***Please scroll down for the English Version***
Wel, ma’r etholiad wedi cael ei alw, a heb phoeni gormod am amser, allan oeddwn i ar y stryd yn taflenni yng Nghwm Gwendraeth ar y diwrnod cyntaf. Ond beth odd yn ddiddorol tra yn siarad gyda cymydog i fyny’r lon oedd hyn,
“Wel Duw, ti bach yn ifanc i fod allan gyda’r lecsiwn? New kids ar y bloc ife?” yn sarcastig.
A wnaeth hyn i fi feddwl, ynghyd a blog gwych Dominic Hannigan ar Wales Home heddiw, odi hyn yn golygu, yn 23 oed, fy mod i yn rhy ifanc i fod yn rhan o’r broses ddemocratiaeth yn y wlad yma? Neu odi gwleidyddiaeth wedi cyrraedd y pwynt hynny lle os nad ydw i’n ddyn hanner cant oed mewn siwt, ni fyddai’n edrych fel wleidyddwr?
Yr hyn sydd yn bwysig am unrhyw ymgeisydd eithrio oed, rhyw, credodau, anableddau neu chefnidr ethnig yw y gallu i gynrhychioli pobl, ac mae hyn yn wir mewn unrhyw maes pinnau Etholiad Cyffredinol, undebau myfyrwyr neu fel llywodraethwr mewn ysgol neu choleg. Dwi’n cofio cael ebost ychydig o fisoedd yn ol gan Undeb Myfyrwyr yn Lloegr rhywle, yn gofyn os oedd unrhyw undeb wedi gosod rheolau ar ei etholiadau sabathol a oedd yn sicrhau fod gan y person etholedig radd cyn cymryd y swydd etholedig. Eto, yr ymateb oedd “peidiwch a fod yn ddwl, y gallu i gynrychioli yw’r hyn sydd yn gwneud yr ymgeisydd yn gymwys”.
Dwi wir yn poeni am hyn, gan fod yna gymaint o dalent ifanc o fewn Cymru, nid yn unig gyda Phlaid Cymru, ond gyda’r partion eraill a chyfundrefnau eraill hefyd. Y peth gwaethaf fyddai fod pobl ifanc yn cael ei troi i ffwrdd o wleidyddiaeth gan ymagweddau tebyg i hyn. Mae’n bwysig yng Nghymru i adeiladu ar, yn fy marn i, traddodiad newydd o gael phobl ifanc i fewn i wleidyddiaeth. Dwi ddim yn disgwyl a bydd y Cynulliad yn Mai 2011 yn llawn pobl yn oed i, ond mae’n bwysig cael y cytbwysedd o wahanol phrofiadau i sicrhau fod pawb yn cael ei llais wedi clywed.
Yn ol ymchwil gan y Joseph Rowntree Foundation yn 2007, y brif rhesymau dros pobl ifanc ddim yn ymgysylltu a gwleidyddiaeth oedd ei bod nhw’n ei weld yn ddiflas, nid oedd unrhyw wleidydd yn apelio iddynt ac roedd polisiau’r brif partion yn Llundain ddim wedi anelu at bobl ifanc o gwbl (ar wahan i bolisi y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol ar ffioedd ychwanegol, a gafodd ei scrapio mewn tro)! Ynghyd ag hyn, pryd mae gwleidyddion yn ymgysylltu ag myfyrwyr mewn ardaloedd prifysgol, fel gwelir gan y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yn Abertawe, Aberystwyth a Chaerdydd Canolog, mae pobl ifanc yn ido am wleidyddiaeth- a mae nhw’n GALLU gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr yn y sbectrwm wleidyddol mewn ardaloedd lleol. Mae ymgyrch diweddar Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr ar bleidleisio dros myfyrwyr wedi cael effaith mawr, gyda phrif neges yr ymgyrch i gael myfyrwyr i lobio eich ymgeiswyr lleol i bleidleisio yn erbyn codiad mewn ffioedd ychwanegol mewn prifysgolion, ac ar hyn o bryd mae wedi gweithio!
Yn y Cynulliad, mae gennym ni Nerys Evans AC a Bethan Jenkins AC, ac fel ymgeiswyr yn yr Etholiad Cyffredinol ma gennym ni o Blaid Cymru, Caryl Wyn Jones, ac o’r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Matt Smith a Dominic Hannigan, sydd yn wych! Mae hyn yn gyfle, nid yn unig i Gymru X, ond i bob barti yng Nghymru i ymgysylltu a phobl ifanc yn rhan o’r broses ddemocratol.
I gloi, beth wedes i mewn ymateb i’r cymydog busneslyd?
“We are the kids, but we are also the future, be prepared Mrs Davies”
Lleu Williams, Pwyllgor Gwaith Cymru X
Well, the election has been called, and without wasting any time, I was out on the doorstep leafletting in the Gwendraeth Valley on the first day with no hesitation. But what was interesting was the comment whilst speaking with my neighbour further up the lane,
“Good God, your a bit young to be out with this election aren’t you? New kids on the block is it?” she notes sarcastically.
And this got me thinking, alongside Dominic Hannigan’s amazing blog on Wales Home, does this mean, that at 23 years old, I am too young to be part of the democratic process in this country? Or has politics reached that stage that unless I am a middle aged man in a suit, I won’t look like a politician?
What’s important about any candidate regardless of their age, sex, beliefs, disabilities or ethnicity is their ability to represent people, and this is true within any field be it General Election, Students’ Unions or as a governor within a college or school. I remember receiving an email a few months ago from a Students’ Union in England somewhere, asking that if any union had placed any rules in their sabbatical elections that ensured tha the elected officer had a degree before taking office. Again, the response was “don’t be stupid, it’s the ability to represent is what makes the candidate competent.”
I really do worry about this, because there is so much talent within Wales, not only within Plaid Cymru, but with other parties and organisations as well. The worst thing would be if young people were turned off by politics because of such attitudes that exist. It’s important that Wales, in my view, builds upon this new tradition of getting young people into politics. I don’t expect that the Assembly in May 2011 will be full of people my age, but it’s important to get the balance of different experiences to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
According to research conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2007, the main reasons young people didn’t engage with politics was because they saw that it was boring, politicians didn’t appeal to them and that the policies of the main parties in London weren’t aimed at young people at all (apart from the Lib Dems policy on top up fees, which in turn was scrapped)! In addition to this, when politicians engage with students in university areas, as can be seen by the Lib Dems in Swansea, Aberystwyth and Cardiff Central, young people do care about politics- and they CAN make a difference to the political spectrum in local areas. The recent campaign by NUS on vote for students has had a massive impact, with the main message of the campaign focusing on students to lobby their PPC’s to pledge voting against further fees in universities, and its working!
