Tuesday 28 December 2010

The Challenge Ahead

The year is nearing its end and yes, it’s been a heck of a year. This time of year, we look back at the last 12 months, and look forward to the next.

In May, David Cameron and his buddy Nick Clegg came to power. A government was ‘elected’ without a mandate and the Lib Dems ditched their principles. Yes, a very interesting year.

Students were betrayed by the Lib Dems; a part all of whose MPs signed a pledge that they would vote ‘no’ to any attempt to raise tuition fees. To those of them who stuck to their word, I raise my hat and say ‘thank you.’ But to the rest, those who abstained, for shame.

But, thanks to devolution, Welsh students are safe.

Although we look back, I prefer looking forward. 2011 will be a huge year for Wales – we have a referendum in March and our general election in May.

Let there be no doubt that the referendum in 3 months will be key to Wales’ future. If we do not secure a ‘yes’ vote, we know that there isn’t much hope for our devolution for a great number of years. (Look at the 1979 referendum – and the next one almost 20 years later.)

CymruX’s priority is securing a positive result in the referendum and we know how much work we all have ahead of us. We’ll be playing our part in the coming months, working hard on this all important campaign.

After that comes the Assembly elections and let’s hope that the new Assembly – the 4th Assembly – will get to legislate without England’s consent. Let us also hope that Ieuan Wyn Jones will lead the 4th Assembly as First Minister for Wales.

Yes, there’s quite a bit of work to be done and it’s important that we don’t neglect that, or become complacent. The next few weeks and months are of immense importance to our country and our people and indeed, CymruX is ready for the challenge ahead.

But for now, we must relax... Goodness knows we’ll appreciate it!

In that respect, we hope that you enjoyed Christmas and we wish you all, our supporters and our colleagues elsewhere, a happy, prosperous and successful 2011 – Wales deserves no less.

For Wales,

Cerith Rhys Jones
On behalf of the NEC of CymruX – Young Plaid Cymru

P.S. To those of you who wish, the launch of the Yes for Wales campaign is in Cardiff on January 4th. Email post@yesforwales.com for details. Email that same address for details of how you can be part of the campaign! You can also donate to the campaign by visiting http://www.yesforwales.com/site/?page_id=46. Thank you!

Yr Her O'n Blaenau

Mae diwedd y flwyddyn ar fîn cyrraedd ac ydy, mae hi wedi bod yn flwyddyn ddiddorol tu hwnt. Amser yma’r flwyddyn, ry’n ni’n edrych yn ôl ar y 12 mis diwethaf ac ymlaen at y 12 mis sydd i ddod.

Fis Mai eleni, daeth David Cameron a’i gyfaill Nick Clegg i bŵer. ‘Etholwyd’ llywodraeth heb fandad; anghofiodd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol eu hegwyddorion. Do, bu’n flwyddyn ddiddorol.

Bradychwyd myfyrwyr gan y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol; plaid wnaeth bob Aelod Seneddol ohoni arwyddo datganiad y byddant yn pleidleisio ‘na’ i unrhyw ymdrech i godi ffioedd dysgu. ‘Dw i’n codi ‘nghap at y sawl wnaeth gadw at eu gair, a ‘dw i’n eu diolch. Ond i’r eraill, y rhai wnaeth ymatal, cywilydd.

Ond, diolch i ddatganoli, y mae myfyrwyr Cymru yn ddiogel.

Er ein bod yn edrych yn ôl, mae’n well gen i edrych ymlaen. Bydd 2011 yn flwyddyn enfawr i Gymru – mae gennym refferendwm ym mis Mawrth ac etholiad cyffredinol fis Mai.

Does dim amau fod y refferendwm ymhen 3 mis yn allweddol i ddyfodol datganoli Cymru. Yn yr achos taw ‘na’ yw’r ateb, gwyddom na fydd fawr o obaith i’n datganoli ni am nifer fawr o flynyddoedd. (Edrychwch ar refferendwm 1979 – a’r un nesaf bron iawn 20 mlynedd yn hwyrach.)

Blaenoriaeth CymruX yw sicrhau pleidlais bositif yn y refferendwm ac ry’n ni’n gwybod faint o waith sydd gennym ni i gyd i’w wneud – pob un ohonom. Byddwn ni’n chwarae’n rhan ac yn y misoedd nesaf mi fyddwn ni’n gweithio’n ddyfal ar yr ymgyrch hollbwysig hon.

Wedi hynny, daw etholiad y Cynulliad a chawn obeithio y bydd y Cynulliad newydd hwnnw – y 4edd Cynulliad – yn cael deddfu heb ganiatâd Lloegr. Cawn hefyd obeithio taw Ieuan Wyn Jones fydd arweinydd y 4edd Cynulliad fel Prif Weinidog Cymru.

Oes, mae gennym cryn dipyn o waith i’w wneud ac mae’n bwysig nad ydym yn esgeuluso nac yn troi’n ddi-hid. Mae’r misoedd nesaf o bwysigrwydd aruthrol i’n gwlad ac i’n pobl ac y mae CymruX yn barod am yr her o’n blaen.

Ond, am nawr, rhaid ymlacio... Duw a ŵyr y byddwn yn ei werthfawrogi!

Yng ngolau hynny, gobeithiwn eich bod wedi mwynhau’r Dolig a dymunwn ichi oll, ein cefnogwyr a’n cydweithwyr o bleidiau eraill, 2011 sy’n hapus, yn llewyrchus ac yn llwyddiannus – mae Cymru’n haeddu dim llai.

Dros Gymru,

Cerith Rhys Jones
Ar ran Pwyllgor Gwaith CymruX – Plaid Cymru Ifanc

O.N. I’r sawl ohonoch sy’n dymuno, mae lawnsiad ymgyrch Ie Dros Gymru yng Nghaerdydd ar Ionawr y 4edd. Ebostiwch post@iedrosgymru.com am ragor o wybodaeth. Ebostiwch y cyfeiriad hwnnw hefyd am fanylion ar sut ellwch chi fod yn rhan o’r ymgyrch! Gallwch rhoi’n ariannol at yr ymgyrch hefyd - http://www.iedrosgymru.com/safle/?page_id=43. Diolch!

Saturday 25 December 2010

Nadolig Llawen! Merry Christmas!

Wrth bawb ar Bwyllgor Gwaith CymruX, dyma neges cyflym i ddymuno Nadolig Llawen tu hwnt ichi oll a gobeithio y cewch chi ddiwrnod bendigedig.

From everyone on the National Executive Committee of CymruX, here's a quick message to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope that you have a wonderful day.

Dros Gymru!

Tuesday 30 November 2010

The value of devolution - fairness for students

Cerith Rhys Jones (Executive Non-Portfolio Officer and Public Rep) writes:

"Today’s announcement from the Labour-Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly Government regarding tuition fees comes as what can only be described as a relief for students and prospective students like myself especially. One Wales has shown the value of devolution this afternoon, in declaring that Welsh students will not have to pay any more than £3,290 a year for their Higher Education – wherever they study in the UK.

"Students who are currently in University and who will go to University next year will not be affected by the announcement, meaning that they will still pay £3,290, but today’s news will affect 2012/13 students who would otherwise have to pay upwards of £6,000 for their HE – thanks very much to the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in London.

"This move from WAG really does show our commitment to HE here in Wales, and more than that: that we believe in our young people and believe that they don’t deserve such extortionate costs. Supporters of the ConDems’ plans ask why it matters – we don’t repay until after graduation anyway! Let me tell you: if I went into Uni knowing that I would leave with £30,000 or £40,000 worth of debt, I really would question whether it’s worth it.

It is.

"The difference between Cardiff Bay and Westminster is that we here in Wales have made the right decision to make it possible for students and prospective students to what is right for them in the long-run.

'We have a responsibility to Welsh-domiciled students, wherever they choose to study. We also have a responsibility to ensure that Wales benefits, economically, socially and culturally, from the investment that the Assembly Government makes in higher education in Wales.'


"That’s what our Education Minister Leighton Andrews AM had to say today. He’s darned right. A strong and accessible HE sector will benefit our country in more ways than simply meaning that more people can afford to go to Uni. What Wales needs is a strong, forward-looking and innovative economy, and a good HE sector will stand us in good stead for achieving that.

"Plaid is proud of its socialist principles and so am I. I am proud to be a citizen of a country whose government cares; whose government recognises its responsibility to ensure that education is indeed a right and not a privilege.

