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Andrew RT Davies accuses media in Wales of having a ‘nationalist agenda’

01 Aug 2021 2 minute read
Andrew RT Davies picture by Senedd Cymru (CC BY 2.0).

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies says the Welsh media is ‘in hock to the nationalist agenda’.

He accuses BBC Wales and ‘nationalist’ news sites of trying to ‘push a narrative’ that he says will ‘lead to the demise of Britain’.

Andrew RT Davies also questions the Unionist credentials of First Minister Mark Drakeford and criticises Welsh Labour for promoting ‘politically extreme’ ideas on federalism.

He makes the claims in an article for Mail+ saying: “Who needs nationalist opponents like Plaid Cymru when you have so-called Unionist friends like Welsh Labour?

“But we shouldn’t be surprised that the media here are in hock to the nationalist agenda that amplifies the so-called inevitable end of the Union: not only do many of them harbour the same opinions, but they rely on that agenda for their own existence.

“Without the constant reporting by BBC Wales and taxpayer-funded nationalist ‘news’ sites about Wales being so ‘different’, it would leave them rudderless and without purpose.”

‘Extreme’

His comments are published by a Daily Mail media group which was last week found to be the most read news outlet in Wales, with print and online stories viewed by 18% of the population. The Daily Mail was followed by the Guardian (17%), The Sun (13%) and the Western Mail (9%).

Andrew RT Davies also blasts Welsh Labour for publishing the ‘Reforming our Union’ report on federalism ‘just three months’ after the Senedd election.

He writes: “This is what’s in store for us in the Senedd over the next five years: listening to Labour ministers regurgitate historically ignorant, politically extreme ideas and a demonstrably poor understanding of sovereignty in Britain as they call for a federalist system that will only serve to worsen, not solve, the issues present in Wales.”

He describes Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford as being ‘troublingly’ close to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and questions the Welsh Labour leader’s claims of ‘being a Unionist’.

He says that nationalists in Wales and Scotland are trying to centrally hoard powers, “in a way the Conservative Government in Westminster has been keen to avoid”.

The Institute of Economic Affairs, a right-wing think tank, described Britain in 2019 as being ‘one of the most centralised countries in the world’.


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Gareth
Gareth
3 years ago

it is the right wing English/British media we need to be wary of. Only last week the Mail was told to correct a blatant lie about travel restrictions being imposed on the English by the Senedd. And now he is spouting this garbage on a news site associated with the said Daily Mail. Can we believe any of it, as they are proven liars.

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
3 years ago
Reply to  Gareth

A blatant lie they also tried to defend.

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
3 years ago

Talking of trying to centralise power, his government in England are actively stealing our democratically voted for law making powers and he has the f’ing nerve to call us dangerous and nationalists? Pure hypocrisy by a thief who enables thieves from another country to steal from his own. What a backstabbing judas. He puts his English nationalist party over the interests of his own country. Bradwr!

Richard
Richard
3 years ago
  • demise of Britain: Tick
  • inevitable end of the Union: Tick
  • media here rely on the nationalist agenda for their own existence: Tick (just as media in Lloegr pander to right wing agendas):
  • regurgitating historically ignorant, politically extreme ideas and a demonstrably poor understanding of sovereignty in Britain: maybe not, Artie – look at the vomit on your own weskit:
  • Tories … keen to avoid hoarding powers: maybe in a parallel dimension, otherwise why might this dimension be foisted with a 100 foot Butcher’s Apron in the middle of Cardiff?
Shan Morgain
3 years ago
Reply to  Richard

Excellent analysis of Davies’ mirroring.

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago
Reply to  Shan Morgain

Yes, a very stylish post.

Patrick Brompton
Patrick Brompton
3 years ago

“in hoc”? A more literate politician might write “in hock”.

Patrick Brompton
Patrick Brompton
3 years ago

Amendment noted in ‘Nation Cymru’ report, but blunder currently persists in original ‘Mail’ article.

