On behalf of the socialist republican movement, Plaid Gomiwnyddol Cymru and the Welsh Underground Network attended a protest action against the English monarchy during the Senedd opening on the 15th. We condemn this practice for what it is – a transparent show of force against Wales, reminding those elected to the Senedd of their status as subjects to the British crown and the inherently undemocratic nature of the British state.
The Senedd is, supposedly, the parliament of the Welsh people. It is supposedly the body that represents the democratic will of the Welsh people. All of the politicians currently in that building are put there by the will of the Welsh people and are responsible for creating legislation that affects all of our lives in one way or another.
Despite the fact that Welsh people elected all of the politicians stood together in that building, despite the fact that those same politicians legislate from the Senedd based on the will of the Welsh people, and despite the fact that the legitimacy of the Senedd should be decided by the Welsh people alone, we see today where the Senedd’s real legitimacy lies. It is not built upon the democratic rights of the Welsh people to elect their own parliament to legislate in their name, but rather serves at the behest of a parasite who spends most of his time in Westminster, enjoying fabulous wealth and luxury whilst around 1 in 5 of his “subjects” continue to live in poverty and squalor.
There will be people across the country who 5 months ago cast their ballot in the hopes that a new Senedd government would be able to legislate upon their interests and address the systematic crises in housing, education, healthcare and jobs that continue to plague this country. Despite this desire for change, we see today that, at a fundamental level, the democratic mandate for change demanded by the people of Wales takes second place to the supposed authority of Charles Windsor. We are here today to ask the question: does the Senedd listen to the will of the Welsh people, or does it obey only the commands of Charles Windsor?
The presence of Charles Windsor at the Senedd today is not just a demonstration of the fundamentally undemocratic nature of the British state and the institutions and individuals it bases its legitimacy on. The presence of the Windsors here today is not just a question of sovereignty, but is illustrative of the immense power and influence this unaccountable monarchical institution still has on the lives of Welsh people all across the country.
The Crown Estate owns £603 million worth of land in Wales, including vast amounts of our coasts and rivers. Power over this estate is not devolved in Wales like it is in Scotland. Decisions about building offshore wind or tidal generators, which would be key strategic energy resources, are handled by a non-devolved, non-elected royal body. Vast amounts of wealth and resources in this country, which we know is plagued by systematic poverty, are kept by a corporate body unaccountable to the people of Wales, and which acts in the interest of a small, parasitic royal elite.
Despite the flooding affecting communities across the country every year, despite the recent surges in wildfires across the country, despite the rolling crisis in housing, education, healthcare, despite the pollution of our environment by unaccountable corporate bodies, the Crown Estate continues to own huge tracts of land and access to natural resources that is extracted from Wales to pay for the royals to live in luxury.
Whilst people across the country continue to face these issues, it is up to us all here today to continue to fight against these royal parasites and the influence they exert on all of our lives. It is our right as Welsh people to not only have democratic control of our own resources, but to have elected bodies who derive their legitimacy from the democratic will of the Welsh people.
The appearance of Charles Windsor here today to permit our parliament the right to conduct its affairs is an insult to the Welsh people. We call for Charles Windsor, along with his retinue, to get out of Cardiff, and out of Wales. We call for the Crown Estate to not just be devolved, but to be broken apart, and its resources made democratically accountable to the people of Wales. Finally, we call for the people of Wales to be the sole force with which our parliamentary bodies rely on for their legitimacy.
