Council hits out at UK Government’s ‘insulting’ response to St David’s Day holiday request
Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter
A Welsh council will not be giving its staff a day off to mark Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant (St David’s Day) this year – and hit out at UK Government’s “insulting” response to a bank holiday request.
Last year, Cyngor Gwynedd’s council cabinet declared March 1 as a day off, to mark the celebration of Wales’s patron saint.
Then, the holiday polarised local views, with most supportive but some criticising the decision over its impact on council finances.
However this year all Cyngor Gwynedd services will be open, and it will be ‘business as usual’ on Wednesday.
The council leader criticised the fact the Welsh nation has to go “cap in hand” to ask permission from “our masters in London” for the day to be designed a formal bank holiday. The power to grant a bank holiday in Wales lies with UK Government.
Popular
In statement a spokesperson said: “Cyngor Gwynedd will not be closed on Saint David’s Day this year and all services will be operating as normal on March 1, 2023. The decision last year to give staff the day off to mark our patron saint’s day was successful and popular.
“However, closing services for the day does come at a cost and given the current difficult financial situation the Council is facing, it has been decided to pause the custom for this year.
“We are currently working together with relevant local trade union colleagues in an attempt to ensure that Cyngor Gwynedd staff who are on local government terms and conditions, are able, within the provisions of the amended national conditions of service which come into force on April 1, 2023, to take the day off on Saint David’s Day, every year from 2024 onwards.”
Cap in hand
In a statement Cyngor Gwynedd’s Plaid Cymru leader, Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn, said: “You may remember last year we gave our staff a bank holiday to celebrate our national patron saint day, Gŵyl Ddewi, as other nations do. Our action received considerable support from county councils across Wales, from the Welsh Government and even from the Welsh Tories.
“Like many other issues, Wales does not have the right to designate bank holidays and it seems that we are not responsible enough to do so. We must go, cap in hand, to ask permission from our masters in London.
“The response received from Westminster last year was insulting, claiming that it would be too complicated for people working across the border to cope with a Welsh bank holiday and that it would have huge cost implications.
“Westminster is able to grant two special bank holidays to crown the King of England without any consideration of cost. This is yet another example of the insulting and pretentious attitude of our Tory masters in London and the way in which they deal with the people of Wales – with complete lack of respect for our nation.”
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The only way to ensure every St David’s day is a bank holiday – is through independence. Let’s just focus on achieving this asap.
Yes I am all for independence…. the sooner the better, but has anyone got a plan of how things will run?
There will never be a 100% sure fire plan for how independence will go but that should not put us off – Ireland were in a worse position in 1922 and look at it now. Regarding financial aspects, this paper is a start –
https://nation.cymru/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ACHIEVING-AN-INDEPENDENT-WALES-%E2%80%94-FINANCE-%E2%80%94-DISCUSSION-PAPER.pdf
Wales is not going to achieve independence before Scotland, and following recent events in regards to Sturgeon’s resignation I cannot see them gaining independence anytime soon (hopefully I might be wrong). For the time being though parity with Scotland and Northern Ireland in terms of powers and privileges should be our main priority.
Wales will never ever gain independence way to many people don’t even like the Senedd let alone independence for Wales
wales has always been and always will be the second class citizens of the UK
the fact people in Wales have accepted less powers for devolution than Scotland or Northern Ireland speaks volumes of the apathy that sadly is Wales. English politicians are well aware of this and know they can treat Wales as they do because no one stands up against them
very sad but so true.
Maybe more people now but it is surprising how things can change very quickly. Also, our young are more open to an independent Cymru, so I suspect independence may be closer than you think.
The Senedd can get around this by legislating St Davids Day as a Public Holiday and not a Bank Holiday.
Why does the article ruin the argument by saying “This is yet another example of the insulting and pretentious attitude of our Tory masters in London” when it earlier said there was “considerable support…from the Welsh Tories”? I’m pretty sure there would have been exactly the same response from Labour masters in London. Not everyone who wants Welsh independence is left-wing and are just as patriotic. Also, those who are right-wing are not necessarily a Unionist. In my opinion you are a Unionist if you refuse to learn your history, your language, and your culture. By refusing to learn them… Read more »
He means the Tories in Wales…. Not the Tory government that rules in England. I.e the Tory members in Wales support the argument for a national bank holiday for St Davids Day. Basically this article is saying MPs in Wales support it whereas Westminster rejects it. I don’t want independence for Wales I fear we would lose a lot of influence and parting ways with the British Economy is just not smart imo – each to their own.
Templar is the screen name is a big give away why you love the English rule 🤦🏽♂️
My question is. Why are the Welsh people not outraged at the hypocrisy shown towards our nation by the English Tories? Both Scotland’s Parliament & Northern Ireland’s Assembly were devolved the power to create & celebrate St’ Andrews & St’ Patrick’s Day years ago, where Wales who have continually requested the devolution are denied over & over by English Whitehall who constantly give the lamest excuses why we cannot have the power. Why are we Welsh so apathetic and defeatist? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! Our Senedd has requested the power and If Whitehall continues to gaslight the Welsh nation our Welsh… Read more »
This is a direct result of over century of English education and indoctrination to see ourselves as a lesser people. Unfortunately it has worked wonders here. This is why the Irish are respected and we are not.
The same welsh that are loved adored and listened to all over the world unlike the English hated everywhere they go….trust me I’m half English unfortunately raised there and these halfwits can’t organise a p**s up in a brewery, I bet my life on it ran by welsh it would be a damn site better than a corrupt as hell English government looking down on the majority of their own people let alone the welsh who they see as thick, and simple. Wise up
This is what happens when you see their Authority as valid. They don’t, they haven’t had any authority over Wales, since 1400. The very title Prince of Wales has no power or meaning due to the fact it’s a copy. The original disappeared with Glyndwr.
“ The decision last year to give staff the day off to mark our patron saint’s day was successful and popular.”
No doubt such a day off would be popular in Cymru and more-so amongst those who aren’t paying for it. If they really feel so strongly about DGD and their ratepayers, as a stance GCC could poll their staff over using an annual leave entitlement day…. Don’t hold your breath there.
The contempt Westminster and the tories have for the devolved nations is galling. But a thriving independent nation is achieved by working clever not working less.
Marking today as bank holiday is an important step but it should be followed by devolution of HS2 money, electrifying the line to Swansea, allowing Cardiff airport to set own rates etc. etc.
Little of that will happen regardless of who is in Westminster, but independence is built on communities feeling that there is a plan that won’t set them back financially rather than just bad feeling to UK government.
Why is it that when you type in the name of any country in the world in lower case it automatically changes the initial letter to a capital except for Wales or Welsh? I wonder who is responsible for that!!