Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Welsh Parliament name only ‘transitional’ says Carwyn as Welsh Government votes against ‘Senedd’

13 Nov 2019 2 minute read
The former First Minister Carwyn Jones. Picture by The National Assembly (CC BY 2.0).

Former First Minister Carwyn Jones has pledged that the use of both Welsh Parliament and Senedd to describe Wales’ legislature will be a “transitional stage”.

A proposal under the name of Plaid Cymru AM Rhun ap Iorwerth, to adopt the name Senedd Cymru alone was defeated by 39 votes to 16.

This was despite a YouGov opinion poll this morning showing that by 56% to 35% the people of Wales favoured the Welsh-only name ‘Senedd’.

Despite 59% of Labour supporters and 48% of Conservative supporters backing ‘Senedd’, both the Labour and Conservative Parties voted against the motion.

The proposal for a bilingual name was made by former First Minister Carwyn Jones and voted on in September.

Assembly Members did however back another motion by Carwyn Jones today to be called Members of the Senedd, rather than Members of the Welsh Parliament, when the changes come into force.

 

‘Necessary’

Responding to Jo Maugham QC, who had campaigned for a Welsh-only name, Carwyn Jones said that the bilingual name would be provisional.

“I see this as a transitional stage but I want to make sure the link is there for now,” Carwyn Jones said. “I will call it the Senedd.”

“Doesn’t it feel to you like a hugely modest accommodation to Welsh culture to ask of those living in Wales that they use a word that, because of its relationship to Senate, they’d likely understand anyway?” Jo Maugham QC asked.

“No, I don’t at this stage,” Carwyn Jones replied. “And I say that as a first language Welsh speaker. However, as I said, I believe it’s a necessary transitional description.”

 

 


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
33 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Alison Rose Peters
4 years ago

One word is Ba—stards.. ! Betrayal. Shame on You Carwyn.. transitional to what exactly ? well i shant be voting labour this time…

Matthew Nobles
Matthew Nobles
4 years ago

I don’t agree about the two names but isn’t your response rather drastic??

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago

Why has this made you so angry?

Simon Gruffydd
Simon Gruffydd
4 years ago

How our political establishment, including Plaid Cymru, has clearly demonstrated in their reaction to the Brexit referendum, it is no longer the role of our elected representatives to represent the majority, just the minority they prefer. Hurts, doesn’t it?

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
4 years ago
Reply to  Simon Gruffydd

Your eagerness to mount another right wing attack on plaid cymru seems to have once again obscured your understanding of the facts. Plaid cymru supported calls for it to be called ‘senedd’ – a position supported by nearly two thirds of the Welsh population

jr humphrys
jr humphrys
4 years ago
Reply to  Simon Gruffydd

After Brexit, it’ll be worse than Brexit; if Brexit happens, the growing majority now for Remain.
Other countries are clamouring to get into the European Union, yet you guys think you can make deals with such as China? Even Tsi must be cracking a smile at that!

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago
Reply to  jr humphrys

As an independent nation wales could do fantastic trade deals with its new allies North Korea and Iran.

David Smith
David Smith
4 years ago

Shameful from our so called Welsh AMs, but then they are AMs for London centric, English political parties….

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago
Reply to  David Smith

”so called AM’s” why say something as silly as that ? they are AM’s end of

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago
Reply to  Hethin Bennett

To those who think people are overreacting to this vote, this issue isn’t gloss, it’s important. We expected no less from Conservative Senedd Members and their allies, but ‘Welsh’ Labour will have seen the results of the YouGov poll. What are they afraid of? Or is Labour HQ working them remotely?

Most anglophone Welsh people are favourably disposed to the Welsh language, and many regret the fact that they were denied the chance to learn it when children. Many are doing something about that now. Using the name ‘Senedd’ wouldn’t traumatise them. Get real, Carwyn.

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago

The welsh language will only survive with the consent of the English speaking majority, some are trying to push their luck.

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago
Reply to  Hethin Bennett

To those who think that people are overreacting. This issue isn’t gloss, it’s important. We expected no less from the Conservatives, UKIP, and the Brexit Party, but the ‘Welsh’ Labour vote speaks volumes about their mindset. What were they afraid of? They’ve seen the YouGov poll and its reflecting of majority opinion across the country. Or is Labour HQ working them remotely? I think you’ll find that the use of the term ‘Senedd’ will now increase, irrespective of Carwyn Jones’s ‘transistional period’.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
4 years ago
Reply to  Hethin Bennett

The ‘english speaking majority’ already call it the Senedd and are happy to do so

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago
Reply to  Leigh Richards

Everyone I know call it an assembly usually after a word beginning with F

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago
Reply to  Hethin Bennett

That’s because they get their knowledge of their own country from a London-based media.

jr humphrys
jr humphrys
4 years ago

Senedd it is , then.

