Something has changed in Wales.
The 2026 Senedd election saw the end of Welsh Labour’s uninterrupted rule since 1999, Plaid Cymru take over the reins of power, Reform settle into its position as the official opposition, and a brand new voting system, to boot. But while so much has changed, there remains one constant: the Liberal Democrats still have only one MS.
We could be forgiven for keeping our heads down to focus on “rebuilding” the Welsh Liberal Democrat base, but I believe this would be a mistake. While Welsh nationalists run the government, British nationalists are at the gate. The need for a strong liberal opposition to push back against these forces has never been greater.
A nationalist government not only takes charge of the country, but of our story, too. Plaid Cymru prides itself on being the bastion of Welsh independence, painting every other party as antithetical to the cause. But to believe such propaganda would be to deny a simple truth: Welsh liberalism advocated for Welsh self-governance long before Plaid Cymru ever came into existence.
Cymru Fydd (translated “the Wales to come”) was a cause championed by Tom Ellis MP, a young David Lloyd George, and many other Welsh liberals. Its argument was simple: Wales should govern itself, be responsible for its own issues, and handle its own affairs, all within a reformed Britain. Reframed for the modern day, that is exactly what federalism is.
The movement itself, unfortunately, stalled at Newport on 16 January 1896. A motion to unite the Welsh Liberal federations into a single national movement was voted down at the South Wales Liberal Federation’s AGM, with David Lloyd George shouted down and refused the right to speak. From that point on, Cymru Fydd was considered dead and buried. Nationalist historiography views that AGM as evidence that liberalism would never put the needs of Wales ahead of support for the Union.
But that is not how I view the AGM.
The result of that AGM doesn’t signify a liberal retreat from supporting Welsh self-governance, but a failure of the movement at the time to bring the Welsh-speaking rural North and West and the anglicised, industrial South-East together in a single liberal movement. And it would be a mistake, too, to assume that Plaid Cymru are the natural successors to Cymru Fydd.
Liberals have engaged with the ideas of the movement throughout British political history: from Welsh Liberals championing the disestablishment of the Church in Wales, to the liberals championing the Parliament for Wales campaign in the 1950s, to the Welsh Liberal Democrats who successfully campaigned for the creation of the Welsh Assembly in 1997, to the Liberal Democrats in the coalition government who secured tax powers for the Senedd. The spirit of Cymru Fydd never left our movement, and our movement never truly abandoned the spirit of Cymru Fydd.
So why now? We know that the Liberal Democrats are a federal party, so isn’t this just rehashing what already exists? To that I say no — a Cymru Fydd rebirth is needed, now more than ever. Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are redefining Welsh politics, partitioned between cutting ourselves off completely from Westminster and being wholly subservient to it. I believe there must be an alternative to these false choices, and that alternative must be bold.
With Andy Burnham newly installed in Downing Street – a politician who has made clear his support for devolving power away from Westminster – now is the time for the Welsh Liberal Democrats to go full force in our support, not just for a few more powers, but for a federal Wales inside a federalised UK. The radicalism that flowed through our movement never went away, but it has been stagnant. It’s time to give it the shot in the arm it needs, and reclaim Cymru Fydd.
In 1890, Tom Ellis called for a legislative assembly for Wales; self-government as the inspiration and aim of a nation. It is time for us to be inspired once more, and march towards that aim.
* Jack Meredith is a member of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and an active campaigner and canvasser with Swansea and Gower Liberal Democrats. His writing focuses on democratic reform, social justice, trade unionism, economic democracy, and the institutional foundations of effective government. He has written for the Fabians, Lib Dem Voice, Liberator, Nation Cymru, Bylines Cymru, and Centre Think Tank.
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11 Comments
“ While Welsh nationalists run the government, British nationalists are at the gate”
Interesting article but I am taken by you using ‘British nationalist’ to describe Reform UK. The truth is that political parties who argue that Wales should be a sovereign state are ‘Welsh nationalist’ and political parties who argue that the UK should be a sovereign state are ‘British nationalist’. If you don’t think the Liberal Democrats count as British nationalist, I suggest you reread the Welsh Liberal Democrat election leaflets from the recent election in which the party appeared more focused on ‘defending the Union’ than anything else.
