What are the advantages?

“mw0cnd,
I like the strength of your conviction but think that you are sadly misguided.
I cannot understand the talk of Welsh Independence. Wales is a Region of the EU or, to give it it's full name, the European Union of the Regions and the Cities.
How can there be independence, whilst Wales is a mere Region ? Surely, Wales and Scotland have more status and standing, as part of the four Home Nations, than as a couple of Regions amongst more than 150 others ?
When Major signed the Maastricht Treaty, he actually did great harm to both Wales and Scotland. It is strange that both Plaid and SNP have failed to understand it, yet Sinn Fein have done. The EU decreed, that Northern and Southern Ireland are both Regions and of course cannot be unified, which is contrary to everything that SF wants.

One other concern that I have, is over currency. I assume, that the Welsh Nationalists, in their haste to split from all things British, will drop the Pound Sterling ? If so, then there is no alternative but the Euro. Having seen the Financial Disaster of the last couple of years, would any sensible person vote to join the Euro ? I can well imagine that when it comes to a Referendum, the canny Scots may well have a rethink.

Universal Welfare is fine and a wonderful sentiment but how is it to be financed ? The reality, is that Wales does not produce much, in the way of manufacturing. We have few large companies which can generate revenue, so where is the cost of the welfare to come from ? There aren't many 'fat cats' in Wales, so who will pay for this ? Will there be a large increase in general taxation ? If as you say, Wales will be one of the poorest regions of the EU, then will we be able to afford to pay more Tax, than our former 'Colonial Masters', across the Border ? I can just imagine it now, the queues at the Severn Crossing Toll booths, as the Welsh Work Force commutes back and fore, from their Tax Exile homes, in Bristol !

Oh, and by the way, the EU regards London as a City, not a region.

Best Regards,
Taffjack”

“The real question we should be asking is "Can we afford to remain part of one of the most unequal, badly run (unless you happen to be part of the richest 10% of the population) and yes corrupt post Empire states in the world today. The advocates of the status quo don't seem to realise that if they were correct in their assumptions then Wales having all the "advantages" of being part of the UK would and should be forging ahead in economic terms.

However as we know the truth is somewhat different. Although it is difficult to get across to those with closed minds the facts are there for all to see. The UK government has control over the levers of economic power such as taxation and borrowing and so they must take full responsibility for the under achievement of the Welsh economy. Of the nine English regions only two are in surplus and surprise surprise they happen to be the South East and London. The facts are that in economic terms Westminster acts as the "South East of England" government.

We have to realise the only way Wales has any hope of being anything other than an also ran in economic terms is to take control of those levers of power for ourselves and create the kind of society we can be proud of. The kind of country where peoples are judged on their ability rather than what private school they went to. Where right wing press barons do not influence government policy and we do not get dragged into illegal wars.

There are things we know and things we think we know. We think we know that if Independent Wales may be one of the poorer parts of Europe. What we know for sure is that as part of the UK we are one of the poorest parts of Europe. Its time we we got off our knees, took the quislings on head first and have the courage to put our children's future first. We can, we must join the numerous successful small countries that put the welfare of ALL of their people before the pursuit of greed for the few or delusions of imperialism.”

“An independent Wales would not be economically viable.' Funny, were Wales given a penny every time somebody said that, then Wales would certainly pay its way!
Yet this 'can't afford independence' is a common refrain by commentators and politicians alike, and is currently used with great gusto as an argument against Scottish independence. But a quick glance through the articles, editorials and letters pages of the past make it clear that Wales and Scotland haven't been the only European countries 'which can't afford independence'.
Malta was one example. An editorial in The Times on 7 January 1959 noted gravely: 'Malta cannot live on its own … the island could pay for only one-fifth of her food and essential imports; well over a quarter of the present labour force would be out of work and the economy of the country would collapse without British Treasury subventions. Talk of full independence for Malta is therefore hopelessly impractical.'Yet Malta gained independence on September 21st, 1964: essentially a city state on a barren rock; which – from a British point of view – was no more than a very large dock. By 2009 its GDP – at $23,800 per capita – was similar to other former imperial port cities like Liverpool, Newcastle or Marsailles.Norway was another country which – in the eyes of many – couldn't afford the independence it eventually gained in 1905. At the time it had limited selfgovernment within Sweden and one of the great bones of contention was that the consular service and tariffs were biased towards the more agrarian Swedish economy rather than the export-biased Norwegian one. Calls for greater independence were widely felt across Norway, but there were still some who were afraid its consequences,and who were proven wrong in the end.To bring us closer to our present time, Slovakia gained independence in the famous 'Velvet Divorce' of 1993, an event which – in an otherwise generally balanced editorial – The Independent of December 31st, 1992 foretold with some gloom. ' … There is no shortage of potential disputes,' it noted. 'Currency union is doomed, with the Czechs determined to balance their budget and the Slovaks expected to head down the road of deficit financing and inflation.'
In a report on January 3rd, 1993 – two days after independence – The Guardian was equally pessimistic, commenting that 'many people see the split as a failure and others are nervous about proving themselves in an uncertain world.'
History tells us, therefore, that any move towards independence by a 'colony' or semi-independent state almost entirely fails to consider the possible, subsequent economic success of these countries. Certainly, the general tone of the British mindset towards Welsh (and Scottish) independence varies from a mild scepticism to outright hostility. And both stances are, at times, more irrational and unscientific than those which the 'romantic' nationalists are accused of adopting.There are now 193 members of the UN, the latest to join being South Sudan – yes, even South Sudan, so redolent of famine and political unrest, can 'afford independence'. And there is also another country which is expected to declare independence this summer. It is the one country which in terms of its fractured geography, fractious politics and crippled economy you would expect not to ever 'afford independence'. That country is Palestine.
And this has resulted in the British left-wing adopting a curious position. On the one hand, it uniquely argues that politically-stable Scotland will be the only oil-producing country in the world to emerge the poorer from independence, yet on the other it never question's Palestine's ability to 'afford independence', regardless of the constant turmoil in which the state exists..So is there a deeper reason behind our 'progressive' friends' opposition to independence ?? I wonder?”

“OK, let's start the ball rolling.

In the first instance, South Wales and North East Wales are sitting on an onshore gas resource valued at Billions of pounds at current market prices. The UK government issues the licenses for extracting this gas, and profits will be re-couped by the Exchequer. Private companies will be given a green-light to extract this resource from under our feet - and sell it back to us. At current market rates - while low-income Welsh families and Welsh Pensioners struggle to pay their bills over the winter.

An Independent Welsh government will have full control over licensing and taxation - including corporation tax and fossil fuel revenues. We will also be able to decide for ourselves whether the environmental consequences are worth justifying extracting this gas and selling it on the market.

Under this scenario - we as country make a handsome income from our own resources, rather than private shareholders and directors. Under the UK Government, the Valleys of south Wales are going to be opened up for large scale gas extraction, with unknown consequences. If people are seriously naive enough to believe that they care a jot about us up in London, just take a look at what happened with the coal industry.

In an Independent Wales, we pay our own way, we profit from our own resources. No historical grudges - just simple business transactions between neighbours. But we dictate the terms.”