Happy St David’s Day!

To be Welsh is simply to be.

Nobody can claim to be more or less Welsh than the next person, and nobody can exclude people from being Welsh.

Wales has always been a welcoming country, and has seen the comings and goings of people from across the world over thousands of years. It’s this movement of people that has made Wales what she is today.

This piece of land, our neighbours, those living in the nearby village or town – this is where we live, whether by accident of birth or by choice, this is our Wales. For all her flaws and imperfections, they’re our flaws and our imperfections as a collective – both yours and mine, and we have a collective responsibility. Only by working together for our common good can we iron out those flaws and build a better Wales.

St David’s most famous miracle was when he is said to have made the ground rise beneath his feet to allow people to see and hear him.

Far too often we tend to only speak to those immediately near us, thinking that what we see and hear represents the whole. Politics and politicians are more guilty than most of this, and end up representing only a few.

As we look towards Wales’ General Election on May 5th, we should heed the lesson from St David’s miracle, and rise above the din of those who are able to make their voices heard, and look for those who are not so fortunate. Because our responsibility to Wales is to the whole not just the fortunate few.

So when the Welsh General Election comes and we think of Wales, our neighbours and communities, let’s make sure that those elected to govern respect that to be Welsh is to be you – no better and no worse than anybody else, or any other country; and to learn from St David and rise above the din, caring and listening to the whole.

Happy St David’s Day!