PLEASE APPRECIATE THAT I GET SENT MORE INFORMATION AND LEADS THAN I CAN USE. I TRY TO RESPOND TO EVERYONE WHO CONTACTS ME BUT I CANNOT POSSIBLY USE EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION I’M SENT. DIOLCH YN FAWR
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This is another lengthy and rather complicated tale but it boils down to a corrupt system seeking to defend itself from a man, and now a new party, determined to expose that corruption.
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PLAID CYMRU RUNS TO THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
After being hounded out of Plaid Cymru Neil McEvoy, with other Cardiff councillors, formed the Welsh National Party, or, in Welsh, Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru. The English version was accepted by the Electoral Commission but not the Welsh language version, rejected because it was too close to the names of existing parties.
I think this decision was wrong. Firstly, the names are clearly different, and for Plaid Cymru leaders to argue that Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru was the original name of their party is disingenuous, for that name had fallen out of use when I joined Plaid Cymru in the mid-1960s. Nor is it “widely used by Welsh speakers”. Plaid Cymru is ‘Plaid Cymru’ whether you’re speaking Welsh or English.
What’s more, party logos also appear on ballot papers, further reducing the chances of confusion.
Not satisfied with a draw, Plaid Cymru has now mounted a legal challenge to the name ‘Welsh National Party’, on the following grounds:
- Irrational to maintain the registration of the name ‘Welsh National Party’ having rejected the registration of its Welsh translation, ‘Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru’
- Failure to consider the high likelihood that, in Wales, the Welsh translation of the name ‘Welsh National Party’ would become commonplace in the context of the official legal status of the Welsh language
- Failure to give adequate reasons to explain why the English name ‘Welsh National Party’ would be unlikely to cause confusion, having accepted that the Welsh name would cause confusion
To address the first point: The registration of ‘Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru’ was rejected because it might be confused with a name no longer used by Plaid Cymru. But even that absurd decision may not invalidate ‘Welsh National Party’ because it’s unclear if the name in one language must be a direct translation of the name in other languages.
Second point: “In Wales”! – where else will the WNP be standing? While “would become commonplace in the context of the official legal status of the Welsh language” needs to be translated . . . into English.
Third point: The rather obvious answer is that ‘Welsh National Party’ is unlike the name of any existing political party. Making this an argument for accepting ‘Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru’ rather than for rejecting ‘Welsh National Party’.
Let us also remember that a few years ago, Plaid Cymru introduced the English language moniker, the ‘Party of Wales’. Though I can understand Plaid being miffed that it never caught on, because from Connah’s Quay to Chepstow people still say ‘Plaid Cymru’.
At the risk of labouring the point, Plaid Cymru is known by that name, and by that name only, all over Wales, and beyond, to speakers of Welsh, English, and all other languages.
Another irony is that Plaid Cymru objecting to a party with ‘National’ in its name. Ironic, because since Dafydd Elis Thomas led the party in the 1980s, and the left took over, ‘nation’, ‘national’, and ‘nationalist’ have been frowned on in Plaid Cymru circles. The party now deals with the geographical expression ‘Wales’, and the people(s) of Wales.
But I suspect there’s more to this harassment of the Welsh National Party than simply trying to sabotage a putative rival. As I’ll try to explain.
But before that, and in response to these latest developments, Gretta Marshall, chair of the Welsh National Party has issued the following statement:
“The WNP is going from strength to strength. The Welsh name put forward is Y Blaid Genedlaethol. We felt this was a sensible compromise. There is no possibility of confusion with any other party in Wales.
Statute law is clear. Once registered, a political party cannot simply be de-registered on a whim no matter who complains. Due process exists. Cardiff Council has already confirmed in writing that our Group of councillors in the Capital is a Welsh National Party Group.
As Party Chair, I am overseeing our action. We have written to the Electoral Commission and the Speaker Committee of the House of Commons.
The obvious thing would have been for interested parties to at least communicate with us. That did not happen, which is unfortunate. “
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PLAID CYMRU, FRIEND OF THE UNION
I have long argued that from London’s perspective Plaid Cymru is the perfect ‘nationalist’ party (irrespective of how it might describe itself). For a number of reasons.
To begin with, Plaid always struggled due to the perception of it being a ‘party for Welsh speakers’. Something I encountered again and again when canvassing in the 1960s and 1970s. Being greeted on the doorsteps of east Swansea not with hostility, but an almost apologetic, “Sorry, love, we don’t speak Welsh in this house”.
That perception was a major obstacle to the party’s progress, and unfortunately it was not entirely incorrect. Which was a shame, because I knew so many who were not hostile to the idea of devolution or even independence, but they did feel excluded by Plaid Cymru’s over-emphasis on the Welsh language.
Support for what I’m saying came in September 1997, when the working class areas of Swansea voted heavily for devolution in the referendum. This was the picture from Swansea Bay to the Heads of the Valleys, the region of the shared accent, with the highest percentages of Welsh identifiers.
This region, containing almost half our population, should have been fertile ground for any party preaching radical change with a strong Welsh flavour. It is certainly the key to success in Wales.
But Plaid Cymru’s leadership, understanding little about the southern working class, believed that to appeal to this electorate the party needed to out-Labour Labour – by being more socialist!
But voters in the south supported Labour for the same reason stockbrokers in Surrey and hedge fund managers in Hertfordshire vote Tory – naked self-interest. Of course there were socialists among the Labour voters, but most put up with the leftie dreaming just so long as Labour delivered on wages and holiday pay and lower taxes.
But in its naiveté, Plaid’s out-of-touch hierarchy saw red flags, barricades and electoral success . . . but realised nothing more than a few false dawns.
And now, things are even worse, for Plaid Cymru seems to have abandoned the practical and self-serving ‘socialism’ of the old southern working class in which I grew up for lunacies straight off California’s campuses.