In the Assembly, we have Nerys Evans AM and Bethan Jenkins AM, and as PPC’s in this year’s General Election from Plaid Cymru, we have Caryl Wyn Jones, and from the Lib Dems Matt Smith and Dominic Hannigan, which is fantastic! This is an opportunity, not only for Cymru X, but for every party in Wales to engage with young people as part of the democratic process.
To finish, what was my response to the nosey neighbour?
“We are the kids, but we are also the future, be prepared Mrs Davies”
Lleu Williams, Cymru X National Executive
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Dydd Gweithredu Aberconwy / Aberconwy Action Day
Mae Cymru X, Plaid Cymru Ifanc, yn mynd i ymgyrchu ar strydoedd Aberconwyi sicrhau bod yna lais cryf i'r Blaid yn San Steffan yn ymladd dros Gymru.
Rydym ni angen eich cymorth i ddosbarthu taflenni a chanfasio er mwyn gwneud yn siwr bod Plaid Cymru yn ennill y sedd.
Dydy hi erioed wedi bod gyn bwysiced i sicrhau bod gan Gymru lais cryf yn San Steffan, felly ymunwch a Chymru X, eich mudiad ieuenctid chi, a gwnewch eich rhan.
Anfonwch ebost at postcymrux@googlemail.com neu edrychwch yma am ragor o fanylion.
Cymru X, Young Plaid Cymru, is hitting the streets of Aberconwy to make sure another Plaid voice is in Westminster fighting for Wales.
We need your help to deliver leaflets and canvass support to make sure Wales wins the seat.
It has never been more important to make sure Wales has strong voices in Westminster so get involved with Cymru X, your youth movement, and do your bit.
Drop us an email at postcymrux@googlemail.com for more details or check here for more details.
Rydym ni angen eich cymorth i ddosbarthu taflenni a chanfasio er mwyn gwneud yn siwr bod Plaid Cymru yn ennill y sedd.
Dydy hi erioed wedi bod gyn bwysiced i sicrhau bod gan Gymru lais cryf yn San Steffan, felly ymunwch a Chymru X, eich mudiad ieuenctid chi, a gwnewch eich rhan.
Anfonwch ebost at postcymrux@googlemail.com neu edrychwch yma am ragor o fanylion.
Cymru X, Young Plaid Cymru, is hitting the streets of Aberconwy to make sure another Plaid voice is in Westminster fighting for Wales.
We need your help to deliver leaflets and canvass support to make sure Wales wins the seat.
It has never been more important to make sure Wales has strong voices in Westminster so get involved with Cymru X, your youth movement, and do your bit.
Drop us an email at postcymrux@googlemail.com for more details or check here for more details.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Gwersi o Catalunya / Lessons from Catalunya
Gan Emyr Gruffydd, Caerffili
Scroll down for english version
Fel myfyriwr ieithoedd sydd a diddordeb arbennig mewn ieithoedd lleiafrifol a gwledydd bychain eraill Ewrop, afraid dweud bod treulio wythnos yng Nghatalonia (neu Catalunya) yn ddiweddar wedi bod yn brofiad hynod ddiddorol. Trueni fodd bynnag oedd gorfod dychwelyd i dywydd gwlyb ag oer Cymru! Penderfynais dreulio dau ddiwrnod yn nhre Girona yng Ngogledd Catalonia cyn mynd ymlaen i Barcelona, prifddinas Catalunya. Afraid dweud bod y profiad wedi dylanwadu arnaf yn gryf, gan fod yna gymaint o wersi i Gymru ac i ni fel Plaid ddysgu oddi wrth y genedl ddiddorol hon.
Mae edrych ar system wleidyddol a pholisiau'r 'Generalitat', sef llywodraeth Catalonia, yn hynod ddiddorol. Efallai mai'r peth mwyaf trawiadol ynglyn â'r wlad yw ei pholisi ieithyddol, sy'n gorfodi pob busnes i ddefnyddio'r iaith Gatalaneg. Mae hyn yn gwneud yr iaith yn hynod weledol, hyd yn oed mewn dinas mawr gosmopolitaidd fel Barcelona. Y Gatalaneg sy'n cael blaenoriaeth ar bob arwydd ac ym mhob sefydliad cyhoeddus, yn enwedig mewn ysgolion lle ni addysgir yr un plentyn trwy gyfrwng 'Castellano', yr iaith Sbaeneg, bellach. Mae pob un cyngor lleol, prifysgol a sefydliad llywodraethol yn gweithio trwy gyfrwng y Gatalaneg. Canlyniad y polisiau radical hyn a osodwyd gan y 'Generalitat' wedi blynyddoedd o orthrwm gan Franco yw bod Catalaneg wedi dod yn iaith feunyddiol i bron i 64% o boblogaeth y wlad, yn ogystal a chael statws swyddogol yn Valencià a'r Illes Balears (Ynysoedd y Baleares.) Hyfryd oedd clywed yr iaith yn cael ei siarad gan y mwyafrif helaeth ar strydoedd Girona yn y gogledd.
Dywed nifer ei fod wedi bod yn weddol hawdd i'r Gatalaneg gael ei normaleiddio fel prif iaith y wlad gan ei bod yn debycach i'r Sbaeneg na'r iaith Fasceg, er enghraifft, sydd â chanran llai o siaradwyr. Fodd bynnag, yn dilyn cynllun radical diweddar gan lywodraeth Gwlad y Basg, fe fydd 55% o blant y wlad yn cael ei haddysg trwy gyfrwng y Fasceg yn unig ymhen ychydig o flynyddoedd, a 75% yn derbyn ei haddysg yn ddwyieithog. Dyma ddangos taw polisiau cryf sydd wrth wraidd adfywiad ieithoedd lleiafrifol.
