Brit Nat Double Standards

Are the British nationalists taking the piss? The Telegraph runs a lead story that English is a minority language in 1,300 schools in England (wonder how many schools in Wales?). Nothing wrong in that - I believe that people who move to England have a responsibility to learn English - it was their choice to move there after all.

However, you could have run this story in Wales today, ten years ago, 50 years ago, 100 years ago but with the concern that Welsh was a minority language in Welsh schools. That is, the gradual diminishing strength of the Welsh language moving through Flintshire, Gwent and Glamorgan westwards over the last hundred years or so. And the process is still happening today. Of course to point this out would be 'nationalistic', 'divisive', 'xenophobic, 'anti-English', 'narrow-minded', 'harmful to children's jobs prospects' ... or probably all six.

Heavens, Welsh is a minority language of the families of most children who attend Welsh medium schools too. No one writes about that. The miracle that happens every day is that these schools, despite their many difficulties, manage to ensure that those kids leave school speaking Welsh and English fluently. No one gets medals, there's no leading articles in London (nor Welsh) newspapers. The English teachers must be a bunch of ninnies if they're complaining!

And if more money is to go to accommodate and immerse kids from non-English speaking backgrounds into English schools, what about the same for Wales with the Welsh language? Why has there been no articles in the Welsh press about the difficulty in accommodating linguistically the English kids who move into Gwynedd or Ceredigion - are the press and politicians too scared? But why?

Immersing English kids in Welsh schools is linguistically much more difficult that immersing Pakistani kids in English schools. It's difficult enough when those kids come from homes where the parents have made a conscious effort to take their children to a Welsh-medium school - it's even more difficult when parents have decided to move to Wales and just happen to be in a Welsh-speaking area. No leading articles in the 'say your British' press about this nor either by Gordon Brit Nat Brown.

If immersing non-English speaking kids is difficult in England then isn't the same true for Welsh in Wales (especially considering the weaker position of Welsh in society and media)? So, where are UCAC and the other teaching unions asking for more money for Welsh schools in this important task? Where's Plaid Cymru AMs on this matter? Welsh teachers need all the support they can get to ensure that Welsh is a medium of instruction in our schools and they deserve the full backing of all political parties (yes, including Labour) on the matter.

What's right for English is right for Welsh too.

The Age of the Small State

Even the Financial Times is now cottoning on to what many of us have known for years to be the blinding obvious - there's no point to states like Britain, France, Spain or Belgium. The hubris of the Brit Nats gets more and more obvious every day.

I saw this piece on the Brussels Journal site. If you read the comments you'll see there's a good reaction by a Breton reader with an interesting link to another article.

Labour's Brit Nats are standing in the way of history and progress - it's time they just moved over. There's no economic, moral, cultural nor practical reason for their nationality just a colonial arrogance towards smaller nations.

You Can't Eat a Flag!

Sad really, at one time Labour MPs like Betty Williams would patronise Welsh nationalists who were raising concerns about the Welsh language with the pathetic put-down like, 'you can't eat a flag'. Now it seems Labour MPs just want us all to have a belly-full of the Union Jack.

Ian Lucas, well-known British Nationalists (Labour of course) wants us to have a Welsh dimension to the Union Jack. If Lucas knew his history he'd know that Wales is included in the Union Jack, we're represented by the Cross of St George, because under the Act of Union/Incorporation 1536 - Wales is a 'part of the Realm of England'. As Lucas is vociferously in favour of keeping Wales a part of this realm then I'd have thought he'd be happy that Wales was part of his mother country.

And in any case, hasn't this man got anything better to do? Nobody flies the Union Jack in Wales, it's not our flag, nobody gives a toss Lucas. We've got a good flag, the English and Scots have also got their own classy flags, why the hell would we want to mess about with the Union Jack? As Labour have patronised Welsh nationalists over the decades, people aren't interested in identity politics and flags Lucas, they want to talk about "schools'n'hospitals"... or are the British Nationalists now worried that the tide of history is against them?

You know where you can stick your Union Jack, Lucas... oh, and get a life! British Nationalists, what are they good for?

Rally in Support of United Belgium

Still on Belgium. Saw this piece about a pro-Belgian rally in Wallonia. 35,000 people, mostly Francophone in Francophied Brussels, join a rally to support the Belgian state.

Now 35,000 is a lot of people. But two things. French-speakers identify with the Belgian state - and only a small minority of the people were Flemish. So it's a bit like those mass rallies in Madrid a few years ago against ETA and Basque Independence - they would say that wouldn't they. It's a bit like a rally in London against Northern Ireland joining the Republic. It doesn't really say anything. Belgium was built in the image of a French state and it's natural then that French-speakers are very happy with Belgium.

The state has changed a lot since WWI when Flemish conscripts were sent to fight by French-speaking officers not understanding a word which was said to them (bit like Wales really) but every concession the Flemish movement and Dutch language has won is that, a concession, from a Francophone state. Seeing french-speakers marching for Belgium is like seeing Russians marching to keep the USSR or Turks marching to keep a united Turkey against an independent Kurdistan.

They want to keep a state which gives their language prestige over a larger territory - of course they want to support that. And of course, this is all done in the name of warm words like 'unity' and 'diversity'. No doubt, the Flemish would be flying Belgian flags if Belgian had been created in the image of a Dutch-speaking state and people able to speak Dutch in Wallonia and Dutch taking over towns in French-speaking Wallonia too.

There's also the ubiquitous 'why don't politicians discuss schools/hospitals/work' which the rally organiser complains about. Conceit is a funny thing. No doubt if parts of Wallonia became Dutch-speaking, or dare I say Brussels - which was a majority Dutch-speaking city until the Second World War, then the Francophones would be up in arms.

The other interesting development is Belgian flag-waving. Funny how the Belgian nationalists are now flying flags, no doubt after years of patronising Flemish patriots as 'flag-waving nationalists'. Funny how Brit Nats now want us to fly their flag too in the name of 'unity' and 'diversity' after years of implying that Welsh nationalists were extremist flag wavers.

What's the point of Belgium?

Over 150 days without a central government (there are another 5 or 6 levels of government depending where you live) and Belgium still stutters on.

Quite a balanced piece in the Guardian on Tuesday by Jon Henley. Although it fails to ask how would the British Nats (yes, the Labour government) react if, say, the commuter belt of London became French-speaking because French people couldn't be arsed to learn English?

Forget the usual bunk about 'diversity'. The Brit Nats supported the Falklands War because they weren't ready to see a part of British territory change from being an English-speaking community to being a Spanish one... and, yes, that it the bottom line in yet another British 'ethnic' war.