This combination of still being perceived as a Welsh language party while now insisting that 16-year-olds can have gender reassignment surgery on demand – and branding as a fascist transphobe anyone who disagrees – has as much chance of electoral success as I have of becoming chairman of Cardiff City Supporters Club.
But if you were sitting at a desk in London wouldn’t you adore a no-threat nationalist party like Plaid Cymru? Wouldn’t you do your best to support it . . . and slap down any rival threatening to expose and replace it?
Which is why I suggest there may be more to this quibbling over party labels than meets the eye.
Away from the hair-splitting, Plaid Cymru could be in its death-throes anyway. Having failed to win in the south (or the north east), and having done no more than retain its four seats in last December’s elections (and come no better than third anywhere else), Plaid Cymru is more penned in to its heartland than ever.
A socially conservative heartland that votes Plaid Cymru for very similar reasons to die-hard Labour areas in the south vote as they do – perceived self-interest and force of habit.
But through emigration and colonisation – issues Plaid Cymru has refused to confront (especially the latter) – it’s only a matter of time before people in these areas give up on Plaid Cymru and resign themselves to the Cornwallisation of what was Y Fro Gymraeg.
But if a new party emerges – be it the Welsh National Party or Gwlad – to address the problems of lack of investment, low wages, poor infrastructure, house prices, saturation tourism, etc., etc., then such a party could both outflank Plaid Cymru in its heartland and also appeal to those urban areas Plaid Cymru has scarcely penetrated.
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PLAID CYMRU, LABOUR’S LITTLE HELPER
Despite all the huffing and puffing Plaid Cymru has no chance of blowing down Labour’s house. In fact, it’s not really trying. Because in Plaid Cymru’s weltanschauung Labour, despite being the dominant party, isn’t really the opposition, let alone the enemy.
No, comrade, the enemy is always the Conservative and Unionist Party. The Tories are no more or less Unionist than Labour . . . but of course they’re a party of the right.
Grasp that and you’ll realise that Wales’ constitutional relationship with England and the state of the nation are of secondary importance to how the governing party in London is viewed through Plaid Cymru’s ideological prism. And this explains, a) why Plaid Cymru attracts leftist fringe elements, and b) why it’s forever cwtshing up to Labour.
For don’t be fooled by the sound bites and the electioneering – Plaid Cymru has no real desire to overcome ‘Welsh’ Labour, and if it did by some chance get more AMs then it would almost certainly and immediately offer a coalition deal.
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LABOUR’S LITTLE HELPER 2; WHERE IT GETS PERSONAL, AND WHY
The Welsh National Party is not a one-man band, far from it, but because Neil McEvoy is involved, and because there are elements in Plaid Cymru that regard him as Beelzebub’s emissary on Earth, this personalises the attacks.
Just look at the history.
In October 2013 it was announced that the Labour administration in Cardiff docks had done a budget deal with Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats.
Snouts were soon in the trough and when, in 2016, Neil McEvoy exposed some very dubious dealings the Plaid Cymru leadership turned on him. For the troughing involved Nerys Evans, a former Plaid Cymru Assembly Member who’d set up Deryn Consulting.
Now let’s move on to early 2017, when Neil McEvoy broke the scandal of Deryn getting contracts from Ofcom due to two Deryn directors serving on Ofcom’s advisory committee for Wales.
A clear case of insider advantage, even corruption. But, again, Neil McEvoy became the villain for exposing it!
And yes, it’s the same woman, Nerys Evans, who’d been involved with the Ofcom scandal. I understand that when she ceased to be an AM Plaid Cymru, as a farewell gift, presented her with a lovely moral compass.
No doubt it will turn up one day on The Antiques Roadshow. Unused.
Hinkley Point nuclear power station is in Somerset, but dumps its contaminated mud off the coast at Cardiff. As a Cardiff AM Neil McEvoy was doing his job in asking for an Environmental Impact Assessment. Plaid Cymru thought he was being ‘confrontational’.
Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas even called the campaigners “conspiracy theorists”. Later, when McEvoy said that Thomas should have got a more severe sentence for his child pornography offence, he made even more enemies in Plaid Cymru’s upper echelons.
And who can forget the very suspicious – possibly illegal – timber contracts. Again, Plaid Cymru criticised Neil McEvoy for being ‘aggressive’ in his insistence on straight answers.
The body involved in both cases was Natural Resources Wales, an agency of the ‘Welsh Government’. Making Plaid Cymru more concerned with saving Labour’s blushes than with serving the national interest.
Later, when Neil McEvoy criticised the decision to allow the CEO of Natural Resources Wales to retire and walk away, leadership candidate Rhun ap Iorwerth and Llywydd (Speaker) Elin Jones were said to be “furious” at his impertinence.
But Elin Jones is very close to Labour. Here’s a photo I’ve used recently showing her with Lesley Griffiths, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs in a Dublin bar with Griffiths’ boyfriend ‘Game Show Gary’ Haggaty earlier this year.
Few images illustrate the closeness of the Labour-Plaid Cymru relationship than a Welsh-speaking woman from a farming background sharing a glass of porter with two people intent on destroying the Welsh family farm and all it stands for.
It was inevitable that Neil McEvoy’s enemies would strike back. First, in March 2017, Labour-controlled Cardiff city council suspended him on a trumped-up charge of ‘bullying’. He was in fact standing up for a woman getting a rough deal from the council.
Eleven days later, as pay-back for exposing the Deryn-Ofcom scandal – and at Deryn’s insistence!– Plaid Cymru followed Labour’s lead and also suspended him.
This is what Vaughan Roderick, BBC Welsh Affairs Editor wrote of Plaid Cymru’s decision. A very revealing piece in a number of ways.
He tells us that, “a group of domestic violence survivors and women’s activists has written to Plaid Cymru calling for the party to review its support for Mr McEvoy”. The group was represented by Rachel Williams . . . who just happens to be a member of the Labour Party hiding behind a third sector body. (And there are hundreds of them in that disguise.)
