Anger as UK Parliament website lists Wales as ‘region in England’
Emily Price
A Plaid Cymru MP has voiced his anger after he discovered Wales is listed as a “region in England” on the UK Parliament website.
Hywel Williams MP for Arfon branded the mistake an example of how Welsh concerns are “not properly reflected” in Westminster because the country is “effectively treated as a part of England”.
The error appeared on a section of the website which lists Wales’ parliamentary constituencies.
Mr Williams said: “It may seem trivial at first, but this is just one small example of how Wales is treated in Westminster. At the next election, Wales will have 32 MPs, down from 40, compared to England’s 543, up from 533.
“No consideration has been given to the particular challenges faced by Wales or the need to reflect national concerns in Parliament – we are effectively treated as a region of England.
“This week saw a major breakthrough in our nation’s democracy, with the publication of the Senedd reform bill. Wales will soon have a modern and properly representative parliament fit for our independent future. It’s time Westminster caught up.”
Unique
Nation.Cymru contacted the House of Commons to ask how the mistake had been made. A spokesperson said the issue would be rectified as a “matter of urgency”.
YesCymru’s Chief Executive Officer, Gwern Gwynfil said: “This is typical of the unconscious dismissal of Wales. ‘For Wales, see England’. Here in Wales we know we are a nation, we know that we are culturally, socially, politically and economically distinct and unique. Sadly the Union will never free us to make the most of our uniqueness.
“For Westminster, recognising Wales as an equal means fundamentally changing the unfair ways in which Wales is treated within the current relationship.For this reason the Union will never challenge the suppression of Wales as a nation. Equality and recognition only comes with independence.”
A spokesperson for the UK Parliament said: “We have been made aware of a software error in the website that can incorrectly label Wales as a region if a specific URL is used to visit the page.
The correct version of the page is linked from the main page and is available here. We are rectifying the error as a matter of urgency.”
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I should be staggered, but …!
Mark my words Wales as ‘region in England’
is the next wish for a sizeable majority who have signed the Senedd’s 20mph petition. If/when it is not acted upon by the Welsh government those pushing it (not all backing it) will say the Senedd/WG is illegitimate and must be scrapped. They have the same outlook on Wales as Putin does on Ukraine.
Don’t be deluded. Drakeford is part of the assimilation agenda. Dyed in the wool Unionist despite falling out with Tories over 20m.p.h and a few other minor issues, but on the big stuff he’s on their side.
Technically speaking, apart from those clauses abolished under devolution legislation, it’s a true reflection of Wales’ constitutional status. I remind myself every so often that whilst having the Senedd in its current form, and about to enact changes that will further enhance the process of devolution, is certainly progress, the 16th century legislation that annexed our small country in the first place is still largely intact and in force and limiting the actions of our government in so many ways. The Welsh Government has less autonomy from Westminster than does the Faeroese or Greenland governments enjoy from Copenhagen, or closer… Read more »
Even on the new page if you click through it still refers to ‘Wales’ as a region 🙄 Same s**t, different day! 😠😡
I’m on the page now. It says “Wales is a country in United Kingdom”.
So they have changed it.
Don’t know why it took a whole day. Some junior could do it in about 20 seconds. Maybe they needed a meeting to decide the wording
They think of Wales as their colony.
Thats beside the point. The fact that they made an error in the first place demonstrates their ignorance in regards to the constitutional makeup of the United Kingdom. Westminster is supposed to be the parliament of the UK and not the Parliament of England. The US Congress would never refer to New Jersey as a region of Pennsylvania.
Now we’re just a ‘region’ of the UK 🙄 Like I said “Same s**t, different day!”
Oh it’s “besides the point” is it? A factual statement is “besides the point”? Okay, whatever wise one!
This is what I was referring to and it still shows up like this on Thursday night.
Fair enough. I was viewing it on a laptop, where it has changed.
HOWEVER, were you to look at England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, they are ALSO listed under Regions. So it’s not a specific slight to Wales. Just a poorly named page hierarchy
Also click through to a party’s MPs and it shows this.
And what does it say when they can’t get even the most basic grammar correct?
Take it up with them. Apparently I’m not permitted to answer any more again
All part of the EnglandandWales agenda.
pronounced “Inglunwales”
This was no accident or error but an action deliberately done by the English Conservative government as a slight towards Wales.
You can also count Labour, Lib Dems & the Green party.
correct. All come through the same sewage outlet when it comes to their attitudes towards our country.
I have heard things said read things about Wales which have annoyed me Like in Tory supporting news papers WALES IS NOT A COUNTRY ITS A PRINCIPALITY and WALES IS AN EXTENTION OF ENGLAND and WALES BELONGS TO ENGLAND and WE OWN YOU AND BE GRATEFULL FOR WHAT WE GIVE YOU YOUR ARE ONLY A COUNTRY ON OUR SAY SO but i think Drakeford has done enormous damage to Wales and Welsh labour which could set in motion as somebody said getting rid of the Welsh government look at it in prospective there are around 3.1 million people living in… Read more »
I think that so-called ‘error’ reflects how the UK elitist system actually views Wales.
It is hard wired into the mindset and the enthusiasm of Cymru’s political class for nuclear power will encase it in concrete for the next century. So sad and depressing to see the country sold out for the thirty pieces of radio active silver by nearly (I think Mabon is against it) every politician regardless of party…
It’s back !
The 1960s school book 📕 reference
“ For Wales … See under England 🏴 “
Did it ever go away ?
Software error? Software does not program itself. Software does not input the word region. What is wrong with these people?
Another “garbage in, garbage out” scenario.
Incompetence!
Accidentally on purpose I’m sure. It’s not trivial when this degradation happens over and over again.
It’s now been ‘corrected’.
Sort of: Wales has a lower case w.
One minor correction: switching to using the completely undemocratic closed party list system, instead of proper PR through STV, does NOT give us “a modern and properly representative parliament fit for our independent future”
How pig-ignorant do you have to be to make a mistake of such glaring stupidity in a government document?