Welsh economic recovery unlikely.

The BBC report that  an economic research company has said. that the Welsh economy will struggle to achieve strong growth for the rest of the decade, 

Capital Economics projects a 2.7% average annual growth up to 2020 compared to 3.8% in the UK as a whole.

It means the future for jobs and prosperity is not as good as the rest of the UK.

.Richard Holt, the report's author, told BBC Wales: 

"I wouldn't say {it's} grim but it's kind of not as good as elsewhere.
"The economy I think is genuinely growing and will probably grow faster next year than this year but other parts of the UK are growing faster still.
"Productivity in Wales is lower than in other parts of the UK. The public sector is larger in Wales than other parts of the UK which is difficult at a time of austerity when there's so much pressure to cut the public sector back.
"Wales is also a small economy by the standards of most parts of the UK along with the north east and Northern Ireland. And being small is harder in terms of getting economies of scale and Wales is fairly remote the other centres of the UK economy.
"Transport and infrastructure has to be part of it."

 I'd say it was bloody grim. Wales started the recession well behind most of the English regions and it seems that we will emerge from it even further behind.

Some, even those in Plaid may argue that Wales needs to have a greatly improved economy before we even consider Independence in the same way Scotland n and Catalonia are doing.

But to me, the report shows that Devolution hasn't worked we are still tied to the Apron Strings of the Westminster government still reliant on "Pocket Money"  and have no way of raising our own.

We can't go on being poor "West Britons" for ever grateful for handouts from Westminster or indeed Europe.

IF we are to cease to be behind the rest of the UK then we need Men and Women with the talent and enthusiasm to propel Wales forward.

Labours 14 year dominance  of the Assembly  and its refusal to campaign for parity with Scotland is holding Wales back   .

But Plaid also failed in the first decade of devolution seemingly all to happy to sit on their laurels congratulating themselves for being in the Assembly and in the last one in a coalition government.

The argument must be made that  only an independent Wales can drag us out of the economic depression that we seem to be facing for at the very least another decade.

But if we don't act beyond.

The time to call for Independence is not when we are a rich and vibrant economy; Because under the current system that wild never happen.

The time is now and we need leadership with vision to do so.

Since her leadership election Leanne Wood  has shown some indication she has an can express this vision.

I had my 60th Birthday this week and am resined that I am unlikely to see an Independent Wales 

But as Plaid gather in Aberystwyth I hope Leanne and her team will  offer Wales an alternative to a bleak future.