Tories say they have ‘proud history of supporting Welsh language’ after candidates’ leaflet calls it ‘divisive’
The Welsh Conservatives have said that they have a “proud history” of supporting Welsh and will “continue to do so” after a leaflet put out by local election candidates branded calls to strengthen regulations around the language “divisive”.
The leaflet was sent out by Jonathon Martin, Stephen Senior and Adrian Lang who are standing in the Panteg Ward, Torfaen in Thursday’s local elections.
It said that the Welsh Conservatives would “oppose divisive Welsh language demands”.
A Welsh Conservative spokesperson however told Nation.Cymru that: “The Welsh Conservatives have a long and proud history of supporting the Welsh language and we continue to do so.”
The Welsh Conservatives’ local government manifesto does not mention the Welsh language but last year’s Senedd manifesto promised to “promote and support the Welsh language with one million Welsh speakers by 2050”.
You thought the mentality of the Blue Books was a thing of the past? You haven’t reckoned on @WelshConserv “divisive Welsh language”! pic.twitter.com/ZjngTBIxDp
— Morgan™️ 🐝 (@CantreBreiniol) May 2, 2022
Their response came after the three Panteg candidates, in an article penned for the website Cwmbran Life late last month, the candidates had voiced their opposition to what they called a “nationalist” linguistic agenda.
They said: “Conservatives know that most people here do not want more requirements for Welsh Language. In pushing this, Labour supports the Plaid Cymru Welsh Nationalist agenda.
“Why are applicants being asked about Welsh for jobs that don’t require it? Why do children have a narrower range of GCSE options than those in England because of Welsh Language and Welsh Baccalaureate requirements?
“We know that these are examples of important questions that get little coverage because it’s a topic that is rarely discussed in public.”
Some social media users asked the Welsh Conservative leadership to step in and ensure that the local candidates aligned themselves with the national policy.
Carwyn J. Thomas called on Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies to “redact” the pamphlet “immediately”. “Or are welsh speakers now a target for Welsh Conservatives?”
Rhian McCarthy asked: “Does the Welsh Conservative party condone this type of electioneering? This smacks of the Welsh Not of past generations.”
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ARTD is of course right to some extent on this. From Lord Wyn
Robert’s through to David Hunt and Johnathan Evans and Glyn Davies they have often been the deliver party on bilingual issues. These people often got flack from many in their own ranks for this.
If they got flak from their own party, then this is surely individuals not “the Conservative party”?
Bin bags and seagulls make a mess of our streets and encourage rats, daft idea !
Another lie from Andrew RT Davies. The Conservative pro-Welsh lol. What reality is this man in? Not ours anyway. Has the Tories who have been in power for 12 years ever changed the Westminster rule that speaking Welsh is banned from the House of Commons chamber? No they have not. At Westminster there’s no facilities from Welsh speakers unlike that evil nasty Europe Union , a parliament that showed respect towards Welsh allowing Welsh MEPs to use Welsh and translation facilities to non-Welsh speakers. Only English & Norman French are permitted at the House of Commons, not the native language… Read more »
Being ‘Pro Welsh’ ( a wide stage ) and supporting the Welsh Language are unfortunately different to many in Wales – especially within the older generation. Speaking Welsh in the Colonial Westminster Parliament is of very little use to our future. There are many folk I know who support our language in their daily lives but see little benefit for Wales outside their beloved U.K….- stronger together etc On the opposite side – we find without problem those supporting the devolved pathway and even an independence direction yet see little use for our language outside ceremonies and as a wrap… Read more »
The Tories did nothing of the sort. It was Welsh language campaigners who forced the Conservative Government’s hand when they introduced bilingual road signage and creation of the Welsh language channel S4C in 1982. This was done out of fear that Welsh Nationalism was on the rise due to Westminster drowning the Tryweryn Valley in 1965 to provide water for Liverpool riding roughshod over Welsh human rights.. The atrocity of Aberfan. And the investure of Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969 stoked the fires further. Then in 1979 treacherous champagne socialist Neil Kinnock campaigned along with the Conservatives to… Read more »
It would be exciting to see one single example of the Cons supporting Cymraeg.
I can’t think of any instances whatsoever
Good grief! Anyone who lists such a dumb down manifesto as the one shown must be seriously flawed and have nothing but contempt towards voters. I’d be insulted if such a leaflet dropped through the letterbox. Bags instead of bins! Be ddiawl?
I can’t believe that they think this is a vote-winner in a Welsh council election. That attitude has been in its death throes for a number of years now.
They are targeting only people likely to vote Tory though. And has been proven, they have a vulnerability towards short emotive nonsense slogans. Basically they are targeting the poorly educated, the intolerant, the easily confused
They’re probably just saying what most other Tories secretly think. Maybe we should thank them for showing everyone how anti-Welsh most Tories are underneath it all!!
A vote for any tory councillor is just an endorsement for the dictatorship in Westminster.
Such a proud history of supporting the Welsh language that they don’t use the language on their website https://www.conservatives.wales/
The Tories have a public face and a private face on this. Some of them still make sermons to the media about a caring party while standing under the compulsory portrait of Thatcher that hangs in all tory establishments.