Wales controlled by ‘Taffia’ who ‘despise the indigenous people of Wales’ claims prominent conservative website
One of the UK’s most prominent conservative websites has published an article claiming that Wales is controlled by a “Taffia” who “despise the indigenous people of Wales” and is intent on replacing their culture.
The article by artist Alexander Adams on the Conservative Woman website, which has over 600,000 monthly visitors, claims that Wales is run by “Welsh-speaking elitists who dominate the local government, charity and civil service”.
The article’s author, who has written a book Culture War published by Societas, includes a review of the National Museum of Wales and claims that the ‘Taffia’ “dislike the heritage Welsh population and culture”.
The article goes on to echo the talking points of far-right conspiracy theories that claim that global elites are seeking “cultural and demographic substitution” by suggesting that the ‘Taffia’ have “promoted migration and embraced globalism” and want to replace “indigenous European-British culture”.
“Staff and members of Labour, the Nationalist Party, the Arts Council of Wales, S4C (Welsh television), NGOs, universities and senior administrative posts in the civil service are often called ‘the Taffia’,” the article says.
“This is a group of Welsh, Welsh-speaking elitists who dominate the local government, charity and civil service. Being Welsh-speaking (in a nation which is generally not Welsh speaking, in south Wales, the area with the fewest Welsh-speakers per head of population) allows them a privileged position.
“It also detaches them from the local population, giving them a sense of entitlement and superiority.”
‘Celebratory portrait’
The article takes particular issue with the National Museum of Wales’ decision to take down a painting of General Sir Thomas Picton.
Picton had been celebrated as a war hero because he was the highest ranking officer to die at the Battle of Waterloo, but awareness grew of his role in the slave trade, as well as his cruel treatment of Black enslaved people and free people, and for sanctioning torture during his governance of Trinidad, from 1797-1803.
It culminated in the decision to box up his statue during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, and later to take down his portrait from the Faces of Wales gallery.
Alexander Adams claimed that the move was a “flex – a chance for the elite to show their power by disposing of European art and replacing it with non-European art, and by using museum resources to degrade a Welsh war hero”. He added that it “echoes their intention for the population”.
The decision to remove the portrait was made in July 2021 as part of Reframing Picton, which is a youth-led initiative by the National Museum of Wales.
The Museum said at the time that it was “another important step” for Amgueddfa Cymru in examining their national collections and thinking about who they displayed in their Faces of Wales gallery and why.
“This project replaces one artwork – which assigns great importance to someone whose actions as Governor of Trinidad even at the time were seen as cruel – with a celebratory portrait of a worker – someone we could today consider to be a hero,” a spokesperson said.
“Looking ahead, Amgueddfa Cymru will be creating educational resources on the history and achievements of communities experiencing racial inequalities within our society. These will support the recently announced changes to the curriculum by the Welsh Government.”
‘Celebrate diversity’
A report published by Hope not Hate in October suggested that the vast majority of people across Wales celebrate diversity and community, and are open to difference and change.
The report highlighted that although most people in Wales are open, tolerant and welcoming, there is a sizeable proportion of the Welsh population who are susceptible to swing towards populist right support or far-right sympathies if conditions are stressed.
“The vast majority of Welsh people celebrate diversity and community, and are open to difference and change,” they said.
“But we find some contradiction between a view of Wales as welcoming, open and tolerant and pockets of hostility and unease around issues like immigration and multiculturalism.”
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Creating division across Wales seems to be the current Tory strategy to undermine the independence movement.
Collectively, we ignored the growing threat of far-right and fascist beliefs and now we see them attacking us, Cymru. Lets us be clear on this, and it is a fact that will be borne out by history, if you are not, at this time ACTIVELY fighting fascism in this era, you are either actively or unwittingly helping its sickening rise. It infests every part of The English Establishment System* from its client journalists of its middle classes right up to those who pull upon the levers of power. Resist. We must resist the menace of fascism but we must also… Read more »
The English Establishment includes Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.
ok
The Conservative Woman is a platform for ultra-right, Tea Party opinion. They are centralists who see London as the Imperial seat looking down on the pathetic, scrounging Celts. The author has a record of contrarian writing and when you read the article it lacks any intellectual or factual depth. But this is the type of thinking that will play a major role in the upcoming administration of Liz Truss. Welcome to modern Conservatism.