Pam felly nad ydym ni yng Nghymru yn manteisio ar y cyfle i normaleiddio'r Gymraeg yn ein cymunedau Cymraeg? Dyliai'r Gymraeg gael priod le ar bob arwydd yn yr ardaloedd hynny lle mae dros 50% o'r boblogaeth yn siarad yr iaith, a'i wneud yn iaith weinyddol i bob busnes, boed lleol neu rhyngwladol, yn yr ardaloedd Cymraeg eu hiaith - a bod POB plentyn yn derbyn addysg cwbl Gymraeg yn yr ardaloedd hynny. Mae'n hollbwysig hefyd bod plant yn yr ardaloedd llai Cymraeg eu hiaith yn cael y cyfle i astudio trwy gyfrwng yr iaith (yn enwedig gyda'r cynlluniau dadleuol diweddar i leihau darpariaeth Gymraeg i ddisgyblion y chweched yn Rhondda Cynon Tâf). Dyliai fod pob cyngor yn yr ardaloedd Cymraeg, fel Ceredigion, Môn, Conwy a Chaerfyrddin yn dilyn esiampl cyngor Gwynedd gan osod y Gymraeg fel eu prif iaith gweinyddol. Os ydy hi'n bosib yng Nghatalonia - mae'n bosib yma hefyd!
Un elfen arall o'r wlad a fy nharodd yn arbennig oedd y galwad cryf am anibynniaeth. Wrth siarad a nifer o bobl ifanc yng Catalonia, roeddent ar dân eisiau hunan reolaeth i'w cenedl eu hunain. Mae'r 'Generalitat' ar y funud yn bwerus (hyd yn oed yn fwy na llywodraeth yr Alban) a'r cam nesaf, yn naturiol, byddai anibynniaeth. Mae'n destun sgwrs beunyddiol ar y strydoedd, yn y papurau newydd ac yn enwedig yn y genhedlaeth ifanc. Mae polau piniwn diweddar yn dangos fod dros 40% o Gatalanwyr yn cefnogi anibynniaeth - ac roedd refferendwm anghyfreithlon diweddar ar anibynniaeth yn dangos cefnogaeth gref i'r syniad.
Yng Nghymru, rydym wrth gwrs yn canolbwyntio ar gael mwy o bwerau i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, a da o beth yw hynny. Fodd bynnag, byddai'r pwerau newydd yn dal yn chwerthynllyd gan eu cymharu a grym llywodraeth yr Alban a hyd yn oed yn fwy trwy eu cymharu a phwerau'r 'Generalitat'. Pam felly taw dim ond 14% o boblogaeth Cymru sy'n cefnogi anibynniaeth, i gymharu a rhyw 30% yn yr Alban a 40% yng Nghatalonia? Yn fy marn i, nid yw anibynniaeth erioed wedi bod yn destun trafod difrifol i fwyafrif y Cymry. Nid yw'n cael sylw priodol mewn papurau fel y Western Mail, y Daily Post ac ar raglenni teledu gwleidyddol. Fodd bynnag, mae llawer o'r bai arnom ni fel Plaid am guddio ein dyheuadau am Gymru rydd, annibynnol. Rhaid i ni, fel yr SNP a'r ERC (Plaid adain chwith sy'n cefnogi anibynniaeth yng Nghatalonia) ddechrau trafod y posibiliadau ynglyn ag anibynniaeth, gan ei wneud yn destun trafod ym mhob tafarn, eglwys a siop leol yn y wlad. A fel adain ieuenctid ein Plaid Genedlaethol, NI ddyliai fod yn dechrau yn yr ymgyrch - gan ysbydoli'r genhedlaeth ifanc i feddwl o'r newydd am y posibiliadau cyffrous o Gymru annibynnol llewyrchus.
Cymru Rydd / Visca Catalunya Lliure!
I don't know what this translation is like, but I've given it a go!
As a languages student with special interest in minority languages and the small nations of Europe, I must say that spending some time in Catalonia (or Catalunya) recently was an interesting experience. It's a shame however that I had to come back to the cold and the rain here in Wales! I decided to take two days to explore the town of Girona in North Catalonia, before going on to the capital of the country, Barcelona. Needless to say that the experience has had a huge influence on me, as there are so many lessons we can learn in Wales and as a party from this interesting nation.
Looking at the political system and the 'Generalitat' (the Catalan government)'s policies is quite interesting. Perhaps the most striking thing about this small nation is its linguistic policy, which obliges each and every business, be it a local one or an international one, to use the Catalan language. This makes the language very visible, even in a highly cosmopolitan city such as Barcelona. Catalan is given priority on every sign and in every public institution, especially in schools where every single child is taught through the medium of Catalan. Each local council, university and governemental institution works through the medium of Catalan - and many of them in Catalan only. As a result of these radical policies implemented by the Generalitat after years of linguistic opression by Franco, almost 64% of the Catalan population uses Catalan as their main, daily language, as well as being spoken by over a million more in Valencià and the Illes Balears (The Balearic Islands). It was inspiring to hear the vast majority using the language on the streets, especailly in Girona in the north.
Many believe that it has been easy for Catalan to be normalised as the main language of Catalonia due to its similarity to Castillian Spanish, whereas in the Basque Country, where the percentage of speakers is lower, it has been harder due to the lingustic difference between the two languages. However, following a radical plan by the Basque Government, close to 55% of children will be educated solely through Basque in the space of a few years and 75% will be receiving a bilingual education. This shows that strong policies are the key to succesful language revitalisation.
Why are we in Wales therefore not ready to take the bull by the horns and really make a go of language normalization in our Welsh speaking communities? Welsh should have priority on each and every sign in those communities where more than half the population speaks Welsh, and make it the administrative language of every business, be it local or international - and make sure that ALL children in the Welsh speaking West receive an education solely through the medium of Welsh. It's also important that children in the less Welsh speaking areas in the South East have a full opportunity to study through the medium of the language (especially with the recent controversial plans to downgrade Welsh medium provision in the sixth forms of Rhondda Cynon Taf). Every council in the Welsh speaking areas, such as Ceredigion, Môn, Conwy and Caerfyrddin must follow Cyngor Gwynedd's example and make Welsh their main administrative language. If it's possible in Catalonia - It's possible here as well!
Another thing that especially struck me about Catalonia was the strong call for independence. Speaking to many young people in Catalonia, it was obvious that they were passionate for self rule for Catalonia. At the moment, the 'Generalitat' is very powerful (even more powerful that the Scottish Parliament), so naturally the next step would be independence. It's a daily topic of conversation on the streets, in the newspapers and especially within the younger generation. Recent polls show that 40% of Catalans support independence - and an illegal referendum recently held on the subject showed strong support for it.
