Carwyn Jones- a 'consensus' politics advocate or not?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to listen to Carwyn Jones on Taro’r Post regarding his opinions on a New Welsh Language Act (the sound on my computer is not working!) but from what I understand he is opposing a New Welsh Language Act, and his opposition therefore to implementing such an Act as a Minister whose brief includes the Welsh Language and its development.

This news is somewhat confusing, especially if you take the Labour Party’s recent soundings at face value- the need to create consensus politics in Wales which will develop the Assembly for the future. I don’t understand his tactic (if he has a tactic) of making soundings against a New Welsh Language Act so soon. Considering that the Labour Government is a minority Government, one would have thought that it would be in Carwyn’s best interest to keep quiet for now. Speaking against one of Plaid’s main policies is hardly a good start to a positive working relationship!

What is more confusing is that Carwyn Jones (according to the media and political analysis of him) is on the Nationalist wing of the Labour Party. In my humble opinion, it really doesn’t help Carwyn Jones to be pushing for a vote of no confidence in the Government, as it is almost inevitable that the Unionists in his own party will mobilise against him while in opposition for the race to be leader of the Labour Party in Wales. This can’t be an ideal scenario for Carwyn and the like.

In simple terms, it would seem to be imperative for Carwyn Jones to seek to appeal to Plaid Cymru so as to establish himself and his agenda. His opinions against a New Welsh Language Act totally undermine this strategy. Martin Shipton and Vaughan Roderick have noted that Rhodri Morgan’s thinking behind placing Carwyn and Edwina Hart in key positions within the Cabinet was to make it hard for Plaid Cymru to undermine the Government with such ‘Plaid friendly’ faces at the front line.

So what is the importance of this to Welsh politics? If Carwyn Jones and his colleagues continue in this way, consensus politics in Wales between the Labour Party and Plaid will be very hard to implement in the short term, and certainly in the long term. As you know, I did hope that we could come to an agreement with Labour, and that is why I voted not to suspend discussions with them last week.

It’s vital, therefore, that we assess the actions of the Labour Party in the next few weeks to get a clear, holistic idea of the situation. If the Labour party do not play ball, its anyone’s guess as to what will happen next.

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Carwyn Jones- O blaid gwleidyddiaeth 'consenws' ai peidio?

Yn anffodus, dwi ddim wedi clywed y cyfweliad gyda Carwyn Jones ar Taro'r Post am Ddeddf Iaith Newydd (nid yw'r sain ar fy nghyfrifiadur yn gweithio), ond o'r hyn rwy'n deall, mae Carwyn Jones wedi datgan ei fod yn erbyn y cysyniad o Ddeddf Iaith Newydd, ac felly ei fod yn erbyn gweithredu y fath Ddeddf yn y Cynulliad tra bod ef yn Weinidog sydd a phrif gyfrifoldeb dros yr iaith.

Mae'r newydd yma yn benbleth i mi, yn enwedig o ystyried datganiadau diwedddara'r Blaid Lafur am yr angen i hybu gwleidyddiaeth consensws yng Nghymru er mwyn datblygu'r Cynulliad yn y dyfodol. Dydw i ddim yn deall ei dacteg ( os oes ganddo dacteg o gwbl) dros wneud datganiadau mor bendant yn erbyn Deddf Iaith Newydd. O feddwl bod y Llywodraeth Llafur yn un lleiafrifol mi fasa un yn tybio bod Carwyn Jones am gadw'n dawel am gyfnod o leiaf! Tasen i yn 'sgidiau Carwyn Jones, baswn i'n ceisio darganfod ffordd o gymodi polisi'r Blaid Lafur ar yr Iaith gyda polisi Plaid Cymru, ac hynny er mwyn hwyluso'r broses o lywodraethu. Nid siarad yn erbyn un o brif polisiau Plaid Cymru yw'r ffordd gorau o ddatblygu perthynas gref, mae hynny'n sicr!

Beth sydd yn fwy o benblethdod yw bod Carwyn Jones, (yn ol y delwedd sydd ohono yn y wasg ac yn y byd gwleidyddol) yn un sydd ar adain fwy Cenedlaetholgar y Blaid Lafur. Yn fy marn pitw i, nid yw'n helpu Carwyn Jones i wthio'r agenda gwleidyddol tuag at bleidlais diffyg hyder a'r clymblaid enfys oherwydd mae e bron yn anochel y bydd adain Undebol ei blaid ei hun yn gweithredu ras arweinyddol yn ei erbyn os ydynt yn cael ei gwthio i fod yn wrthblaid yn y Cynulliad. Nid yw hynny'n sefyllfa bleserus iawn i Carwyn a'i debyg.

