Tuesday 7 February 2017

Northern Ireland Unionists show how Anti-Cymraeg sentiments may grow.

My recent Blog on what I perceived as an Anti-Cymraeg sentiment  which surfaced  surfaced in the Radio Programme Any Question  did not suggest that this has become  part of the main stream political debate.

 17 hours ago17 hours agoMoreGiven current financial restraints which would the panel prioritise for extra funding in Wales. The Welsh language or care budget?
Though maybe it is coming from some quarters?

 Feb 5MoreSurprise! Sly anti-Welsh questioner on R4 Any Questions is a Conservative electoral agent.

 
So if there is any sign of a growth in support of Welsh Independence or Plaid Cymru we may see Unionist politicians  taken up an Anti-Cymraed stance

We may already see how it could pan out 

Although the poll ahead of the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election has shown that there has not ne a significant shift in voting intention since the collapse of the Stormont Executive.te DUP leader has decided to play the sectarian card over the Irish Language

The DUP is down to 26%, just three points lower than they received in 2016. Sinn Fein is at 25%, up one.

The leadership approval ratings are interesting. Arlene Foster, former First Minister, is at 22%. The most popular leader is Alliance chief Naomi Long, at 52%. All other party leaders enjoy ratings in the 40s. That the DUP remain as the lead party suggests that the St Andrews amendment over the nomination of First Minister is acting as a firewall for DUP support.


As Political betting  pointed out 

This poll will be immediately pounced upon by the DUP and will adorn leaflets all over Northern Ireland as they seek to hammer home their message: “Vote DUP or the Shinners get First Minister”.
In fact, leaving aside the joint nature of the OFMDFM, the current boundaries make it highly unlikely that Sinn Fein will get more seats than the DUP unless they are well ahead in vote share.

 Ms  Foster may be worried however that transfers means she loses transfers to the Ulster Unionist and this is probably behind her attacking calls for an Irish Language act

Ms Foster said that perhaps there should be a Polish language act instead because more people in Northern Ireland spoke Polish than Irish.uding to Sinn Féin demands, she told a party event: "If you feed a crocodile it will keep coming back for more."rs Foster said she was not prepared to "reward bad behaviour, and to capitulate to manufactured demands".

Is there any diffrence between Ms Fosters "Polish" argument  and those expressed by Liberal Democrat Jacqui Gasson

image


Ms Fosters attack on the place of the Irish Language clearly comes from the desperation of a politician who may face the wrath of her own Party in not resigning when she should have and leading them if not to defeat to a loss of seats.

How long before we see elected Unionist Welsh AMs and MPs  attempting to stir up even more Anti-Cymraeg sentiments , especially if Wales indicates that maybe the direction Scotland is heading is one we should follow?

2 comments:

Leigh Richards said...

Foster's comments were appalling - how dare she attack peoples right to want to learn the irish language anywhere on the island of Ireland. I fear such comments from a leading ulster unionist are an ominous indicator of the kind of attacks Irish people in the north of ireland can expect post brexit.

Anonymous said...

glad someone else has notice the striking similarities between Wales and the north of Ireland, that's Wales fete after falling hook line and sinker for UKIP lies, the Tories are also back pushing an anti cymraeg line, their embrace of everything welsh was only ever skin deep to get votes.

the difference is that unlike Ulster, Wales is already a region of England thanks to a small majority in Wales voting itself out of existence last year.