British Nationalists in Wales WATCH

Rhodri and Saunders

2010-01-03T19:04:00.002Z

I saw Rhodri Morgan's interview on 29 December and a few paragraphs stood out. He said:

“It never crossed my mind [joining Plaid Cymru]. I can remember actually realising that for some reason there was a generation of young people about the same age as me who got terribly agitated over a speech made by Saunders Lewis [Plaid Cymru president 1926-1939] in 1964."

“This young man – he was sitting round in the Swansea Eisteddfod – was so worked up by what Saunders had said, saying we must go out and support him, I just sort of realised at that point there was something going on in that man’s mind which was definitely not going on in my mind.”

Mr Morgan’s father TJ Morgan, a distinguished professor of Welsh, had been a supporter of WJ Gruffydd, the candidate who defeated Lewis in the hard-fought University of Wales parliamentary by-election in 1943. The ex-First Minister said:

“He [Gruffydd] didn’t think Saunders was a fit and proper person to become an MP, and I don’t think my father did either. Saunders could make speeches and was a very good playwright, and that was it. But as an MP it never crossed my mind that he was a figure of influence.”

Quite a shocking quote really. So, in 1964ish Rhodri Morgan in a rather condescending way couldn't get worked up about Saunders Lewis's speech. So, Rhodri Morgan, following another census return which saw the Welsh language accelerate its downward spiral couldn't get 'worked up' about it? What kind of a Welshman can't get worked up about his native language dying? Would he be so blaze about the Wales rugby team losing every consecutive game since 1901? Would the average Labour party member be so blaze were the English language to fall of a cliff? No, this blaze, dressed up as internationalism, is part of the DNA of the 'Welsh' Labour party.

Saunders Lewis 'not fit' to be an MP? I'd agree that Saunders wasn't cut out to be an MP. He was too honest for that. I don't say that in a pejorative way, but being an MP of any party, requires a level of social skill and what could be called ability to be careful with the truth, which SL didn't possess. He was a writer and thinker not a politician. But I can't think he was 'not fit' to be an MP. What and all those long-forgotten Labour MPs were? So being institutionally anti-Welsh (like a good majority) of Labour MPs were - is OK. Being for state socialism which saw the nationalisation of Thomas Cook among other barmy ideas - is OK. Campaigning against Welsh language education - OK. Sucking up to the English establishment and Monarchy - OK. Lewis was no less fit to be an MP than the vast majority of Labour MPs.

In another part of the interview. Morgan says he was inspired by JFK. OK, fair enough, he was a charismatic figure who brought hope to the Cold War generation, but isn't there something missing that a Welsh person, an intelligent Welsh person, projects his aspirations and fears through the politics and policies of another country which he isn't a part of. And that, at the same time, a new, young, radical, peaceful movement, in the spirit of the Black civil rights movement in his own country doesn't 'agitate' him.

Did the young socialist Morgan, not think for one moment, that the language he spoke with his parents in its own country, was in grave danger because the forces of consumer culture, capitalism and status was mitigated against it? Didn't that in any way strike a chord with him? Did he not for one minute just think it was a bit odd that the aforementioned Eisteddfod in Swansea was held in a city which had not one official sign in the Welsh language? Was it not odd that Welsh had not official status in its own country? Maybe Morgan is from that category of Welshman who saw Welsh as being quite nice but really was past its sell-by date and, in the interest of World socialism and internationalism, should just be allowed go quietly into the night?

Morgan is an intelligent man, he's not some bloke who never thinks about abstract ideas. So, the casual, standard, anti-Welsh line of the Labour party that this isn't 'what ordinary people want' doesn't wash (although for thousands of ordinary Welsh people the language was a big issue). Why didn't Morgan have any interest in a new secular type of Welsh language culture - was Welsh just for the past and English the language of the 'white heat of technology'. I don't know.

In any case, it's caused a dislocation between Labour and the Welsh language where any foreign cause, no matter how obscure (Africa is a perennial popular one) is more interesting and less threatening than the Welsh language. Unfortunately, Morgan and much of the Labour party seem ill at ease in modern Welsh language culture - it seems beneath them or alien or 'too Welshie'. It's a pity, a great pity, because had the young Morgan been just a little less condescending towards his own language then Welsh history and the story of the Welsh language since then could have been much brighter and more interesting. Certainly more interesting than following the latest American election in which Morgan could play no part.

Things Are Moving in Catalonia

2010-01-03T19:00:00.002Z

The recent referenda on independence held at 160 Catalan municipalities has raised the issue and temperature in Catalonia!

Now, a poll published in the daily El Periodico (which is published as separate Catalan and Spanish editions every day) has found that the public is evenly split on being for and against independence with 20% undecided.

If one takes into account that the poll probably asked people of all backgrounds on their views on the subject then my guess is that a majority of Catalan people are in favour of independence with many of the antis (not all of course) would include 'native' Catalans, people of Spanish decent, Latin American and other nationalities who've moved to the country. It would be interesting to know.

The people who've moved to the UK are by a vast majority very supportive of British independence so, would 'British' people of any political persuasion, be happy to see recent immigrants decide on the constitutional future of the UK? Or the Tibetans happy to see their constitutional future decided by Han Chinese?

Is it also the case that the central Spanish government sees the movement of people into Catalonia as a way of keeping Catalonia a part of Spain in the same way as pro-Belgian Francophones see immigrants to Belgium (who tend to be Francophone) as being voters for the continuation of Belgium and promoters of the French rather than Dutch language? I don't know, Just asking.

Also interesting is the definition of Catalans as a nation (52% among people in Catalonia - the same split again?) whereas the rest of Spain don't see Catalans as a nation (80% against).

Funny that Catalonia with its own language, government which celebrates its 650 anniversary this year and who fought a war of liberation in 1714 is not a nation whilst 'imagined communities' created by the landed elites means that Spanish people recognise such 'nations' as Uruguay, Chile or Columbia!

Catalan News Blackout on BBC and Western Mail

2009-12-11T22:47:00.004Z

As one comment on Syniadau'r blog put it, it seems the Catalans will have to start killing people if they want their cause to be covered by the BBC or the 'Welsh' press.

Many of you may know that because the Spanish Constitution (which can't be changed because it was given by God on Mount Sinai) doesn't allow a democratic referendum on independence for Catalonia or the Basque Country. The Catalans have side-stepped the band and are holding a series of referenda on 13 December on the subject in some 150 local councils.

This is big news. But, not big enough for the BBC or the Western Mail. Vaughan Roderick gave is a quick mensh a few weeks ago and there was a piece in Golwg360 as Jill Evans Plaid MEP will be in Catalonia as an observer. Other news which is covered in BBC Europe online include a hunger strike by a Western Saraha dissident (another Spanish colony) and conseiderations by Turkey to ban the pro-Kurdish DTP party . So, the subject of minority righst, or independence movements isn't a problem for the press, it's just that, well, by not killing people or threatening to kill people or not being attacked by tanks or water canons, the Catalan cause isn't deemed newsworthy.

However the big story is that Spain, unlike the UK, which, would in theory at least, allow a referendum on independence for Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales won't allow a similar democratic vote for the constituent nations of their state. The Catalans, like the Basques and Galicians, predate the Spanish state. Catalonia is only a part of Spain because they lost a war of independence in the early 18C - a cause which Westminster supported.

Spain isn't Turkey, but denying a referendum on independence for a European nation within the EU, a nation which has not used violence or intimination is news. Is Spain the kind of EU member state we want to have?

http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2009/12/life-on-receiving-end_09.html
http://cataloniathenextstate.blogspot.com/
http://www.cataloniadirect.info/2009/11/welsh-party-plaid-cymru-questions-europarliament-catalan-referendum/

Glasgow North East

2009-11-17T20:44:00.002Z

Lots of talk been on Celtic nationalist blogs about the Labour hold at the Glasgow North East even on the Welsh blogger site, Grangetown Jack.

It's a terrible indictment that after 75 years of holding the seat, 12 years of power in Westminster (and several other stints) and 8 years in power in Holyrood - Labour blame the SNP (who've been in power at Edinburgh for 18 months) for Glasgow North East's ills! Yes, you couldn't make it up.

That the SNP failed to take the seat is also an indictment.

The best analysis I've read is in The Times. It'd be worth Plaid supporters, policy makers and politicians taking time to read it too.

Remembrance Day

2009-11-11T18:07:00.002Z

You've got to admire the gall of British nationalism. The Remembrance Day and wearing the poppy especially.

There are two things going on. On one hand the Remembrance Day is a sort of pseudo pacifist event to remember the waste of World War One especially... conveniently forgetting that it was British nationalism that got us into the war. The other is basically an armed forces flag day.

I'm not a pacifist and don't begrudge either paying respects to men and women who've died in combat. As a Welsh nationalist I believe that they, and their families, deserve that from the state to which they gave their lives.

But the hypocrisy of British nationalism tries to have it both ways. The pacifistic side is basically 'all nationalism are bad and lead to war (like the Great War) ergo, Welsh nationalism will lead to war'. Failing to mention that it war British nationalism and the British national narrative which lead us into war and so, rather than fighting Welsh nationalism, Welsh people should be fighting British nationalism and British nationalism dressed as 'normal' and 'acceptable' and 'civic pride'.

The second armed forces day side of Remembrance Day says some soldiers are good, some are not. So, a commemoration to remember Glyn Rowlands the former FWA member in Machynlleth is followed by the Special Branch. Services to remember an army which as well as fighting a good war against Nazis also fought more 'bad wars' in South Africa, Kenya (well, all Africa), Malaysia, America, Ireland (do I need to go on?), WWI is 'good'.

I remember those brave soldiers, and those like Hedd Wyn, every day of my life. That's why I wish to see the end of the British state. I'm fed up of seeing Welsh men die fighting for Britain. What right or business does a Welshman have killing Indians, Zulus, Irish, Kenyans or others?

The British nation state is a state built on military conquest. It is a state where the military is totally central to its narrative and collective cohesion. And now we see Labour, the ultimate Brit Nat party, sending men to war to feed the insatiable appetite of this state for military endeavours, because as they know, Britain with out an active military, is just Belgium on stilts. There will then be nothing that the British state can do, which its constituent nations as free countries, couldn't do better.

Without war and the memory of war (dressed up as pacifism and militarism), the British state is an empty vassal.

No more Welsh men fighting British wars!

Eorpa's Back!

2009-11-09T22:47:00.000Z

The best current affairs programme on UK network? It's got to be Eorpa on BBC Alba (the new Gaelic language channel).

Items from across Europe and also Scotland makes this an interesting and insightful series. Much more interesting than anything on S4C or any English language serive and without the 'Europe is cuddly, little nations with their silly languages' feel of Euronews.

For all non-Gaelic speakers - it's no problem. There's on-screen English subtitling. Go over to BBCi and check it out.

Wales in Catalan

2009-09-18T09:31:00.002Z

Being an internationalist movement, the Welsh national movement has close links and affinity with other state-less nations. One of the most successful in terms of political power and language regeneration (not to talk of economy - and yes, there is a link) is Catalonia. And it seems the affinity is reciprocated.

For all those Catalan-speakers, there's a new site about Wales and the other Celtic nations. La Llengua de drac - the dragon's language, surely - is a great addition to the Welsh and Catalan blogesphere. (If, like me, you don't speak Catalan, you can use googletranslate).

There's also an article in the Catalan daily, El Punt about Rhodri Morgan. In it Rhodri tries to outline Wales's insulting and confusing constitional mess to the Catalans - the mess his party got us into to keep happy it's Brit Nat section!

Catalan Town Votes for Independence from Spain

2009-09-15T21:06:00.002Z

Surprised (am I really?!) that none of the 'Welsh' media ran this story. Arenys de Munt, a small town mid-way between Barcelona and Girona in Catalonia, voted for independence from Spain.

The town's mayor held the election.... even though (or because of rather) the fact that Spain won't allow Catalonia to hold such a vote. The Spanish state declares that a vote on independence in 'unconstitutional' - the word 'unconstitutional' is used of course to give their colonial prejudice some semblance of intelligence and legality.

Much the same way as divorce was once 'unconstitutional' or gay rights was 'unconstitutional' or breaking apartheid laws were 'unconstitutional'. Put it in UK terms, under Spain's 'constitution' the Irish (and the Good Friday Agreement) would not be allowed nor would the Scots or us be allowed to hold a referendum on independence! It's all nonsense really.

The Catalans, like the Basques and Galicians, predate the Spanish state and so have a right to leave that state. In fact, had luck (and France) been on their side in the 18th century Catalonia would now be independent like Portugal are.

In any case, a campaign is gathering apace in Catalonia for the right of the Catalan nation to decide its own destiny within or without the Spanish state. Some time the Spanish conquistadors will have to give into democracy in Catalonia like the Basque Country and Galicia.

Cornwall Census - sign up!

2009-09-09T18:13:00.003Z

Saw this piece on the newish www.golwg360.com site about the campaign for a Cornish tick box at the next census in 2011.

Why not go over and join the Facebook group?

Seems to me here in Wales that things are starting to move down in Kernow. That's good news. Together we're stronger. Lot's of respect for Dick Cole and the Mebyon Kernow party... their paper, Cornish Nation, is also better than Plaid Cymru's Welsh Nation!

We are now on Twitter!

2009-09-03T21:50:00.001Z

What's the Point of Britain?

2009-09-03T21:31:00.001Z

Interesting article in The Times by Rachel Sylvester on 1 September. Now that Britain is just a medium-sized state why stick with it? What ever your view on the Lockerby Bomber decision it's interesting to note two facts. It took a Scottish Parliament Minister to stand up to the Americans in a way the 'Brits' never would, what Blair called the 'Love Actually moment' and related to that, the general increasing irrelevance of, or irritation with, Britain which the US feels.

