I've only just seen this picture. It was taken last month in the Houses of Parliament and shows, from left to right, Agusti Soler, Hywel Williams, Manel Oronich, Toni Strubell, Elfyn Llwyd and Jonathan Edwards. The three Plaid Cymru MPs will be familiar faces, the three others are deputies in the Catalan Parlament from different pro-independence parties. They are holding the Estelada – the version of the traditional striped flag which includes a blue triangle and star, used by those who want to see an independent Catalunya. A nice display of solidarity between our two nations.
But on a less serious note, why are our three MPs looking at the camera and the three Catalans looking in the other direction?
Clever or amusing answers only, please.
13 comments:
Champions League Final on the box in the corner?
Jonathan Edwards: You lot can hide your stomachs behind that flag.....but I want everyone to see mine!
Who's that in the corner? Oh, that's Chris Bryant. One glimpse of a flag and he'll show any stranger his Union Jack underwear. No, don't look, it only encourages him.
"Wait! Catalunya banned bull fighting!"
"Don't worry, Helen-Mary is still miffed at losing her seat."
Cheryl Gillan : "Gosh chaps, hehe, I thought you said you have the Estée Lauder, what?"
Are they looking in different directions because the Catalan national movement traditionally looks to the (centre) right (CiU), while Plaid Cymru looks to the left, and this is why Catalan Nationalism is more succesful?
Only asking.
I think you might be taking this a bit too seriously, 21:43. But, as you raised the point, note that it's Plaid who are looking to the right and the Catalans to the left.
On top of that, the three Catalans are from different parties. Only Manel Oronich is from CiU (CDC to be precise). Toni Strubell is from SI (his version of the story is here) and Agusti Soler is from PRC, a new republican that shouldn't be confused with ERC, and was part of the SI list for the elections last year.
And on top of that, the CiU are only just starting to take the idea of independence seriously. Their official policy at present is to try to get the same fiscal autonomy for Catalunya as Euskadi and Navarre have within Spain. I think that when they fail to get that (which they will) they will have no choice but to shift to a policy of independence, but it might take a year or two. They won't want to risk splitting CiU by moving too quickly.
There's a good report here. I didn't notice any reports of the event in Wales or Scotland. If I missed something, will someone please post a link.
Now let's get back to the serious business of the caption ;-) ... a bottle of Cava for the best.
The Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC)
Republican Left of Catalonia are Plaid's allies in the European Alliance any idea why they weren't represented?
Three catalans (looking at Elfyn Llwyd): "Nice 'tache!"
Cymros: Looks like badly spelt Spanish to me...
Catalans: Looks like badly spelt Euskadi to me...
Penddu
Ok to be serious caption.
Catalan with beard
¿"Whose the scruffy Kid on the end with his shirt out?"
According to the Ara report over a hundred Catalans came to London for the event, Glyn, so I'm sure there'd have been ERC members there, but maybe not an elected deputy.
We're going to have to do something about Jonathan. Maybe he's allergic to Estée Lauder, that would explain why he wasn't touching it ;-)
Time for the Award ceremony. Despite conjuring up the horrible image of Chris Bryant, the prize must go to Peter, who I understand was in Parliament at the time and has something to do with Neath.
Click here to open it.
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