House of Lords peer's Welsh language 'fascism' remark criticised

Lord Moylan said the Welsh language was used as a "tool for promoting nationalist sentiment"

A Tory Lord has been sharply criticised for claiming there is almost "linguistic fascism" in parts of Wales.

Lord Moylan said language can be used as "a tool for promoting nationalist sentiment".

His remarks sparked controversy in the House of Lords, with critics branding them "high-handed".

A Conservative frontbencher said the UK government supported the Welsh language and was backing Welsh government plans for a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Speaking during a debate on safeguarding the union, Lord Moylan said: "We remain a voluntary union and that voluntary union is essentially based on affection. We are attracted to each other.

"The fact we choose to stay together is because of the affection that exists. Not coercion but affection. That is our strength and that is what we need to build on."

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Turning to the issue of language, he told peers: "It is a sensitive subject but we shouldn't be too sensitive about discussing it.

"There is no doubt, and Sinn Fein will appreciate this, that the use of language is a tool for promoting nationalist sentiment."

Sparking cries of dissent, he added: "When I look at Wales and see the almost linguistic fascism that now exists in parts of it, I am deeply concerned that we will find ourselves, on some occasion in the future, in a situation rather like we were with Scotland in 2014, when, half way through the referendum campaign, we realised that unionism might lose the referendum, so out of touch we were. I do not want to see something like that happen in Wales."

Lord Moylan was an adviser to Boris Johnson when he was mayor of London, and became a peer in 2020.

'I really object to the term'

Baroness Humphreys, who is deputy leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: "I really object to the term language fascism.

"People fail to understand that Wales is a bilingual nation and people have the right to use their first language, whichever language that is, or both languages if they want to."

Labour frontbencher Baroness Chapman of Darlington said: "I was sorry to hear Lord Moylan refer to linguistic fascism in Wales.

"I would invite him gently and with a great deal of respect to consider his use of language and also whether I think what could be perceived as a high-handed tone that he deployed in that remark would actually serve in the longer term to strengthen or weaken the union."

Tory frontbencher Lord Cameron of Lochiel said: "In relation to the Welsh language, I would like to be clear that the UK government fully supports the Welsh government's aim of there being one million speakers of Welsh by 2050.

"The Welsh language is devolved but the UK government is committed to supporting the promotion and use of the Welsh language in Wales."

He added: "Languages belong to everyone. I have taken a long interest in promoting the Gaelic language and hark back to the UK Conservative governments of the 80s and 90s and their contribution to Gaelic broadcasting."

Lord Cameron told peers: "This government will never cease to be a government that puts the safeguarding and strengthening of our union at the centre of our work."

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