Now that Britain can't offer the glory which always attracts a type of person who just like to be on the winning side, then what does Britain offer? Unlike a Welsh or Irish or Estonian state which are there to foster and promote weaker cultures and languages, the most appealing parts of British identity - comedy and popular music are independent of needing a state. After all, would the independence of four Britannic nations undermine 'British' comedy or pop music? Hardly ... it would probably strengthen it if anything. So, why stick with Britain?

Basically, there's nothing a British state can do which a Welsh or Scottish one can't do just as well or better. Now that the glory and prestige once attached to it is fading it will lose the affection of those fickle people who want to associate themselves with it. There is no point to Britain!

Welsh Baseball

2009-08-20T20:05:00.002Z

At last, after years of waiting, suffering the Brit natfest (or even worse, English nat in Wales fest) which was the Ashes (haven't they bloody finished yet!) we get an item on Welsh news about one of closest things to an indigenous Welsh sport - Baseball.

It was on S4C's news program at 7.30pm Monday 17 August - about 23 minutes into the programme and BBC Wales. Good on Wyre Davies! Of course, this being 'Welsh' media the item was only broadcast because of the lack of support by the Olympic committee towards the game and also because the item was run on Radio 4's Today programme the previous Thursday - if it's been in 'national' (UK) radio then it must be a proper story see boys! It was also featured in the letters pages of the Times.

It's an excellent game, an honest working class game, which is played mostly in Wales (Cardiff and Newport) and Liverpool in England. View Wikipedia page. BBC Wales used to broadcast the annual Wales v England international in the mid 1980s, but that stopped. Why? Clip available on youtube. (ignore the cheesy music!)

I went to a school, like so many, that made us suffer playing cricket. The usual sports personalities of the year would go in to bat and bowl and would be there for the rest of the sports lesson, leaving the rest of us to lust after the girls or if they weren't about be bored rigid. Baseball, by comparison, gives everyone a chance, has no pretences, isn't a class bound English thin ... and yes, it's still an English outpost in Wales - notice the decidedly mute response from 'Welsh' cricket fans to the campaign for a Welsh national cricket team.

Had the BBC and S4C spent just a fraction of the money spent on covering the Ashes in Cardiff on baseball the game would be set up for years. Why isn't it promoted in schools? It's a much more democratic game - everyone participates, size and height doesn't matter, you could easily have mixed sex teams. Why won't the Assembly run with it? Owen John Thomas, Plaid's AM for Cardiff and Valleys, was a keen advocate of baseball. Maybe Mohammad Ashgar being from Pakistan is more inclined towards cricket, but what about good blokes like John Griffiths in Newport or Chris Franks? C'mon boys.

Why won't Golwg360.com or BBC Wales/Cymru news just include the scores - hardly a difficult job - everything else is listed? Don't the Welsh Baseball Union contact these people? How about S4C broadcasting the annual international with England - it can't get worse ratings than some of their programmes, the broadcast rights would be small, it would be a unique sport on the channel and would fill in time? With just a bit of promotional work the game could be played across Wales. Teachers - do the 'pepsi challenge' - give the kids a choice of playing cricket or Welsh Baseball and I'll take no bets which they'll prefer!

So, good to see an item of the final between Grange Albion and Grange Catholics - but next year I'd like to see more coverage on the Welsh media - web, tv and print!

Cymraeg, Quecha, Amara, Guarani - Save Struggle

2009-07-23T20:25:00.004Z

Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia is making history. Not only taking control of the country's natural wealth which goes down well with the Brit left wing, but is also proving that the battle for economic control is the same as the one for dignity of marginalised languages and cultures... something some of our British nationalist friends in the Labour party conveniently forget.

My Spanish is pretty ropey, but from what I gather from this news item, the fantastic President has opened 3 university sites in Bolivia teaching in three of the states languages; Guarani, Quecha (language of the Incas) and Aymara (his people's language). This battle to win rights, dignity and normalising marginalised languages is the same as the fight in Wales or Brittany for Welsh and Breton education.

What serendipity. After denying the need or ability to develop a Coleg Ffederal, funny that Labour, with Plaid in government - and keeping to the One Wales pact, now goes about actually delivering a gear change in university education through Welsh with the delivery of the Coleg Ffederal Cymraeg. Evo Morales is doing the same in Bolivia. The Welsh nationalist project is a world-wide project not the spiteful one so long propagated by some Labour members.

And the proof, well, this item on the www.eblul.org site (the old Eurolang.net site) mentions that the Bolivian Ambassador will visit Machynlleth on 14 August. Why? Well to learn and hear from us Welsh about our struggle for linguistic rights and our efforts to normalise our language in our own country.

Fantastic! Funny, I don't think our Brit Nats friends like the Kinnocks of this world (and some AMs) will have much to contribute to that discussion. No doubt, were they in Bolivia they'd be doom-saying that 'we can't afford this', 'it's divisive', 'should be spent on schools (Spanish/English speaking of course) and hospitals'.

British Labourism has run it's course. It has misread the cultural change which is sweeping across the world. Labourism is a cult of the discredited modernist 20th century a Darwinism of culture and languages. Good riddance to it. It served us badly. Welcome to the new world where Wales talks like friends to Bolivians and Welsh is an asset not a problem. Viva La Revolución - in all our languages! May the conquistadors mentality of Bolivia and British nationalism in Wales perish!

Traning Manual For British Nationalists

2009-07-09T22:25:00.001Z

Hat tip to Scottish side, 1820, for this. Of course substitute Wales for Scotland ... Chinese probably use same arguments in East Turkmenistan; Danes re Greenland; George III re the 13 colonies ... you get the gist!

Mebyon Kernow - Putting Cornwall Back on the Map!

2009-06-05T21:07:00.005Z

BTW doesn't know enough about Cornish politics - why didn't the Welsh media give it some space, not even the eclectic Vaughan Roderick. But in any case, with a blue tide washing across the UK (it would include Wales were there local elections here - don't fool yourself) Mebyon Kernow got three of its members elected.

Especially heartening was the thumping and well-earned vote for MK leader, the 21st century's An Gof, Dick Cole - 78% of the vote! Overall the party managed 4% of the total Cornish vote. A good vote for the Cornish nationalists considering the lack of publicity which MK suffers from (as opposed to bigoted British Nationalists) and the fact that the party didn't stand in many wards. Their vote would undoubtedly have been higher had they fielded more candidates.

It seems the election of the first Cornish unitary authority ... I'd expect the first step to a Cornish Assembly... was a straight battle between LibDems and Tory with the Independent holding up well.
The Tory's took Cornwall which bodes badly for the LibDems at the next General Election. That could be good news for MK if they can garner the anti-Tory vote in the future.

I'm not sure if the MK team are disappointed or not with the election as there was no commentary on their website as this was being written, but from where we're standing it seems they have a lot of work to do but a good platform to work on. MK have done a heroic job to place St Piran's flag flying higher than ever and get a Cornish national agenda on the Cornwall 'county' council. A stronger Cornwall means a stronger Wales.

Kernow bis vykhen!

Greenland Awakes!

2009-06-04T21:17:00.003Z

Change is afoot in Greenland. In a national election held to elect a government as it enters a new enhanced form of self-government within Denmark on 21 June, the voters have gone for a left-of-centre nationalist party Inuit Ataqatigiit, a sort of Greenlandic Plaid Cymru .

This is good news. The voters in Greenland have seen that after 30 years of rule by the more cautious devolution party, they want a new party for a new constitutional set-up... will the same be true of Wales? Lets hope so.

BNW is all for independence for Greenland but as we've written before, we believe that the Danish connection is an important one as trilingualism - Greenlandic, Danish and English is better for a small linguistic community like Greenlandic than bilingualism where the second language, English, is such a strong and potentially fatal one for the smaller language. From the Greenlandic point of view, keeping Danish as a second language would enhance Greenland's independence not undermine it. The lesson from Nunavut, the semi-autonomous Inuit Canadian province next door confirms this. For small linguistic communities like Greenlandic or Welsh isn't that speaking another language is a threat but that speaking only one other language is a threat - it's best for us to be trilingual not bilingual.

It seems, that now the Greenlandic language and community is the dominant one in terms of number and confidence that Danish is no longer a threat. There's a lot to be said then for keeping the Danish connection therefore... a connection which stretches back centuries and is a window on a wider (and quite appealing) Scandinavian culture.

Maybe Greenland could have independence within a Danish commonwealth along with the Faroe Islands - another nation, were it governed by a more powerful linguistic community, English in Scotland or the UK for instance, would have seen it's language lost and economy weaker - see the Shetland islands as a comparison.

In any case - Greenland leads the way where Wales will follow!

Brittany - A Nation Reborn

2009-05-25T19:43:00.002Z

The French Cup Final on Saturday 9 May was anything but French! The two teams in the Final were both Breton; Gwengamp (a small town) and the capital of Brittany, Roazon (Rennes). The euphoria surrounding the event it seems to me will renew Breton confidence and politics for a generation to come. http://cymru-llydaw.blogspot.com/

Not only did the French press make much of the event - the sports daily Equipe gave a Breton make over but the Bretons made most of the day.

The nationalist Parti Breton asked for the Breton national anthem, Bro Goz ma Zadou (Hen Wlad fy Nhadau - literally the same title and same tune as ours) to be sung before the final a la Cardiff City at Wembley last year. Of course, the French wouldn't allow that, but they did allow the Bretons to sing their anthem before the game (that's big of them!) ... and tens of thousands did.

A huge Breton flag the Gwenn ha Du (yes, gwyn a du - white and black) covered a good part of one of the stands and thousands of Breton flags were flown with pride. To tell the truth, I'd be damned if I could see any French tricoleurs being flown by the fans at all.

This is incredible. After two hundred years of the awful French republic which has tried its best to kill off any significant sign of Breton language and culture beyond the folkloric, the events on Saturday prove that the Bretons are a nation reborn. Their flag is the Gwenn ha Du, their anthem is being confirmed as Bro Goz ma Zadou and they're not a cowered and beaten nation which the French have come to expect. That Breton, the nation like Kurdish, so long humiliated by the French like the Kurds by the Turks, is still fighting is proof that the French state has not won.

The Breton, for so long humiliated by the French and the French state (and it is a French state) have turned a corner. There's no turning back. I don't expect Brittany to become independent any time soon, but with this historic football event, the ongoing campaign for the reunification of Naoned (Nantes) with Brittany and the continuing call for Breton status, Brittany is on the march. President Sarkozy stayed away - a quite incredible decision for a head of state. Maybe after implying he'd support reunification of Nantes he didn't want 80,000 booing him and making him keep to his word.

All in all, a historic day for Brittany. A Nation Awakes. Good news for the Breton language and culture and all who believe that the beauty of Europe is the plurality of her languages and her peoples.

Good for Leanne, Alun Ffred and Jenny Randerson

2009-05-25T19:35:00.000Z

Had a quick look at the Western Mail phone around asking the AMs for their view of the Assembly's achievements over the last 10 years.

Wasn't much to say really - Labour spend the first 8 doing as little as possible so as not to upset London. A lot of stuff about the Children's Commissioner - who's done sod all to change the life of any kid in Wales as far as I can see. Some stuff about 'free' (working people pay for it) transport and 'free' prescriptions, and erm, that's it. Not much to boast about. Some of the answers (if important in their own way) were very parochial for a Q&A in national, as opposed to, local paper.

The much-respected John Griffiths, Newport spoke some sense (he usually does) but my hat is donned to Jenny Randerson, Alun Ffred and Leanne Wood for actually saying that one of the achievements of the National Assembly was to do something about one of the biggest things that makes us special and unique as a nation. Not just hospitals, buses nor parking, but the Welsh language. Good on them.

However, one hopes to God that in 10 years time, the Assembly Members will have much more to boast about.

Labour Voters are Racists?

2009-05-25T19:28:00.001Z

So, has Kinnock admitted that a large section of traditional Labour voters are racists when he says the BNP can attract votes from his party?

Is the former Labour leader dog whistling to appeal to the less attractive side of Welsh Labour voters? Can one imagine were Ieuan Wyn Jones to say 'Plaid needs to do something in case our traditional voters go over to the BNP?' Hmm, you can hear the Labour attack dogs barking at the press straight away!

So, how do Labour apologists and members think this sounds to Welsh nationalists (and Tories for that matter)? Years of inane comparisons between Welsh nationalism and racism/Nazism endless quoting of a couple of sentences by Saunders Lewis or misquotes of Dafydd Iwan or Simon Glyn or Dafydd Glyn Jones or any one else who raises any issue other than schoolsandhospitals? It really does grate.

Are most Labour supporters racist? No, I don't think (though a fair number have hostile views towards Welsh medium education). But no, they are not! Are the BNP a threat? Yes. Do I like the BNP? No. Trouble is, after years of having Labour accuse good people who are Welsh nationalists of being xenophobic or racist, I've started thinking to myself, 'hmm, aybe Labour are just calling wolf here too? If they were wrong with Plaid/Cymdeithas/Cymuned over the years, what's to say they're not wrong with the BNP?'

And you know what, it seems to me that a good part of the traditional (read 'white' English-speaking Britishers) of the Welsh Labour party have maybe come, independently and from a different position, to the same conclusion. Labour are to blame for the rise in the BNP. Difference is, I won't be voting for the BNP in June but it seems a lot of Labour people will.

Fantastic Speech

2009-04-16T23:01:00.002Z

Take time out, do yourself a favour, read Adam Price's speech at this year's Plaid Cymru Spring Conference.

