Look West
Let's start the new blogging year with a bang.
"The Welsh language is no longer in decline because Wales is no longer in decline". Discuss.
Who am I quoting? No, not the Presiding Officer, Dafydd Elis-Thomas who got into hot water a few years ago when he claimed the battle for the language had been won. It's someone else in authority who speaks Welsh and whose new year's resolution is to remind us all what Welsh Labour has done for the Welsh language. More importantly, his plan is to remind those who speak it and live in West Wales that Labour cares for them.
A little caring in return is what he's after, especially the kind of caring that translates into votes.
It's the First Minister of course and not a day goes by without someone pausing in a lift or in the canteen to comment on how Rhodri Morgan seems to be enjoying his job at the moment ( unlike the Prime Minister perhaps - as some are starting to wonder ).
He is, of course, on a health drive. We all know that by now and are bracing ourselves to listen at the very first briefing of 2008 tomorrow morning that he enjoyed only the fat-free bits of the turkey and went without gravy. But he'll be on a different kind of drive towards the end of the week - one that takes him to Carmarthen East, Ceredigion, Aberconwy, Ynys Mon and Arfon on a whistlestop two-day tour. It's official title is the "Taith iaith" - the language tour - though it could be sub-titled "How will Plaid like it up 'em?"
Why? Because as Rhodri Morgan puts it May 3rd delivered a political map of Wales that has no red on it "west of the Loughor and west of the Clwyd". When the big Welsh Labour debrief aimed to analyse what went wrong on Assembly election day, one recommendation was that the party must accept "a need to revise at least perceptions of the party brand in Wales if it is to provide a more appealing message to both 'Welsh speaking' and 'British' voters, as well as one that appeals to more 'centrist' voters".
Yes, this is an exercise in visiting bits of Wales far from Cardiff that feel left out of the investment loop, remote from the decision-making, low in the pecking order ... bits that didn't vote Labour in great numbers. But it's called the "Taith Iaith" remember. Rhodri Morgan's one aim will be to persuade the school children and parents and workers and students and pensioners of West Wales that he believes language prosperity goes hand in hand with economic prosperity - and that Welsh Labour cares about both. An even taller order? The argument that his government and his party is delivering on both.
By the way THAT Plaid poster. Thanks to all of you who sent me an electronic version of it and for letting me know that there exists a framed version of the original artwork. If it ever turns up on Ebay along with other unwanted Christmas gifts, a love of irony may cause me to break my online bidding duck and put in an offer.
I'm Betsan Powys, 91Èȱ¬ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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Perhaps a practical commitment to the necessary requirements of a bilingual country would be a good move for Rhodri.
1) Compulsory bilingual packaging and signage and billing in the private sector.
2) Adoption of Welsh as the working language of public bodies in Welsh speaking areas.
I don't think there is a general realisation of the extent of the decline of Welsh as the "Lingua Franca" of traditional Welsh Speaking areas,especially in the South. Last census showed only 3 wards in the South with % over 70%. Important % because below this level a random meeting between individuals would be more likely to be conducted in English than Welsh.
Who else could it be? This is the man that has recently said that "Wales was setting an example for others to follow" - just not in the majority of devolved areas.
Welcome back Betsan. x
Let's start the new blogging year with a bang.
It began a week ago Betsan ;)
For those of us who live in North East Wales, the fact that the Labour Party in this part of Wales don't give a damn about the Welsh language is more than just perception it is reality. If the Labour MP's in this area don't need Welsh speaker's votes they won't do anything for the Welsh language.
Also welcome back...I've had to go blogging on other sites!!
Touche Sanddef ... a blwyddyn newydd dda i chi hefyd!
It's unfair to say that NE Wales Labour MPs don't care about the language - they hate it with a passion!
The failings of the current Welsh language legislation is also clear to us here in the border country... Asda in Wrexham took down its Welsh-language signs over Xmas because they were "confusing". Ah, that old chestnut.
If Rhodri was serious about the Welsh language perhaps he'll go and picket a supermarket.
Why am I not surprised that the first comment includes a suggestion of legislative compulsion for the use of Welsh on packaging or billing.
That's all that left for the Welsh Language campaign.
They've been trying for years to force the use of this ancient language down the throats of the unwilling majority with little success to speak of. Their backs must really be up against the wall.
Don't you get it? We, the monoglot English speaking majority, have no wish or need to have Welsh forced upon us for no good purpose, particularly when we are paying for it
Just this week, I changed my vehicle and accompanying my new registration certificate was a 36 page explanatory book with 18 pages of Welsh. How on earth can this waste be justified? Surely if Welsh is required then let the buyer indicate so at the point of sale?
Does the enviroment mean nothing to these people?
Your pal.
johnny.
Were you paid handsomely by Rhodri's people for trotting out this stuff, Betsan? It sounds like a Rhodri Morgan press release, not blog post..
Read with interest your comments Betsan.
Maybe I'm a bit critical but I'm not sure your passion (so Welsh) reaches those beyond the borders.
Perhaps back to basics -was that a Conservative or Labour bite phrase? will deliver more to the populas of Wales.
Nos Dda,
Girl who no longer lives in Wales.
Why is it that people such as Johnny and other backs-to-the-wall Unionists always claim that Welsh is being "forced down their throats" when in fact it is the native language and mainstay of the culture of Wales?
Are Poles and Pakistanis in England having English forced down their throats too, or Algerians in France? After all these Johnnies are tolerated here and even welcomed provided that when in Rome.....
etc......
Peter Hain's (DWP) website...
"NO IFS AND NO BUTS...(Benefit) Fraud is theft...failure (to provide full information on benefits and claimant financial circumstances) could result in a criminal record"
AHEM...
Happy 2008.
Alan Jones said...
"After all these Johnnies are tolerated here and even welcomed provided that when in Rome.....
johnny says.....
*%£!¬+>@**%$£. Well, this Johnny is born here, has resided here for considerably longer than you, and is insulted to learn that YOU, an English born proselyte, tolerate ME in my own country.
How very, very dare you.
What a * liberty.
Your pal.
johnny.
Back to the photo - I know a chap who's got a framed version hanging on his bedroom wall, reminding him a more simple time in Welsh politics...