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Watch: Keir Starmer speaks Welsh as he addresses Wales’ Labour Party conference

13 Mar 2022 3 minute read

Labour leader Keir Starmer tried his hand at some Welsh when he addressed the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno yesterday.

Addressing delegates at the conference he said that Labour’s new motto was: “Diogelwch; ffyniant; parch.” (Security; prosperity; respect.)

Pausing to crack a smile he added: “Thank you to the Welsh Labour team behind the scenes for their coaching on that one!”

He said that the devolved Labour administration has shown how things can be done “differently and better” despite having “one hand tied behind your back by the Tories in Westminster”.

thanked Mark Drakeford and the Welsh party and argued that “the Welsh Labour government is the living proof of what Labour in power looks like”.

“Every day you demonstrate the difference Labour makes, a blueprint for what Labour could do across the UK. So when I am asked how will we win, Wales is where I start. Right here. This is the difference a Labour government makes,” he said.

“You’re delivering for Wales. You’ve done it without sleazy dealings by working in partnership with local government, with trade unions, with the NHS, with local communities, to get through these challenging times together.

“No illegal parties, no bluster, just honest and reliable leadership – putting the interest and the priorities of people in Wales first.”

‘Duty to win’

He was keen however to stress that in his opinion, the different parts of the United Kingdom had more in common than what divided them.

“I want to lead the United Kingdom because I believe in it, in all its parts and all its differences,” he said.

“In all of our home nations. In all of the good and decent people who share the same hopes and dreams, fears and frustrations, the same land and the same coasts and the same threats to our way of life.”

“It is the honour of my life to be the leader of our party. But I tell you this: I have no ambition to be leader of the opposition. We gather here not just to oppose the Tories. But to replace them.

“Throughout our history, our leaders have been driven by our love for our country. But also full of passion for what more it can be. Each time, Labour has built a new and better Britain. That is my ambition too.

“Not to oppose the Tories, but to replace them. To build a better country. It is our duty to win. I believe we can. Thank you, conference.”


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Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

Not to oppose the Tories, but to replace them? Surely that was Tony Blair’s schtick?

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago

*Swoon*

Someone pass the smelling salts, please. Keir Starmer spoke three words of Cymraeg, yesterday. Wow!

Well, he’s now got my vote.

(How long before the right MSM latch on to the idea that he’s appeasing those pesky nationalist separatists?)

Last edited 2 years ago by Welsh_Siôn
I.Humphrys
I.Humphrys
2 years ago

A word from the godfather………………

Arwyn
Arwyn
2 years ago

How will Labour address the longstanding issue of economic peripheralisation within the UK that has undermined Welsh GVA and delivered us into low wages and poverty? How will Labour address the fact that despite having never ever returned a majority of Tory MP’s, Wales finds itself governed by them more often than not? How will Labour ensure that ideological, British Nationalist and full throated Libertarian Tory governments can never undermine the democratically elected Welsh Government again? Can Labour make material improvements to Wales? Because I’m not sure matching the Tories’ British Nationalism and wrapping themselves up in the Union Jack… Read more »

Jeff Williams
Jeff Williams
2 years ago
Reply to  Arwyn

You can’t put a cigarette paper between the British nationalism of the Tories and Labour. If there was an autonomous Welsh Labour Party, ideally campaigning for independence but, at the very least, advocating federalism, then they would do very well in electoral terms; probably regularly securing a substantial Senedd majority. Drakeford, Eluned Morgan and others have some tough decisions to make in the near future.

Arwyn
Arwyn
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Williams

We have to confront Welsh Labour with the consequences of their Unionism – how it enables Toryism to be extended over Wales. We also need to show the Welsh electorate how the current constitution of the UK and its economic orthodoxy disadvantages Wales. We also need to demonstrate how we can rebuild the Welsh economy for the better. Then the tables will begin to turn.

Dave
Dave
2 years ago
Reply to  Arwyn

You can rest easy Arwyn, the Welsh Labour members are doing just that. Also to have Welsh Labour as a separate entity is being advocated simply because we need to do things here in Wales that would contradict measures needed in England as we are in different places at the moment #IndyWales will come id Plaid and Welsh Labour work together.

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
2 years ago
Reply to  Arwyn

The UK regime see Wales the same way as the Putin’s regime sees Ukraine.
Colonies of the centralised empire.

We need an independent Wales as well as an independent Ukraine.
We are two nations each having cultures, economic and political systems which are unique as also democratic in tradition.

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

Are we supposed to be grateful for this? Now a truly autonomous Welsh Labour would be a different thing entirely. Westminster Labour have no interest in Wales beyond our resources and somewhere to dump nuclear waste.

Cai Wogan Jones
Cai Wogan Jones
2 years ago

Anyone else find the tokenism of a couple of mangled phrases in Welsh incredibly patronising?

arthur owen
2 years ago

I do not think the Welsh phrases were in any way ‘mangled’ but he spoilt it rather by following it with ‘but seriously’, One might assume that bit wasn’t serious.

Julie Jones
Julie Jones
2 years ago
Reply to  arthur owen

Nothing about Wales is “serious” in the eyes of the Britnat labour Party

G Horton-Jones
G Horton-Jones
2 years ago

In the immortal words of Edward the eighth
Something must be done
Wales is still waiting
ACTION NOT WORDS ARE NEEDED IN ANY LANGUAGE YOU CHOOSE

Grayham Jones
2 years ago

No more English party’s in wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 it’s time for a New Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

defaid
defaid
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

I had to give you a big like for this but, please, give both Waleses a capital W. (Half way there 😉 )

Last edited 2 years ago by defaid
Cynan
Cynan
2 years ago
Reply to  defaid

also parties

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

I suppose we should be grateful that he took a very short break from his usual gibberish

Tewdrig
Tewdrig
2 years ago

Rwtsh llwyr.

Malcolm rj
Malcolm rj
2 years ago

I Thought that Starmer had FORGOTTEN that Wales existed

Nia James
Nia James
2 years ago

It always tickles me how day trip dignitaries, like Starmer, approach our language is if it has just dropped from the sky. Welsh = Martian. None of them ever mention, because they have no idea, that Cymraeg is the oldest language on this island…and they have the bare-faced cheek to call themselves British.

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  Nia James

they have the bare-faced cheek to call themselves ‘British’.

______

Itself a word derived from the ‘British’ language and its mother tongue.

Cynan
Cynan
2 years ago

Patronising, tokenism, misdirecting
Nawddgar, symbolaeth, camgyfeirio

Last edited 2 years ago by Cynan

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