Perhaps the events unfolding in Scotland, the current implosion of the SNP and the implications of all that for the independence dream, is really focusing minds here in Wales.
There seems to be a growing sense here that maybe it’s high time for us to step out from the shadows and this sense of being considered almost as an after-thought compared to the other Celtic nations on these isles, Scotland and Ireland.
Could Wales- a nation for 1,500 years in its own right- prove to be the dark horse in the independence stakes after all?
Coming up on the blind side to surprise everyone and asserting its national destiny in the way that almost 200 other nations have done so since 1945?
Well, we’ve got another Independence March in a few weeks time to take place in Swansea, Wales’s second city.
And this week, we are taking a look at the third new pro-independence party which has appeared in Wales over the past few years: Sovereign Wales- Cymru Sofren.
I interviewed its leader, Gruff Meredith who lives in Cardiff.
1. Tell us why and when you established The Sovereign Party/Plaid Sofren?
The original party was launched in 2016 and stood in the 2016 Welsh elections, standing in Newport, South Wales.
I started the party for a few reasons: I had no Welsh party that I by that time was fully aligned with or could honestly say I could fully support so I started my own. This was also just before the Brexit vote and I also wanted to, as a party, put forward the pro-Welsh independence party case for Brexit – or Wexit to be more precise. How can a country be independent or sovereign if controlled by a bigger union such as the UK or the corporate driven and unelected EU?
I also wanted to start a Welsh party that offered a different option to voters – a pro-sovereignty, anti-globalist party that wasn’t necessarily following the same old narrowminded, dogmatic liberal faux ‘progressivism’ that has obviously become very destructive, divisive and toxic to politics in general.
I wanted a party that instead treats each issue on its own merit to get the best outcome – be that right or left.
This means celebrating and promoting social conservatism and small c conservatism when need be – something that hasn’t been existence in pro independence Welsh parties for a long time but is making a healthy return.
Saying that I also think many ‘old sensible left’ aspects especially can also of course work well in Wales within a mixed economy – it was Welsh Britons who established the NHS and state pensions after all!
We then stood under the No More Lockdowns party name in the 2021 Welsh elections as we felt duty bound to stand against the very troubling and draconian lockdowns and attempted medical mandates that have destroyed so many lives and livelihoods on what we believe was and is a false or exaggerated premise.
We got around 3,000 votes in that election and also won a seat in the Welsh youth parallel Senedd elections.
We’ve now re-established our party name as The Sovereign Party/Plaid Sofren as it sums up what we’re about. The party champions freedom, rights and sovereignty of individuals and nations and I believe we are also the first Welsh party – perhaps in Britain or further – to stand on a policy of saying no to Globalism and its tyranny and to any attempts by politicians or anyone else to push for a New World Order or One World Government – something that is a conspiracy theory no more and a grubby plan that’s plain for all to see.
2. As the leader of the party, can you tell the readers of Barrhead Boy’s Blog a little about yourself and your background?
I was born in Cardiff and have grown up in and around the Bala area of north Wales. I have a HND in Marine, and Environmental studies. Having worked in numerous jobs, I’ve also been self-employed since my early twenties – a lot of this has been through my work as a musician and producer in many bands. I also have my own music label and publishing company.
As well as the work with the party which I started in my early 40’s, I’m also one of the owners and am also the manager of a Welsh language newspaper, “Y Cymro.”
3. You obviously feel that Wales needs a complete re-haul. Can you explain what you see as the main problems with Wales as it is at present?
The biggest obstacle for Wales is not being a free sovereign nation like all other normal nations of the world. I believe the problems and solutions are pretty obvious. Devolution is ok but not really the most suitable long-term option for an ambitious and powerful small country like Wales.
There is an obvious glaring situation now as well where many if not most governments including the Welsh, Scottish and London Governments, seem to be following policies, programmes and agendas as laid out by unelected globalist bodies, whilst these governments try to pretend that what they’re legislating on is all somehow organic, democratic and ‘parliamentary’. In other words, in my opinion, most governments – western ones especially – have been captured to a significant extent by a globalist agenda and by globalist bodies which, unless stopped, are a serious threat to democracy, to freedom and to all our futures.
The emperors aren’t wearing any clothes. It’s quite darkly comical, but I think people are waking up to it quite fast now. A great deal of people by now realise for example that the ‘sustainable development’ agenda has very little to do with being green and fluffy and a lot to do with a globalist programme to control and centralise all the world’s resources which include us, the people. I’d urge anyone who wants to know more about this to look up people such as Rosa Koire.
As a party, we favour diverse democratic nations working together and believe that Wales and all other nations can play their own unique part in the family of nations on earth working together as equal, friendly, independent partners.
The UK state is obviously crumbling and has lost any moral authority it had left, so I think the sooner the nations of the island of Britain – including England of course – start to bypass the UK state government and start discussing how to live and trade together as sovereign neighbours the better. We’ll probably get on better that ever.
