The Welsh language is a working class language it has survived because it has been used by the lower classes of society.
The Welsh gentry ditched it in the 1600's when it became socially and politically advantageous for them to do so.
The middle and aspiring classes ditched the language gradually over the centuries because they saw it as a block to getting on in the world.
In 1891, the only time that Welsh was officially recorded as the majority language of Wales, almost every declared Welsh speaker was born into a working class family.
Given that Welsh is a working class language one would expect that the Labour Party, the worker's party would be one of its strongest supporters.
Not so.
The Labour party has been the greatest force in trying to kill off the Welsh language since the Acts of Union. I don't understand why any Welsh speaker who isn't embarrassed about his or her linguistic heritage should vote Labour.
Here are numbers 66 to 79 of my 101 reasons for not voting Labour
66) A Labour Councillor suggests that providing comprehensive Welsh Language Education for all who choose to be educated in Welsh, whatever their ethnic background, is a form of ethnic cleansing
67) His party leader, the First Minister, agrees with him!!!
68) Glenys Kinnock, a Lady from Anglesey, claims that non Welsh speaking kids in Anglesey are made to piss in their pants, because the can't ask for the toilet in Welsh. Even when her own father tells her that she is wrong - she refuses to apologise!
69) When a Welsh learner asks the European Union to respect the Welsh Language one would expect that the only two native Welsh speakers in the parliament would support the measure. But no Eluned Morgan and Glenys Kinnock voted against official European recognition for their own first language.
70) The Labour Party, quite rightly, apologies about their racist slurs against Gypsies, but fail to see any similarity between the way that the state has oppresses both the Welsh and the Romany Languages.
71) Rhys Williams, a fluent Welsh speaking Labour candidate noting that he hates every other Welsh speaking person.
72) Ian Lucas refuses to use his legitimate parliamentary allowance to produce a bilingual Annual Report.
73)Ian Lucas insults a constituent for suggesting that his report should be bilingual
74) Chris Bryant (and Ian Lucas again) complaining about the fact that some Welsh Railway stations use the Welsh Language in their announcements.
75)Mark Tami MP for Alyn and Deeside's claim that Welsh Language communities group Cymuned is racist, because it supports the Welsh Language.
76) Dave Collins the brains of the Welsh Labour presence on the Internet suggesting that Welsh is a Brain Dead language
77) One of the more intelligent Labour bloggers Marcus Warner is sacked for having a blog, in the wake of Dave Collns' stupidity. Despite the fact that Marcus is making the effort to learn Welsh himself and will give his kids a Welsh language education.
78) Even some some people within the Labour party accept that the party is Anti Welsh
79) Huw Lewis thinks that those within the Labour party, who recognise that their anti Welsh image is harmful are delusional.
Glenys Kinnock refused to reply to someone who spoke to her in Welsh,she smirked and said lets try English shall we.
ReplyDeleteI just wonder why she is actually anti Welsh, and not just Welsh language, she spent more time on African ,rather than Welsh ones during her stint in Europe.
Strange
80) They are thieves, scoundrels and carpetbaggers
ReplyDeleteAlwyn - i would imagine there are 101 reasons to not vote Labour based on me alone! haha.
ReplyDeleteIn seriousness, my learning of the language had nothing to do with my sacking. I find pretty woeful you are trying to connect the two. I wasnt a father at the time, and was actually not proactively learning welsh at the time. My ordeal had nothing to do with Labour's supposed 'anti-welsh' attitude. I would appreciate my past not being used in this way.
I hope to see a correction in due course. Fair enough lambast away, but my personal views or doings regarding the language have nothing to do with the point you are making.
I won't add a correction Marcus, because your sacking was to do with the Welsh Language, or so reports at the time said. And if I remember rightly you were an expectant father at the time, even if your sprog hadn't yet arrived .
ReplyDeleteI understand that, because you continue to support the Labour Party, you don't want your past used as a means to attack Labour. Unfortunately your treatment by Labour is in the public domain and it is a public example of what a shit party Labour can be.
You have suggested that you would like to become an elected Labour politician in the future, if this is still an ambition you have to accept that your history will follow you along that route. Every time you throw your hat into the ring this skeleton will be taken out of the closet.
You can't put your past behind you in any form of public life (including blogging) because every time you try some miserable bastard (like me) is going to pull it out in front of you again. You can however spin your own past.
If you have sinned you can show remorse and prove that you have learned your lesson and become a better person as a result of your fall.
If, as in your case, you are sinned against you can show what a decent sort of bloke you are by being forgiving and not holding a grudge.
Incidentally I only mentioned the fact that you have noted that you are learning Welsh and that you have suggested that your kids might go to a Welsh Language school in order to show that, despite the link between you and the "Brain Dead Language" comment, you have a more positive attitude to the language of Heaven than your commentator had!
alanindyfed said...
ReplyDelete80) They are thieves, scoundrels and carpetbaggers
Thanks Alan, but I have already done no 80 (Cash for Honours). The fact that they are thieves, scoundrels and carpetbaggers was going to be my number one reason for not voting Labour. I'm going to have to find another no 1 now!
Alwyn,
ReplyDeleteI will email you, because i am not happy frankly, it is beneath you.
David Collins? Surely should be David Taylor?
ReplyDeleteI have not yet received your e-mail, Marcus, so I am not sure what is "beneath me".
ReplyDeleteI noted a story that is in the public domain that shows the Labour party behaving badly!
I can accept that you might feel embarrassed on a personal level because your name was mentioned in an attack on the party that you support.
Tough - that is part of the rough and tumble of politics.
Peter Black, Lembit and Lord Hooson don't like me using them as examples of Lib Dem failure.
Adam, Bethan and Leanne have had a much rougher ride on this blog than you have had - I'm sure that they are unhappy too.
Guto Bebb, Syr Wyn and David Jones have had tongue lashings here too, they have chosen either to ignore my comments or to live with them.
That's life in the political cockpit
And to put the boot in Marcus, considering the personal vendetta that you have waged against Che and Ramblings over the past few months, you are not in a position to ask for any special quarter are you?