Later we read, “fellow (Plaid Cymru) AMs complain of him (Neil McEvoy) being in a ‘continual attack mode'”. In other words, Plaid Cymru is criticising Neil McEvoy for attacking the Labour Party, the corrupt and incompetent buffoons who have run Wales into the ground.
Last September Plaid Cymru helped both Labour and Deryn by agreeing to suppress the findings into leaks connected with Carl Sargeant’s suicide.
The leaks came from Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones’ office to Deryn, where Jo Kiernan could be found. Kiernan was a former adviser to Jones. The following week it was she that Carwyn Jones phoned soon after hearing of Sargeant’s suicide. One of two calls he made to Deryn.
I covered this in Plaid Cymru -Labour’s little helper, again!
What we see at work here is the unwritten alliance between the self-styled ‘progressive’ parties Labour and Plaid Cymru, lobbyists, civil servants (answering to London), and the third sector. They mwah away in the swamp of Corruption Bay and they all have the knives out for Neil McEvoy because he knows how they operate, and worse, he threatens their cosy and corrupt relationships.
Another recent example of the alliance in operation was in November 2019, when Neil McEvoy tried to introduce a register for lobbyists, an initiative that was opposed by both Labour and Plaid Cymru. With their opposition choreographed by Deryn.
Though, strangely, in 2016 Plaid Cymru was in favour of a register of lobbyists. Google still shows the link (below), but the information has disappeared from the Plaid Cymru website. Fancy that!
Yes, Neil McEvoy brings down trouble on his own head, but he does it for the right reasons, because his ‘crime’ is – exposing corruption.
As if all that wasn’t enough to make enemies for him in Plaid Cymru and Labour there are also very important political and financial considerations.
In 2016, Neil McEvoy, standing as a Plaid Cymru candidate in the Cardiff West constituency, almost beat Mark Drakeford, the current First Minister of the so-called ‘Welsh Government’.
And the vote was most definitely for Neil McEvoy rather than for Plaid Cymru, as the results in the other Cardiff seats made clear. In next year’s elections to what is now the Welsh Parliament Neil McEvoy will be standing again in Cardiff West, and he has a very good chance of winning.
Which means that another motive for Plaid Cymru attacking him and the WNP is to protect the First Minister. For he drives the gravy train.
If Plaid Cymru had two heads it would have one stuck up its own arse and the other stuck up Labour’s.
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THE NASTY PARTY
By being what it has become, Plaid Cymru obviously attracts the young idiots with their absurd ’causes’, and their black and white take on everything. But most of them will, hopefully, mature.
But Plaid also has an already mature element that should know better, but behaves irresponsibly and vindictively, egging on the young hotheads. We saw it with the horrific treatment of Dilys Davies.
One of these is Rhian Fitter, who tweets as ‘Mrs Eff’, @ichy_vagenda. She recently attacked Neil McEvoy over an incident from 1996, when he was a young teacher in Pontypool.
The facts are that returning from a school trip to France, and arriving back in Pooler after midnight, two local ne’er-do-wells tried to hijack the bus full of kids. There was a bout of fisticuffs and Neil McEvoy managed to get the two off the bus. The fight continued on the street and the hijackers’ mates turned up, which resulted in Neil McEvoy getting a bit of a kicking. This has left him with impaired hearing.
But the bus got away and the kids were safe.
Neil McEvoy told the story at a Plaid conference, but because it puts him in a favourable light there are some in Plaid Cymru who say he must be lying. Rhian Fitter being one, though why she chose to dredge it up when she did can only be guessed at.
Not only did she dredge the story up but she re-wrote it. For Neil McEvoy never claimed the incident took place in the Middle East, nor did he mention guns. Rhian Fitter knows that full well but still feels it’s OK to lie because she’s attacking Neil McEvoy.
She even organised a poll. Given her followers the outcome was predictable. Though she didn’t have it all her own way.
What I find fascinating here is that Rhian Fitter, while telling lies about Neil McEvoy, and generally traducing his reputation, accuses him of trying to discredit Plaid Cymru! Breathtaking double standards.
But of course Rhian Fitter is a ‘progressive’, a native of the sunlit uplands. She is both morally and intellectually superior to people like Neil McEvoy, and me. And as is the way with her kind, she entertains no doubts.
A few more nasty and inaccurate tweets were posted. Until eventually it dawned even on Rhian Fitter that she may have gone too far, and so she deleted some of them.
But even in ‘apologising’ she can’t resist having a Parthian shot with ‘aliens’!
I tell you this because ‘Mrs Eff’ is the mother of Rhydian Elis Fitter, Plaid Cymru’s Senior Communication Officer. I’m sure the boy learnt a lot about communicating from his esteemed mother.
I shall end this section with a salutary tale from Swansea, illustrating how vindictive Plaid Cymru can be, and where it gets them.
An old mate of mine is Ioan Richard, who served the Mawr ward on the outskirts of the city for decades, both on the old Lliw Valley district council and then the unitary Swansea city council. He was Lord Mayor 2011/12.
Ioan fell out with Plaid Cymru many years ago and stood as an independent for most of his political life. In 2004 he and other independents went into coalition with the Liberal Democrats to run the city council. Plaid Cymru, which had a chance to join the coalition, chose to sit in opposition with the bruvvers.
It is believed that the order to stick with Labour came from Plaid Cymru HQ.
In 2012 Plaid Cymru threw a lot of resources into targeting Ioan’s seat in Mawr, unsuccessfully. Dai Lloyd and his cohorts were seen daily in a semi-rural ward the party had previously neglected. Ioan won. Labour came second.
Plaid Cymru lost their five seats in Swansea, and now the party is little more than a shadow in my home city.
In 2008 in the Llansamlet ward where another old friend, Dr John Ball, had been the party’s first Swansea councillor, Plaid Cymru was even beaten by the BNP!