"Of course, on that note, we’re not quite there, but CymruX is committed to fighting for free HE because we believe that a cost of even £3,290 shouldn’t stop anyone from going to University. (Naturally, if cuts weren’t coming from every angle thanks to David and Co. that’d be a rather more realistic aim.)

"For now though, we are happy with the best that’s on offer: fairness. Something that Wales can offer, and the ConDems seem not yet to have grasped. Will they ever? Doubt it.

Diolch, Leighton, a diolch, Llywodraeth Cymru.
Thank you, Leighton, and thank you, Welsh Government.


To read the Welsh Assembly Government’s statement on-line, go to the Welsh Assembly Government's website.

And remember that you can now follow @yesforwales and @iedrosgymru on Twitter, as well as add a Yes4Wales badge to your Twitter and Facebook avatars. More powers for Wales next March combined with a successful election for us means more fairness and indeed more actions like today’s!

Sunday 28 November 2010

The trials and tribulations of S4/C continue...

Cerith Rhys Jones, CymruX Non-Portfolio Officer writes:

"S4/C is having a tough time of it, of that there is no doubt. We all know about the cuts that are coming to it, and the fact that its independence is in jeopardy; and now, its former Chief Executive, Iona Jones, has filed notice to take the broadcaster to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal, after her sudden departure earlier this year.

"Let me first clarify my position on the broadcaster’s funding. From where I stand as a Welsh-speaking Welshman, having a Welsh-medium public service broadcaster is essential to the future of the Language, and the Language is a fundamental cornerstone of our Nation’s culture. Unfortunately, the Welsh language is still seen by many people as something for the ‘crachach,’ and that it isn’t a ‘real’ language. Of course, the role that S4/C plays in all of this is the normalisation of the Language and showing that she is still alive, and is still growing. With huge cuts coming its way, S4/C will find it even harder to do its job. The Coalition in London has shown a breath-taking lack of respect for our People and our Language in dropping the axe square on our national broadcaster’s head, and adds insult to injury by transferring S4/C funding to the BBC. When we as a Party are calling for broadcasting to be devolved to Cardiff Bay, the Con-Dems seem to want to bring more responsibility back to London. Dim diolch. Funding S4/C directly from the BBC will only lead to more pressure being put on the broadcaster to have English-language programmes, and will, in my view, lead to the broadcaster’s decline (or at least, the broadcaster as we know it.)

"But do we want an S4/C which broadcasts in English? Some may want that. I don’t. All those years ago when Gwynfor did what we did so that we could have a channel of our own, the purpose of it was not for it to be a bit of this and a bit of that – a mish-mash of Welsh and English; S4/C is a Welsh-language broadcaster.

"As much as I support S4/C and totally condemn (get it?) the Con-Dems’ actions, S4/C really does desperately need to have a sit down and get its act together. It’s just not good enough for many of its programmes to have been rated as having zero viewers. It isn't good enough for the S4/C Authority to announce the resignation of its Chair, only for the Chair himself to announce separately that he would stay on until spring 2011. It isn’t good enough for the circumstances surrounding Iona Jones’ departure (or is the word ‘dismissal’ more appropriate?) to be totally hushed up (and supposedly never to be spoken of again).

"We recently saw how excellent S4/C can be with Pen Talar, the 9-part series following a set of people from before Gwynfor’s election up to the modern day where we have our National Assembly. We need more of this! I sat down with my non-Welsh-speaking mother to watch Pen Talar every Sunday night for over two months, and it really did showcase what S4/C can be. After the series finished however, we’re back to the same old programmes which, quite frankly, don’t draw new viewers in.

"My message to all concerned, including Jeremy Hunt at DCMS, and at the S4/C Authority: ‘For God’s sake, wise up. The future of our Language could very well be in your hands.’

"And so the trials and tribulations (Chief Exec-orientated play on words, there) continue…"

Thursday 25 November 2010

The debt generation

Posted by Lleu Williams, Non-Portfolio Officer

"We will vote against any lifting of the tuition fee cap, and campaign to get rid of tuition fees" were the importal words of the Clegg posse, aka the Liberal Democrats in the lead up to the General Election, the wording on pledges that every single on of their MPs signed and one of their parties mainstay policies. It is actually making me laugh reading about that now to be honest, as myself, like many other young people genuinely believed that this would be the case when coalition discussions were taking place.

Where are we now? The Browne Review has reported back suggesting lifting the cap on tuition fees and creating a marketisation of the higher education sector in England, and since then the ConDems have put forward proposals for tuition fees to be capped at £9000 a year.

There have been protests up and down the country yesterday, including walkouts and occupations right across Wales. This has been a great success in highlighting the issue within the media, as well as with the general public. I do not condone the small spates of violence that have taken place, but in the majority yesterday, as with the NUS Demo two weeks ago, young and old have been out on the streets voicing their concerns over proposals that will ensure that the next higher education generation will certainly be the debt generation.

I do not take for one minute the ConDems justification that their new proposals are fairer. Yes, the pay back threshold has been increased to £21,000 (a level it should be at anyway) and that the proposals make HE more attractive to part time students are to be welcomed, but how dare they suggest that the debt of £27,000 for a degree will not put off those who are from the poorest backgrounds in our society. For many of these people, their household incomes are not even that much and I don't think they could even comprehend putting themselves into that much debt, I know I couldn't!

And Mr Willetts, the Universities Minister, said that people from the poorest backgrounds won't have to pay it back until they earn at least the new suggested threshold, is he saying then that people from these backgrounds can't or shouldn't be earning more than £21,000 and thus aspiring to lift themselves out of poverty?

In addition to that, we have seen standard Tory procedure of backing their own kind by not asking for any contribution from business. Society, the individual, the economy and business reap the benefits of a world class higher education system, why aren't business asked to contribute their fair share into funding the system? They certainly aren't doing their bit by increasing the number of graduate jobs in the market at the moment....or even better, how about actually increasing the pitifully small banking levy of £2 billion to something much more substantial such as the £8 billion in bonuses this year and thus reinvesting a proportion of that funding back into teaching budgets, thus alleviating the cost onto the student? But the cyncial side of me says this would be too harsh on their friends high up in the world of business, cheers Cameron!

I am over £13,000 in debt, and I don't think I will ever clear it myself- something the government will do for me when I am 60 anyway. But the government are suggesting any debt that is left after 30 years of repayment will be wiped, I dread to think how much this will cost the government in 30 years time and create a potentially huge vaccum in the coffers at Westminster.

Here in Wales, we are lucky to have the National Assembly to shield us from such volatile and socially destroying proposals. Teaching budgets in England have been cut by 80% (forcing the plug in funding to be met by the student) whilst in Wales they have only been cut by 12%, which will hopefully mean any changes will be minimal.

But what is real is that young people will be put off by this debt, I know I would have been. It's time for the ConDems to sit up and listen to the majority here and not condem the next generation as the the debt generation.

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Student Protests Nov 23rd: Defend Our Education!




Across the UK students and lecturers

are today participating in different forms

of protests in opposition to the proposed

changes to the education system.



Over 20,000 students will take part in

numerous peaceful protests much like the one being staged in Aberystwyth. Aberystwyth University is working with local schools to stage a mass student march through the town centre, and are planning a “sit out” in which students of the university walk out of classes and study sessions to do their work in public spaces. Although the Welsh Assembly Government is yet to announce its plans for the future of education in Wales, protesters in Aberystwyth, Cardiff and Swansea all fear the negative impact of London’s decisions for England on those of the Welsh Parliament. University fees will inevitably rise in light of the increase in England and students hope that staging protests against Westminster’s proposals will prevent such a sharp incline of fees in Wales.



Heralded as a “national day of action”, today highlights the solidarity amongst students of all ages who are determined to fight the government’s proposals to cut EMA, increase tuition fees and cut education budgets.



The honourable plight of students, who fiercely want to defend the education system from Con-Dem attacks, is underpinned by the fear that swingeing cuts to university budgets, and the possible tripling of tuition fees to £9000 a year in some cases, will mean the end of affordable and fair higher education. In light of government plans to remove funding for arts and humanities subjects students fear that government reforms will transform the education system into one which merely invests in individuals seeking power, rather than in society’s future as a whole. These concerns mirror those that suggest education will no longer be valued in it or as a way of enriching culture, but rather solely as a means of career based training.



