Here’s the response of Neil McEvoy, Propel Wales candidate in the constituency of Caerdydd Penarth, to the email about Welsh-medium education. The response was received on 3 May 2026 (after the deadline of 30 April 2026 that was stated in the original email).
Thanks for your email and for setting out your priorities for Welsh-medium education ahead of the 2026 Senedd election. I’m very happy to respond.
Let me be clear from the outset: my commitment to the Welsh language and Welsh-medium education is unwavering. My son attends a Welsh-medium primary school, and I have been learning Cymraeg myself since my early 30s.
I firmly believe that Cymraeg belongs to everyone in Wales, regardless of background, and that access to Welsh-medium education should be a right for every child. This is reflected in Propel’s Contract with Wales, where we commit to expanding Welsh-medium provision, investing in immersion, and ensuring that all new schools are Welsh-medium wherever possible.
I support the principle of “Cymraeg for all”. Children from all backgrounds—including immigrant and asylum-seeking families—must have early and easy access to Welsh-medium education. Growing the number of Welsh speakers is vital to our future, and I support the ambition of reaching one million speakers.
There is a clear need for a Welsh-medium all-age school serving Butetown, Grangetown and surrounding areas, and I support delivering this as a priority. More broadly, we need strong Welsh-medium provision across every part of the city, with significant investment at pre-school, primary and secondary levels.
I also support keeping Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern at the heart of its community, with the investment needed to ensure high-quality, modern facilities. As you may be aware, the school was planned and progressed during my time as Deputy Leader, before opening in September 2012.
More widely, the need for a fourth Welsh-medium comprehensive school has been clear for years, yet Labour has failed to act. I will continue to hold Cardiff Council to account for its lack of investment in Welsh-medium infrastructure, including at Glantaf and Plasmawr.
We also need a serious programme of growth. Propel’s position is clear: all new schools should be Welsh-medium, and we must significantly increase the number of children entering Welsh-medium education in the years ahead.
I am proud of my record in this area.
During my time as Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council between 2008 and 2012, six Welsh-medium primary schools were opened—the largest expansion of Welsh-medium education in the council’s history. Significant investment was also secured, including over £6.3 million for Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr and over £5.3 million for Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf, alongside the development of Bro Edern.
In contrast, progress since 2012 has been far too slow, with limited expansion and insufficient investment under Labour’s administration.
The last wholly Welsh-medium primary school to open in Cardiff—Ysgol Hamadryad—was already agreed upon and fully funded before I left office. Labour’s decision to reverse course forced parents to organise and fight for what had already been secured.
I am proud to have helped bring that community together, organising a meeting in Grangetown which led to the formation of the TAG campaign. That school exists today because of that campaign—not because of Labour’s leadership.
In short, I support the expansion of Welsh-medium education, I have a proven track record of delivering it, and I will continue to fight for it.
If elected to the Senedd, I will continue to champion the growth of Welsh-medium education across Cardiff and all of Wales.
I would be more than happy to have a further conversation about how I can support the campaign.
Yours sincerely,
Neil McEvoy
Propel Lead Candidate – Caerdydd Penarth