Tired Labour Needs Reinvigorating - Huw

The news today is that Huw Lewis is attempting a come-back from political exile. He has brought out a pamphlet proposing an examination of the state of the Welsh Labour Party, saying that it is "not fit for purpose". He has tried to emulate Charles Clarke's proposal for a 20/20 vision of new "New Labour", but this time applied to Wales, and entitled "Wales 20/20". He is trying to court the unions and the disparate socialist groups.
Let us have no illusions about his motives. His position within Welsh Labour is now one of redundancy as a result of his opposition to the "new dynamic" of Rhodri Morgan and Ieuan Wyn Jones. Huw Lewis has aligned himself with the wrong section of the party, those who have been designated "yesterday's men" and "dinosaurs", despite his protestations that he is creating a new vision for Labour. It is quite apparent that he feels rejected by his compatriots in the Assembly and his reaction is to criticise his party and come up with his half-baked radical proposals to reinvigorate Labour. The Welsh Labour party has no use for the likes of Huw Lewis, and we can name others in Wales and Westminster who share his distorted vision of the future for Wales. His ideas will make no difference to the progress of devolution and the march of progress. His vision and that of his disgruntled comrades is not a 20/20 vision, that is for sure.

Place-Names in Wales

Does it not seem strange to you that when you enter Wales you find place-names displayed in two languages? Perhaps not, as we know that Welsh is the language of Wales , and we may also know that Welsh is the oldest language of literature in Europe .

Nevertheless, the fact that the place-names are 'translated' on the signs is rather strange, at least to me. In no other country of Europe do I know of it. So why is it thus? Possibly because it is thought that the Welsh names may be unpronounceable to foreigners, who are not aware of the phonetics of the language? The English version of the name is not so much a 'translation' as a corruption of the original.

You can imagine a visitor to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll'llandysiliogogogoch giving up in despair, though they all call it Llanfair P.G. these days. Many of these place-names are corrupted versions of the original, such as Llandovery (Llan ym ddyfri) or Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin). Even Cardiff does not escape notice, as it is originally Caer ar Daf or city/fort on the river Taf. Swansea is an exception as it was named by the Norse invaders, as well as the island of Skokholm , but its Welsh name is Abertawe. Possibly the worst example is the town of Llantwit Major. Llan in Welsh means church, and the churches were named after Celtic saints, but one could never contemplate there ever being a "St. Twit". I believe that St Athan's is actually named after St Tathan, or Tathan Sant.

So let us bring some sanity into the naming of places in Wales . There needs to be an examination of nomenclature of Welsh towns and cities, and a decision taken on correct and authentic naming. Inevitably, names such as Burry Port will be dropped for Porth Tywyn, Pembrey for Penbre, Kidwelly for Cydweli and so on. And if tourists and others choose to visit this land of mystery and enchantment they can learn to pronounce our corrected names correctly.

Leanne Responds

Leanne Wood has done a good job in responding to the SNP proposals for a national Conversation on independence for Scotland. Despite a strong opposition from some of the Yesterday's Men invited to speak on Radio Wales Leanne calmly and deliberately put forward some cogent and well-prepared points in favour of independence for Wales. Now we can all look forward to the time when Wales will have a National Conversation on the thorny question of independence.

Scottish (mists) Myths

According to an article in 'The Observer' Salmond and his gang 'follow an ugly philosophy of nationalism that would be anathema anywhere elsewhere in the world'.
However we only have to look at Slovakia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, East Timor, to name but a few, and we know this is not true. Scotland too has its outrageous scare-mongering myths, as the devotees of the Union gear up for a rearguard action against the tide of national consciousness which is arising among the peoples of the Celtic nations of Britain.

Scotland Prepares for Independence

As we have predicted Scotland is now laying the ground for full independence and the dissolution of the Union. The SNP has brought forth a 40-page White Paper on the case for independence, and again predictably the other three parties are against it and will not give their support to the holding of a referendum. They are, however, still in favour of increased powers for the Parliament, so it is evidently the status of the Union which is the sticking point. Wales will take careful note of the events which are unfolding in Scotland and will take into consideration any lessons which can be learned from them. Yet it is interesting that the mood of the people of Scotland is shifting towards the concept of independence for Scotland. Devolution in itself is not sufficient to appease the Scots, and hopefully will not be ultimately palatable to the people of Wales either.