4. In what ways could The Sovereign Party/Plaid Sofren make a difference to all this?
We believe that we offer a different voice and a different option to people and to the political discourse in Wales. We stand for the essential freedoms, rights, free choice and personal sovereignty of all people in Wales, and for a better and more prosperous Wales for all. We believe that we understand what the threats are to Wales – and to England and Scotland and most nations from the ravenous forces of globalism and we will continue to fight for freedom over tyranny.
On a practical level we will also continue to promote our policies – these include:
• Pushing for a debt free currency for Wales (Sovereign money) which would mean that Wales could quickly become a free and prosperous country by printing its own debt free currency to match its already impressive GDP.
• Drastically reduce and limit the creeping surveillance state, censorship, AI, automation and ‘big tech’ threatening humanity and our fundamental freedoms, rights and jobs.
• Work to ensure food and energy independence for Wales locally and nationally, ready for the challenges of the future – which are probably quite imminent.
• Ensure priority housing for citizens already living in Wales including social housing and have a housing priority market similar to Guernsey, Switzerland and New Zealand.
• A firm but fair immigration policy for Wales in-line with our needs and capacity. The people coming in to Britain via illegal means are not genuine asylum seekers. They are illegal or economic migrants. The politicians and others who fail to understand this basic difference and continue to naively virtue signal, are doing this to the detriment of genuine asylum seekers and refugees coming to Wales.
• Give power back to the people to hold local and national referendums to create new or withdraw unwanted laws similar to the system in Switzerland.
• Protect the essential and inalienable rights and freedoms of all with a constitution and bill of rights for Wales.
5. One of the problems we have in Wales is the complete disengagement from the political process here: how would you get to tackle this endemic problem?
Yes, it’s a real issue you come across often, especially at election time. Around 40% or so of people don’t bother voting. I really can’t blame people for thinking like this because politicians and the political system as we know it is just like something from another planet, and democracy has mostly become a Pepsi/Cola illusion of choice where the results are mostly the same however you vote. Career politicians who’ve never had jobs in ‘the real world,’ for example, often just can’t comprehend things outside of their bubble and often seem like programmed, trained robots – in a way they often are.
I would say we need a mixture of things such as:
• A second chamber for Wales made up of Welsh citizens selected in the jury/sortition style which would really hold our elected politicians and any unwanted legislation to account.
• There should be a full transparency list of all those lobbying the Welsh Government. Welsh politicians should be banned from doing consultation or lobbying work on behalf of anyone whilst elected or from being members of any secret societies. And all should declare previous membership of secret societies or organisations in the last five years before election. Also, all salaries paid to elected members should match the average national salary within Wales – it would then be in their interest to try and raise the prosperity of Wales as a country.
• In order to have real plurality of news and opinion, Wales should end the present monopoly of the news and opinion media by a few companies or bodies. Also, to encourage more public access media and public broadcasting so that we promote freedom of speech and thought and have real citizen journalism where we can hear the real voices of people unfiltered, without censorship, spin, groupthink, etc. I also think that we could introduce a system where people can vote for much of the type of programmes they’d like to see being made when public money is being used.
• We have to put an end to extreme political correctness and identity politics in politics, the media and in everyday life – these have become toxic and destructive, stopping robust, healthy discussions in politics and creating a climate of fear and intimidation in society. We need to cancel, cancel culture and allow people to say and think things which we might not always agree with.
• To have a fully proportional representation system for Wales so that politics isn’t dominated by a few big parties, and a variety of voices are heard.
• To encourage more independent candidates to stand in their local areas in Wales so that a wide variety and genuine plurality of voices are heard, and those standing can speak freely without being held back by their party line or by restrictive dogma. Perhaps the ideal future situation is only independent candidates under a Welsh constitution and bill of rights.
6. How does The Sovereign Party / Plaid Sofren see Wales reaching independence? What are the steps we need to take in your view?
The first thing I’d say is that we are already sovereign and always have been. Pragmatically we need to become as self-sufficient as we possibly can once more – in our own food and energy, in our own resources, businesses and goods, and by creating our own debt free Welsh pound which will help keep our money in Wales within a more circular economy rather than the extractive economy we have at present.
Politicians keep rabbiting on about sustainability and green issues constantly but the corporate globalism culture many are also supporting are incompatible with these very same beliefs. The best way for Wales to be truly sustainable and green is for it to be independent and as self-sufficient in its own products, resources and services as possible, so as not to have to rely on too many bad-for-the-environment foreign imports and services as is currently increasingly happening under the banner of globalism.
Another point is that Welsh Labour have in their hands right now the opportunity to do something truly revolutionary – to break away from the Neoliberal mess of UK Labour, become a truly separate Welsh Labour party and to go in to the next Welsh election on a Welsh sovereignty ticket. I see no reason why they wouldn’t get it. Wales could be free within a few years. I may disagree with many of their policies but at least I could agree or disagree with them in our own modern sovereign state of Wales.
7. Is The Sovereign Party / Plaid Sofren interested in co-operating with other parties to reach this goal?
Always. Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.
You can find more about the sovereign party here: https://thesovereignparty.wales/
DIOLCH YN FAWR GRUFF MEREDITH.
A Letter From Wales will be back in a fortnight.