CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

ATTITUDES HARDEN AS UNREST HITS SEVERAL CELTIC COUNTRIES

The burning of holiday cottages in Cymru/Wales, the spraying of nationalist
graffiti in Mannin/Isle of Man and plans afoot to hold a demonstration in London
by the Cornish; are these actions a coincidence or is this a sign that there is
growing nationalist unrest ahead of next year's general elections and
Alba/Scotland's planned referendum?

In the early hours of Saturday 7th November 2009, the fire service was called to
put out a house fire near Rhosneigr on Anglesey. When fire fighters approached
the burning house they found the smouldering remains of a tractor blocking the
road preventing the fire engines from getting through. Shortly afterwards the
fire service was called to another house fire nearby. Both homes were holiday
cottages and even though North Wales Police said that there was nothing to
suggest that either of the arson attacks were  linked to `Welsh extremism', they
said that they were keeping an `open mind' on the matter, telling holiday home
owners in the area to be vigilant.

In Mannin this month, Manx language slogans were sprayed on roads and signs
along the west of the island, calling for Manx independence. Banners and flags
have also appeared and a Facebook group site has been set up entitled `The Isle
of Man a republic — Mannin Aboo' asking for members to join if they support Manx
independence. The site has so far attracted over 360 members.

In Kernow, a branch meeting of the Celtic League next month will discuss plans
for a `noisy protest' in London, following the publication of a draft UK
government report to the Council of Europe on the Framework Convention for the
Protection of national Minorities, which all but excludes mention of the Cornish
or their language. The noisy protest is planned to ensure that people hear that
the Cornish do exist.

In Mannin, Mec Vannin (Manx nationalist party) founder and Director of
Information for the Celtic League told the `Isle of Man Today' newspaper that
there are a growing number of young people on the island getting involved with
Manx nationalism. However, Mr Moffatt said to the paper that he believed "...in
an upfront approach rather that skulking around daubing paint under the cloak of
darkness." As in Cymru, Mannin also experienced an arson and graffiti campaign
in the 1970's with several activists being jailed. However, in Cymru nobody was
arrested for the arson campaign even though several groups, like Meibion Glyndwr
and Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru, claimed responsibility.

As in Mannin, nationalist graffiti has also appeared recently in Kernow in
October 2009 and made the front covers of the Cornish press when anti student
graffiti was sprayed on the university in Tremough, Penryn  and signed `Cornish
Republican Army (CRA)'. The CRA has been blamed for a variety of nationalist
activity for a number of years, including arson attacks and threats.

It could be that these recent actions are just a part of the ongoing nationalist
struggle against British imperialism in the Celtic countries, but are they the
first bubbles reaching the surface of a slowly boiling pot? Indeed in the 1970's
nationalist graffiti and protests preceded other direct action in all the above
three mentioned Celtic countries.

At the risk of over simplifying the issues involved, there are nevertheless some
distinct similarities between 1970's Britain and today; similarities that
deserve to be taken into consideration, which could also be argued, were a cause
of the underlying tensions that resulted in the overspill of nationalist
sentiment during that period. In the 1970's for instance people were concerned
about the increase of holiday homes in Cymru, Kernow and Mannin in addition to
house prise increases. A slumped economy, dramatic increases in oil prices, an
increasing awareness of civil and human rights among the population, a reduction
in government spending, an unpopular Labour Party government and a general
feeling that communities are under threat from big business and unaffordable new
house builds that are changing the face of our local environments, are all areas
of concern today as they were then.

Of course there are some stark differences too with one of the biggest being
that Cymru now has its own national assembly and a Welsh nationalist party in
government in the country for the first time. Today, a limited number of
political and economic decisions in Wales today can be made in Wales and not in
England. The similarity with Mannin here is that the UK is also changing its
economic ties with the island, as Mr Moffatt says:

"They [UK government] want us to stop hanging on to their coat tails and our
government is acting like a wailing baby wanting its nanny back."

With the new unitary authority in Kernow, some decisions can be made on a whole
Cornwall basis in a way that they could not have been before.

Also, as in 1979, it looks very likely that the Labour Party government is
finished and that the Conservative Party will be elected into the UK government
next year. Whether this will have the consequent disastrous affects for the
Celtic countries as it did during the Thatcher year's, remains to be seen, but
are nationalists thinking this?

