Gese East Anglia

"A shield of three golden crowns, placed two above one, on a blue background has been used as a symbol of East Anglia for centuries. The coat of arms was ascribed by medieval heralds to the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of East Anglia and the Wuffingas dynasty which ruled it. The arms are effectively identical to the coat of arms of Sweden."

Dipping my toe in the Eastern waters I am and wondering if there was to be a movement called 'Gese East Anglia' that lobbied and marched and made speeches with the express intention of declaring Independence from the rest of the United Kingdom. I am wondering what the reaction would be?

Would Gese(Yes in Old English)Norwich expect Gese Ipswich to dance to their tune? After all they are at different ends of the region which hopes to become an Independent country. How would the good burghers of Cambridge feel about this? What about Peterborough? 

"The East Angles spoke Old English. Their language is historically important, as they were among the first Germanic settlers to arrive in Britain during the 5th century: according to Kortmann and Schneider, East Anglia "can seriously claim to be the first place in the world where English was spoken."

Giving Wikipedia a break, how about this article  from the Eastern Daily Press. Light and Jolly. An Independence movement that doesn't take itself too seriously. How refreshing.

"It used to be a small independent monarchy known as the Kingdom of the East Angles comprising the North Folk and the South Folk."

People are generally fed up of the Westminster Bubble and the calls for Independence from the United Kingdom appear to be getting louder and louder in the shark fisherman's home country ironically as we get closer to the lifting of the lockdown and who has the keys to that kingdom but Mark Drakeford, arch devolutionist of Cardiff West via Carmarthen. He is against Independence but for a stronger voice for Wales. Is he devo max or devo light?  


Does Wales have any more right than East Anglia to call for its Independence? It is like its Eastern counterpart one land mass but perhaps like Norwich & Ipswich aluded to earlier the people of north and south Wales are different. They have come under different influences. A common language unites some. These are the ones who mostly want Independence and they want it badly. There are not many Welsh Speakers who specifically do not want Independence for Wales but First Minister Mark Drakeford is one of them. Although historically not Socialist in their running of Wales affairs you could say that Welsh Labour were closer to an Independent mindset than their true blue Conservative counterparts. Their leader, Paul Davies, another Welsh speaker definitely doesn't want Independence for Wales. 

Unfortunately for the Welsh Independence movement, party politics and tribal loyalties have historically been the order of the day and that is why Yes Cymru although heavily supported by Plaid Cymru was greeted with such enthusiasm as an umbrella body to co-ordinate a united under one banner push for Independence. They have not been without their teething troubles with internal politics and re-grouping.

I write as a Corbynite who has had his own Damascene moment all be it slower than Paul the Apostle. Moving from hard line Plaid to a Socialist who wants fair play for East Anglia as much as he wants it for the citizens of Wales.

I realised very recently that individual human life was more important to me than an Independent Wales. The mental health of somebody in South East London is more important to me than whether Wales can pull up the drawbridge to Westminster. It would be a different matter if it was the Welsh Language but I see no evidence that Welsh as a living language is guaranteed to be in a stronger position post Independence. 

I wish them well but as I age and mature like an old smelly cheese I feel distant, removed and aloof from an 'in yer face movement' who appear focused on Independence at any cost.