Yn syml felly, mae'n bwysig bod Carwyn Jones yn apelio i Blaid Cymru er mwyn sefydlogi ei huno fewn ei swydd. Mae ei symudiadau diweddaraf yn erbyn Deddf Iaith yn gwrthdaro gyda'r strategaeth hwn yn llwyr. Mae hyd yn oed gohebwyr fel Martin Shipton a Vaughan Roderick wedi nodi mai un o brif penderfyniadau Rhodri Morgan dros benodi Carwyn ac Edwina Hart i'w safleoedd presenol o fewn y Cabinet oedd i greu sefyllfa anodd i Blaid Cymru o ran disodli'r Llywodraeth, gyda'r Gweinidogion ' Plaid friendly' ar flaen y gad.

Felly beth yw pwysigrwydd hwn i ddyfodol gwleidyddiaeth Cymru? Yn fy marn i, os ydyw agwedd Carwyn Jones a'i cyd weithwyr yn parhau, fe fydd gwleidyddiaeth consensws rhwng Llafur a Phlaid Cymru yn anodd iawn i'w weithredu yn tymor byr, ac yn sicr yn yr hir dymor. Roedd gen i obeithion am yr allu i gydweithredu a Llafur fel yr ydych yn gwybod, a dyna i chi'r rheswm am i mi bleidleisio yn erbyn dod a thrafodaethau gyda'r Blaid hynny i ben wythnos yn ol.

Mae'n hanfodol, felly i asesu sut y bydd Llafur yn gweithredu yn yr wythnosau nesaf i gael darlun clir ac holistaidd o'r sefyllfa. Os nad yw'r Blaid Lafur am weithio gyda Plaid Cymru, pwy a wyr beth fydd yn digwydd nesaf.

Deddf Iaith a'r Ceidwadwyr

Hat tip i Guerilla Welsh Fare am y syniad tu ol i'r blog yma. Yn ei blog, mae'n son am y ffaith nad yw'r Toriaid, a oedd gynt yn weithredol dros yr iaith Gymraeg, sef Lisa Francis a Glyn Davies wedi cael eu ail ethol, ac yn awgrymu na fydd y grwp Toriaid newydd yn rhoi'r iaith ar flaen yr agenda gwleidyddol.

Roedd y gwleidyddion uchod yn fwy na rhannol gyfrifol am apel y Toriaid i Genedlaetholwyr adain de, ac am symud blaenoriaethau'r Blaid i ffwrdd o agenda canol y ffordd, cyffyrddus, i'r tasg o 'Gymreigio'r' Toriaid yng Nghymru. Yn sicr, roedd eu gwaith wedi dwyn ffrwyth i raddau helaeth, yn enwedig o ysytyried eu rol o fewn Cymdeithas yr Iaith- eu cefnogaeth i adolygiad o'r Ddeddf Iaith bresenol, a datblygiad addysg Gymraeg. Ond, y cwestiwn mawr yw- a fydd yr adain yma o fewn y Blaid yn parhau nawr bod Lisa Francis a Glyn Davies ill dau ymhell o goridorau pwer Bae Caerdydd, yntau a fydd agenda'r Blaid yn cael ei domiwnyddu gan Cameron o'r swyddfeydd Toriaid yn Llundain?

Felly mi fydd y misoedd nesaf yn gyfnod ddiddorol iawn o ran deall blaenoriathau polisi y grwp Toriaid newydd. Mi fydd yn gyfnod diddorol i aelodau Cymdeithas yr Iaith hefyd, wrth iddynt baratoi eu gwaith o lobio Aelodau Cynulliad i gyflwyno Deddf Iaith Newydd yn rhan o bwerau newydd y Cynulliad, yn ogystal a strategaeth y grwp pwyso wrth fynd at eu gwaith.

Rhaid peidio anghofio chwaith bod natur y Blaid Lafur wedi newid yn awr hefyd. Os fydd ras arweinyddol o fewn y Blaid Lafur yn y misoedd/ blwyddyn nesaf, byddech yn siwr o weld ymgeiswyr o adain Undebol y Blaid hynny, ac o adain mwy Cenedlaetholgar y Blaid Lafur ( Andrew Davies vs Carwyn Jones, tybed?)
Efallai y bydd y ddadl ieithyddol yn rhan ganolog o'r ras hynny. Pwy a wyr?