The Flemings aren't sending in troops, but Britain's different. It was more than ready to kill and die because it was unwilling to become French-speaking which is why she fought an ethnic war against Napoleon or German-speaking which is why she fought an ethnic war with the Germans (twice).

There are no millions dead on the account of Flemish nationalism - unlike British nationalism! Flemings are no more (probably even less) nationalistic than your average Brit Nat Labour voter or Minister.

The Wallon minister in the piece, Pique, says that the demise of Belgium would be 'a victory for selfishness' - yes he's right, the selfishness of French-speakers to think they musn't stoop so low as to learn Dutch if they live in Flanders.

Henley comes out with the usual line at the end of the piece about the Belgians may 'be missing their country'. But Belgium isn't a country, it's a state. How many people miss states? - how many Czechs or Slovaks 'miss' Czechoslovakia and apart from Russian nationalists, how many 'miss' the USSR?

States aren't important - countries and languages are! The moral reason for a state is to protect and promote a language and culture. There is no Belgian language so there is no moral reason for that state. The moral reason for the creation of the Belgian state was partly Catholic culture and French-speaking nationalism by the upper-class who didn't want to live in a Dutch-speaking state (although that state gave them wide linguistic rights).

That French-speaking moral reason for Belgium is gone. We've no reason to mourn the death of Belgium any more than mourn the death of Burgundy, the Spanish Netherlands or Napoleon's Batavian Republic - or the UK. They are just states.

Get Dafydd Iwan in the charts for Ray Gravell

From Facebook Group:

Dafydd Iwan was Grav's favourite singer and it's well known that before games he would sing Dafydd Iwan songs emotionally.

It's a bit of a wild idea but I thought i'd try to get as many people as I could to buy 'Yma o hyd' online from itunes or another online store. Maybe we'll outsell Leona Lewis! Singles only cost 79p, the price of a bottle of Coke. Let's see what happens!

Only join the group if you have bought or are intending to buy the song. Click on the link below to buy the single from Itunes:

iTunes Store - Dafydd Iwan ac Ar Log -iTunes Store - Dafydd Iwan ac Ar Log - Yma o Hyd - Yma O Hyd

Petition the WRU - Ray Gravell Cup

PETITION THE WELSH RUGBY UNION TO RENAME

The ‘Prince William Cup’

THE

RAY GRAVELL CUP!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION NOW

In memory of a great Welshman and rugby hero. Er serchus cof.

Sponsored by Cambria Magazine.

Get in touch with the WRU - Cwpan Ray Gravell

I posted earlier my thoughts about the late Ray Gravell. About his humanity, humility and undying passion for the Welsh language and Wales. I ended the post by commenting that 'Cwpan Ray Gravell' would be a much better name for future games between Wales and South Africa than 'Prince William Cup'. I said:

If the WRU has any self-respect for Wales as a nation and one of Wales and Welsh rugby's best ambassadors then the forthcoming game (and all future matches) between Wales and South Africa will be re-named "Cwpan Ray Gravell".

This, surely, is the chance for the WRU to show their true colour - ditch the cringe, sycophantic Prince William Cup, forget about their little OBE's and knighthoods, and remember and celebrate the life of a man who gave so much to Welsh rugby and Welsh life and was a better Ambassador for Wales than Prince William will ever be - the Prince William Cup is an affront to us as a nation.

Since making that post, I have received a steady stream of messages supporting the idea, with many stating that they had already contacted the WRU calling for this change of name.

If you also agree, please email the WRU - info@wru.co.uk - urging them to change the name of the Cup to 'Cwpan Ray Gravell' as soon as possible. You can also telephone them on 0870 013 8600 or write to Welsh Rugby Union, 101 Golate House, St Mary Street, City Centre, Cardiff, CF10 1GE.

If you are a member of facebook, you can join a group calling for the same thing here...

GRAV AM BYTH!

If anyone deserves a state funeral with draped flag on the coffin and piper to lead the procession (which will be hundreds strong) then Ray Gravell is that man.

His untimely death is truly a sad day for Wales. His humanity, humility and undying passion for the Welsh language and Wales was an inspiration to thousands.

His unflinching belief in Wales and the Welsh language was so very different to the grey, servile, sycophantic tradition, which permeates through parts of Welsh rugby.

In him, Wales truly was one - a man who felt at home in the cultures of the Welsh language as well as the cultures of the English language in Wales. The Labour-Plaid pact, Cymru'n Un / One Wales almost sums up what Ray Gravell was - Cymru'n Un.

If the WRU has any self-respect for Wales as a nation and one of Wales and Welsh rugby's best ambassadors then the forthcoming game (and all future matches) between Wales and South Africa will be re-named "Cwpan Ray Gravell".


This, surely, is the chance for the WRU to show their true colour - ditch the cringe, sycophantic Prince William Cup, forget about their little OBE's and knighthoods, and remember and celebrate the life of a man who gave so much to Welsh rugby and Welsh life and was a better Ambassador for Wales than Prince William will ever be - the Prince William Cup is an affront to us as a nation.

Ray Gravell was a man for us to be proud of.

Pay your Tribute to Ray Gravell:
On the BBC News Website
On the BBC Five Live Website

Sir Emyr Jones Parry

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Sir Emyr Jones Parry was chosen to lead the convention to prepare the way for a referendum on further power to the Assembly.

I don't know anything much about him or his political leanings. They say he's Welsh-speaking, but my guess (and I could be wrong) is that after a career in London and abroad his Welsh must be a little rusty. Yes, Plaid and Labour should have had the good grace to consult the Tories and LibDems, but it still seemed a good choice and one which gave status to an important process.

But then, I'm not anti-Welsh language. Funny how Brit Nat Don Touhig called Emyr JP a member of the 'crachach' - never heard him say that about Lord Richard - but then Richard was a well-known Labour supporter, and more importantly, couldn't speak Welsh.

Funny how Crachach seems to be the only Welsh word Brit Nats know. It verges on racism to my mind. Most countries would have been glad to have a former UK ambassador fronting a debate on devolution. I dare say, were Emyr JP not a Welsh speaker, and didn't have such a Welshie name, then Touhig would have no problem. I dare say, coming from Carmarthenshire, aged 60 old, then Emyr JP didn't have much choice about being able to speak Welsh or not, it wasn't his choice; same as it's not someone's choice if they're born black or not. I suppose he could redeem himself by unlearning Welsh and giving himself an English name - a sort of linguistic Michael Jackson with the Uncle Tom cringe like so many past Labour MPs have done.

Crachach - it's just sheep dog whistling for 'Welsh-speaker', same as 'Muslim' can be used for 'Paki' isn't it?