The concerns that increases in fees will mean university becomes an establishment of societies privileged, thus entrenching poverty, alienation and inequality, are not to be taken lightly and certainly raise serious issues when considering the proposed cuts. However is it possible to identify a silver lining to this grey, fatalistic cloud? The fear that the proposed cuts will prevent those from less wealthy backgrounds from attending university and in this sense universities will become exclusive and favourist. In this time of financial crisis and necessary hard-line decision making for the British government is it really as inappropriate as it may initially seem to suggest that the tax payer should only subsidise courses from which they may all benefit in the future such as medicine and engineering? The ConDem government’s current proposal to continue to provide state subsidies to so called “core” subjects such as law, medicine, engineering and some areas of business, but not to subjects of a humanitarian or arts orientation, is based on this logic and in times of such financial crisis some may argue is an unfortunate but necessary compromise.



However, attempts to challenge the assumed fatality of the impending cuts are flouted when considering the context within which today’s cuts are being made, with the current job market only intensifying the severity of the education reforms. How else are students to feel other than fatalistic about the future when they are given no options of how to improve it? An imminent increase in job cuts and reforms of the welfare state alongside the changes to the education system leave many students feeling they have no job prospects and no chance of furthering their education and thus no future. The cuts in education are extreme in failing to provide any alternative for young people the Con Dems have left students with no choices and no hope.



Written by Plaid Cymru Intern

Bex Llewhellin

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Whilst Camerons away.........

An estimated 2000 students from Wales have today travelled to London to join fellow peers, lecturers and the general public protesting in response to the unjustly tuition fee increases the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition proposed in October this year. Reports of riots and violent scenes within Central London have occurred, with some students turning to the Conservative headquarters to make a symbolic stance against the cuts; burning banners and fighting police officers. Although NUS have stated that they are disappointed with these violent acts, the organised event has been one of the biggest in British history with around 50,000 participants joining. Those who joined the demonstration peacefully aimed to send a message to Westminster.

For many welsh students who may be disillusioned with politics, these coalition cuts are not helping the younger generation feel they can engage in politics. Their needs and wants are being distanced with uncertain futures and broken promises by many politicians, especially those of the Lib Dems who promised scrapping fees altogether in their recent manifesto pledges.

Even though the exact price tag on higher education for Welsh students has not been revealed, those seeking to study in England could be faced with debt up to £40,000.00 which will inevitably impact on the price of tutition fees in Wales. For most, this cost is simply unaffordable, creating an unfair two tier society which could increase further the inequality gap in Wales for years to come. With higher education being cut by about 40% there is uncertainty about the future spending on welsh universities with the possibilities of public spending being hit and university departmental budgets being slashed. The future performance of welsh universities is unknown with the possibility of standards falling across Wales as a result.

For Plaid Cymru the disappointment in the increase of tuition fees is apparent with us striving to create a fair and equal society in Wales which Westminster is increasingly making difficult for us to achieve.Plaid Cymru have made a clear alliance with NUS and SNP on the dissatisfaction of the Browne Proposals and have sent a letter to the business Secretary Vice Cable showing a united front between these nations. Those in the Liberal Democrat party who are intending to abstain from voting in these radical changes,should be ashamed of themselves because merely abstaining the vote will mean the proposal will go through anyway. If all the Fib Dem MP’s vote against tuition fee’s then it wouldn’t go through,

Sunday 31 October 2010

The Wealth of Nations

I haven't written a blog for quite some time now, and I have been wondering why. I thought it was probably down to the fact I had been busy with other things, like my new job, training for the Cardiff Half Marathon, spending more time out with mates and my girlfriend. But if I'm honest I think its because I've become a bit bored with politics lately and I think I know partly why.

I think it's because politics has for some time now been all about one thing, the economy. I think if we're honest not many of us truly understand what is happening (and has happened) to the UK's financial system. I have tried to improve my knowledge of this vital subject area, but after about two minutes of getting my head stuck into 'essential economics' my eyes start to close. I have decided on a compromise with the book.... I have just read the summaries of each chapter, which to be honest are pretty useless if taken in isolation.

It can be a bit of a problem when we all think we are experts on a topic, and all those whose ideas are different are either idiots or evil. All we know is that its not going to be good for a lot of people, to say the least. Not even the experts know the full extent of what these cuts will mean for the long term strength of Britains' or Wales' economy. Most of what is offered must, like in most of politics, be an opinion. However, you don't really need to be an expert to see that Wales has been given a harsh deal in the spending review. A loss of jobs at the Newport passport office and the loss of a number of major investment projects, on top of worse cuts to our block grant than that imposed on Scotland and Northern Ireland. Not to mention the problem of Wales' small private sector in comparison to its public sector. But maybe even that is just my opinion based on what I have read in the Welsh press.

I think as we get older we all start to realise the real importance of money, it really does make the world go round whether you like it or not. The capitalistic system is one of mankind's most revolutionary ideas and can be a great force for freedom in the world, but like most things that have great benefits, there has to be some negatives. There are things we need and things we want, and money to be made by those who can supply them. Unfortunately there are also people to be exploited when making that money. In the end it is human nature to want more than we need, and there is nothing wrong with this, but it does sometimes get way out of hand, and has got us into these difficult times.

Whether Wales is suffering disproportionally or not we still have to tackle the one thing that always makes us suffer more than other parts of these islands. We need to take this opportunity and not just blame others for the harsh hand we have been dealt, but to take it upon ourselves to create the wealth in Wales that we all would benefit from. We need a Yes vote in next March's referendum on further powers for the Assembly not just so we can get more money from the UK treasury, but so that we can really start to do things more creatively here in Wales. We need a vote of confidence in ourselves to do things our own way and with our own unique talents. That is the real wealth of all nations, their ability to do things their own way and the confidence to do it.

Like most of us will learn in our lives we need to take some risks to really challenge ourselves if we wish to better ourselves. Sometimes we will get it wrong, but we will learn from it, and when we try again we might just get it right.

By Daniel Pryce Lawrence
South Wales East representative

Monday 25 October 2010

Charity Walk

Iago ap Steffan (Llywydd Myfywyr Plaid Cymru Students Aberystwyth and West Wales Representative)

A big huge thank you to everyone that supported Myfywyr Plaid Cymru Students Aberystwyth in the charity walk on Saturday. A massive well done to Liam, Jeff, Owain, Michaela and myself for completing the walk.
The walk was in aid of Beacon of Hope (who takes care of people with terminal illnesses) and Wales Air Ambulance; two very important and vital charities. In terms of how much we have raised...so far it has reached over £300!!! Plenty more to collect and every penny, I'm sure, will be very much appreciated by the organisations.
It was a difficult but fun walk. We carried on through strong winds, heavy rain, bitter cold and darkness along the coastal path from Aberystwyth to Aberaeron. Including the lunch break in Llanon; it took us 10 hours and 20 minutes to reach our destination. Still feeling the strain today, but feeling good that it was all for a good cause.
On a final note: as the future of Cymru, we need to remember that politics, although is important, we must still remember that looking after each other and helping others who are most vulnerable in society is our priority...never forget our old community spirit!

Tuesday 24 August 2010

An important lesson for Plaid to learn...

Today, Cerith Rhys Jones, non-portfolio officer on the National Exec writes about an important factor that Plaid should consider, as it moves with Wales towards independence:

"A discussion with my grandfather (who, for the record, is English) got me thinking yesterday, about one of Plaid’s major challenges in the years to come. One of the biggest misconceptions people have, is that a nation is the same thing as a nation-state. People will gladly say that they are Welsh before they are British, but they will sometimes think of their citizenship as being the same thing as their nationality.

"There has been plenty of discussion about Plaid being in a crisis. As a party activist and an executive member of the party’s youth wing, I would take the view that the party is not in a crisis but rather, that it really needs some thinking time about its way forward. No matter how much Plaid members and activists say that the election wasn’t all that bad, the truth is that we didn’t do as well as we had hoped and expected and we, as a party, need to think long and hard about our message for the Assembly elections next year, and the local elections on 2012.

"In the long term however, as Wales works towards, first, a full parliament with fiscal autonomy, and eventually, an independent Wales, Plaid needs to focus on changing people’s view of a ‘nation’. (I would say that this would go for other parties too, but how keen they’d be to do this is another matter.)

