Wednesday 4 November 2015

The only "cultural figures" on new pasport are English.

Plaid MP Hywel Wiliams says he is “incredulous” nobody Welsh is featured on the inside pages of the new UK passport. 

According to the Wasting Mule

The Home Office has faced a barrage of criticism after unveiling the designs of the inside pages of the new British passport, which is based around the concept of “Creative United Kingdom”.
Many have criticised the fact that images of only two women – compared to seven men – are featured.
But all nine of those people are English, meaning nobody from Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland has been represented.

 But, as well as Shakespeare – whose image is a high-security watermark on each page – the other people featured are all English. They include artist John Constable, architects Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and Elisabeth Scott and Angel of the North sculptor Antony Gormley.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 

“The theme of the new passport is a celebration of creativity in the United Kingdom throughout the past 500 years.
“The UK is lucky to have had a huge number of influential and innovative cultural figures throughout history and narrowing it down to a final number was an extremely difficult decision.”

It seems incredible that a year after a referendum campaign in Scotland  that saw the the NO campaigners claiming that we were Better Together seems to largely ignore the existence of anyone seemed creative in Scotland.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh springs to mind


For we in Wales Dylan Thomas or any number of Welsh Poets  writing in English or Welsh springs to mind.


Indeed  if the idea was to celebrate influential and inoventive cultural figuers  then Iola Morganwg the man responsible for reviving the National Eisteddfod springs to mind

Apparently 

There is some Welsh representation, with Cardiff Bay ’s iconic Pierhead building featured on the “Brilliant Buildings” pages.


At least they didn't choose a Norman built Castle.


 Arfon MP Mr Williams blasted:

 “This was an opportunity to reflect and celebrate on the contribution of all UK nations.
“I’m incredulous that Wales will have no representation on new passports.
 A passport is both a definer and a symbol of our identity. It is outrageous that this symbol contains nothing from Wales.


“I will be contacting the Prime Minister’s office directly to convey the astonishment that is sure to be shared by all passport-holders in Wales.” “Instead of being recognised for their contribution, women have also been side-lined, the Government choosing instead to belittle their contribution by writing them out of the history books.”

Which Welsh Figure  would you nominate for inclusion on the New Passport and bearing in mind the poor representation of Women on it, nominations of Welsh Women icons would be welcome.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

No surprises here. This is a classic example of the 'for British see English' mentality.

These people clearly have a very blinkered view of influential and innovative cultural figures.

I'd be interested to see who the other cultural figures were before the final selection was made. I doubt we would have seen many non-English candidates, if any at all.



Unknown said...

Rabbie Burns

Anonymous said...

David Lloyd George - Pensions
Aneurin Bevan - NHS
Jim Griffiths - National insurance

All three made huge contributions to improve the quality of life for ordinary people.

jimnarlene said...

Elizabeth Cadwaladr - the real "Lady of the Lamp"

Gary Hay said...

Walter Scott, James Watt, James Clerk Maxwell, Robert Thompson, Alexander Graham Bell, John Logie Baird, Alexander Fleming, Thomas Blake Glover, Robert Watson-Watt.

British only because they succeeded.

Anonymous said...

lesson for the welsh - the british state has no regard for the individual achievements of any welsh people or their contribution to british life.

Elaine Skinner said...

We Celts should demand a separate passport..this really is the finger up at Celtic Nations and the arrogance of the English folk that were in charge of chosing the names. Its farcical to call it a "British" passport.