Yes for Wales

Yes for Wales! (

devolution groups that were formed in the lead up to the 1997 and the 2011

1997 campaign

Yes for Wales was also name of the cross-party pro-devolution group launched on 10 February 1997 to co-ordinate the campaign for a 'Yes' vote in the

Welsh Labour Party, Welsh Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru. During the 1997 campaign, the Welsh Conservatives

were opposed to the call for devolution.

The Yes for Wales organisation placed a great emphasis on grassroots involvement in the campaign and established local branches throughout Wales. It also managed the difficult job of pulling together campaigners and politicians with very different perspectives who previously fought each other tooth and nail.

The pro-devolution campaign was fought against some fierce opposition from both the Conservative Party and elements within the Labour Party. Although the Assembly has gained increasing acceptance in both parties, these tensions still exist.

The Yes for Wales! Campaign was chaired by Kevin Morgan, a Cardiff University Professor. The campaign's national organiser was Daran Hill.^[1]

During the campaign for a Welsh Assembly,

Royal Family would distract from the devolution debate and affect voter turnout.^[2]

2011 campaign

The 2011 group was launched on 4 January 2011

National Assembly for Wales

.

The group was chaired by Roger Lewis, the group chief executive of the

Deputy First Minister for Wales - Carwyn Jones and Ieuan Wyn Jones

. Lewis was not a member of any political party but having returned to Wales from a series of senior jobs in the music industry brought private sector credibility as well as a reputation for being passionate about Wales.

The campaign was supported by both parties of the

Wales Labour Party and Plaid Cymru, as well as the Liberal Democrats and the Wales Green Party.^[5] Although the Welsh Conservative Party were officially neutral, all the Conservative AMs in the Assembly supported a Yes vote and the party group was represented on the Yes for Wales Steering Committee. The campaign also had the support of the other Permitted Participants recognised by the Electoral Commission: Cymru Yfory, Wales TUC and Unison

.

The Yes campaign was overseen by a steering committee chaired by Leighton Andrews, the Labour AM for the Rhondda and Welsh Education Minister. On a day-to-day basis it was organised by a small team of volunteers led by Campaign Director Daran Hill, former Labour Special Adviser Cathy Owens, and ex-ITV Wales Political Editor Lee Waters.

The campaign set up more than 30 local groups across Wales and, within a two-month period from January - March 2011, succeeded in printing and distributing 1.5 million leaflets.

References

^ "Daran Hill's Profile". Positif Politics. 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
^ "That's when I ran to the phone..." BBC Wales. 18 September 2007.
^ "Official launch of Yes Campaign in Wales". BBC News. 2011-01-04.
^ "Assembly powers campaign can 'unite Wales'". BBC News. 2010-12-14.
^ "Vote "Yes for Wales" on 3rd March". greenparty.org.uk. 27 February 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2022.

Bibliography

Leighton Andrews, Wales Says Yes: The Inside Story of the Yes for Wales referendum campaign, (Seren. Bridgend) 1999

External links

Official website of the "YES" campaign "Yes for Wales"
Our Assembly, support group of Yes For Wales campaign
Designers of the "YES" campaign 2011 "Yes for Wales" logo
'Yes for Wales' 1997 Referendum Campaign Records at the National Library of Wales

[1] "Daran Hill's Profile". Positif Politics. 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

[2] "That's when I ran to the phone..." BBC Wales. 18 September 2007.

[3] "Official launch of Yes Campaign in Wales". BBC News. 2011-01-04.

[4] "Assembly powers campaign can 'unite Wales'". BBC News. 2010-12-14.

[5] "Vote "Yes for Wales" on 3rd March". greenparty.org.uk. 27 February 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2022.

[1]

[2]

[5]

1997 campaign

2011 campaign

See also

References

Bibliography

External links