MORNING SERIAL

THERE were rumblings of dissatisfaction with the Labour hegemony in English-speaking industrial Wales too.

By-elections in Rhondda West (1967) and Caerphilly (1968) saw Plaid Cymru nearly topple mammoth Labour majorities as people voiced their concern at the loss of mining jobs.

But it was the politicised student generation of the 1960s who seemed most attracted to radical Welsh issues, particularly the question of language rights.

Inspired by the US civil rights movement and its tactics, they, alongside some older similarly-minded people, occupied public places, refused to pay taxes demanded only in English, and vandalised or removed English-only signs.

Knowing the youth protests had wide support amongst older Welsh speakers, the reaction of the government was the 1967 Welsh Language Act which gave the nation’s two languages equal validity and stated that provision should be made to facilitate the use of Welsh in official and public business.

But how this was to be achieved was not outlined, making the act more symbolic than practical.

Thus direct action intensified and campaigners used the legislation to support their calls for bilingualism in public life.

Gradually, concessions were made and more public forms and signage became bilingual, with the effect of creating a visual public reminder of how Welsh culture was different to England.

But this only happened because people were willing to campaign and break the law for it.

Others were willing to go further.

At the start of the 1950s, led by a Swansea barrister, a group called the Welsh Republican Movement broke away from Plaid Cymru.

They were suspected by MI5 of having firearms, explosives and links with the Communist Party.