Rishi Sunak will continue to use English name for Bannau Brycheiniog
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has said he will continue to use the English name ‘Brecon Beacons’ instead of the park’s ancient Welsh name – Bannau Brycheiniog
The Park announced it was dropping the English version of the name earlier this month – a move which was heavily criticised by the Welsh Conservatives.
In an interview ahead of the Welsh Conservative conference set to take place this weekend in Newport, the prime minister said he is a “big supporter of the Welsh language and Welsh culture” but said “most people” would continue to say “Brecon Beacons”.
Mr Sunak added: “But when it comes to the Brecon Beacons, the first thing to say is this is an internationally renowned place to visit, attracts visitors from all around the world.
“It’s something we’re all really proud of across the UK. I’m going to keep calling it the Brecon Beacons, and I would imagine most people will do that too.”
The Park’s CEO said that reverting the name back to its ancient Welsh name was a direct response to the climate and ecological crisis.
The leader of the Conservatives in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, said the name change undermined an already well-known tourist destination.
Rishi Sunak has also refused to alter rules regarding HS2 funding which the Welsh Government says is depriving Wales of billions of pounds.
The prime minister said the high speed rail project would bring “benefits to the people in Wales, particularly those in mid-Wales and north Wales.”
Labour, Conservative, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrat parties in Wales have all called for HS2 to be re-classified as an England only project in order for this to trigger £5bn of extra funding for Wales.
Funding
Although no HS2 track will be laid in any part of Wales, the project is still designated as an England and Wales scheme.
Rishi Sunak rejected a motion put forward by Plaid Cymru in the Senedd this week which called for the scheme to be reclassified.
The Prime Minister said: “There’s an established funding settlement for these things, but what I would say is I think HS2 will bring benefits to the people in Wales, particularly those in mid-Wales and north Wales.
“When you look at the connections to places like Birmingham and Crewe, that will considerably reduce journey times to London.”
“On top of that, the UK government is also investing around £350 million in rail improvements and infrastructure upgrades across Wales and additionally investing over £100 million in the South Wales Metro and one of the Levelling Up Fund projects that received the most amount of money anywhere in the entire UK, £50 million, was for the Cardiff Crossrail.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Does he still refer to Mumbai, Kolkata etc as Bombay and Calcutta, somehow I think not, just the normal condescending attitude from over the border. Nothing new.
As for refusing funding from the HS2 project, his own gov figures show we will lose out to the tune of millions per year due to HS2, he’s talking cac.
Hmm, your comments about those Indian cities is very apt, considering the bloke’s background. Does he condone the reverting to using the colonial names for those place in his ancestral home? A good journo would have bounced this back to him right away; the sheer hypocrisy.
A Prime Minister is supposed to lead. Disappointing, but at least he is a massive supporter of Wales. Thanks for the HS2 cash Rishi.
Ricky Sonic said he is a “big supporter of the Welsh language and Welsh culture”. Ricky can you give us an example?
Tell tyn Bob armadillo.
Sunak proudly refusing to use the correct name of Bannau Brycheiniog because it’s in the Welsh language is a nod and wink dog whistle to far-right English nationalist Conservative supporters who have always distrusted anyone who speaks any language other than English. The Conservative Party has now added the Welsh language and Welsh language speakers to their growing list of woke enemies within.
Further evidence the Welsh language and Welsh speakers are now part of the Tory’s woke enemy. According to David Deans of the BBC Andrew RT started his speech at the Tory Conference with “Bore da, there you are, I’ve used a bit of Welsh so hopefully the media will write some nice things about me.” Translation of this “joke” to an audience of English/British nationalists – I’ve used that language of the liberal, anti-British, remainer, woke media, maybe they’ll now write some nice things about me.
Because their ultimate goal is to totally displace the Britons of Wales. They want Britain to be seen as England, forever. It’s literally cultural genocide, which is going unpunished due to how slow of a burn it is.
