Welsh campaigners respond to Daily Mail ‘F*** your second homes!’ article

Stephen Price

A Welsh language and culture campaign group has responded to an article from the Daily Mail titled ‘F*** your second homes! Welsh village where English hating locals are revolting over 300 PER CENT council tax hikes on Airbnbs’.

The article, by ‘Nick Craven in Pwllheli‘ begins: “The park by Llyn Padarn, the stunning lake at the foot of Snowdon, is full to overflowing as the late afternoon sun shimmers off the water and the mountains beyond.

“Tourists from all over the world flock to the resort of Llanberis to marvel at its natural beauty, and most enjoy the holiday of a lifetime.

“But scratch the surface and that famous welcome in the hillsides might be wearing a little thin.”

Before detailing the appearance of a few independence stickers that have appeared on a ticketing machine, which Craven says “rekindles the cottage-burning Welsh nationalist terrorist campaign of Meibion Glyndwr (sons of Glyndwr) in the 80s and early 90s, shows a blazing house with the blunt message: ‘F*** your second home’.”

Another, he says, “shows an Airbnb logo with a noose around it, proclaiming ‘Death to Airbnb’.”

Nid yw Cymru ar Werth

After sharing the meaning of Nid yw Cymru ar Werth, which appeared on one sticker, he writes how someone daubed on a road last month: ‘F*** off, Saeson’ (the Welsh word for the English).

Quoting second homes campaigner Glenis Bisson, 76, he shared: “Without a doubt, there is a growing anti-English feeling because of the housing situation.

“On internet forums, the Welsh nationalists are extremely abusive to people who are English.

“Welsh nationalism is on the rise. They are angry and feel that the English are selling to the English.

“They thought that these council tax and Article 4 measures would suddenly allow them to buy cheap housing but it’s nonsense.

“They whole thing has backfired.’

The mother-of-four added: ‘There have been posters being put up around a few months back with houses on fire in Pwllheli.

“They were using the same emblem that was used for the as they did for the Free Wales Army back in the 1980s.

“They were put on all the lampposts in Pwllheli and wherever they could stick them.

“It is just the attitude of the nationalists that is hardening not the normal Welsh people.

“A lot of them are angry and horrified by all this. There is a lot of stress around the housing situation.”

Before discussing Mudiad Eryr Wen, who made headlines recently following a protest against second homes in Welsh speaking heartlands, he then discussed the experiences of other English people in Wales, including a caravan owner who has been angered by a Welsh bus driver’s supposed comments made in Welsh, as well as comments from an NHS worker.

Citing a local pub landlord, who relies on tourism, as an example of local support for second home owners, he then goes on to quote Nicky Williamson, PASC UK’s Lead Policy Advisor in Wales, who told the Mail: “These reports lay bare the economic damage being inflicted on Welsh tourism.

“What we are witnessing is the avoidable erosion of a vital sector, one that sustains jobs, communities, and Welsh culture. The figures are shocking, but not surprising to those of us on the ground.’

The 182-day occupancy rule, requiring properties to be let for half a year to qualify as a holiday let is proving especially damaging, she said.

“This is not a policy designed to support genuine businesses, it’s a punitive approach that makes it harder for responsible operators to stay afloat,’ Williamson added. ‘It’s devastating rural and coastal communities without achieving its aims.”

Mudiad Eryr Wen

Taking to their social media accounts to respond, Mudiad Eryr Wen wrote: “While it’s been a long time since you ran puff pieces for Oswald Mosley, your attitudes evidently haven’t shifted all that much.

“While you attempt to dress up your attacks on Welsh communities as sob stories and genuine concerns, your readership makes the true intentions clear for all to see.”

Before sharing screenshots of Anti-Welsh sentiment from the Daily Mail commenters which had been approved by administrators of the website, the campaigners shared an image containing text in both Welsh and English, which says: “In yet another low-tier attempt to demonise Welsh people, the “Daily Hail” sallied forth its conveniently named champion, Nick Craven. Equipped only with the laughable “accounts” of woe-begotten imposters from England, and their habitual sense of entitlement, he tried to smear Wales as “vile” and anti-English.”

“He starts, predictably, with a sob story, wheeling out the worn cliche of the poor, put-upon English family, shocked that their second home might face limits in a country they don’t even live in. He then dredges up the compaints of fragile gammons, absolutely furious at the “disgusting” stickers they so bravely face down. Yet if one can bear to sift through the heaps of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, it becomes clear that Mr Craven and his second-home pals suffer from a rather severe victim complex. All of this, of course, comes bundled with the typical lack of understanding for the housing crisis in Wales, and the very plight that people like them have inflicted upon us. To top it off, Craven stains the piece further with the repeated use of “Caernarvon”,  an imposed name that says far more about his worldview than he realises.”

 

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A post shared by Llais Yr eryr (@llaisyreryr)

The statement continues: “And yet, for all his efforts to cast the Welsh as snarling bigots, Craven only ends up exposing the ugliness of his own side. In trying to paint Wales as “anti-English,” he managed instead to rally the dregs of his readership into the comment section. A swamp of illiterate bile, where hundreds of abhorrent remarks about Wales and its people now sit in plain view. Far from proving his point, it only proves ours: that their contempt grows our resolve.”

They add: “We commend Cyngor Gwynedd for their commitment to Article 4, and urge all Welsh councils to follow suit. The quicker the blight of second homes is crushed, the better. We also thank them for their commitment to bilingual education, which has undoubtedly spared every Welsh-speaking resident the humiliations of Mr Craven and his crew.”

Comments from the Daily Mail, screengrabbed by Mudiad Eryr Wen which they say prove where the real hatred comes from, include: “Who wants to go to wales? It’s a craphole full of Welsh. I do not know what is worse the Welsh or Wales.”

“Don’t you just love the ignorant Welsh.”

“Dreadful people who contribute nothing to the UK.”

“I remember my old geography teacher explaining how the Welsh have very low intelligence due to centuries of inbreeding.”

“The Welsh are and always will be revolting racists.”

Unaware of England’s reliance on Wales’ natural resources, and Wales’ subjugation over centuries, another wrote: “This is why I despise the Welsh, they are the UK’s equivalent of banjo-playing deep south hillbillies….a nasty bunch of parasites only interested in taking our hand outs.”