Wales. Europe. The World. In That Order: The Role of Social Media in the Movement for Welsh Independence
Ever since the result of the 2016 Brexit Referendum and the majority vote to leave the EU registered in Wales, commentators have been keen to offer an analysis of the result. One of the aftermaths, in the form of a loosely-structured, youth-driven movement in support of Welsh independence, caught ma...
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| In: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/osb, |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Language: | Anglais |
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Observatoire de la société britannique
2023
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| Online Access: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Summary: | Ever since the result of the 2016 Brexit Referendum and the majority vote to leave the EU registered in Wales, commentators have been keen to offer an analysis of the result. One of the aftermaths, in the form of a loosely-structured, youth-driven movement in support of Welsh independence, caught many off their guard. Closer inspection, however, might suggest that satisfaction levels with devolution in Wales could well explain both events: that the Welsh ‘Leave’ vote was an expression of anger at the inability of the Welsh Assembly government to offset the worst effects of Tory-imposed austerity; and that, for those in favour of breaking away from Westminster, this very fact is proof that the devolution settlement is no longer in the best interests of the people of Wales. The present paper seeks to focus on the role of social media in the structuring of the Welsh independence movement. A brief overview of the main online sites and Twitter accounts will be given as well as the salient events that have taken place in Wales since 2016 in support of the independence movement. The paper will endeavour to examine questions of identity in a digital age, by investigating whether the nascent Welsh independence movement is reflective of an “imagined community” or whether, in the words of Charles Taylor, the “expressive individualism” inherent to the culture of social media can be seen as a way to find and live out a new Welsh identity that leaving the EU will inevitably trigger. |
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