Swinney’s Gaelic pledge: It’s not all an SNP ploy...
JOHN Swinney yesterday attacked critics of Scottish Government spending on Gaelic, insisting it was not a ‘divisive SNP ploy’.
The deputy first minister’s comments came as he revealed a new national action plan to promote the language would be published later this year.
In a speech to the Royal National Mod in the Western Isles, he also announced £700,000 of new funding for Gaelic schools.
However, he also took the opportunity to claim that those who oppose spending taxpayers’ money promoting the language ‘betray a poor understanding of our country’.
Critics say it is wrong to waste public funds forcing Gaelic on communities that don’t have a large number of native speakers.
Mr Swinney, who was speaking almost entirely in English because he can’t speak Gaelic, said: ‘I know many of you have encountered this hostility to Gaelic.
‘You will be familiar with the negative points – “it is a dead language”, “it was never spoken here”, “it is a waste of money”, “it is a divisive SNP ploy”.
‘These views are often found and shared on social media, but sadly sometimes enter into political exchanges and mainstream media.
‘These views on Gaelic are just as groundless and unwelcome as they are inaccurate and misleading. They betray a poor understanding of our country, its history and the respect we should show to minority communities. My very clear view on this is that this hostility to Gaelic has no place in Scotland.
‘So let me set the record straight. Gaelic is a language of daily use. The support for Gaelic is a good use of public funds.
‘Gaelic offers a range of benefits to Scotland. It is a valuable language to learn and it deserves the support of people of all political backgrounds in Scotland. And it will have that support from this Scottish Government.
‘We should all unite behind the effort to create a secure future for Gaelic in Scotland.’
Mr Swinney announced new funding for two Gaelic schools in Glasgow and said the Gaelic quango, Bord na Gaidhlig, will publish a new ‘National Gaelic Language Plan’ later this year. This will include a wide range of measures to promote the language all across Scotland.
The quango has already ordered every public body in Scotland to devise its own ‘Gaelic language plan’ every five years, which should ensure that Gaelic is treated with ‘equal respect’ to English. So far, Gaelic words have been emblazoned on road signs, government documents, train stations and even a Police Scotland helicopter.
Yet only 87,100 people, or 1.7 per cent of all Scots, can speak the language, with just a third of those judging themselves to be fluent.
Despite this, Mr Swinney said it is correct that more is spent on Gaelic.
He said: ‘Gaelic belongs in Scotland. It has been spoken in this country for well over 1,000 years and I believe this places a duty and a responsibility on us as custodians of this heritage.’
Tory MSP Alex Johnstone said: ‘There is no problem with investing in the Gaelic language in communities such as the one John Swinney was making his speech from.
‘But this cannot be used as an excuse to pump fortunes of taxpayers’ money into an SNP vanity project.’
‘Offers a range of benefits’