"Too many people think of a ‘nation’ as a physical entity with a clear geography. To me, and I would think, to the party, a nation needn’t have defined borders and the people of that respective nation needn’t share a specific patch of land. Take Patagonia, for instance. The Welsh people who moved there to establish Y Wladfa (the Welsh Settlement), they went there with the intention of creating a ‘second Wales.’ To this day, their descendants think of themselves as being Welsh Argentine. If we look at that phrase – Welsh Argentine, that is – it can be split in two; into ‘nationality’ and ‘citizenship’. The citizenship is clearly Argentine; of that, let there be no doubt. This works in the same way with us here in Wales. I will always say that I am Welsh first, European second, and British third. As much as I may be against the British institution, I can’t escape the fact that I am a Briton, by law. Wales doesn’t have its own sovereignty (yet), so it is legally impossible to be a ‘citizen’ of the country, in the conventional way. The nationality of a Welsh Argentine person, however, is Welsh. This will confuse some people as it did my grandfather. A ‘nation’ to me, doesn’t mean a group of people who inhabit a specific piece of territory; it is a group of people (or peoples, as would probably be appropriate) who share a heritage, a history, and a feeling. So yes, while a resident of Y Wladfa may hold an Argentine passport, his or her nationality is Welsh, in so much as he or she shares our heritage and history here in Wales.

"This very principle will apply to the Quebecois of Canada. They are by law, of course, Canadian. However, in nationality, they are Quebecois. They are a group of people who share a history and a heritage. I guess this principle could go for any group of people within a nation-state, anywhere on Earth.

"Plaid’s challenge is teaching the people of Wales that although they may be subjects of the United Kingdom, they do have their own heritage and history - an Unique Selling Point, if you will - that makes them Welsh in nationality. Let them think of themselves as British, and what makes them so, and they will list things that are primarily English. As Gwynfor said, “Britishness…is a political synonym that extends English culture of the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.” This hits the nail right on the head!

"The difficulty that Plaid faces of course, is that too many people in Wales still have trouble thinking about Wales as a country in its own right; they challenge that idea, even. The question they should ask themselves though, is ‘what is a country? What makes a country, a country?’ Again, people will often think that Wales can’t possibly be a country, because it’s a ‘constituent region’ of ‘the mother-country’ of Britain. Britain, though, is not a country. It’s a nation-state. Britain is simply the entity, which contains the countries of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, which are countries and nations in their own right.

"When Plaid looks forward in terms of how it can raise support for full autonomy within the European Union and the United Nations for Wales, it really has to get people to understand that whatever their passport says, their nationality – their heritage, their history, their national persona – is different to that of Britain. If Plaid is to succeed, it needs to ensure that the people recognise Wales as a country in its own right, which is being dictated to by another country.

"Those who disagree with me (or who are unionists), will argue that we are not being dictated to by another country at all; we are part of the UK and so we are governed as part of Britain. Here again, the problem that people think of Wales as a region and the UK as a country, is raising its ugly head. Of course we’re being dictated to by another country – England! Was it not the English who annexed Wales to England, extended English laws unto Wales, and oppressed the Welsh language all those hundreds of years ago – and still do to this day? Does the British government not create laws, which apply only to England and Wales? Is it not true that Wales is treated differently to Scotland? Yes. Yes. Yes.

"The biggest challenge to Plaid, to the SNP, Mebyon Kernow, in fact, any nationalist party, is to show their people, the citizens of their respective nations, that they are their own people, and that there is a huge divide between Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Cornwall – wherever – and the nation-state which ultimately governs them.

"It’s all very well and good Plaid in the short term focussing on its successes in the National Assembly as part of the One Wales government (and I wouldn’t for one minute say anything different to that) but if Plaid wants to keep itself as the Party of Wales – to keep its USP, to remain a nationalist party, which will do its best to govern in the short term, but all the while working towards an independent Wales – it has to realise that people still think that they’re country is Britain, and break down that idea.

"People may also rebut my ideas by saying that one’s nationality can also be interpreted as British, in that we as Britons share our own history and heritage. I can accept this to an extent, but here rises Gwynfor’s quote again; that what we perceive to be British is actually English.

"Plaid needs to campaign to teach people that their nation-state is Britain. They are British subjects. They pay their taxes to the British government. But as a people, they are Welsh. Their history is Welsh. Their heritage and their national persona are Welsh. When people grasp and believe this, Plaid won’t have much bother on election day.

"While our passports may tell us that we are subjects of the British crown, we are and always have been citizens of the Welsh nation. It will remain that way until we can look at a Welsh passport and see that we are citizens of the Welsh nation-state.

"The challenge for Plaid is to lead the way on that (long) road to independence, but all the while, making sure that we’re re-elected to the Assembly Government and we continue to do a good job of it."

Wednesday 4 August 2010

Windfall Needed Now

by Iago ap Steffan

This is definitely not a new topic of discussion, but one that does need to be talked about time and time again until it has been addressed. I'm talking about a windfall tax. This time I want to bring both the energy companies and banks to the forefront.
The other day I received a British Gas bill for my gas of £45.02! Doesn't sound that bad does it until I mention that it was for just over one month, that I was the only one living there at the time and that I had no gas cooker. Now I'm a student and money is a bit tight at the moment and every penny counts. How can an energy supplier honestly believe that a student could afford potentially a bill for £360 a year? God knows how older people, relying only on state pensions, can afford it and they probably use more energy than myself, especially in the winter months.
The other money making industry are the banks. Not only did they help bring in the recession by their attitudes towards lending, but were also raking it in with the overdraft and late payment fees; especially from those most vulnerable in society that can't keep up with repayments; again like students.
Today we hear that Lloyds Banking Group have made a profit of £1.6billion. This is a bank 73% owned by us, the people. Will this money be repaid back to the government who had to bail them out or to the people who have paid these unnecessary fees? Probably neither. Even though we paid out billions of pounds to save the banks they are still making profits and giving out big bonuses. This is why I support calls for a windfall tax on the banks and energy providers who make stupid amounts of profits to feed the fat cats and The City workers. This is something that I'm pretty sure the vast amount of the population would support and this must be implemented NOW!

Tuesday 27 July 2010

Time For A Truly Welsh Curriculum

by Lleu Williams, Non-Portfolio Officer


“Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived” Year 8 History


“The British Empire was the leading and most powerful empire in history” Year 9 History


“Powerful poetry from soldiers in the Great War” GCSE English Literature


These are just a couple of things I remember learning whilst at comprehensive school back in Llanelli, good solid British, or even more so, English related topics in a Welsh medium comprehensive in Wales. Things were worse when my Tadcu (grandfather) was educated in Carmarthen in the 1930s, all he remembers was a map of the world with the British Empire all in pink.


Much of what I remember being taught in history, English literature, leisure studies and other subjects did include many Welsh related topics, but still contained many English topics. And I remember asking myself back then, why? Why am I being taught literature by English soldiers in the Great War? Why am I learning about the Tudors? And bear in mind this was only around six or seven years ago, so we are not talking a long time.


Don’t get me wrong, I am not short sighted enough not to recognise the importance of elements of British topics in developing a thorough understanding of history, English literature and so forth. Yes the Tudors are important, due to Henry VIII’s Act of Union in 1536 and the way it affected Wales, whilst the British Empire played an important role in the development of the coal mines in the Valleys in the Great Revolution. Despite this, I was never once taught about Hywel Dda or Owain Glyndwr, I never studied Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas and nor did I study Welsh music in music lessons. In addition, I am not writing here to advocate a totally Welsh-only curriculum; learning about different cultures, histories and language are and will be essential for our young people if Wales is to become an independent state within the European Union.


This raises further fears for me as proud Welshman that our future generations will not learn about Hywel Dda or Glyndwr, will not have read Under Milkwood or won’t know who the Manic Street Preachers or Edward H Dafis were! I was lucky, I was brought up in a household where this information was taught to me by my parents, and I consider myself lucky, but how many others in the next generation won’t have this opportunity?


Unfortunately, despite the wonderful and sometimes academically accurate Wikipedia, we cannot depend on the next generation of internet users to look up everything on this site. It’s now time for us to develop a truly Welsh curriculum, a curriculum where pupils and students in Wales know the history of their country, a curriculum where they understand the Welsh economy and a curriculum where pupils and students know who Dylan Thomas is and the wonders of his work. In the age of devolution in Wales, an age where many young people wouldn’t know life without the National Assembly and wouldn’t know school without a free breakfast, surely we should seize the opportunity for us to develop a truly Welsh curriculum?


