Thursday 4 December 2008

Language Commissioner Tory Proposals Voted Down

The Conservatives have failed to pass an LCO to introduce a Language Commissioner for Wales.

What does this mean?

Well, for one, it means that Plaid have rejected a proposal that could have seen someone appointed for the specific purpose of promoting Welsh languages (it’s that second “s” I think that they probably objected to).

But more than that, it seems to confirm what Alun Cairns told the Western Mail a couple of days ago; the One Wales government so often vote down opposition proposals merely because they are opposition proposals.

Liberal Democrat Peter Black has also spoken out, he said:

“It’s an embarrassment for this Labour-Plaid Government that an opposition party has had to bring forward legislation on the Welsh language...This is yet another failure of this Labour-Plaid Government to protect and promote the Welsh language.”

The Conservatives issued a press release last night that warned One Wales that the people of Wales risk losing out if they don’t get a move on.

I have to say that despite the arguments for and against this does feel a lot like Plaid cutting their nose off to spite their face…

Dewi Tri

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1 comment:

Sweet and Tender Hooligan said...

I have blogged about this today.

I am not looking to see this as a singular party political issue, ultimately both Labour and Plaid are the reasons this eminently sensible proposal has not been passed. However, my concern stems from the fact that the ‘politics’ involved in the voting down seem to stem from two things, of which I am of course speculating.

Is melding’s measure either very similar? Far weaker or far stronger than what the result of the welsh language LCO will be?

Is this a rich source of making hay out of the fact that the LCO is stuck in parliamentary ether – thereby rendering the current LCO it unsuitable and convoluted?

Just some points that sprung to mind.