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Watch: John Redwood’s hilarious attempt at ‘singing’ the Welsh national anthem

24 May 2024 2 minute read
John Redwood and THAT anthem gaffe

It’s the clip that has gone down in the annals of Welsh history as one of the defining low points for a Welsh Secretary.

Sir John Redwood, who served in the post as part of John Major’s Government, today announced he is standing down ahead of the General Election.

Any mention of his name in Wales invariably triggers an urgent internal klaxon which order you to head immediately to YouTube to seek out the car crash moment when as Welsh Secretary in 1993 he appeared at the Welsh Conservative Conference.

When required to sing the Welsh anthem he mimed so incredibly badly to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau having failed to learn the lyrics that he forever enshrined himself as a go to clip for quiz shows and satirical character assassinations.

You can only surmise that Redwood was Mr Bean given his attempt to get anything resembling a tune out of his rubber face recalled Rowan Atkinson’s famous comedy creation.

You also get the feeling that Redwood despised being Welsh Secretary given during his time in the post, between 1993 and 1995, the Wokingham MP refused to sign Welsh language documents and even avoided having to stay overnight in Wales.

The fact he chose to run for the Conservative Party leadership in 1995 against John Major – the man who had appointed him Welsh Secretary, perhaps tells its own story.

Redwood becomes the 71st Tory MP to stand down before the election on 4 July.


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Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
6 months ago

It would be hilarious if it wasn’t pathetic and insulting.

Frank
Frank
6 months ago

Doesn’t he look a bit simple!

Riki
Riki
6 months ago

“Hilarious”? Insulting more like!!!

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
6 months ago

This still makes me cringe, even now. It was a period when the Tories deliberately thrust English MPs on Wales as an insult. Hasn’t really changed much seeing that political potato David TC Davies heads the Welsh Office Ministry of Hate.

Anyway, John Redwood singing as Welsh Secretary reminded me of the scene in the series Mr Bean where he (Rowan Atkinson) didn’t know the words to the hymn , “All Creatures of Our God and King”, but only sang along when he recognised the verse, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! He was a joke that kept on giving. 🙄

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