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
4 years ago

Why all the shock & horror ? Most of you would have guessed that the Unionist herd from all parties would have engaged in their customary trampling over the Welsh language. CJ claims to be a Welsh speaker, well he is of sorts but it’s quite pathetic for an allegedly educated and literate man as he stumbles along with his pidgin Wenglish sticking cannibalised English into his mumbling Welsh . Very bad advert for Wales, no wonder he cut such a dull image with politicians in London and the EU.

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago
Reply to  Huw Davies

CJ does speak Welsh why attack one of your own? this reveals the elitism within the welsh language lobby

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago
Reply to  Hethin Bennett

Yes, he was wrong to promote the bilingual name for a country’s national parliament, but his Welsh is quite good. Hogyn drwg, Huw!

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
4 years ago
Reply to  Rhosddu

Look ,or listen, a touch more closely and you will see what I am seeing. No reason or excuse at all for his poor use of Welsh. If his use of English was as poor he’d be condemned so why accept a second best for use of Welsh ? Hethin , I don’t belong to any “lobby” or any “elite”, so get some accuracy into your own comments.

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago
Reply to  Huw Davies

You sound exactly like the purists I had to put up with when I tried learning the language, I gave up life is too short to learn a moribund lingo

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
4 years ago
Reply to  Hethin Bennett

You sound like one of those old dummies that had a limited number of prerecorded messages loaded into them. Not much use for anything really.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
4 years ago
Reply to  Hethin Bennett

Yawn…….the anti Welsh language bigot and troll ‘pete’ posting under another fabricated identity

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago
Reply to  Leigh Richards

On the contrary all views are genuine and my own but its easy for you to accuse me of being someone else be the editor only allows views the same as his/her own despite calling it a ”news service by the people of wales for the peopleof wales” also strange how racist or near racist views are allowed to stand but views that oppose welsh nationalism get removed?

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago
Reply to  Hethin Bennett

Only the more offensive of the anti-Welsh diatribes seem to get removed. The site manager seems remarkably (and perhaps rightly) tolerant of troll bigotry and prejudice, in order to allow all shades of opinion. This isn’t an echo-chamber.

There is the occasional over-the-top verbal reaction to settler attitudes and behaviour in Cymru on this forum, but certainly nothing ‘racist’. By all means, pretend that the more bigoted among colonisers are the victims, but I’m sure you know it’s not fooling anyone.

Keith Parry
Keith Parry
4 years ago

Vote Unionist you get Carwyn Jones as above, Ken Skates spend thousands on “Iron Rings” to celebrate the occupation of our country , Carns ” Secretary of State for Bristol” and ‘Green Party of England’ close down Cardiff Airport.
MAKE SURE YOU VOTE FOR PRO-INDEPENDENCE CANDIDATES ON 12 DECEMBER!

Hethin Bennett
Hethin Bennett
4 years ago
Reply to  Keith Parry

How did you become a councilor it must have been an uncontested seat?

Walter Hunt
Walter Hunt
4 years ago

A Welsh-only name, “Carwyn”, doesn’t seem to have been problematic so far in his career. Interesting that he now insists on a bilingual name for the institution that gave him that career.

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
4 years ago

In Carwyn’s defence I would suggest the ‘transitional’ name is but ‘one small step’ from the complete rename to Senedd. Once the AMs become Members of the Senedd then I am sure Senedd will become as natural a word, even for those London based media people, to use as the Irish Dail. Even Sky News political presenters probably know a T.D. is an Irish MP or some such person. I wonder what abreviation will be adopted. We already have AS for MP so perhaps AYS Aelod Y Senedd or ASC Aelod Senedd Cymru? We could have riveting new late night… Read more »

Jayne
Jayne
4 years ago

Wen it’s clear that the majority are against it yet again we have those in power that don’t listen and do whatever they want. When can we got back control form these self serving parasites. Wasting money we can ill afford on unnecessary name changes. A further degrading of the Welsh language is more the transitional process going on here.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
4 years ago

If the English and Welsh name is ‘only transitional’ what’s the effing point of it?.

Gaynor
Gaynor
4 years ago

Think Ireland, hardly anybody speaks Irish but everybody can say Tsaioch, Dail, Sinn Fein, Fianna Foil ( excuse spelling) and even the Brit media manage it. Sums our political class up, 2nd rate stooges.

Ben Angwin
Ben Angwin
4 years ago

Aelodau o’r Senedd / Members of Senedd

That’s a good conciliatory gesture of compromise which suggests Senedd will be its name in the future.

I’m disappointed it’s not just Senedd, but the seeds are laid for it to be so later, which I can live with. We must keep pushing.

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.