Myths about Wales as an Independent Nation

Plaid Cymru is the Only Party which works for you the Welsh People and for the benefit of the Welsh Nation. We have observed that others have engaged in scaremongering tactics to discredit the emergence of Wales as an independent nation.

Here are three of the myths that have been circulated. None of them are true.

MYTH No.1 – Wales would cut itself off from other countries.

FALSE – Wales would work and trade interpendently with other countries. It would still remain a nation within Europe, the United Nations, and possibly retain Commonwealth links.

MYTH No.2 – Wales is too small to go it alone.

FALSE – Malta, Cyprus, Singapore, Ireland and Iceland among many are all small but successful countries. There are 53 independent countries in the Commonwealth with 32 of them (60%) having smaller populations than Wales (2.9 million).

MYTH No. 3 – Wales cannot afford to be independent.

FALSE - Wales has ample resources and expertise. It is no accident that all of Western Europe’s small independent countries are considerably more prosperous than Wales – Luxembourg, Norway, Ireland and Andorra are just four of more than a dozen examples.

What kind of Wales do you wish for, in your years of employment and as you enter retirement, and what do you wish for your children and grand-children?

Global adventurism leading to increase of terrorist activity? Iraq, Al Quaeda? Corporate greed and indiscriminate development. Proliferation of weapons, and the huge expense incurred in their production and deployment?

OR :

Peace and prosperity at home. Good employment prospects in your own country. Sustainability brought about by home production and consumption. Affordable housing and sensible planning policies. Health services at your door.

It is your choice – Plaid is the Party of Wales.

For more on Myths please read "Dispelling Groundless Scaremongering Myths" by Cllr Gwyn Hopkins in my July blogs.

Wales and Westminster

Wales has been ruled from Westminster for generations. Many Welsh men and women have gone there to represent their compatriots back home in Wales. Yet they have failed Wales. Westminster lies at the heart of the Union, and it is the Union which has deprived Wales of its talent and its prosperity. It has been a running sore, as people have drifted away from their roots, and have sought what they considered to be a better life in the outside world. These politicians, through their misguided intent, continue to fail Wales, and many of them represent an electorate who are equally misguided, as a result of the failure of government to provide education and opportunity to a people who are fundamentally different from the people east of the border. The people of Wales have been conditioned to accept their lot, to be thankful for small mercies, and to be content with the status quo. The status quo is that the Welsh have had no status, neither as a people nor as a nation, and have been systematically absorbed into the British realm. Their distinctive culture and unique language have been ignored, or even at times despised.

The British have pursued their age-old policy of ‘divide and rule’, so that the people of Wales have fallen into two camps, those who cling to their culture, language and traditions, and who are loyal to their nation, attending the eisteddfodau and singing their national anthem in Welsh, flying the flag of the Red Dragon in their gardens and on the maes chwarae , and those who have been anglicised, gentrified and lured away from their native roots. So you hear some declare their pride in the Union, the union flag, the idea of ‘Britishness’. They condemn their fellow countrymen as separationist and backward-looking. They pour ridicule on their heritage and their language and wish to eradicate all traces of Welshness (except the ones on the rugby field). Some still declare their pride in being Welsh and British, but they are deluding themselves – they cannot be both ( see my postings on this subject). Some of these people sit on the benches of the House of Commons in Westminster, believing that they are representing Wales and the true interests of the Welsh people. They wear their daffodil on St David’s Day and pay lip service to the United Kingdom. They rest on past glories, the campaigns of the British Raj and declare, as the last PM did :”the glory days of Britain are not over”.

But let me say they are, and Britain is changing rapidly from being a state which once ruled the world to its true, and no less proud, identity as a group of nations about to realise their long-held aspirations. Ireland has shaken loose, Scotland is well on the way, and Wales will follow. The world will never be the same again.
Neither will Wales.

All the Indications Are....

Listen carefully..... elections are looming with this potential outcome :
SNP sweeps Scotland
Plaid Cymru sweeps Wales
Labour sweeps England.
Skeptical folks take care!