At present in Wales, we are concentrating on getting more powers for the National Assembly, which is of course a good thing. However, the new powers would still be incredibly weak compared to the powers of the Scottish Parliament, and even more so compared to those of the Generalitat. Why therefore is it that only 14% of the Welsh people support independence, whereas 30% do so in Scotland and over 40% in Catalonia? In my opinion, independence has never really been a serious topic of conversation for many Welsh people. It doesn't get the same coverage in the Western Mail, the Daily Post and on political TV programmes as other issues. However, a lot of the blame rests with us as a political party for hiding our desire for a free, independent Wales. Like the SNP and the ERC (A leftist, independentist Catalan political party), we must really begin to talk about independence and the opportunities it would bring, by making it a topic of conversation in ever pub, church and local shop in the country. And as the youth wing of our national party, it is US that should start the campaign for self rule by inspiring the younger generation to think of the exciting opportunities that an independent and flourishing Wales would bring.
Cymru Rydd/ Visca Catalunya Lliure
Scroll down for english version
Fel myfyriwr ieithoedd sydd a diddordeb arbennig mewn ieithoedd lleiafrifol a gwledydd bychain eraill Ewrop, afraid dweud bod treulio wythnos yng Nghatalonia (neu Catalunya) yn ddiweddar wedi bod yn brofiad hynod ddiddorol. Trueni fodd bynnag oedd gorfod dychwelyd i dywydd gwlyb ag oer Cymru! Penderfynais dreulio dau ddiwrnod yn nhre Girona yng Ngogledd Catalonia cyn mynd ymlaen i Barcelona, prifddinas Catalunya. Afraid dweud bod y profiad wedi dylanwadu arnaf yn gryf, gan fod yna gymaint o wersi i Gymru ac i ni fel Plaid ddysgu oddi wrth y genedl ddiddorol hon.
Mae edrych ar system wleidyddol a pholisiau'r 'Generalitat', sef llywodraeth Catalonia, yn hynod ddiddorol. Efallai mai'r peth mwyaf trawiadol ynglyn â'r wlad yw ei pholisi ieithyddol, sy'n gorfodi pob busnes i ddefnyddio'r iaith Gatalaneg. Mae hyn yn gwneud yr iaith yn hynod weledol, hyd yn oed mewn dinas mawr gosmopolitaidd fel Barcelona. Y Gatalaneg sy'n cael blaenoriaeth ar bob arwydd ac ym mhob sefydliad cyhoeddus, yn enwedig mewn ysgolion lle ni addysgir yr un plentyn trwy gyfrwng 'Castellano', yr iaith Sbaeneg, bellach. Mae pob un cyngor lleol, prifysgol a sefydliad llywodraethol yn gweithio trwy gyfrwng y Gatalaneg. Canlyniad y polisiau radical hyn a osodwyd gan y 'Generalitat' wedi blynyddoedd o orthrwm gan Franco yw bod Catalaneg wedi dod yn iaith feunyddiol i bron i 64% o boblogaeth y wlad, yn ogystal a chael statws swyddogol yn Valencià a'r Illes Balears (Ynysoedd y Baleares.) Hyfryd oedd clywed yr iaith yn cael ei siarad gan y mwyafrif helaeth ar strydoedd Girona yn y gogledd.
Dywed nifer ei fod wedi bod yn weddol hawdd i'r Gatalaneg gael ei normaleiddio fel prif iaith y wlad gan ei bod yn debycach i'r Sbaeneg na'r iaith Fasceg, er enghraifft, sydd â chanran llai o siaradwyr. Fodd bynnag, yn dilyn cynllun radical diweddar gan lywodraeth Gwlad y Basg, fe fydd 55% o blant y wlad yn cael ei haddysg trwy gyfrwng y Fasceg yn unig ymhen ychydig o flynyddoedd, a 75% yn derbyn ei haddysg yn ddwyieithog. Dyma ddangos taw polisiau cryf sydd wrth wraidd adfywiad ieithoedd lleiafrifol.
Pam felly nad ydym ni yng Nghymru yn manteisio ar y cyfle i normaleiddio'r Gymraeg yn ein cymunedau Cymraeg? Dyliai'r Gymraeg gael priod le ar bob arwydd yn yr ardaloedd hynny lle mae dros 50% o'r boblogaeth yn siarad yr iaith, a'i wneud yn iaith weinyddol i bob busnes, boed lleol neu rhyngwladol, yn yr ardaloedd Cymraeg eu hiaith - a bod POB plentyn yn derbyn addysg cwbl Gymraeg yn yr ardaloedd hynny. Mae'n hollbwysig hefyd bod plant yn yr ardaloedd llai Cymraeg eu hiaith yn cael y cyfle i astudio trwy gyfrwng yr iaith (yn enwedig gyda'r cynlluniau dadleuol diweddar i leihau darpariaeth Gymraeg i ddisgyblion y chweched yn Rhondda Cynon Tâf). Dyliai fod pob cyngor yn yr ardaloedd Cymraeg, fel Ceredigion, Môn, Conwy a Chaerfyrddin yn dilyn esiampl cyngor Gwynedd gan osod y Gymraeg fel eu prif iaith gweinyddol. Os ydy hi'n bosib yng Nghatalonia - mae'n bosib yma hefyd!
Un elfen arall o'r wlad a fy nharodd yn arbennig oedd y galwad cryf am anibynniaeth. Wrth siarad a nifer o bobl ifanc yng Catalonia, roeddent ar dân eisiau hunan reolaeth i'w cenedl eu hunain. Mae'r 'Generalitat' ar y funud yn bwerus (hyd yn oed yn fwy na llywodraeth yr Alban) a'r cam nesaf, yn naturiol, byddai anibynniaeth. Mae'n destun sgwrs beunyddiol ar y strydoedd, yn y papurau newydd ac yn enwedig yn y genhedlaeth ifanc. Mae polau piniwn diweddar yn dangos fod dros 40% o Gatalanwyr yn cefnogi anibynniaeth - ac roedd refferendwm anghyfreithlon diweddar ar anibynniaeth yn dangos cefnogaeth gref i'r syniad.
