[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference tallis::celt

Title:Celt Notefile
Moderator:TALLIS::DARCY
Created:Wed Feb 19 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1632
Total number of notes:20523

513.0. "Plaid gains support in Wales" by VOGON::WALTERS () Fri Feb 24 1989 06:21

    Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Nationalist Party increased it's share of the
    vote in yesterday's bye-election at Pontypridd. The increase pushed the
    Tories into a poor third place, but even they did better than the two
    "democrats" who lost their deposits. 
    
    Even so, Plaid only took approx 9000 votes while Labour took over
    20,000  (exact results will be posted later.) to retain the seat,
    reflecting the current dissatisfaction with the performance of
    the Tory government.
    
    Plaid have good support in the rural North and West of Wales but are
    now showing that they can be considered in the industrial south.
    Following on from the Scotish Nationalist Party's gains, this news
    supports the tendency of a move towards nationalism in Wales and
    Scotland and reopens the possibility of devolved governments for the
    regions. 
    
    Pontypridd is situated in one of the most depressed areas of Wales,
    suffering from high unemployment (17% in parts) and a lack of
    investment from the present government.  In a cynical attempt to gain
    more votes the Tory party announced recently that they would be funding
    the siting of a large industrial development at Caerphilly (approx 14
    miles from Pontypridd).
    
     
    
      
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
513.1AYOU46::D_HUNTERThis is my Personal_name!Fri Feb 24 1989 07:3816
    
    Hey, Mr. Walters. How do you call industrial investment cynical.
    It is not the Tory government who is funding this, it is you the
    taxpayer. As I am a taxpayer as well and viewing your attitude
    I would rather have the money spent in Scotland instead. I'm
    certain that any of the Welsh unemployed who get a long term
    job from such an investment will not share your cynicism. They
    will still vote Labour and that will be their right.
    
    Incidently, voting Socialist in Scotland and Wales will only
    continue to return a Conservative government due to the over-
    whelming Tory vote South of the Border. Voting SNP or Plaid
    Cymru is a different story all together.
    
    Don H.
    
513.2Overwhelming?VOGON::WALTERSSat Feb 25 1989 08:5317
    I didn't say industrial investment was cynical. I said that the
    announcement, coming one day before the election, was a cynical
    exercise.   The local coal mining industry in Bedwas was closed over a
    year ago with a loss of 1000 jobs.  Investment would have been better
    timed then. 
    
    I welcome any regional investment in any of the deprived regions,
    including those in England.
    
    The massive drop in their majority in a formerly staunch Tory
    seat (19000 to 3000) announced the following day seems to indicate
    to me that even the English can get a bit fed up of Tory cynicism...
    
    ;-)
    
    Colin
    
513.3Nationalist bomb campaignVOGON::WALTERSThu Mar 02 1989 09:5122
    
    More nationalist activity, extracted from UK News reports:
    
    `An army bomb disposal team made safe a bomb found in a N Wales shop.
    A sign nearby identified the Welsh extremist group "Sons of Glyndwr".'
    
    This group has become more active recently, picking up the mantle
    of the "Free Wales Army" which ceased its bombing campaign in the
    1970's.  This is the third incident that they have been involved
    in this year - the previous consisting of incendiary attacks on
    property in Wales owned by absentee landlords.  The attacks tend
    to be under-reported in the UK press as they have never resulted
    in a death.  I have not seen any published manifesto and they are
    not associated with any political organisations, but their aims
    would seem to be political separation from the UK.
    
    Can any other readers add any info?
    
    C.
    
    
    
513.4Pleidiol Wyf I'm GwladCOMICS::HWILLIAMSWed Apr 19 1989 15:1724
    Re: -1
    
    "Meibion Glyndwr" as they are known in welsh are an extremist group.
      They derive their name from Owain Glyndwr the last prince of wales,
    who died around 1410 AD.  Glyndwr was a prince in a conquering sense
    in that he didnt inherit the title but was proclaimed prince by
    the people and the english monarch (although Glyndwr was to fall
    out with the monarchy later on). 
    
      The Last "true" prince of wales was LLywelyn who died in battle
    at CILMERI (in south wales) in 1282 AD.
    
    As far as I can gather the short term aims of the group are to try
    and force some form of restrictions on the local housing market
    so that local families can have affordable housing (thereby keeping
    intact welsh communities) and prevent more affluent Non-welsh people
    from pricing them out of the market.
    
    As for its long term aims I assume its similar to all other welsh
    organisations, in that it strives for true independance.
     Correct me if I'm wrong but I've not yet heard of a Welsh Unionist
    Party!.
    
    Huw.
513.5then there were threeVOGON::WALTERSFri Apr 21 1989 08:443
    Bloody hell!  There IS another Welshman in DEC.
    
    S'ydych chi butty.
513.6Welsh-AmericanRAVEN1::WATKINSMon May 06 1991 22:593
    Althought I will be leaving in June, I am a Welsh-American.
    
                            Marshall Watkins