What the bloody hell do we do now?

So we have voted in favour of leave . Where Leave has won the EU referendum campaign in Wales - and across the UK - with all Welsh council areas declared.

Some 854,572 (52.5%) voters in Wales chose to leave the EU, compared to 772,347 (47.5%) supporting Remain.

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Leave supporter Andrew RT Davies said the "fault lines" of Welsh politics had changed forever.

But Plaid Cymru's Simon Thomas said we were entering "disturbing territory".

The vast bulk of Wales' council areas, many of them Labour-supporting, voted for Leave, with a majority in 17 backing Brexit.

Only five areas - Gwynedd, Cardiff, Ceredigion, the Vale of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire - voted for Remain.

Welsh Labour In campaign manager Lord Hain said the Tories invited a kicking in the poll "and are being given it".

Leave has built an insurmountable lead in the race - with the BBC forecasting a win for Leave by 52% to 48%.

Scotland however has voted Scotland has voted in favour of the UK staying in the EU by 62% to 38% - with all 32 council areas backing Remain. raising the prospect of Scotland being taken out of the EU against its will.

Which leaves the question what happens to Wales  in the wake of a Tsunami that has hit these islands 

Will we see decades of Right Wing Government that demonises Immigrants and the less well off often pitting the two against each other.

Will we go into recession as predicted by many i the Remain camp and see further Austerity cuts ? Cuts which nay well affect the very Working Class voters who voted for a Brexit

Will we see the sort of funding  that Wales get from the EU or will it be retained by Westminster to fund Tax cuts? 

Will Scotland vote fir independence? leaving Wales even more of Right Wing Tories? Who will have no desire to aid any form of Welsh aspiration  but would seek to incorporate us into an England-Wales Identity.

Will Welsh Labour finally see that the interest of Wales can only come from inside Wales and not Westminster?

We now have Two years while the UK and EU negotiate Brexit , It ay mean that the EU may seek to capitulate  and seek to return many powers to the member states in the belief that there could be a second referendum to approve the final agreement. Especially as they may well be seeing a Domino effect from other Nations wishing to leave.

But for us we need to ensure that Wales is not left out from these negotiations . We have alot to lose and very little to win. 

Farage may be hopeing for a small REMAIN majority.

The EU referendum looks to close to call and I wonder of there will be more "shy" Brexiters than REMAIN.

Whatever happens politics in the UK have taken an unpleasant move to the right with Immigration taking a major role and if even there is REMAIN vote then we will see the issue figure prominently in the future.


We are faced with a future of increased Xenophobic British Nationalism which unfortunately Wales voters are not exempt from .
It means that those on the Progressive Left have an uphill battle to face the sort of rhetoric that comes from the far right and may even become mainstream,
It may be however that Farage and Ukip will welcome a small REMAIN majority in that they will see it as justifying their existence .


They may well be hoping that they will emulate the SNP in Scotland which were not killed off by the Independence Referendum and actually strengthened the Independence cause there,.
They will be hoping that those who voted out but were appalled (or denied it or convinced themselves) by the Anti-Immigration rhetoric coming from spme BREXIt campaigner.

There will pf course calls of foul and claims of Ballot rigging coming from the right and Farage will they to claim that it was a Phyric victory for Remain.

In or Out we face a huge struggle to combat the sort of barley disguised racism that has emerged pver the last decade and after Tomorrow will increase.
Those of us who hope to be breathing a sigh (rather than celebrating ) on the wale of a REMAIN vote will have little rest if we are not to see a darkness looming over these Islands,

IN or OUT Wales will need much more than Third Rate Devolution.

Our First Minister trip  to the Carwyn Jones the  Wales v England at Euro 2016.  that £9,500 cost  £9500 has come in for criticism;

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “The First Minister flew from Cardiff to Lille on Thursday to attend the Wales v England match before travelling to Glasgow later that day for a meeting with representatives from the British Irish Council.

“Following security advice, and for practical reasons, a small turbo-prop plane was used which ensured the First Minister was able to represent Wales at both events. This would not have been possible using alternative travel options.”

Oddly I am not seething with outrage it is important that our Political leaders take advantage of the sudden interest  in our country and a continued  run should raise our profile in Europe.

But we may ask ourselves if we are not too small to play with the big boys i a major football tournament in Europe . Maybe we should consider if we are not to small and insignificant to play a role in Europe as an Independent Nation.

However a UK Brexit would leave us cut off from Europe just as were  Proving out  existence.

Mind you our first Minister  seemed  to have been over enthused with our new Profile claiming  Wales could make its own agreements with the EU if there is a Leave vote in Thursday's referendum, First Minister Carwyn Jones has suggested.

Mr Jones cited EU member states with territories outside the union, such as Greenland and the Canary Islands.

Except  the Canaries are an Autonomous part of Spain (a EU member) and whilst Greenland is mostly Independent  Denmark (another EU member) maintains control of foreign affairs and defence matters

He told BBC Wales he did not trust the Leave campaign's leaders to negotiate with Brussels on Wales' behalf.

