MP's Warburton comments mistake
and
Ex leader condemns leader's Plaids UKIP attack
The first had Plaid Cymru's
parliamentary leader saying its MP Jonathan Edwards accepts his comments
about the Wales rugby captain were a mistake.
Mr Edwards questioned how Sam Warburton could captain the Wales rugby team if he considered himself British.It followed Warburton's remarks that he told people he was British when he led the 2013 Lions tour of Australia.
It was a Twitter gaffe from Jonathan Edwards who over reacted to Warburtons British comment but it is interesting the media haven't asked the Welsh captain if he considers himself Welsh .If his answer was Welsh and British then he reflects the view of many Welshmen and Women . Maybe not those of us who consider just Welsh but acceptable. But if he considerd himself just British maybe that does call into question whether he should be leading our national team.
The swcond had Dafydd Elis-Thomas, (DET) the former assembly presiding officer, condemned Leanne Wood's description of a vote for UKIP as a vote against Wales in her speech to the Plaid Cymru spring conference.
He said:
"It is facile and assumes a kind of superiority that we decide who is Welsh and who is not Welsh.In a direct message to Ukip ahead of May's European election, Ms Wood said on Friday: "Your politics have no place in our country, not now, not ever.
"Your values are not the values of Wales. A vote for UKIP is a vote against Wales - a vote against the Welsh national interest. We cannot and will not let their ugly politics divide us in May."
From here it looks like a desperate attempt by DET to get in the headlines
OK he would heave had a point in that the Welsh electorate can be as xenophobic as their English counter parts.
But maybe he should have kept this within the party .
Only last month the blogger Syniadau has been pupblishing the correspondance with Plaid over following a complaint about what he had written on the subject of the Ynys Môn by-election last year.
Some people who agreed that Mike had a point wished he had kept his disquiet to himself at least until after the byelection but he's an ordinary Plaid member who thought the Party was breaking its own rules he was right to speak out.
DET is not an ordinary member he's a former leader who would have blown his top if a Senior party member had managed to grab the headlines by criticism it.
I'm remembered to quote Clement a Attlee leter to Harold Laski Chairman of the Labour Party, in 1946.
You have no right whatever to speak on behalf of the Government. Foreign affairs are in the capable hands of Ernest Bevin. His task is quite sufficiently difficult without the irresponsible statements of the kind you are making . . . I can assure you there is widespread resentment in the Party at your activities and a period of silence on your part would be welcome.
4 comments:
The thing is though, that the British and even the morons who think they can be both Welsh and British are in the overwhelming minority in Wales. <a href="http://welshnotbritish.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-majority-of-wales-is-welsh-not.html>According to the official census.</a>
Whilst I agree with Jonathan's comments it really shows that Voltaire was spot on when he said to find out who rules over you first find out who you cannot criticise.
And all this in the lead up to the European elections which has seen the BBC adopt UKIP style headlines as they attack the 18,000 Polish migrants in Wales whilst simultaneously ignoring the 600,000+ English colonisers.
Elfyn should have kept his mouth shut on this, I'm glad he's retiring. Wales needs fighters not apologists.
Totally agree. In my opinion Welsh and British identity are mutually exclusive. The imperial British empire has spent centuries trying to stamp out the Welsh identity and is still trying to do so. We are seeing examples in the Scottish referendum debate of the bully British state doing what it has always done. It is sad to see DET drifting ever closer to the views of the British establishment no doubt if he lives to 100 he will end up advocating the policies of the BNP.
I reject British identity because it stands for inequality, greed and self interest. That is not the kind of Wales I want and the only way we can reach a more egalitarian state is through Independence. I dont need a second identity my Welsh identity answers all my needs.
Plaid Cymru like the SNP has said it is fine with Britishness- http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/plaid-cymru-leader-leanne-wood-2029867
Regardless of what the census says, people feel British in various ways and they don't need to have a British state to allow that to continue. So a wise strategy from Plaid/SNP.
Jonathan unfortunately got it wrong but he has been redeemed by Labour figures over-doing the criticism of him. Jonathan said in his quote many people feel both Welsh and British and accepted that.
I don't think Welsh not British's support of Jonathan is that helpful!
I'm totally behind Plaid and still vote for them but SOME of their politicians really shoot themselves in both feet alot of the time. The European seat for the party is probably already gone.
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