"We are not divided. We have a sense of ourselves. A sense of community. And above all, a sense of the 'common weal' of Scotland, We are diverse, not divided," Alex Salmond

Choose your Campaign!

Campaign - to fly the flag of Wales and not the Union flag
Campaign - to celebrate Welsh national holidays
Campaign - to give recognition to Welsh battle sites
Campaign - to rectify the wrongs in the constitution
Campaign - to bring in a new Welsh Language Act
Campaign - to demand a Parliament for Wales
Campaign - to review funding issues for Wales - Barnett
Campaign - to revert to the true place-names of Wales (only one)
Campaign - to reject "Britishness" and all its forms and disguises

Scotland the Brave!

"Brilliant opinion poll news for the SNP as it goes on full 'election alert' for an October snap general election. A poll for the Daily Mail conducted by Scottish Opinion, gives the SNP 48% to Labour's 32%, and 40% of voters saying they are favourable towards an SNP government compared to 13% who are not. Bring on the election, Gordo!"
From blog : Tartan Hero

Independence Cymru calls on Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the Union, to right the wrongs in the British Constitution, whereby Wales is not recognised as a nation but is a part of the English nation. There is in effect no such thing as a British nation.

List of 15 Battles in Wales......... and the Next

Battle of Chester 616 AD, Battle of Mynydd Carn 1081, Battle of Crug Mawr 1136, Battle of Maes Gwenllian 1136, Battle of Coleshill 1150, Battle of Hawarden 1157, Battle of Crogan 1165, Battle of Painscastle 1198, Battle of Orewin Bridge 1282, Battle of Bryn Glas (Pilleth) 1402, Battle of Campston Hill 1404, Battle of Craig-y-dorth 1404, Battle of Pwll Melin 1405, Battle of Grosmont 1405 , Battle of Twthill 1461.
The greatest Battle of all is yet to be won, though not through force of arms. It is of course the battle for recognition as a nation separate from England and not incorporated with it as ordained in the constitution. Scotland's battle is in progress and if the polls reflect the true wishes of the Scottish people (now 48% for the SNP, and a 16-point lead over Labour), the indications are that Scotland will be independent within the next decade. Wales will not be far behind, as there is undoubtedly a growing sense of national consciousness permeating through the nation. I hear it on the radio, on the television and read it in the newspapers. These are the voices of liberty and pride in nationhood. We encourage all readers, whatever their origins, race, colour, religion, ideology or nationality, to lend their support and open their hearts and minds to the prospect which lies ahead of us in Cymru.

A Different Kind of People

There is a certain arrogance in the view that we are all one people in this island of Britain. We are one in our shared humanity no doubt, but we are not the same in terms of temperament, custom, attitude and mentality. The idea that we are all British is an idea only, and it has no substance or relation to the facts. The facts are that we are three separate and distinct peoples living in the same island, the Cymry, the Saxons, and the Scots. There are subdivisions, Welsh/Cornish, Angle/Saxon/Jute, and Scots/Pict. British is a convenient label for these disparate groups.

We are the descendants of these peoples, along with an admixture of Norman French (Vikings), and the later waves of recent immigrants from other lands. For centuries there have been migrations of people mainly moving in a westerly direction, and Britain has been the recipient of them all, the end of the road as it were. The distinctive differences of character remain to this day and the English embody the characteristics of their Saxon forefathers, a certain arrogance which some Germanic people of today still display, a certain haughtiness and autocratic manner, and a social stratification exemplified by class distinctions.

The Welsh retain their Celtic disposition, a leaning to music and poetry and the arts, a closeness of community and the values of the hearth, an innate sense of equality and justice and a natural unaffected modesty and co-operative attitude to one’s neighbours and society. These attributes were codified in the laws of the tywysog Hywel Dda. True, these are generalisations and there are differences within the groups, but they are still identifiable in the make-up of large numbers of the population. The British are noted for their tenacity and obdurateness in the face of danger, yet these characteristics come from the original British, the Cymry, who would never give in and would fight to the end to preserve their culture and beloved land. “ Britons never, never, never will be slaves” is the fundamental nature of the Cymry and the Scots, who were forced to defend their land and their homes against foreign invasion and colonisation.