How hollow the charges of 'narrow minded' flung towards Welsh nationalists by British nationalists; how Philistine their appreciation of the world's complexity and subtly of language and culture; how ignorant their knowledge of countries, economies and peoples except the Big Boy Nationalists of their own ilk; how Darwinian, wrong-footed, flat-footed, genocidal their actions. How stuck in the past the British nationalists are.

Price puts it better than I ever could. Wales is the future. The politics of the future is the politics of Welsh nationalism. We have much to learn from the world and I say it humbly, maybe some have things to learn from us.

Viva the Welsh nation-state, independent with the Kurds, Tibetans, Greenlanders, Sarahawi, West Papuans, Bretons ... and yes, English, Germans, Russians and Castillians.

South Tirol Against Fascism

2009-04-16T22:56:00.001Z

This is really obscure I know, but taking a look at the www.nationalia.cat website I found the Plaid Cymru and the SNP's grouping in the European parliament, the EFA (which also includes the Greens) has extended it's membership. Among the new members are the Sued Tiroler Freiheit (South Tirol Freedom). South Tirol, of course was cut off for some reason from north Tirol following the First World War as a way of rewarding the Italians for coming in against Austria-Hungary.

The region has more power than our poxy Assembly does (and will for a while unless the leaders of Plaid and Labour get their act together and start campaigning for a Yes vote in the referendum). But people are keen for more power. My German isn't good enough to work out if the STF want actual independence, union with Austria or just more autonomy (grateful for any clarification by German speakers).

In any case, one thing struck me about their website and especially the YouTube video on the right hand side, 'Marsch gegen Faschismus' (March against Fascism). It's obvious that a monument built by Mussolini is upsetting people and they've organised what looks like a very effective rally against the Faschis Denkmal (Fascist Monument). Contrary also to Welsh Labour prejudice (and also some left wingers in Plaid) the traditional costume usually associated with being reactionary and fascistic by some has become a badge of anti-fascism, democracy and rights by the Southern Tirolers. Maybe we Welsh should worry less our Labourist hang-ups (the successful St David's Day parade being a case in point) and confirm our traditional costume a badge of identity and anti-fascism and like in the Tirolean case a badge of anti centralised British/Italian nation statism.

Freiheit fuer Sued Tirol!

Wales and the World

2009-03-30T22:12:00.002Z

No big news, just thought you'd like to see some videos and news from different parts of the world about people's struggle to keep their languages and identity. The politics of the world in the twenty first century will be the politics of Wales.

Flanders
Dutch language under pressure from monoglot French-speakers on Flemish border (Aljazeera):

Abkhazia
An introduction and history (yes, unlike Marx and Engels we at BNW think all nations and languages are valid in their own right)

Greenland
Greenland moves to Independence (Russia Today). BNW is all for it, but as has been posted previously, believe that ditching the Danish language could make Greenlandic more open to linguistic domination by the English language. It makes good linguistic, cultural and economic sense for small language communities to be trilingual.

Amazigh / Berber
We're used to hearing Arabs complaining of discrimination against Arabs by the West and Israel but how often do we hear of Arab discrimination against one of the original inhabitants and languages of the Maghreb, the Berber (Amazigh)? From the first video it's obvious that the Berbers have suffered a 'Welsh Not' in education and that the language of authority has been Arabic. The fact is, Arab-speakers in Israel have more linguistic rights that Berber-speakers in Algeria for instance, something which is rarely mentioned.

The green, blue and yellow are the colours of the Berber flag. There's also a song by Lounes Matoub, the Berber 'Dafydd Iwan'.

Aneurin Glyndŵr Farce

2009-03-29T10:24:00.008Z

I'm aware that quite a lot of the visitors to this site come from outside Wales.

The last posting showed the little-known ideological roots of the contempt of the 'big nation' left-wing chauvinism of people like Eric Hobsbawm and numerous communist and socialist politicians and writers towards the many Bretons, Basques and Gaels (and Welsh) who visit this site (see video clip in previous posting).

For those of you outside Wales it's worth you also seeing how low the British nationalist left wing in Wales - the 'Welsh' Labour party - have stooped. This time, it's not so much ideological as erm, well, embarrassing. The noise you can hear in the background is the 'Welsh' Labour party digging its own grave!

As one person said; they've discarded their ideology, they are bereft of ideas, they have no vision and they're left with being a tribal, childish, spiteful party which would rather hamper self-government for Wales and so be ruled by the Westminster Tories whom they claim to hate so much. Compare this childish website and video (if you can bare to watch it all - I couldn't! - just too embarrassing) with Plaid Cymru's intelligent www.WalesCan.com laying the argument for Wales to become a normal independent nation state.

Plaid = grown-up party
Labour = childish

I really think that this is the beginning of the end of British nationalist project which was Welsh Labour. It's not over yet. But when a once mighty political party has this to offer, and when Peter Hain thinks that this is "Obama moment for Welsh Labour" you know they're on their last legs. A party can't last for too long without some intellectual belief and project.

Needless to say, this video has clogged the bloggersphere and websites in Wales. Here are some of the latest links:

http://owainbevan.blogspot.com/
http://annoyinglypoor.blogspot.com/
http://welshnoted.blogspot.com/2009/03/welcome-aneurin-glyndwr.html
http://heleddfychan.blogspot.com/2009/03/aneurin-glyndwr.html
http://oclmenai.blogspot.com/2009/03/croeso-aneurin-glyndwr_27.html
http://www.anenglishmanscastle.com/archives/007194.html
http://maes-e.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&p=376665
http://wrecsamplaid.blogspot.com/2009/03/welsh-poverty-labour-success-story.html
http://borthlas.blogspot.com/2009/03/its-debate-but-not-as-we-know-it.html
http://guerrilla-welsh-fare.blogspot.com/2009/03/ag-western-mail-reaction.html
http://guerrilla-welsh-fare.blogspot.com/2009/03/things-can-only-get-better.html
http://guerrilla-welsh-fare.blogspot.com/2009/03/from-bad-to-worse.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/betsanpowys/2009/03/labour_versus_the_rest_mark_2.html
http://andrewnutt.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-anuerin-glyndwr-web-site-closet.html
http://thecynicaldragon.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-make-friends.html
http://thecynicaldragon.blogspot.com/2009/03/quote-of-day_27.html
http://freedom-central.blogspot.com/2009/03/aneu-for-aneurin-and-soon-we-shall-all.html
http://merchmerthyr.blogspot.com/2009/03/peter-hain-and-co-have-lost-it.html
http://glyndaviesam.blogspot.com/2009/03/labour-party-making-idiots-of.html
http://welshramblings.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-has-labour-been-this-stupid.html
http://peterblack.blogspot.com/2009/03/things-that-they-say.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/vaughanroderick/2009/03/owainbevan.html
http://devilskitchen.me.uk/2009/03/hain-and-welsh-labours-obama-moment.html
http://cambriapolitico.com/2009/03/piggys-in-the-sht-again/

And here are a few quotes:

"Check it out, if only for a laugh. It's cringeworthy. It's so obvious that they're angry with Plaid for coming up with the idea of Walescan and feel threatened by it. Everything about it is wrong." - Heledd Fychan

"Aneurin Glyndwr - not even funny. What a complete joke. Not worth a meagre link even." - Rhodri ap Dyfrig
"If Aneurin Glyndwr is the best Labour can offer in terms of modern campaigning in Wales then bring on the General Election." - Geraint Day

"Still can't quite believe that 'Aneurin Glyndwr' is an official Labour site. It's a set up job surely?" - Cynical Dragon

"At the moment aneuringlyndwr.com is the internet equivalent of watching your dad dance at a disco." - Peter Black

"Peter Hain said it was Welsh Labour's 'Obama moment'. I think he meant 'Dubya Bush moment'." - Rhydian Fôn

"Anuerin Glyndwr - the new web site - its supposed to be satirical. It's pathetic." - Valleys Mam

And the 'student' behind this project? None other than Leighton Andrews' researcher, and Welsh Assembly pin-up David Taylor. According to Martin Shipron of the Western Mail, he is "feared for his skills on the internet, being seen as one of the most talented disciples of Adrian McMenamin". Internet Skills? Talented? If this is the best Labour have to offer, God help them!

We have blooged about David before, back in 2005. View posts below:

The Roots of Left Wing Racism?

2009-03-23T20:29:00.003Z

We're quite used to hearing some left wing politicians from the imperial or dominant cultures and states like France, Britain, Spain etc accuse the nationalists of the smaller countries of racism. But, the fact is that there is an underlying bigotry if not racism bound up in their world view. If you've ever wondered where the colonial and arrogant attitude of French, Spanish, Chinese or even British left wing nationalists comes from - the kind of racism which always hides behind the veneer of class unity or enlightenment of course then you need to go back to the roots of Marxist theory.

It seems Engels, the founding father of communism with Marx believed that some pre-capitalist nations were 'racial trash' because they were 'two stages away from communism'. Poland likewise had no reason to exist.

Marx said, 'the classes and the races too weak to master the new conditions of life must give way .. they must perish in the revolutionary holocaust'.

Words which are never quoted to you when French or UK left wingers accuse Bretons of being Nazi-sympathisers.

It seems the part of left wing, communist and socialist thinking has a long and, illustrious history of racism towards so-called non-revolutionary nations. This idea that some nations or languages have no worth in their own right and can only justify themselves in their role in 'progressive politics' or if they follow a certain agenda is an echo of this deep attitude of many so called socialists in France, Spain and occasionally the UK.

Marx and Engels' prejudice were the cause for the justification of the deaths of millions and the philosophical antipathy of many towards weaker and 'backward' European languages and cultures.

Three Cheers for Sara Medi Jones!

2009-03-15T00:12:00.002Z

Well done Sara Medi Jones. It must be quite intimidating asking a question to Hillary Clinton especially among all the smug Euro and US press corp, but she made Wales proud (view video below).

She could have chickened out with some question about GM, Gaza, nuclear weapons or another safe 'radical' agenda which Plaid sometimes promote to the detriment of Welsh self-government as they try and prove that they're part of a broader movement. Nothing wrong with that, but if Plaid Cymru won't raise the issue of Welsh independence or language rights - then who will? Her simple forthright question - a lesson to some Plaid AMs and MPs - made the news in Catalonia... but not the useless BBC Wales (must be some cat stuck up a tree).

So, Sara goes up to the mark and asks the world's most important woman, what her views are on independence for nations like Wales, Scotland and Catalonia? Of course some members of the press corp snigger - you know, Wales, Wales for heaven's sake, having ideas above their station? What, more food Oliver, more?! No doubt, the same kind of attitude which fills the ranks of Brit Nat Welsh and Scottish Labour MEP's. But Sara stood her ground.

Clinton wasn't supportive - but then George Bush Snr famously told the Lithuanians and Ukrainians to stay part of the USSR but had to eat humble pie a few months later. But she's not against the idea either. We're not going to get independence any day soon but the principle has been made. The USA see it as an internal matter for the 'nation states'. If the UK or Spain can sort it out then they won't oppose.

The Brit and Spanish Nats will talk of constitutions (even though the UK hasn't really got one!). But constitutions can change. Would the Labour Brit Nats stop campaigning for a woman's right to an abortion, or gay marriage rights, or for segregation or women's vote ... because it's in the constitution?! Or is independence for Wales, Scotland, Catalonia etc the only part of a constitution they wouldn't change?

In any case. Three cheers for Sara Medi for retaining Wales' honour - unlike our First Minister who managed to embarrass his American hosts this week. And three cheers for Hillary Clinton for not being a patsy to British and Spanish nationalist agendas. Clinton supports democracy after all.

On the Right Road!

2009-03-10T22:13:00.005Z

Plaid's new www.walescan.com website is just fantastic. A political party which actually maps out where they want Wales to be not in two or five years, but twenty. At last, we're starting to have the self confidence to take the first steps to being a proper nation.

Adam Price explains why we are the WalesCan generation

Of course, the British nationalists will rubbish it and talk Wales down - no news there. But I think we're on to something. My hunch? In the same way that the First World War initially saw a strengthening of the existing 'nation' states and empires - Russia, Austria-Hungary, Britain, as the war progressed other radical voices, voices which just a couple of years earlier were seen as marginal, maverick or extremist - Czech, Irish, Estonian, Slovene nationalists - became mainstream and ultimately it was their prescription and their assessment of the future course of their nations which won the day.

Why do some peddle the myth that being pro-Welsh independence means you're anti-English?

Thank heavens, the present recession/depression is as nothing of the scale and carnage of WWI, but I've got a sneaky feeling that the initial strengthening of Britishness will wane. After all, Britishness has decreased with every recession in the last hundred years.

Plaid's bold and high-risk WalesCan.com website and strategy may seem foolhardy to some now, but I reckon, give a few years and it will become mainstream.

Myfanwy Davies looks at how Independence would affect her community – Llanelli

My only plea for Plaid is to stop being so timid and so referential towards the British nationalists. As Adam Price notes in his blog, Brit Nat MP, Albert Owens, wants to see the end of a Welsh football team, or is at least willing to jeopardise it for the sake of British nationalism and nation building. Why doesn't Adam or the other Plaid MP's and AM's refer to Albert (who's a nice enough chap) as British nationalists? Is there still a lingering lack of self-confidence, or self-censorship within the Plaid elite, a deep fear of Labour? I don't know. In any case, if fighting for an independent Welsh football team is Welsh nationalist, then it stands to reason that fighting for an independent British football team is British nationalist. Come on - "hyder yn ein hunain" as they say in Welsh - confidence in ourselves.

More of CanWales and more of calling British nationalists by their true description - British nationalists!

Galician Warning for Plaid

2009-03-08T19:44:00.002Z

Sunday's election for the Galician Xunta (assembly) in the Spanish State should stand as a warning to Plaid.