The question begs, are we beginning to see a UK and Great Britain beginning to
think of its political future in a way that it hasn't done so before? With the
Conservatives in government after the next general election and David Cameron as
Prime Minister - who incidentally is no Margaret Thatcher – a referendum on
independence in Alba just around the corner, could it be that nationalists in
Cymru, Kernow and Mannin are just waiting expectantly for the union to begin to
fall? As Mr Moffatt says:

"With the growing importance of international agreements and international
groups, not least the European Union, I think it is possible for states to exist
and operate independently."

People today are more aware of this fact than at any other time in recent
history and democratic nationalists across the UK and the British Isles, in
Breizh/Brittany and indeed across Europe will be looking with baited breathe for
the referendum results in Alba. A positive vote for independence in Alba will
mean a boost for the democratic nationalist cause everywhere and nationalists
from the other Celtic countries will be asking, `when does our turn come?' It
may be that the Celtic peoples are already asking themselves this question
already and these recent occurrences are the beginnings of a new political
struggle for independence that has only just begun.

Article compiled for Celtic News by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot General Secretary Celtic
League.

Related article on Celtic News at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/3183


J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

10/12/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

NEW CPT CRITICISMS OF MAGHABERRY PRISON

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture has released its most
recent report on its visit to police stations and prisons in England and
Northern Ireland.

One of the facilities visited was Maghaberry Prison in which a number of Irish
republican prisoners are detained. The prison has often been the centre of
controversy and indeed has been in the news recently following the resignation
of its new Governor.

The CPT criticises medical provision at the prison and also highlights
overcrowding.

It also contains a quite forceful critique of the regime for intimate searches
of prisoners.

The CPT also reports on visits to a number of police stations in N. Ireland/

The full CPT report can be found at:

http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/gbr/2009-30-inf-eng.pdf

(It is also available in HTML on the CPT web pages)

A summary of the CPT visit can be found at:

http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/gbr/2009-12-08-eng.htm

Related items on Maghaberry and the CPT on Celtic News at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2910
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/1460
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/1365
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/1188
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/1047

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

08/12/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

BROADCAST LICENCE UNDER SCRUTINY

The payment of broadcasting licences fees by Manx residents to the United
Kingdom is under examination by a Tynwald Committee.

The issue is finally in the spotlight following growing dissatisfaction with the
service provided from the UK and also takes place against a souring of UK/Manx
relations.

The usual fatuous arguments are being deployed by those who favour the status
quo.

It has been suggested by some that a failure by the UK to transmit via local TV
relays on the Island would lead to a loss of digital services. However, even in
the low power transmission period between now and 2012 most of the Island
receives adequate and fuller service from off Island transmitters.

Many Island residents also receive free to air broadcasts via the Astra (28.2 E)
satellite and these would also be unaffected by any decision to end TV
licensing.

In one startling and uninformed intervention prior to the Committee being set up
one Tynwald member said that for Island residents to access Freesat would be
more costly than the UK licence - a statement so crass as to be unbelievable!

Other red herrings being thrown the committees way include the suggestion that
access to BBC iplayer services would be restricted. However European-based UK
expatriates have been evading so-called territorial restriction on iplayer since
its inception.

The Celtic League has long opposed the levying of UK licences on the Island
suggesting that any licence levied should be retained by the Manx government for
disbursement for broadcast services including domestic radio.

What ever happens with the Committee's deliberations it seems time is finally
being called on the BBC and the Committee must make recommendations which
criticise its current shoddy service.

Meanwhile whilst some voices have been raised in outrage at the thought of Manx
residents receiving UK TV services without paying no one has suggested that the
Irish government should be reimbursed for its TV services (including the new
digital service) which spill into the south and west of Mann from transmitters
in Co. Dublin and Co Louth.

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

08/12/09



The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

CONSULATATION EXTENDED BUT STASI STYLE POWERS FOR MANX POLICE ON THE WAY

The public consultation period for a new Criminal Justice Bill to be introduced
on the Isle of Man has been extended until just before Xmas.

There has already been significant protest about the Bill from a broad spectrum
of society which some believe will give almost `Stasi' like powers to the
Police.

There are concerns that the bill will further erode civil liberties. Police
powers of entry without warrant are to be extended and the retention of personal
details such as fingerprints and DNA will also be allowed.

Figures in the legislature had spoken out about the Bill and in addition some
local authorities aired concerns.