Cynhadledd Plaid Conference

Rwyf yn mynd i Gaernarfon heno, felly fydda ddim yn gallu blogio tan dydd sul yn anffodus heblaw bod e-cafe rhywle yn agos i'r Galeri yng Nghaernarfon. Rwy'n edrych mlan i'r Gynhadledd gan fydd e'n rhoi hwb ychwanegol i ni ddod nol i'n hardaloedd i ymgyrchu hyd yn oed yn galetach yn arwain at yr etholiad ym mis Mai.

Mae gig heno gyda Brigyn yn y dre a sesiwn trafod ffilm Al Gore ar yr amgylchedd. Rwyf ar banel 'O blaid y Gymraeg' ar brif lawr y Gynhadledd ar y dydd sadwrn yn trafod ein rhwymedigaeth i Ddeddf Iaith Newydd, a statws swyddogol i'r iaith. Mi fydd hi'n drafodaeth ddiddorol, yn sicr.
Mae Cymru X a cwpwl o syniadau cyffroes ar gyfer y Gynhadledd hefyd. Byddech yn darganfod mwy am hynny cyn hir.

Mwynhewch y penwythnos.

I'm off to Caernarfon tonight for our Spring Conference so I don't think I'll be able to blog until sunday unless there's an internet cafe somewhere close to the Galeri in Caernarfon. I'm looking forward to this Conference, if only to come back here with the energy and drive needed to carry on with the positive local campaigning in the run up to the Assembly election.

There is a gig tonight with the band Brigyn in Caernarfon, followed by question and answer session on Al Gore's film on friday. I am taking part in a panel discussion on the Welsh Language at Conference- discussing Plaid's commitment to a New Welsh Language Act, and equal status for the language. I'm sure it will be an interesting debate.
Cymru X have a couple of suprises up our sleaves as well, but you'll find out about them at a later date.

Enjoy the weekend.

Rali Deddf Iaith Gwyddeleg/ Irish Language Act Rally

Gweler isod newyddion o rali a ddigwyddodd penwythnos diwethaf ym Melffast yn gofyn am ddeddf i'r iaith gwyddeleg. Mae'r ymgyrch yn dwysau yng Ngogledd Iwerddon am yr ofyn am Ddeddf Iaith Gwyddeleg. Mae'n adlewyrchu'r ymgyrch yng Nghymru sydd yn galw am Ddeddf Iaith Newydd.

See below news of a rally that took place last weekend in Belfast calling for an Irish Language Act in the North of Ireland. The campaign is intensifying there on calling for a new Act. This reflects the work which campaigners are doing in Wales to call for a New Welsh Language Act.

March for Irish language rights

Thousands of supporters of the Irish language took part in a march through the city centre last weekend demanding equal rights for the language. The rally - the first of its kind - was to highlight the need for the promised Irish Language Act and to oppose unionist attempts to bin it.

During last November's St Andrew's negotiations, political parties agreed to introduce an Irish Language Act that will force the British government to allocate the language proper financial resources. But since then both the DUP and Ulster Unionists have voiced opposition to such a move. The consultation period on proposals for the Act ends on March 2. And to remind the British government of the widespread support for the new legislation, Irish language activists staged a colourful parade through the city centre. The march started at the Culturlann on the Falls Road before ending at Writers' Square.

West Belfast MP Gerry Adams told those gathered that he was confident that there would be an Irish Languge Act.

"The Act has to have at its heart legislative rights for Irish speakers. It needs resources to make this a reality and a commissioner to oversee all of that."

Janet Muller of Irish language umbrella group Pobal described the march and rally as "a really historic occasion".

Ms Muller said Irish speakers are "an integral part of the community and we would like that to be recognised in a strong rights-based Irish language act".

"There is a visibility problem with the Irish-speaking community very often - we tend to be a hidden community - so what we wanted to do was to come out and give people the chance to see how strong the community is, how young it is, how lively and how positive it is."

Ciaran Mac Giolla Bhein, secretary of Na Gaeil oga, said the north's young people were firmly behind the demand for an Irish language act.

"One of the biggest developments in the Irish language movement in the country has been the growth of the Irish-medium sector in education, so you have thousands of people coming through that system and many of them want to be as active as their parents were," he said.

"They see this campaign as an opportunity to get involved in helping bring about legislation which will bring about real, positive change that will benefit young Irish speakers in the future," he said.

Forbairt Feirste Director Jake Mac Siacais, one of the parade organisers, said he was thrilled with the turnout. The march started at the Culturlann on the Falls Road before ending at Writers' Square in the city centre.

"There was upwards of 4,000 people there and everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a real carnival atmosphere and very, very colourful," said Jake.

"We wanted to show the British government the massive support there is for an Irish Language Act."