The parallel is in Plaid Cymru cwtshing up to Labour and attacking a man who wants better for Wales after seeing through Plaid Cymru’s hypocrisy from the inside.
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CONCLUSION
Since Dafydd Wigley was deposed Plaid Cymru has just gone through the motions of being an alternative to the Labour Party. In reality, there is an agreement between the two parties to hoover up the non-Tory vote.
And they can get more votes by staying separate than by officially merging.
An agreement helped by both wanting just enough power and money from London to fund their growing networks of cronies, and also to indulge in the gesture politics and the virtue signalling they prioritise.
And London, even with a Tory government in power, will be happy to fund this corruption in order to ensure that there’s no serious threat from Wales.
Don’t you find it strange that with less than a year to go to the 2021 elections to the Welsh Parliament, and with Labour in power for over two decades, Plaid Cymru is more concerned with attacking a new party that’s hardly got off the ground?
What are we to make of this?
Next year, anyone who cares about Wales would be a fool to vote for Plaid Cymru because a vote for Plaid Cymru will be a vote for the Labour Party . . . and for Deryn . . . and for the third sector . . . and for colonial rule. If you are determined to vote for the pond life of Cardiff Bay it would make more sense to cut out the middle man and give your vote directly to Labour.
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Because next year you will be offered alternatives to those who have betrayed us; you will be able to vote for new parties, with fresh ideas, and candidates who will put Wales and Welsh interests first.
In 2021 vote for the Welsh National Party or vote for Gwlad.
♦ end ♦
They are perfect for our overlords as you say because their brainwashed apologists will always turn round and say – “Look at the shambles we have in Wales for politicians, who’d want that lot completely in charge?”. Just like the “The Assembly – what a waste of money!” crowd have the Puppet Parliament and its shortcomings as grist to their mill.
Slightly off the main thrust of this topic but worth a comment. – Interesting report on Golwg 360 :
https://golwg360.cymru/newyddion/cymru/568126-beirniadu-iaith-wachul-dramau
Cynog Dafis now complaining about too much Anglo idiom and dialogue in S4C Welsh drama output. I think the criticism is justified but a bit rich coming from Cynog. The once upon a time veteran Cymdeithas warrior seems to have forgotten his time as a leading light in Plaid when he and his fellow leadership team spent too much time courting “allies” within the Anglo Unionist mix and inevitably accelerated the absorption of some seriously cock eyed alien thoughts which gives us the Plaid of today. Such dilution has inevitably sent out a signal that turning Welsh into a mongrel sloppy hybrid is perfectly O.K especially among the likes of the right-on media shower that inhabit the demi-monde of Pontcanna and other leafy suburbs of our Capital city.
Jac – you said earlier :-
“I’m sure you’re right, Stan. Which means that Plaid’s behaviour towards Neil McEvoy has been driven by a couple of embittered women and their friends and allies playing on the ‘All men are bastards’ theme. And, then, when he started rocking the boat by exposing the corruption in Cardiff Bay, and Plaid’s involvement, his fate was sealed.But that’s a damning indictment of Plaid Cymru, not Neil McEvoy”..
Why should we in South Wales West suffer from this unemployable AM (in our real world), student politician AM in particular. I say to Adam Price “Weed her out!” – but you will not do it because you’ve got no balls – unlike the former old boxer from Ammanford! Please move east Adam and become a Labour MP in England!
Please Stan tell us what you know of this ghostly AM in Neath and Wales South Wales West Region.
Thanks for partially answering my question about our regional South Wales West female Plaid Cymru AM. Most of the people I talk to politically (but that’s not many) think this AM is particularly of no help to us her constituents. All along it has been with her just student type politics and very little of that for over £67,000 per annum! That’s a disgraceful lot of money for doing very little in Cardiff Bay and even far less in South Wales West. Yet Adam Price could not care a toss. If she got deselected as hoped for, but unlikely, what job could she do? Maybe Glyn Neath Community Council could employ her part time to carry the Clerk’s brief case to meetings. Seriously, it is a disgrace to have people like that taking over £67,000 for being a political ghost intent on undermining a fine stalwart like Neil McEvoy.
I agree with you. But be careful how loud you say it or you’ll be accused of misogyny and bullying. She plays that card regularly when you dare voice criticism of her performance or value for money, rather than deal with the essence of it. We deserve better but what can you do?
A small thing I know but, even though I resigned from Plaid a couple of years ago I still get those dreaded emails from BS asking for my thoughts and any queries or problems I may have.
I had one about a month ago so I replied. One guess. Got it in one. The deafening silence continues.
I asked a question a few comments back – asking in an indirect way a question – but nobody has answered or commented on what I asked – so let’s be blunt about it to the “insiders” who know – what role if any has Bethan Sayed (nee Jenkins) AM had in the continued campaign against Neil McEvoy in all this sordid Plaid Cymru mess Plaid’s got itself into trying unsuccessfully to destroy Neil McEvoy politically and with Plaid doing its best to keep Wales’ First Minister Drakeford in WAG? I also asked what was Adam Price doing about? I’d like an answer to my my first questions. As for the second question we all know the answer is – Adam Price is doing nothing about it as he presides over Plaid’s final termination. Has he got any balls? I have a crystal ball that tells me, rightly or wrongly, that Adam Price could eventually become a Labour MP for an English constituency. Stranger things have happened. Who would have said forty years ago that Dafydd Elis AM would have become a Lord taking the Labour Whip in a Wales Assembly Government?
I can’t comment as an “insider” but only as an individual who has “followed” Bethan and Neil McEvoy through their public social media posts.