A curriculum that focuses on Welsh history (Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf, Owain Glyndwr, the role of Wales in the Industrial Revolution), a curriculum that focuses on Welsh writers and poets (Dylan Thomas, Niall Griffiths and Caradoc Evans) and a curriculum that focuses on the importance of the Welsh economy (The Coal Mine Field, Industry in the Valleys, Farming in West and North Wales).


For a nation such as Wales, it’s essential now that we exercise these powers and resources that we have in Wales to develop a truly Welsh curriculum. We must work together with exam boards such as the WJEC, the Welsh Assembly Government, teaching unions and the media such as S4C and the BBC to develop a truly distinctive Welsh curriculum that neither you or I have experienced. And in time to ensure that the next generation appreciate, understand and love their history, culture and language.

Time For A Truly Welsh Curriculum

by Lleu Williams, Non-Portfolio Officer


“Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived” Year 8 History


“The British Empire was the leading and most powerful empire in history” Year 9 History


“Powerful poetry from soldiers in the Great War” GCSE English Literature


These are just a couple of things I remember learning whilst at comprehensive school back in Llanelli, good solid British, or even more so, English related topics in a Welsh medium comprehensive in Wales. Things were worse when my Tadcu (grandfather) was educated in Carmarthen in the 1930s, all he remembers was a map of the world with the British Empire all in pink.


Much of what I remember being taught in history, English literature, leisure studies and other subjects did include many Welsh related topics, but still contained many English topics. And I remember asking myself back then, why? Why am I being taught literature by English soldiers in the Great War? Why am I learning about the Tudors? And bear in mind this was only around six or seven years ago, so we are not talking a long time.


Don’t get me wrong, I am not short sighted enough not to recognise the importance of elements of British topics in developing a thorough understanding of history, English literature and so forth. Yes the Tudors are important, due to Henry VIII’s Act of Union in 1536 and the way it affected Wales, whilst the British Empire played an important role in the development of the coal mines in the Valleys in the Great Revolution. Despite this, I was never once taught about Hywel Dda or Owain Glyndwr, I never studied Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas and nor did I study Welsh music in music lessons. In addition, I am not writing here to advocate a totally Welsh-only curriculum; learning about different cultures, histories and language are and will be essential for our young people if Wales is to become an independent state within the European Union.


This raises further fears for me as proud Welshman that our future generations will not learn about Hywel Dda or Glyndwr, will not have read Under Milkwood or won’t know who the Manic Street Preachers or Edward H Dafis were! I was lucky, I was brought up in a household where this information was taught to me by my parents, and I consider myself lucky, but how many others in the next generation won’t have this opportunity?


Unfortunately, despite the wonderful and sometimes academically accurate Wikipedia, we cannot depend on the next generation of internet users to look up everything on this site. It’s now time for us to develop a truly Welsh curriculum, a curriculum where pupils and students in Wales know the history of their country, a curriculum where they understand the Welsh economy and a curriculum where pupils and students know who Dylan Thomas is and the wonders of his work. In the age of devolution in Wales, an age where many young people wouldn’t know life without the National Assembly and wouldn’t know school without a free breakfast, surely we should seize the opportunity for us to develop a truly Welsh curriculum?


A curriculum that focuses on Welsh history (Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf, Owain Glyndwr, the role of Wales in the Industrial Revolution), a curriculum that focuses on Welsh writers and poets (Dylan Thomas, Niall Griffiths and Caradoc Evans) and a curriculum that focuses on the importance of the Welsh economy (The Coal Mine Field, Industry in the Valleys, Farming in West and North Wales).


For a nation such as Wales, it’s essential now that we exercise these powers and resources that we have in Wales to develop a truly Welsh curriculum. We must work together with exam boards such as the WJEC, the Welsh Assembly Government, teaching unions and the media such as S4C and the BBC to develop a truly distinctive Welsh curriculum that neither you or I have experienced. And in time to ensure that the next generation appreciate, understand and love their history, culture and language.

Sunday 25 July 2010

Fairness for Graduates

By CERITH RHYS JONES
Officer without Portfolio on CymruX's National Executive Committee

"I guess the main thing I want to look at in my blog space this week, is an e-petition that I’ve set up on CymruX’s behalf, which calls on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to resist some rather unfair plans proposed by the Russell Group of Universities – including Cardiff – to change the student loan repayment system.

Those with an interest in further education will know that the Browne Review, led by John, Lord Browne, is to report on higher education funding and student finance, this year, and that the Russell Group, a group of 20 elite universities (elite in a good way) throughout the UK, have submitted some proposals, which call (a) to lift the cap on fees, meaning that students could be forced to pay up to £7,000 in England (and of course, when English fees go up, it’s very likely that Welsh fees will do the same); (b) to change the loan repayment system, so that students pay back more money at a time, and when they’re earning less. As the situation stands, graduates start to pay back their loans when they reach £15,000 salary, but the interest rates are fluctuant. The group’s plans would see students paying back at a higher interest rate, and at a lower income level. This clearly isn’t fair, especially when the ConDem government is planning a “graduate tax” and education is expensive enough as it is.

With regard to the graduate tax, I am on the fence. If – and only if – it replaces fees, then of course, I’d rather pay a higher rate of tax than have to spend thousands of pounds on education which should, in all honesty, be free. However, if the grad tax comes on top of higher fees and unfair changes to the loan system, then clearly, prospective students from “working- and lower-class” backgrounds will be priced out of higher education.

It is my view, and the view of both CymruX and Plaid Cymru, that in the current economic climate, higher education should be invested in. We are at a crossroads in terms of where we can take our economy from here. Well, more of a junction than a crossroads, but you get my drift. We can either go back the same old way, let the banking sector and the South East of England run riot; or, we can develop a green, technological economy, one focused on need, one focused on sustainability, one focused on the modern world, and living responsibly, where every individual has the chance to flourish, be that through work-based training, being a valued part of the workforce, or going into higher education. Only with investment in higher education can the latter be a viable option.

In some respects, I can understand the difficulty that the Russell Group is facing. It’s facing huge pressure from the ConDem government, (and be under no illusion that New Labour was any better), and it has to adapt. The group has to keep up its reputation for being the leading research-based universities in the UK, but I would rather see the Russell Group working for its students and prospective students, campaigning and fighting against government plans to cut its funding, not simply give in and force the Tories’ elitist (in a bad way) principles on its students.

A similar petition, organised by new Northern Ireland Assembly Member for the SDLP, representing South Belfast, Conall McDevitt MLA, has already been submitted to the Northern Ireland Assembly for consideration. This petition, of which I am principle petitioner, but am really just a link, a liaison, between CymruX and the National Assembly, will close a week before the Petitions’ Committee sits for the first time in the Autumn Term. In 3 days, we have 67 signatories, but there’s a long way to go. Please do sign the petition, and pass it on to your family, your friends, your colleagues, your AMs and MPs (Plaid or otherwise), your student contacts, your old teachers, your neighbours, to sign. Whoever. Plaid Cymru’s constitution lists as one of the party’s objectives, “To ensure economic prosperity, social justice…based on decentralist socialism”. Anyone who believes in these principles, and cannot see sanity in those held by what are now the Libservatives, should sign the petition. After all, how could anyone who gives two hoots for students, graduates and the future of our country and the UK, support a government, a minister of whose, says that students are a burden on the taxpayer? Students, and graduates deserve better, and I am proud to say that CymruX is standing up for them."

Link to the petition: http://tiny.cc/fair4grads

O.N. Daw'r fersiwn Gymraeg cyn hir!

Monday 12 July 2010

Ysgol Haf Plaid Cymru




Gan Emyr Gruffydd, Cangen Cymru X Caerdydd





Nawr ein bod wedi dad-flino wedi penwythnos hynod lwyddiannus yn Aberystwyth, da yw cael ysgrifennu gair am Ysgol Haf Plaid Cymru a rôl aelodau Cymru X yn yr Ysgol Haf.





Cynhaliwyd yr Ysgol Haf i holl aelodau Plaid Cymru ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, gan ddenu nifer go dda o aelodau Cymru X. Cafwyd cyfle i wrando ar nifer o ffigurau amlwg yn y Blaid yn siarad ar wahanol bynciau, yn ogystal â sesiynau hyfforddi ar ganfasio, sut i ddelio â'r wasg leol,


creu taflenni ac ymgyrchu ar lein. Cafwyd sgwrs gan Leanne Wood am syniadau D.J Davies a Raymond Williams, a sut y gallai sosialaeth radical a chenedlaetholdeb y ddau ddylanwadu'n bositif ar y Blaid yn ein brwydr i greu'r Gymru newydd.