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago

………………………….hic…………….

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
3 years ago

Probably thinks ‘in hock’ is a way to make coq au vin!

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
3 years ago
Reply to  Huw Davies

I have since seen that Mr ART Davies has dyslexia, so some spelling problems are to be expected. I apologise for my comment. Perhaps it would be a good idea to employ an assistant to proof read his comments before they are published.

Gareth
Gareth
3 years ago

May I also add, that during the last election campaign, the BBC rolled out the red carpet for anti devolution and abolish parties, whilst being forced to give parties such as the Green party equal air time. It is the complete opposite to what this shyster is spouting.

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
3 years ago

What the judas is deliberately ignoring is the fact that Drakeford and Sturgeon were democratically voted in by the very people he is criticising, which is a lot of people. They were voted in a much more democratic manner than fatty Johnson and his FPTP. Funny how the Welsh and Scottish electorate denied his brand of rampant right wing English nationalism for their own gentler left wing nationalism. Wow, what a shock.And now this amorphous blob is running to his racist mates at the Daily Fail looking for a pat on the back and a hug to make him feel… Read more »

hdavies15
hdavies15
3 years ago

He’s just looking for something to say, and not thinking very hard about it. Equivalent of incontinence, I guess.

Shan Morgain
3 years ago

Historically ignorant. Britain has always been a collection of principalities or regional rule, until 1425. Rome ran it as two regional administrations. The Anglo Normans imposed central rule using tools like genocide and land clearances. Mediaevals had many kingdoms; Wales was rarely unified. Nor was Lloegr/ England. In modern times federal structures are extremely successful in other European states.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago

this would be the same daily mail that gave massive support to Oswald Mosley and his union of fascists, the same daily mail that has printed more english nationalist xenophobic, sexist, homophobic cr*p than any other paper, has been voted the most untrustworthy british media outlet for 3 years in a row, gained more sanctions from IPSO in 2018 than any other title, and employs that sewer of a human, Littlejohn, rather apt for the pro unionist brit nat Davies to turn to such low level outlet I expect he feel right at home, no decent newspaper would print his… Read more »

#1Chris
#1Chris
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Exactly. That’s why it’s nickname is the Daily Heil.
and ReTweet is its Lord Haw Haw

#1Chris
#1Chris
3 years ago

ReTweet really never has an original idea.

oh well at least he can take solace in the fact that the ENTIRE English media is uniformly unionist but simultaneously anti-Welsh xenophobic

Lee
Lee
3 years ago

Really? We are dominated by pro English media. Most Newspapers are are about England, Regional Radio stations have their main programs broadcast from London and i’m sick of hearing about how England won the world cup in 1966. Even the so called Welsh TV stations were promoting the Wales hating political parties as main parties in the Senedd Election. It disgusted me that the Abolish Wales party as well as UKIP were allowed on the leader debates and promoted as a main party. I’ve lived in Wales all my life and until Satellite television went digital I had never even… Read more »

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago
Reply to  Lee

Thankfully, Wrecsam has a really good, and growing, Plaid C. branch

Quornby
Quornby
3 years ago

National emancipation is “extreme” according to this self publicist….. oh well if it worries Uncle Tom all well and good. Independence ASAP.

Ieuan Evans
Ieuan Evans
3 years ago

ART Davies says
” He describes Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford as being ‘troublingly’ close to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and questions the Welsh Labour leader’s claims of ‘being a Unionist’.”

Sounds bloody great coming from Boris’ right hand man in Wales. What a plonker.

#1Chris
#1Chris
3 years ago
Reply to  Ieuan Evans

Would anyone want to be Boris’s right hand man? (Maybe Guto Harri)
can you imagine what things that odious creature does with his right hand?

Glen
Glen
3 years ago

Someone once told me he never read The Western Mail because it was “too nationalistic” and he was serious.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago

Andrew RT Davies: get used to it!