Since 2005, for the first time ever, the 'regional' assembly in Galicia had been run by a Socialist - Nationalist coalition. By doing so they broke an unbroken tradition of Galicia being run by the right wing PP - heirs to Franco. However, on Sunday, the loss of one seat each by the PSdeG (Galician Socialist party alligned to Spanish Socialists, PSOE) and the BNG Gallician nationalist parties saw the PP return.

One of PP's first decision is the 'depoliticise' nursery education - Spanish nationalist New Speak for reversing a strategy of promoting the Galician language in education - promoting Spanish at the disadvantage of Galician is, obviously, not political (!).

The BNG had just 4 years to try and implement new policies to reverse the fortune of the Galician language and culture. Plaid could be in the same situation in 2011. Plaid AM's need to look at this term in government as possibly their only term in government for ten or maybe twenty years. If Plaid were to 'lose' in 2011 - which is possible even if Plaid win more seats - then what will Plaid have achieved in 4 years in government.
The message is - don't delay for 2012 what can be done now, or needs to be done now - Language LCO, referendum on further power to Wales, sort out education in Welsh, council housing, rail improvements and expansion etc. Treat every term in office as now or never!

Saint Piran's Day - March 5th - Patron Saint of Cornwall

2009-03-05T21:41:00.001Z

St Piran's Day march in Truro, Cornwall (05/03/2009)

Saint Piran or Perran (traditionally in Cornwall, saints are simply named, without this title) is an early 6th century Cornish abbot and saint, supposedly of Irish origin. He is generally regarded as the Patron Saint of Cornwall.

Dydh Sen Pyran Lowen!

St David's Day Success

2009-03-03T22:11:00.000Z

Congratulations to all those responsible for organising the 6th St David's Day parade in the capital. A truly excellent and life affirming event! Have a look at the videos on the site. Well done to Cardiff City Council, the Assembly, HLW Insurance, the Arts Council and Celtfest for sponsoring.

Plenty of people, music of different kinds - the newly formed, Breton-inspired Bagad Morgannwg leading the parade; our Breton cousins in their costumes (pity they forgot the Gwenn ha Du flag so that the thousands that lined the streets could learn about Brittany), excellent music by Samba Galez drummers, athletic young people on those bouncy stilts things and just loads of people - families, oldies, one or two eccentrics (always a good sign!) and even some respectable people. In fact every type was there .... except anyone from the 'Welsh' Labour party.

Heavens, how anti-Welsh do you have to be to boycott a St David's Day parade?

Ah, well, as one person said, their loss. Wales is marching on without Labour, we'll allow them to wallow in 1930s and 1940 nostalgia whilst the rest of us get on with building a new, inclusive, colourful Wales, a Wales proud of its culture and history and not afraid to show it. Life's too short to be in the so-called Welsh Labour party.

Wales is on the march, with a big smile on her face, and Labour is having a big sulk about it!

Great also to see the first St David's Day parade in Wrexham - things are moving in the North East. Swansea next year! As the Irish song goes - 'Northmen, Southmen, Comdrades all!'

Not so Faroe Away

2009-02-22T22:48:00.002Z

Sorry about the pun. Keeping with the international themes I've been alerted to some interesting stuff about the Faroes. It seems among all the economic crisis there is one (fairly) stable financial oasis - the Faroe Islands in the north Sea - midway between Shetland, Norway and Iceland.

The Islands have Home Rule government but are still part of Denmark - granted to them in 1948 despite the electorate voting for independence. The population is a shade below 50,000 (yes, that's 50,000 - about the same as Ynys Môn). Their financial situation is robust enough to have offered Iceland a loan a following the collapse of that country's banks. Accord to some reports it's now among the safest places to keep your money.

One reason for the fairly sound financial situation is that the Islands themselves witnessed a financial catastrophe in the mid 1990s which saw one her banks close and up to 5,000 people (10% of the population) emigrate - mostly to Denmark.

Since then, the Islands have picked themselves up and as part of a continual move for more power and less dependence on Denmark are actually receiving less money annually from Denmark. That's a sign of a proud and industrious people. It would do Wales no end of good to work out a phasing of any 'subsidy' (though what is termed a subsidy is open to discussion) and stand on our own two feet. After all, we have to learn to swim some day and someday, taking off the armbands and being solely responsible for the income we raise and spend would be the best answer for generating an entrepreneurial spirit in Wales - better than any government agency, 'one stop shops' or grants.

I'm also informed that the Islands were also recently voted the most appealing in the world by the National Geographic.

In any case, if you'd like to know more about this great little country, speaking their own language (less than 10% the number of Welsh speakers) and with a soccer team even less successful than Wales, why not tune into the newly launched weekly podcast. Some interesting things on #4 about the history and political situation there.

10,000 Catalans to March on Brussels

2009-02-16T21:56:00.003Z

Once you've been on the St David's Day parade in the capital, you may wish to go another parade - this time in Brussels

I've just been alerted to a massive campaign in the Catalan Countries to march on the European Capital on 7 March to demand the right of the Catalan nation to chose their own constitutional future. The organisers are aiming for 10,000 persons to travel from Catalonia to Brussels for the march... and seem to be on target!

At the moment, the Spanish constitution has made it illegal to hold a referendum on succession from the Spanish state. So, although this right is part of the Good Friday Agreement in the UK and one supposes were Wales or Scotland to wish so, then we could also hold a referendum to leave the UK. This basic right doesn't exist in Spain. This illogical decision is one reason for the continued violence in the Basque Country.

If the Spanish constitution gave the historic nations which make up the Spanish state (nations which precede that state) the right to a democratic vote, then any legitimacy which ETA claims to have would have been taken from beneath their feet. It would then be the job of ETA's supporters to make a peaceful case as to why the Basque country should gain independence.

Unfortunately, the Spanish Cortes voted down the Basque premiere Ibarretxe's bill on the right to a vote on 'free association'. Making Ibarrexte a nationalist of WAJ-PNV party (the SDLP-type party) look stupid, and give credibility to the ETA supporters who say Spain will never democratically allow the Basques the right to chose.

Fortunately, there is no ETA-type militant wing in Catalonia. However, the Spanish elite are stalling many agreed principles in the New Statute which the Catalans campaigned and won a few years ago.

It's a basic questions. What moral right does the Spanish state, which was formed in 1492, have to deny nations which precede that state, the right to independence? It's a right which the west didn't recognise for the USSR, the Habsburg Empire, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Ireland nor countless other nations. Should we only recognise those states which existed in 1492?

Why not take a Draig Goch flag and take a trip to Brussels in support of our Catalan friends?

Visca Catalunya - Cymru am Byth!

Rhys Williams 2

2009-02-11T22:04:00.003Z

The more I think about it, the more I believe Plaid Cymru should have made a political issue of Rhys Williams's article in Barn.

At the time I believed that it was best that Plaid let the matter rest, content that Rhys had given himself enough rope. There is also the matter of free speech and of an avoidance to go back to poisonous cesspit which was Welsh politics in 2001/02 when Labour pounced on any comment, and with faux horror and no irony, turned them into some supposed Nazi/racist spleen.

In fact, Rhys Williams, for all his hatred of Plaid Cymru and nationalism (that's the Welsh version not the British version of the Labour party), should go on his knees and thank Plaid for not playing sixth form politics with his silly comments. But were Plaid wrong to be so magnanimous?

Yes!

Rhys Williams's comments, which belie the deep-felt feelings of many Labour people, is in the same intellectual tradition which allowed Stalin to unleash his man-made famine on Ukraine, the Holodomor. It's right for Plaid to point the direct line between Rhys Williams's thoughts and Stalin's actions.

The deep-set prejudice is all there: dislike of 'peasantry' or country people; a feeling of superiority of the 'intellectual', forward thinking urban society as set against the 'conservatism' right wing of the country folk. A suspicion that these country people speak their own language (Welsh / Ukrainian) to cut others out of their closed society. Their inability to see the enlightened benefits of Labour/International Communism/Stalinism. Their supposed counter-revolutionary insistence on keeping a language and culture which is used to undermine this enlightenment left-wing movement.

Armed with this intellectual certainty inherited from the communist and socialist high-priests, Stalin could starve the Ukrainian population, safe in the knowledge that the phase of dehumanising them had already been done through hundreds and thousands of books and pamphlets extolling the virtues of the urban proletariat against the supposed selfish, religion-obsessed conservatism of the country people - those kolkols not sensible enough to see the virtues of collectivisation. Stalin killed millions all in the name of equality, internationalism, modernism and anti-nationalism of course.

Stalin's effort to wipe our the bourgeois middle-class of the smaller nations of the USSR (see crachach in Labour speak) is also part of William's strategy. He attacks the Welsh middle class but doesn't suggest changing them or putting anything in their place. The strategy is to eliminate a self-conscious Welsh-speaking middle class (' bourgeois intellectuals' in Stalin speak) because of their threat to communist/Labour hegemony. Leaving us with a middle-class which is identical in culture and political outlook to the accepted metropolitan 'norm'.

Rhys Williams's is perfectly in line with the beliefs which underpinned Stalinism. For some reason this is conveniently overlooked by Plaid whilst all discussions by Labour of Welsh nationalism, from keeping Welsh a living community language in Gwynedd, to Welsh medium education in Cardiff, has that 'knowing look' that Welsh nationalism is but one step away from cattle-trucks and gas chambers. Labour really hasn't moved on. Worse still, gets away with this by a compliant BBC.

Rhys isn't Stalin, but his prejudice towards the Welsh speaking community and especially that of rural Wales belies the same pathology and hatred which was the warm sea in which Stalin swam. There's no use pointing out the contradictions and mistakes in Rhys's world view.

His rather bizarre section in the article which implies that urban people (an idealised version of the Valleys of his youth in this instance) are more egalitarian than country folk is contradicted by all social report which point to the fact that the South Wales Valleys are very socially as well as economically conservative. The line that rural societies are right wing when his government has been hand in glove with the greed of the City is beyond a joke. It's an irony which communist nomenklatura habitually threw up to smear any meaningful discussion on economic reform and power-structures.

Plaid; Elin Jones, Adam Price, should have made the link between Rhys Williams's pathology and Stalin's. Only then will we start to see some humility, some realism and some common sense in Labour's discussion of Wales and Welshness. As it is Labour can get away with the big lie that Welsh nationalism is but one train-stop away from Nazism willfully ignorant of the common link between their prejudices and Stalin's atrocities.

Bizarre is the only word

2009-02-06T23:24:00.005Z

Rhys Williams, Labour PPC Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, has decided to write an article for Welsh language monthly, Barn, saying that although he likes individual Welsh-speakers he doesn't like the Welsh speaking community. Moreover, despite his back-tracking on Radio Wales, he accuses Welsh-speakers of being elitist and trying to cut people out.

One can only guess that this 'elitism' or 'cutting people out' is the insistence of Welsh speakers to, erm, speak Welsh in Wales and not to turn to English, or turn all their clubs and societies into English whenever a non-Welsh speaker comes close to the radar. If Williams knew Welsh speaking society as well as he should, he'd know that it's usually the other way round; Welsh societies, clubs, social networks turning to English ... not the English turning to Welsh.

He goes on, as evidence, to sight Gwynfor Evans's experience when he arrived at Aberystywth university in the 1930s (as described in Rhys Evans's book on Gwynfor, which is now available in English).

Evans, a native of Barry who'd lost his Welsh (because of the socio-political-cultural climate of Barry at the time - i.e. it wasn't cool nor kosher to speak Welsh) was keen to relearn the language. However, a native Welsh-speaker from Bala who was to be his mentor, couldn't be bothered and refused to speak Welsh to Evans. Rhys Williams thinks this is hilarious. Other Welsh-speakers think it's rather sad... and I'd imagine many speakers of other minority languages like Tibetan, Breton, Inuit who are all too familiar with language death would too.

So Rhys Williams celebrates the ignorant Bala boy for refusing to allow Gwynfor Evans to join Welsh language society (by making sure Evans' never become proficient in Welsh) but at the same time, Rhys Williams accuses Welsh speakers, or Welsh nationalists in particular, of acting like a clique and not allowing others to join their club! So, refusing to speak Welsh makes you enlightened, open and egalitarian; speaking Welsh makes you closed or elitist?!?

The whole article just doesn't make sense.

Well, it does make sense. The Labour party is just institutionally anti-Welsh. It just can't handle modern, secular, contemporary Welsh speaking society. It can only handle Welsh-speaking society which is stuck somewhere around 1955 - keeping Welsh to places which knows it's place - chapel and hearth. A Welshness which is serf-like in its embarrassment of its own sound.

Rhys obviously feels uncomfortable in Welsh-speaking company. He's tried to back-track on Radio Wales, but it's obvious from his original article that he believes Welsh-speakers are just being awkward.

We could follow Rhys's line of thought (well, maybe not, because it doesn't follow any logic) and get rid of all these 'closed' societies, mason like, institutionally anti-English as he says. That would be quite easy - you get rid of papurau bro, Welsh gigs, Welsh chapels, Welsh schools, Welsh clubs, Merched y Wawr, Welsh radio, Welsh television etc. And you'd have no more Welsh domains or Welsh 'masons' as Rhys says... you'd also have no Welsh language. And lets be honest, that's what Rhys is really suggesting, that's the end game.

Rhys, as a Labour party member, feels excluded from modern secular Welsh language society. That's a pity... but this is a conscious decision by the Welsh Labour movement not to engage in any meaningful way with Welsh-speaking society. Labour members were irrelevant to the formation of the papurau bro. Why? I don't know, a community-lead, not-for-profit newspaper should have been up Labour's 'socialist' street. But that would have meant doing stuff in Welsh and that would have meant engaging thoughtfully with the future of Welsh not just sniggering like a school boy because Welsh-speakers weren't passing Welsh on to their children.