When McEvoy was excluded from Plaid there is a record of her posting that if he was reinstated to membership she’d be jacking it in. This may have been a late night, possibly prosecco fuelled threat, but she said it nonetheless. I thought at the time it was bollocks. After all, she might not be the brightest star in the Senedd firmament, but even she knows she’s onto a bloody good number. AMs are on about £67K a year, and they’ve just been promised up to £297 a month for child care, so you can bet that’ll come in handy. If she chairs a committee, and I seem to recall that was the case, then there’d be extras in that pay packet. Could you imagine anyone of Mrs Sayed’s talents earning anything like this in the private sector? Especially in the post-Covid world where there’ll likely be lots of people looking for work with talent and skills employers really value. Unless it was in the oldest profession – not that I’m suggesting for one moment that would be an appropriate alternative livelihood for her or any other woman.
I’ve witnessed loads of occasions when she’s stirred things up for McEvoy on her social media. She regularly shares little “in” messages with another of McEvoy’s former partners, whose relentless pursuit of him over the years would put Lieutenant Gerrard of The Fugitive to shame. Needless to say, most of these exchanges are about McEvoy, who seems damned if he ignores them, but certainly damned if he doesn’t because then that reinforces the accusations against him in their eyes and any kickback from McEvoy brings the usual bullying Woke Army into the fray, much as poor Dilys Davies found out last year.
Where I’m coming to is that if a personal vendetta such as this, against an elected representative, has been allowed to continue by Leanne previously, and now fuck all done about it by Adam, then can you imagine what must have gone behind closed doors to seal McEvoy’s fate. Several years ago I had time for Plaid. But I now see them as just as much a bunch of unscrupulous, untrustworthy, self-serving bastards as Labour. A plague on all of them.
Off topic but it seems golfers are going to be allowed to get their balls out on the fairways quite soon. Nice for them, I guess, but surely chucking your clubs into the Range Rover and driving miles to be the clubhouse is hardly essential travel. Especially when even local country parks are closed around here, denying the unwashed the chance to escape their flats and terraced houses for some decent countryside and fresh air.
Mind you, hardly surprising a Labour led WAG and Labour controlled council locally would do this. One Labour Cabinet member who represents a Neath Town ward actually bragged on his Twitter feed about his penchant for champagne, but not your Lidl crap. Oh, no. This was Bollinger no less, shipping at £65 a bottle in the Cotswolds premises he obligingly posted a photo of the bottle he was imbibing from. And guess what? He still scraped in at the next local elections. And is still enjoying the good life, enhanced to the tune of over £30k a year courtesy of his Cabinet role. As someone who was once in Plaid in Neath said to me, if we couldn’t fucking beat that lot,what does that say about Plaid?
I’m not sure how it’s going to pan out around here. Our local club is in Aberdyfi – but most of the members live in Birmingham and the surrounding area. I wonder . . .
ref your tweet regarding De Niro. I don’t blame him for commenting as a) he’s living in a country of extreme attitudes – liberal, conservative, authoritarian, libertarian, mad and extremely mad !- all overseen by an increasingly demented Trump.
and b) he was talking to the BBC whose craving for chats with celebrities of any fuckin’ persuasion is insatiable. and c) they were paying silly money for a meaningless contribution.
Had they rung me I’d talk to the fuckers as well if they put enough loot in my bin. What I might say would depend on how I felt right then as I would not feel any compulsion to be honest with them !
P.S By the way that Irishman film wasn’t his best but he still shines through and the supplement where they showed him with his co-stars talking through the project with Scorcese was a gem.
I didn’t get that far. Once I knew it was going to be De Niro talking about Trump I switched over. Might go back to it tonight after a relaxing glass of Malbec.
Is there a technical problem with your “comments counter” Jac. Currently 61 comments but 54 recorded at start of your post.
It’s as if the actual page is ‘running slow’. But that’s just one of the problems, Wynne. Main problem being that I can sign in, go to admin, then go to the site, and I can see the site fine , but I’m told to sign in again. It doesn’t really interfere with me using the site, it’s just annoying having to sign in all the time.
I was shocked at the cold ruthless way Plaid disposed of many members with decades of experience in Llanelli. The Town’s branch was an activist branch which had access to a great office base in the town centre. All gone now. When I add this to McEvoy’s excellent attempt at shaking up the Labour’s establishment in Cardiff and even handing Ely to Plaid on a silver platter. I must deduce that Plaid does not want power. It is a shame because when I joined the party under the leadership of Wigley, Plaid was a collection of grass roots activists exchanging tactics and ideas now it is a party of sharp suits and chunky necklaces who don’t want anything to upset their career plans.
Thank you Aled for those comments. Just one further thought picking up on your line ……
“…. One thing that strikes me in reading your post is how easily Plaid have been colonised by liberal-left thinking over the past 20/30 years.”. I believe it went on much longer than that.
Even in the late 60’s not long after Gwynfor’s win at Carmarthen, and certainly into the early 70’s after he lost it, you could see some weird hippy types drifting into the movement. Much of this type of influence derived from the univerisities, conveniently located in North West, Mid, South West and Capital. All sorts of daft ishoo driven youngsters ( and not so young) would arrive in droves at these Uni’s mostly from darkest England armed with the latest fashion in far out thinking. Naive native rebels would be attracted by this sort of stuff despite their alleged intelligence and capacity for critical thinking (!). Eventually this junk infiltrated upwards into Plaid as much of its leadership group was in tune with this thinking and saw it as an opportunity to attract more followers.
And so began the process of dilution and neutering. Of course when the Plaid numbers at Westminster rose to 3 and 4 it was easy to think, whoopee, this is good. But since then it’s stalled and even the presence at Y Cynulliad/Senedd is vulnerable. Most of those early victims of seductive “peace and love”internationalism went on to nice jobs as Crachach or something “tidy” in the professions leaving their country with a wet insipid leadership group.
Nice bit of work if subversion was your business
Great post Jac.
A real eye-opener even for seasoned political observers!
One thing that strikes me in reading your post is how easily Plaid have been colonised by liberal-left thinking over the past 20/30 years.
I know people often bemoan the effect of tabloids like the Sun and Daily Mail here in Wales.
