Politicians talk Welsh independence in the Senedd

Local TV

It’s the final First Minister’s Questions before the summer recess, so why not go out with a bang? Plaid Cymru have been coy on the subject on independence for some time, but have decided to press Eluned Morgan, because they say any First Minister should back their nation.

Transcript

00:00It's the last First Minister's questions before these lot go off on their summer holidays.

00:07So politicians are keen to make a final splash before close of play.

00:11Darren Miller is asking why a recent announcement seems to show farmers in Wales are the only sector getting real terms cut.

00:17But first, Gene Lepi-Odworth is going somewhere that's hardly haven't been in some time.

00:21He's bringing up the I-word, independence.

00:24He says that a First Minister should believe in Wales' ability to govern and prosper on our own.

00:28But Aline Edmorgan says she's as Welsh as anyone and is sticking up for Wales in the right way.

00:35But how disheartening and yet sadly predictable it was when the current First Minister was asked the question on the newsagent's podcast,

00:43could Wales manage? And it was a no. Wales would be extremely poor, she said.

00:50But of course Wales isn't somehow inevitably poor.

00:54Remember that our current position is a direct result of our place within the UK.

00:58Breaking out of those cycles of economic stagnation, of too many families living in poverty is pretty difficult

01:05when successive Westminster governments fail to address the issue of fair funding,

01:10underfund transport, as they did again recently with rail, denies the powers over our natural resources and so on.

01:16Every indicator shows that the union is on borrowed time.

01:20So why doesn't the First Minister believe in Wales?

01:24Well, I can tell you there's nobody who believes in Wales more than I do.

01:28I have got a red dragon running through every little blood vessel in my body.

01:34But what I will tell you, what I will tell you,

01:38is that we are dead serious about being positive about this country and about talking it up.

01:44Fair funding has been the hot topic this term

01:47and it will dominate a lot of the talk when campaigning starts next year.

01:51For now, the Plaid Leader wants to know when the so-called outdated Barnet formula,

01:55which many have argued underfunds Wales from Westminster, will be replaced and modernised.

02:00Now, all the First Minister could say was that she will keep on making the case,

02:05but she keeps on saying that and nothing happens.

02:08Her Westminster Labour colleagues ignore her day after day, week after week.

02:12Now, when I last asked the First Minister what her next move will be on fair funding,

02:16in a reply, which appeared to embarrass all of her front bench,

02:19she said she was going to the football.

02:21Can she come up with a better answer today?

02:23Look, I'm at the table and I'm getting things done.

02:28And we have had additional support from the UK government,

02:31including £5 million additional funding that you and the Tories try to block from coming in.

02:38I do think it is worth making sure that people hear that again and again.

02:43We have been given a poor deal when it comes to rail for years on end,

02:46and we're getting to a better place.

02:48Is it far enough? No, we want to go further.

02:50But it's definitely in a much better place than it was before.

02:53That was because we put significant pressure on the UK government.

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