Yng Nghymru, rydym wrth gwrs yn canolbwyntio ar gael mwy o bwerau i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, a da o beth yw hynny. Fodd bynnag, byddai'r pwerau newydd yn dal yn chwerthynllyd gan eu cymharu a grym llywodraeth yr Alban a hyd yn oed yn fwy trwy eu cymharu a phwerau'r 'Generalitat'. Pam felly taw dim ond 14% o boblogaeth Cymru sy'n cefnogi anibynniaeth, i gymharu a rhyw 30% yn yr Alban a 40% yng Nghatalonia? Yn fy marn i, nid yw anibynniaeth erioed wedi bod yn destun trafod difrifol i fwyafrif y Cymry. Nid yw'n cael sylw priodol mewn papurau fel y Western Mail, y Daily Post ac ar raglenni teledu gwleidyddol. Fodd bynnag, mae llawer o'r bai arnom ni fel Plaid am guddio ein dyheuadau am Gymru rydd, annibynnol. Rhaid i ni, fel yr SNP a'r ERC (Plaid adain chwith sy'n cefnogi anibynniaeth yng Nghatalonia) ddechrau trafod y posibiliadau ynglyn ag anibynniaeth, gan ei wneud yn destun trafod ym mhob tafarn, eglwys a siop leol yn y wlad. A fel adain ieuenctid ein Plaid Genedlaethol, NI ddyliai fod yn dechrau yn yr ymgyrch - gan ysbydoli'r genhedlaeth ifanc i feddwl o'r newydd am y posibiliadau cyffrous o Gymru annibynnol llewyrchus.
Cymru Rydd / Visca Catalunya Lliure!
I don't know what this translation is like, but I've given it a go!
As a languages student with special interest in minority languages and the small nations of Europe, I must say that spending some time in Catalonia (or Catalunya) recently was an interesting experience. It's a shame however that I had to come back to the cold and the rain here in Wales! I decided to take two days to explore the town of Girona in North Catalonia, before going on to the capital of the country, Barcelona. Needless to say that the experience has had a huge influence on me, as there are so many lessons we can learn in Wales and as a party from this interesting nation.
Looking at the political system and the 'Generalitat' (the Catalan government)'s policies is quite interesting. Perhaps the most striking thing about this small nation is its linguistic policy, which obliges each and every business, be it a local one or an international one, to use the Catalan language. This makes the language very visible, even in a highly cosmopolitan city such as Barcelona. Catalan is given priority on every sign and in every public institution, especially in schools where every single child is taught through the medium of Catalan. Each local council, university and governemental institution works through the medium of Catalan - and many of them in Catalan only. As a result of these radical policies implemented by the Generalitat after years of linguistic opression by Franco, almost 64% of the Catalan population uses Catalan as their main, daily language, as well as being spoken by over a million more in Valencià and the Illes Balears (The Balearic Islands). It was inspiring to hear the vast majority using the language on the streets, especailly in Girona in the north.
Many believe that it has been easy for Catalan to be normalised as the main language of Catalonia due to its similarity to Castillian Spanish, whereas in the Basque Country, where the percentage of speakers is lower, it has been harder due to the lingustic difference between the two languages. However, following a radical plan by the Basque Government, close to 55% of children will be educated solely through Basque in the space of a few years and 75% will be receiving a bilingual education. This shows that strong policies are the key to succesful language revitalisation.
Why are we in Wales therefore not ready to take the bull by the horns and really make a go of language normalization in our Welsh speaking communities? Welsh should have priority on each and every sign in those communities where more than half the population speaks Welsh, and make it the administrative language of every business, be it local or international - and make sure that ALL children in the Welsh speaking West receive an education solely through the medium of Welsh. It's also important that children in the less Welsh speaking areas in the South East have a full opportunity to study through the medium of the language (especially with the recent controversial plans to downgrade Welsh medium provision in the sixth forms of Rhondda Cynon Taf). Every council in the Welsh speaking areas, such as Ceredigion, Môn, Conwy and Caerfyrddin must follow Cyngor Gwynedd's example and make Welsh their main administrative language. If it's possible in Catalonia - It's possible here as well!
Another thing that especially struck me about Catalonia was the strong call for independence. Speaking to many young people in Catalonia, it was obvious that they were passionate for self rule for Catalonia. At the moment, the 'Generalitat' is very powerful (even more powerful that the Scottish Parliament), so naturally the next step would be independence. It's a daily topic of conversation on the streets, in the newspapers and especially within the younger generation. Recent polls show that 40% of Catalans support independence - and an illegal referendum recently held on the subject showed strong support for it.
At present in Wales, we are concentrating on getting more powers for the National Assembly, which is of course a good thing. However, the new powers would still be incredibly weak compared to the powers of the Scottish Parliament, and even more so compared to those of the Generalitat. Why therefore is it that only 14% of the Welsh people support independence, whereas 30% do so in Scotland and over 40% in Catalonia? In my opinion, independence has never really been a serious topic of conversation for many Welsh people. It doesn't get the same coverage in the Western Mail, the Daily Post and on political TV programmes as other issues. However, a lot of the blame rests with us as a political party for hiding our desire for a free, independent Wales. Like the SNP and the ERC (A leftist, independentist Catalan political party), we must really begin to talk about independence and the opportunities it would bring, by making it a topic of conversation in ever pub, church and local shop in the country. And as the youth wing of our national party, it is US that should start the campaign for self rule by inspiring the younger generation to think of the exciting opportunities that an independent and flourishing Wales would bring.
Cymru Rydd/ Visca Catalunya Lliure
Monday, 29 March 2010
Tory's defect to support independence (apparently)
By Luke James
Cymru X Chair
A new entry into the Cymru X, not so, Concise Dictionary of Welsh Nationalism today…
Internal Enlargement: a nice and fluffy phrase for independence for all the nations of Europe who want it.
I was in Venice on Friday for the conference of the European Free Alliance Youth, the European wide political party that we are in with other nationalist and regionalist parties.
A chat in one of coffee breaks came onto the phrase ‘internal enlargement’ and how it might be a useful way to put across the idea of nations, like Wales, becoming an independent state within the European Union.
A European Free Alliance conference on independence later in the year might add some more meat to this strategies bone.
It’s not a strategy I have a problem with; after all selling your ideas is half the battle. Maybe if the Liberal Democrats tried it they wouldn’t have to moan so much about other people stealing and repacking their ideas.
I know the people that are developing these ideas are firm believers in Welsh independence and that is why we are staging a conference on independence.
However I am wary that pursuing a strategy where we introduce terms like ‘internal enlargement’ sounds similar to a time when we pursued the ‘Europe of regions’ strategy.
Under the Europe of the Regions plan Wales would be part of an EU that was governed by a patchwork quilt of autonomous regions.
