Ron Davies, on the Eve of Destruction

Posted on December 2nd, 2007 filed in History, Photos, Politics, Wales, Welsh Assembly

At the Bridgend Eisteddfod in August 1998, Ron Davies was made a member of the Gorsedd of Bards in a special ceremony. He was Secretary of State for Wales at the time. It was rare praise for a politician and it came in recognition of his work steering through the devolution plans. In September 1997, the Referendum was won by only a whisker (around 6,000 votes). Without Davies’ contribution convincing the conservative British Nationalists within the Labour Party the Referendum result would have been a “no”.

Ron Davies had reason to feel confident at that Eisteddfod. He was truly the ‘architect of devolution’. Thus during the week he made a very confident appearance at a meeting organised by Cymdeithas yr Iaith (Welsh Language Society) to discuss the future of the Welsh Language. He spoke in Welsh for part his speech. And it was good Welsh too! He took the platform with, amongst others, some Cymdeithas veteran campaigners including Sian Howys and Angharad Tomos (as in the attached photograph). Later he was grilled by a variety of people, including Toni Schiavone. In the audience of around two hundred, were Lord Elis Thomas, and a variety other people from all walks of life.

That was nearly ten years ago. What did the man feel at this meeting ? It was a meeting billed as ‘Cymdeithas’ meets the ‘Welsh Secretary’. If only there was a video clip we could upload today in 2007 to convey Mr Ron Davies’ enthusiasm for Wales and his sincere interest in the Welsh language. Alas, there is nothing : a few photos and some memories.

Whatever were Ron Davies’ thoughts in August 1998, it is unlikely he felt that he was on the ‘eve of destruction’. Within a little over two months, his political career would be destroyed in London, and he would resign from the Blair Labour Government. Alun Michael took his place as Secretary of State for Wales, and subsequently as the first First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales. These kind of events usually happen in politics for a reason. In much of the media, Ron Davies’ downfall was portrayed glibly as something to do with an alleged predilection for - to use the modern vernacular - a little cock-fun. This was merely a distraction. Ron Davies had the temerity to think and this would lead to his downfall within a party and system that distrusted thinkers.

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In the photograph : (from left to right) Sian Howys (Cymdeithas yr Iaith), Ron Davies (then Secretary of State for Wales), and Angharad Tomos (Cymdeithas yr Iaith) at a public meeting with Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Bridgend, as part of National Eisteddfod week, August 1998.