Labour at Cilmeri
SIR – I am the person who has invited speakers to attend the Llywelyn Commemorations at Cilmeri each year since 1996.
For those years it has been my aim to attract speakers from all political parties who have a patriotic interest in the future of Wales to address those with a similar interest. Over the years it has been my aim to attract everyone to the event and to make it more acceptable for everyone to attend.
Members of the Liberal Party have faithfully attended for several decades and one year, members of the Conservative Party laid a wreath at the monument. One political party which, in spite of many years of invitations, were very slow in taking up the invitations was Plaid Cymru.
In recent years, I have been very pleased to see more prominent members of Plaid Cymru starting to take part.
However, one political party which for some strange reason is violently opposed to taking part is the Labour Party, who seem to oppose any patriotic interest in our country, or its history.
Because this is a public place I have no right or power to oppose groups of people who wish to attend, because of their politics. There are many people who attend who are embarrassed by the attitude of some of those who are there, but like the Speaker’s Corner in London, we have to allow them free speech.
I am hopeful that even the Labour Party will come to see that the only way to make this event more acceptable for the general public to take part in, is for more and more of the general public to take part, and by pressure of numbers discourage those with a more extreme view of Welsh patriotism – at both ends of the spectrum.
Please come to the next event and show how democracy works.
JOHN H DAVIES
Llandysul, Ceredigion
This Fella is a supporter of the Tan 8 Treaty