Mr Jones told BBC Wales: 

"There's no reason why the EU in the future can't look at having a way of dealing with nations that are not member states and looking at getting agreements with them, why not?"
"If it's possible to do it where a country is a member state, why not if a country isn't a member state," he asked.
Mr Jones said: "If there is a Leave vote on Friday we have to take steps to talk to the EU ourselves in Wales.
"I'm not going to rely on that lot in the Brexit campaign to represent Wales in Brussels, or at all.
"So it's hugely important that we get the best deal for Wales whatever happens."

Its a pity that Mr Jones didn't at least acknowledge that what appears to be a fantasy , would  have more credibility  of we didn't have Third Rate Devolution" and called for the powers that would make such deals  possible.

In our out it is vital we have the Leadership in Wales that an promote Wales within Europe . However it will be even more important if we are isolated by a right wing unionist government in Westminster who will take us further down the path pf impoverished "West Britons" not the vibrate Independent nation in a reformed European Union  we  desperately need.

The Assassination of a democratically elected MP makes it political.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage  suggestion that David Cameron and George Osborne have tried to link the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox to the Leave campaign seems to me m that he is preparing that in the wake of a REMAIN vote BREXIT supporters   will blame hin and his vile campaign.

This may well have opened many minds to what a vile campaign Ukio are running.  He said there was a "clear implication" from their remarks that Leave had created a "bad atmosphere."

Speaking on LBC radio, Mr Farage said:

 "I think there are Remain camp supporters out there who are using this to try to give the impression that this isolated horrific incident is somehow linked to arguments that have been made by myself or Michael Gove or anybody else in this campaign, and frankly that is wrong."
Asked by an LBC listener how he felt about the killing being linked with Brexit, Mr Farage said it was "despicable...but that's what is happening".

He added: "

We have a prime minister and a chancellor and other big political leaders in Britain who are scared witless.

"They thought they would win this referendum by a country mile.
"They know it's neck and neck, they know it's down to who turns out on the day to vote, and there is no level of denigration or false association that they will not stoop to, but I think people are intelligent enough to see through this sort of thing."

How I wonder how  the Prime Minister of a  Democratic country should have  responded after the Assassination  of an MP

He said:

 "What I have been talking about in respect of Jo is what a wonderful human being and great politician and great campaigner she was."
The PM added: "What everyone has been saying, and what I say again, is paying tribute not only to her but the values she lived by and epitomised in public life of tolerance, of service, of community.
"That's what we are saying about her."

Reporting  on Jo CoX's assassination  by someone  who may have mental health problems but who also as links with far right groups   and who  gave his name as “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain” in court Saturday, is not politicising  ot is  pointing out the facts,
I have however used the term Assassination rather than murder

Assassination is the deliberate killing of a person, often (but not always) a political leader or ruler, usually for political reasons or payment.^[1]An assassination may be prompted by religious, political, or military motives; it is an act that may be done for financial gain, to avenge a grievance, from a desire to acquire fame or notoriety, or because of a military, security or insurgent group's command to carry out the homicide.

 Wikipedia

For mind any one who decides to kill a democratically elected politician is probably mentally ill and to my mind the Assassination of Jo Cox was based on a distorted  political  view  the question  is to what extent this was influenced by the actions of others , including those who may think themselves as being part of the normal political process,

Welsh (English Only) Brand Commitee.

Leader of the Commons Chris Grayling this month rejected calls to allow MPs meeting together in the Welsh Grand Committee to speak in Welsh because it would “cost taxpayers’ money” – but he has now admitted no “detailed estimate” of translation costs has been made.

Clwyd South Labour MP Susan Elan Jones had pushed for the freedom to use Welsh, and Shadow Leader of Commons Chris Bryant added his weight to the calls but Mr Grayling said he had “considered it carefully”.

However, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards pressed for further detail, asking in a written question 

“what estimate he has made of the potential cost of providing simultaneous and written translation in Welsh Grand Committees for bilingual proceeding”.

Mr Grayling replied: 

“English is and should remain the language of this House. The Government has not made a detailed estimate of the cost of providing simultaneous and written translation in Welsh Grand Committees.”

 The Welsh Grand Committee,  is a committee of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is one of four such grand committees in the United Kingdom Parliament, the other three are for Scotland, Northern Ireland and as of October 2015 England..^[1] The committee is made up of all 40 Welsh MPs and up to five other MPs.

The committee can meet after a Queen’s Speech or budget statement to consider the impact the legislation and finances outlined would have on Wales. It also provides an opportunity for MPs to question ministers, debate current matters and for ministers to make statements. There are between three and six committee meetings per year.

So what exactly would be the cost of a mmaximum of six meetings a year? 

Mr Edwards said: 

“[He] has now admitted that no assessment has been made because we know the costs are negligible.
“The Leader of the House should make a statement to the House retracting his previous statement. If the UK Government are not prepared to do it, the House authorities should commission an assessment of how much it would actually cost to translate the proceedings so at least the Welsh Grand and the Welsh Affairs select committee are able to function bilingually.”

