Wales and the future of conservatism - Part II

This post first appeared on Dale & Co...

In previous posts elsewhere, I have clearly outlined what I see as the things that can still make the Welsh Conservative Party often seem like a shop front for the main gig in Westminster. I have reflected on some of the comments I've received, negative and positive, and attempt here to tackle some of the more interesting charges against the proposal for a new pro-Union, fully independent party for Wales.


To be perfectly clear, I want a truly independent centre-right force in Wales, not a branch of a brand that can be easily attacked by opponents as being "Westminster-based" or "London-centric" as the Welsh Conservative Party is oft used to, especially from Nationalists. Such things as a Welsh Conservative Policy Forum, a Welsh Conference and so on are still, in practice, not enough to overcome the image problem - note the relative precedence given to the UK Party Leader, the Secretary of State, the Chairman of the Welsh Party and the Group Leader of the Welsh Conservatives at the National Assembly.


A Unionist Party of the centre-right has a massive role to play in Welsh politics. There is no dichotomy between being a unionist party and a party based wholly and solely in Wales. It is a legitimate goal for any Unionist Party of Wales to want Wales to remain a part of the UK and to have a good representation in the Westminster Parliament and at the Cabinet table of No 10 Downing Street. There is no real difference between a Welsh Unionist Party wanting Wales to be in the UK and Plaid Cymru wanting Wales to be a full member of the EU or the UN. The UK is a supra-national club, and Welsh membership of it has proved to be mutually beneficial for Wales and the rest of the UK.


To be both a Unionist and a deeply committed to the Welsh nation, its culture and heritage is not a strange position to take. Many politicians and political parties have taken this line across the political divide for generations. Equally, I totally respect the line taken by Plaid Cymru, since its inception, to advocate for full independence, regardless of whether this is done in sotto voce, directed at one group of electors or another, or with full vigour across the political divide, depending on the politics of the day.


The charge by Plaid Cymru that a move to create a new centre-right party in Wales, committed to the Union, but nevertheless totally independent from any other UK party, is just about vote grabbing is laughable. Of course the idea about creating a new party is about providing a broader based movement for centre-right politics in Wales and thereby winning more votes for the cause. That is why political parties exist, otherwise you may as well set up a pressure group.


I think the real motivation for attacks from Plaid Cymru against those proposing a new centre-right party in Wales is shown by their charge that such a party would only be possible if a total realignment in Welsh politics occurred at the same time. Well, that is true and it is my opinion that the creation of a truly independent party of the Union in Wales would be the catalyst for such a process. Plaid Cymru are scared about such a prospect as they know that their narrow sectionalism, their base appeal to voters that to vote Welsh Conservative is to vote for a London-based political party, would be blown out of the water by this. A broad-based centre-right party of the Union, independent, run and led by its Members in Wales would be a very attractive proposition to many people who, had they been living in England and not Wales, would be natural conservative-leaning voters.


For Welsh politics to fully mature and for pluralism to flourish across Wales and for the only real prospect of ending Labour's near hegemony of the political landscape, the pro-Union forces of the centre-right must build a new vehicle to carry forward conservative ideals and policies into a new era.