A Verdant Announcement

“Gwanwyn Gwyrdd”



Towards A Greener Future for Wales



A Plaid Cymru Policy Conference

Saturday 25th April, 2009

Pob lwc a ddymuniadau gorau oddiwrth Iwerddon, cartref newydd am Independence Cymru!

Tavish Scott. LibDem leader in Holyrood, betrays Scottish democracy

Unionist parties cannot be trusted to hold a referendum on Scots and Welsh independence.

News from Kernow

Dear friend

The National Executive of Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall has decided to put forward a list of candidates for the ‘South West Region’ seat in the European Parliament.

As well as well as Cornwall, the constituency covers Bristol, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire and the island of Gibraltar. Six MEPs will be elected via a list form of proportional representation.

We believe that democracy in Cornwall is at a vital crossroads and June 4th will be an important day for the future direction of our politics, with elections to both the new single tier council and the European Parliament.

Why not help MK get its message out there by contacting the local press to say how great it is that Cornwall will have the chance to vote for a strong team of candidates for the Euro-election - a team 100% committed to Cornish communities?

MK has already selected over twenty candidates for the unitary elections and I would like to thank everyone who has agreed to be a candidate. I would also like to ask other members and supporters to give serious consideration to standing in this important election year or helping others to get elected to the new Council.

Thank you

Dick Cole
Party Leader
Mebyon Kernow - the Party for Cornwall

For more information, contact mebyonkernow@btinternet.com.

Scurrilous Poem Does the Rounds

Passed on from Huw Gilasbey

Subject: Poem to Gordon Brown

“Brown is my shepherd, I shall not work.
He leadeth me beside still factories.
He restoreth my faith in the Conservative Party.
He guideth me to the path of unemployment.
Yea, though I wait for my dole
I own the bank that refuses me.
Brown has anointed my income with taxes
My expenses runneth over my income
Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me all the days of his term
From hence forth we will live all the days of our lives in a rented home
with an overseas landlord
I am glad I am British
I am glad that I am free
But I wish I was a dog
And Brown was a tree …..”

Independence - Together We Can!

WalesCan - The Independence Initiative launched!

We are the WalesCan Generation - Help us spread the word

Last Monday we launched WalesCan.com - The Independence Initiative, an interactive website which encourages debate about independence. If you haven't had a chance to take a look, visit WalesCan.com today. This is a movement about our future as a nation, and we need your help to move our nation forward.

You can help today by adding your support, spreading the word to your friends and family, or adding your comments to the discussion forums on the website. So visit WalesCan.com today!

(Morgan Lloyd)

Time For a Wild Spraoi

Spraoi is one of the fairly numerous words of gaelic origin (another is galore) which entered the English language. Spree, as it is now spelt, refers to having a good time. With spraoi and craic on St Patrick's Day you cannot fail, says Siobhan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

St. Patrick's Festival Parade, Dublin, Ireland

A Welsh Saint in Ireland - Padraig of the Britons of Strathclyde

From www.irishabroad.com

The History of Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He died at Saul, Downpatrick Ireland, on the 17th of March 460 AD, and every year, on this day, Ireland and many other parts of the world celebrate their Irishness.

Knowledge of St. Patrick's life is a combination of his spiritual writings in the 'Confessio' and the myths and legends that have been passed down through time. St. Patrick was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland 387 AD under Roman rule. His parents were Romans, Calpurnius and Conchessa, and his name at this time was 'Maewyn Succat'. At the age of 16 he was kidnapped by Niall of the Nine Hostages and brought to Ireland, which at that time was a land of paganism and druidism. He was sold as a slave to Meliuc, a landowner in Antrim, where he worked as a shepherd in the Slemish Mountain. During this time he became fluent in the Irish language and was also extremely knowledgeable in druidism as his master was a druidic high priest. His life as a shepherd was a solitary one, and in the Confessio, he wrote that he prayed many times and found solace in the Christian faith. One night, after being in captivity for many years, he heard a voice telling him it was time to escape. He traveled south for 200 miles until he reached Wexford, where there was a ship waiting to sail to Britain. At first he was refused passage but eventually, after much prayer, he was allowed on board.

He first visited St. Martin's monastery at Tours and then went to Lerins monastery. Under the guidance of St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre in France, he was ordained a priest and helped St. Germain combat heresy and Paganism. He became bishop in 432 and Pope Celestine conferred him with the name "Patercius" or "Patritius" (derived from two Latin words 'pater civium' meaning the father of his people). He was subsequently set the task of teaching Christianity to the Irish. He arrived in Ireland under the patronage of a landowner named Dichiu who was one their first converts.

