Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/r...-name_page.html Property Act Called For - "One of the main elements of the crisis facing our communities is the constant inability of local people to gain access to the housing market." Mr Lewis repeated the Cymdeithas call for a property act for Wales. Cymdeithas members have been collecting signatures on a petition calling for legislation, which will be presented to the Welsh Assembly Government later this week, when AMs discuss the question of affordable housing. Earlier this month, Cymdeithas vowed to step up their campaign of "direct action," demanding stronger legislation to protect the language. First Minister Rhodri Morgan, who was the target of protests by Cymdeithas at the National Eisteddfod in August, has warned against "bullying tactics." Mr Morgan told protesters that they would have to "learn the hard way" that such demonstrations would not influence his opinions." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyswizz Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Surely this would be illegal under european law? All that no borders, no restriction to movement, employment etc. A member state can't prevent other europeans freely buying property there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Haven't some places in england made rules that only locals can buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too expensive to trade up Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Haven't some places in england made rules that only locals can buy? In the Yorkshire Dales a proportion of any new build property has to go to locals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Given all the HIGHLY PAID QUANGO jobs in Wales for Welsh speakers I am amazed that there are any poor Welsh speakers left!? All the ones I know work for the BBC or for the Welsh Assembly and are on VERY GOOD salaries indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuyingBear Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Given all the HIGHLY PAID QUANGO jobs in Wales for Welsh speakers I am amazed that there are any poor Welsh speakers left!? All the ones I know work for the BBC or for the Welsh Assembly and are on VERY GOOD salaries indeed. Nothing like dragging up old grievances to get the plebs engaged, fetch my torch dear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Personally, I think most Welsh speakers were not happy even if they owned all the money in the World. They would find something to whinge about - probably why Kangaroos do not hop in Welsh or why igloos are not made out of Welsh-speaking ice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Posted October 31, 2005 Author Share Posted October 31, 2005 It's true that Welsh speakers do very well out of the public sector, quangos, etc., but rural Welsh speakers who don't wish to leave rural areas / less educated Welsh speakers, don't do particularly well in my experience. There is a strong Welsh speaking middle class these days, but not all Welsh speakers are members! There is a certain level of anger that's been chanelled into Cymuned, Cymdeithas, etc., but I sense a mounting sense of frustration, and even anger, over the lack of affordable housing in rural areas in the Welsh heartland - Y Fro Cymraeg. I'll be interested to see how things develop.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 They won't develop because that Tafia Middle Class you mention will ensure it does not happen - they wish to continue to earn their vast salaries. You often find entire Welsh speaking families working in the same organisation. The reality is is that the English speaking Welsh should be the ones up in arms not the Welsh speakers. An English speaker living in rural Wales is pretty well stuffed. A Welsh speaker can always ring up his Mum or Dad... or other close relative and ask to get one of those very well paying QUANGO jobs. I believe they are close, after several years, of coming up with the Welsh for 'Nan bread'. They love it in the Valleys - Sky that is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Posted October 31, 2005 Author Share Posted October 31, 2005 There is definitely positive discrimination in favour of Welsh speakers. I saw a survey of the language in Cardiff recently - the poorer the area, the fewer the Welsh speakers - as soon as you hit wealthy areas, like Pontcanna and Llandaf, the numbers of Welsh speakers rocketed! I remember Gwyn Alf Williams writing that his mother, a Welsh speaker, didn't speak Welsh when shopping in Cardiff when she was young - it was looked down upon. However, when she was older, his mother spoke Welsh when shopping in Cardiff as it was seen as a positive thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karhu Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 "One of the main elements of the crisis facing our communities is the constant inability of local people to gain access to the housing market." Increase taxes for empty properties or second homes. That should bring them back into circulation. K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalista Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Surely this would be illegal under european law? All that no borders, no restriction to movement, employment etc. A member state can't prevent other europeans freely buying property there? Correct. So if the Welsh Assembly enacted a law that prevented non-UK EU citizens from moving to Wales it could be challenged at the European level. However, the European law does not prevent Wales from discriminating amongst people within the UK! There was a similar question when the Scottish parliament moved to pay the tuition fees for Scottish students at Scottish unis, but not the fees for students from the rest of the UK. So as not to fall foul of European law, they also had to pay the fees of non-UK EU citizens. So if you came from the Republic of Ireland for example, you got your fees paid, but not if you were from Northern Ireland! frugalista Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgeingBabyBoomer Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Rather than attacking holiday homes - which is self-defeating, as it renders them uninhabitable by bith rich an dpoor alike, why don't they attack the real cause of the problem - that is the estate agents that market them at prices grossly larger than 3.5 times the average local salary.? I feel this could even have a piositive effec ton anglo-welsh relationshiops Few would be outraged at the sight of a burned out Estate Agents offices. ABB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verolution Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 (edited) I read somewhere Wales has a lower GDP than Slovenia and 60% of the population are employed by the state ! Edited October 31, 2005 by mescalinemonkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Posted October 31, 2005 Author Share Posted October 31, 2005 Estate agents were attacked in the 80s - I remember a 'what to do' plan giving instructions on what to do if someone came around to cause us problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 I read somewhere Wales has a lower GDP than Slovenia and 60% of the population are employed by the state ! Yes - and I put much of this blame on the introverted Welsh language obssessed 'families' that run Wales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I siarad Cymraeg neu beidio (to speak Welsh or not)? - that is the question.To which the answer appears to be - why bother? At least members of the Wales Theatre Company could be forgiven for reaching that conclusion, following their recent performance of Hamlet at Swansea's Grand Theatre. The company spent five weeks putting together what was believed to be a theatrical first, by performing two different performances of The Prince of Denmark back to back - one in English and the other in Welsh. The project was especially commissioned by the Arts Council for Wales, and directed by award-winner Michael Bogdanov. The first performances were even delayed for a few days while actors came to terms with the Welsh language version of William Shakespeare's script. Yet despite their considerable efforts, it has now emerged the matinee performance managed to attract just under 30 people and most of those are believed to have been complimentary tickets. Odd really, when you consider that the open air performances of Shakespeare in Oystermoutn Castle during the Summer are often over-flowing. Maybe that is because they are in a language that the majority of Welsh people actually speak and understand - English! Full story: http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/displayN...&folderPk=88499 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
right_freds_dead Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 i have to laugh about the welsh natural language. its more complicated than english and i dont why they would want to continue with it. its like scottish people insisting on speaking gailic. - no one needs it. the world is getting smaller and more uniform. why branch out with an old language and isolate yourselves ? dont get it ? tradition is good, but to insist on it, thats expensive and bad. all the signs are writted twice. the poll tax bills must be massive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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