Labour sees no problem in not passing Welsh on to children. They see no social, economical, cultural nor political reason for these micro, individual decisions. And because of that, they see no need to spend time preparing the papur bro, organising a Welsh language gig, running a Welsh language youth club, speaking Welsh to Welsh learners.

Labour is totally irrelevant to modern Welsh language society, because Labour have decided to be so. Labour have opted out of creating a Labour Welsh language society. That's why Labour's vote has collapsed in Welsh-speaking Wales. That's why I increasingly believe Labour will not be the biggest party in Wales following the next Assembly election. Welsh society, both Welsh-speaking and non-Welsh speaking have moved on, leaving Rhys Williams and the Labour party stuck somewhere in 1955.

Tivy Side Observer - Welsh language slur condemned
welshramblings.blogspot.com - Labour stirring up anti-Welsh sentiment?
Borthlas - Biting the hand that you want to feed you
Guerrilla Welsh-Fare - Treat 'Em Mean....
Have a look at the Dragons Eye report on this. It’s 18.30mins in.
BBC Cymru'r Byd - Iaith: 'Corddi'r dyfroedd'

Cylchgrawn Barn - Dwi'n casau'r Cymry Cymraeg
Y Prysgodyn - Lemon i arwain ymgyrch chwerw
Blogmenai - Rhys Williams eto
Vaughan Roderick, BBC - Pregeth Rhys

I guess Adam Price's majority will be 10,000+ next time round!

2005 Result in Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Plaid Cymru: 17561 (45.9%)
Labour: 10843 (28.3%)
Conservative: 5235 (13.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 3719 (9.7%)
UKIP: 661 (1.7%)
Other: 272 (0.7%)
Majority: 6718 (17.5%)

Welsh Language LCO

2009-02-03T17:11:00.006Z

Is this some kind of joke? On the day Heritage Minister makes announces that the Welsh Government wish to legislate on the Welsh language, up pop the usual suspects (Labour's Paul Murphy and some Chamber of Commerce/CBI bloke) saying that we need to be mindful of the business sector.

Is Murphy totally shameless? The Labour Government - his government - has chucked £400bn down the drain because of their incompetence and obsession with the great British 'City' is telling us we can't have equal rights for Welsh and English in our own bloody country, in case it affects adversely on the economy?!

Why doesn't Alun Ffred tell him to take a running jump and put his own financial house in order? The UK and Welsh economy is going down the toilet not because WAG believe that large companies which get £200k out of our money should give some service to some of those tax payers; it's going down the pan because of the British nationalists infatuation with the City. This infatuation is built because British nationalism needs a bloated City to prop up it's own self-worth.

And then the CBI bloke comes out with the usual line. This is the same CBI which miserably failed to predict the financial crisis and told us the minimum wage would bring on a plague of locusts? Why do the BBC still insist on interviewing these people - they're totally discredited. They're just a pressure group in smart suits. Why not ask Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg their view on the economy - it could hardly have been worse than the CBI... nor Labour's.

Ann Beynon of BT would 'prefer Welsh language services to remain voluntary.' Ann, I'd prefer taxes were voluntary too - but hey, life's a bitch eh? You've got a license to print money from the state you can now pay that state back for that right.

Murphy's Labour Party and the CBI are two totally discredited bodies in search of a role. They should spend more time sorting out the economy, and stop lecturing a democratically elected Welsh government which believes the future of the Welsh language should be in the hands of a Welsh government.

It's time Alun Ffred told them a few home truths and spoke in plain English the next time they try and 'advise' us.

A Comprehensive Language Measure – Demand more for the people of Wales!
cymdeithas.org
Publication of LCO is a start – but also an obstacle on the road to full linguistic rights.

Welsh language LCO petition
plaidcymru.org
If you support the transfer to the Assembly the necessary power to confirm official status for both Welsh and English

Welsh language bid for Assembly sparks fears over firm cost
South Wales Evening Post
PLANS for the Assembly to be given the power to compel private firms to use the Welsh language in their dealings with customers have received a mixed

Can the law protect the language?
Daily Post
The Welsh Assembly Government now wants the power to make laws to promote the Welsh language, partly to extend a responsibility on those in the private

Language Commissioner must be independent, say Tories
WalesOnline
Tory AM David Melding supported the key Labour-Plaid Cymru goal of appointing a commissioner to protect and promote the Welsh language, but called for him ..

Language choices for all
WalesOnline
We have started the process this week of applying for the responsibility to legislate over the Welsh language to transfer from Westminster to the Assembly ..

Let weans speak oot in oor ain guid Scots leid
The Herald
The Welsh language has always had more political overtones than Scots. It has long been a potent symbol of identity, not least when the people of Wales felt ..

Bid for Welsh language responsibilities ‘common sense
Tivyside Advertiser
Plaid Cymru’s Elin Jones AM has welcomed the One Wales Government’s bid for responsibility to legislate to promote use of the Welsh language as a ‘common ..

What's the Welsh for red tape?
Telegraph.co.uk
The Assembly has drafted a legislative competence order (LCO) which would give it the power to require private firms to use the Welsh language, whether they ...

Post employees would be affected by language legislation
WalesOnline
The organisation has been developing bilingual services for a decade through its Welsh language scheme. Telecoms workers for BT and utilities workers at ...

Business may opposes it, but the assembly government
guardian.co.uk
The vocabulary used and the positions adopted hardly change at all – and especially so when it comes to legislation relating to the Welsh language. ...

Iaith: Cais am fwy o bwerau
BBC Cymru'r Byd
Mae Llywodraeth y Cynulliad wedi dechrau'r broses o wneud cais i gael mwy o bwerau dros yr iaith Gymraeg...

Cam diweddara brwydr hir
BBC Cymru'r Byd
Cyhoeddiad cais Llywodraeth y Cynulliad am bwerau i ddeddfu yn achos yr iaith Gymraeg yw'r cam diweddara yn y frwydr hir i gael statws swyddogol..

Public services will mind their language
WalesOnline
The organisation has been developing bilingual services for a decade through its Welsh language scheme. Telecoms workers for BT and utilities workers at ...

Battle lines are drawn on historic day for language
WalesOnline
DEEP tensions shot to the surface yesterday as the Assembly Government outlined the powers it will seek from Westminster over the Welsh language. ...

Time is right for mature language conversation
WalesOnline
IVEN its long gestation period and the frantic rumours about what it would contain, one could be forgiven for expecting the Welsh Language LCO to set the ..

Law would force firms to use Welsh language
Independent
Ministers in Cardiff yesterday began seeking the right to legislate over the Welsh language when they unveiled a long-awaited request to transfer powers ...

Private firms are be ordered to provide services in Welsh
Telegraph
Suppliers of utilities could be forced to use the Welsh language when they provide services, under plans being put forward by the Welsh Assembly. ..

Private firms and utility companies forced to offer services
Daily Mail
Utilities and private firms in Wales could be forced to print all their bills and literature in both English and Welsh...

Bid to safeguard right to speak Welsh
News Wales
A move to create a truly bilingual Wales by transferring powers over the Welsh language from Westminster to the Assembly Government was announced today. ...

Welsh Assembly wants power over language issues
Daily Post
ASSEMBLY ministers are expected to launch a formal bid today for the transfer of powers to pass laws over the Welsh language in Wales. ...

Welsh language plan for private firms
WalesOnline
Under the 1993 Welsh Language Act, public sector bodies are legally obliged to communicate with the public through Welsh and English. .

Welsh language legal bid starts

BBC News
Ann Beynon from BT says the telecom company would prefer Welsh language services to remain voluntary. A bid by the Welsh Assembly Government for more powers ...

Elis Thomas on 'significant day'

BBC News
Lord Elis Thomas, assembly presiding officer, said the bid for Wales to make its own laws on the Welsh language was a "hugely significant day".

Scrap the Welsh Affairs Select Committee
WalesOnline
And that’s why we can expect an almighty ding-dong after tomorrow, when the long-awaited Welsh Language LCO sees the light of day. ..

Language move needn’t be an excuse to re-run tired old rows
WalesOnline
I MAKE it 18 months since the Labour-Plaid coalition in the Assembly announced they wanted new powers over Welsh language legislation. ..

El Gobierno galés presenta hoy una ley para impulsar el uso
El Confidencial, Sbaen
Desde la aprobación en 1993 del llamado Welsh Language Act (Ley sobre el Gaélico), que equiparaba esa lengua, de origen celta, al inglés en el sector .

Will You Be There?

2009-01-30T22:03:00.002Z

St David's Day falls on a Sunday this year, so you have no excuse for not being at the annual national St David's Day parade in the Capital.

The parade starts from the National Museum at 1.00 and finishes at the steps of the Senedd. It's been sponsored by Cardiff City Council and the Assembly as well as Cambria magazine the Welsh Arts Council, Felinfoel Celtfest and more.

I wonder if there will be any representation from the Labour Party this year? It would be a first. Or are Labour AM's still of the opinion that St David is too Welsh and just a touch racist ... odd as representatives of Wales's ethnic minorities and various religions were there last year.

Oh, well, their loss. Last year's parade was a great festival of inclusive and proud Welshness - too much for the Brit Nats obviously!

Come on, join in - St David belongs to all who are proud to celebrate a positive and confident Welshness with no chips on their shoulders!

Britanny - Wales, Two Nations, One Struggle

2009-01-11T20:30:00.003Z

Some in Wales tend to think of Brittany as a poor relation to Wales. It's true their language is weaker but then, they've been under the thumb of the fascistic policies of the French Republic for two hundred years. The state which claims to be for Equality and Fraternity and Liberty, but under those words have decided on a deliberate policy of killing the Breton language or any meaningful cultural and political Breton identity. It's no coincidence that the Turkish republic sees the French constitution as it's template for denying rights to the Kurds and that the Chinese and Russians also use the same Newspeak as the French.

But things are moving in Brittany.

The campaign 4 4=BZH website supports the movement to join the department of Naoned (Nanates) with Brittany. 44 by the way is the number for the Nantes department. In much the same way as we had the nonsense of 'Wales and Monmouth' until a few decades ago, the Bretons have to live with this problem too. Nantes was once the capital of Brittany but was cut off from the country by the collaborationist Vichy Government in 1941.

The French are so ready to attack any concession to Breton with the old argument that some Breton's worked with the Germans (in much the same way as other east European nations did in order to gain rights which was denied them by the Soviets). The Germans at least offered some education in Breton - obviously too much for the 'enlightened' French. This year's procession in support of reunification brought over 10,000 to the streets of Naoned. Here are a few clips from Youtube.

Naoned is also Cardiff's twin town, maybe Plaid Councillors there could support the Nantes council who voted to rejoin Brittany - not that France would allow democracy to get in the way of their policy of killing off Breton identity. Why doesn't Neil McEvoy and the group write to support the council's effort to rejoin Brittany?

The other interesting campaign is the one for status for the Breton language. A mayor in the west of Brittany wants to change Breton street names into French ones (sound familiar). Yes, the mayor is using the ignorance and arrogance of French speakers as an excuse to kill off Breton. Read the article here and sign the petition here!

Maybe here again Alun Ffred Jones as Heritage Minister, and in keeping with the Memorandum signed between Wales and Brittany to further cultural cooperation, can invite the Mayor to see how bilingualism works. Why not? What's the point of being a Minister if not to help other languages like Breton? I'm sure the Mayor wouldn't turn down the opportunity. Why not invite a delegation of Breton mayors over - a selection of 20 or so Bretons visited Wales on another similar official a few years ago. What of Cymdeithas Cymru-Llydaw (Wales Brittany Society) - have they petitioned Alun Ffred or been in touch with him?

The Bretons are on the march!

Rhodri Morgan Wants to See End of Wales

2008-12-30T20:48:00.002Z

Good to see some AMs have the dignity of Wales and Welsh sport close to their heart. Plaid AM Chris Franks is one of the few who've taken an interest in the latest effort by the British nationalist Labour Party to rub Wales off the world map.

We all know Gordon Brown wants to get rid of any Scottish international identity now it seems Rhodri Morgan, our First Minister, is also happy for Wales to disappear from the world stage just like Poland was in the 19th century.

After all, Morgan is never short to give his view on any sporting achievement ... he'll give a pass by pass account on Welsh rugby or the Ryder Cup, but the sporting patriot has kept uncharacteristically quiet about the fate of the Welsh football team and efforts to coerce it into signing its own death warrant by joining the British nationalist project which is team Team GB.

Where does Morgan stand on this? Is he with the British nationalists or is he, as First Minister of Wales, going to back the Football Association of Wales who recognise a pearl-handled Colt 45 when it's pointing to their forehead.

Time to be a man Morgan and make yourself counted. Time to takes sides. Are you for British nationalism and the death of Welsh international football or are you going to support your country - the job which you're paid handsomely to do?

Abkhazia

2008-12-27T14:53:00.003Z

It's not very often I read the London Review of Books and it's not very often I read an article about Abkhazia, especially a balanced one.

But Neal Ascherson's article in the current issue of the 'London Review of Books' caught my eye for its even-handedness, lack of frothing anti-Russian or anti-Georgian rhetoric and for raising a fundamental question. Ignore Putin's power-games and geo-political manoeuvrings behind Russia's recognition of Abkhaz independence, why shouldn't the West also recognise Abkhazia?

To champion the territorial integrity of Georgia is like championing the territorial integrity of the USSR, Spain, Austria-Hungary or any other state. The Abkhazians aren't Georgians, they're not a colonial implant which moved there with the power of a larger colonial power behind them, they're not a totally imagined community which is used as a proxy to undermine a colonised nation. They're an indigenous nation with their own language, history and will.

