Wales must not become testing ground for right-wing populism

The forthcoming Senedd election is potentially a real threat to the very fabric of Welsh public life, says Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect trade union

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THE coming elections in Wales are the most important since devolution.

Not only has the electoral system changed so the public will be returning more members to the Senedd, but it looks like the historic dominance of Labour is set to end. That makes every vote in every constituency much more important.

Prospect is not affiliated to any political party so we are politically independent, but that doesn’t mean we are not political.

Growing up in Liverpool I always felt a strong affinity with the people of Wales, a shared tradition of collective thought and solidarity, a public spiritedness that united people on both sides of the border (although, as an Evertonian, the Welsh influence in my city was mixed, a world-class goalkeeper for us, but an endless thorn in our side striker for the other lot...).

This election is potentially a real threat not just to our members and to the areas they work in, particularly in heritage and public services, but to the very fabric of Welsh public life.

That threat comes from an insurgent right wing who across the UK have been attacking public services and servants, and seeking to defund heritage institutions which they decry as “woke”.

In Wales, public service and heritage are much more strongly linked than in other parts of the country partly because so much of it, Museum Wales and National Library of Wales for example, is publicly funded.

They are also areas where Prospect has a very strong membership presence.

Our message in this election is simple; Wales must not become a testing ground for far-right populism, and Welsh public servants are not guinea pigs for extreme policies.