Why are we being treated as Second Class UK Citizens?

Two stories this week show that Wales  is a second class part of the Union.

Firstly we here  Santander refused to process Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s membership forms after they were handed in at the branch in Aberystwyth.

An official from Santander, which operates in more than 20 countries where English is not the main language, wrote a note to the group after the bank refused to set up membership payments for three people.

The note said: 

“Please return these documents to your account holder. Unfortunately Santander can only accept these documents written in English.”

Manon Elin, of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said:

 “This is another example of a private company refusing to provide a Welsh language service because they’re not required to do so, and that’s completely unacceptable.“We must have a language law which ensures that banks have to respect basic rights to use the Welsh language.“Unfortunately, the Welsh Government’s plans for new legislation make it less likely that banks will have to comply.“The vast majority of people have to bank, but there is no means of banking online in Welsh, and we have to fight for other basic services in Welsh.”

A spokesman for Santander said: 

“Santander accepts documentation that we receive in Welsh, in line with our Welsh Language Policy.“We understand our customers who live in Wales may have various documentation and forms that will be written in Welsh.
“If our policy has not been followed then we apologise for any unintentional upset this matter may have caused.
“The matter will be reviewed to ensure this does not happen again.
“We are consulting with the Welsh Language Commission and will remind relevant colleagues of our policy to ensure that we continue supporting our Welsh communities in the best possible way.”

So that's alright then except that this should never happen and its high time the Welsh Assembly should act on this.

In a recent white paper,  Alun Davies, Welsh Government minister for the Welsh language refused to commit to extending Welsh language rights to the banking sector because of the “present economic uncertainty”.

Well maybe he should reconsider

But it's not only Cymraeg that is being treated as second class but out accademic qualifications as well.

The BBC reports that 

A Welsh RAF applicant was asked to take an English test despite holding a GCSE in the subject.

Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said Wales-only qualifications had not been seen as acceptable qualifications under English apprenticeships guidelines.

Former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb said it was "demeaning" for Welsh applicants to be asked to take additional qualifications.

Mr Ellwood said the guidance had since been revised.

Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Mr Crabb wrote to the minister after a constituent's son had to undertake an English assessment during a pre-recruit training course at RAF Halton, Buckinghamshire.

This was required even though he already held a Wales-only English GCSE from the WJEC exam board.

The MP said he was aware of several instances where this had happened.

"There should be no discrimination between GCSEs from England and the devolved nations - especially in our Armed Forces which recruit heavily from Wales and Scotland,"

In a letter to Mr Crabb, the defence minister said the English and maths qualifications required by RAF entrants are determined by apprenticeships the individual will undertake after graduating - with the criteria regulated by the Specification of Apprenticeships Standards for Education (SASE).

Mr Ellwood said guidelines at the time "stated that qualifications exclusive to Scotland, Ireland or Wales were excluded", and that the GCSE did not correspond to examples of acceptable evidence.

He said,

"It was on these grounds that [the applicant] was required to undertake the functional skills literacy [assessment] during the pre-recruit training course."

Mr Ellwood added that the SASE had since been updated with an extended list of acceptable English and Maths qualifications, including some Welsh qualifications that were not previously included.

An RAF spokesman said: "Individuals entering the RAF to complete an apprenticeship are required to meet the standards set by SASE.

"Following a recent Ministerial enquiry, the RAF is seeking guidance to confirm if the WJEC GCSE English Language (Wales) qualification is acceptable for apprenticeships."

Its almost as if the RAF look at Welsh recruits as if they were part of a colonial contingent, maybe even only suitable for the lower ranks to be led by English educated officers?

How long has the RAF being  treated Welsh and other Non-English applicants applicants this way?