🎧 Wales, England and the Future of the UK

Episode summary: As part of our series about the future of the Union, David and Helen talk to Dan Wincott of Cardiff Law School about the history of Welsh devolution and the possibility of Welsh independence. How has English dominance shaped Welsh attitudes to the Union? What did the Brexit vote reveal about the different strands of Welsh and British identity? Has the pandemic made the case for more devolution and even independence for Wales stronger? Plus, what happens to Wales if Scotland votes to leave the UK? Talking Points: The Anglo-Welsh union is a story of conquest and incorporation. - Wales was integrated into the English legal system under Henry VIII. - There are strong cultural institutions in Wales, and the persistence of Welsh as the vernacular language limited the reach of English laws for a long time. It’s hard to understand the rise of the Labour Party at the beginning of the 20th century without seeing its relationship to questions about the Union. - Welsh Labour politicians played a critical role in tying…