That was the response of an Irish ex politician when asked, on a TV, show if he would be interested in reawakening his Irish. There were two Irish speakers on the show as well, one a native speaker - the only ‘real’ speakers of the language, according to the politician - and one like me, raised in an English speaking family but still fluent in Irish. (I pinched myself to reassure myself that I’m real - I am!) There was a bit of an uproar afterwards and the ex politician doubled down, referring to people who support the language as ‘zealots’ and suggesting the money going to support the language would be better spent elsewhere.
I wonder if you have people of similar ilk in Wales.
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Don’t you just love most politicians, be they ex- or not!
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There is a barely significant minority of people in Wales for which the language amongst other things (change in general, having to concentrate while driving, the fact that one’s actions have consequences, that sort of thing) makes life a bit too complicated. They’d rather this stuff just went away, but it’s obviously not going to. Ever.
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Oh yes. Often politicians but not always. I recall one politician in particular who, not long after being elected to the assembly by a Welsh constituency, said teaching welsh in schools in his constituency was a pointless waste of money and they should stick with French and German lessons because they would be far more beneficial. However, after realising he could further his own career by speaking Welsh, he learnt it and is now often interviewed in Welsh now that he’s an MP in Westminster (for the same constituency).
And I bet he’d deny all knowledge of his earlier statement if challenged on it now, but I remember it clearly! (and it was long before Twitter came on the scene, so I doubt I’ll ever find proof!)
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