‘Conservative Woman’ 600,000 strong led by Truss square up to a few old men in bow ties…Tacitus
Welsh history, culture, heritage and those institutions created to inform and educate welsh people and any other peoples in our communities about that rich background are all under threat from a diversity ( ironic word that !) of external factors and directions. A barrage of so-called left wing initiatives aim to cleanse/ sanitise the very Welshness that remains a minority part of this country of ours while the Anglo Brit supremacist stance is to eliminate or assimilate us by erasing any distinct cultural characteristics as soon as possible leaving only bits that might be good for the tourist trade !.… Read more »
I can recall in the ‘70s people saying Welsh was a dead language. I thought ‘what do they mean?’ but I’ve long since realised that even then the right wing press was getting people to parrot the propaganda to try and bring about that outcome. Our language is in a much stronger position now hence the vitriol is louder and constant. They’ve had over 600 years to eradicate us and there must have been times in all those years when it would have been easier to do so. They’ve missed the last bus on that one. We’re too strong now.
Be vigilant because the attack is now multi faceted. Some on the virtuous left are just as toxic as those nut jobs on the right.
Hands up all those who give a damn what the Tory women think or want.
🤮
If you live on Ynys Mon quite a few I hope…Andrea Jenkyns has a strong ally in Ms Crosbie…
Do have a read of ‘It’s back: the lost Welsh village that has reappeared in the drought’ over on the Guardian, it is not just the Tory press…
A Welsh speaking elite that wants to destroy Welsh culture… Where have we heard similar canards before? Many of our top culture building institutions constantly acquiesce to the whims and the demands of non-welsh, Middle class, guardian-reading champagne marxians (who often deny, or aren’t aware, that is the ideological substratum that guides their demands) – a group that rivals (and may even outnumber) Welsh speakers in the various institutions. They seem to be increasingly butting heads with the “Taffia/Crachach” types. Regular English migrants love our culture, regular Welsh people, whether they speak our language or not, seem increasingly confident in… Read more »
Survival of Welshness is an embarrassment – English culture was completely destroyed from 1066 by a handful of Frenchmen (the last Plantagenet being eliminated by the ‘taffia’ in 1485. Eli!imination of the Cymry may salve
less noble memories of Anglo Saxon conscience.
Trash Tory Alexander Adams states how the Welsh speaking Taffia elitists despise the indigenous people of Wales and are intent on replacing their culture? Think you’ve missed the boat there with that rant. That ship sailed many moons ago with the English Act of Union Wales 1535 – 1543 which it did just that. It banned our language and prohibited the teaching of our “native” history in our schools in favour of a that Germanic foreign tongue called English. The act dissolved our sovereignty, ancient Welsh law replacing it with an English political system with the intent of eradicating our… Read more »
Excellent post. I was going to post ” what a load of #×#@#£ claptrap, but you told it more eloquently!
“Taffi was a Welsh Man….”
The same old insults over and over again from the same old nasty party.
The old “divide and conquer” tactics beloved of the pathetic fading remnant of empire is pretty tired now.
Can we put them out of our misery.
Another day, another spiteful Hanoverian proto-nazi spreading lies and disinformation to try and strengthen their weakening grip on the ACTUAL British people.
What a load of horse💩
what utter bollox!
All this rhetoric shows they are worried about the break up of their precious Union. Well they should have shown more interest in it in the past, not just focusing on England and the South East of England in particular. It’s too late now – Adios !
Gwrtaith tarw o’r radd flaenaf!
And may I add – this is a strategy used by certain offspring of Hengist and Horsa since these two invaders were invited to these isles by Gwrtheyn Gwrthenau. They claim the title ‘British’ for themselves and masquerade as the ‘indigenous population’. They cannot stand yr Iaith Gymraeg as it subconsciously reminds them that they are imposters and usurpers and that Cymru is not theirs to make a theme park out of.
The article in question appears to be a word salad with a scattergun approach.
I cannot work out who it’s aimed at, who it’s aiming for and what it expects to achieve.
It’s a random blur of cliches and phrases. It’s a thesaurus jigsaw.
Cymru? YES!
More divide and conquer tactics from the far right that now run the Tory party.
Well there is of course some truth in this – various Taffias do or recently did run certain bodies in Wales. It is also true there is an agreed off the table formila or balance aknowledged by all parties. This balance was not just party but where you lived and your background…..in later years the white, males, safe middle aged were phased out but large areas of Wales are amost no go areas…eg Deeside, northern valleys, coastal northern Wales, Swansea and Wrexham do poorly. Yes also that there are certain historical family links are very visible in key areas. (… Read more »
I’ve been thinking on this one all day and I’ve managed to connect all the tropes the rabid righties are using as scare tactics. This is PROJECT FEAR. They bang on about the looney lefties, the woke brigade and now the so called Taffia. They bill all of these as fearsome evil organisations that must be seen off at all costs. None of these has a nameable person, a boss, a leader, a CEO or any nameable member or spokesperson. They are simply pigeon hole terms for anyone who rejects THEIR dictatorial fascism. They ARE all nameable, immoral and desperate… Read more »
I could tell a few tales but why scare the children…
Tories in England have created a tri class world in England they wish to do it in Wales. Never trust a tory.
What a vile, poisonous article by Alexander Adams!