Terrible thing eh - Welsh Assembly, in Welsh capital chooses Welsh person, who knows Welsh history and culture (in both languages) to front open debate about that referendum which would give Wales more power and which both governing Welsh parties have signed up to support. Yes, you can be too Welsh in Wales and if you don't like people who are too Welsh, then you join the Labour party... and Labour can't work out why their vote collapsed among Welsh-speakers in the May election?

Terrible thing eh? Labour MPs, all bar a few, will be totally forgotten in a few years time, can't bare to see the power slip from their hands. Wales is changing and the Brit Nats can't take it.

The Scandinavianisation of Britain

Found this on an English nationalist forum... couldn't have put it better myself:

Scandinavia, a region of five countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland), has seen its constituent countries form different unions with each other from the Middle Ages to 1918, until Iceland became the last independent nation. They share similar cultures and similar languages, but have remained separate sovereign nations ever since.

So for a lot of people, a possible break-up to the United Kingdom is something they fear, believing this would cause many problems and challenges. The prospect of this raises many questions. However, one only has to look towards Scandinavia to realise all these questions have already been answered:

Would the home nations be economically viable?
The Scandinavian nations top all tables on average wealth per person. Size of country has no bearing on economic success. No reason why the home nations can’t be economically successful too.

Isn’t Britain stronger together? Wouldn’t England, for example, have a lower standing in the world than Britain?
If enjoying a high standing in the world means participating in numerous foreign wars, who needs that? Does a Swede, who lives in a wealthy nation, and has not seen his country fight a war for 200 years, envy our status? I seriously doubt it. Perhaps countries like the USA, Russia and China dominate world markets, but their citizens don’t enjoy the same wealth per person as in the Scandinavian countries. And if a lower world standing also means not sending men into space or topping an Olympic medals table – then I can live with that.

Would there be passport/border controls between the home nations?
No. There are no border controls between the Nordic countries.

Many Scottish people have relatives in England and vice versa. Doesn’t this make independence difficult?
Not when there’s free movement of people between nations as per Scandinavia.

What would be the constitutional position with the monarchy?
In Scandinavia, some countries are kingdoms, some are republics. It’s up to each home nation to decide their constitutional position.

Wouldn’t there be problems if England was a member of the EU, but Scotland and Wales weren’t?
Denmark and Sweden are in the EU, but Norway isn’t, and there are no problems.

And wouldn’t it be difficult for Scotland and Wales economically, when they have a much larger economic neighbour in England?
Hasn’t affected Denmark, who share their border with Germany.

Would the break-up of Britain lead to problems with security? Especially if England has an independent Scotland on its northern border?
Why? Is there a problem with security in Scandinavia? Is England likely to do something that will prompt an invasion of a foreign army? If Scotland did, would that automatically mean this army would move onto England? Even in the dark days of WW2, when Germany invaded Norway and Denmark, this didn’t spread to Sweden.

But on a small island, there must be issues where there needs to be co-operation?
Indeed, and this is true in Scandinavia. However, these issues are dealt with by the Nordic Council, without impairing any of the nations’ sovereignty.

I don’t know if I’ve listed all of the questions regarding this issue, but I’m sure if you need an answer – look to Scandinavia.

Northumbrian - Newcastle upon Tyne

It's time we started to talk about the Scandinavianisation of Britian and not allow the Brit Nats to scare people with silly words like the 'Balkanisation of Britain'. We can create an island of mutual respect and cultural plurality... what's so extreme about that?

Welsh Signs

Just a quick posting following on from the posting below on Super Brit Nat's problem with Welsh having status in its own country .

It's also to lay to rest any difficulty people in general may have with bilingual sings, especially some rather dull drivers in the Swansea area who aren't able to read Welsh (after living in Wales all their lives! Yes, they have a God-given right to speak just English and never ever to be contaminated by Welsh).

The Assembly commissioned £53k report (yes, they could have built a children's hospital and a new school for that) to find out the effects of bilingual signage. And just to make sure it was impartial, the research was undertaken by people in that Welsh-speaking bastion - Leeds.

The conclusion, well, people really aren't as thick as some Labour Brit Nat members think they are. Just think... they'll have to find another fig-leaf to cover their views.

We're All Nationalists Now

At last an academic says what Brit Nat Watch has been saying for ages. In a new book about Plaid Cymru, Dr Richard Wyn Jones highlighted that those who are in Labour and other British parties are as much nationalists as those in Plaid Cymru. And yes, they are British nationalists too.

Gordon Brown's public outing as a British nationalist at his party's conference was almost AA in its honesty. This is a transcript of what he said at a recent meeting in Bournemouth:

'Hello, my name is Gordon and I am a British nationalist. My party has spent the last one hundred years pretending we were 'internationalists' when in reality that was just a fig-leaf to show our contempt for the Welsh language and meaningful Welsh identity. Some of us have accommodated Welsh linguistic and constitutional aspirations within our wider British nationalism, some have not.

As a new member to Brits Nats Anonymous, I would also like to admit that Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbitt were right. I apologise for being in denial of my British nationalism but I now wish I could turn the clock back and not have a Scottish Parliament an Welsh Assembly!

I couldn't help myself, I was desperate for the votes and didn't want to sound hypocritical after attacking Margaret and Norman for so long. Please accept my apologise - I would much rather have a Tory governed UK than devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales. My anti-Tory Jingosim was just a petulant spat from my teenage years.

'I now feel the urge to say out loud at this Brit Nat Anonymous meeting "I am a British nationalist". I tried to hide it with words like 'cosmopolitan', 'urban', 'metropolitan', 'international socialist' and 'anti-nationalist'. But now that I've been forced to confront my reality by growing Welsh, Scottish and English nationalism it all seems so much clearer.

I've been a hypocrite accusing others of nationalism but too cowardly or dishonest to admit to my own problem - isn't this a common problem with people with other Brit Nat denial problems like Neil Kinnock and our friends in France, Turkey or Spain who show a similar willingness to admit to their own Nationalist attitude whilst attacking smaller nations?'

Good, the fight is out and open. It's time Plaid Cymru, SNP and ED started referring to Labour by their true description, British nationalists. Dr Richard Wyn Jones' book should be translated into English and read by every British Nationalist to help them get over their denial and attitude.

Scots and English Nats are Talking

The SNP have gone above the heads of the Brit Nats thought police and are speaking to the English Democrats. Senior SNP MP, Angus McNeil, addressed the English Democrats annual conference last weekend.

As two nationalist parties it's not expected that they'll both agree with one another on every point - that's the whole point of nationalism. What they do agree on is the mutual respect for each other's positions and a recognition of both country's right to self-government - that's nationalism too.

