London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 23, 2025

‘Not a colony’: Welsh council defies London to declare St David’s Day holiday

‘Not a colony’: Welsh council defies London to declare St David’s Day holiday

Gwynedd gives workers paid time off despite Westminster's refusal to back plans
For centuries the citizens of Wales have proudly marked St David’s Day with parades, concerts, flag-waving and the wearing of daffodils. But this year the feast of their patron saint will be celebrated with particular gusto by many, after Gwynedd council bosses defied ministers in London and voted to give up to 5,000 of its workers an extra day off.

While Scotland and Northern Ireland designate a bank holiday to celebrating their patron saints, Wales does not, which has long been a source of discontent.

On Tuesday, the council cabinet of Gwynedd, in the north-west of Wales, voted to shut its buildings and wind down its services on 1 March to give as many people as possible the day off.

Cabinet members were scathing of the refusal by the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which has responsibility for bank holidays in Wales as well as England, to back the plans on the grounds a day off would disrupt business.

Councillors accused Westminster of treating Welsh people as children, or as the empire’s last colony, and said they were fed up with going “like Oliver Twist” to London to ask for concessions. They complained it was not fair that an extra bank holiday had been granted to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee but Wales was not allowed to celebrate its patron saint.

The leader of the Plaid Cymru-controlled council, Dyfrig Siencyn, said it was “drawing a line in the sand” and hoped other councils would follow its example. “It’s really offensive and insulting; our masters in London are treating us as little children who cannot make decisions themselves,” he said. “I think it’s another example of how this government is treating us here in Wales. What do we expect from such a government that sees us as the last colony the empire has?”

Another councillor, Nia Jeffreys, said: “The principle behind it is the importance of St David’s Day for us as a nation, how close it is to our hearts. It’s embarrassing that they can give an extra day off willy nilly for the Queen’s jubilee but we can’t decide for ourselves what day we have off.”

Teachers will not get the holiday because their conditions are negotiated centrally. But staff such as social workers, refuse collectors, librarians and cleaners will have a paid holiday, costing the council about £200,000.

Dilwyn Morgan, a councillor, said: “Let us decide what we want to do with St David’s Day. The days of going to a foreign government like Oliver Twist with our empty bowl asking: ‘Please can we have more?’ – those days need to come to an end very soon.”

For councillor Craig ab Iago, the issue was a metaphor for Wales’s relationship with London. “This matter is important to us as a nation,” he said. “It’s a clear part of our culture, history and identity and we want to celebrate it.” He said London’s attitude was “go back to your cage, boys and shut up”, adding: “We deserve better than this; our history is as important as theirs.”

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We’ve repeatedly asked the UK government for the Senedd to have the powers to make St David’s Day a bank holiday, and it’s disappointing to see these requests continue to be refused.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×