| Illustration by Mitch Blunt |
Wales: can the slumbering dragon awake?
The upheaval after Scotland’s vote should bring a historic moment for Wales. But, can it finally seize the opportunity to become more than a ‘nearly nation’?
Simon Jenkins
Tue 30 Sep 2014 05.59 BST
Tue 30 Sep 2014 05.59 BST
So what of Wales? Throughout the turbulent Scottish referendum, it has been the bystander, the afterthought, the constitutional Cinderella. When Scotland toyed with departing the United Kingdom, Wales shuddered. When Scotland was wooed with lavish gifts, Wales feared those same gifts might pass it by. Now Wales is suddenly thrust on stage: the campaign for “further devolution” is coming its way. Can Wales seize the moment and refashion itself as more than a “nearly nation” in the new political geography of Europe?