Isn't it time the ED dropped their mad claim over Monmouthshire and started talking to Plaid? Isn't it time they respected the position of Mebyon Kernow, and Cornwall's right to self-government? and Isn't it time Plaid started talking to the ED - if they're right wing or not? With over 300 delegates to their 5th annual conference - twice the expected number - English nationalism is finding a voice... and there's nothing the Brit Nats and Gordon Brown can do about it.

It's time Welsh, Scottish, Cornish, Irish and English Nats started talking to one another, and realise that the enemy is British Nationalism!

Super Brit Nat

The trouble with British Nationalists like Chris Bryant and Don Touhig is their obsession with language and identity. They waste valuable time discussing these issues instead of important things like schools and hospitals.

Yes, I'm still laughing at Bryant when I think about his 'train-station announcements in Welsh' flap. I mean, he's lived in Wales a few years now and is still too stupid to understand that Caerdydd is Cardiff - for f***s sake. I was in Munich once, and was on the station all of ten minutes, enough time to work out that München was, erm, Munich.

Of course Bryant isn't stupid - he's just your common garden colonial Brit Nat.

There's two points. People who live in Wales should know some bloody Welsh - or is it just English that people need to learn Chris? And secondly, if you are a tourist, well, then you're a tourist. That means your visit to a country is transient. It's a good idea for the host country to make some effort to accommodate travellers in a language they understand (English for example - which bilingual announcements do, that's two languages Chris bach) but do tourists have the right to demote the host language? I may think Hungarian is a bloody difficult language, but when in Budapest, tough luck. Tourism isn't an excuse for colonialism.

Of course Bryant bach would point out that the majority of his constituents don't speak Welsh. Fine, when trains came to Wales the majority of the people of Wales didn't speak English either but did Bryant (or the Labour movement) complain then of 'health and safety' and of the rights of Welsh-speakers? Did they hell? All announcements were in English only and the effect was that Welsh-speakers were told that Welsh was an inferior language.

Bilingual train announcements with Welsh first go a small step towards reclaiming some status for the Welsh language and yes, it forces some people for a few seconds, to learn (or just put up with if they're stupid/arrogant) a few words of Welsh. We either have a country where one part of Wales is exclusively Welsh-speaking (the old Adfer option) or the whole country becomes truly bilingual.

Labour rejected Adfer's proposals (racists, separatist - the usual cliches) but they're yet to understand the meaning of bilingualism. Bilingualism doesn't mean two languages for Welsh-speakers, one for English-speakers, it means over a period of years all, or the majority of people in Wales, will have an understanding of both languages. Bryant has a problem with this 'cos he believes in linguistic purity - his god-given right, never, ever, to have to learn a few words of a peasant sheep-shagging language like Welsh.

Brit Nats - wouldn't it be nice, just for once, they put as much passion into promoting and safeguarding Welsh (a language that is truyly under threat) as they do into promoting and safeguarding English? But then, these Brit Nat Labour people are just cultural nationalist nutters who like waving union jack flags.

True Welsh Rugby Emblem

For some reason the WRU like the servile Three Feathers with the equally colonial 'ich dein' motto. During the forthcoming Rugby World Cup shouldn't our national rugby team be wearing a motif which is Welsh and proud to be Welsh not some Brit Welsh, can I have an OBE please badge?

I quite like this idea from the Owain Glyndwr Embassy. As the WRU like the Prince of Wales so much, why not have the flag of the true Prince of Wales - Owain Glyndwr?

Brit Nat Big Girls Sulk

Laugh - I nearly wet myself? Hilarious. Four Labour AM had a big sulk and refused to be in same chamber as Ieuan Wyn when he was made Deputy First Minister. It's almost as funny as hearing that Kinnock got a standing ovation at last Friday's Labour meeting by seven, yes, seven people. Magic.

These of course are the Labour greats so correctly rated by the Western Mail prior to the election - Irene James (2/10), Lynne Neagle 3/10, Ann Jones (3/10), Karen Sinclair 3/10) - Ieuan must be very upset.

As I said, hilarious... Brit Nats can't take it! Good riddance - lets work with grown-up Labour AMs and see what we can deliver for our nation.

Labour in Coalition with Nazis

Yes, the shocking news from the weekend is that the Labour party in Wales has gone into coalition with 'Nazis'. How could they?

Of course, the Nazis in question are Plaid Cymru - you know, really dangerous, sinister people like Ieuan Wyn Jones according to the secretary of the Aberconwy constituency Labour Party Mike Bird, and Labour MP Betty Williams (although she has now distanced herself from the comments).

Laugh? Yes, I did. Labour can eat their words now!

This is for Simon Glyn, Dafydd Iwan, Gwynfor and all the other known and unknown nationalists over the decades who've been insulted and called racist for committing really outrageous acts like writing cheques in Welsh; demanding that Welsh should stay a majority community language in the face of massive economic and cultural might of the English language; campaigning for Welsh-medium education; insisting that their club/union/society formed a Welsh branch rather than be lumped with 'The West' or 'The North West'

For the English (Janet Ryder), and Pakistani (Mohamad Ashgar) people who sided with Welsh nationalism of Plaid rather than British nationalism of Labour

For those people who ask in Welsh first when they go into shops (only to be laughed at/insulted or ignored by ignorant and bigoted shop-assistants); those people who thought, 'well, if Luxembourg/Palestine/Ireland/Estonia are good enough and big enough to have independence why not Wales?'; all those people who wrote down 'Wales' or 'Welsh' in the guest-books or official forms rather than chicken out with 'British' or 'England'; all those people who thought that being proud to be Welsh meant more that supporting a rugby team a couple of times a year; all those people who didn't become 'international' but realised that Welsh culture contributed to an international culture and so actually contributed to an international world culture; all those people in the 1940s and 1950s were brave enough to be Welsh nationalists in the face of crass Labour snides about Hitlerism; all those people who went to jail so that Welsh could have official status in its own country - see the example of Gwenno Teifi today!

Yes, last weekend was a big slap in the face to the stupid, ignorant, anti-Welsh, colonial, Uncle Tom members of the Labour party. It was a big slap in the face to all those members who tried to brake Simon Glyn and other nationalists over the years... and failed.

07/07/07 wasn't a marriage between Plaid and Labour, it's just and agreement. I hope the agreement works. There are differences, but now that Labour have to work and hold hands with Nazis/Fascists/racists maybe they can admit that it was rubbish all along. Either they don't think Welsh nationalism = Nazism, in which case they've deliberately lied and smeared us, or they can admit they were wrong. In any case they've had their comeuppance.

