Comments on: Dafydd Elis Thomas and the Oath of allegiance

By: 'El' fan

'El' fan — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:07:51 +0000

It’s Saxa-Coburg-Gotha … Gotha is a German town, and Goethe is one of the most prominent German authors to have ever lived … Sorry for being pedantic, I could be a German.

By: Rhys

Rhys — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:49:08 +0000

I’d like to see you try and get the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society council to drop the ‘Royal’!

Dealing with them will be a real education!

By: Anon

Anon — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:55:15 +0000

Dafydd is not going to thank you publicly for it.

Is sacked Welsh blogger Christopher Glamorganshire’s tribunal next week?

By: Marcus Warner

Marcus Warner — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:52:18 +0000

I am an agnostic republican, so while I sympathise somewhat, I cannot help but see the contradiction in terms.

If you honestly feel abhorred by the Monarchy, then don’t be in receipt of one of its parliaments. You are paid by the institution that is headed by the monarchy, not swearing to some outdated oath is irrelevant. I am not calling you a hypocrite or wrong in your opposition, but why bother calling the Queen ‘Mrs Windsor’, then taking home a £60k wage from her state apparatus?

There are a good many of your constituents who voted for your party on the basis they would take a full an active part in the Welsh Assembly, which is a house of the monarchy of the United Kingdom.

You are voted by the people into office, you serve in the institution of the Monarchy – you cannot opt out of either, or certainly pick and choose which bits to participate in.

By: plaidcasnewydd

plaidcasnewydd — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:16:30 +0000

It is good that you raised this. I personally have a distaste for the ostentatious wealth and self importance of the house of Saxa Coburg Goethe (to give the Windsor’s their original unanglicised name). Especially the way in which the media fawns over the Hesse-Hewitt ‘boys’ William and Harry. As I am flat broke right now I took umbrage at Elizabeth’s patronising comments on the hard times due to the credit crunch over Christmas too.

What on earth would she know about living on a budget?

A truly modern monarchy would pay taxes in full, and their access to public funds and role as figureheads of state would be subject to ratification by plebiscite every few years (a vote they would win as they are genuinely popular in many quarters). We can only raise ourselves up from the level of political infancy once we have republican reform. As it is I think we collectively have a subconscious sentimentality for feudalism, or something.

It is encouraging that the pledge is being looked at. Personally I believe we should swear allegiance to the People rather than the country, but hey-ho.

Perhaps as a stop gap plaid AMs could recite the first few lines of Abba or the Weather Girls (or something similarly catchy and inane) immediately before and after the pledge, thereby fulfilling the technical letter of the law but demonstrating the irreverence in which it is held….

plaidcasnewydd.blogspot.com

By: leigh richards

leigh richards — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:01:25 +0000

have to say was pleased – not to say sirprised – that dafydd ‘El’ should apparently be leading such calls!

But cant help wondering if this a attempt on his part to regain some credibility after his recent dreadful comments on a referendum on more powers for the assembly! I feel he still has some explaining to do on that – given plaid’s clearly stated position on the issue of a referendum taking place in 2011

But these comments on axing the oath to the rotten house of windsor are most welcome and actually very brave!

By: Bethan

Bethan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:04:16 +0000

Peter- then who organises the royal visits?

By: Peter Black

Peter Black — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:40:35 +0000

‘the Assembly Commission has bent over backwards to become part of the status quo in relation to the monarchy, and has made no signs of changing such a stance’? I think not. I don’t even recall it being on the agenda.