves out of this mess!
Westminster’s blown, let's do it on our own,
Say Yes Cymru, YesCymru, Yes... pic.twitter.com/hnuSi7vs85
Adam Phillips from YesCymru wants members of the public to download the song this week, starting on Friday October 16, to try and make the tune a hit.
Keen musician, Adam Phillips from Wrexham, said: "This is a fun way for people to do something for the Welsh independence cause. The news recently has been pretty depressing, but this might just bring a little lighthearted fun into the world. Hopefully as many people as possible will go to iTunes and download the song. It’s a fun upbeat song and reflects the optimism of the Welsh independence movement and the better future that independence can achieve."
- Download the song for 79p here - https://music.apple.com/gb/album/yes-yes-yes-cymru-single/1494918641?app=itunes
Majority of Labour voters would vote in favour of Welsh independence
New polling carried out by YouGov on behalf of YesCymru - the campaign for an independent Wales - has shown that the majority in Wales believe the power to call a referendum on Welsh independence should lie with the Senedd (Welsh Parliament).
With those who didn’t know removed, 55% of respondents backed the Senedd having such powers with 45% against.
And for the first time, the majority of Labour voters said that they would vote in favour of independence if a referendum was held tomorrow.
With the figures adjusted to remove those who refused to answer, didn't know or said that they wouldn't vote, 51% of respondents who voted for Labour in 2019 said they would vote for Welsh independence with 49% against.
The overall number in favour of independence remains at 32% in favour and 68% against.
There was also strong support for independence among younger voters, with 43% of those in the 18-24 year old category backing independence, and 42% of those in the 25-49 year old category saying that they would vote yes.
Siôn Jobbins, chair of YesCymru - the campaign for an independent Wales - said:
“These are incredible figures. It’s clear that Labour supporters are now backing independence as the best hope for making Wales a better place in which to live, and for defending Wales against Westminster policies.
“They have been let down time and again by the Westminster system - rich communities have got richer, whilst poorer communities have become poorer and hollowed out.
“People only need to look around them to see the stark failings of being ruled from Westminster despite Wales being a country rich in resources.
“They live in communities ravaged by failed austerity policies that have put the City of London ahead of the people of Wales.
“It’s only with decisions about Wales being made here in Wales that we can put the happiness and well-being of ordinary people at the forefront of government policy.
“People in Wales also see that 55% of people in Scotland support independence and that the SNP will hold a referendum on independence. Wales can’t afford to put its head in the sand. The Senedd needs to have plans in place to give Wales the option of voting on independence.”
And Mr Jobbins had a warning to London politicians who want to hold back devolution:
“We have seen in this poll and other recent polling what institutions people trust. Any attempt to roll back devolution, any attempt to undermine our Senedd and any attempt to tell the people of Wales ‘no you can’t’ is doomed to failure.
“The people of Wales support devolution and they want to see their rights upheld by our own government and parliament.”
- YouGov opinion poll – YesCymru: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1035 Adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th - 27th August 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in Wales (aged 18+). All figures discount those who responded with ‘Don’t Know’, ‘Refused’ or ‘Would not Vote’.
Do you think the Welsh Government should or should not have the right to call a referendum on Welsh independence if the majority of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) approves?
Should – 55%
Should not – 45%
If there was a referendum held tomorrow on Wales becoming an independent country and this was the question, how would you vote? Should Wales be an independent country?
OVERALL
Yes – 32%
No – 68%
2019 LABOUR VOTERS
Yes – 51%
No – 49%
18-24 AGE CATEGORY
Yes – 43%
No – 57%
25-49 AGE CATEGORY
Yes – 42%
No – 58%