Ieuan Wyn Jones could have become First Minsiter. He gave that personal ambition and glory up for the sake of creating a stable government for Wales and that with the very party which has tried for 80 years to equate his party, him, with racism. I couldn't see a single Labour leader doing such a thing for a higher principle. Ieuan Wyn is a man; the Labour British Nationalists are just little people.

Saturday 7 July 2007 is hopefully the day Wales changed for ever - good riddance to old Wales and miserable, narrow-minded, nasty, bigoted, Welsh Labour.

You can't eat a flag - more British nationalism from Labour

I remember Betty Williams Brit Nat Labour MP for Conwy belittling Welsh nationalists by saying you 'can't eat a flag'. Seems she needs to remind her new boss, Uber Brit Nat, Gordon Brown of her views. Our British nationalist PM has ordered that the Union Jack should be flown every day of the year.

Hmm, makes you think what the usual Labour AMs would say were Plaid to make the same suggestion for the Red Dragon. But then, any thing's OK if you wrap the Union jack and 'inclusiveness' around it. Why don't Labour MPs and AMs speak up against such blatant nationalism, jingoism and flag-waving ... oh, yes, they're Brit Nats too.

Just to remind Brown and other Labour Brit Nats why I won't be flying the flag - this is the flag which has made Welsh a minority language in Wales. This is the flag which those who wish to stand against Wales becoming a true nation state wrap themselves in. This flag negates Welsh identity. This is the flag of colonialism.

Now that Labour are into flag-waving I hope our AM's will insist that only the Red Dragon will be flown from the buildings of institutions in Wales - 365 days a year. Labour in Wales will have to chose between British nationalism and Wales.

Sounds like Kim's a British Nationalist

Kim Howells is alive and well ... I'd thought he'd brought a holiday home on the Croatian coast - he's so fond of the Balkans see, and as an ex-communist it would be just his place. And it also has a city called Split - which is what's obviously happening within the Labour party in Wales. Which reminds me, what did our left-wing friends in Plaid say about a Rainbow coalition being unstable?

In any case, Kim has come back from the dead or what ever job he's got in Westminster to give his views on the impending Lab-PC Government. As usual for Labour MPs, he implies the AMs are a bit twp - that is the Labour AMs, his own party's members, are pretty thick. Many would agree with him on that. As a Labour member he could of course not vote for such useless AMs too.

But his 'leaked' letter which appeared in the Western Mail was like being transported back to 1985 all over again. He Trots out (sorry, couldn't avoid the pun) some scary stories about Plaid and independence and seems to have forgotten that Labour only got 32% of the vote and so aren't the majority party in Wales - nor are Plaid. It's called compromise Kim, you know, you've done a lot of it as you've climbed the political career.

So it got me thinking and I had another look at the Lab-PC, One Wales Document, which is causing concern for Kim and his backing singers - the 4 Labour AMs (they'd be 4 of the rather twp Labour AMs which the Labour MPs don't think are good enough to run a country).

The document includes some cliched stuff about equality and redistribution which I would have thought old Kim would have liked, until I remembered that the best capitalists are always ex-Marxists. Then there was some really Balkanisation and ethnically tainted ideas like ... erm, sort out Welsh medium education, sort our Welsh medium education in the universities and even a Welsh Language Act of some sort and then, yes, campaign for more power to the Assembly.

Hm, terrible stuff. I mean, if the Albanians of Macedonia, probably one of the poorest communities in Europe, can have a university in their own language, it would be awful was the University of Wales to offer half that to Welsh-speakers. And isn't it awful that the Labour party in Wales should shoulder some responsibility for making Wales a truly bilingual country when the Labour Party in Westminster makes sure that the UK becomes a truly monolingual state?

And what's this about more power to the Assembly? For heaven's sake, the Taffs will want the same power as the Northern Irish or Guernsey next, or even, heaven forbid, one of those silly little Balkan countries like Slovenia. After all, we know that Westminster knows best and Westminster is for big boys.

Cardiff and Wales are for the little people, not grown-ups. It's time the Wales knew its place eh - voting fodder for the Labour party in Westminster. And the only nation worth fighting for is Britain and the only language which should have rights is English. Sounds like Kim's a British Nationalist to me.

Welsh Language Act

So, only a minority want a Welsh Language Act - considering only a minority speak Welsh is this a surprise? No doubt, only a minority wanted a Disability Act too. I'd guess that the majority who don't speak Welsh are quite satisfied that their linguistic rights for their language is safe. That's OK then.

Had there been a poll in 1536 when Wales was overwhelmingly Welsh-speaking then I'm sure there'd have been no call for an English Language Act - i.e. the act of incorporation when Wales became an integral part of the Realm of England and made Welsh an alien language in its own country:

"The people of the same dominion have and do daily use a speech nothing like ne (nor) consonaunt to the naturall mother tonge used within this Realme", and therefore there was a need to "utterly to etirpe alle and singular the sinister usages and customs differing from the same... to an amiable concord and unity", therefore "From henceforth no person or persons that use the Welsh speech or language shall have or enjoy any manor office or fees.... unless he or they use and excercis the speech or language of English"

Every act since then has been an English Language Act confirming English as the 'normal' language of Wales, creating an inferiority complex among Welsh speakers which lead many not to bother passing Welsh on to their children - why bother English was the official language?

The New Welsh Language Act is just a little small step to rectifying the colonial decision of the 1536 Act, which made our language a minority language in its own country. The English (rightly) would never allow a situation where only 20% of the English population spoke English. Were English a minority language in England would you be surprised if the majority German/French/Welsh speaking population didn't see the need for an English language act?

The question for the New Welsh Language Act is this - is it an act to try to promote the use and number of Welsh-speakers or is it an act to try and give those already Welsh-speaking rights as a community? Both concepts overlap, but there's also an important distinction. The Act needs to be clear but also subtle if it is to promote the use of Welsh.

Welsh has a moral right to assert itself in Wales just as the latest laws passed by Westminster give a moral right for English to assert itself in England. Not to give that right is to agree with colonialism.

UPDATE

Cymdeithas reject BBC poll findings

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has rejected the findings of a BBC Opinion Poll, which purports to show a majority opposed to a Language Act that would require private corporations to make full use of Welsh. Cymdeithas claim that opposition from 63% of those questioned was due to the choice of the emotive word "force" by the BBC. Using such a prejudicial term the BBC is doing the CBI's work of rejecting the idea of giving people in Wales linguistic rights for them.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Chairman, Hywel Griffiths said:

"Employer organisations have a record of opposing in advance all reforming legislation - be it the Minimum Wage, the need to respect the environment or now the need to respect Welsh. It is well understood in PR circles that if you use a negative and prejudicial term such as 'force' or 'make' you will also get a negative response from the public. If however these questions were re-phrased in a positive light such as 'Are you in favour of a Language Act which would ensure that services are provided bilingually' or 'Are you in favour of a Language Act which would give people full rights to receive their services bilingually' then we are certain that there would be a substantial majority in favour."

