25,000 PEOPLE SAY NO TO NEW NAME
Massive support for petition opposing Royal re-brand for Second Severn Crossing:
ALMOST 25,000 people have signed a petition in a bid to stop the Second Severn Crossing being renamed The Prince of Wales Bridge.
The petition, set up on www. change.org by Jamie Matthews, has been gathering thousands of signatures since the announcement about renaming the bridge was made on Thursday by Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns.
The petition reads: “Let’s name the bridge after someone who has achieved something for our nation. Let’s consult the people before renaming it unilaterally.”
Meanwhile, scores of people turned up in Cardiff to protest against renaming the Second Severn Crossing after Prince Charles yesterday.
It was announced this week the Second Severn Crossing would be renamed The Prince of Wales Bridge later this year to mark Prince Charles’ 70th birthday year.
The announcement by Mr Cairns was swiftly met with criticism, with critics saying there should have been a public consultation first.
The Welsh Government confirmed earlier this week that Welsh Secretary Mr Cairns wrote to First Minister Carwyn Jones last year and no objections were raised.
A UK Government spokeswoman said the Welsh Government had supported the move, saying: “Since last year, the Secretary of State for Wales has corresponded regularly with the First Minister about the decision to rename the Second Severn Crossing. Throughout the process, the Welsh Government has been in full support of the announcement.”
Protesting against the decision, a crowd gathered in The Hayes, Cardiff city centre, yesterday, bearing home-made placards which read: “No to the Prince of Wales bridge! Let the people decide”.
Another said “Rhowch Ddewi i Gymru”, meaning “Give Wales the choice”.
A third dubbed the planned change “Pointless expensive propaganda”. Two people held an enormous Welsh flag, while Catalan flags were also present.
Plaid councillor Keith Parry, who serves the Fairwater ward of Cardiff, waved an Owain Glyndwr banner and wore a coat with “Free Wales” written on it.
He said: “If the bridge is going to be named there needs to be a consultation.”
He said that was what happened when Scotland’s Queensferry Crossing was named in 2013.
“There was a public consultation and about 40,000 took part,” Cllr Parry said.
“But with this Alun Cairns has not consulted anyone.”
Coun Parry suggested the bridge be called Pont Hafren, Pont Owain Glyndwr or Pont Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf. The first refers to the Welsh name for the Severn, the second to the last Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales and the third to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
South Wales Central AM Neil McEvoy said: “There has been a complete lack of consultation with the people of Wales. It is outrageous the gateway to the country has been renamed and no one knows anything about it.
“People are angry because it signifies how Wales is taken for granted and that has to stop. I have written to the minister asking for him to reconsider because the name change should not go ahead.
“It is really embarrassing for Prince Charles because he has been lumbered with a problem that would not have existed had there been a consultation.”
The protest came together as the result of an internet post.
“There were about 50 people here off the back of one Facebook update,” Mr McEvoy said.
“Thousands have signed a petition and we want the powers that be to listen.”
Sandy Clubb is chairman of Yes Caerdydd, part of the Welsh independence movement. She said: “I think this is the sort of decision that would be much better made by the people of Wales and England, given that the bridge connects the two.”
Ms Clubb said she felt it was an example of centralised power being exerted from Westminster.
“I am against that,” she said. “Decision-making is best done locally.”
Commenting earlier this week, Cardiff Central Labour MP Jo Stevens said: “No tidal lagoon, no post-Brexit replacement funding, no rail electrification to Swansea but the Tory Secretary of State has managed to get a bridge renamed.
“I’ve repeatedly asked the Secretary of State of Wales for information and answers about the critical issues affecting the future of my constituents and people across Wales. But there are no answers, no influence and no ideas.
“Instead of wasting time on PR projects, the Tories need to start addressing the important issues facing people in Wales.”
Newport West Labour MP Paul Flynn was not impressed, saying: “It’s a rather pathetic and desperate stunt which improperly uses the Royal Family in what is their repeated attempts to claim credit for the abolition of the tolls. I presume they’ll have another photo opportunity.”
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood initially asked if the announcement was a “late April fool joke”.
She said: “I wouldn’t impose any name on it as a politician. If the bridge really has to be renamed, an option would be to let the public decide.
“The problem is that people in Wales have not been asked – as people in Scotland were asked when the Queensferry crossing was named. Decisions about Wales should be made in Wales, not imposed on us without consent.”
The Rhondda AM said neither the Assembly nor the public had been given the opportunity to discuss the renaming of the iconic landmark.
She said: “The wider issue here is that decisions are being imposed on Wales all the time without proper consultation, demonstrating a constant lack of respect.”
Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan said: “I think it’s a bit embarrassing really that this announcement has been made without any consultation. I’ve already had people contacting me in the office here about it... I hope there will be consultation and it will be opened up to the public to say what they would like.”
Swansea West MP Carolyn Harris doubted that people would use the new name and would continue to refer to the second crossing as “number two”. She said: “No disrespect to the Prince of Wales – he deserves every accolade; he works hard but those bridges have... had names a long time; it’s a little bit patronising, actually, to try and give it a new name now.”
The Second Severn Crossing would be renamed The Prince of Wales Bridge later this year to mark Prince Charles’ 70th birthday year
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WALES, ALUN CAIRNS I wouldn’t impose any name on it as a politician. If the bridge really has to be renamed, an option would be to let the public decide
PLAID CYMRU LEADER LEANNE WOOD
THE Second Severn Crossing – it’s a gateway into Wales and an iconic structure that thousands of motorists use every single day. And this week it’s not been far from the headlines. On Thursday it was announced that it is going to be renamed The Prince of Wales Bridge. The renaming of the crossing, due to take place later this year, will mark Prince Charles’ 70th birthday year, while it is also 60 years since he became the Prince of Wales.
Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns made the announcement, which was swiftly met with criticism and opposition over a name change without a public consultation.
With the name change coming more than 20 years after the bridge opened, we decided to delve into our archives and dig out some rarely seen images of what the bridge looked like while under construction and in its early
years. The name change comes ahead of the final abolition of the Severn tolls later this year following the return of the infrastructure to public ownership.
The Second Severn Crossing was inaugurated by Charles in 1996 and he e is due to attend the e renaming ceremony, 22 2 years on.
At the beginning of this s year, the tolls were e reduced after the abolition n of VAT on the charges as s the crossings returned to o public ownership, with h Highways England, a UKK-Government owned body, y, taking over responsibility ty for the bridges’ operation and management from Severn River Crossing PLC.