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Jo Stevens, the Welsh Secretary and Labour MP for Cardiff East, has come under criticism from Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell for her approach to the Welsh language. Campbell described Stevens’ attitude as “an incredible lack of respect and a dinosaur-like attitude” during a session in the Senedd. This criticism arose following Stevens’ explanation to a constituent, where she indicated that she only used English on leaflets and social media because English is “spoken by almost every single constituent.”
Stevens, who also serves in Sir Keir Starmer’s UK government representing Wales, replied to the constituent earlier this month, stating there is no legal requirement for MPs to provide bilingual communications in Welsh and English. She acknowledged the importance of the Welsh language but maintained that her communication predominantly in English was practical given the linguistic demographics of her constituency. Her response was later shared on a Welsh language Facebook page, sparking debate among Welsh politicians.
The Welsh Labour government has an ambitious target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050. A spokesperson from the Welsh Language Commissioner emphasized to the BBC that MPs in Wales are encouraged to use both Welsh and English. During the Senedd debate, Campbell highlighted Stevens’ comments to the First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, condemning them as disrespectful towards the Welsh language. Morgan expressed her eagerness for the promotion of the Welsh language by all elected officials.
Independent member Rhys ab Owen also weighed in, urging First Minister Morgan to encourage Stevens to embrace bilingual communication more fully. He criticized the reliance on the argument that most people speak English as outdated, especially in Cardiff where Welsh remains a vital language. Morgan acknowledged the responsibility leaders have to engage Welsh speakers. Meanwhile, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority confirmed to the BBC that funding exists to assist MPs with translating materials between Welsh and English, noting this funding is unlimited and separate from other office budgets. Additionally, a UK Parliament spokesperson stated that Welsh can be used in all committees and that Welsh speakers are accommodated to ensure equal treatment, including the ability to receive and send correspondence in Welsh
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