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Propel (formerly the Welsh National Party and later Welsh Nation Party) is a sovereignist and
Welsh nationalist Welsh nationalism ( cy, Cenedlaetholdeb Cymreig) emphasises and celebrates the distinctiveness of Welsh culture and Wales as a nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self determination which includes ...
political party in
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
which advocates
Welsh independence Welsh independence ( cy, Annibyniaeth i Gymru) is the political movement advocating for Wales to become a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom. Wales was conquered during the 13th century by Edward I of England following the ki ...
from the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. The party was formed in early 2020 by its current leader
Neil McEvoy Neil John McEvoy (born 1970) is a Welsh politician who represented the South Wales Central region in the Senedd from 2016 until 2021. He was elected as Member of the Senedd, then known as the Welsh Assembly, on the Plaid Cymru regional li ...
. Propel currently has only one county councillor in Wales.


History

In 2018, Neil McEvoy started a
pressure group Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the develop ...
called 'Propel Wales' and officially launched the group at a meeting in the Cardiff Coal Exchange on 21 May 2018. McEvoy, sitting as an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
AM at the time due to his expulsion from Plaid Cymru in March 2018, stated that while Propel Wales was 'within Plaid Cymru', it sought to reach out to those outside of Plaid Cymru and to people who were disengaged with
Welsh politics Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
altogether. On 10 July 2019, McEvoy withdrew his application to re-join Plaid Cymru, citing an "absence of natural justice" and "due process" as the reason behind his decision. By late 2019, Propel Wales had changed their description from 'members and supporters of Plaid Cymru' to 'without ties to any political party'. On 23 October 2019,
Cardiff Council Cardiff Council, formally the County Council of the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Cyngor Sir Dinas a Sir Caerdydd) is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The principal area and its council were established ...
's three remaining Plaid Cymru
councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
s resigned the party's whip, accusing the party of becoming "too close to Labour." McEvoy also sat as a Plaid Cymru councillor for the Fairwater ward prior to his expulsion from that party. The Welsh National Party was registered with the
Electoral Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
on 15 January 2020. On 7 February, McEvoy confirmed to
Nation.Cymru Nation.Cymru () is a Welsh news service established in 2017 with the aim of creating a national English-language news service for Wales. It receives £20,000 a year from the Books Council of Wales and the rest of its financial support comes from ...
that the party had been registered and said that "exciting news will follow in the near future." In an interview with ITV Wales' political editor,
Adrian Masters Adrian Masters is a Welsh journalist, presenter, author and political moderator. He is currently the Political Editor at ITV Cymru Wales. He previously worked for the BBC, contributing to BBC Radio 4's Yesterday In Parliament, most BBC Wales t ...
, McEvoy said that the party aimed to "offer an alternative to Labour and Plaid Cymru" and "shake up the status quo." He described the party as being 'sovereignist', which he says is about 'more than just national independence'. He stated that the party would field candidates in the
2021 Senedd election 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
and confirmed that he would challenge the
First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...
,
Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford (born 19 September 1954) is a Welsh politician serving as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour since 2018. He previously served in the Welsh Government as Cabinet Secretary for Finance from 2016 to 2018 and Minist ...
, in his Cardiff West constituency. McEvoy came a close second in Cardiff West at the 2016 National Assembly election as a Plaid Cymru candidate, reducing Drakeford's majority from 21.3% in
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
to 3.7%. In February 2020, the WNP gained its first
local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
representation when McEvoy and his three former Plaid Cymru colleagues on Cardiff Council announced that they would form a Welsh National Party group. Cllr Keith Parry was chosen to lead the group, stating that the group would focus on promoting "individual, community and national sovereignty for Wales" as well as "putting forward positive proposals for sorting the housing crisis, tackling corruption and ending severe poverty in our city." On 30 March 2020, Cllr Martyn Peters, councillor for the Dyffryn ward on
Neath Port Talbot Council Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is the local authority for the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, one of the 22 principal areas of Wales. The council was controlled by the Labour Party from its creation in 1996 until 2022, when Plaid ...
, left Plaid Cymru and joined the Welsh National Party, stating that he believed that "this nation needs fresh new thinking to take it forward." On 30 April 2020, the WNP gained its first councillor in North Wales after Cllr Dylan Bullard, an Independent councillor for the Pwllheli North ward on
Gwynedd Council Cyngor Gwynedd ( en, Gwynedd Council) is the governing body for the county of Gwynedd, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council administrates internally using the Welsh language. History The county of Gwynedd was created in 1974 under ...
, announced that he was joining the party. McEvoy welcomed the news of Bullard's defection, saying that "with the addition of Dylan to our team we are demonstrating that the WNP truly is a national party for Wales." On 13 May 2020, Cllr Peter Read, councillor for the
Abererch Aber-erch (Welsh language, Welsh for "Mouth of the Afon Erch, Erch") is a small village and former civil parish on the Llŷn Peninsula in the Wales, Welsh county of Gwynedd. The village lies approximately east of Pwllheli. A river, the Afon Erc ...
ward, left Plaid Cymru and joined Bullard to sit as the WNP's second councillor on Gwynedd Council. Both councillors cited opposition to elements of Gwynedd Council's Local Development Plan as motivating factors in their defections and as a key focus of their new group. The party was scheduled to hold its official launch on 3 April 2020 at the Cardiff Marriott Hotel, but this was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The
Electoral Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
rejected the name ''Welsh Nation Party'' in January 2021, having previously rejected the name ''Welsh National Party'' as well, saying that the official Welsh translation of the name was "confusingly similar to another already registered party laid Cymru. McEvoy stated he would instead seek to register the name ''Propel'', a name which was accepted by the
Electoral Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
in March 2021. Propel put forward 10 constituency candidates in the
2021 Senedd election 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
as well contesting each regional list seat. It was not a successful night for the new party as they registered less than 1% of the vote nationwide and lost a number of deposits. McEvoy achieved their best result on the night, accruing 9.5% of the vote in Cardiff West, finishing 4th behind
Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Plaid wa ...
, the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
and the victorious
Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford (born 19 September 1954) is a Welsh politician serving as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour since 2018. He previously served in the Welsh Government as Cabinet Secretary for Finance from 2016 to 2018 and Minist ...
of the Labour Party.


