Cynog Dafis

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Cynog Glyndwr Dafis (born 1 February 1938) is a Welsh politician and member of the Plaid Cymru party. He was a school teacher and researcher before entering politics.

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[edit] Education

Dafis was educated at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth gaining a BA (Hons) degree in English and subsequently an M.Ed. degree[citation needed].

[edit] Political career

Dafis was an Member of Parliament for Ceredigion from 1992 until 2000, having been supported by a coalition of local Plaid Cymru and Green party activists. In 2000 he resigned as an MP to devote more time as a member of the National Assembly for Wales, to which he had been elected in 1999.

In a speech at the 2000 National Eisteddfod at Llanelli, Dafis called for a new Welsh language movement with greater powers to lobby for the Welsh language at the Assembly, UK, and EU levels.[1] Dafis felt the needs of the language were ignored during the first year of the Assembly, and that in order to ensure a dynamic growth of the Welsh language a properly resourced strategy was needed[1] In his speech Dafis encouraged other Welsh language advocacy groups to work closer together creating a more favorable climate in which in which using Welsh was "attractive, exciting, a source of pride and a sign of strength".[1] Additionally, Dafis pointed towards efforts in areas such as Catalonia and the Basque country as successful examples to emulate.[1]

Lord Elis-Thomas, former Plaid Cymru president, dissagreed with Dafis' assessment, however. At the Urdd Eisteddfod Lord Elis-Thomas said that there was no need for another Welsh language act, citing that there was "enough goodwill to safeguard the language's future".[2] His controversial comments prompted Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg to joined a chorus calling for his resignation as the Assembly's presiding officer.[2]

In 2002, he announced he would step down from the Assembly at the 2003 elections, despite party leader Ieuan Wyn Jones having asked him not to do so. Soon after the elections in 2003, he announced his candidacy for Presidency of the party, but lost to Dafydd Iwan.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Call for new language movement Tuesday, 8 August, 2000 extracted 27 Jan 2008
  2. ^ a b Elis-Thomas in language row Sunday, 4 June, 2000 extracted 27 Jan 2008

[edit] Offices held

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Geraint Howells		 Member of Parliament for Ceredigion
1992–2000		 Succeeded by
Simon Thomas
National Assembly for Wales
Preceded by
(new post)		 Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales
1999 – 2003		 Succeeded by
Helen Mary Jones
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