As Welsh nationalists we support independence of Georgia and their ability to chose their own leaders free of Russian interference, but we should also support the same principle to Abkhazia. After all, the Georgians bombed their national archives. Would Wales wish to be governed by a state which bombed its National Library? What more graphic image does one need that a state is incapable of governing another people if it decides to wipe out the memory and history of that people? If the Abkhazians are supporting Russia it's only because nobody else will help them. Wouldn't we Welsh do the same if no other state supported us?

As Welsh people we should recognise the independence of Abkhazia. Were the West to recognise Abkhazia, what defence would Putin have against recognising Chechnya's independence and Georgia's right to chose its own government?

It's time to talk, and it's time to be honest.

Greenlandic - Stronger After Independence?

2008-12-02T20:10:00.002Z

I welcome Greenland's move towards independence. As a Welsh nationalist I'm also a Kurdish nationalist, a Tibetan nationalist as well as Breton, Basque ... and Greenlandic.

We're very different of course, but also there are many similarities. Whilst I hope for Greenland's independence and a thriving Greenlandic language I have once concern.

My concern is that having Danish as an official language has in many respects in recent years, strengthened Greenlandic. That is, once the tipping point was passed in the 1970s, Danish was never strong enough to kill off Greenlandic. The fact that native Inuit became bilingual with Danish strengthened their language rather than weaken it. Danish became just another language, another asset among many possible languages and language skills, the prime one being of course, English.

My fear is this; come independence Greenland will only have English as the second language as Danish will be discarded (as it was in Iceland following their independence in 1944). That could undermine Greenlandic in a way Danish never did as English becomes the only 'other' language. An all-powerful 'other' reality.

The danger for small languages like Welsh (and possibly Greenlandic) isn't that Welsh was conquered by another language (English) but it was conquered by only one language. It would have been a strength for the Welsh language if our people also spoke another language on top of English and Welsh - Spanish, French etc. The ability to communicate in more than two languages makes the weaker indigenous language stronger not weaker. Their language is evidently just one among many linguistic possibilities. When a weaker linguistic community becomes bilingual in just one other (stronger) language, then the indigenous language is always in the orbit of the stronger, always in its shade always as a comparison to it.

So, independence to Greenland. But for tactical as well as cultural plurality and diversity, don't give up on Danish!

Greenland Now - Green Green Grass of Home Next?

2008-11-26T23:41:00.003Z

OK, sorry, very bad title, but in any case, congratulations to Greenland for voting so overwhelmingly to transfer more powers from Copenhagen to Nuuk.

They're now well on their way to independence and even have a timescale for it - 2030 - 300 years since they were incorporated into the Kingdom of Denmark.

Now, if Greenland, a nation of 57,000 people, speaking what many of our fellow-country men would probably call 'a silly language which nobody speaks', has the confidence to have more power, what the hell is stopping Wales?

Are Welsh Labour AMs so weak that they won't even come out fighting for the One Wales 'Yes' Vote - which will give Wales less power than Greenland? Heaven bless the Greenlanders that they don't have their own version of Welsh Labour MPs in Copenhagen begrudging and thwarting every move towards more power and self-respect.

Why doesn't Wales have a schedule for independence - lets say 2030 too? Although, after being patronising and smug towards Iceland, I don't see Gordon 'Brit Nat' Brown quite so smug now that it's obvious he, nor the UK, has any clothes. The present economic crisis in the West is the fall of our Berlin Wall. The old 'big' states; UK, Spain, Denmark can't defend us - why stay with them?

Greenland now, but keep an eye on the Faroe Islands, Flanders, the Basque Country (where Spain refused to allow them to hold a democratic free referendum on independence a few weeks ago) etc. The dominoes will fall and the tide of history is too strong for British nationalists like Brown.

BNP Members List

2008-11-20T22:42:00.002Z

Not sure what to do about the leak of the BNP members list. After having New Labour members attack decent Welsh people as 'racists' and 'xenophobes' and hear Labour AMs demanding that Prof Dafydd Glyn Jones not to be allowed to speak at the Assembly in 2001, I'm not really impressed when I hear the same Labour people using this members list to their own advantage.

Labour's tactic of smearing everyone with the word 'racists' etc has only achieved in belittling the word and its actions - and that's a grave mistake.

I simply take no notice any more if I hear a politician or writer accuse someone of being racist. How do I know they are? Maybe they're just ordinary decent people who Labour have decided to hound like they did to Simon Glyn, Dafydd Glyn and anyone else with a name including Glyn... or who doesn't follow Labour's Thought Police.

In any case, now that some of the BNP's topics: controlling immigration, Gordon Brown's allegiance to the Union Jack, promoting the English language, controlling borders etc etc. are main-stream shouldn't we also see the leaked names of Labour members too? If truth be told, I think a lot of them have a close to racist view of the Welsh language! Maybe we should tar and feather them and make sure they can't have a job in the public service which may mean them dealing with Welsh speakers?

I don't support the BNP. I deplore their policies, and all forms of racism. I have stated on this blog from the beginning: "We completely oppose the racist and fascist views of the BNP. There is no room for their politics in Wales."

But, unlike the Labour, Tory and BNP I don't believe in the concept of a British nation. It's a political concept which has done more damage to Welsh identity, language, economy, wasted war dead and self-respect than any corner shop owner from Pakistan or Polish plumber. I want a tolerant, inclusive Welsh identity.

My guess is that the leak of the members names will actually benefit the BNP as people turn round and see 'people like us' who are members and think, 'oh, he's a nice enough chap, maybe the BNP isn't so bad'.

The BNP are a fringe group who scare Labour and Tories because they appeal to some of their core vote. Attacking the BNP also makes people feel good about themselves, because fighting fascism is so much more simple and heroic than explaining how we got into the economic mess we are today or which services will be cut - whoever is in government.

My view; this list shows that the BNP have less than 500 members throughout Wales. They are an irrelevance. Wales's problem isn't the BNP, it's the British state!

Star in full frothingly self-righteous Brit Nat mode

2008-11-14T15:03:00.005Z

It is sad, but perhaps not all that surprising, to see Mohammed Tufail, Director of Race Equality First, lending his support to a particularly poisonous article by the Daily Star on Wednesday. The Star, in full frothingly self-righteous Brit Nat mode, had decided to scrape the dregs in a hate-filled attack on Ron Davies for having the temerity to suggest that some Welsh people prefer not to be called British.

Mohammed Tufail, in a soundbite which will have delighted the attack dogs at the Star, claimed that he had 'not come across any Welsh people who don't want to be referred to as British.' Surely Race Equality First can see that when their soundbites are being used to support vicious attacks against individuals who want to express their own identity, they are not doing a very good job of promoting the tolerance necessary for the equality agenda to succeed?

Well, here's a first for you, Mohammed - I'm a Welsh person who doesn't want to be referred to as British. Is that such a dreadful sin? Don't you want to see a fair society where individuals can be proud of their identity even if it's different to the majority of the population? When you say that you've not met any Welsh people who don't want to be referred to as British, it raises some interesting questions. Do you quiz every Welsh person you meet about how they want to be identified? Or do you think it is fair and reasonable for you to imply that people like me don't exist, shouldn't exist, and should shut up if we do happen to exist?

Perhaps, Mohammed, before you make sweeping pronouncements about the people of Wales, you should consider taking part in some of the social networks that are letting people express themselves more than ever before. How about opening an account with Facebook? If you do, you could join the group 'Welsh not British' - which has almost 3000 members. Or, like David Davies, you might find it safer, more British, more acceptable, to join the Welsh conservatives - they've only got 37 supporters as I write this, so they might be grateful for a few more!

Come on, Mohammed - have you got the personal integrity to answer some of these questions?

Dear reader - if you, like me, are a Welsh person who would rather not be referred to as British, why not let Mohammed Tufail know that you do, in fact, exist? You can find his email address on the Race Equality First website. But don't stoop to the level of the Daily Star - just let him know, politely, that you exist, and that you would be grateful if he would not deny your existence, deny your identity, and deny your right not to be targeted by the kind of hatred the Daily Star is so quick to promote.

Labour Mess - Labour Trap

2008-10-18T23:09:00.002Z

The present economic crisis seems to be a god-send to the Labour party. Never mind the fact that they're partly to blame for encouraging a culture of greed, irresponsibility and lacks government, Labour seem almost to gleefully welcome every new calamity on their watch. The same goes for Welsh Labour.

The big question is, is Plaid going to be caught out? Every thing put on the altar of schoolsandhospitals.

For every initiative which Plaid have brought to the table or have shown support for, especially ones based on the promotion of the Welsh language or an international Welsh identity - Welsh Federal College, Welsh Language Act, .cym, National English Language Theatre, Labour will turn around and say; 'hey, we'd love to see these happening, but er, you know guys, credit crunch and all that, we've got to support schoolsandhospitals.'

If Plaid aren't careful, come next year's conference or the 2011 election and they'll have nothing to show for. Not only will they have supported a Labour agenda they will have actively supported the shelving of their own agenda. By doing so, devo-sceptic Labour will have had what they want and will have denied what Plaid want... with Plaid paying through the loss of disillusioned voters. Of course, the Brit Olympics will still go on and be funded by Welsh tax-payers!

The credit crunch, Labour's credit crunch, will be used by the devosceptics to halt Wales's progress as a nation.

So-called Prince of Wales

2008-10-12T22:27:00.003Z

Dafydd El's comments o n the non-need of an Investiture for the (so-called) Prince of Wales is one of the most sensible and courageous things he's said in a while. The Investiture was used by George Thomas in 1969 to further his own ego and to keep Welsh identity in it's place i.e. subservient to the imperial centre.

However, Dafydd Elis Thomas's suggestion that people don't like 'stunts' or 'gimmicks' isn't quite true. Welsh people love a pageant and pomp - from the Gorsedd of the Bards at the Eisteddfod to a rugby international, the St David's Day annual parade or the recent Olympic celebrations outside the Senedd.

And if Welsh people can't release that need to celebrate, dress up, recognise nationality and other people's success within a Welsh context they'll look for it within an English or British one.

So, 'No' to another sycophantic, forelock tugging Investiture but 'Yes' to pageant and ceremony on Welsh terms, celebrating Welsh achievements. Being Welsh doesn't mean wearing woolsack.

New Government, New Language Act - Wales and Paraguay

2008-08-31T18:03:00.001Z

It's not very often you see Wales and Paraguay in the same sentence. But it's interesting to notice that the new Government in Paraguay, the first non-Colorado Party Government in 60 years, has echos in Wales as we have our first non-Labour control in Wales in 60 years.

One of the priorities of the new government in Paraguay will be a Language Act in favour of Guarani. So, another indigenous, language which has been sidelined by a stronger one is fighting to gain prestige. Good also to see the trade unions call for this - pity the same hasn't happened in Wales over the years when Welsh had a similar percentage of speakers as Guarani.

Guarani am Byth!

We'll Fly OUR Flag

2008-08-27T16:53:00.006Z

Interesting pics. Some of the Welsh members of the Olympic team being feted by the Senedd (good to see the Senedd becoming the centre of Welsh life).

And the image below is that of Becky Adlington, an English member of the GB Team, arriving in Mansfield. Notice the difference?

We are flying our own flag, the Red Dragon - not a Union Jack in sight. The English fans can fly the Union Jack. Wales is where the heart is!

Scottish Sikh Visits Festival of Hate

2008-08-12T11:18:00.004Z

... and doesn't get abused or mugged by Welsh speaking 'extremists'.

I found this link to a witty and positive programme by the Scottish Sikh comedian, Hardeep Singh Kohli, broadcast a few days ago on BBC2 (throughout the UK) about his visit to the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff last week - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00d18bm

Funnily enough, unlike the Labour Party in Wales he:

turned up at the Eisteddfod
didn't find it to be a Festival of Hate or one for the 'Crachach', just quite interesting, relaxed and affirming.

Yes, a festival that welcomes all people, in a celebration of literature, art, science, music... and getting off with smart girls. If a Scottish Sikh can feel at home at the National Eisteddfod, it just makes you think what deep colonial prejudice the Labour Party in Wales has with the Welsh language and a Welsh culture which isn't stuck somewhere around 1955.

But then Hardeep Singh Kohli isn't a member of the Labour Party, isn't a British nationalist or anti-Welsh like large segments of the Labour Party in Wales.

Well Done Nicole, Now it's time for a Welsh Olympic Team!

2008-08-10T18:09:00.002Z

Congratulations to Welsh cyclist Nicole Cooke for winning a Gold Medal at the Olympics today.

Nicole, from the Vale of Glamorgan, was the first Welsh athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics for over 30 years, but I am sure that Wales would have many more medals, if Wales had an Olympics team, and more Welsh athletes were given the chance to shine on the greatest sporting stage of all.

Nicole is one of only 14 Welsh athletes, out of a GB group containing 312. It doesn't take a mathematician to see that Wales is poorly represented, and that many more Welsh athletes would be in Beijing this year if Wales had its own Olympics team.

OK, Wales is not an independent country (yet!), but are Palestine and Hong Kong Independent countries? Both have teams competing at this year's Olympics!

Wales is too small to have a team many sceptics will shout, but there are many smaller nations than Wales who have teams competing at the Olympics. Not enough athletes? Well we have 14 in the British team; some countries are only represented by one or two athletes.

Welsh athletes would certainly NOT be at a disadvantage if they represented Wales instead of GB. Most of the sports are individual sports, and for the team events, hardly any Welsh athletes are represented at the moment. The GB Football team at the 2012 Olympics will be full of Englishmen, as the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish FA's refuse to take part. If Wales had it's own team at the Olympics, think of the wonderful under 23 football team that could represent us in 2012. Gareth Bale, Chris Gunter, Sam Vokes, Ched Evans, Lewin Nyatanga, Wayne Henessey and Aaron Ramsey.

