Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Dwi ddim yn mynd i’r Eisteddfod eleni. Doedd o ddim yn dewis penderfynnol i beidio mynd, dim ond i’m dyddiadur dechrau llenwi, ac wedyn ‘nes i sylweddoli bod e’n rhy anodd i ail- drefnu popeth…

Mae’r Eisteddfod heb os yn wyl pwysig iawn i Gymru- yn dod a cherddorion, dramodwyr a llu o artisitiaid eraill oll ynghyd; yn rhoi cyfle euraidd i arddangos dawn pobl Cymru; i ni gymdeithasu, rhannu syniadau. Mae’r rhestr yn ddi-diwedd.

Ond, (mae yna ond yn anffodus!) pan oeddwn i’n tyfu fyny, roedd cwrs Cerddorfa Cymru o hyd yn digwydd yn ystod wythnos y Steddfod, ac roedd ein cwrs preswyl yn Llanbed. Wrth gwrs, cafon ni’r cyfle fel Cerddorfa i ganu ar y maes ( os mewn amgylchiadau anodd ar adegau) ond dwi ddim yn un o’r bobl hynny felly oedd yn mynd i aros ar Faes B bob haf,( yr adram ieuenctid) neu yn mynd i ryw lawer o gigs ayb.

Am y rheswm hynny, efallai fy mod i’n fwy parod i fod yn oddrychol wrth asesu’r Eisteddfod. Y cwestiwn mawr i mi o hyd yw’r angen i drefnwyr yr Eisteddfod ehangu apel yr Eisteddfod i ddysgwyr, ac i bawb yng Nghymru. Disgrifiodd Rhys Llwyd yr wyl ar ei dudalen twitter fel ‘prif ddinas symudol y Cymry Cymraeg’- ond nid dyna dylai’r Steddfod bod yn fy marn i. Gwyl i BAWB yng Nghymru yw’r Eisteddfod, ac os ydym yn mynd i ddweud yn wahanol- ei fod am y ‘Cymry Cymraeg’ yn ecsgliwsif, rwy’n sicr y bydd yna llawer o bobl na fydd yn ystyried mynychu’r Steddfod, gan edrych arno fel rhywbeth estron iddynt, a’u cefndir.

Mae yna ymgeisiadau i ehangu ar gyfleusterau i ddysgwyr ac i bobl lleol sydd a ddiddordeb yn yr Eisteddfod- i bobl nad sydd  erioed wedi bod i’r Eisteddfod- ond nid yw’r ymgeisiadau eto yn ddigonol yn fy marn i. Dwi wedi siarad gyda nifer o bobl yn y gorffennol sydd wedi cerdded o gwmpas y maes yn hollol anwybodus am yr  hyn oedd o’u hamgylch, ac wedi gadael heb hyd yn oed yn deall bod yna pafiliwn mawr yn y canol llawn digwyddiadau celfyddodol amrywiol! Mae nifer o bobl nad sy’n siarad cymraeg hefyd yn ofni siarad saesneg ar y maes rhag iddynt derbyn stwr. Dwi’n siarad o brofiad pan yn dweud bod yr ofn yma yn teilwng iawn! Blwyddyn diwethaf, fe ddaeth hen fenyw lan ata i i rhoi stwr i mi am ddefnyddio gair saesneg mewn brawddeg cymraeg. Sut ydy agwedd cul fel hwn yn ennyn dysgwyr i’r maes, tybed, os ydy siaradwyr sydd yn rhugl yn cael problemau?!

Yn fy marn i, mae angen mwy o bobl ar y maes i ateb cwestiynnau am yr Eisteddfod, i esbonio i bobl beth sy’n digwydd. Nid pawb sydd yn gwbod sut i ffeindio stondyn Cowbois neu Shwl Di Mwl gyda’u llygaid ar gau. Mae angen ennyn mwy o ysgolion di-gymraeg a grwpiau lleol i ymwneud a’r Eisteddfod, ac ennyn y diddordeb hynny hyd yn oed pan nad yw’r Eisteddfod yn eu hardaloedd penodol nhw. Mae Blaenau Gwent yn enghraifft perffaith.

