Postal votes usher in new leader – for Welsh language campaign group

Cymdeithas yr Iaith members have elected Mabli Siriol to be the language group’s new chair.

The results of the leadership election was announced today, Saturday, in Cymdeithas’ online annual general meeting, following a period of postal voting.

Mabli Siriol will succeed Bethan Ruth, who has been chair over the past year. Mabli Siriol had been chair of Cymdeithas’ Education Group prior to being elected to her new role.

Originally from Grangetown in Cardiff, Mabli has been campaigning with the Education Group and Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Cardiff Cell for several years.

In her day to day job, she campaigns for the rights of asylum seekers, and has previously worked in the Senedd and as a campaigner for LGBT equality.

“It’s an honour to be elected as chair of a movement that plays such a crucial role in the fight for the Welsh language and for the communities of Wales,” she said.

“I would like to thank Bethan Ruth, who has been an exemplary and conscientious chair over the past year, during a very challenging and unprecedented period.”

‘Just’

She said that as chair her priority will be to campaign for the vision outlined in the campaign group’s ‘More than a million – Welsh language citizenship for all’ manifesto for the 2021 Senedd elections.

“In such a difficult and uncertain time, when it has been easy to lose hope, the source of hope for me comes from the certainty that ordinary people have the ability to change everything,” she said.

“Cymdeithas yr Iaith has a long history of fighting for and winning things that were thought to be impossible at the time.

“So I’m confident that, if we continue to work together, we will achieve Cymdeithas’s vision of a socially just, Welsh-speaking Wales.”