Thursday, June 04, 2009
Dissent within the ranks
Nobody pays much attention to bloggers, even the popular Plaid Cymru sort, so it is unlikely that this plea by Alan Jones, author of the alanindyfed blog will be listened to.
He has send an e-mail to senior Plaid politicians suggesting that the party should pull out of its coalition with Labour to avoid being tainted by association with its troubled partner. He writes:
“The time has come in my opinion for a re-evaluation of Plaid’s position in the political line-up at the Welsh National Assembly.
“Whatever the major parties in Wales may say to the contrary, they are British parties dedicated to the maintenance of the Union. Plaid Cymru, in this perspective, is the only party of Wales, a party formed for the aim of severing the connection with the United Kingdom and establishing an independent social and democratic republic as Ireland has done.
“In Northern Ireland the Unionists are in coalition with Sinn Fein. In the Welsh Assembly Labour is in coalition with Plaid. With a general election in the offing this is an unhealthy situation for both Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru. The public will associate both nationalist parties with the failed and discredited policies of the Labour Government and these parties could well be damaged by the association.
“Therefore it would seem that the interests of Plaid and consequently the interests of the Welsh nation are not well served by remaining in coalition with Labour. It may be in the strategic interests of Plaid to pull out of the tenuous political association. Thus Plaid would be enabled to pursue its own unadulterated policies unencumbered by restraints and as a result would gain stature with the electorate.”
I suppose that jitters are natural but I am sure nothing will come of it.
He has send an e-mail to senior Plaid politicians suggesting that the party should pull out of its coalition with Labour to avoid being tainted by association with its troubled partner. He writes:
“The time has come in my opinion for a re-evaluation of Plaid’s position in the political line-up at the Welsh National Assembly.
“Whatever the major parties in Wales may say to the contrary, they are British parties dedicated to the maintenance of the Union. Plaid Cymru, in this perspective, is the only party of Wales, a party formed for the aim of severing the connection with the United Kingdom and establishing an independent social and democratic republic as Ireland has done.
“In Northern Ireland the Unionists are in coalition with Sinn Fein. In the Welsh Assembly Labour is in coalition with Plaid. With a general election in the offing this is an unhealthy situation for both Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru. The public will associate both nationalist parties with the failed and discredited policies of the Labour Government and these parties could well be damaged by the association.
“Therefore it would seem that the interests of Plaid and consequently the interests of the Welsh nation are not well served by remaining in coalition with Labour. It may be in the strategic interests of Plaid to pull out of the tenuous political association. Thus Plaid would be enabled to pursue its own unadulterated policies unencumbered by restraints and as a result would gain stature with the electorate.”
I suppose that jitters are natural but I am sure nothing will come of it.
Comments:
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ok then question: if Libdems were in coalition with Labour right now, wouldn't you have the same jitters? Infact, just being a politician, don't you STILL have the same jitters? Personally I'd hate to be a politician right now, of any party, of any institution. The mob is fickle, and the mob is out for blood (metaphorically)
Peter, If nobody pays much attention to Bloggers (as you say yourself above), why do you waste so much time on this Blog of yours? It is a high quality Blog, but having said that, why not use your valuable time helping constituents. Having also said that, I know you are one of the most hard working AMs we have. Many of the AMs , including your West Wales Regional colleagues simply ignore people continually - especially the two Plaid Cymru ones! They are a disgrace to their constituents!The Tory AM locally will occassionally respond. As for our Labour Gower AM and yourself our lone Lib Dem - you both honestly work really hard for the people. If you folded this Blog it would give you even more time to outdo every one of them with your services.
I think you need to put my comments in the context in which they are made, namely the degree to which bloggers are listened to within party hierarchies, which is often dependent on how high up that hierarchy the blogger is. I think my blog is an important communication tool that helps me do my job. It does not really take that much time.
I think this is more than likely, actually - Plaid have no principles and are opportunists, I've suggested here before that they'll ditch Labour in the Bay once its grip on Westminster has gone.
Question is, who would govern then?!
Question is, who would govern then?!
# posted by 
: 8:27 PM
: 8:27 PM
Why are comparisons / benchmarking being carried out between Plaid and Sinn Fein?
# posted by : 9:07 PM
: 9:07 PM
is this the same Alan in Dyfed who was claiming that a Labour Plaid coalition was the best thing that could ever happen and slaggingoff those Plaid people who disagreed?
Surely not?
For the record I think the coalition government has been much bette than I expected...but I had low expectations!
Surely not?
For the record I think the coalition government has been much bette than I expected...but I had low expectations!
It is arguable to say that it is in Plaid's interests not to be associated in coalition with Labour. On the other hand Plaid could be seen as the better part of the coalition when compared with Labour.
Either way, it's not Plaid's interests that ought to be paramount but the interests of Wales and this is where I think Alan is wrong. If Plaid leaves the coalition it leaves a minority Labour administration, swfitly followed by the Labour-Liberal coaltion that Ms Williams AM is seeking. Whither Wales' best interests then with either of those options?
Green Man - I suspect the Plaid AMs just ignore you!
View from Penarth - when I hear a Liberal describe Plaid as having "no principles and are opportunists" why do you think I keep hearing the words "pot", "kettle" and "black"?
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Either way, it's not Plaid's interests that ought to be paramount but the interests of Wales and this is where I think Alan is wrong. If Plaid leaves the coalition it leaves a minority Labour administration, swfitly followed by the Labour-Liberal coaltion that Ms Williams AM is seeking. Whither Wales' best interests then with either of those options?
Green Man - I suspect the Plaid AMs just ignore you!
View from Penarth - when I hear a Liberal describe Plaid as having "no principles and are opportunists" why do you think I keep hearing the words "pot", "kettle" and "black"?
# posted by : 1:21 PM
: 1:21 PM<< Home
