Stephen Price
A ‘cross-party’ group which claims to ‘do what the Welsh media has failed to do and properly scrutinise Plaid Cymru’s toxic separatist politics’ has condemned Janet Finch-Saunders’ widely-praised effort to use Welsh at the Senedd.
After causing outrage by urging a minister to answer a question in English recently, Janet Finch-Saunders MS received widespread support for asking a question in the Senedd in Welsh.
As she sat down, a Senedd Member can then be heard saying, “Well done, Janet” while others in the room shared their support.
Heledd Fychan MS responded by thanking Finch-Saunders for the question and congratulated her on her ‘Cymraeg gwych’.
Commenters were quick to commend the Tory MS’s effort on social media, too, with one writing (translated): “This will do wonders to raise the profile of the Welsh language! Maybe more MSs will follow her example now.”
Unhappy with the move from the Tory MS, however, Plaid Cymru Exposed shared on X: “We’ve a lot of praise for you on some issues, Janet, but this quite misses the mark.
“Plaid Cymru Senedd ministers want you to address them in Welsh. It’s like we saw the other week when you asked Heledd Fychan a question in English and she consciously replied in Welsh, knowing you aren’t able to speak the language.
“It makes them feel superior. Don’t pander to Fychan’s sanctimony by appeasing her with this.”
We’ve a lot of praise for you on some issues, Janet, but this quite misses the mark.
Plaid Cymru Senedd ministers want you to address them in Welsh. It’s like we saw the other week when you asked Heledd Fychan a question in English and she consciously replied in Welsh, knowing you aren’t able to speak the language.
It makes them feel superior. Don’t pander to Fychan’s sanctimony by appeasing her with this.
— Plaid Cymru Exposed
(@PlaidExposed) October 13, 2026
The move was supported by anti-Welsh democracy Facebook Page Senedd Waste who wrote: “A Conservative politician has been told not to succumb to bullying following a row in which a Plaid Cymru Senedd member pointedly refused to answer the non-Welsh speaker in English.
“Last month, Heledd Fychan insisted on answering Janet Finch-Saunders’ question on NHS waiting times in Welsh, in the full knowledge she did not speak the language.
“Yesterday, Finch-Saunders addressed Fychan again, this time reading out a question that had been translated into Welsh.
Finch-Saunders was told not to appease Fychan by campaign group Plaid Cymru Exposed, who warned the party uses the tactic deliberately to impose the language on non-Welsh speakers.”
Anti-devolution Facebook page ‘Wales for a United Kingdom’ was also quick to mock her efforts, writing: “There was concern in the Senedd this afternoon after a Conservative MS appeared to be having some kind of medical episode. The member was actually trying to speak Welsh.”
This week’s move from Finch-Saunders comes after a recent exchange between the Tory MS and Plaid’s Heledd Fychan which racked up tens of thousands of views on social media, after a question about Welsh NHS waiting lists was asked by Finch-Saunders in English, which the Plaid MS answered in Welsh.
While Fychan responded in Welsh, Bangor, Conwy and Môn MS Janet Finch-Saunders interrupted, stating. “I did ask the question in English.”
Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport Fychan responded: “Yes, and we have two languages here, so I will use the Welsh language to reply to your question. Thank you. Is the interpretation working for the Member now?”
At the time, there was no fault with the Welsh language translation system as had been speculated and video evidence shows that the translation is completely without fault.
Welsh and English are the official, equal languages of the Senedd, which provides full simultaneous translation services for all plenary sessions and committee meetings.
Both languages are treated on a basis of equality in all proceedings, records, and publications, and live translation headsets and digital audio feeds are available on-site and online to provide real-time simultaneous translation between Welsh and English.
Welsh language campaigners, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, shared recently: “In a country where we don’t have many language rights, one of the few places where the right to use Welsh is established is the Senedd Chamber.
“Now is the time to turn the tide in favour of the Welsh language in the Senedd’s administration. It is essential to ensure that the Senedd, including the Members themselves, are brought under the Welsh Language Standards, so that a robust legal framework is in place.
“We also call on all Members of the Senedd to make greater use of the Welsh language in their work. We want more Welsh in the Chamber!”
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