Cafwyd dadl agored ynghylch gwleidyddiaeth myfyrwyr a sut i adeiladu ein adain ieuenctid ar gampws nifer i brifysgol. Fel cadeirydd Cymru X Caerdydd, roedd yn ddiddorol cael trafod fy mhrofiad fel myfyriwr sy'n ymwneud â'r Blaid, ac fe gafwyd consensws cryf y byddai'n werthfawr i aelodau Cymru X ymwneud llawer mwy yn ein Hundebau Myfyrwyr ar draws Cymru gan gymryd safleoedd o bwys ar gynghorau a phwyllgorau rheoli'r Undebau. Er hynny, mae'n rhaid cydnabod bod rhaid newid strwythyrau Cymru X er mwyn ei gwneud hi'n haws i ni adnabod lle mae'n cefnogaeth ac adeiladu ar hynny yn briodol. Yn ogystal, trafodwyd rhannu'n mudiad ieuenctid mewn i ddwy adran; un yn delio gyda'r rhai hynny sydd yn yr ysgol, wedi graddio neu yn gweithio, ac adran arall yn arbennig i fyfyrwyr. Buasai pob cyfraniad yn help mawr yn y ddadl ddiddorol hon!





Diddorol a chalonogol oedd clywed ymateb gymaint o bobl ifainc y Blaid a ddaeth i gefnogi'r ysgol Haf. Roedd yn dda gweld cymaint o bobl ifanc yn ymddiddori yng ngwleidyddiaeth genedlaetholgar, ac roedd yn braf clywed nifer yn son mai gwleidyddiaeth radical yw'r ffordd ymlaen i ni fel ieuenctid ac i'r Blaid yn gyffredinol. Cofiwch, os hoffech chi fwynhau digwyddiadau fel hyn yn y dyfodol, neu am wybod mwy am weithgareddau Cymru X yn eich ardal, cysylltwch â ni ar postcymrux@googlemail.com.





Diolch hefyd i'r rhai hynny a ddaeth o bleidiau'r UDB yn Llydaw ac adain ieunctid Mebyon Kernow, Kernow X o Gernyw. Gobeithio y gallwn oll ddysgu wrth ein gilydd gan ymladd dros ryddid i'n gwledydd!





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It was excellent to see so many people in the Plaid Cymru Ysgol Haf (Summer School) this last weekend. Cymru X featured prominently in the Ysgol Haf with many young people attending the activities, where we learned a lot about campaigning techniques, how to strengthen our youth movement within universities and Student Unions, and on the general history of Plaid Cymru and radical politics in Wales. It was also nice to see so many people who had come over from our sister parties, the UDB in Brittany but mainly Kernow X, the Youth Wing of Mebyon Kernow in Cornwall. Thanks for coming! Let's hope that we can all learn something from each other while fighting for freedom for our nations!





If you would like to be involved in Cymru X and Plaid Cymru activities, be they at a national level like this or in your area or University, contact us on postcymrux@googlemail.com.

Thursday 8 July 2010

The Marketplace of Ideas

By Daniel Pryce Lawrence

Tuesday night I and 2 other members of Cymru X (Emyr and Lleu) attended a meeting of the Plaid Cymru Cardiff Central Constituency at the Mackintosh Institute which featured a talk by Dafydd Trystan on 'The Road to the Referendum – Spring 2011 and beyond'. It was a fascinating talk on the challenges we face leading up to the referendum, and the struggles we face post the vote on the very soul of our party. In the style of all the most enlightening lectures it challenged the assembled members to think about and question what was offered, and to go away and really shape the future of the party.

He dealt briefly with some of the debates that will be had in the coming months on how we can convince the people of Wales that a Yes vote in the Referendum is vitally important to the future success of our nation. But there is much work to do in convincing people of the need for a change in the system and the positive benefits that would flow from that change. Two weekends ago on Armed Forces day in Cardiff, I spent 2 hours in the centre of our Capital city working for Cymru Yfory-Tommorow's Wales asking people what they thought of Wales' constitutional situation, whether they knew there was a referendum on the horizon, whilst doing my best to convince them of the need for a Yes vote. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who were very sympathetic to the Assembly having further powers and how they felt as an institution it had become the centre of national life. Out of the hundred or so people I must have talked to, only one gave me an angry response and expressed their wish that the Assembly be abolished. I came away feeling very positive about our chances, but we can never be complacent on these things, circumstances will dictate the shape of our future arguments.

Anyway, back to Dafydd's talk. Once he had said his bit about the referendum, he moved delicately to a new area. He asked us to look beyond it, past a hopeful Yes vote to where the party would be, should we have finally achieved one of our founding aims, a legislative Parliament for Wales. He asked us to think about what Plaid Cymru would stand for in that brave new world. Would we be content to, having won the long argument for Welsh autonomy, be a generally left of centre party fighting for Labours ground just with a slightly stronger Welsh language flavour? Would Independence feature more strongly in our campaigning? Where would we stand if we had just received a No vote? Could we become the only rational party of the left? What could we do that would better serve the people of Wales? What would be our vision of the future we could offer to them? And would it inspire them?

All good questions, but with no easy answers. What did seem to crop up though was, and with a perceptive question from Eurfyl ap Gwilym, that we as a party were not thinking as much as we used to. Not for any lack of effort or because we couldn't, but because we had matured into a party of Government. We have grown into a party that is ready to take responsibility for the running of our country, and now many of our brightest lights are involved in the daily, punishing grind of power. He said that it was up to the rest of us to provide those radical ideas which has for so long given our party its distinctive appeal.

We face some of the most important months in the history of our party and of Wales. With the first major test of Devolution, different parties in power on either side of Offa's Dyke, a Labour party that is trying to steal Plaids clothes and a referendum that will essentially ask people where the most important decisions on domestic policy should be taken Cardiff or London. So here is the challenge for the future, to provide the ideas and vision that can help take our party into the next stage of its life. So that the country has what it has always, and will always need - those who will speak up for it, unashamedly dream for it and shape its future progress. Where do we begin?

Gan Daniel Pryce Lawrence
South Wales East Representative

Tuesday 6 July 2010

Annibyniaeth Ariannol i Gymru? Fiscal Freedom for Wales?

gan Owain Rhys James

Gyda Comissiwn Holtham yn cyflwyno mwy o’i ganlyniadau heddiw fe gafodd cwfnogwyr datganoli mwy o bwerau, a’r rheini sydd yn dadlau yn erbyn y Cynulliad oherwydd ein body n dibynnu ar arian Lloegr, ddigon i gnoi cil drosto. Awgrymodd yr Gerald Holtham y dylai’r cynulliad gael y pwer i newid trethu gan arwain at fwy o bwerau i’r Cynulliad. Yn fy mhran i buasau hyn yn gyfle gwych i’r Cynulliad ddatblygu i fod yn fwy cyfrifol dros yr hyn y meant yn ei wneud gan rhoi’r cyfle iddynt ddatblygu eceonomi’r wlad yn ol anghenion arbennig Cymru. Gan a fydd yr effath ariannol yn newid llawer yn y Cynulliad buasau’r elfen gyhoeddus yn rhoi’r gallu i’r pleidleiswyr fesur llwyddiant y llywodraeth o ongl newydd.

Mae’r pwerau newydd i godi trethu yn agor y posibilrwydd o benderfyniadau anodd ac amhoblogaidd ofnadwy, ond mae hyn yn wir am unrhyw fath o bwer llywodraethu. Ers ymuno a’r lywodraeth glym-bleidiol mae Plaid wedi bod yn llwyddianus wrth lywodraethu fel y mae ei angen, gan gymryd penderfyniadau anodd, ac ar y llaw arall parhau i gadw cefnogaeth etholwyr. Buasau caniatau i’r llywodraeth newid trethu mewn adrannau arbennig yn ei galluogi i ddelio a’r torriadau brawychus i arian cyhoeddus sy’n cael ei drafod yn San Steffan.

Mae canlyniadau defnyddio’r pwer yn ddiddorol. Fe all y Cynulliad godi treth incwm gan 1c ymhob £ gan godi tua £150milliwn o arian treth ychwanegol; ond mewn gwirionedd ni ellir gwneud llawer a swm mor fach o arian ac fe all yr amhoblogrwydd arwain at fusnesau a talwyr treth i groesi Clawdd Ofa i dalu trethu yn Lloegr. Yn groes i hyn fe all disgyniad mewn treth anog pobl i ddod i Gymru gan arwain at gyfanswm uwch o dreth yn cael ei godi. Digon i’r cabinet yng Nghaerdydd ei bendroni.

