Monday, October 18, 2010

Over 40% of Wales are "anti-Welsh"?

One of those occasions when you almost feel embarrassed for a senior politician:
A SENIOR Welsh Labour politician has expressed serious concern after a leaflet advocating a No vote in next year’s referendum on more powers for the National Assembly was delivered with Conservative Party literature.

John Griffiths, Counsel General to the Assembly Government and AM for Newport East, said: "This is very disturbing and confirms the split that exists in the Welsh Conservative Party."
*Coughs and clears throat*:
The No leaflet is published by True Wales, the group set up to campaign against more powers for the Assembly.

True Wales’ main spokeswoman is Rachel Banner, a member of Torfaen Labour Party.
Riiight.
"Since the Conservatives took up their seats at the Assembly in 1999, they have tried to get away from their old image as anti-Welsh, to portray themselves as a pro-devolution and pro-Wales party. The fact that Conservatives in Newport have been delivering leaflets of the No campaign together with their own material shows that [Welsh Conservative Assembly leader] Nick Bourne has a problem."
Implying that to vote "No" to next year's campaign is "anti-Welsh"?
That to be "anti-devolution" is anti-Welsh?

Bearing in mind that even the most optimistic (for the arch-devolutionists that is)opinion polls are suggesting 40% plus voting "no", then I'd suggest it is Wales, not the Welsh Conservatives which have the bigger problem- 4/10 of its own population being "anti-Welsh" doesn't seem a healthy situation at all to be in.

7 comments:

Dilettante said...

It's this kind of thing that made me write to Dr Bourne in the first place. 49% of those who voted in the original referendum were against the Assembly and we were the only party to represent them - and now some in the party seem to be trying to make us ashamed of that. I wish the integrationists in the Welsh Conservatives luck.

O'Neill said...

Curses, I left out the sentence which was the whole focus of my post:

"True Wales’ main spokeswoman is Rachel Banner, a member of Torfaen Labour Party."

So, the numpty is arguing not only 40% plus of the electorate, the Conservative party but also a member of Welsh Labour is anti-Welsh!

I hope they collectively keep up the insults because it can only weaken their case.

That's News said...

Actually, quite a lot of Labour policies over the years have been anti-Welsh in outcome if not intent.

Anonymous said...

Dilettante, the Tories kept a low profile in the 1997 devolution campaign for fear of boosting the 'yes' vote. Oh, and they had a slight problem in that they didn't have a single Welsh MP to front up for the Welsh media or in Parliament.

As for the suggestion that John Griffiths is saying that potential 'no' voters are anti-Welsh, what a load of piffle. He's merely goading the Welsh Conservatives on their divisions. A little risky, granted, in view of Welsh Labour's own splits.

Hen Ferchetan said...

"Bearing in mind that even the most optimistic (for the arch-devolutionists that is)opinion polls are suggesting 40% plus voting "no", "

Where the hell do you get your figures from?

All recent polls (YouGov, ICM, Beaufort)- No vote%
26th Jan: 25%
22nd Dec: 30%
28th Nov: 30%
28th Nov: 24%
24th Nov: 29%
22nd Nov: 23%
22nd Nov: 28%
27th Oct: 30%
29th Sep: 32%
28th Jul: 34%

Hen Ferchetan said...

Just noticed how old this post is! Point does remain though as many of those polls were before your post!

Hen Ferchetan said...

A third post in an old thread - I realise how sad that is but just checked and the latest poll I can find that gives the No 40% was in FEBRUARY 2008!!