This pressure undoubtedly led to the Islands Department of Home Affairs
extending the consultation period by a paltry few weeks. However the whole
exercise has been somewhat cynical as the Bill, which runs to 279 pages, needs
to be extensively cross-referenced with existing legislative provision if any
so-called consultative submission is to do it justice.

The Isle of Man enjoys comparatively low levels of crime and police public
relations are extremely positive. It is doubtful that new draconian powers of
questionable value will improve this situation and every possibility that a
crass application of the new powers (should they be introduced) will setback
police/community cohesion.

Despite the concerns the DHA will probably press on regardless. In recent years
it has demonstrated an obsession with legislative provision and the latest
consultative charade will produce little amendment if previous practice is
anything to go by.

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

08/12/09



The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

ROADS DAUBED WITH NATIONALIST SLOGANS AS UK /MANX RELATIONS SOUR

In an echo of earlier pro-independence nationalist campaigns graffiti has been
daubed on roads in the west of the Isle of Man.

Local media ascribe the latest outbreak of such sentiment to growing
disenchantment with the United Kingdom over its recent dealings with the Isle of
Man government.

In the past few months the UK government has cancelled a reciprocal health
agreement with the Isle of Man and it has also unilaterally substantially
reduced the share of VAT returns to the Island as part of a VAT sharing
arrangement.

The daubing of roads and signs has generally been the precursor to an upsurge of
nationalist activity. In the 1970s there was a vigorous campaign by Fo Halloo
which went on for several years and at times spilled over into violence.
Similarly in the late 1980s the FSFO campaign saw daubing and arson attacks
which resulted in several activists being jailed.

In the latest manifestation of this type of protest roads were daubed with the
words MANNIN SEYR.

See media report and graphic at:

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/Manx-nationalist-feeling-rising-after.5892185.jp

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

08/12/09



The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

PROTEST AGAINST BASQUE ARRESTS

Following the arrest of 35 young people on 24th November, a mass rally took
place on the 28th November in the Basque city of Bilbo/Bilbao.

Those at the rally were protesting against the arrest and imprisonment of young
people and included a number of politicians from the pro independence political
parties Eusko Alkartasuna and Aralar. The arrests were part of the largest
operation of its kind in recent years in the Basque Country against the pro
independent left and involved over 950 police officers. The young people
arrested were alleged to have been members of the youth group Segi, which was
banned by the Spanish courts in 2007. The Spanish courts said that the decision
to make the arrests stemmed from the seizure of documents following the arrest
of an alleged member of ETA in Paris, France earlier this year.

Whatever the reason for the arrests, it is clear that the new right wing pro
Spanish government in the Basque Country will continue to tighten its own grip
on the human and democratic rights of the Basque people to express themselves
politically. On 26th November 2009, a resolution was passed at the Basque
Parliament in Vitoria-Gasteiz to openly support the Spanish Government's prison
policy of dispersal of political prisoners throughout Spanish territory.

It was the first time in its democratic history that the Basque Parliament has
decided in favour of supporting the Spanish government's prison policy and runs
contrary to other resolutions that have been put forward over the last 14 years.
The resolution followed a request by political party Eusko Alkartasuna in the
Parliament, to stop prisoner dispersal, which runs contrary to international
human rights law.

Link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/celticleaguetv

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

07/12/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

ARROGANT WOOLAS UNMOVED OVER LEAGUE PATAGONIA CONCERNS

The Minister of State for Borders and Immigration has written to the General
Secretary of the League in response to his concern that the UK Border Agency
policy is having a detrimental effect on the development of the Welsh language,
culture and economy, in respect of the strong links between Wales and Patagonia
(Argentina).

Minister Phil Woolas stated in an email to Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, that he was well
aware of the links, but in his view:

"They don't however, just like all other cultural links with the UK, over rule
the immigration law".

Minister Woolas also stated in his email, in response to the two specific cases
raised by Mr Tal-e-bot of Evelyn Calcabrini and Shirley Edwards, that he had
looked at the cases and "found that they were in clear breech of immigration
law. Mr Tal-e-bot wrote a letter to Minister Woolas following the cancellation
of the CeltFest festival planned to be held in Caerdydd/Cardiff in November 2009
in celebration of the rugby international between Wales and Argentina.
Organisers of CeltFest cancelled the festival over fears that the Argentine
guests to the event would not be allowed entry into Wales by the UK Border
Agency, after the experience of Ms Edwards and Ms Calcabrini.