But, i would argue that the combined effect of BBC, Sky, Channel 4- the bastions of liberal-left ideology- have had much more of an impact, especially amongst the politically aware perhaps.
Tele does after all reach the parts that the written press, for all its power, can’t hope to reach.
With Plaid adopting this ideology unthinkingly, believing it to be ‘progressive’, modern and forward-looking. And a very convenient way to move beyond traditional nationalism, which came to be seen as a barrier to growth and popularity.
I also find it very interesting that this mode of thinking is so strong amongst Welsh-speaking nationalists.
I wonder if the decline of organised faith in Wales has made such people even keener devotees of this new ‘modern religion’?
A substitute for the troubling loss of a tradition which has been such a profound element in Welsh consciousness for so long in our history.
Even so, liberal-left ideology is still very much a media driven, minority sport in Wales amongst the population as a whole. But, this of course is conveniently ignored.
The picture of the lady in the burkha was the culmination of many years of inbibing this media concotion. And you know what they say with inbibing too much- it goes to one’s head.
Only a party seriously disconnected with both its traditional voters and the wider Welsh public in general, could have ever thought that picture would be a winner.
Along with the self-referential slogan ‘We are Wales’, and the truly dire and toe-curling Welsh translation ‘Ni yw Cymru’.
The fact that the lady in question then turned out to be not your average burkha-loving Welsh voter, but a ruthless political wannabee, just adds a further element of naivete to the whole picture.
Historians in years to come will have a field day in dissecting the fall of Plaid.
One key question they need to ask. Why wasn’t traditonal Welsh nationalism ever enough for Plaid?
And how did they fall so heavily for the liberal-left ideology, pushed by forces outside Wales, with no love and no respect for Wales as a nation either?
Yes Aled.
You are also correct to identify this poison as the ‘liberal left’ rather than ‘socialist’. There’s a difference. The former, is essentially the chattering classes of identity and virtue signalling, the latter an expression of the valid aspiration of working people through trade unions, traditionally affiliated to the Labour Party. Within that party we also see this manifest. It’s the reason why metropolitan Corbyn lost the aspiration of huge parts of working class England.
There’s an easy pick cherry going begging in Wales.
It’s the working people of the southern cities and the valleys.
These people are characterised by a high degree of Welsh national identity, and it’s not true that yr iaith is an important factor. That ranges from light in the east to substantial in the West (where Plaid Cymru attacked it’s own base in Llanelli). It would be wrong to say that genuine socialist values of nationalisation of national infrastructure like rail, energy, and utilities, which is very much a credible road-map to independence, as well as workplace rights on safely and employment has no part to play in the independence struggle. But the ‘liberal left’ are fixated on virtue signalling, in other words, in Wales, Plaid is fighting for the same territory as the trendy sections of the Labour Party.
This was seen in the Brexit voting pattern.
Neil McEvoy plucks this cherry which is why he poses such a danger to the comfy set. I also think that Leanne Wood tapped into this during her battle against Labour in Rhondda, the only remaining Plaid Cymru representation of a constituency in the south. I do believe that it’s not her core principles that are at fault, but that she spent her time as leader schmoozing the party functionaries and media gurus rather than the people who put her there, in other valleys. A missed the opportunity.
In Cardiff, there was no need to go burka chasing. They already had an inner-city person of colour embedded with the support of the community, but chose to attack him.
I wish I could have expressed this as succinctly and eloquently.
I also think that the anti-McEvoy hysteria has been driven a good deal by two broken personal relationships of his. It’s easy to follow the web of malice and the desire to hit out at him, as it spreads amongst these women’s friends, professional contacts, the New Woke Army of the independence movement, and other women who have been in broken relationships and want to show solidarity with them. It’s probably been the major factor in McEvoy’s fall from grace, in my opinion.
I’m sure you’re right, Stan. Which means that Plaid’s behaviour towards Neil McEvoy has been driven by a couple of embittered women and their friends and allies playing on the ‘All men are bastards’ theme. And, then, when he started rocking the boat by exposing the corruption in Cardiff Bay, and Plaid’s involvement, his fate was sealed.
But that’s a damning indictment of Plaid Cymru, not Neil McEvoy.
There is an element of personal stalking by those hounding McEvoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41k3A5tZW4I%5Bremovetoplay%5D
It was first clinically diagnosed on the school bus between Merthyr Tydfil and Rhydyfelin.
It’s the psychology of the self-destructive groupie. Important to understand for those in the public eye, pop stars, actors, popular politicians, media stars etc. Failure to respond to or at the end of relationship can lead to obsessive activities by the rejected partner and sometimes results in them displaying self-destructive behaviours. Classic examples are driving around Cardiff, crying and drunk in their pyjamas. Behaviours often depicted as ‘bunny boiler’ in movies. Trying to ‘get them back’ by latching on to another person of similar elevated profile. Go running to friends to ‘slag the ex’ as comfort for being spurned, a form of emotional redoubt of the new ‘gang’.
It’s often a feature of semi-pubescent or adolescent relationships. Everyone, of whatever gender or orientation will have experienced this. Good friends help you to ‘move on’. Bad friends suggest nailing their cat to the front door.
I understand McEvoy has taken his medicine in the form of six pints of dark, a game of football and moved on. The only remaining prescription to be dispensed is for Bethan to get her box of tissues and a tray of McFlurry.
It’s not just her. His ex (whose name escapes me) is another who keeps turning the knife.
Did a Julie Ann Richards feature at all in the early parts of this saga ?
That’s her! She’s even had a go at me – lovable old Jac!
Ms Richards worked for Sophie Howe for a number of years (Future Generations Commissioner for Wales). Not sure that she’s there any longer, last I heard she was looking for work as a Communications bod. Plaid??
Definitely.