O rhan Plaid, mae hyn i’w weld fel cyfle gwych i’r Cynulliad ddatblygu a phrofi ei werth yn ystod y cyfnod economaidd anoddaf ers blynyddoedd. Buasau’r annibyniaeth ychwanegol hyn yn ein galluogi i ymateb fel yr angen i sefyllfa Cymru ac yn rhoi’r gallu i’r Cynulliad fod yn atebol i’r etholwyr.


Nodyn bach arall am ddadl sy’n codi yn San Steffan. Mae’r cwestiynnau cyntaf am addasrwydd cael AS o Loegr fel Gweinidog dros Gymru yn cael ei gofyn gan Peter Hain wrth iddo gwyno fod Cheryl Gillan yn gorfod cymryd arian y treth-dalwyr i dalu am ei gwesty pob tro y bydd yn ymweld a Cymru. Er mae ond pwynt arwynebol yw hyn mae’n ein atgofa bod Cymru heb cael ei gynrychioli yn Llundain gan y llywodraeth Ceidwadywr-Ceidwadol; rhywbeth sy’n peri gofid pan bydd angen i lais y Cymry cael ei glywed yn San Steffan.


********


It’s been an interesting few days for Welsh economic news with yesterdays unveiling of a new inward investment plan and the second report of the Holtham Comission into public funding for Wales. Today’s suggestions by Gerald Holtham make interesting reading for all with an interest in Welsh political affairs and for those who have opposed Welsh devolution on the basis of the need for financial reliance on the English purse. It is that second group of people who I think will be most grateful for this suggestion.

Giving Wales a power similar to the so-called ‘Tartan Tax’ as it is in Scotland is a huge step for the Assembly. In real economic terms it will not be ground-breaking but in the electorate’s eyes this new financial responsibility will prove to be a key measure of a governments success. As Mr Holtham himself stated it will be the new requirement for the Assembly Government to consider the true cost effectiveness of measures that will be the actual result from this proposed change.

The giving of this additional power will of course bring with it the possibility of tough and unpopular decisions, but that is the downside of power. Plaid has, since joining Labour in coalition in 2007, grown used to such decisions and has been reasonably successful at securing public support in spite of difficult choices made. The ability to raise taxes gives a clear opportunity to cause unhappiness amongst various classes of people and how the Assembly deals with this will be a measure of their ability to govern independently. Allowing the Assembly to soften the cuts to some key areas by distributing their own collected monies to those areas may be one way of avoiding the 40% discussed by Westminster.

Possible results of varying taxes are very interesting. A raise of 1p in the £ would bring in approximately £150million in additional revenue; but may also lead some higher earners to cross the border and pay their taxes in England resulting in an overall reduction in funds. The contrary argument may be that lowering tax rates would persuade people to move to Wales meaning that the total collected by the Welsh Taxman would be greater.

All in all an interesting development for the government in Cardiff and London to consider, and for us in Plaid a fantastic opportunity to embrace new challenges and use these new powers to benefit the people of Wales.


A final few words which may interest some of you; the first result of having an English MP as Secretary of State for Wales has caused a mild political storm at Westminster. Peter Hain has raised the issue that Cheryl Gillan has to claim expenses for her hotel visits every time she visits Wales as she has no home here. Political points scoring this is, but it does highlight the fact that Wales is not truly represented by the Con-Dem coalition.

Monday 5 July 2010

Scottish Government acts on domestic abuse

By Luke Nicholas

One of the best things about the Plaid Youth movement, in my own opinion, is that 2 of our members are actually AMs. No other youth movement in Wales- as far as we are aware- can currently claim such an achievement. I'm sure there is research to suggest that Plaid Cymru is not necessarily the strongest party amongst young people at the moment, but it's clear that we in the future will be a very viable option for young voters who have grown up under devolution. Our appeal to the youth is enhanced by the fact that our two AMs- Bethan Jenkins and Nerys Evans- are among the most prominent of the backbenchers in the National Assembly.

One of Nerys' most significant achievements has been in driving forward the cross-party agenda on domestic abuse. Eventually the Welsh Government took action and created its own strategy and awareness campaign based on tackling the huge problem of domestic violence.

The Scottish Government has now acted decisively on this issue, becoming the first government in the UK to use the NHS to address domestic abuse. 5,000 staff will be trained to specialise in the field of prevention, so that the SNP Government is able to offer a "co-ordinated and consistent" level of service to the victims.

It would be really worthwhile if the Welsh Government took a similar step, building on the existing work that has been done.

Friday 2 July 2010

A “disrespect agenda”

Chad Rickard, Secretary / Ysgrifenydd, CymruX - Young Plaid Ifanc

It’s only been a few months of this coalition government and already the cracks of David and Nick’s “respect” agenda are starting to appear. First we have the announcement of fixed term, five year parliaments, that will cause, coincidentally, UK elections to clash with elections to the devolved bodies in Wales and Scotland. Now we have the ridiculous and thoughtless proposal to hold an AV referendum, on the same day as devolved Assembly and Parliament elections next May.

It is clear that the UK government and, in particular, Nick Clegg’s “department” know full well the implications for Wales and (to a lesser extent) Scotland. The debate in Wales will need to be about the things the Assembly has power over. The implications for legislation and government activity if a referendum on further powers results in a yes vote. The challenge of finding spending cuts in Wales. (Albeit, cuts that have been forced upon Wales by the UK government). Instead what we will have is a UK (invariably English) dominated debate, which will be focussed overwhelmingly around the campaign, for a yes or no vote on, what will be a totally pointless exercise in electoral reform. And to top it all off it won’t affect the devolved bodies one little bit. The only way in which this referendum will affect the devolved bodies, will be to confuse the issue and drag attention away from important matters of devolution and instead onto very minor reforms of Parliament.

The most unbelievable thing about all of this, is the complete lack of discussion, consultation, or consideration with either the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh Assembly. The leader of the Scottish Labour party, Iain Gray, had to “hear about this on the radio”. Such a lack of respect to the internal politics of Scotland and Wales is truly disgraceful and cannot continue to happen. It makes perfectly clear where the Lib Dem’s and Tories priorities now lie. Of course we in Wales and those in Scotland expect this kind of thing from the Conservatives. But weren’t the Lib Dems entry into coalition supposed to be a moderating influence? Were they not going to be the ones who forced the Conservatives into looking at the whole of the UK and not just the usual prism of the South and South East of England? It’s rather amusing that the Lib Dems are not claiming to be the “driving force” in this government as they would otherwise usually do. And why would they? All they have to show for selling their souls down the river are a few ministerial cars, special advisors and a record of abject betrayal and disrespect. This is just the latest, but it certainly won’t be the last case of the UK government not giving Wales a second thought.

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Ghettos of poverty

By Luke James

“I grew up in the '30s with an unemployed father.

He didn't riot. He got on his bike and looked for work, and he kept looking 'til he found it.”

Those are the infamous words of former Conservative Secretary for Employment (presumably someone was being ironic when they gave him that title) Norman Tebbit.

They are the words that inspire the latest generation of Conservatives who say they want to help people trapped in “ghettos of poverty” to move to find work.

The ghettos of poverty Iain Duncan Smith talks about are our communities, which now lack opportunities. The Tories solution to the poverty they are massively responsible for creating is now to try and destroy families and community, the glue that helps us through these tough times.

By ‘moving to work’ the Tories mean they want to see the same depopulation that helped destroy the Welsh language when people were lured, or forced, to move to work in Liverpool or London or even in Wales’ industrial cities.

What the Conservatives are engineering is a state where community is a commodity which can only be afforded by the well off and for the rest of us to be a transient population moving around the UK, with total disrespect for culture and language, in search of work.

The message the Conservatives want young people to hear loud and clear is that we have no right to expect to live near our family and friends, no right to continue living in the place we have been brought up and no right to expect to be able to find an affordable home there.

For many people that’s not a problem, it’s great to be able to ‘fly the nest’, perhaps for those of us who are lucky enough to go to university and then to some metropolis. But that dream becomes far less appealing when it is because of the hopelessness of your home not because of your ambitions.

It amazes me that the Conservatives can still claim to be the party of the family, purely based on their out dated views that the family is still mother, father and two point four children all under the same roof.

