Mair Williams's blog

When Anglophone bigotry raised its ugly head at Swinton Insurance Company they were quite correctly slammed by the Welsh Language Commissioner. As reported in the Welsh newspaper the Daily Post “A major insurance company interfered with an individual's freedom to use Welsh, the Language Commissioner ruled.

The Elections for the European Parliament taking place across Europe at this time certainly does bring some strange characters crawling out of the woodwork. None more so that the highly unrepresentative Christian Party of Wales. The leader of this Party has been raving about the ancient symbol of Wales, the Red Dragon which is on the Welsh Flag. Hold your breath and read this rant from Party leader the Rev George Hargreaves as reported in the Huffington Post:

This is the very symbol of the devil described in the Book of Revelation 12:3. This is nothing less than the sign of Satan, the devil, Lucifer, that ancient serpent who deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales) MEP Jill Evans has called for a Europe wide ban on the use of Zero-hours contracts. A Zero hours contract is a contract of employment that allows employers to assert that they have no obligation to provide work for an employee but that the employee agree to be available for work as and when required. For the majority of the working population such an arrangement means that those with ongoing financial commitments and a family to support face unpredictable hours and earnings.

Three Welsh language activists have been arrested this morning 12 May 2014. As reported in the Welsh Daily Post newspaper the two women and one man belong to Cymdeithas yr Iaith who are campaigning on the issue of the lack of support for the Welsh language by the Labour-led Welsh Government:

“Three campaigners have spray painted the Welsh Government offices in Aberystwyth this morning in a language protest about an alleged lack of support for the Welsh language.

The Urdd Eisteddfod is a unique event being the first Eisteddfod to be dedicated to children and young people. Founded in 1929 it had the aim of protecting the Welsh language at a time when English influences were growing. The Urdd Eisteddfod is held in north and south Wales on alternate years and in 2014 the event is being held in Bala in Gwynedd. Welsh speakers, learners and non-Welsh speakers are all welcome to attend the Eisteddfod. There is a translating service available, free of charge.

As reported in Welsh newspaper the Daily Post Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board were forced to apologise following insulting behaviour by a Doctor towards two Welsh speaking patients. The incident happened last Tuesday when a mother and daughter went to the emergency department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan. As the mother was talking to her daughter in Welsh it is claimed that the Doctor told them she would take it as a “personal insult” if they continued speaking in their own language.