A new Patagonia Branch of the Celtic League was formed in October 2009.

(Article compiled by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)

Related link at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/3153

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

14/11/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

FRAMEWORK CONVENTION REPORT

The General Secretary (GS) has responded to the UK government's draft report to
the Council of Europe (CoE) on the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities.

The report – the third of its kind since the government ratified the Convention
in 1995 – sets out what it has done to promote equality and diversity across a
range of different areas relating to culture and language. However, as the gs
argues in his letter to the department of Communities and Local Government
(CLG), the report is failing in its duty to the CoE by excluding the Cornish and
"are being treated as virtual pariahs by the very state that is supposed to
protect them".

The GS says that he looks forward to a revision of the draft before it is
presented to the CoE. The full text of the letter can be found below.

"The Rt Hon John Denham MP
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Dear Rt Hon John Denham MP

Draft UK Government Third Compliance Report to the Council of Europe on the
Framework Convention for the protection of National Minorities

I am writing to express my utter disappointment at the exclusion of the Cornish
and their language from the draft third compliance report to the Council of
Europe (CoE), published in October 2009.

The document covers activities and issues relating to language, culture,
equality and society in Wales, Scotland and the north of Ireland throughout the
report, but no mention was made of Cornwall or its people. There was not even an
outline of the work undertaken with the Cornish language, which the UK
Government recognised in 2002 - and has subsequently funded since - under part
II of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. The Cornish
Language Partnership – set up as a direct result of government funding – has
done excellent work in helping to revive the Cornish language, but was not
consulted as part of the report. It is most unusual that the only mention in the
report to do with the Cornish language is that it is one of 25 "UK and foreign
languages" in which a qualification is available.

In addition, in view of the fact that the UK Government recognised the `separate
identity and distinctiveness' of the Cornish in its second compliance report, it
is surprising that no mention is made of the Cornish people in its subsequent
report.
The CoE's Advisory Committee's ruling that the UK Government's `racial group'
criterion is too rigid to accommodate the Cornish has been completely ignored.

It is my belief that the UK Government is failing in its duty to the CoE in
producing this report, because of the omission of the Cornish people and
language. I would go so far as to say that in excluding the Cornish in this way
the UK Government is showing a total contempt for the Cornish and actively
discriminating against them.

The Cornish are one of the ancient peoples of Europe and are recognised as such
throughout Europe. They have a language that is actively supported and funded by
the UK and local government structures and yet are being completely ignored in
this draft report. It would probably be fair to say that the Cornish are the
largest unrecognised minority living in either Cornwall or the UK and are being
treated as virtual pariahs by the very state that is supposed to protect them.

We look forward to an immediate revision of the report before it is presented to
the Council of Europe.

Yours sincerely


Rhisiart tal-e-bot
General Secretary
Celtic League

CC
Thomas Hammarberg
Commissioner for Human Rights
Council of Europe

Thorbjørn Jagland
Secretary General
Council of Europe"

Article compiled for Celtic News by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

02/12/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

MEBYON KERNOW ANNUAL MEETING

Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall (MK), held its annual conference in
Bodmin, Cornwall this weekend (21st November 2009).

At the conference - the first since elections to the new unitary authority - the
work over the last year by MK was also discussed, including the successes of the
European and unitary authority elections. The work of MK's three new Cornwall
councillors was outlined and some of the challenges and opportunities that they
face on the new council. Delegates were also urged to consider standing for the
next unitary authority elections in three years time. Several amendments were
made to the constitution of MK, including the addition of a permanent
representative on the national executive of a member of the European Free
Alliance – MK's European partner organisation.

It was pointed out by party leader, Dick Cole, that the new council was not so
different to the old County Council in terms of power, but that there was in
fact less democratic accountability. He pointed out that most of the important
decisions are now taken by the ten cabinet members of the council (six
conservative and four independent councillors). In addition to the usual
conference business, MK's prospective parliamentary candidates (PPC) presented
themselves and took questions from the floor.

Also at the conference was the head of the campaigns unit of Welsh nationalist
political party Plaid Cymru, Geraint Day, and Plaid campaigner Mark Jones, who
had been invited to give a talk on political and strategic campaigning. Also
from Wales was a representative from the Association of Plaid Councillors, John
Taylor, who gave a talk on his own experiences of running as councillor in the
Caerphilly borough.

