Friends, fellow Welsh exiles and patriots, lend me your ears.
Now is the time for you to make your mark on history and to shape the future direction of our great nation.
On 3 March this year, a referendum, offering more legislative autonomy to our National Assembly will take place. If you are registered to vote in Wales, this will be your opportunity to say yes to a brighter future for all our people and for subsequent generations. A yes vote will allow our own democratically elected politicians greater freedoms to make real decisions in Wales; and make laws closer to the needs and wishes of the people of Wales. No longer will it be necessary to ask London for permission to pass laws and make decisions which directly affect you – it will be your own elected representatives throughout Wales who will put our country first.
Your vote on 3 March is crucial in enabling this to happen. By voting yes you are showing your commitment to our country and our growing, young, vibrant democracy. You will be shaping the future policy of our nation in matters of health, education, welfare and the environment – all key concerns and traditional Welsh values. Your own personal involvement will be buttressed by the knowledge that your interest in these things is shared by your family, your friends, your community and your delegates in the Senedd. Those to whom you empower to deliver concrete results will be freer to deal with those matters which directly affect you.
All this will flow from a yes vote on 3 March, delivered by the Welsh people, for the Welsh people. Your vote. Your people. Make your mark on Referendum Day. Encourage all the other exiles you know to vote yes as well. You can make history – be part of it.
Vote yes to become a stakeholder in a new, vibrant and dynamic Wales. Vote yes for your future. Vote yes for the next generations. Vote YES for Wales.
Siôn Rees Williams
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