The fact that there are these differences among the peoples of these islands adds colour and variety to the various groupings within society. Let us not forget that these people make up separate nations within the island of Britain but still await the constitutional recognition of their existence. Wales is swallowed by England (1535) and Scotland is swallowed by the Union(1707). Thus they became part of a Greater England which called itself Great Britain. Let us then celebrate the differences and fly the national flag of each and every nation within these islands, and remember the poignant words :”dros rhyddid collasant eu gwaed”.

Interesting Letter on the Celtic Struggles

Here is a comment from Jacky, and I am publishing it as it may be of wider interest.
If you wish to forward your contact address Jacky (and others) we can send you more information on the various campaigns and maintain links. Alan in Dyfed.


I'm not of Celtic descent myself but as someone with an anthropological bent, I've taken a strong interest in measures to help preserve and advance the Celtic languages as media not just of curiosity, but active use. I can't stand the idea of the Celtic languages perishing, which would represent both a major victory for English imperialism against their long-oppressed Celtic subjects but, also, a major loss of cultural wealth, with the disappearance of an entire branch of languages. I'm happy to see the recent revivals of Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh picking up so much momentum, and hope that this can continue.

One idea I had, to help propel these languages from merely secondary media of communication (and obligatory school subjects)-- it's always seemed to me that the most successful languages, and the ones most resistant to capitulating to a dominant or imperialistic language (English today, French in previous centuries), are the ones that have a vibrant tradition as vehicles of great literature and theater.

This sort of use as a cultural vehicle helps to draw people in, especially the youth, which can then be parlayed into more technical applications of the language, use as a medium of instruction in schools, among other things.

I was just wondering-- are there efforts to produce major Hollywood-style epic film productions using Irish, Scottish and/or Welsh as the languages of the film? (Which could of course be subtitled into other languages.)

For example, the idea would be to help sponsor film productions on a variety of topics, using exclusively actors who speak Irish Gaelic, maybe starting with historical themes and then branching out to other interesting topics that draw in people's attention.

Sample subjects for the Irish Gaelic films could be e.g. sophisticated elaborations of Irish legends and folktales, and especially heroes of Irish history-- I'm thinking of something like a "Braveheart-type" movie but performed in Irish Gaelic, using Irish-speaking actors.

Some examples of Irish "Braveheart" figures I can think of-- the earliest example would be e.g. Hugh O' Neill Earl of Tyrone, probably the most successful Irish soldier until the victors of the 1921 Anglo-Irish War who defeated the British.

O'Neill was active in the Irish rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I, the so-called Nine Years' War from 1594-1603, when the Irish enjoyed a remarkable level of military success against the English, who had been trying to employ brutal scorched-earth and massacring tactics to subdue the native Irish (including burning down Irish fields and mass killings of Irish women and children by the English officer Mountjoy). In spite of this, the Irish rebels, led by O'Neill, utterly defeated the English forces in numerous battles such as Yellow Ford and the Ford of the Biscuits, causing heavy losses that severely damaged the treasury in Elizabethan England. O'Neill did eventually reach a peace deal with the new James I in power in England, but he continued such damaging guerrilla war that the English were never able to capture him.

It's a great story, both in the form of O'Neill himself and other colorful figures (e.g. his friend Red Hugh O'Donnell), and in female pirate and Irish resistance fighter Gráinne Ní Mháille (aka Grace O' Malley), who also fought the English in impressive fashion. And the generally successful Irish rebellion (even after Kinsale in 1601, O'Neill and his colleagues still ravaged the English through guerrilla warfare) served as a template for the independence fight from 1916-1921.

Other Irish Bravehearts include more familiar names from the 19th and 20th centuries, and of course the heroes of the Easter Rebellion and the Anglo-Irish War where Irish forces defeated the British conclusively in 1921. Maybe another film on Rob Roy or Michael Collins would be a draw, in fact any film about the Anglo-Irish War would be impressive.

Again, the key is that the film would be shot entirely in Irish Gaelic. It could then be subtitled into e.g. French, German, English, Spanish, Japanese and so on. (And to anyone who objects that audiences don't like subtitled films, I'd say, bull-- just look at The Passion for example, which was shot in Aramaic, a rarely used ancient language, and then subtitled, doing very well.)

