Saturday, November 17, 2007
Another People's party
I am not going to reveal the name of the senior Plaid Cymru member who was jumping with joy in the members' tea room on Wednesday at the news that Seimon Glyn has left the party and hooked up instead with a grouping calling themselves Llais y Bobl. Needless to say Mr. Glyn's departure will certainly lead bring joy to some Plaid members.
Quite how long their celebrations will go on for has to be seen. Plaid Cymru certainly seem to have created a difficult situation for themselves in Gwynedd. I suspect that Seimon Glyn's view that “I joined Plaid to defend communities. Now I'm having to leave Plaid to do the same thing,” could well resonate with many voters next May. As the Western Mail says the party faces being portrayed during the coming election campaign as the destroyer of the rural communities it has championed for decades.
I am not going to pass judgement either on Plaid Cymru's school closure plans as Gwynedd is not in my area and I fully understand the pressures the Council are facing, as well as the impact of their decisions on embattled communities. I will note however the irony of a party, that has attacked Swansea Council for closing an unsustainable community school in the Swansea Valley, now proposing to close community schools elsewhere in Wales.
It is also worth noting the further impact of the budget settlement on Gwynedd. This will inevitably increase the pace of school closures but for once Plaid Cymru cannot blame the government. They are the government.
Quite how long their celebrations will go on for has to be seen. Plaid Cymru certainly seem to have created a difficult situation for themselves in Gwynedd. I suspect that Seimon Glyn's view that “I joined Plaid to defend communities. Now I'm having to leave Plaid to do the same thing,” could well resonate with many voters next May. As the Western Mail says the party faces being portrayed during the coming election campaign as the destroyer of the rural communities it has championed for decades.
I am not going to pass judgement either on Plaid Cymru's school closure plans as Gwynedd is not in my area and I fully understand the pressures the Council are facing, as well as the impact of their decisions on embattled communities. I will note however the irony of a party, that has attacked Swansea Council for closing an unsustainable community school in the Swansea Valley, now proposing to close community schools elsewhere in Wales.
It is also worth noting the further impact of the budget settlement on Gwynedd. This will inevitably increase the pace of school closures but for once Plaid Cymru cannot blame the government. They are the government.
