Welsh ‘language mafia’ blamed for narrow 1997 vote win

THE Downing Street inquest into New Labour’s narrow 1997 Welsh devolution referendum victory suggested the “language mafia” had an impact on the underwhelming result, newly released memos show.

Tony Blair’s ambitious plans to decentralise power away from Westminster in September 1997 were dealt a blow following the wafer-thin Yes vote in Wales.

It prompted those at the heart of the plans in Westminster to proffer suggestions on why the result had not been more clear cut.

Documents released by the National Archives, in Kew, included a confidential memo in the wake of the referendum result, which identified a number of issues.

It highlighted an “absence of clear political direction”, “no clear campaign strategy” and the accusation that the Assembly would create “jobs for the boys”.

The memo also suggested the campaign failed to adequately counter the accusation from the “no” campaign that people “will be forced to speak Welsh”.

Peter Hain, the parliamentary under-secretary for Wales, was said to be “particularly concerned about the need to reform Wales’ Labour Party” to ensure it was both “better at campaigning” and offered “proper opportunities for women candidates”.

And Pat McFadden, a Downing Street aide who would become a Labour MP in 2005, agreed attacks over cost and allegations of an Assembly creating “jobs for the boys” were successful “because we could not advance a good positive reason for having an Assembly”.

He said: “In other words, the cost would have been more defensible if it was for something people thought was worth having.”

He added, in his note to Jonathan Powell, Mr Blair’s chief of staff: “On the Welsh language you know my view – this scared people in much of Wales who already resent the language mafia.”

The “yes” campaign won overall, but with just 50.3% of the vote.