Jana, the Welsh Lib Dem preference for a federal Britain does not make us British nationalists, Our support for Welsh sovereignty within a federal Britain doesn’t make us Welsh nationalists either. Nationalism promotes political division across geographical borders while we seek the breaking down borders. We are inherently an internationalist party, not a nationalist one and Jack is right to set our party’s federal pronciples in contrast to the nationalisms of Plaid, Refrom, and for that matter what is left of the Tories in Wales.
@Richard Church
If the Liberal Democrat position was to support a sovereign world government with regional layers below each with a degree of devolved sovereignty, I would accept your argument. If the Liberal Democrat position is to be part of a sovereign European Union with regional layers below with limited sovereignty, it would be a ‘European nationalist’ party. If it instead supports the UK retaining ultimate sovereignty, it is a ‘British nationalist’ party. Of course, if the Party’s support for Welsh sovereignty within a federal UK included a belief that the Welsh Parliament should have the constitutional right to secede should that be its wish, I would not regard the Party as British nationalist…but it doesn’t.
“Of course, if the Party’s support for Welsh sovereignty within a federal UK included a belief that the Welsh Parliament should have the constitutional right to secede should that be its wish, I would not regard the Party as British nationalist…but it doesn’t.”
It would arguably then be a confederation rather than a federation. The general rule is that in a confederation there is a right to secede, in a federation however there is no such right.
I think there are some issues which should unite Welsh politicians across the spectrum:
– retrospective compensation for lack of devolution of HS2 funding;
– greater flexibility in budgets so if money not spent it due to efficiency in action it can be rolled over into next period rather than having to give it back to Westminster;
– tax powers given to Cardiff airport;
– electrification of rail line to Swansea;
– improved transport from north to south Wales.
Reform want to take photos of hand dryers and call anti-racist action white racism, Plaid are finding the difficulties of wanting to create fast change when lacking political friends, Labour are playing childish politics, cosying up to Westminster and trying to block progress…
There is a space for a political party here showing signs of leadership. I hope through Cymru Fydd the Welsh Lib Dems grasp the opportunity.
Richard; Who picks up the tab for the net fiscal deficit of the Scottish & Welsh governments .
Jana is correct – ultimate sovereignty is with Westminster. If you support the Union then you support the British government – who picks up the tab.
Jack, you are absolutely right, as were Tom Ellis and the young David Lloyd George. The tragedy of the Newport meeting in January 1896 was that it set back the Liberal campaign for internal self-government for a full century when it could have been the start of a genuine Home Rule establishment within the UK. We need to revive Cymru Fydd and make it a vehicle to establish true federalism.
@ Chloe,
“Who picks up the tab for the net fiscal deficit of the Scottish & Welsh governments ”
You’re absolutely right that it should be the British Government. In any currency union the currency units will tend to gravitate together which mean, in the absence of any government intervention, the rich will get richer, and the poor will….
An ever increasing disparity in wealth and income will lead to the net migration of population towards the wealthy areas and a net depopulation of the less affluent. That’s not in anyone’s interest.
@ Richard,
“We are inherently an internationalist party, not a nationalist one…..”
Is this because of LibDem support for the EU?
The EU is in transition, an ever closer union, from being a confederation of nation states towards being a federation which implies a single nation state. It may not succeed in getting there, but if it does, and possibly we do rejoin, will you still be able to make the same claim?
Incidentally, the above point about the duty of a national government to adopt policies to ensure a measure of fiscal equalisation in a single currency zone applies to the EU too.
The problem for them is they don’t have one.
@Peter Martin “Incidentally, the above point about the duty of a national government to adopt policies to ensure a measure of fiscal equalisation in a single currency zone applies to the EU too.
The problem for them is they don’t have one.”
Yes, they do. It probably needs more funding, but it does exist.
I agree with your sentiments Jack, but does the Party in Wales and it’s MS?
What little coverage of the Lib Dem campaign in Wales that I heard on news media was cnetrating on our being ‘against indeoendence’ and supporting the Union. Given that not even Plaid Cymru was calling for a referfendum durng this Seneed term that was all fairly pointless, and contrary to any claim to be a federalist party.
@ Daniel,
You could have a point. Do you mean the government of the Federal Republic Of Germany?
They certainly adopted the position of speaking for the EU during the Greek euro crisis and dispute of 2015. Some of us thought that it should have been settled through the EU’s own courts and with the help of the European Parliament.