Patrick knew that he would have to gain the support of King Laoghaire, the High King of Tara, in order to establish the freedom he would need to take his message throughout Ireland. On March 25, the traditional start of spring, Patrick built a fire in front of the Kings domain, an act of which was strictly forbidden. On seeing this, King Laoghaire was infuriated and went out to see the group who had challenged his command. The contrast between the affluence of the king and the unembellished simplicity of Patrick was noticed and the king listened to Patrick's explanation of what his plans were. Even though the king refused to accept Christianity, he gave Patrick the freedom to preach his message. Gradually the people of Ireland were converted to Christianity.

However, Patrick first had to make the people understand the doctrine of the Trinity, that there are three persons who make up one divine God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He drew an analogy by plucking a shamrock from the ground and showed that the three leaves were on only one stem. The shamrock is still very much associated with St. Patrick and is traditionally worn on St. Patrick's Day. It is also Ireland's national emblem. The shamrock is considered a good-luck symbol by many people worldwide.

His knowledge of Gaelic, the Irish language, made it simple for him to spread the word of the Gospel. It took him several years to destroy paganism in Ireland. One of the many legends surrounding St. Patrick is that he drove the snakes from Ireland. Snakes were a symbol of paganism, therefore the legend explains that he expelled paganism from Ireland.

St Patrick encountered many hardships, and many attempts were made to sway him from achieving his mission, including threats on his life, however he overcame all obstacles and finally succeeded in converting almost the whole population of Ireland.

St Patrick would Disapprove

Violence in the north of Ireland can only be deplored yet the cause is well-known and the situation has yet to be resolved. It is tied up with anomalous state of the British Constitution and the partition of a nation, the nation of Ireland. The answer lies in the creation of a united Ireland, as well as the dismemberment of the Union. The time will come when the nations of Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and the Isle of Man (along with Brittany) are recognised as independent nations within the European Union.

An Unhappy Nationalist

Bloggers,

I'd really like you to post this message from me on your blog. I'm very angry with the BBC!

A message from Miffed of Maerdy:

I'm extremely angry with the BBC's reporting of the launch of Plaid Cymru's Independence online venture - WalesCan.com. The last BBC poll to ask a question about how many people wanted an independent Wales showed that 13% of people supported the option. Even at the time the poll was reported I was rather surprised that they split the question into those in favour of (i) independence inside the EU and (ii) independence outside the EU.

But since the BBC Wales website's report on WalesCan.com, I now realise it was a clever ploy to make independence appear less popular than it is. The BBC's original story about the Independence Initiative on their website (it's now been altered), said this:

"A recent BBC Wales/ICM poll indicated 8% of voters wanted an independent Wales within the EU. "

Hey! Hang on. 13% of people supported it in total - it's really misleading to discount those who wanted independence outside the EU! I was so enraged at their bias that I sent a complaint on the BBC website. Minutes later they altered their reported to say this:

"A recent BBC Wales/ICM poll indicated 8% of voters wanted an independent Wales within the EU, and 5% wanted an independent Wales outside the UK and EU."

I'm now even more angry because instead of saying 'A recent BBC Wales/ICM poll indicated 13% of voters wanted a form of independent Wales" or something similar, the way they've written makes it look like there is less support than in reality.

Perhaps it's not a coincidence that the BBC website is biased against independence. Remember the charter of the BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation says one of its functions is to 'sustain citizenship' of the UK, code for keeping the union intact.

The other tactic of the Union-loving Brit Broadcasters Corporation was to ignore the launch. I listened to Radio Wales almost all day yesterday and they didn't mention WalesCan.com once! Imagine if Gordon Brown had come to Wales to launch a Union-backing website, they'd have been falling over themselves to report it.

MofM

A Dream of Alba

From the blog" Bella Caledonia

Let the People Decide

Last nights Scottish Labour Party Political Broadcast was dressed with more saltires than the Tartan Army tour bus, and tried really really hard to convince you that Iain Gray was someone you could get inspired by, as he trundled about Edinburgh on the top deck of an empty bus. “Look that’s my old school.” It was knocked down and re-built apparently, ‘a Labour school.’ Better not mention the whole PFI fiasco though?

As Labour meets in Dundee today, it is with barely concealed glee that it has quashed next years refendum on independence for Scotland. In what is being billed by the Scotsman as “a major boost to the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, ahead of his address to Scottish Labour delegates in Dundee today”, MSPs voted by 72 to 47 to reject a referendum, leaving the Scottish Government with just the support of Holyrood’s two Greens. The doughty Tory leader, Annabel Goldie, said the “independence party is now over”.

Scottish leader Iain Gray has, apparently, shifted his position, having previously indicated that he, like his predecessor Wendy Alexander, would support a referendum bill. On the 26 July 2008 Gray stated: “Scottish Labour should never be afraid of the verdict of the Scottish people in an independence referendum.” Wendy’s ‘Bring it on’ has turned to ‘dinnae bother’.