Policies

The party is explicitly
Welsh nationalist Welsh nationalism ( cy, Cenedlaetholdeb Cymreig) emphasises and celebrates the distinctiveness of Welsh culture and Wales as a nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self determination which includes ...
and advocates
Welsh independence Welsh independence ( cy, Annibyniaeth i Gymru) is the political movement advocating for Wales to become a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom. Wales was conquered during the 13th century by Edward I of England following the ki ...
from the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. On 22 October 2019, Neil McEvoy (then sitting as an Independent AM) introduced a motion calling for a referendum on 'Welsh national sovereignty'. This was the first time that a Welsh legislature had voted on the proposal for a Welsh independence referendum. The motion was defeated by 8 votes to 43, with even some Plaid Cymru AMs failing to support the motion, despite it being official Plaid Cymru policy to hold an
independence referendum An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the residents of a territory decide whether the territory should become an Independence, independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independence ...
. The party's platform is built around the principles of
individual sovereignty Self-ownership, also known as sovereignty of the individual or individual sovereignty, is the concept of property in one's own person, expressed as the moral or natural right of a person to have bodily integrity and be the exclusive controller ...
, community sovereignty and
national sovereignty Westphalian sovereignty, or state sovereignty, is a principle in international law that each state has exclusive sovereignty over its territory. The principle underlies the modern international system of sovereign states and is enshrined in the Un ...
. The party released a statement of their principles on their website, with much of it derived from the earlier 'Propel Wales Statement'. In the statement, the party advocates for: *
Natural justice In English law, natural justice is technical terminology for the rule against bias (''nemo iudex in causa sua'') and the right to a fair hearing (''audi alteram partem''). While the term ''natural justice'' is often retained as a general conc ...
,
due process Due process of law is application by state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to the case so all legal rights that are owed to the person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual pers ...
and
free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been ...
to be enshrined in a Welsh
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...
and
bill of rights A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pri ...
. * The right of communities to influence local policy through
referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
s. * The
decentralisation Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group. Conce ...
of decision making to a community level. * Making 'actions that would lessen national sovereignty' subject to a national referendum. * A just and fair
market economy A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand, where all suppliers and consumers ...
. * The elimination of severe poverty in Wales. * Tackling
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
,
nepotism Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...
and corporate lobbying and money in politics. * Breaking up monopolies. * A
welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitabl ...
which acts as a 'strong safety net'. * The
sustainable Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...
reindustrialisation of Wales Propel has also expressed a strongly
anti-nuclear The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, natio ...
stance, particularly in relation to the dumping of
dredged Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...
mud from
Hinkley Point Hinkley Point is a headland on the Bristol Channel coast of Somerset, England, north of Bridgwater and west of Burnham-on-Sea, close to the mouth of the River Parrett. Excavations in 2014 and 2015, carried out by Cotswold Archaeology and f ...
in
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...
off the coast of
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
. Anti-nuclear campaigners have raised fears that dredging the seabed near the site of the new Hinckley Point C nuclear power station could be churning up
contamination Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that spoils, corrupts, infects, makes unfit, or makes inferior a material, physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc. Types of contamination W ...
from the old Hinkley Point A and Hinckley Point B
nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat from nu ...
s and in turn meaning that contaminated mud is being dumped along the Cardiff coastline. McEvoy has been a longterm critic of the plans.


