The dragon politely asked and signed another petition

Stephen Price

Another year, another call for Saint David’s Day to become a bank holiday. Only this year, the calls feel very different.

Against a backdrop of rising anger over the Crown Estate’s vast profiteering in Wales while our buckling councils pay (our money) for us to access (our) land, an ongoing cost of living crisis and growing dissatisfaction with the Labour Government, a cheeky little day off might have been an easy win, a good bit of PR.

Quite naturally you’d have expected a little more fair play with Labour holding power both in Wales and in Westminster, but that would destroy the illusion of there being two separate parties wouldn’t it?

For Keir Starmer, no doubt, England means England and Wales.

Joined at the hip, Taffy needs just the right amount of appeasing.

Starmer’s creepy fixation with the Union Jack is reaching a level unseen in any politician of recent times.

It’s there left right and centre in every staged photo opportunity, and you can bet your bottom dollar his matching socks and Y Fronts (which he no doubt had for free) are exclusively red white and blue.

Besides giving flag making factories the best year since the Coronation, one of his first moves was to insultingly position English regions on a par with actual nations.

Did anyone from ‘Welsh Labour’ complain about the demotion? Or did they get free undies too?

Bunk holiday

The issue of disparity between the devolved nations and growing dissatisfaction with the Crown Estate seems to be one that isn’t going away as it once did, however.

Spurred on by the green energy gold-rush, along with scrutiny over the large swathes of land (and their profits) owned by the English monarchy, calls are being repeated for Wales to receive the same control over the Crown Estate that Scotland has.

Calls that have seen the vast majority of councils in Wales coming out in support of devolution of the vast estate.

While we might tap at keys and stir the pot, Gwynedd Council have put their words into action and petitioned the Labour Government for St David’s Day to become a bank holiday, in line with Scotland’s ‘extra’ bank holiday for St Andrew’s day.

England and Wales currently have eight bank holidays a year while Scotland has nine and Northern Ireland has 10.

The Scottish Parliament made St Andrew’s Day a bank holiday in 2006 by passing the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act.

St Patrick’s Day has been considered a bank holiday in Ireland since 1903.

Boiled down to its essence, a Welsh person holding the same role for the same company as their colleagues in Scotland or Northern Ireland is working for less money each year, spends less time with their family each year, has less time to spend taking care of their mental and physical health each year.

Is that fair?

Is that respectful to our nation and culture?

The UK Government’s Business and Trade Department said that such a move would be too expensive.

Labour MP Justin Madders said in his letter to councillors: “While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday is considerable.

“The UK Government has no current plans to change the well-established and accepted pattern of bank holidays in Wales.”

“Imitation, not devolution”

Gwynedd Council’s Chair, Beca Roberts, has written to First Minister Eluned Morgan on the matter of a St David’s Day holiday – but has yet to receive a response.

The Plaid Cymru Councillor for Tregarth and Mynydd Llandygai said: “I am extremely disappointed that the Labour party in Cardiff supported Cyngor Gwynedd’s request for a national bank holiday on the first of March back in 2021, yet when the two governments are of the same political background, no response is forthcoming from Cardiff.

“We were full of hope to see this matter resolved through Labour’s collaboration in Cardiff and Westminster. We will continue in our endeavours.”

Back in December, Plaid Cymru again called for Wales to be given parity with Scotland on devolved powers.

Rhun ap Iorwerth warned Wales remains the “poor relation” among devolved nations in policy areas ranging from rail, justice and tax to welfare benefits and the Crown estate.

Huw Irranca-Davies raised concerns about a “for Wales, see Scotland”-style approach, maintaining that the Welsh Government’s guiding principle will always be what is in the best interests of the people of Wales.

He said, quite incredibly: “We don’t want to copy and paste the devolution settlement from somewhere else,” adding: “That would actually be imitation, not devolution.”

Fast forward to this month, and Welsh Labour MPs have been accused of putting ‘party before country’ after voting down an amendment to the Crown Estate Bill which would have brought Welsh powers over natural resources in line with Scotland –  in direct contradiction to Welsh Labour Government policy.

The amendment, tabled by Plaid Cymru’s Energy spokesperson, Llinos Medi MP, called on the UK Treasury to transfer the management of the Crown Estate to the Welsh Government within two years after the commencement of the Act.

Speaking after the debate, Llinos Medi said: “Today provided Welsh Labour MPs with a real opportunity to put country before party by voting in favour of my amendment to ensure that wealth generated in Wales is kept in our communities to benefit our people. It is deeply disappointing that they failed to stand up for the interests of the people of Wales.

“This is particularly puzzling given that the Welsh Labour Government has repeatedly voiced support for transferring powers over natural resources to Wales. We are yet to see the benefits of the so-called ‘partnership in power’ between the UK Labour Government and the Welsh Labour Government, particularly when they continue to undermine each other on such key issues. A real ‘partnership in power’ would prioritise the people of Wales.”

The dragon snores

With Labour in control where it actually seems to matter, the veil has been lifted from Welsh voters’ eyes.

Last week, I congratulated the Senedd on the groundbreaking, wonderful position taken on greyhound racing in Wales. I held back from having a go at their blinkers when it comes to driven grouse shooting, wildlife persecution, puppy farms, factory farms, horse racing (yes, let’s not be hypocrites) and the like to just concentrate on the good, but it feels good to let that out. Phew. Where was I? Oh yes…

I wrote: “If there’s one defining thing about the Welsh, all cliches, all differences, all backgrounds and divisions aside, I feel the term ‘chwarae teg’ sums up our nation, our people, and our current leaders at the Senedd, however tempting it is for us all to focus on the negatives, to go for the ankles.

“Throughout all our most defining historical moments – I’m sure I don’t need to list them – a simple call for ‘chwarae teg’ lies at our nation’s very heart”

Meaning, quite simply, ‘fair play’, this is the fundamental, growing and urgent lifeblood behind the calls, the petitions, and now the anger.

The bubbling will boil over before long, and just as we saw with Brexit, the Welsh public will enact self harm if given no other choice.

What have we got to lose if we keep being condescended? If we keep being told that we don’t know what’s best for ourselves, and that’s just how it is.

The mud slung at the Reform Party looks not too dissimilar to mud we might sling at any of the two main parties shuffling chairs every few years.

“Yes but they aren’t the kindest to brown folk,” say those who look the other way at our homegrown bomb factories and support for genocidal war and land grabs.

“But they’re all millionaires and in it for themselves…” I know but so is…

“Yeah, but, no, but, they’re not Welsh!!!” Nor is Sir Keir, my love…

Brexit might go down as one of the greatest acts of self harm known to any country in modern times, but decades of condescension and being told ‘we know better’ would make the most sane person hold out an appendage and reach for the trigger.

It might not be what those who know best want to be told, but Trump and Farage succeed because they are listening. And they’re listening very carefully indeed.

Wales was taken by force, by blood, and by English might. Not through a friendly petition, through goodwill, or the grace of God.

We need to accept that in order to get what we want, sometimes we need to demand and to burn down the house (metaphorically before anyone writes in).

People are tired of politics speak, playing nice without reciprocity and a business-as-usual approach when we can all see with our own eyes that things are looking more than a little tits-up out there at the moment.

We want tables overturned, brave and bold leadership and change. Perhaps at any cost.

And if ‘the good guys’ don’t start listening, you can guarantee we will all aim the trigger at our feet once more.

At least, momentarily, it might feel like we’re in control.