Similar enterprises could be conducted for e.g. Scottish Gaelic, and of course for Welsh. Once again, these Celtic lands are full of fascinating human interest stories, and the Celts are natural storytellers. Historical figures such as William Wallace or Robert the Bruce of course are great foci for Scottish Gaelic films. Wales is full of interesting history, of course, not only great kings such as Llewelyn the Great (who not only expelled the English but conquered English cities) and Llewelyn II ap Gruffydd, but also fascinating political-romantic tales such as that of Nest verch Rhys, her abduction and the bitter rivalry involving Owain ap Cadwgan and Gerald of Pembroke.

From such historical and legend-based Celtic-language films, of course, could then emerge more mainstream filmmaking in everything from comedy to action to science fiction-- but again, in Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh.

IMHO this sort of approach may be the best way to secure the future of the Celtic languages, and such films (and other media) would have a big audience not only in Scotland/Wales/Ireland themselves, but among those of Celtic descent in North America and Australia/NZ who want to connect to their heritage and all its fascinating stories. Again, subtitling can be used as a "transitional hook" to help bring in people of Celtic descent who might not speak the languages initially.

Such films would capture the imagination of Celtic youth. Moreover, especially as Scotland and Wales both move toward independence, such media can help to forge a more concrete national identity among the new Celtic nations that, like Ireland after 1921, may still be feeling somewhat insecure at first.

Plus, the films would help to generate a new Celtic-language media industry and further incentivize the learning and active use of Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh-- probably the most effective means to advance them. Also by attracting investment, the films would help to nourish a general flowering in the Celtic languages overall.

News From The Pan-Celts

THE INTERNATIONAL CELTIC CONGRESS, TREMOUGH UNIVERSITY, PENRYN

This was held during the last week of July and was well attended by 130 people from the other Celtic Nations (Alba (Scotland), Mannin (the Isle of Man), Eire (Ireland), Cymru (Wales), Breizh (Brittany and of course Kernow (Cornwall)).
It was a week of celebration of Celtic Culture through music traditional and contemporary, poetry, literature, travel and food and what a fantastic week it was.
Next year, the Celtic Congress meets from Monday 28th July until Saturday 2nd August, 2008 at the Campus of the University of Wales in Aberystwyth with a theme 'The natural environment - a sustainable Celtic future ?' The cost is set at £285 for adults, £200 for students and £150 for children, this including all accommodation, activities and food. Why not join the Cornish Branch of the Celtic Congress. Enquiries may be made through its website:

http://www.evertype.com/celtcong/cc-home-en.html

AN KESUNYANS KELTEK - SCOREN KERNWEK
(The Cornish Branch of the International Celtic League)

Unlike the Celtic Congress, which is a Celtic Cultural Organisation, The Celtic League is an international organisation that campaigns for the social, political and cultural rights of Celtic nations. (The same nations that enjoy membership of the Celtic Congress) Jack Bolitho is the Convener of the Cornish Branch and I am its Secretary and Membership Secretary. We maintain a high profile organisation with a continuously increasing membership.

The Celtic League's Cornish Branch is an extremely active branch with lively monthly meetings where current Cornish issues are discussed. It is at the forefront of a committed and focused activism in Cornwall including the housing and other community issues. Recent campaigns include a sustained programme to achieve a designated Cornish tick-box in the 2011 Census which is seen as essential in obtaining accurate statistical data of the Cornish, the successful action to reverse Government attempts to require planning permission to fly the St Piran's flag and fronting the reaction against the Bruno Peek / St George's flag of England debacle in Truro earlier this year. The Celtic League keeps the Council of Europe closely informed of discriminatory practices against the Cornish and annually sends a delegation to the St David's Day Parade in Cardiff as well as supporting our own Cornish activities.

Although we maintain an ever-growing branch, we always welcome new members not only within Kernow, but from further afar (we even have a member who is from India and who still lives on that sub continent!)
Further details are available from our website at: http://www.manxman.co.im/cleague/

Taken from the CornishNotEnglish Newsletter (Mike Chappell)