Rhianwen Daniel is a PhD candidate in the department of politics and international relations at the University of Cardiff.
The Welsh and Scottish independence movements are enjoying record surges in support. Recent polling by Ipsos Mori shows that independence is backed by 58 per cent of Scottish voters, while November’s YouGov polls indicate a record 33 per cent support for the Welsh equivalent. Add to this the growing demands for a second Scottish independence referendum after Brexit, and the break-up of the union looks like a real possibility.
While the media have focused mainly on the prospect of Scottish independence, its Welsh equivalent deserves attention, too. This is not to say it has been completely ignored. It is just that what public discussion there has been has tended to be localised and framed almost entirely in terms of the pro-independence rhetoric of YesCymru and Plaid Cymru. So it is worth taking a more critical look at the cultural and economic challenges facing Wales as a nation.
The failures of Welsh devolution
The devolution settlement of 1998 looked like a great opportunity for Wales. It promised a more efficient and democratically representative government, with legislative control over educational, cultural and fiscal matters. And, as such, many hoped it would give Wales a chance to consolidate its sense of nationhood and develop its economy.
Such optimism soon proved misplaced. Since 1998, Wales has fallen behind other members of the union in virtually every devolved policy area. In education, the OECD has ranked Wales bottom of the UK in every education-standards survey between 2006 and 2018. It has also consistently finished below the OECD’s international average on education standards since 2009.
[Interesting Read]
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