Yes your right Stan. When Niel McEvoy spoke about not letting fathers see their children was ‘child abuse’, started everything. A small group of women decided to deflect and started calling him a misogynist. Quickly others who lacked any ability joined in. He was a perceived threat to feminism and as Brychan has already said, ‘this is us’ and your a man, so not welcome here.
Any excuse was needed to push the perceived threat away. Trump up charges, lie, anything goes.
I simply cannot understand why Adam Price has allowed this situation to continue. I honestly expected he would take control and the issue politics would be relegated. I was confident that Plaid could really begin to widen and deepen its support. This has not happened. Price certainly has the intellect and the charisma to have taken Plaid by the scruff of the proverbial neck, but it seems the issue fanatics and McEvoy haters are still in charge. The question is why? Any ideas?
I no longer care. I gave up on Plaid long ago.
Sadly I don’t think any senior person within Plaid cares either. They are focussed on hanging onto their cushy well paid jobs – do the members fund Party officials, cos if they do they don’t get much for their money. And come the day their cushy jobs disappear they are so well plumbed into the system that they be able to migrate into Third Sector roles or transfer their fickle loyalty to Labour or even the LibDems, after all they been schmoozing each other long enough.
Because, Gruff, as a party, Plaid Cymru is still constituted in early 20th century form which pre-dates any elected representation gained. It is the national executive ponders such matters and these officials are appointed by ballot box secreted in the gentleman’s bar at any conference or appropriate party function rather than universal suffrage of the party membership.
This can be demonstrated in the kangaroo court which considered the trumped up McEvoy complaints. So different, for example, in democratic structure to that demonstrated by sister parties like Sinn Féin or SNP. Adam Price is leader in name only. Plaid Cymru is a dinosaur on the political landscape of our country.
It is at this point I must make my apology to Nerys Evans who, prior to my resigning from the party, I mistakenly thought was a cocktail waitress at such an event. She was dressed in a white blouse, black skirt and kitten heals wearing a name badge, carrying a tray of nibbles while chatting to dignitaries. I was not then aware of her lobby status for Deryn.
Jac this McEvoy thing that Plaid Cymru is madly obsessed with, above all other Welsh issues, also has one character you’ve not mentioned neither have your commentators. That’s the incumbent AM Plaid statutory rule “must have a woman on the top of the list” for South Wales West. Any reason why?
Cleddau Jones’ tweet about crossing the border and “taking Chester” is funny but really it’s not a city we want as it’s full of Anglo shitbags of the worst kind with a small smattering of exiled Taffs (mostly greedy selfish bastards). Now grabbing Shrewsbury would be good just to upset that unpronounceable Polish M.P who might then just bugger off to Belarus or beyond to rediscover his roots, though his antics suggest that he’s missed his time. He’d have done better when Adolf and his mob were gathering all sorts of “lesser races” with energetic help from likes of this creep.
Further thought on Tanner above.
“Nationalist” might not work; how about list candidates under an “Independence Alliance” umbrella?
“National Alliance”.
“Pro-Wales Alliance”.
Watching the news now and hearing some government bod talking about how travellers are not allowed to cross the border from England into Wales or Scotland. I’d bet the farm that the Overlordship of this Hegemonic Fiefdom hated having to enforce that!
Is anyone else confused. My understanding:
Slogan in Wales
“Stay at home to save lives” but visiting garden centres now included as essential travel.
Slogan in England
“Stay alert to save lives”. This implies that by staying alert you may be in a position to spot an invisible virus. Perhaps the logic here is that the slogan worked for terrorist threat so it may also work for a viral threat. Nice one Boris !
confused.com !!
In our house we’re also really confused about the garden centre dispensation in Wales. How on earth can it be classed as essential travel, unless you can reach one on your daily exercise walk or something? Also, Mark Drakeford said today he worked his allotment. Does this count as daily exercise then, but he said he rode his bike there so has he been exercising twice a day up to now and breaking his own rules, naughty boy? Just asking.
Bit like Professor Neil Ferguson, epidemiologist of Imperial College London: the architect behind the social distancing policy and lock-down of economy and then having to resign as advisor to government on SAGE when media reports revealed that he had broken the social distancing rules himself to meet his married lover.
I hope she was worth it! Ferguson looked uncannily like her husband though,which I thought was a bit spooky. Maybe she was just short sighted and confused the two. Though that doesn’t get him off the hook.
When the story first broke some wag commented that Ferguson was fired for “fiddling with the stats” ( the lady being Ms Staats !) . Now it turns out that his past is full of instances where the stats deployed were questionable – garbage in garbage out – so maybe Ms Staats was just one in a long series of mishaps.
As you say Dafis, the acronym GIGO applies to all computer models [garbage in, garbage out]. The sad thing is that small businesses are now being destroyed during this lock-down period as a result of these computer models and gullible politicians who can not be bothered to ask the right questions. Based on his computer model millions were spent building Nightingale hospitals, now “mothballed”.
“Tanner” has raised an interesting idea.
The reality is that the FPTP system benefits even brain dead labour and PC and a good showing is possible (Neil in Cardiff West is of curse the exception); but not enough.
“Nationalist Alliance” candidates on the lists might very well win seats – and start some action!
Any thoughts?
As I’ve commented on your Twitter feed, Plaid shot itself in the foot with their “Fi yw Cymru” campaign’s use of that bigoted burka’d bint. Not to be Islamophobic, bigoted or anything else myself but I’m afraid to say face coverings like that stir a visceral dislike in me at some base, instinctual level, in the same way people walking around the streets wearing balaclavas would. I imagine the reactions of those not regularly exposed to such sartorial statements to be the same, a sort of unnerving sense of “What is this person hiding?”, perhaps with a touch of “Why is this person deliberately making a statement of not integrating?”.