"We are at a loss to understand why the BBC wishes to compromise it's impartiality and try to do the CBI's lobbying for them by using such a prejudicial form of wording. We would also question if the survey was conducted in English only - which would again prejudice the results in a bilingual community. The real significance of this survey is that feelings are so strong on this issue that a third of those questioned still responded positively despite the negative wording, and a quarter wanted to go much further than Cymdeithas by placing immediate requirements on every single business in Wales. In this context, our call for a plan of incremental action to ensure bilingual services in the private sector is modest indeed."

UPDATE

Aled Edwards of the CRE stated on BBC Radio Wales that in his view the BBC’s decision to use the term "force" shows that the aim of the poll was to ‘create’ a story, instead of collecting the views of the Welsh people fairly.

Gramsci

Adam Price is quoting Gramsci in a thoughtful and intelligent article on his blog. Gramsci is great, but I'm always a little worried about quoting him. The left have a habit of believing politics in teleological terms, that things develop and grow in a structured way which can be understood and foreseen. Trouble is, people aren't like that.

'Gramsci the communist' is cool, but then if he's so clever why didn't the Communists ever win power in Italy? Either he got it wrong or the electorate got it wrong i.e. didn't agree with Communism. So, wouldn’t Adam be better off reading and quoting those who did attain power and understand people - Thatcher, Freedman - only joking Adam!

Gramsci is great, quoting Gramsci's even better, but people are human and not theories. But, in true dialectical fashion here's my 'short history of Wales in the last twenty five years as seen through the eyes of a cultural nationalist':

The Welsh nationalist movement redefined Welsh-language cultural and political aspirations, partly through Saunders Lewis mostly through others and created a modern secular language. They gained status for the language - both hard status (Welsh Language Acts, education etc) and soft status (S4C, Welsh pop scene, papurau bro etc). This created a culture (OK, counter culture if you Gramscians wish) which was, is, dynamic, attractive and beyond the control of the Labour Party. It made 'traditional Welsh culture' (Labourist Wales) seem old fashioned and in Welsh, irrelevant. It created a new cultural space and cultural norms that extends to a new political space and political norms.

Welsh language culture was part of the driving force in redefining a new Welsh sensibility which was deeper and outlived C19th/early C20th Welsh Labourism which was rooted in heavy industries and dependant on Anglo-Americanism. Once those industries went, a central tenant of Labourism lost its confidence.

Welsh political culture is also symbiotic, and even invisible, almost illiterate. Welsh-speakers and non-Welsh-speakers are friends, part of the same family, are siblings or husbands and wives. And so, some of the new, modern secular Welsh-language political sensibilities were, are, transmitted orally more than written to non-Welsh speakers (and vice versa). This is one of the reasons why Welsh politics can be difficult to understand and prophesise. This happened throughout the 1980s and 1990s and 2000s.

Welsh Labourism has no modern Welsh culture. It's English, or American or 'World' (hence Glenys Kinnock's 'interest' in Africa, Wales is so boring see). Welsh Labour culture, seems to stop with Max Boyce, it hasn't progressed. It's as if the Welsh language pop scene started and then finished with Dafydd Iwan in 1969. There was the brief, exciting Cwl Cymru period in 1997ish - which could just about have won the Referendum but nothing has really rooted since.

Welsh Laboursim has to be propped up by Britishness because it can't put Welshness in its centre-place - to do so would be to engage thoughtfully and honestly with Welsh identity. Welsh Laboursim can't do that because a central tenant of Welsh identity is that Wales has been through a period of colonisation; a colonisation that Welsh Labourism dismisses ever happened, because Welsh Labourism supported that colonisation processes. To discuss Welsh identity honestly would mean undermining Britishness, and that would mean contemplating never being ruled by London.

Many on the Left in Plaid and in Labour frown upon cultural politics. But nationality is a cultural concept and so all politics is cultural. Welsh politics is cultural politics; economy, health, education are proxy for cultural identities. The Welsh cultural nationalists created a new national sensibility. Because Labourism doesn't believe in Welsh nationality or 'cultural politics' (although everything it did was British cultural politics) it has been overtaken by Welsh nationalism. Labourism is now trying to redefine British nationality, admitting that they go this wrong, but too late. Welsh nationalism have taken a march by some 40 years, and whilst Labour belittled cultural nationalist, cultural nationalists were creating their own cultural and political sensibility... a political sensibility that is now biting Labourism back.

Labourism took their eye off the ball. They believed their own propaganda that people are only interested in 'schools and hospitals' that we're all into 'materialism'. Some left wingers in Plaid believed this lie too. More fool them. We've created a modern Welsh culture that is exciting, international and growing in confidence, Labourism has nothing to offer us.

So, Adam, Gramsci, yes you're right and wrong - 'It's the (counter) Culture Stupid!

For Wales, see Labour

I'm not convinced by the talk of a Plaid-Labour Coalition. I fail to see what Plaid gets out of it.

Labour gerrymander the constitution which makes it difficult for the Assembly to actually pass laws without some backwoodsmen Labour MPs supporting it. So rather than call Labour's bluff, Plaid AMs put their hands in the air and say, 'OK, you win. We'll let you keep the ball - it's your ball'.

Labour have run a red-neck anti-Welsh language campaign since 1999. Rhodri Morgan says a New Welsh Language Act is 'boring, boring, boring'. Labour run a whispering campaign against Welsh-medium schools in Cardiff. Labour supporters trash Cymuned sings in Gwynedd. Labour AMs accuse Dafydd Iwan of supporting white-flight when in fact it was the opposite. Labour still haven't brought out a coherent strategy for Welsh-medium education (despite their own targets in the field) ... and Plaid AMs want to do business with them? Tories change their tune, or at least make some effort, and hey, Plaid AMs don't want to know. Labour make f**k all effort and Plaid come running to them.

Labour go on and on about British Day, British that, British inclusive identity, new British Nationalism. Not one Brit Nat Labour MP attends the cross-party, apolitical annual St David's Day march - I mean, how anti-Welsh identity do you have to be not to attend a St David's Day parade? Tory and Lib Dem AMs turn up. Plaid AMs want to cwtch up to Labour.

I could go on, but you get the gist.