Dafydd Elis-Thomas appears a fan of this approach; John Osmond quotes the Llywydd in his chapter of Breaking Up Britain, Four Nations After a Union.
Elis Thomas writes: “The one thing I regret as leader of Plaid Cymru, is that my own party doesn’t seem to have understood the issues raised by devolution in the same way that other parties have done.
“Plaid Cymru has not adjusted to devolution because you have this improbable allegiance of some people to something called Welsh independence.
“Not since the seventh century was this ever a real political project.”
Thankfully since 2004 Plaid Cymru’s leadership has maintained the position that our parties long term vision is for an independent Wales within the European Union, and I don’t think that statement is contradictory.
I think I speak for most of Cymru X when I say we are not interested in arguing for our countries status as a region or motivated to hit the pavements dropping leaflets and canvassing by the vision of Wales as part of a ‘federal UK’.
We want equality, because that’s when, to quote Breaking Up Britain further, good neighbours become good friends.
But ‘internal enlargement’ could well be an asset to our arsenal.
And by coincidence I was scrolling through the Conservatives European manifesto from 2009 when I came across the section entitled “Support Further Englargement of the EU.”
Which stated: “We have long championed the enlargement of the European Union because we believe that EU membership or its prospect has been crucial in firmly establishing democracy across the continent.
“ The economic benefits are also profound: trade between the UK and the ten countries that joined the EU in 2004 increased by almost 400 per cent between 1992 and 2005, ten times the rate of growth in trade between the UK and the rest of the world. Our MEPs will support the further enlargement of the EU, including to the Ukraine, Belarus, Turkey, Georgia and the countries of the Balkans, if they wish to achieve EU membership, however distant that prospect may be in some cases.”
So it seems whilst there have been notable defections to the Tory’s recently, the Tory’s have made a defection of their own, to supporting internal enlargement and Welsh independence.
Right on comrades!
Cymru X Chair
A new entry into the Cymru X, not so, Concise Dictionary of Welsh Nationalism today…
Internal Enlargement: a nice and fluffy phrase for independence for all the nations of Europe who want it.
I was in Venice on Friday for the conference of the European Free Alliance Youth, the European wide political party that we are in with other nationalist and regionalist parties.
A chat in one of coffee breaks came onto the phrase ‘internal enlargement’ and how it might be a useful way to put across the idea of nations, like Wales, becoming an independent state within the European Union.
A European Free Alliance conference on independence later in the year might add some more meat to this strategies bone.
It’s not a strategy I have a problem with; after all selling your ideas is half the battle. Maybe if the Liberal Democrats tried it they wouldn’t have to moan so much about other people stealing and repacking their ideas.
I know the people that are developing these ideas are firm believers in Welsh independence and that is why we are staging a conference on independence.
However I am wary that pursuing a strategy where we introduce terms like ‘internal enlargement’ sounds similar to a time when we pursued the ‘Europe of regions’ strategy.
Under the Europe of the Regions plan Wales would be part of an EU that was governed by a patchwork quilt of autonomous regions.
Dafydd Elis-Thomas appears a fan of this approach; John Osmond quotes the Llywydd in his chapter of Breaking Up Britain, Four Nations After a Union.
Elis Thomas writes: “The one thing I regret as leader of Plaid Cymru, is that my own party doesn’t seem to have understood the issues raised by devolution in the same way that other parties have done.
“Plaid Cymru has not adjusted to devolution because you have this improbable allegiance of some people to something called Welsh independence.
“Not since the seventh century was this ever a real political project.”
Thankfully since 2004 Plaid Cymru’s leadership has maintained the position that our parties long term vision is for an independent Wales within the European Union, and I don’t think that statement is contradictory.
I think I speak for most of Cymru X when I say we are not interested in arguing for our countries status as a region or motivated to hit the pavements dropping leaflets and canvassing by the vision of Wales as part of a ‘federal UK’.
We want equality, because that’s when, to quote Breaking Up Britain further, good neighbours become good friends.
But ‘internal enlargement’ could well be an asset to our arsenal.
And by coincidence I was scrolling through the Conservatives European manifesto from 2009 when I came across the section entitled “Support Further Englargement of the EU.”
Which stated: “We have long championed the enlargement of the European Union because we believe that EU membership or its prospect has been crucial in firmly establishing democracy across the continent.
“ The economic benefits are also profound: trade between the UK and the ten countries that joined the EU in 2004 increased by almost 400 per cent between 1992 and 2005, ten times the rate of growth in trade between the UK and the rest of the world. Our MEPs will support the further enlargement of the EU, including to the Ukraine, Belarus, Turkey, Georgia and the countries of the Balkans, if they wish to achieve EU membership, however distant that prospect may be in some cases.”
So it seems whilst there have been notable defections to the Tory’s recently, the Tory’s have made a defection of their own, to supporting internal enlargement and Welsh independence.
Right on comrades!
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Students' Union Elections not spectator sport for Cymru X
by Luke James
Cymru X Chair
Since I became involved in Cymru X in 2008 I have been in a handful of members of the Cymru X executive to stand in any students' union elections.
Last year at Swansea University I was encouraged by a Labour student to stand as a part time officer and was duly elected General Secretary.
I've also been successful in the National Union of Students' (NUS) UK conference delegates’ elections and last week was elected to serve as full time Education Officer for the next academic year.
But for the records I missed out in the NUS Wales delegates’ elections, so it wasn't all good times.
And I would stress that I have fought these elections, not as a Cymru X or Plaid Cymru candidate, but independently and with only our union members’ interests in mind.
But the point is, if it wasn't for the encouragement of a Labour student, who comes from an organisation where to fight for the top positions in every students' union is a minimum requirement, I might not have thought about standing.
If you ask me, for a youth movement of the second largest political party in the country with the talented people we have within our ranks, our record on contesting students’ union elections is embarrassing.
That’s why starting with this years students’ unions executive elections we will be encouraging our members to stand for positions in their unions, independently and to serve their members, but with the values and passion they bring to Plaid Cymru and with the support of Cymru X.
And to those people who dismiss student politics – students’ unions represent a huge amount of people and uphold the right to education amongst other things.
And from a Plaid perspective if you want to see a generation of trained and motivated activists ready to take on our opponents in the battle of ideas, door to door - then this is the place to start.
Dros Gymru!
Cymru X Chair
Since I became involved in Cymru X in 2008 I have been in a handful of members of the Cymru X executive to stand in any students' union elections.
