Yes Breizh, or a quiet chat about independence for Brittany

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YesScotland, YesCymru, YesKernow and Yes Breizh: the Celtic Yes movements

YesScotland in … Scotland.

Let’s pay tribute to the oldest and most structured Yes movement in all the Celtic countries.
Yes Scotland is a platform which represents the political parties, movements and private citizens who want to see an independent Scotland. This citizen platform was created on 25th May 2014. It operates thanks to the donations it receives from businesses and private individuals from all over the world. Yes Scotland has led to the creation of other groups which promote Scottish independence. These include Crofters for Yes, Farmers for Yes or even Veterans for Independence.

Yes Scotland is allied to the SNP Scottish National Party, which is currently in power in the country and was created in 1934. It also counts the Scottish Green Party and Scottish Socialist Party amongst its allies.
Other citizen movements have joined Yes Scotland, such as Women for Independence and Business for Scotland.
Yes Scotland bases itself first and foremost on a declaration which over one million people have already signed.

What does this declaration say?

• I believe it is fundamentally better for us all, if decisions about Scotland’s future are taken by the people who care most about Scotland, that is, by the people of Scotland.
• Being independent means Scotland’s future will be in Scotland’s hands.
• There is no doubt that Scotland has great potential. We are blessed with talent, resources and creativity. And we have the opportunity to make our nation a better place to live, for this and future generations. We can build a greener, fairer and more prosperous society that is stronger and more successful than it is today.
• I want a Scotland that speaks with her own voice and makes her own unique contribution to the world: a Scotland that stands alongside the other nations on these isles, as an independent nation.

Yes Scotland has now spread worldwide.

The first Scottish independence referendum was held on 18th September 2014. And the question asked was a simple one: « Should Scotland be an independent country? »

The result was clear: No obtained 55.3% of the votes and Yes 44.7%.
The recent Brexit will very quickly bring about a new referendum, one which was already being planned even if Brexit hadn’t happened. Nicola STURGEON, the highly dynamic First Minister of Scotland, has made the request for one to the UK central government in London. Faced with opinion polls which are showing voters to be highly favourable to Yes, London is refusing.
You’ll understand better if you take a look at the most recent opinion polls: 55% Yes to independence, with even 56% according to certain polling organisations.

In 2012, only 23% of Scots were in favour of an independent Scotland.
www.yes.scot
46800 followers on Facebook, 29300 on Twitter and 5000 on Instagram

YesCymru in Wales.

Yes Cymru was created in 2014. However, it only stepped into the limelight in February 2016 in Cardiff/Caerdydd, the capital of Wales.
Yes Cymru has no political affiliations and isn’t a political party.
They carry out a non-partisan campaign in favour of independence. Yes Cymru wants to influence politicians through the efforts of its members and does not express an opinion about the EU.
The current leader of the Yes Cymru campaign is Sion Jobbins.

A first rally was held in May 2019, bringing together some three thousand participants.
A social network support campaign already has over sixteen thousand active members.
Yes Cymru is very close to Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, whose current leader is Adam Price. Remember that the current First Minister of Wales is Mark Drakeford, of the British Labour Party.

In January 2020, an opinion poll conducted by YouGov for Cardiff University and ITV Wales recorded support for Welsh independence at 25%. Just as in Brittany, independence is most popular with young people, with 27% in favour. And again just as in Brittany, it is the over 65s who are the most reticent.
www.yes.cymru
36535 followers on Facebook, 45100 on Twitter and 16700 on Instagram

YesKernow in Cornwall.

N heptu holyer kanaseth rag anserghek a Kernow /The non partisan campaign for an independent Cornwall.
Once again, this isn’t a structured political organisation, but a non-partisan campaign.

Yes Breizh in Brittany.

No, Yes Breizh isn’t a political organisation. Yes Breizh isn’t inventing anything new and draws its inspiration from the other Celtic Yes campaigns mentioned above. Yes Breizh is an emerging, non-partisan campaign, which is openly raising the issue of independence for Brittany. It is a discussion platform for this single issue.

Like our Welsh friends, Yes Breizh has no political affiliations and doesn’t want to take a position on the European Union. In fact, this idea of independence for Brittany completely transcends the old and outdated left-right divide. What’s more, the debate between pro- and anti-EU factions isn’t on the agenda at the moment.
Europe is redesigning itself and we feel that it is high time that we were able to talk calmly about this issue of independence for Brittany.

For too long now, this debate has been a taboo subject which has caused passions to rise. It is becoming necessary to come together « like adults », put all the simplistic caricatures to one side, and discuss the economic, political and many other aspects of what appears to many Bretons and Europeans alike as inescapable.

The only opinion poll we have on Breton independence dates back to February 2013.

That’s over seven years ago!
The question asked was: « Do you strongly agree, slightly agree, slightly disagree or strongly disagree with Brittany becoming independent? » The result: 18% of the people questioned said that they strongly or slightly agreed with the proposal. Like in Wales, it is the younger generation between 18 and 24 years of age who are the most in favour and the over 65s who are the least in favour.

The figures from this 2013 Breton opinion poll are ultimately quite similar to those in Wales today. They are also similar to those in Scotland in 2012, so around the same period.

As we have been seeing since the end of the last war, Europe is redesigning itself. Naturally, the major post-war blocks have been broken up: USSR, Yugoslavia. The oldest states, which were too often constructed through violence, are splitting. These are countries such as Spain (Catalonia, the Basque Country, etc.) and France (Corsica, Brittany and the same Basque Country and Catalonia too). Since 1940, one hundred and forty countries and regions around the world have gained their independence. To date, none of them has wanted to go back.

At the moment, as unlike our Scottish and Welsh friends we don’t have our own website and social networks, we are publishing on the NHU Brittany platform.
NHU Brittany has also agreed to let us be « moderators » on their Facebook page so that we can answer any questions and chat with users, about our Yes Breizh content only.

JML