The results of the Brexit in Wales
Re-elected in 2015, David Cameron organized the ballot and at the same time reached an agreement within the European Union in February 2016. David Cameron will campaign in favor of "Remain". But not everyone in his party agrees, and Eurosceptics are gaining ground. The former Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, became his main opponent. On June 23, 2016, "Leave" won with 51.9% of the vote and a turnout of 72.2% of registered voters.
In Wales, the results were as follows: 52.50% voted in favor of Brexit with a turnout: 71.70%. The regions that voted most against were: Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, the Ceredigion region and the Gwynedd region. And overall, the younger generation preferred to vote to remain in the European Union. David Cameron announced his resignation the day after the vote, to take effect in October. On the same day, the foreign ministers of the six founding countries issued a joint declaration, hoping to trigger the exit procedure as soon as possible. However, the process takes time, and the UK's withdrawal will not finally take effect until January 31, 2020.
State structure
The National Assembly for Wales is made up of sixty elected members, each of whom represents a specific region of Wales as a member of a particular political party, or as an independent member. As Wales is part of Great Britain, it retains MPs at Westminster, and the laws passed there apply.
Wales is a principality - a fact symbolized by the title of "Prince of Wales", given to the heir to the throne since 1301. Wales is also one of the four administrative provinces that make up the United Kingdom, along with England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. King Charles III is head of state (since September 2022), but his role is primarily symbolic and representative. It is divided into 22 unitary authorities, which are responsible for the provision of local public services in education, the environment, social care, roads, etc. They comprise 9 counties, 3 cities and 10 borough municipalities. The counties are : Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys. And the three cities: Cardiff, Swansea, Newport.
The different parties
The Labour Party: the British Socialist Party or Labour Party, in power from 1997 to 2010 with Tony Blair, then Gordon Brown. The Labour Party really took off in Wales in the 1920s, as the Liberal Party lost ground. The mining communities in the north of the country, where working conditions were deplorable, abandoned the Liberal Party for the Labour Party. Wales is a Labour stronghold, as Scotland once was. The Labour Party has always been the largest party in the Welsh National Assembly, but has never had an absolute majority (at best 50% of seats). It currently has 30 seats.
Welsh Conservatives: founded in 1921, the Welsh Conservative Party is one of the most popular political parties in Wales. It holds one of the four Welsh seats in the European Parliament and 16 of the 40 Welsh seats in the British Parliament.
Liberal Democrats: center-ground party founded in 1988 following the merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party. There is a Welsh branch in the National Assembly for Wales (only one Liberal Democrat MP out of sixty).
Plaid Cymru: this Welsh nationalist party, founded in 1925 by Saunders Lewis, follows a political line of greater autonomy for Wales - if not outright independence. It was several years before the party was taken seriously, with the election of a Plaid Cymru MP in London in 1966. From then on, the party was in direct opposition to the dominant British parties. It currently has 13 seats.
United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP): a nationalist, eurosceptic party. In the May 2016 elections for the Welsh National Assembly, the UKIP Party made an unprecedented surge in South Wales, despite being a Labour terroir. However, since the 2021 election it no longer has a seat in parliament.
Green Party of England and Wales (GREENS) : the UK's leading environmentalist political party, based in England and Wales, emerged late in the 1980s, and is still considerably weaker than the Plaid Cymru autonomists in electoral terms. It did, however, win 2 seats at the last election.
The main economic resources of the country
Agricultural sector. The center has few resources other than livestock and forestry, adapted to the low population density. Agriculture is still vigorous and highly productive, and Wales is covered with small farms. The plateaus are home to numerous farms specializing in sheep farming. In the valleys, there are more cattle farms. The fishing industry is also well developed, but is currently suffering from a decline in the volume of fish in traditional fishing grounds.
Industrial sector. Since the 1970s, as a result of industrial relocation and privatization, the number of coal mines has plummeted. Oil refining (Milford Haven) and the chemical industry (Swansea region, Port Talbot) have also taken over from the mining industry.
Tourism. The future of Wales lies largely in the development of the tertiary sector (concentrated on the south coast) and the growth of tourism. Although less important than in Ireland and Scotland, tourism has become a major source of revenue. Nearly a million tourists visit Wales every year. As a result, the tourism sector accounts for 7-8% of GDP and is becoming an increasingly important resource.
Today, the Welsh government is seeking to maximize the benefits of tourism activity, while minimizing its potentially negative impact on the communities, cultures and identity of Wales. Tourism-related businesses continue to invest to support higher quality and greater competitiveness.
