Dear call me Dave,
If you are looking to shave a huge amount of money from the national budget, can I suggest that you need to look no further than the amounts spent by National and local government in translating everything into foreign languages?
It’s ridiculous. If people want to live here in the UK, then they should learn to understand English. And if they can’t read your literature, let them get one of their mates to tell you what it says.
And while you’re at it, you could also slash 50% off the money given to the Welsh assembly at a stroke!
I recently returned from a trip to Wales. Everything was written in two languages – first Welsh, and underneath in English. Except in the south, where it is the other way around. I wonder if there is a bit in the middle where it is side by side?
But I digress. The fact is that this costs hundreds of millions of pounds and is completely unnecessary.
English is the official language of the UK, not Welsh. There are 60 million people in the United Kingdom and some 600,000 people in Wales speak Welsh. That equates to 1% of the population overall and approximately 21% of the population of Wales.
The Welsh Language Society openly admits that there is less than 0.1% of the population who only speak Welsh – and those are preschool age children who are growing up in families that speak Welsh as a first language.
Yet every street sign is in Welsh and English, Every shop sign is in Welsh and English. Every tourist leaflet. every piece of official literature. I could go on, but you get the picture.
Think of the environmental cost! Bigger signs, more paint, more ink, more paper. And why? The people who read them all speak English!
The Welsh assembly has interpreters who sit in on its proceedings, translating live through members’ headphones. I can understand this in the United Nations – but in Cardiff!?! It’s ridiculous. Everyone present can speak English.
That is what happens when you give a tin pot little principality – note that I say “principality” not “country” – its own parliament. They piss money up the wall to make themselves look important and pass silly laws to make it happen.
And don’t tell me that Welsh is still a live language – because they still speak Latin in the Vatican but that doesn’t mean that every Italian street sign is in two languages.
Sorry, Taff, but the Welsh language is a quaint little anachronism and doesn’t need to be plastered over everything in sight.
Get over it and move on…
Insult me directly by eMail
Dioclese 
“Will never allow it to be” – wishing doesn't make it so!
What a prick, my whole entire family are first language welsh and it's people like you who try to kill it. The language is fine and dandy, just need to get rid of cunts like you. Twll dyn pob saes
Hope you don't live in England but I expect you do. The whole point of my piece was you're pissing English money up the wall instead of your own. Spend your own if you want to promote your dead language – not ours.
Your language wasn't even written down until the English showed you how to do it. And you think I'm a cunt?
Twll dy dîn di!. Dôs adra i farw i'r gath gael bwyd.
Bloody dozy celts. They should be forced to learn the lovely lyrical and indigenous language of the English. Indeed Welsh is not so much a language but a disease of the throat. Anyone speaking it should be thrashed until an inch of their life. On a second offense they deserve destruction from existence on this earth by fire; even unto their children. And all their kinsmen shall be placed in bondage and thrall. Well that's what the MP for Tipton is saying. Seems to make sense, doesn't it?
You shouldn't argue with idiots you loose on experience.
He has been told a hundred times that he hasn't got a clue.
He is incapable of understanding the concept of a real heritage as the English don't have one.
Cymru am byth
I have SAID 100 TIMES that it's not the concept I have a problem with, it's WHO PAYS FOR IT. The Welsh are welcome to spend their own taxes, but insist on spending mine! Why are you fools in capable of understanding this point? Oh,is it because you don't want to? How convenient.
The English don't have a real heritage but the Welsh do. Well, that's just bollocks isn't it?
It's not a dead language.
It is on disability benefits though, and resistant to ATOS sniffing around.
I think this article is absolute bull **** but hey every1 is entitled to thier opinion… My kids speak welsh as they are in welsh school as I want them to ave the welsh education I didn't get as a child I am in the prosess of learning welsh and doing very well at it I feel that every1 living in wales should speak welsh as it is our countries language not English we should be proud of our language I cannot wait for the day that I can speak fluent welsh it is a beautiful language. I think every1 in walea should give it a go 🙂
Dear Anon,
How dare you sully this blog with your innate celtishness! Sir, you should be thrashed and your ears cut off and a board placed around your neck saying: ‘Look I have transgressed against humanity and all that is sacred. I have uttered words in a strange and almost dead language. May God forgive me, for the English will not’. By the way, could you send me one of your ears for my collection? I have been collecting ears from around the world and, as yet, don’t have a Welsh one. The good Dioclese has my address.
I can't help thinking that the last Anonymous commentor should spent less time worrying about learning a dead language and more time learning to spell in English.
He can't even spell the name of his own country. Thats's W-A-L-E-S not W-A-L-E-A although as it seems to be full of wallies who seem incapable of grasping the pecuniary (that's money by the way) that I am making perhaps Walea or even Wallyland would be more appropriate?
Although I am fluent in welsh, I am also well over 40, so am well over the nationalistic crap of the younger generation and can see the truth in your words.
What was Wales`s biggest mistake was to be conned to vote Yes in the referendum, which has allowed the Communists (Labour/Plaid Cymru) and their hangers on to create their Socialist utopia.
The result as with the introduction of free prescriptions, f**cking up the Welsh NHS system, is a nightmare – You have the landed Gentry (farmers) sucking up money through subsidies, then you have the high percentage of parasites working? for the state all funded by a seasonal crew of burger flippers (because Wales is now officially a tourist playground).
Like you said we can`t afford bilingual signs!!!
Heddwch
Gareth
Bloody hell! Someone has actually read what I wrote instead of just flying off the handle!
I am Welsh and I find Welsh to be a language that I struggle to learn and just in general a useless language – that I can agree with. However I also find it to be a part of who I am – seeing Welsh everywhere is what makes us know we're Welsh and that we're in our country of Wales. I disagree with your bit about us not being able to afford bilingual signs when the politicians are lining their pockets with whatever they can squander; but I do agree with what you've said to an extent. I may not like Welsh, and maybe I'll never need to use it again in my life, but I still view Welsh as being a part of who I am – knowing that I can sing Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (the Welsh national anthem), wish people Nadolig Llawen (Merry Christmas) and tell people 'Cymru am byth' (Wales forever), I know I'm Welsh and am proud of it.
Blimey another measured response. Thanks. Makes a change from the usual abuse1
My point always has been not against Welsh per se but the fact that they spend English money on unnecessary Welsh signage. They should raise their own taxes and pay for it themselves.
I also find it ridiculous that they pay interpreters in the Welsh assembly to translate into Welsh when everyone present speaks English anyway. Mind you, the Scots are just as bad in that respect.
I live in Wales and I object to paying for English things.
Well said Dai. You get my point then?
Shame this rather petered out a year ago.
The great E. Waugh said it all about the Welsh in Decline & Fall.
Kind regards