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Welsh Labour teaching ‘a lesson’ to UK Labour by ‘seeing off nationalism’ in Wales says Guardian

03 May 2022 2 minute read
Mark Drakeford. Picture by Christopher Jones / Alamy Stock Photo. Adam Price. Credit: Euan Cherry/WENN. Senedd Cymru. Andrew RT Davies picture by Senedd Cymru (CC BY 2.0).

Welsh Labour is teaching “a lesson” to the party elsewhere in the UK by “seeing off nationalism” in Wales, the Guardian has claimed in an editorial.

The newspaper said that “nationalist forces have brought Labour low in England and Scotland” but in Wales “the mood had soured” for the Conservatives while Plaid Cymru had “flatlined”.

The First Minister had managed this both through a more cautious approach to Covid but also by straddling both nationalism and unionism, as well as the two languages of Wales, the editorial said.

“Independence here is a language movement and Mr Drakeford, like his predecessors, is a fluent Welsh speaker,” the article said.

“Labour’s electoral coalition spans both nationalism and unionism. This politics was forged in Labour’s heartland of the south Wales valleys, which have a rich history of workers’ institutes and nonconformist churches.

“English jostled alongside the Welsh language. Today, this region is where almost three-quarters of the Welsh population lives.”

Meanwhile Plaid Cymru “takes votes from an electorate that feels very Welsh and not at all British. For the Tories, the opposite holds.”

“In 1997, Wales voted for devolution by a margin of 50.3%, one of the narrowest victories in British electoral history,” the article says.

“Remarkably, Welsh Labour has been able to straddle – and even close – this divide. It is a lesson the party elsewhere in Britain should learn from.”

The article proceeds an expected Labour resurgence in Thursday’s local elections, in which the party is expected to bounce back from a low ebb when councils were last contested in 2017.

The party will be looking to make inroads in Carmarthenshire, win back Blaenau Gwent from a group of independents, hold off a Plaid Cymru/Green alliance in Cardiff and establish electoral control over the Conservatives in Flintshire after the collapse of the ‘red wall’ in 2019.


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Dave
Dave
2 years ago

Seeing it off????? embracing it more like #Labour4IndyWales

Phil Jones
Phil Jones
2 years ago

When Welsh Labour voters see how rigid Starmer is as regards co-operating with other parties they may regret their blind adherence to Labour. Unless Starmer can capture moat of the Scottish seats Labour will never form a government in Westminster. A vote for the present Labour party (and Welsh Labour is controlled by Westminster Labour) is a vote for a perpetual Tory government.

Dave
Dave
2 years ago
Reply to  Phil Jones

Sorry Phil but you are wrong with that assertion, the biggest problem Welsh Labour has is with the right wing within Plaid. #IndyWales

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
2 years ago

are they talking about the brit nats?

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
2 years ago

Far from “seeing off nationalism” in Cymru, the WG has entered a co-operation agreement with them. Wishful thinking by The Guardian.

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago
Reply to  Wrexhamian

As always! They have zero understanding of Welsh politics and often even fail to understand that the socialist and nationalist-lite politics of Welsh Labour would never be accepted in England.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

Funny paper the Guardian, never quite sure where they stand…

Cat
Cat
2 years ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Usually with the Lib Dems

Philip Jones
Philip Jones
2 years ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Always for the union.

Cat
Cat
2 years ago

Usual drivel from the Guardian. An ill informed and anglo-centric view. The paper has no understanding of the fact that the support for independence is strong in Welsh Labour and growing. Not sure many in Labour in Wales even see Starmer as their leader.

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago
Reply to  Cat

He is apparently not well liked, even within the upper echelons of Welsh Labour.

R W
R W
2 years ago

The London media will continue to make these ridiculous assumptions as long as a significant chunk of pro-independence voters in Wales continue to vote for unionist parties. Actions have consequences!!

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

So according to the Guardian Welsh Nationalism is bad but British good. Oh sure, tell that to the numerous countries who stared down the barrell of a gun during the days of the British Empire where half the world was turned not pink but red with the blood of many.

What the Guardian prefers is a timid Taffy that only speaks when spoken too. Wishful thinking. It’s rhetoric that’s not going to stop Scotland from becoming independent or the eventual break-up of this false United Kingdom.

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

Had Michael Collins and Mahatma Gandhi been alive today, they’d probably have been labelled “divisive” and “nationalists” by the Guardian.

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
2 years ago

Even though they are working with Plaid?

Llinos
Llinos
2 years ago

Well this is clearly not true. The Britnats are still around stinking up the place

Hywel
Hywel
2 years ago

“political status quo extolled in guardian shocker”

Last edited 2 years ago by Hywel
Ann
Ann
2 years ago

“The article proceeds an expected Labour resurgence in”

Do you mean ‘precedes’? This sentence doesn’t make sense otherwise!

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

Ignore the Guardian comments it’s just not worth it. However, I do think the independence movement isn’t moving forward at the moment and needs a boost. Plaid has an electoral base but other organisations, in particular, YesCymru have the heart {even though it’s stuttered recently with its internal conflict). All the independence movements in Cymru need to work together – it is the only way. Divided we fail. There is a solid base to work with, so let’s work on building it.

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago
Reply to  Steve Duggan

The support is there, but it needs coordinating.

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago

The Guardian piece was a clueless article written by a UK Labour adherent with no idea of Welsh politics on the ground. Their patronising, idealistic and outdated description of the Valleys was cringeworthy at best, and they clearly do not understand that the politics of Labour in Wales (the South in particular) are very different from those in England – the contrasting fortunes of UK and Welsh Labour in their respective heartlands demonstrates that. Also, the author’s praise for Welsh Labour belies the fact that in their strongholds, turnout is lowest and consistently below 50%, and sometimes only reaching as… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by SundanceKid

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