Dyw hwn ddim yn critique o’r Eisteddfod. Mae barnu digwyddiadau mae’r Cymry Cymraeg yn trefnu yn gallu bod yn anodd weithiau. Dwi’n mwynhau pan dwi’n mynd, ond eto’i gyd, dwi’n nabod llawer o’r bobl sy’n mynychu blwyddyn ar ol blwyddyn. Dyw e ddim yn estron i mi.

Da ni gyd yn ymwybodol o broblemau ariannol yr Eisteddfod. Efallai nawr yw’r amser felly i wir asesu ei llwyddiant, ac i sicrhau bod e’n wyl lle mae pawb o Gymru yn cael croeso cynnes… ac i dwristiaid wrth gwrs!

The more I read about the introduction of ID Cards, the more farcical it seems. The man now in charge with introducing the scheme is the Home Secretary Alan Johnson, the man tipped to take over from Gordon Brown if ever an opening is created. What difference will he make as PM if he cannot take a stand, and admit that the whole concept of the ID card is defunct, and is a waste of money?

The very fact that the Government appears to have back-tracked, and has stated that it is a voluntary scheme is testament to their failure in this area. I never believed that the ID card would protect me in any way before their planned introduction, however the No to ID website informs us to be on guard, as even though the system is voluntary, the government’s plan to roll out the system across the UK stands. This is from their website-

‘The bad news is that the legislation has not changed, nor has the intention. The plan is as it was. From some time in 2011 an application for a passport will mean you must also apply for registration on the National Identity Register — the ID database. You will be said to have ‘volunteered’. Once on the Register you will be required to be fingerprinted at your own expense and report yourself to the authorities for life. The card is a red herring. It is the database that matters.

The good news is all opposition parties are now committed to abolishing the Register, if they gain power.

The bad news is that the Identity and Passport Service intends to build a Register anyway, pretending that the components are necessary for changes to passports. And regulations setting out the details of the scheme have been hustled through the House of Commons, despite only a handful of fanatics being prepared to speak in their favour. And the Register is still planned to form the centre-piece of a revolution in government according to the Safeguarding Identity (pdf) strategy.

The good news is that so far only 3,500 people in total have registered with the Home Office their interest in having an ID card. We intend to tell them the bad news about life-long compulsory registration, and see how many still want to complete their application’.

And yesterday, Alan Johnson launched the new design of the ID cards, to be rolled out first in Manchester. (I am sure they are over the moon to be the guinea pigs of invasions to their privacy) The launch has also sparked debate as the ID cards will not include the Union flag so as not to offend the rights of ‘Irish Nationals’ in Northern Ireland ( How sensitive of the Home Office, I hear you cry).

Instead they can have their own personal cards, or a floral pattern made up of the shamrock, daffodil, thistle and rose alongside the Royal Coat of Arms. Given the fact that the data of people from Northern Ireland will still be kept on a ‘UK’ database, the argument about what is on the card is, I can guess, irrelevant to them.

When we look at Wales, then let us take joy in the fact that we will be able to apply for a card in Welsh, but the card itself will not be bilingual. Again, this is merely a side issue to the fact that they are trying to put a gloss on a scheme that is clearly a waste of money.

And by the way, do we really seriously believe that the introduction of such cards will stop fraud or ‘terrorism’? My guess is no, it will not. Cynically, this is just another way for the Government to collect data on us, and for what purpose other than to curtail our rights and freedoms?

I’m just off to watch Big Brother. Have a good one.

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It’s that time of year again, when Total Politics asks you to vote for your Top 10 favourite blogs. The votes will be compiled and included in the forthcoming book, the Total Politics Guide to Blogging 2009-10, which will be published in September. This year the poll is being promoted/sponsored by LabourList and LibDemVoice as well as our publisher Iain Dale’s blog.

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