Last year at Swansea University I was encouraged by a Labour student to stand as a part time officer and was duly elected General Secretary.
I've also been successful in the National Union of Students' (NUS) UK conference delegates’ elections and last week was elected to serve as full time Education Officer for the next academic year.
But for the records I missed out in the NUS Wales delegates’ elections, so it wasn't all good times.
And I would stress that I have fought these elections, not as a Cymru X or Plaid Cymru candidate, but independently and with only our union members’ interests in mind.
But the point is, if it wasn't for the encouragement of a Labour student, who comes from an organisation where to fight for the top positions in every students' union is a minimum requirement, I might not have thought about standing.
If you ask me, for a youth movement of the second largest political party in the country with the talented people we have within our ranks, our record on contesting students’ union elections is embarrassing.
That’s why starting with this years students’ unions executive elections we will be encouraging our members to stand for positions in their unions, independently and to serve their members, but with the values and passion they bring to Plaid Cymru and with the support of Cymru X.
And to those people who dismiss student politics – students’ unions represent a huge amount of people and uphold the right to education amongst other things.
And from a Plaid perspective if you want to see a generation of trained and motivated activists ready to take on our opponents in the battle of ideas, door to door - then this is the place to start.
Dros Gymru!
Monday, 1 March 2010
Friday, 5 February 2010
True Doublethink
Over the last few days in the Welsh media we have been treated to a fresh round of debate around the question of the probable forthcoming referendum, and the question of transferring primary law making power (over the 20 “Fields” that are devolved to us) from London to Wales. Once again the No campaign has been making its case for continuing with the status quo.
But this No campaign has chosen what I think is an interesting and telling name for itself to act under. True Wales it calls itself, in true Orwellian fashion, and immediately claims the monopoly of truth in the argument. Any of us who stand on the other side of the debate must be lying, or maybe we are simply mistaken in our view of what Wales is, what it is that makes this nation, maybe if we are a nation at all.
It seems to be the intent of their campaign to blur the edges of this argument until we all forget what we are supposed to be talking about. Those of us who would take part in a Yes campaign, such as myself would do well to keep our eyes on the ball. True Wales have in Rachel Banner (their main spokesperson) an articulate lady, and most importantly someone who is not a politician, but also someone who doesn't seem to understand one of the main distinctions to be found in any democratic system of government. It might not be completely her fault, it is a problem that has been known about for a long time, and it is the distinction between a legislature, and an executive.
In Wales the Legislature is known as the National Assembly for Wales (or Welsh Assembly for short), and the Executive is the Welsh Assembly Government. A start in addressing this problem would be to take the word 'Assembly' out of the executives name, to make it the Welsh Government, hopefully then the distinction would be more clear. This would be a logical step if the Assembly does gain law making powers, as like in Scotland (where the executive is called the Scottish Government) the Welsh Government would be a government in the more proper sense of the word.
Rachel Banner consistently sites her own party's (she is a Labour party activist) policy decisions, and lack of success in government as a reason for not trusting the Welsh Assembly as an institution. The Western Mail mentioned this in Mondays comment section, and quite rightly, it is all too common in these times to level criticism at institutions rather than at the people and parties where it more deservedly belongs. We do not call for the downfall of democracy when governments get it wrong, we vote out the government or attempt to democratically change the nature of that democracy to give people greater say. But that does not seem to be what Rachel and her True Wales cohorts seem to be advocating.
For theirs is the argument for the devolution status quo, which implies that the devolution settlement we currently have is working just fine, which has consistently shown itself to not be true, just take the example of the problems which beset the Affordable Housing LCO. And it will inevitably appeal to the forces of reaction (thankfully a decreasing minority) who wish to see the Welsh Assembly scrapped and a return to the days of the Welsh Office and the major lack of democratic accountability that was inherent in that.
There are some things on which I agree with Rachel, for example that devolution of power should extend down as far as practically possible, but Rachel does not seem to think that a Yes vote would be a step in that direction. I also personally agree with her that we should not have computers in our national debating chamber and that the level of argument could be improved and could be far more passionate. One vote, one voice, amongst the 2.3 millions others that make up the Welsh electorate may not seem to count for much when expressed through our 60 elected representatives that sit in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. But it counts for more than 1 vote in UK general elections where many votes are wasted under the first past the post system, and where it is 1 voice amongst 45.2 million, represented by 40 members from Wales, competing with 606 members from other parts of the UK to have their ideas implemented. Such is the nature of representative democracy, and the principal of majority rule.
It becomes a problem especially if parts of that electorate consider themselves separate nations, as the Welsh, English and Scots clearly do. Autonomy is one way to deal with this, and it is my belief that when powers are given from a centralised state and spread around, power is wisely dispersed. True Wales don't agree with this, they believe that the power to make law on areas that are devolved to Wales (such as Health, Education, the Environment etc), is better kept in London. If they and their spokesperson really wanted the people of Wales' to have more of a say in their government they would be on the other side of the argument. Rachel Banner likes the idea of 'citizen juries', she doesn't like the idea of free prescriptions for all, she doesn't like the way Wales is underfunded (and will be increasingly so if her Labour party continues with the Barnett formula), all valid points of argument, but she doesn't trust the people of Wales to make decisions on such matters.
And why? What is the cause of all her fears? It seems it is 2 things, and is the staple propaganda of No campaigners ever since, and everywhere the idea of home rule has arisen. They are the thoughts of a sinister Welsh elite taking control of ever increasing power, and the prospect of Welsh independence. Who are these Welsh elite? Well, it seems that it is our elected representatives in Cardiff Bay, unlike their all caring and truthful MP equivalents who sit in the Palace of Westminster. These members of the political class have dark plans to take us headlong into poverty without letting the people of Wales have any say, or so True Wales might have us believe.
The problem for Rachel and True Wales is that they wont be able to play this card for long, it wont be long after the Yes and No campaigns are fully up and running after the general election, that some members of this same political class (mainly MP's and Lords I'd imagine) will join her side of the debate and start campaigning for a No vote. True Wales' stance as the anti-politics, people's choice will fall apart. Professor Richard Wyn Jones, director of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University has made this very point. We certainly cannot do much worse with our chance in Welsh governance than UK rule did for most of the second half of the 20th century when Wales was consistently one of poorest parts of the UK, and in areas poorer than parts of eastern Europe.
