A Parliamentary service marks St David’s Day

THIS week we celebrate Dydd Gwyl Dewi, St David’s Day. It has become more of a public occasion recently with parades and well publicised messages from important personages. Even Number 10 put out a brief message and flew our flag on Sunday.

Yesterday, we had the annual parliamentary St David’s Day service in the chapel of St Mary’s Undercroft, the chapel of the House. When I was first elected in 2001, I found there was no official event marking the day in Parliament, other than a sometimes poorly attended Welsh Day debate.

That debate has become even less of an occasion over the years, being held on Thursday afternoon, the graveyard shift after all other business, when most MPs have returned to their constituencies.

This year there seems to have been something of a revival, perhaps due to post-election enthusiasm. (Unfortunately, I was ill with the latest phase of a long lasting cold.)

The debate came after Questions to the Cabinet Office, a statement on the European Union, a Business of the House statement, statements on Rough Sleeping and Child Protection and Points of Order.

Even so, a heartening 26 of the 40 Welsh MPs took part.

As to the service, my office and I organised a service in 2002, working with the Speaker’s Chaplain, and have done so every year since.

This time The Most Reverend John Davies, Archbishop of Wales is preaching with Simon Hart, the Secretary of State and two of our younger Welsh MPs, Ben Lake and Anna McMorrin reading.

It was also a great pleasure to welcome the children of Ysgol Gymraeg

Llundain, the London Welsh school to sing again.

And this year I am very pleased that two rising stars in the world of classical music performed, the soprano Alys Mererid of Rhoslan, and the much praised Glain Dafydd of Pentir who played the harp.

Dewi’s message to the people of Wales over 1,500 years ago was put in three points. Cadwch y ffydd. Gwnewch y pethau bychain. Byddwch lawen. (Keep the faith. Do the little things. Be joyful.)

Politics is a rough old business. But for once, in this service, Welsh people in Westminster lay aside our differences. And Dewi’s age old message would be a pretty good basis to carry on from Tuesday.

But I’m afraid that Wednesday is Prime Minister’s Questions, and it will be back to business as usual.