What is it with some Plaid AMs? Is there a deep Oedipal complex which means they really just want to be accepted by their 'left wing' butties in Labour and for Labour to say, 'it's OK now, mammy's here, we don't think Welsh nationalism is bad, you're right, we just misunderstood you. Lets all cwtch up, light up a candle hold a peace vigil and it will all be OK. It's OK now, we think you're nice people honestly now.'

For heavens sake. Grow up! Labour thinks every single one jack Plaid supporter is a quasi-fascist. There's no difference how many peace marches you go on, how many little children in Africa you save or how many Israeli oranges you won't by, Labour think you're fascists. Why do Plaid AMs want to be accepted by such a bunch of Brit Nat bigots? Who cares what Labour think?

There's a group within Plaid who think that Plaid are there to make Labour more Welsh. It's Plaid's job to help out the so called 'Welsh-wing' in Labour to move Labour along towards a more Welsh agenda. Can't they see that Labour are laughing at them?

If Plaid lead a Rainbow alliance it will make news across Europe. Not massive news, but some news. People will think, heck, a Welsh nationalist party running Wales - that's interesting, I thought Wales was just England. If Plaid go into Anschluss with Labour then it'll be no news; same as usual, Wales a non-country, for Wales see Labour, i.e. see England.

Some Plaid AMs want to give Labour a breath of life. It does make you think if these AMs actually have any confidence in Welsh nationalism and more importantly - what's the point of Plaid Cymru? Why join a party when you could join Labour, a party that will be in power for ever and 'is more Welsh' thanks to Plaid's policies?

Kernow bys vyken! Cernyw am byth!

Good to see Cornish identity raising its head in the pages of the Guardian on Friday 15th. OK, there was a slightly patronising under-current to the piece, but then, attempted bombings of a hair-dressers and bingo hall seems an odd choice for an armed movement.

Better that Cornish nationalists concentrate on the language, culture and constitutional politics and not violence. Still, politicians need to prove that politics works too an not just mouth platitudes.

Funny, here in Wales, the issue of affordable housing for local people is now OK for Brit Nat Welsh Labour to discuss. Yes, six years after they lambasted Simon Glyn. Still, I suppose losing Labour votes in England to the BNP had its effect.

Funny again; voters switching to real racist parties like the BNP earn more respect with Labour politicians than voters voting for constitutional nationalist parties in Wales (or Cornwall). But then, as Brit Nats Labour has more in common with the BNP than do Welsh or Cornish nationalists.

Keep at it Kernow! We're with you all the way!

Cornish independence is back on the menu - telegraph.co.uk

Britain Day = Good / St David's Day = Bad

Do I need to say anything? British nationalist MP wants us to celebrate Britain Day. British nationalists MP's don't want us to have St David's Day as a Bank Holiday.

Funny, Labour believe immigrants need to learn English; Labour in Wales are against a Welsh language act (which wouldn't force anyone to learn Welsh). Discussing effect of immigration on language and housing in England = OK; discussing immigration on language and housing in Wales = bad.

And people ask my why I keep calling Labour a British nationalist party. Dank hypocrites.

Go for it Alex and Ieuan!

Excellent to see Alex Salmond become the First Minsiter of Scotland. He understands that he needs to reach out to a broad cross-section of the Scottish nation but I'm sure Salmond will also understand another important thing.

Salmond knows that he needs to be brave and promote a confident nationalist agenda. Being too conciliatory will be a massive mistake. By pushing a strong and sensible nationalist agenda Salmond and the SNP will out-manoeuvre Labour and set the political agenda for the next decade.

Back in Wales, I now hope Ieuan Wyn will become our First Minister. And the message is the same - Ieuan - see the woods from the trees, be brave, don't be afraid of Labour - go for it! And Ieuan - go for the radical agenda, promote Welsh nationalism - don't be an 'Alun Michael' and don't make the same mistake as Labour.

At the end of 4 years you want to be able to point to massive changes which you and Plaid have instigated - unlike Welsh Labour who have absolutely nothing to show for their last 4 years in government!

Senedd

Just happened to see an item on the news a few days ago about Carmarthenshire county council's decision to close some schools. In any case, I was struck how much more impressive the inside of Carmarthenshire's chamber was compared to our national Senedd.

The inside of the Senedd looks like the house of MDF. What is that screen behind the Llywydd? What's that star-fish thing on the floor in the centre of the debating chamber - the centre-piece of our democracy? Is this the only chamber in the world which doesn't have the crest or flag of the people its meant to represent on display?

The Welsh Senedd could actually be any chamber in the world. There's nothing to say what or who it represents. And all that talk of the chamber being inclusive - you can't even see half the chamber if you're one of the lucky few to get into the gallery! At least those members of the public who go into the Carmarthenshire chamber can see the whole proceedings - and protest about them!

Senedd - an unlucky marriage of the anti-Welsh Brit Nat and the post-national Nationalists.

It's all very well going on about the environmentally sound part of the building, but did the designers and politicians praise the House of Commons's excellent sewage system when it was built in the 1860s and raise that as the main purpose of the building?

Plaid & Housing

Glad to see that Plaid actually took the issue of affordable housing seriously in their manifesto.

Not quite sure if the £5k will work without pushing the prices of houses up further. One thing Plaid could do, which would be easier to implement and not cost anything, is tackle the issue of social housing, especially in rural areas where houses are given to people outside the county.

The issue is clearly made by Cllr. Gareth Winston Roberts of Amlwch on Anglesey who wants the points system changed to favour local people and who supports Cymuned's www.cartrefi.com campaign.

It's incredible that the exact people any county needs to keep - young people, doing important jobs (all jobs are important) who may have children - are unable to get social housing. Why? Because counties like Ynys Môn are obliged, or are given financial incentives, to take in people from the big cities in England. There's an issue of opportunity for these people, but surely the first priority of a county council is to invest in people whose parents or they have paid taxes over a period of years?

There's also the question of language - the Welsh language. I nearly chocked when I saw the 10 o'Clock News on the BBC the other night, showing that the English were concerned that such a large percentage of school children came from non-English speaking families. This, the English told us, was creating difficulty in integrating and teaching.

Duw, this is the situation Welsh has been living with for centuries but the Brit Nats called us racists for raising this concern. Try immersing kids from Liverpool or Birmingham in a Welsh school - that's a challenge.

With discussions on the future make-up of the Government still on-going, Plaid should make housing one of their core demands in any coalition or supporting role. Plaid should champion the right of councils to prioritise those from their county or who have employment in the county to have social housing. This is both logical (it also keeps extended families together - saving tax-payers money in the long-term) and, in Welsh-speaking areas, gives the Welsh language a living chance.

Housing is a massive issue. The Brit Nats in the Labour party have done nothing - after all betraying the Welsh working class is a price worth paying if it means weakening the Welsh language.