There’s a difference between using ‘Brecon Beacons’ when speaking about the area and using the name in official documents and correspondence. It will take time for people, including Welsh people, to get used to the change. Do a search on how many media outlets in Britain, Ireland and across the world that used ‘Brecon Beacons’ when covering the story of William and Kate’s visit to Wales. Even WalesOnline used it: ‘As well as meeting rescuers at the Dowlais Rugby club, the couple also abseiled together off a cliff in the Brecon Beacons.’ How many companies in the Brecon area still… Read more »
Dim ots. Fe saif y Bannau pan fydd Rishi ar ei hyd dan y pridd. Ac rwyf innau’n dal i alw’r heb brifddinas yn y Tiroedd Coll yn Llundain.
Google Translate still renders “Bannau” as “Beacons” but that’s just a matter of us educating it. We’ve small chance of doing that with an entitled snotnose.
Sunak showing his true colours now on a daily basis, got away with it initially as (1) he dresses smarter than bozo the clown & (2), He’s not as swivel eyed as pork for brains Truss, a low bar in both cases. He’s still a rabid supporter of brexit & the cutting of local authority services provision plus his installing of the utterly appalling braverman, his silence on her methods & rhetoric ( apart from his “stop the boats mantra”) implies he is fully supportive of everything she stands for. Make no mistake, if your not of the same mindset… Read more »
How arrogant from Rishy Sunak to ride roughshod over our cultural right to restore our ancient place names. Imagine still referring to India as British India post- independence. Would Sunak who is of Indian descent like this idea? Bannau Brycheiniog predates England & English, even the Germanic Saxon/Jutes/Angles tribes arrival in Britain. Also, I noticed today antagonist Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies was in agreement with Sunak while whipping up anti-Welsh language sentiment on BBC Radio Wales phone-in. No surprise there from Wales very own Lord Haw Haw. All Andrew RT Davies does is continually talk Wales down. Negativity… Read more »
Exactly, your last paragraph has been their sole aim for centuries. They want Britain and England to be one. And they can only do that if the People of Wales acquiesce to their plan. One way they have help carrying this out is to aim self hatred towards the children of Wales….in hopes they will look to England with starry eyes.
And once again we have this usual ugly ‘but’ here that informs us about the hypocrisy of its users: I am not a racist but…, I am not homophobic but…, I am a big supporter of the Welsh language but (I wouldn’t mind if it could disappear)…
great point
Rishi Sunak demonstrates that one man’s ignorance is another man’s racism.
They’ve changed the name of the National Park, not the Beacons themselves! Get a grip!!
I cant tell you just how much this entitled tool has p**s#d me off today. First the rail funding thing… basically saying we’re part of England, now its dissing our language our heritage and institutions. Can’t wait to see these right wing crooks kicked out at the next election.
All part of preparing us for the nation-state of EnglandandWales
Wait – committed to Wales and it’s language but won’t use the name of the place in that language. Surely this is an oxymoronic statement by Sunak. They can’t hide their contempt for the Britons at all. They hate us so much, yet they themselves want to be known as such.
I don’t give a damn what he calls the area – he and his party have never given Wales a second thought. If he thinks it will affect what other people call Bannau Brycheiniog he’s very mistaken – we care little for what he thinks. What’s more important is we continue to fight for the £5B we are losing out on – we’ve had enough of being shafted.
Time we had Cymru Rydd not this idiot running Wales. We need a right of center pro independence party in Wales. We need a prosperous country not some North Korean Socialist Republic that some innocents advocate for Cymru Rydd.
So you want to free yourself from the jackboots of Westminster tories only to place yourself under the jackboots of tories in the bay.
Well done.
English man is too thick to try another language. What a shock…
Tories hate us, nothing new. Bigotry we have suffered just rolls on.
Entirely up to him what he calls the mountain range, but it was clearly designed as a snub.
I wonder if he still calls Mumbai by its old name of Bombay?