But while the all conquering Atlantacist hero returns North of the Border, he should perhaps reflect for a moment on how this action will be perceived in the long run. Labour are today spinning that the Prime Minister will say the SNP is “fixated on separating Scotland from the UK” in a speech at the three-day Scottish Labour conference. But they have still failed to learn the lesson from their latest defeat at Holyrood. The electorate aren’t surprised that the SNP back independence, that is what they are all about. It’s as if Labour have managed to convince themselves that there’s been some big misunderstanding and people were mistakenly voting SNP in the belief that they were merely in favour of more whisky. “Oh so you actually want independence?”

The truth is that the opposition parties are in opportunist dissaray. In a Scotsman interview in February Lord Ashdown said in relation to Liberal Democrat tactics after the 2007 election “I would not have ruled out a referendum and I think it would have been a good time to hold it.”

But now is not the time for democracy we are told, because of the recession, but apparently other times, when they perceived they might win, the Unionist leaders have been tempted by a referendum. At least the Tories, bless them, are consistently opposed to asking the electorate what they think. To summarise Labours position is more tricky. First it was opposed to a referendum, then for one (immediately!), then was told by Gordon Brown it was against it, then it was for it again, but with different words, now it’s completely against it, for the moment. Is that clear now?

To confuse matters the Scottish Greens, want a ‘preferendum’ with everything on the table including more powers for the parliament, or abolishing it altogether. The reality is that this looks very much like a self-serving cabal of politicians ganging together to prevent the people having their say.

It’s worth remembering that its not just people who want independence who want a vote on it. Here are the results of a recent poll asking the people of Scotland about whether they wanted a referendum or not. 72% of the total were in favour of a referendum and 28% against. Taken by party preference the resulst were as follows: 63% of Conservatives were in favour, 37% against 59% of Labour were in favour, 41% against 63% of LibDems were in favour, 37% against 96% of the SNP were in favour, 4% against. The schism that now appears as a fault line in Scottish politics is not between nationalists and unionists, but between democrats and the political classes.

Simple Logic for Concerned Voters

If the voters of Wales do not wish to be ruled from Westminster by a Conservative government in 2010 and for the subsequent 10 years they would do well to vote for Plaid Cymru, the only party of Wales and the only party that favours full independence for the Welsh Nation.
Siobhan agrees>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

FACES. St. Davids Day Parade. 2009. Cymru/Wales. Cardiff.

A Nation with Strings Attached - Cymru

St. David's Day -- Dydd Dewi Sant

St. David, Dewi Sant, is the patron saint of the Welsh, and March 1, his feast day, is celebrated as a patriotic and cultural festival by the Welsh in Wales and around the world.

Dewi Sant was a Celtic monk of the sixth century. His mother was Non. The ruins of a small chapel dedicated to her memory may be seen near St. David's Cathedral. Its ruins remain there now. His father was Sant, a son of Ceredig, King of Cardigan. Little is known for certain about Dewi Sant, but he founded several religious centers in Wales and western England, was consecrated archbishop during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and led an ascetic life. An account of his life was written towards the end of the 11th century by Rhygyfarch, a monk at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth. Many prophesies were said to have preceded the birth of Dewi Sant, and many miracles were attributed to him. One miracle often recounted is that once when Dewi was preaching to a crowd at Llandewi Brefi those on the outer edges could not hear, so he spread a handkerchief on the ground, and stood on it to preach, whereupon the ground swelled up beneath him, and all could hear. A short account of Dewi Sant has been given by Nona Rees in St. David of Dewisland.

March 1, the date given by Rhygyfarch for the death of Dewi Sant, was celebrated as a religious festival up until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. In the 18th century it became a national festival among the Welsh, and continues as such to this day. The celebration usually entails singing and eating, which may mean a meal followed by singing, or much singing followed by a Te Bach, tea with teisen bach and bara brith. Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon, is flown as a flag or worn as a pin or pendant, and leeks are worn, and sometimes eaten. In schools in Wales the boys take leeks to school, status being given to those who bring the biggest leeks, and eat them earliest in the day.

The heraldic emblem of Wales is Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon. The emblem of Wales is the leek, arising from an occasion when a troop of Welsh were able to distinguish each other from a troop of English enemy dressed in similar fashion by wearing leeks. An alternative emblem developed in recent years is the daffodil, used and preferred over the leek by the English government as it lacks the overtones of patriotic defiance associated with the leek.

St. David's Day meetings are not boisterous celebrations of democracy and freedom in Wales, but rather the subdued remembrance allowed a captive nation under colonial rule.

Political Comment of the Day

The way the Labour government spins its way out of a tight situation is by drawing the attention of the public away from the most shocking revelations by announcing policies which they feel with garner public support, or at least initiate controversy. They underestimate the general intelligence to their cost.