Plaid has some good policies - but revamping the points system would be more effective, and fairer, than the £5k loan.

Make Way for Wigley!

Less than a week after the election It's time to start thinking about 2011.

Plaid did very well with a good campaign and a clear message. This is because fundamentally, despite various differences, Plaid actually believes in something. Labour and the LibDems don't - and suffered.

But what would have happened had Wigley (or Adam Price) been leader. My guess is that Plaid could quite possibly have overtaken Labour as the largest party.

It's time for Plaid to put politics above personalities. Janet Ryder should do the honourable thing, and stand down from her north Wales seat and abdicate for Wigley.

Plaid got 292 more votes than the Tories in the north Wales region (50,558 compared to 50,266). If the Tories had managed to get 292 more votes, Plaid would not have won a single additional seat in the north Wales region, let alone 2! The fact that Plaid got such a strong vote in the north was in no small part down to Wigley. In truth - without Dafydd Wigley, Janet Ryder would be an ex-AM today. Plaid can't afford to leave such a popular politician at home gardening.

Janet's a good, solid AM but Wigley has star quality. If Plaid want to win in 2011 it needs a charismatic leader who'll be able to milk every single possible Plaid vote. It need someone who can appeal to floating Tory and Labour voters and can bring gravitas to the job.

Plaid needs someone who looks like a leader. It has two choices, Wigley and Adam Price. Plaid's job is to get both of them into the Assembly by 2011. But first of all, Janet Ryder needs to stand down.

Good Day for Welsh Nationalism

Mohammad Ashgar made history as he was elected on the South Wales East regional list. Mohammad is the first member of Wales' 'ethnic minority' communities to be elected to our National Assembly.

And guess what - he's a member of Plaid!

So much for the Brit Nat Labour hate-stories. Time for Brit Nat Labour to eat some humble pie.

Bad day for British Nationalism - the extreme manifestation of it saw the BNP come within spitting distance (spitting being the operative word, one guesses) of winning a seat in the North.

Who are these people who vote BNP? The 'narrow minded' Welsh-speaker who want to live in a 'mythical medieval' community and attend the National Eisteddfod - 'the festival of hate' as it was called by the Brit Nat Labour supporting Welsh Mirror?

Well, sure as hell there are some racist Welsh-speakers but is that the core BNP vote? My guess; the party that flies the Union Jack so beloved by Brit Nat Gordon Brown, is more likely to be drawing votes from a core English community in the North.

People who may be part of the 'white flight' which Dafydd Iwan referred to some years ago, only to be accused of condoning it by Labour; people who may be as uncomfortable with the Welsh language as they are with Poles and Pakistanis.

Maybe, Mark Tammi and other Brit Nat MPs and AMs should look more closely at their own imagined community, political identity and philosophy before attacking Welsh nationalists - after all, the BNP have more in common with Labour than with Plaid.

As I said, a good day for Welsh nationalism - Mohammad Ashgar - HERO!

Go for Plaid!

The Welsh nationalist community is a broad church - including people who are Christian, Muslim, atheist, communist, capitalists, pacifists, ex-army people, a few nutters and yes, Nicholas Morgan. We have our differences and different priorities.

But on Thursday 3 May we have 2 votes. My vote will go to Plaid and I urge all nationalists to do so too. Not only do I agree with most of their policies but they seem the only party which has thought in details about governing Wales and will implement them - without the OK from a Viceroy or another Party leader.

There is also one other simple reason. Were Plaid to win on 3 May the headlines of all the UK's newspapers will be that Wales is a nation and Wales needs to be respected and taken notice of. A vote for any of the other parties will be a vote for an invisible and irrelevant Wales - and in the case of Labour, a mediocre Wales too.

Wales - a nation not a region. Make Wales count - make your vote count. Vote twice for Plaid.

Plaid Party Political Broadcast #3

Welsh Nationalist Plaid & British Nationalist Labour

So, talk of a possible deal between Plaid and Labour? I'm not sure - seems like kite-flying on Labour's behalf to me. Though, anything than pisses of extreme Brit-Nats like Huw Lewis and Leighton Andrews sounds good to me!

Just a few words of caution before Plaid get too excited.

Do you want to be a Junior partner with Labour in control - yes, loads of kind words from Labour but they'll still be the majority party and can vote down any (i.e. all) Plaid suggestions. Yes, and they will.

If you go in for a coalition or agreement, don't swallow any talk of report or commissions - they won't be worth the paper they're written on. Fair play to the Lib Dems on insisting on the Richard Report ... only for Labour to totally ignore it and come up with this cocked-up dog's dinner we'll have after May 3rd. So, no to reports and commissions yes to actual implementation of ideas.

Plaid - don't try and be clever and all post-nationalist. Getting some Children's Commissioner type fob or left-wing slogan implemented isn't the point of Plaid Cymru. Plaid's basic point is to move on the constitutional settlement - both in fact and also symbolism (yes, Plaid, symbolism counts too) and to promote the Welsh language and culture. Those are the core things. If Plaid doesn't deliver on them then Plaid will lose votes in 2011. And if Plaid doesn't deliver on them - nobody else will.

Question is - do Plaid trust Labour? The party which spread all kind of dirt on Welsh-nationalists and is never too low to equate support for the Welsh language with racism? Unless it's written in Rhodri Morgan's blood then I wouldn't trust a word they say.

Frankly - I'd let them hang. They've had their chance. Rhodri Morgan could have sat on the anti-Welsh language red-necks but he didn't, he let them defame good nationalists. They could have delivered on Richard but chose not to. They've had their chance and they brought Welsh politics down to the gutter - they can stay there for all I'm concerned.

Independence for Guernsey?

Tucked away in an obscure corner of The Telegraph was this item. Guernsey are to discuss whether they should become independent.

Funny how nobody says they're 'too small' , 'too thick', or that they'll be the 'Albania of the Channel Islands' if they become independent.

I'm not sure what the outcome will be, but they're very lucky that the Telegraph discussed it without the kind of scaremongering you can be sure the Telegraph and the Welsh press (supported by the Brit Nats in Labour) would use if Wales was to have a similar discussion in the open (and not behind closed doors).

Britain's dying. If independence is an option for serious debate for Guernsey, then why not Wales?

You can make a difference on May 3rd

Make a difference on May 3rd 2007 - Welsh Assembly Elections


We need a change in Wales. 'Welsh' Labour has failed. Make a difference on May 3rd. Vote Plaid Cymru.

Tony Blair



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Welsh Assembly Election, 2007 - It's time for a change!


Are you thinking of voting for the Labour Party at the Welsh Assembly elections on May 3rd 2007? Watch this video first, and you may think again!