If Wales became independent from the UK?

Question

What policies would you like to see in place regarding housing, employment etc?

Personally I'd like to see much more investment in Social Housing and employment training. I'd like to see Welsh people put first so that they don't end up on the dole while migrants do jobs they could do, or being homeless while their local council and housing associations give homes to asylum seekers. A Welsh government could put their own laws in place about these things.

We are a poor country and well paid jobs in Wales are few and far between. The average salary in some parts of Wales is only £10,000 pa. Many people in Wales work for minimum wage as there isn't a lot of choice. Social housing, training and job creation are necessary to improve life for Welsh workers. Westminster have screwed things up for us for long enough. What benefits England (ie they "need" immigrant workers to bolster their economy) does not benefit Wales!!! And whats more they don't seem to care!

Marie - I know things are bad in England, my partner is English (from Kent) and its overrun with immigrants.

But its much easier to get Social Housing down there. His best mate from school only had to wait a year to get a really nice Social Housing flat and he's non priority, single male, no dependents. But when we applied for a Council House when I was 7 months pregnant and we were faced with homelessness we were told they had nothing available and we'd have to go into a Bed & Breakfast! Yet someone I know who works for Wales & West Housing confirmed they regularly house Somalis and other Asylum Seekers. Its a joke.

Mel C yes my partner is the same, he's trying to get skilled and can't get any funding. Its a mess. We would move to his part of the UK - Kent - but house prices are too expensive there and I don't know how easy it is to get jobs . . .

Answer 1

if wales seperated from the UK the country would collapse, they'll have no decent army and a terrible economy

Answer 2

To all those people who are saying wales would never survive without the subsidies from the united kingdom or put it more arrogantly u mention it as England. May i tell you all as a studier of Economics in school i think you'll find that half of you do not know what you are talking about you are literally talking from you're backsides. Wales annual cost is near 20 to 22 billion where as wales produces 25 billion annual in tax income and revenue. So what's happening to that 5 billion should be the answer don't you think?> And yes there have been in the past subsidies into the south eastern and western valley's which were heavily industrialized during the industrial revolution. The mines were closed in the 70's largely by an English government because the majority of the welsh and Scottish Mp's were against it them being Labour of course. But because England has more of a representation in Westminster rightly so being as it's larger but then wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland are left to pick up the pieces. That's why devolution is such a good thing. If wales didn't have to put up with all these immigrants and warfare that the Uk wastes billions on annually we'd be a better place now. If wales left the United Kingdom and became part of the European Eunion we'd be a better place now. And we could protect our culture and develope internatunal industries within our boders but as it stand's now Westminster will never ever put WALES, SCOTLAND, O'R NORTHEN IRELAND before it does the south east of england and the rest of England. This ain't democracy it's Imperialism and in my opinion that's all the unite Kingdom is, Is a dominance of English culture imposed on a wider population. Well I'm welsh and i won't leave this happen. Save our culture our language and let's move forward form imperialism and colonization .

Cadw'r Iaith yn fyw . Achub ein dywilliant, Dyfodol Newydd i'n gwlad mae angen symud ymlaen . I ffwrdd gyda'r coloneiddio, Gyda'r trefn anemocratig yma. Pleidleisiwch i blaid gwnewch wahaniaeth.

Answer 3

It would be the best thing that ever happened to the English taxpayer if Scotland and Wales gained their complete independence. Scotland and Wales have both been a drag on the English taxpayer who have propped them up for far too long. I say; Repatriate all the Scottish and Welsh people who are drawing benefits whilst living in England and also make Scotland and Wales responsible for their own benefits such as Pensions,NHS,Police,Social Security to name a few. Yes!Scotland and Wales becoming independent certainly has my vote. Finally,The amount the English taxpayer has had to pour into the Scottish Banking system to keep them afloat,I refer to the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Halifax Bank of Scotland,I think it would be a good idea for their £20 notes to have the English Rose as a token of a 'goodwill gesture. Failing that;I would even go along with the suggestion of having Alex Salmond sitting on a Scottish Thistle in its place! Give the English taxpayer an even break;I say.

Answer 4

I'll ignore that Wales isn't a country and bypass the comments about how it would be like giving Cornwall it's Independence.

The Welsh would really suffer. At the moment Wales survives because England pays for everything in Wales. Public services would stop almost over night and taxes would increase. Dole payments would be cut or no longer paid, Wales has a lot of unemployed people.

With out West ministers subsidies most of the foreign industries would pull out, they are paid a lot to have factories employing people in high unemployment areas like south Wales.

Wales would be broke with in a few years and the current assembly seems only to want people to learn welsh above the current problems so I doubt they could do anything to prevent it.

RayN-is- - Having been to America, having a American Fiancee and traveled probably more over there than you have in the states I'm surprised that any American can be sarcastic towards any European country. Just remember that when you get ill, lose your job, lose your house and end up being in debt for the rest of your life, I would have had it all pay for and our health service is ranked better than yours.

Answer 5

Sorry excuse me a sec hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ha That's better.
Having lived in Wales for 6 years now the economy is TERRIBLE! the housing policies are appalling! social funding is misdirected and local people rarely get an opportunity to have their say on where WAG money goes.
The biggest problem I feel is that because any English people with any potential get forced out of here, there will never be any development.
Also there is no real opoprtunities for successful English people, so very few come to the area except to retire cheaply because house prices are deflated, because oh yeah the economy stinks!
For a country to prosper there has to optimism and opportunities for young people to develop. I'm trying to get educated and I don't get any funding. When I was on benefits they said I would have to give up my course....so how the f can anyone get educated????
The key a countries future is education, training, housing, health, social prosperity, and getting in touch with what people want for their own community.
WAG should be putting good policies in place and don't, because they don't have any real power. They are really just an administration centre for Wales. The only people who can change things are the people of Wales but most people don't have the intelligence or ability to do anything which works nicely for WAG. Doesn't it.

Answer 6

How the Heck would Wales pay for all these socialist policies? For example I wouldn't call living off EU development grants real independance for wales. The reason Wales is poor is that it hasn't woken up and embraced free enterprise the way the South of England has.

Answer 7

you're all part of the EC so independence wouldn't make any difference, it's like Labour saying that there going to put a limit on EC citizens coming to this country (UK)
THEY CAN'T DO IT,
IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL.
The government need to reduce benefits to give people an incentive to work harder.

Answer 8

its the same in England, despite the fact you think otherwise. we can't get housing, or decent jobs and where i live you can't walk along the high street without being abused by immigrants. my partner is Scottish and he says its no better in his home town. so maybe we should all sack the government, and try something new.

Answer 9

when wales gains independence from the UK, catalonia will become independent from Spain
as in...at least for twenty years dont bother thinking about it.

Answer 10

LOL - Exactly how would you pay for it? The welsh economy would not last a week on its own. Nonsense.