Fraternal greetings were sent to conference delegates from the political
director of the European Free Alliance (EFA), Gunter Dauwen.

About a hundred and fifty people attended the conference throughout the course
of the day, including the League's general secretary, Rhisiart Tal-e-bot.

See Celtic League TV site:

http://www.youtube.com/user/celticleaguetv

Links:

www.mebyonkernow.org

www.e-f-a.org

(Report by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

25/11/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

NEW EDUCATION POST(S) FOR CORNISH LANGUAGE

MAGA, the Cornish Language Partnership, has appointed two people to share the
new position of education officer that has been created to further the work of
the Cornish language in Cornwall.

The new education officers will continue and develop work with the partnership
in the teaching and learning Cornish. The duties of the post include working
within a small, motivated team and liaising with teachers, learners and
education providers at all levels throughout Cornwall. The post will also
involve the development of formal and informal learning opportunities and
resources.

The two new employees are Pol Hodge and Mike Tresidder. Pol is a qualified
teacher who has practical experience of teaching Cornish in evening classes and
in college. He also served on the Ad Hoc group which worked on the Standard
Written Form of the Cornish language, ia a poet and has been heavily involved in
the Cornish language film industry.

Mike is a lecturer in education at Cornwall College and has a particular
interest and experience in organising training courses, supporting teachers and
working with educational establishments and policies.

Link

http://www.magakernow.org.uk/

(Article prepared by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

19/11/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

POTENTIAL NEW POWERS FOR WELSH ASSEMBLY

A government sponsored body set up to survey the Welsh electorate on whether
Wales should be granted more law making powers has reported that people are in
favour of a more powerful Welsh assembly.

The All Wales Convention consulted over 3000 pieces of evidence from individuals
and organisations throughout Wales and beyond - including the Celtic League -
who were invited to present evidence on their views of the subject. The
Convention also toured throughout Wales and held public meetings and debated the
issue on the internet. In addition, the Convention analysed the existing
constitutional arrangements between England and Wales and also took into
consideration the current devolution settlement in Wales and throughout the UK.

The executive summary of the report stated that:

"Potentially, the National Assembly for Wales can now ask for primary law-making
powers in part of any one of the 20 defined areas of Welsh life set out in GoWA
(Government of Wales) 2006 and obtain the powers with the approval of the UK
Parliament...

"...There is also the option of obtaining primary law-making powers across all
20 areas all at once, but this would require the approval of a majority of the
Welsh electorate voting in a referendum."
The Chairperson of the Convention, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, said:

"I believe that the issues we have raised merit serious consideration, not just
by elected representatives, but by the people of Wales. It is now for the
politicians to decide what the next steps should be."

During its consultation process, the All Wales Convention was criticised for the
quality of debate on devolution that it instigated and was accused of
highlighting the risks rather than the benefits of increased devolution for
Wales. The most outspoken organisation of the All Wales Convention was Cymru
Yfory/Tomorrow's Wales - a cross party group set up to encourage a positive
response among the Welsh public in the debate on gaining more devolutionary
powers for Wales.

However yesterday, Cymru Yfory acknowledged in a press release that the All
Wales Convention had reached the same conclusion as they have, that "our present
system of governance is unclear, complex and needs to change".

Cymru Yfory is now calling for a referendum on the issue and is asking people to
sign ` A Declaration for Welsh Democracy' in preparation for an all Wales
referendum vote. The Convention recommended that a decision on a referendum
should be considered by the government before June 2010.

Links:

http://allwalesconvention.org/about/?skip=1&lang=cy
http://www.cymru-yfory.co.uk/cym

(Article prepared by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

19/11/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

WORDS AND MUSIC AS COOISH CONCLUDES

Cooish week concludes today in Mannin with the annual Ned Maddrell memorial
lecture. This year's speaker is Jenefer Lowe of the Cornish Language Partnership
and a news report and clip can be found on Manx Radio at:

http://www.manxradio.com/newsread.aspx?id=40484

The Manx language week has been a great success with a seven day continuous and
wide ranging programme of events for both Manx speakers and those learning the
language.

In addition to today's guest speaker the week has included performances by
visiting musicians from Scotland and Ireland and these visitors together with
local musicians will bring proceedings to a close at a music session this
evening.

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

14/11/09


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on socio-economic
issues.

TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609

Internet site at:

http://celticleague.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/