Dafydd Elis-Thomas:The Welsh Version Of Fame Is The Spur?

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

For those of you who think Fame Is The Spur is a sort of sequel to Fame and gives more airtime to young New York lycraed  aspirants in show business prepare to be disappointed. For it actually refers to a 1940 novel by Howard Spring (which I haven't read) subsequently made into a film in 1947 starring Michael Redgrave (which I have seen).

The plot is simple. A man starts off as left wing but as the story moves on becomes more and more to the right. Thus alienating those who helped him.

Well it appears that the Welsh version has finally made the ultimate step of no return. And it wasn't even joining the Labour Welsh government in Cardiff as a minister.

I won't bother giving a full blow by blow account of the career of Dafydd Elis-Thomas, there are far more expert than me for that. But see how the trajectory of his political career as gone when I give the following list.

Plaid Cymru MP, Plaid Cymru Leader, No Longer Leader, Plaid Cymru Peer, Member of National Assembly For Wales, Presiding Officer For The Assembly, Leaves Plaid Cymru, Independent Member Of The National Assembly For Wales, Minister For Culture,Sport and Tourism under the current Labour Welsh government.

So the man who was once leader of Plaid Cymru is, though an independent, a minister in Carwyn Jones' arrogantly incompetent Welsh Labour administration.

But as I said. That's not the most dramatic sea change. For in his capacity as tourism minister he's announced that he will promote Wales as a "Principality". Which is, for the uninitiated, means a territory "held and governed by a prince".

No matter that Wales has not been a Principality since the sixteenth century. No matter either that not even the Welsh Labour government agrees with this. This is the image, the servile state of the heir to the British Monarchy, that a former leader of Plaid Cymru wants to present Wales to the world.

I have spoken before about the dangers post Brexit of the Welsh nation becoming the last whipping boy to a certain type of arrogance that some English people possess. This servant/master image of Wales will not help matters.

Wales is a proud nation that possess many thing that it can shout about. A culture, heritage and full of breathtaking views that surely would bring the tourists in. It's people are on the whole nice, friendly and welcoming. It is the equal of any nation not it's slave counterpart.

It'll need a slogan. "Italy with rain" is close. How about "Italy in a cool climate"?

There you are Lord Elis-Thomas, I've done your job for you. And I didn't have to risk betraying Wales in so doing.

Until the next time.