Leadership


Name controversy

In February 2020, the
Electoral Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
decided that the party could not use the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
name '''Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru, on the grounds that it was too similar to
Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Plaid wa ...
, but accepted the registration of the
English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
name "Welsh National Party". In response, McEvoy stated that "we will be known as ''Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru'' in our national language, whatever appears on a ballot paper." On 1 May 2020, it was reported that Plaid Cymru was preparing to take the Electoral Commission to court over its decision to allow McEvoy to register the English name 'Welsh National Party'. Plaid Cymru had been formed in 1925 as "''Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru''" (English: The National Party of Wales), but the party had abandoned this name at some point in the 1940s in favour of using ''Plaid Cymru'' (
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
: The Party of Wales) and was often referred to as 'The Welsh Party' in party literature of the time. On 6 May 2020, following the threat of legal action from Plaid Cymru, the Electoral Commission removed the Welsh National Party from the register of political parties, so that a second application to register a name would need to be made. In response, McEvoy described the decision as representing "a shameful day for democracy" and said that the party was seeking 'urgent legal advice' as well as a statement from the
Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission The Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission (SCEC), or simply the Speaker's Committee, is a body created under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 to scrutinise the Electoral Commission.
, which oversees the Electoral Commission. In November 2020, McEvoy announced plans to rebrand the party as the "Welsh Nation Party" ahead of the 2021 elections. This rebranding had already taken place on the party's official website, "wnp.wales". In January 2021, the Electoral Commission rejected the new name, saying it was "confusingly similar to another already registered party Plaid Cymru", and McEvoy stated he would seek to register the name Propel instead. In March 2021, the Electoral Commission accepted the application to register the name "Propel", to be used in both Welsh and English. The application included a
Welsh dragon The Welsh Dragon ( cy, y Ddraig Goch, meaning 'the red dragon'; ) is a heraldic symbol that represents Wales and appears on the national flag of Wales. As an emblem, the red dragon of Wales has been used since the reign of Cadwaladr, King of ...
and a silhouette map of Wales as the party's symbols, together with four descriptions: "Neil McEvoy Propel", "Propel: Better for Wales / Propel: Gwell I Gymru", "Propel: Wales Needs Champions / Propel: Mae Cymru Angen Pencampwyr", and "Propel: Not Politics as Usual / Propel:Nid Gwleidyddiaeth fel Arfer".


Leader controversy

On 2 December 2020, McEvoy was excluded from Senedd proceedings for 21 calendar days, was barred from Senedd buildings and had his pay docked after a Senedd Committee found him to have breached Senedd rules following an altercation with
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
MS
Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw ( uk, Мік Антонів; born 1 September 1954) is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician, serving as Counsel General for Wales since 2021, and previously from 2016 to 2017. He has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Pont ...
where McEvoy behaved in a threatening manner and employed physical and verbal aggression to do so.


Elected members


Electoral performance


Senedd elections


References

{{Navboxes , title=Articles related to Propel , list= {{Political parties in the United Kingdom {{Political parties in Wales {{Nationalism in the United Kingdom {{Politics and Government in Cardiff 2020 establishments in Wales Welsh nationalist parties Political parties established in 2020 2020 in British politics Locally based political parties in Wales