BRYNMAWR, Wales—The modern highway connecting Brynmawr to other former coal-mining towns in South Wales was partly funded by the European Union, replacing a three-lane road known for deadly accidents. Other EU funds have been used to improve railway lines, open museums and regenerate dreary town centers shattered by the decline of heavy industry.
But none of that impresses John Thompson, a retired truck driver who recalls the days when the area in Blaneau Gwent county was bustling with life, and the coal mines and steelworks provided thousands of jobs.
“We have seen no benefit up here at all,” the 70-year-old says outside a cafe serving instant coffee and bacon rolls. Besides, he notes, the EU doesn’t just hand out the money: “They tell us how to spend it. That’s not democracy.”
Even though Wales receives hundreds of millions annually in EU funding, more than half of the Welsh electorate voted in last week’s referendum for Britain to leave the EU. Puzzling many analysts, the “leave” vote was strongest in deprived post-industrial areas that have arguably benefited the most from EU support.