To make matters worse, a very large sum of money that was supposed to come to Wales (estimated at around £100 million) will go to London instead to pay for “Britain’s” 2012 Olympics. It Wales had its own Olympics team, this money would have stayed in Wales.

The Welsh flag has even been banned from the Olympics this year, with flags from competing countries only allowed. That's why Nicole Cooke wasn't even allowed to hold the Welsh flag after her superb victory today. Her National Anthem (Hen Wlad fy Nhadau) is also banned at the Olympics, and she had to listen to God Save the Queen, with the Union Jack (that doesn't represent Wales by the way!) flying above.

It’s about time Wales had an Olympics team. Contact your local politicians to ask them to campaign on your behalf!

Below is an excellent article that appeared in the Western Mail a few days ago:

Give us our own Olympic team

Aug 7 2008 by Our Correspondent, Western Mail

In light of the ban on the Welsh flag in the Olympics, Dr Geraint Tudur, general secretary of the Union of Welsh Independents, argues it is time Wales was given a separate team

BANNING Welsh medal-winners from draping themselves in the Red Dragon flag during victory celebrations at Beijing is an absolute disgrace. It undermines our nationhood and is an insult to the Welsh people.

Indeed, we feel that this is contrary to the Olympic Charter itself which insists on “respect for universal fundamental ethical principles”. As Christians in Wales, we believe that God has created us as a nation to serve him, and that our existence is a cause for celebration. Any action which diminishes or rejects our identity is to be deplored.

Potential Welsh medal-winners, such as swimmers David Davies and Jemma Lowe, and cyclist Geraint Thomas, must be allowed to celebrate their achievement by waving the flag of their country.

It is very sad, but relevant, that this story should have broken in the press during National Eisteddfod week at Cardiff. The massive financial burden of holding the Olympic Games in London in 2012 has already thrown a shadow over Welsh cultural events – including the eisteddfodau.

The “National” is the pinnacle of a pyramid of smaller eisteddfodau held in village halls, schools, chapel and church vestries throughout the length and breadth of Wales. These local eisteddfodau are the breeding ground for the formidable talent that maintains the high standard of the National Eisteddfod.

But the society which does so much to promote the local eisteddfod, Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru, has had to curtail its activities drastically after losing grant aid – as a direct result of Lottery Heritage funding being diverted into the financial black hole that is the 2012 London Olympics. Village eisteddfodau and other cultural events are threatened. Many are held in our chapels, and are part of both our Welsh and Christian heritage.

This is happening because the cost of the London Olympics has risen to nearly £10bn – four times the original estimate. And so, the Welsh Peter is being robbed to pay the London Paul.

Earlier this year, the then Welsh Heritage Minister, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, estimated that Wales would lose £70m between 2009 and 2012. Adam Price MP put the loss at well over £100m. Losing grant aid will have a devastating effect on charities, societies and services in Wales.

As Mr Price said, it is totally unfair that some of the poorest communities in Wales will be paying towards the rejuvenation of part of the richest city in Europe.

Independent Chapel members throughout Wales are horrified by this injustice. At our annual meetings at Swansea last month, members accepted a motion from West Carmarthenshire chapels expressing outrage at the way in which Wales is being milked of money to pay for the 2012 Olympics, at a time when the Welsh language and our nation’s community life is already fragile.

To add insult to the financial injury, successful Welsh athletes at Beijing will now have to mount the winners’ podium beneath the Union flag, to the strains of God Save the Queen.

Of course, this situation would not arise if Wales was allowed to compete as a nation in future Olympic Games. In view of the financial injury and the political insult, we feel that this is the only reasonable course of action.

I have, on behalf of the Union of Welsh Independent Chapels, written to the Welsh Assembly Government, asking them to press on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Wales to compete as a nation in its own right in the London Olympics.

Would you like to see a “British” Rugby Union team or a “Great Britain” football side in the World Cup? In these days of devolution surely it is time for Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to compete as separate teams in the Olympic Games. And what would it matter if Wales came 67th in the medal table? (GB only managed 10th last time!) Surely our self-respect and rights as a nation on the world stage should come first.

The Union of Welsh Independents represents some 30,000 Christians in 450 chapels. Since 1872, the Union has taken a radical stance on a range of spiritual, moral and social subjects.

The Cost of British Nationalism

2008-07-27T13:54:00.002Z

Yes, they want a British state, no matter who's in power - Labour or Tory, they're both wedded to the drug of British virility. Yes, they pour £3bn down the drain, because the British state is a nationalist state that needs to prove its worth with nuclear weapons.

So, when Labour British nationalists like Eluned Morgan say Wales can't afford to have status for Welsh in the EU or we can't afford to have policies to promote Welsh, or build council houses, or railways in Wales... you know who to blame and what to blame - British Nationalism which is espoused by the British nationalist Labour Party.

Independence for Tibet - Independence for Wales

2008-04-09T19:07:00.002Z

I salute all those protesters who've stood up for Tibet in London and Paris - and hopefully in the USA when the Olympic flame visits there soon.

If you believe the Olympics should be 'apolitical' or 'shouldn't be used for political purposes' then, hey, time to get out of bed. What - and you think the Chinese aren't using the Olympics and spending billions of pounds of it without a political agenda - c'mon, smell the coffee!

OK - I'll leave aside my genuine mistrust of trendy Brit lefties highlighting the plight of a small nation and language (Tibet) in danger of being swamped by a larger one but failing to see similar correlations in Wales. For once we're as one. Tibet's fight is Wales' fight. And lets hope Plaid Cymru don't just talk of political rights and rights of expression. This isn't a protest about rights of expression or human rights - this is a fight about NATIONAL rights.

The Han Chinese people have precious few rights - it's right to campaign for their 'rights of expression' or 'human rights'. But the Tibetan Intifada is about National Rights. The Han Chinese are educated in their own language (or at least an agreed Mandarin 'Chinese' language). They have their own state, legitimacy of national culture. The Tibetans don't have their own state; don't have full linguistic rights and don't have the right to secession or self-government (though many Labour Brit Nats probably agree with that).

So come on Plaid, tell it like it is, this is an Intifada for National Rights and Tibetan independence, and we support them because without their own independent state the Tibetan language (like Welsh) WILL become a minority language in its own country - a fate the Han Chinese (or English) would never allow to happen to their own language.

It's time the West stood up to China. It's time the Brit Left Wing stopped winging about George Bush (he won't be here in a few months time), stopped attacking America every chance, and looked at the elephant in the room. Do you want a world dominated by China? Independence for Tibet, like the campaign for independence for the Baltic States in the 1980s, is not only morally right, but strategically right too. Baltic independence brought the evil empire of communism down. Support for Tibet will show China that the people in the West are no fools. Tibetan independence will bring democracy to China.

Tibet is Estonia with mountains, Wales with glaciers, Brittany with monks, Sioux Indians with writing, Kurds with communism. We're different but we all know what language death looks like. We all know what living next to a stronger and more numeric culture looks like. And we all know what being called 'separatist/racist/fascist/xenophobe' looks like when we're called that for wanting the same national and linguistic rights as our stronger neighbours would never dream of giving up.

Yes to Chinese independence; yes to Chinese language and culture; yes to Chinese democracy.

But also

Yes to Tibetan independence; yes to the Tibetan language and culture; yes to democracy in Tibet.

I look forward to the 2012 Olympic games where there will be national teams competing from China, Tibet ... and Wales!

Tibet am Byth

Free Tibet: http://www.freetibet.org/

Eluned Morgan - British Nationalist against Welsh and Tibetan Independence

2008-03-16T14:13:00.003Z

So Eluned Morgan MEP in an incredible attack on her own nation has said that recognising the independence of Kosovo is a dangerous precedent.

Yes, this coming from a Labour MEP whose party lead the war in Iraq which is this year costing UK taxpayers $3bn and has been part of a totally reckless international precedent. Absolutely no irony - amazing.

Of course, Morgan, believes that nations which are part of larger states (i.e. that have been militarily conquered in the past and have been colonised) shouldn't be recognised - that's us, the Basques, Catalans and in fact virtually every nation on earth sometime in its history. Oh, how I wished Britain had been defeated by Napoleon or the Kaiser to teach some humility to these British nationalists. I mean, was there ever any national campaign for liberation which wasn't 'a dangerous precedent'? The UK didn't exactly support US independence, nor Ireland's nor most African states nor Welsh when Glyndwr lead an intifada.

Morgan's words gives moral support for the Chinese massacres in Tibet today. Oh yes, Morgan will say she's against the heavy-handed action of the Chinese and that they should put up some bilingual signs in Lhasa and have a nice cup of tea, but by not supporting the right of a nation to independence she gives moral support to the Chinese.Will Morgan support Tibetan independence or not?

The arguments used by the dictatorial communist Chinese regime is exactly the same ones used by Morgan and her Spanish and Turkish nationalists to oppose Kosovan, Basque, Kurdish or Welsh independence. Her immoral stance will create more bloodshed and tears as it gives thugs like Putin the go-ahead to crush Chechen independence or the Burmese junta's war against the Karen. It seems Morgan, like a true British nationalist, is very proud to be in the camp of the colonisers, the juntas and the anti-democrats.

Is Morgan going to campaign in the EU against the legitimate right of a nation to become independent? When she walks around the corridors of the EU does she have the conviction of her principles and tell the Slovene or Estonian MEPs that their shitty little countries shouldn't be independent and should have stayed a part of Yugoslavia or Russia. I'm sure they'd love to hear her tell them what a mistake independence was for them!

And how can she speak to these people and see the Slovene Presidency of the EU and not think, "hmm, maybe Wales could do that..." but then, Wales is just a shitty little country which should be glad and proud to get little crumbs from London's table. Heavens, what kind of deep psychological condition does Morgan suffer from which makes her believe that Wales is not only less capable than Slovenia but that Wales shouldn't even have the right to be like Slovenia. Oh, yes, Labour's British nationalism.

Morgan's comments will actually deny legitimate nations like ourselves the right to independence. Or maybe she'd actually campaign against Welsh independence within the EU. Fine - we'd take her on. I'd like to see Labour take that to Scotland and see Salmond whip them for it. I'd like to see the EU deny membership to Flanders in which Brussels is a part. I'd like to see the EU refuse to recognise Basque independence after a majority of people have voted for it. Morgan's comments are a recipy for disaster not for Wales or the Basques but for the EU. If the EU won't recognise legitimate nations who precede the states in which they are a part of it will be another small but significant step to dismantling the EU. Countries will go it alone and will prosper - it will only be a small step then for England / Germany / Italy to leave as well.

Moreover, Morgans' almost racist hierarchy of nations (with her own, Wales, very much on the bottom, below Latvia or Malta) will lead to conflict and maybe bloodshed. The Spanish state refuses the democratic right of the Basques or Catalans to have a referendum on independence. This anti-democratic madness is the one glimpse of legitimacy which ETA use to support its claim that there is no democracy in the Basque Country and that the Spanish state will never peacefully allow the Basques to chose independence. ETA's reasoning, supported by the Spanish State, is that only military option will give that choice to the Basques.

The UK was more intelligent than the Spanish. In the Good Friday Agreement, Tories and Morgan's Labour, agreed that the UK had no selfish economic nor military interest in Northern Ireland and that the 'province' was free to chose it's destiny. That one significant statement undermined the whole of the IRA's logic and lead to peace.

What kind of a Welshperson snitches against her own nation's right to independence and aligns herself with Chinese Communists who kill Tibetans, Burmese junta who kill Karen or Stalin and Franco?

Independence for Kosovo

2008-02-18T21:32:00.002Z

Congratulations to Kosovo, or rather Kosova, on gaining statehood and voting for independence on Sunday.

There's a lot of doomsayers about the future of the state the usual 'economically unviable' and, yes, at the moment it's in a bit of a mess. But, it's more economically viable than an independent Palestine, and I've yet to meet anyone that says Palestine shouldn't gain independence because of its economic inviability!

In fact, statehood will be a great help towards the economic development of Kosovo, bringing it out of a legal limbo and forcing the Albanians to sort themselves out and stop blaming others. It won't be Sweden in five years time, but then, who would have thought the other East European would have travelled so far in 15 years. Well we would have as Welsh nationalists! We've always known 'you can't make it on your own [sic.]' to be prejudice by proxy.

If Kosova can gain status and recognition (and will in time be economically successful), then what really is stopping Wales? Are we really less of a people than the Kosovar Albanians, one of the poorest people in Europe? Do we have less self-respect and dignity than the Kosovar Albanians? What kind of a nation is Wales that can't even vote to ban plastic bags?

In 2012 Kosova will be represented at the London Olympics, raising the profile of her nation and her self-respect, and where will Wales be, cap in hand asking the Mother of Parliaments for a few more crumbs, no doubt with the Brit Nats telling us how lucky we are!

Welsh Daily Newspaper

2008-02-16T15:45:00.003Z

If Plaid Cymru Ministers are not willing to fully support the establishment of a Welsh language Daily Newspaper when in Government, what exactly was the point of voting them in? We wanted something different, not the same tired Labour policies!

Below is a copy of an email I received yesterday. I've signed the petition, and call on everyone else to do the same!

SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION - http://deiseb.cymdeithas.org/

Keep to your promise Rhodri - Welsh Language Daily Newspaper:

We call on you (Rhodri Glyn Thomas - Plaid Cymru) as minister to ensure that the government honours its clear promise to establish a Welsh language daily newspaper announced in One Wales.

