Friday, February 11, 2011

Welsh Consulates??

Some wonders from the True Wales web site.

"Let the people decide on independence, says Rachel Banner
Last week in a highly polemical essay, Oxford academic Patrick McGuinness argued that the campaign for a referendum on further powers for the National Assembly is being hampered by misinformation spread by those who fear a Yes vote. Rachel Banner, of True Wales, a grassroots movement formed to oppose the devolution of full law-making powers, replies
PATRICK McGuinness argues that it is an extraordinary claim to say that full law-making powers for the National Assembly would lead to independence.
In reality, the greater the legislative rift between England and Wales becomes, the more likely is separation from the United Kingdom. It is certainly not difficult to find evidence that the Welsh Assembly is set on independence. The Senedd's enthusiasm for a new Welsh honours system, a £13,000 investment into research as to the viability of a Welsh stock market, and initiatives to set up Welsh consulates abroad all demonstrate that the Assembly Government is doing its utmost to prepare for an independent Wales.
A further indication is Dafydd Elis-Thomas latest pronouncement concerning the devolution of control over S4C. Is this not the clearest sign yet that Plaid Cymru government politicians are gearing up for independence? Will the Assembly Government ultimately want control over the whole of Welsh broadcasting? The truth is that full law-making powers for the Assembly are the penultimate piece of the Independent Wales jigsaw."

What is a Welsh consulate, and where are they? I think they must be referring to those WDA offices that were set up in Chicago some time ago.

In fact I remember writing to Mike German in 2000 after a visit to the new Consulate general's office in Denver. My concern was that seemed to be very little attempt to promote Wales, and that WAG should set up offices to promote Wales.

When they were set up I recall that the were refered to in the Welsh media as "Welsh embassies" which is obviously hyperbole.

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