Curiously The Welsh Affairs Select Committee (or simply the 'Welsh Affairs Committee') is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the Committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Wales Office, and relations with the Welsh Assembly.conduct itself bilingualy

So Mr Graylings  English is and should remain the language of this House is not techinacly correct. Thee by the way are the current members

Member		Party	Constituency
	David T C Davies MP (Chair)	Conservative	Monmouth
	Byron Davies MP	Conservative	Gower
	Chris Davies MP	Conservative	Brecon and Radnorshire
	Dr James Davies MP	Conservatives	Vale of Clwyd
	Carolyn Harris MP	Labour	Swansea East
	Gerald Jones MP	Labour	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
	Christina Rees MP	Labour	Neath
	Antoinette Sandbach MP	Conservative	Eddisbury
	Liz Saville-Roberts MP	Plaid Cymru	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	Craig Williams MP	Conservative	Cardiff North
	Mark Williams MP	Liberal Democrat	Ceredigion

It is welcoming that the initial moves for the use  came for the  from Labour members . Perhaps we can now ask the "Welsh" Conservatives if they feel that Welsh should be blocked from this committee over to you  Guto Bebb, former Plaid member and now Conservative MP for Aberconwy  he may have abandoned Independence  but has he abandoned Cymraeg and its use?

Why Nationalist in Wales Scotland, and Cornwall support REMAIN.

It may seem rather Odd to outsiders that many of those who campaigned for a YES vote in the Scottish Independence Referendum are now campaigning for a Remain vote in next weeks Euro Elections,

On the other it may not not be surprising  that many of those who were involved in the better Together campaign or it satellites including including Nigel Garage and George Galloway are in the BREXIT camp.

Not to mention Far Right British Nationalists.

But there is the Difference between Nationalism in Scotland, Wales and Cornwall.

True there is a implicit National Identity  in "Celtic" Nationalism but it is based p A Civic Nationalism

Civic nationalism, also known as liberal nationalism, is a kind of nationalism identified by those who believe in a non-xenophobic form of nationalism compatible with values of freedom, tolerance, equality, and individual rights.

 Civic nationalists often defend the value of national identity by saying that individuals need a national identity in order to lead meaningful, autonomous lives^] and that democratic polities need national identity in order to function properly.

Compare this with those on the Brexit side who have different freedom, tolerance, equality, and individual rights in such they wish to suspense with the Human Rights Act, demonise Immigrants , which to preserve a state where we have a uncollected chamber and a cabinet where any of the Ministers come from a privileged back ground went to the same public school (Eton) or met in an Oxbridge college

Though of us who identify  themselves as Welsh ,Scottish or Cornish Nationalist and who subscribe to Civic Nationalist  have looked at the EU and all its faults have decided that it is a better choice than the crude "British Nationlism" that comes out f the BREXIT side and decided that those who claim to "Want our Country  back" really  want a country which will stamp on many of the "liberal" value's we hold dear.

Alex Salmond may win it for REMAIN.

It may prove  ironic that of there is a REMAIN vote next Thursday some       credit may go to Alex Salmond 

On Tuesday  he exposed Boris Johnson the sortof  bullshitting his way through his entire campaign

Johnson admits he hasn’t actually read a Bank of England study he quotes while attacking EU immigration.

Alex Salmond says the research shows that immigration only has a tiny effect on average wages.

 A day later now an MP at Westminster, Mr Salmond campaigned for a Remain vote with Plaid Cymrupoliticians including Leanne Wood and Dafydd Wigley beneath the Aneurin Bevan statue in Cardiff city centre .



BREXIT supporters were gathering at the same time around the late comedian Tommy Cooper statue. I'll leave you to ponder on the symbolism.

Asked why he didn’t want a Leave vote, which could quickly be followed by another Scottish independence referendum, Mr Salmond said:

 “Because I know there’s going to be another Scottish independence referendum in a wee while. I’d rather that was in the timescale that the people of Scotland wanted, rather than being bounced into it by a Brexit vote across the UK. If there is a Brexit vote, there will be another Scottish referendum within two or three years, no question in my opinion.”
Mr Salmond said he was the only politician apart from George Osborne who had campaigned in all four UK nations for Remain: 

“To me the argument is clear. Europe has played a part in peace and prosperity in western Europe for the last six decades. We are one corner of the world where it’s inconceivable that a conflict could break out between two democracies within the EU. That argument in itself to me dwarfs every other argument – and it’s entirely positive. You don’t have to say if there was Brexit there would be World War Three – that’s silly. But most people would concede there’s been a contribution to peace and prosperity from the EU for six decades. And if you believe that, you should vote Remain.”

Mr Salmond said another compelling argument related to the future of the NHS. He said:

 “We’re standing under the statue of Aneurin Bevan and we know that if there’s an out vote next week, Cameron and Osborne will fall and they’ll be replaced by Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, and we know from what John Major said that each and every one of these three either wants to privatise, marketise or charge for the health service. We’re standing under Aneurin Bevan’s statue – the greatest Welsh politician along with Lloyd George who ever lived."He built the health service and he wouldn’t be standing by allowing by mistake the country to usher in a right-wing gang who would privatise and destroy the health service.

It  seems that the most positive message is coming from outside the outside the main REMAIN  camp .