"We will expand the funding and support for Welsh-medium magazines and newspapers, including the establishment of a Welsh-language daily newspaper."

We ask for a new statement from the government that sufficient funds will be set aside specifically to establish a national daily newspaper in the Welsh language.

http://deiseb.cymdeithas.org/

More info available here - http://cymdeithas.org/english/

Nationalia - Welcome to the Real World!

2008-02-06T10:24:00.000Z

I'm a regular reader of the Eurolang website so it was good to hear about another similar site.

Nationalia is a Catalan site (in English too) which opens the window on the politics of stateless or semi-autonomous nations like ourselves, Kurds, Inuit or Basques. You know, the kind of news that rarely gets covered under the heading of 'nationalism' or 'ethnic tension' presumably because no people are (thankfully) killed.

Ciemen puts the site together, the Catalan linguistic rights NGO. These are the same people who produced a map of the nationalities and languages of Europe in the 1980s - the map of the invisible people who were submerged under the USSR of official maps. Well, the East Europeans like Estonians and Slovenes are not invisible any more and the Welsh, Scots and Catalans are stepping out too.

Nationalia is a site with news from the true nations of the world not just the artificial states, you know those nations and languages which Brit / French / Spanish / Turkish Nats tend to 'forget' about.

Bonkers!

2008-02-05T20:30:00.000Z

So Paul Englandandwales Murphy thinks it's 'bonkers' to want to reduce the number of Welsh MPs in exchange for more Assembly Members.

Yes, 'bonkers' like it is for the Scots... don't see them being 'bonkers'; Bonkers for the southern Irish (where his great grandparents came from of course) who have no MPs in Westminster... don't see them bonkers either. They all seem pretty grown-up to me.

No it's just bonkers that we Welsh would want to see a proper Parliament on our own soil. Better to keep it a jumped up little talking shop and leave the real politics to real people in a real parliament like Westminster 'mother of parliaments’ - yawn!

Bonkers? Yes, Murphy thinks it’s bonkers because it will mean less jobs for his British Nationalist friends in London. Labour MPs looking after their own careers once again!

So when the Tories win the next UK election, will it still be 'bonkers' to want more power for the Assembly?

Wales Without Frontiers!

2008-02-03T18:08:00.000Z

Were you there? I was, well in a pub actually, but wasn't it amazing. Amazing to see Wales, a small nation of 3 million beat England a nation of 50 million? It's no disrespect to my English friends, but it was a great feeling.

Wouldn't it be great if we could bottle it - grown men cwtching the man next door, people of all hews of Welshness singing along - a great unifying and positive force in Welsh life. And Wales making the headlines across the World. No doubt the Brit Nats will also come over all Welsh now, and some Labour AM or Paul Englandandwales Murphy will patronise us with some obvious comment.

So, now that everyone's agreed it's such a great feeling, such a good unifying force, such a great positive way of creating a civic Welsh identiity, I look forward to the Brit Nats supporting Adam Price's suggestion that Wales has it's own international athletics team as well. We wouldn't be able to compete in the Olympics. In fact we'll have to suffer the Brti Nats fest which that will be in 2012... and see our culture suffer financially to pay for not being represented there whilst Estonia or Malta or Montenegro hold their heads up high. But we can compete at the World Athletics Championship.

Imagine the positive effects of that, imaging the massive pr for 'brand' Wales, imagine the confidence and inspiration it would give our increasingly fat children to take up sport. All that is within our reach... we're just waiting for the Brit Nats in Labour to put Wales before Britain.

I look forward to see Labour take up (or turn down) Adam's offer. I look forward to Plaid asking Rhodri Morgan and Paul Murphy are they for a Welsh international athletics team or not. And if not, then why make an exception to rugby. Why not get rid of the Welsh rugby team in the name of Britishness? I look forward to see Plaid (and all other supporters) make this a campaign to unite people across Wales

C'mon Cymru! We can be Champions!

It's Too Late Lucas

2008-01-13T00:03:00.000Z

Sad really, the Scandinavianisation of Britain is keeping poor old Brit Nat MP Ian Lucas up at night worrying. He sees his identity slipping away and is feeling down about it. Maybe I should feel sorry for him - I know how he feels - but, no, he's never shown any remorse about the disappearance of Wales or the Welsh language so, let him suffer.

His latest idea (hat tip to Ordovicius) is to decentralise England. So let me get this right, he doesn't want more power to a devolved Wales (which according to recent polls, is supported in various forms by the majority of the Welsh electorate), but wants more power to so-called English regions (which isn't supported by anyone really).

I've got nothing against English regions, in fact if I was an Englishman, I'd probably support them in some form or other, but unlike Lucas, I'm not English, and it's none of my business. The fact is, Lucas, an Englishman who's shown no interest in Welsh culture, is wasting his time (and everyone else's) promoting Britishness/Englishness because he knows that the more power Wales has the stronger Welsh identity will be... and as he hasn't been arsed to show any interest in Welsh identity, then he doesn't want more power for Wales.

But I'll say this. The English won't go for decentralisation (the Balkanisation of England would be the probable New Labour tag for it, or is Balkanisation only applicable for smaller nations?) until they have an English parliament. I'll support Lucas and the Brit Nats if the balkanisation of England includes powers for Cornwall on a par to the other 'English' regions.

Fact is, Lucas and the Brit Nats are too late, the horse has bolted the stable. What kind of powers will these new regional assembly's have - the same as Wales in 1999, or Wales now or Wales after 2011 when we'll have won the next referendum, or the same as Scotland after 2011 when they'll either be independent or have maximum devolution?

The only way I, and any other self-respecting Celtic nationalists, would support this from the sidelines is if Cornwall is recognised as a constituent part and not lumped with Slough or Bristol as this thoughtful posting and map explains.

But then Lucas' support has less to do about devolution, and more to do with his fear of Wales becoming 'too Welsh' for his own liking.

Brit Nat Double Standards

2007-12-29T23:58:00.000Z

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

2007-12-20T22:15:00.000Z

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!

2007-11-30T23:39:00.000Z

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

2007-11-28T23:22:00.000Z

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?

2007-11-15T21:10:00.000Z

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

2007-11-04T10:40:00.000Z

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

2007-11-04T10:30:00.000Z

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

2007-11-01T19:17:00.000Z

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!

2007-11-01T11:37:00.000Z

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

2007-10-26T22:59:00.000Z

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

2007-10-23T22:20:00.000Z

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

2007-10-07T21:21:00.000Z

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

2007-09-30T00:49:00.000Z

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

2007-09-18T21:53:00.000Z

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

2007-08-15T17:42:00.000Z

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

2007-07-13T22:58:00.000Z

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

2007-07-12T22:54:00.000Z

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

2007-07-10T21:45:00.000Z

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

2007-07-06T18:14:00.000Z

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

2007-07-04T23:04:00.000Z

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

2007-07-02T17:20:00.000Z

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

2007-06-29T23:41:00.000Z

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

2007-06-25T22:47:00.000Z

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!

2007-06-15T17:52:00.000Z

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

2007-06-11T19:13:00.000Z

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!

2007-05-22T19:01:00.000Z

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

2007-05-21T22:11:00.000Z

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

2007-05-08T22:42:00.000Z

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!

2007-05-07T22:22:00.000Z

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

2007-05-04T19:49:00.000Z

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!

2007-05-02T22:49:00.000Z

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

2007-05-02T22:30:00.000Z

Welsh Nationalist Plaid & British Nationalist Labour

2007-04-25T23:04:00.000Z

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?

2007-04-22T00:42:00.000Z

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

2007-04-21T12:27:00.000Z

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

Giving you the chance to decide on Tony Blair. Have a look!

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!

What - Still no Wales Cricket Team?

2007-04-21T00:10:00.000Z

So, England lose to South Africa and are out of the Cricket World Cup. I'm not gloating - I'm not anti-English, just anti-British. I'm glad there's an English cricket team - just wished there was a Welsh one as well.

As the reactions on this website suggests, there's a lot of support for a Welsh team, but half the problem is a 19C Mrs Davies Bury Port who thinks any thing by association with England is better than Wales. The other is Glamorgan County Cricket Club.

Isn't it time Glamorgan supporters started working with Welsh cricket not against it? And no, Glamorgan doesn't = Wales.

Viceroy Hain - I know what's good for you

2007-04-20T23:07:00.000Z

So Viceroy Hain will decide democratically (erm, look at the mirror) what things can be decided by the Assembly.

No to such radical proposals as Children's rights, conservation of dolphins and promotion of the Welsh language. I know the Assembly isn't much more than a talking shop but Hain wants to put a gag on anything of worth.

Quite simple reason really. If the Assembly discuss these issues then what's the point of sending Welsh Labour MPs to London? And if there's no point sending Labour MPs to Westminster Labour won't be able to rule Britain. Labour Brit Nats need a weak Assembly otherwise they'll be out of a job.

Wales post 2010

2007-04-16T21:22:00.000Z

There's talk that there’ll bea referendum on more powers to the Assembly in 2011. But what happens if the SNP win the election in Scotland next month, hold a referendum on independence in 2010 and win it? What then?

Ieuan Wyn Jones, after making a good point about Labour's selfish attitude towards an English Parliament, then fluffed it by saying he's relaxed about independence. I understand the need not to fight this Welsh election on independence, but surely the leader of the Welsh nationalist party should be more than relaxed about independence. What about excited or committed?

In any case, isn't it time we all - irrespective of our party political views - started discussing this scenario? Will we be left, like our cricket team, as part of Englandandwales because (as Mrs Davies Burry Port says) Wales would be using donkey and cart without England?

Or will our Brit Nat AM's in the Labour, Conservative and LibDem parties finally smell the coffee and see the games is up and that it is time for Wales to be a full nation-state?

Denise Idris Jones - Legally Blonde

2007-04-13T00:01:00.000Z

Just watched a repeat of 'Legally Blonde' on television last night, and couldn't believe how British Nationalist Labour AM Denise Idris Jones has kept her acting career secret for so long!

Paulette Bonafonté (Jennifer Coolidge) - Denise Idris Jones

If she is re-elected as AM in May's elections, I'm emigrating!

Smoking ban implemented in Wales

2007-04-12T10:15:00.000Z

So, at last, on 2 April the smoking ban is implemented in Wales. Of course, had it not been for the election on 3 May then the ban would have waited until the ban in England came into effect in June. But then, Labour wanted to show it had done something in four dismal and uninspiring years.

The ban was brought in to much celebration by Gibbons, the Assembly's Health Minister (Gibbons of course was born in the endependent Republic of Ireland - independence good enough for the Irish it seems but not for the Welsh, eh Gibbons, better work with the Brits when you're in Wales?). Gibbons said:

"Smoking is the major preventable cause of illness and premature death in Wales - causing around 6,000 deaths each year.

"Second hand smoke contributes to over 400 deaths each year.

"Adult non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke have a substantially increased risk of lung cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory disease.

"Second-hand smoke is a serious public health risk that needs to be addressed. This will have health benefits for both smokers and non-smokers.

"Those are the facts, and we must act on them."

Of course, because Labour's Assembly is deliberately so weak the ban couldn't be implemented until this year. Yes, that's it, British Nats prefer to see 400 deaths a year rather than give Wales a parliament that could do anything.

If Wales was a proper country, and not an appendage, then hundreds of deaths - and thousands of pounds - could have been saved. What price British Nationalism eh?

Welsh Cricket Team

2007-04-10T09:00:00.000Z

Just found this blog campaigning for a proper one-day international Cricket team for Wales. Worth a look...

Tories, Plaid and Martin 'wanabee' Eagleston

2007-03-28T21:52:00.000Z

So, let me get this right. Dr Ian 'Ulster says No' Paisley and Gerry ‘gun-runner’ Adams make peace in Northern Ireland and will form a government. Decades of political tribalism, ground standing and jingoism make way for the forces of common sense and good governance. Everyone's happy. Peter Hain, Tony Blair and the entire Labour establishment, even Rhodri 'just for laughs' Morgan, thinks it's a Good Idea.

Over the water in not so glamorous Wales, Adam Price says Plaid Cymru will work with anyone to form a government except the BNP and won't serve under the Tories.

Cue, Labour’s cleless wanabee-politician Martin Eagleston trotting up outside Plaid Conference in Caernarfon asking Pricey to sign his petition to say they won't work with the Tories.

This coming from a member of the British Nationalist Labour Party in Wales who supports the war in Iraq, Trident missiles, PFI, privatisation - in fact the whole agenda which any self-respecting Tory would have supported during the last 20 years - what the hell is going on?

I'm no Tory and won't vote for them but does Labour have to create this almost racist image of the Tories? Tory policies are OK but because of class jingoism or Labour nationalism, then what, they're beyond the Pale? Paisley and Adams form a government but Bourne and Wigley is a political impossibility? Mad!

Way I see it, we can either have a Government (Labour) which implements some Tory policies but gives us this 'Aneurin Bevan was my dad' rubbish, or we may, possibly, have a Plaid government with a out of the closest, honest for the voters to see Tory party as a junior member in government. I mean, if the Labour Party really doesn’t want any Tory policies to be implemented in Wales, then their only option would be to go into coalition with a more left wing party - and that party is Plaid.

Labour have to give us this faux tantrum and anti-Tory racism because they've only got this medieval hate history left. Only 38% of the voters voted for Labour last time. Despite their rhetoric, they're the biggest party, but not the majority party in Wales. Labour are scared shitless that Plaid would actually call their bluff and get an understanding with the Tories (and the LibDems) and then what - Labour out of power in Wales for ever! Excellent!

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

2007-03-25T22:14:00.000Z

I received an email informing me of this YouTube video earlier today! Plaid may not be perfect, but heck... they're still head and shoulders above the British Nationalist parties!