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr Williams

….. what happened to ‘take back control?’

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr Williams

What a hypocrite!

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr Williams

I love Nation.Cymru. Diolch for this great website.

Erisian
Erisian
3 years ago

A period of siloence from this appology for a man would be appreciated.

#1Chris
#1Chris
3 years ago
Reply to  Erisian

Yes. About 30 years should do it don’t you think?

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
3 years ago

Unbelievable anti-Wales twaddle. This offensive article will please ‘Angry of Tunbridge Wells’, but does he really hope to win mass approval in Cymru by pushing Johnson’s assimilationist agenda? Just imagine what would become of Wales if his party ever won a Senedd election.

Welsh_Sion
Welsh_Sion
3 years ago

In the week we learn that the Daily Heil has the largest circulation of snoozepapers in Cymru fach, and a lot of other right wing ex-Fleet Street rags are not so far behind, R2D2 has it spot on.

Such media is undoubtedly nationalistic.

Anglocentric, full of Britnattery, Xenophobic, Gammon serving, little Englander pandering nationalism.

Slap on the back to that man for pointing out a self-evident truth.

Rob
Rob
3 years ago

So British nationalist media…OK But Welsh nationalist media….Bad?? Please explain the logic of this to me. Also it is very narrow minded to assume that anyone standing up for Wales is a Welsh nationalist advocating for Welsh independence. Surely its feasible to demand that Wales has the same rights as the nations of the UK, whilst not advocating independence at the same time. There are a lot of people in Wales who have advocated the the Union Jack should be altered to include Welsh representation, I wouldn’t necessarily assume that they are nationalists. Because if nationalists had it their way,… Read more »

Mick Tems
Mick Tems
3 years ago

Tory traitor and brown-noser.

DarkMrakeford
DarkMrakeford
3 years ago

Centuries of conservative English based media. Yet the last few years of Welsh centric news is too much for Retweet Davies. The current and previous crop of politicians have never put Wales first, things can’t change soon enough.

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
3 years ago

What planet is he living on? Or has he been living under a rock somewhere for the last few years?

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
3 years ago

Where to begin with this load of rubbish !! Most of the media in Wales is not owned by companies in Wales and it’s rare that there is any nationalistic material in them as a result. However, even if there was it pales in insignificants compared to the 1/ Unionist bullying and 2/ unionist flagwaving material we see in so called UK papers! There is a reason Drakeford and Sturgeon are close – they see their respective countries under threat by Westminster – there is no ‘hoarding of power’ just protecting the power already devolved. Yes, federalism is not the… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Steve Duggan
Crwtyn Cemais
Crwtyn Cemais
3 years ago

Pregeth hanner-call arall gan Gwas Bach Boris !

Vaughan
Vaughan
3 years ago
Reply to  Crwtyn Cemais

Hanner call ?
Chwarter ar y mwya’!

Mrs Audrey Jones
Mrs Audrey Jones
3 years ago

As MrDavies is “in hock ” to Mr Johson I wonder he is bothering to sit in our senedd at all

#1Chris
#1Chris
3 years ago

Goes running to the far right English press to whine about Cymru.
What a Decker!

Gareth W
Gareth W
3 years ago

His eyes move rapidly from left to right but his face is expressionless. He can speak for several minutes in the same tone without needing to breathe. He is RT Davies, a Mechatronic puppet controlled directly from London

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
3 years ago

Welsh Conservative Andrew RT Davies is a clown in this Tory idiocracy we now unfortunately find ourselves living in. There is the very reason why he will never be First Minister of Wales. He’s toxic, although a useful fool to Unionists If he thinks the “Welsh media” are pushing a nationalist agenda needs a holiday. Further the better. What Welsh media, lol? He’s deluded. Any Welsh media is very limited. We have literally minimal coverage on TV & Radio compared to England, so his attack is quite amusing as well as bemusing too. Is is me, but was there a… Read more »

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