The Conservatives objection to the Welsh governments housing LCO earlier this year is also part of their agenda to smash community and create a roving population to serve to support the needs of the free market.

None of this is the ‘new politics’ David Cameron boasts of – to be fair at least Cameron hasn’t betrayed his party’s philosophy and purpose unlike Blair and New Labour.

In many ways I’m a conservative, I want to conserve my community, our nation, our culture and language and I won’t sit back and let it be destroyed so the shareholders of Capitalism PLC can reap the rewards.

So my suggestion, for now, how about we start making bikes for the Tories to get on or say cars, in Wales, and provide people with opportunities where they live. This isn’t a new idea, it is called sustainability, but the British parties are happy enough to just pay lip service to it.

As Dylan Thomas said ambition is critical, and it is but lets have ambition for ourselves, our communities and nation rather than allow a greedy few to tell us what’s good for the market is good for the people.

“Llifed dagrau'r gwangalon a llyfed y taeog y llawr
Er dued y fagddu o'n cwmpas, ry'n ni'n barod am doriad y wawr!”

“Let the faint-hearted keep wailing, let the serfs grovel and fawn
In spite of the darkness around us, we're ready to greet a new dawn.”

I for one am nobody's serf - bring on the referendum!

Monday 28 June 2010

Ysgol Haf





Eto eleni mi fydd CymruX yn cymryd rhan blaenllaw yn Ysgol Haf Plaid Cymru ar y 9fed i’r 11eg o Orffennaf. Mae cyfleodd i ehangu ar addysg wleidyddol ac hyfforddiant ymgyrchu yn brin iawn yng Nghymru, felly mae’r penwythnos yn gyfle na ddylid ei golli.

Cost y penwythnos i aelodau o CymruX yw £25. Mi fydd CymruX hefyd yn rhoi bws yn rhad ac am ddim i deithio i Aberystwyth ac yn ôl. Ond cyntaf i’r Felin fydd hi felly brysiwch i archebu eich lle wrth ebostio post@plaidcymru.org.

Thursday 10 June 2010

CymruX Letter in the Western Mail

CymruX once again has a presence in the Western Mail; Cerith Rhys Jones, non-portfolio officer on CymruX's NEC today writes about Trident:

"SIR – I was heartened to see a letter from the Chair of CymruX Young Plaid Cymru, of which I am a non-portfolio officer, in the Western Mail (June 7) regarding fairness, and to that, I would like to add my full support.

Also in that edition was an article about Trident. It was said that my party’s parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd MP had commented that Trident should come into the Strategic Defence Review (“Plaid joins the call for ‘outdated’ Trident’s future to be scrutinised”).

While I agree with that, I find myself agreeing with Parliament’s only Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who more or less called for the abandonment of the nuclear defence system.

We live in the modern world, and although terrorist threats are aplenty, is it not right to say that the world would be a safer place if we all said “actually, we don’t need these weapons, Let’s find a solution to our differences by diplomatic means”? There is no use in threatening other nations with our nukes, while all the while condemning countries like Iran for theirs.

I find the Liberal Democrats’ comments most interesting. The newly created lord, Mike German, former Deputy First Minister, noted that we should first take stock, before rushing into any decisions. How bizarre, considering the new Deputy Prime Minister was keen for us all to know that his party was anti-Trident in the election run-up.

The Lib Dem Welsh spokesperson, however, seemed to think that his party didn’t support a like-for-like replacement of Trident. Was it not the Lib Dem manifesto that said exactly that? I think so.

It seems to be, once again, that Plaid, the SNP and the Greens are the only truly progressive parties. I had hoped that Labour and the Lib Dems would join us three in some sort of an agreement to form a government after the election, but now I see that we’re better off out of it.

While Labour were happy to support it while in office and the ConDem government are happy to support it now, we progressives need to stand up for what is right, what is needed, what is moral: scrapping Trident.

We have bigger problems – the economy and climate change to name but two – other than shaking our ill-thought-of fists at the rest of the world.

CERITH RHYS-JONES
Non-portfolio Officer, CymruX Young Plaid"

Wednesday 9 June 2010

List Members

By Daniel Pryce Lawrence

A while ago, well about a year ago, after looking on the 100 Welsh Heroes website I decided to write a list of who I thought were the greatest 10 Welshmen and women of all time. It ended up being the 15 greatest (it was tough to narrow down), and unfortunately no women are featured in it, that is mainly due to fact that there is hardly any women on the list of the top 100, which I based my list on. I was going to do a new list in which the names Kate Roberts, Margaret Haig Thomas and Tanni Gery Thompson may have featured, but I thought for now I would stick with my earlier list and would ask for your opinions on that.

The reason I did the list was because I wanted to pick those great Welsh men and women who I thought had made the biggest contribution to Wales and the World. Personally, although I much admire the work of our sports stars, actors, musicians and singers I have missed them out of my list. The Tom Jones', Catherine Zeta Jones' and many other singers and actors for which Wales is famous are well known, and some of them do a great job representing Wales around the World. But in my list I wanted the scientists, thinkers and nation builders to be recognised, as I have always thought they do not receive the acclaim they deserve.

They were all born in Wales except David Lloyd George (born in Manchester), and King Arthur (no-one knows where he was born). But both have strong connections to Wales and I think can be considered Welsh for the purposes of my list. You could argue that Alfred Russell Wallace and Bertrand Russell were not Welsh, but as they were both born here (Bertrand Russell also died here), spent many years in the country and were aware of their questionable nationality I think they could be considered Welsh. There are many more people often claimed as Welsh who have far more tenuous links to the country.

Another list that I think would make interesting reading would be a list of those people of Welsh decent who have gone on to have a major impact on the World. The list would feature some of the greatest American presidents, such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Abraham Lincoln, not to mention those with less illustrious careers such as Murray Humphrey's and Jesse James. But that list would prove even more tricky and is for another day.

I've always been a fan of these sort of lists, and I realise people will all have their own ideas about who our greatest heroes are. They are a bit of fun, but I also think they may (especially when voted on by the public) tell us something about what the people of Wales think is most important to them. After all, it is the standards set by our greatest heroes by which we all measure ourselves, and by which the world measures us.

So here they are, what do you think?

My Welsh Heroes:

1. Owain Glyndwr

2. David Lloyd George

3. Aneurin Bevan

4. Robert Owen

5. Gwynfor Evans

6. Bertrand Russell

7. Bishop William Morgan

8. Alfred Russell Wallace

9. Hwyel Dda

10. Llywelyn ab Iorwerth

11. Dr Richard Price

12. King Arthur

13. Gerald of Wales

14. Raymond Williams

15. Iolo Morganwg

Daniel Pryce Lawrence
South Wales East Representative

Sunday 30 May 2010

Seremoni Cofio'r Rhyfel Cartref yng Nghatalonia

Rhyw fis yn ol cynhaliwyd Seremoni gan gangen Cymru X Caerdydd er mwyn cofio'r Rhyfel Cartref yn Sbaen. Cynhaliwyd y seremoni ar ddydd San Sior (nawddsant Catalonia) ym mharc Alexandria, Caerdydd ar bwys y gofeb i'r Rhyfel. Bwriad y seremoni oedd cofio effaith y rhyfel a'r blynyddoedd o unbennaeth creulon a ddilynodd y rhyfel, ond hefyd i gofio'r degau o filwyr Cymreig, y rhan fwyaf ohonynt o Gymoedd De Cymru, a aeth i frwydro gyda'r lluoedd rhyngwaldol. Cofiwyd y bu iddynt frwydro dros ryddid, heddwch a sosialaeth yn y rhyfel dyngedfennol hon yn erbyn ffasgaeth Franco.

Cyflwynwyd y seremoni gan Emyr Gruffydd, cadeirydd Cymru X Caerdydd. Fe gafwyd darlleniadau gan Llion Williams, Dan Lawrence, Sian Owen a Deian Timms, yn y Gymraeg, yn Saesneg, yn Sbaeneg ac yn y Gatalaneg. Gososdodd Lleu Williams rhosod a chennin pedr (blodau cenedlaethol Catalonia a Chymru) ger y gofeb. Diolch i bob un a ddaeth i wneud y seremoni yn un llwyddianus.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Last month on St. Geroge's day, the Catalan national day, Cymru X Caerdydd held a ceremony in order to remember the contribution of the Welsh soldiers who went to fight in the international brigades. Thank you to all who came to make the ceremony a success.