“Bevan tried to change the nation”
Charlotte Church, the Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter, gave a rousing speech at yesterday’s protest march through London against the Conservative government’s austerity measures.
Charlotte received loud cheers as she spoke to an assembled crowd of a quarter of a million at a rally at the end of the protest – the biggest in Britain for many years.
Here’s an excerpt from it…
“One aspect of this that really gets under my skin is that it’s all wrapped up in a proud-to-be-British package. I’m proud to be British because of our National Health Service, the welfare system, and David Bowie, not cos of the Union Jack! Nationalism has worked wonders for the Scots because it’s galvanised them against the Westminster elite. But rarely does pure nationalism have a positive effect, and more often than not it serves to veil racism. I’m not saying don’t be proud, I’m saying be proud for the right reasons.”
Naturally we concur that David Bowie is one of the right reasons to be proud to be British. Read the full speech here.
FOOTNOTE: Those of you outside of the UK may not know that Charlotte’s fellow Welshman, Aneurin Bevan (pictured), was best known for his accomplishment in July 1948, (during his time as Minister of Health), when he spearheaded the establishment of the National Health Service, which was to provide medical care free at point-of-need to all Britons.