YesCymru

YesCymru is a non party-political[4] campaign for an independent Wales.[5] The organisation was formed in 2014[6] and officially launched on 20 February 2016 in Cardiff.[7]

YesCymru
Formation2014
FocusWelsh independence
HeadquartersSwyddfa 23609, PO Box 92, Cardiff, CF11 1NB, Wales, United Kingdom[1]
Members
17,000[2]
Chair
Siôn Jobbins[3]
Websiteyes.cymru

YesCymru claimed its membership doubled from 2,500 to 5,000 over just two months in Spring 2020.[8] The organisation had a further increase of around 3,000 members over three days in late October 2020; this rise coincided with the Westminster government refusing to furlough Welsh businesses for the 17 day 'firebreak' lockdown in Wales.[9][10][11][12] In January 2021, YesCymru claimed to have more than 17,000 registered members.[2][13]

Polls in 2014 suggested that support for Welsh independence was around only 14% of voters.[14][15] Multiple polls in 2020 now suggest that around 31% of voters in Wales would vote Yes to independence in a referendum.[16][17] A poll performed in November 2020 found looking at those who would vote, 33% would vote Yes to Welsh Independence.[18] However, January 2021's Welsh Political Barometer poll for ITV Wales and Cardiff University suggested just 22% would vote 'Yes' to independence in a referendum.[19]

Siôn Jobbins has been chair of YesCymru since 2017.[20]

Campaigns
The first Welsh independence march organised by YesCymru and AUOBCymru, May 2019

YesCymru has supported the activities of individuals and groups seeking to further the cause of Welsh independence.[21]

In May 2019 the group held the first Welsh independence march in Cardiff, in conjunction with organisers All Under One Banner Cymru.[22] The organisers claimed as many as 3,000 people attended the event and speakers included Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, performer Carys Eleri, and Ben Gwalchmai of Labour 4 Indy Wales.[23]

In July 2019, a second march was held in Caernarfon where organisers claimed 10,000 people gathered at Y Maes.[24] Speakers included Dafydd Iwan and Hardeep Singh Kohli.[25]

A third march took place in Merthyr Tydfil in September 2019. Organisers claimed 5,300 attended the rally where speakers included Eddie Butler, Neville Southall, and Kizzy Crawford.[26] Further marches planned for 2020 in Wrexham, Tredegar and Swansea were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.[27]

In January 2020, the organisation was in part behind the push to get the song "Yma O Hyd" by Dafydd Iwan ac ar Log to the top of the iTunes Charts.[28]

According to Owen Worth, Lecturer of International Relations at the University of Limerick, YesCymru was Britain's fastest growing political organisation in 2020.[29]

Polling
See also: Welsh independence § Opinion polling

Consistent polling from 2014 onwards suggests support for Welsh independence has risen from 12% of the population to around 24% in 2020. Counting only those who said they would vote, this rise is from 14% to 31%.

Yes/No Independence polls – Standard questions

Date(s) conducted Polling organisation & client Sample size Should Wales be an independent country? Lead Notes
Yes No Undecided
18 January – 21 January 2021 The Sunday Times / YouGov 1,059 23% 52% 25% 29%
11 January – 14 January 2021 Welsh Barometer Survey / YouGov 1,018 22% 53% 25% 31%
26 October – 29 October 2020 Welsh Barometer Survey / YouGov 1,013 23% 53% 25% 30% Includes 16 and 17 year-olds
24 August – 27 August 2020 YesCymru / YouGov 1,044 25% 52% 23% 27%
29 July – 7 August 2020 Yes Cymru / YouGov 1,044 26% 55% 19% 29% Includes 16 and 17 year-olds
29 May – 1 June 2020 ITV Wales/ YouGov/ Cardiff Uni 1,021 25% 54% 21% 29%
6–10 September 2019 Plaid Cymru / YouGov 1,039 24% 52% 23% 28%
7 December – 14 December 2018 Sky News Data - Wales 1,014 17% 67% 16% 50%
30 May – 6 June 2018 YouGov 2,016 19% 65% 16% 46%
July 2016 ITV Wales / YouGov 1,010 15% 65% 20% 50%
8 September – 11 September 2014 ITV Wales / Cardiff University >1,000 17% 70% 13% 53% The week before the Scottish independence referendum
April 2014 YouGov 1,000 12% 74% 14% 62%

Independence rating scale poll

Date(s) conductedIn favour of IndependenceOpposed to IndependenceIndifferent/No ReplySampleHeld byNotes
9–12 May 201726%47%27%1,000Yes Cymru / YouGovRespondents asked to rate 0–10.
0–4 Against, 5 indifferent, 6–10 in favour

Further supporters

Some supporters of YesCymru are listed below:

See also

References
  1. "Contact". yes.cymru. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  2. "Westminster seen as 'increasingly Anglocentric' says Labour Senedd member". Nation.Cymru. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  3. "YesCymru add a thousand members in a day to hit 10,000 mark". Nation.Cymru. 1 November 2020.
  4. "The name of the association is YesCymru, sometimes abbreviated to 'YC' or referred to as the 'association'" (PDF). Yes.cymru. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  5. Shipton, Martin (28 September 2017). "Who are 'Yes Cymru' - the campaigners trying to reinvent Welsh nationalism?". Walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  6. "YesCymru movement 'growing faster than expected'". Nation.cymru. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  7. Craig, Ian (20 February 2016). "Welsh independence supporters should learn from Scotland, new campaign group says". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  8. "YesCymru membership doubles to 5,000 in two months". 20 June 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  9. "North Wales MP thanks Boris Johnson for 'fronting Welsh independence membership drive' after furlough snub". North.Wales. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  10. "Aelodaeth | Membership". Twitter. YesCymru. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020. • 31/10/20; 19:34: 9,000 • 01/10/20; 17:27: 10,000 • 02/11/20; 12:31: 11,000 • 02/11/20; 22:26: 12,000 • 03/11/20; 20:26: 13,000
  11. "Covid: Furlough backlash amid Welsh firebreak snub claims". BBC News. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  12. Brooks, Libby (1 November 2020). "Welsh and Scottish leaders hit out at 'unfair' furlough extension". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  13. Evans, Harri (7 February 2021). "The rapid rise of Yes Cymru and the growing independence movement in Wales". North Wales Live. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  14. Henry, Graham (19 April 2014). "Wales says no to Scottish independence: our exclusive YouGov poll". WalesOnline.
  15. Nyatanga, Darryn (4 June 2020). "Welsh independence: can Brexit awaken the sleeping dragon?". London School of Economics. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  16. Trystan, Dafydd (5 June 2020). "The latest indy poll shows a large number are persuadable but not yet persuaded". Nation.Cymru.
  17. "It's the economy.... What the latest polling tells us about support for Welsh independence". Nation.Cymru. 27 January 2021.
  18. "Support for Welsh Independence continues to increase". YesCymru. 19 November 2020.
  19. "Welsh independence: How worried should UK ministers be?". 2 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  20. "About Us · YesCymru". yes.cymru. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  21. Wyn-Williams, Gareth (7 October 2017). "Anglesey campaigners in show of solidarity with Catalonia independence voters". North Wales Live. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  22. "Thousands call for Welsh Independence in historic march". ITV News. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  23. Dewey, Philip (14 May 2019). "Huge turnout in Cardiff for Welsh independence march". WalesOnline. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  24. Cassidy, Jane (29 July 2019). "AUOB Cymru plan third indy march after 10,000 turn out in Caernarfon". The National. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  25. Hodgson, Sarah; Jones, Branwen (27 July 2019). "Recap - 8,000 people march through Caernarfon for Welsh independence". Daily Post. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  26. "Sport and arts figures join independence rally". BBC Wales. 7 September 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  27. "No independence marches in 2020 as final planned event in Swansea postponed". Nation.Cymru. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  28. "Yma O Hyd tops iTunes UK song chart". BBC Wales. 12 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  29. Worth, Owen (25 January 2021). "Opinion: Is the Brexit war over or has it just begun - what now for the Union?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbVdA7zS8dE
  31. Manara, Al (30 December 2020). "Michael Sheen gave back OBE as he supports Welsh independence".
  32. "Football legend 'Big Nev' to make the case for Welsh independence at Labour conference event". Nation.Cymru. 21 April 2018.
  33. Williams, Kathryn; Hughes, Marcus (8 September 2019). "Thousands gather for Welsh independence march". WalesOnline.
  34. YesCymru (9 February 2020). "Without Voice, Without Nation | Angharad Mair | #SgwrsAnnibyniaeth #YesCymruTalks". YouTube.
  35. Jones, Gwynoro [@Gwynoro] (16 October 2017). "Time #Wales moved towards a real #Senedd @fmwales @LabourSenedd @Labour4IndWales @YesCymru @Plaid_Cymru" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 October 2017 – via Twitter.
  36. "Glyndŵr Day Welsh Independence Rally, Cardiff · YesCymru". Yes.cymru. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  37. YesCymru (24 September 2019). "Delyth Jewell AM Speaking at Independence March Merthyr Tydfil 2019". YouTube.
  38. YesCymru (24 September 2019). "Cymru This House by Mike Jenkins". YouTube.
  39. Roberts, Richard Owain (17 September 2020). "The Art of Running: Richard Owain Roberts". Wales Arts Review.
  40. "Cardiff gig to discuss Welsh independence post-Brexit". 15 February 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  41. Finamore, Emma (10 December 2018). "Musicians Are Fighting For Welsh Independence". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  42. Owens, David (18 February 2019). "Prominent musicians want more people to talk about Welsh independence". WalesOnline. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  43. "'Keep independence momentum going' after Yes is More gig". Nation.Cymru. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  44. McAllister, Laura (10 October 2020). "Independence? Here are two steps Wales needs to first consider| Laura McAllister". WalesOnline. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  45. "Full Eddie Butler Speech - AUOB Merthyr". YesCymru.
  46. Bubbins, Mike [@mikebubbins] (30 October 2020). "So I finally, properly, joined @YesCymru. Not because I'm in any way anti-England, or anti-English, far from it, but because I am 100% anti-getting dictated to by that shower of berks lining their own pockets in Westminster. There simply HAS to be a better way. Ymlaen Cymru" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  47. Harries, Robert (8 November 2020). "The rise of Yes Cymru and why people are joining in their thousands". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  48. Amos, Paul [@PaulRogerAmos] (1 January 2021). "@YesCymru Westminster have failed us. Time to move on to an independent Wales" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 January 2021 – via Twitter.
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