The Centre for Welsh Studies is a newly-launched Welsh pro-Brexit think-tank, with the aim of exploring the issues affecting the people of Wales and proposing solutions to some of Wales’s most overlooked issues. We are the only think-tank in Wales armed with the tools to set the agenda. When the referendum campaign came to an end on 23rd June last year, the electorate, having examined all the issues raised in the campaign, voted in unprecedented numbers to Leave the EU. After the political earthquake that ensued, it was expected by those same voters that the Welsh Government and other leading Remain politicians would respect the will of the Welsh people; that it would support the British Government throughout the withdrawal process and actively work for the best outcome for Wales. In fact, the opposite has occurred. During the past seven months, the Welsh Government, assisted by Plaid Cymru and what remains of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, has systematically worked to keep Wales attached as close to the European Union as possible. They funded a court case, costing the Welsh taxpayer £84,000, in an attempt not only to slow down Brexit, but to actively undermine the upcoming negotiation process, which will be conducted by the British Government. Ironically, the same politicians who for forty years accepted that Brussels would take control of large sections of our legislation and law-making process, now believe that Brexit cannot happen without the exercise of parliamentary sovereignty. The Welsh Government has also launched a subversive campaign attempting to keep Wales inside the single market, contrary to what the UK Government under Theresa May has proposed. Indeed, it was accepted by those who campaigned on both sides that withdrawal from the EU meant leaving the single market. By running such a campaign, they are actively undermining the will of the Welsh electorate, without whom they would not be holding their elected posts. Many of the Welsh political class have lost sight of the fact that they are our public servants, voted in by the people to represent the people, not their own opinions or party interests. It has also been proposed by some Welsh Assembly Members that Wales should continue to maintain open borders with the EU. This would require a separate immigration system to that of the rest of the UK, alienating us from our sister nations within the United Kingdom. Shockingly, this proposal would undermine the central pledge of the Leave campaign which the electorate voted for – to take control of our borders and regain control of immigration numbers to a sustainable figure. Brexit means returning government to the long-forgotten demos. We want control of our own borders. Sovereignty means ensuring our history, culture, sense of belonging and pride in our nation is valued, protected and nourished – a seemingly controversial stance in today’s climate of disastrous open borders and progressive pieties. Why is it so hard for them to grasp? Wales voted to leave the European Union, to take back control. Sadly, the Welsh Government at present is not working to facilitate the decision made by the Welsh people. And it is not supporting the British Government in its efforts to withdraw, to ensure the best outcome for the Welsh people, which is why the Centre for Welsh Studies came into being. Post-Brexit, the Centre for Welsh Studies will work with stakeholders from across Wales to propose a strategy to attract business and investment into Wales. We plan to examine and provide answers to the deep dividing issues which have now surfaced, in order to unite the Welsh electorate and embrace the positive outcome that Wales can achieve post-Brexit. The Centre for Welsh Studies is the only Welsh think-tank ready to cater for the seismic political realignment already underway. It’s time to empower the individual.