Maybe Rachel Banner could stand for election to the National Assembly in 2011, and if she won she could help out with the “intellectual disagreements” that she quite rightly wants more of, she would certainly bring some passion to the Senedd. But would she after having had those passionate debates, and maybe won them, having convinced her fellow Assembly Members of the merits of her arguments and voted on creating a new law to see that principle enacted, want to jump through the various loops the LCO system now presented her with. To have another parliament amend her request out of all recognisable shape, potentially veto it, and wait years for the power to return. Would she not ask whether this was a sensible system of democracy and worth all the time and tax payers money? Would she not think that the Richard Commission which looked into this problem and advocated an Assembly with primary legislative powers, so that it was clear where power lay, was maybe the right and logical next step in making things work properly? Or would she still argue that bad government was better than giving one inch to an imagined elite that plotted the end of our Welsh civilisation.
Dan Lawrence
But this No campaign has chosen what I think is an interesting and telling name for itself to act under. True Wales it calls itself, in true Orwellian fashion, and immediately claims the monopoly of truth in the argument. Any of us who stand on the other side of the debate must be lying, or maybe we are simply mistaken in our view of what Wales is, what it is that makes this nation, maybe if we are a nation at all.
It seems to be the intent of their campaign to blur the edges of this argument until we all forget what we are supposed to be talking about. Those of us who would take part in a Yes campaign, such as myself would do well to keep our eyes on the ball. True Wales have in Rachel Banner (their main spokesperson) an articulate lady, and most importantly someone who is not a politician, but also someone who doesn't seem to understand one of the main distinctions to be found in any democratic system of government. It might not be completely her fault, it is a problem that has been known about for a long time, and it is the distinction between a legislature, and an executive.
In Wales the Legislature is known as the National Assembly for Wales (or Welsh Assembly for short), and the Executive is the Welsh Assembly Government. A start in addressing this problem would be to take the word 'Assembly' out of the executives name, to make it the Welsh Government, hopefully then the distinction would be more clear. This would be a logical step if the Assembly does gain law making powers, as like in Scotland (where the executive is called the Scottish Government) the Welsh Government would be a government in the more proper sense of the word.
Rachel Banner consistently sites her own party's (she is a Labour party activist) policy decisions, and lack of success in government as a reason for not trusting the Welsh Assembly as an institution. The Western Mail mentioned this in Mondays comment section, and quite rightly, it is all too common in these times to level criticism at institutions rather than at the people and parties where it more deservedly belongs. We do not call for the downfall of democracy when governments get it wrong, we vote out the government or attempt to democratically change the nature of that democracy to give people greater say. But that does not seem to be what Rachel and her True Wales cohorts seem to be advocating.
For theirs is the argument for the devolution status quo, which implies that the devolution settlement we currently have is working just fine, which has consistently shown itself to not be true, just take the example of the problems which beset the Affordable Housing LCO. And it will inevitably appeal to the forces of reaction (thankfully a decreasing minority) who wish to see the Welsh Assembly scrapped and a return to the days of the Welsh Office and the major lack of democratic accountability that was inherent in that.
There are some things on which I agree with Rachel, for example that devolution of power should extend down as far as practically possible, but Rachel does not seem to think that a Yes vote would be a step in that direction. I also personally agree with her that we should not have computers in our national debating chamber and that the level of argument could be improved and could be far more passionate. One vote, one voice, amongst the 2.3 millions others that make up the Welsh electorate may not seem to count for much when expressed through our 60 elected representatives that sit in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. But it counts for more than 1 vote in UK general elections where many votes are wasted under the first past the post system, and where it is 1 voice amongst 45.2 million, represented by 40 members from Wales, competing with 606 members from other parts of the UK to have their ideas implemented. Such is the nature of representative democracy, and the principal of majority rule.
It becomes a problem especially if parts of that electorate consider themselves separate nations, as the Welsh, English and Scots clearly do. Autonomy is one way to deal with this, and it is my belief that when powers are given from a centralised state and spread around, power is wisely dispersed. True Wales don't agree with this, they believe that the power to make law on areas that are devolved to Wales (such as Health, Education, the Environment etc), is better kept in London. If they and their spokesperson really wanted the people of Wales' to have more of a say in their government they would be on the other side of the argument. Rachel Banner likes the idea of 'citizen juries', she doesn't like the idea of free prescriptions for all, she doesn't like the way Wales is underfunded (and will be increasingly so if her Labour party continues with the Barnett formula), all valid points of argument, but she doesn't trust the people of Wales to make decisions on such matters.
And why? What is the cause of all her fears? It seems it is 2 things, and is the staple propaganda of No campaigners ever since, and everywhere the idea of home rule has arisen. They are the thoughts of a sinister Welsh elite taking control of ever increasing power, and the prospect of Welsh independence. Who are these Welsh elite? Well, it seems that it is our elected representatives in Cardiff Bay, unlike their all caring and truthful MP equivalents who sit in the Palace of Westminster. These members of the political class have dark plans to take us headlong into poverty without letting the people of Wales have any say, or so True Wales might have us believe.
The problem for Rachel and True Wales is that they wont be able to play this card for long, it wont be long after the Yes and No campaigns are fully up and running after the general election, that some members of this same political class (mainly MP's and Lords I'd imagine) will join her side of the debate and start campaigning for a No vote. True Wales' stance as the anti-politics, people's choice will fall apart. Professor Richard Wyn Jones, director of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University has made this very point. We certainly cannot do much worse with our chance in Welsh governance than UK rule did for most of the second half of the 20th century when Wales was consistently one of poorest parts of the UK, and in areas poorer than parts of eastern Europe.
Maybe Rachel Banner could stand for election to the National Assembly in 2011, and if she won she could help out with the “intellectual disagreements” that she quite rightly wants more of, she would certainly bring some passion to the Senedd. But would she after having had those passionate debates, and maybe won them, having convinced her fellow Assembly Members of the merits of her arguments and voted on creating a new law to see that principle enacted, want to jump through the various loops the LCO system now presented her with. To have another parliament amend her request out of all recognisable shape, potentially veto it, and wait years for the power to return. Would she not ask whether this was a sensible system of democracy and worth all the time and tax payers money? Would she not think that the Richard Commission which looked into this problem and advocated an Assembly with primary legislative powers, so that it was clear where power lay, was maybe the right and logical next step in making things work properly? Or would she still argue that bad government was better than giving one inch to an imagined elite that plotted the end of our Welsh civilisation.
Dan Lawrence
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