News / Politics

Saving the Welsh language: too little too late?

Tuesday, 02 July 2019 1:20 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 02 July 2019 1:21 PM ]

Welsh language activists feel alienated by unhelpful British government policies towards the Welsh language and customs

The British government’s reported plan for a million Welsh speakers by 2050 has predictably failed to excite the Welsh people, as demonstrated by their attitudes on social media.

Announcing the plan on Monday, David Lidington, Britain’s de-facto deputy prime minister, claimed that the Welsh language is one of the UK’s “great inheritances”. Lindington’s sudden fondness for the Welsh language contrasts sharply with the Tory party’s traditional disdain for Welsh language and customs.

Cultural specialists and anthropologists have often pointed out that successive British governments have consistently sidelined the Welsh language, to the extent that people find it hard to believe that the British state is committed to preserving it.

They argue that the same can be said of the Welsh culture in general which has been neglected for decades – if not centuries – as part of the British state’s policy of Anglicising the entire country with a view to establishing cultural and linguistic homogeneity.

This exclusionary linguistic-cultural policy has wreaked devastation in Wales. According to the 2011 British census there are only 562,000 native Welsh speakers. This pales in comparison to the overall Welsh population of just over 3.1 million.

In view of this cultural policy, many people – notably Welsh language enthusiasts active on social media – now find it hard to believe the British government’s words at face value.

Whitehalls’s position comes into even sharper focus on account of the timing of Lidington’s announcement. The announcement coincides with the 20^th anniversary of Welsh devolution and the creation of the National Assembly for Wales which replaced the old Welsh Office.

The 20^th anniversary of Welsh devolution is an inspirational moment for Welsh nationalists and supporters of the Welsh language and customs more broadly.

The timing will inevitably fuel speculation that the British government’s announcement is the latest ploy to contain Welsh nationalism and to derail plans for eventual Welsh independence.

Latest opinion polling indicates a growth in support for Welsh independence. A YouGov poll indicates that 14 percent of respondents are “strongly” supportive of independence. Overall up to 30 percent of respondents are supportive of independence to varying degrees.

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