Your Guardian readers and other bigots of what I like to call the pathological left (we all know them, Islington wankers who eat their brekkie in cereal cafés and take up the cudgels against Islamophobia and homophobia equally but have a brain fart when it comes to Islam’s treatment of homosexuals), might call people experiencing these reactions the flag bearers of the Fourth Reich. The simple fact is, with the best intentions in the world, people instinctively fear the unfamiliar, and while Plaid’s angle might have been right on the money somewhere like Tower Hamlets or Southall, it was only ever going to be an own goal in Holyhead or Merthyr Tydfil. Was it an act of the worst kind of “In bubble” thinking or a deliberate act of sabotage from within?
One final point, would it be possible to have an English and a Welsh name for an entity like a party that are not literal translations, as a solution to this SNAFU? Like how Holyhead is Cybi’s Fort for example.
Yes, David.
But where does this shit come from?
A clue, as you suggest, can be found in the last election of the Westminster House the campaign slogan of Plaid Cymru was “It’s Us”. This says it all about PC, an inward looking, self-absorbed clique, not interested in you or me, only interested in themselves. The previous slogan was “Defending Wales” the first indicator of their direction of travel. Into the bunker.
So where did such a strapmonster come from?
External.
Experts will tell you that three types of strap lines, (a) Descriptive, Carlsberg – Probably the best beer in the world, (b) Aspirational, L’Oreal – Because you’re worth it, (c) Combination, Max Factor – The Make-Up of Make-Up Artists. All these types seek to publicise values and ethos, engage the audience and short, simple, snappy and highly memorable. This type of strap line is to try to get people to act. Voting is an action.
Internal.
There is a kind of strap line used in internal corporate organisations, and no doubt anyone who has worked in such an organisation will have attended a ‘training day’. The objective of which is to enthuse a small group into a sense of internal belonging. These internal strap lines can range from aspects of safety, to teamwork, to specific goals. This type of strap line is to isolate you from others, those outside the organisation. It appeals to your exclusivity and often used to temper undesirable behaviours.
The “It’s Us” strap line of Plaid Cymru obviously is of the ‘internal’ type and shows symptoms of insecurity. Furthermore, it probably originates from a functionary who’s day job is a consultant in corporate and personnel communications.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/llinos-price-8b22a21a?
The strapmonster sums up the shambolic state of Plaid Cymru, no doubt signed off by Adam Price, who confused it with the “Yes We Can” strap line of the Obama campaign in the United States. That has three words, positive, inclusive, future. It’s not a new concept.
“It’s Us” however, has none of these features, unless you see it from within the clique. It’s just three words that explains the state of Plaid Cymru. Insecure, inward looking, scared, devoid of ideas and expending resources on its own defence. In essence it’s a cornered cat.
Example of a good strap line that specifies action – “Stay Home”.
Example of a bad strap line that shows cat herding – “Stay Alert”.
The case of Sahar Al-Faifi illustrates the problem of ‘reaching out’ to minorities and special interest groups – they might well detest each other! If we had journalists in Wales they might have asked Ms Al-Faifi for her views on same-sex marriage, and Israel, and drinking copious quantities of Argentine wine.
Other parties have many prominent Muslims (plus Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews) but they all seem to be ‘moderates’. They don’t start party get-togethers with ‘Death to the infidels!’ I’m not saying Ms Al-Faifi would, but the way she chooses to dress tells me she is ‘conservative’. Other parties would not welcome religious extremists of any faith. Be religious by all means; regularly attend your place of worship; but once religion starts intruding into politics then trouble ensues. The only party I can think of in the UK that tolerates religious bigots is the DUP. In fact, it welcomes them! Which, I suggest, proves my point. I’m sure Arleen Foster and her crew would find much common ground with Sahar Al-Faifi.
Plaid Cymru seems to welcome all manner of intolerant groups and interests, justifying it because they are ‘oppressed’, or because they’ve had a raw deal from society. Which is fine, up to a point; but first we have the mutual loathing I’ve mentioned, then there’s the problem of turning off the majority of voters. Yet Plaid is so desperate to prove its multi-racial credentials that it even welcomed Mohammad Asghar. If ever there was a bloke in politics for the money it was him – yet Plaid thought they’d pulled off quite a coup when he joined them from Labour (which he’d joined after defecting from the Tories). To make sure the money stayed in the family he employed his wife and his daughter. Now he’s gone back to the Tories.
But Plaid was able to make a splash by claiming they had the first Muslim AM. Good PR, which seems to matter more than anything else. Show over substance.
As I say, other parties welcome people of all religions – but they leave their religion out of politics. I don’t think Ms Al-Faifi will do that, or could do that. The same problem manifests itself with the intolerant little buggers who make such a noise in Plaid Cymru and YesCymru, insisting they want independence – but only on their terms. If there was any chance of people like me running Wales these little sods wouldn’t want independence.
Which proves two things. One, they don’t really want independence. Two, they aren’t democrats.
I’ll leave it there before I upset someone. And you’re sailing a bit close to the wind as well, Dai. Word to the wise and all that.
One “group” you haven’t mentioned Jac is the violent anarchists, ANTIFA, who’s sole aim is to prevent free speech. cause damage and destruction, and to attack and maim anyone they don’t agree with. Lianne “Lenin” Wood actively drools over ANTIFA and exhorts Plaid members to support it’s aims and objectives.
They did get a mention, in a graphic.
As a resident of Newport and having been involved very much with Plaid Cymru in the 80 and throughout the 90s I was very much involved when a certain Mohammad Asghar.and the whole family bounced themselves into the local party and took it over! I warned and warned the leadership at that time that they were only in it for the money but of course we all know what then transpired!!!! Certainly see the same thing happening with accepting this lady? into the fold. There will certainly be repercussions with this decision
You are old enough to remember Gwynfor Evans Alun. Those were the days my friend.
Well worth looking at Sahar Al-Faifi Twitter handle and account. How she describes hereself. Yes definitely will vote for her!! NOT! https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwiX-uSMp7HpAhVXUBUIHcMcCuEQFjAAegQIBxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fsaharalfaifi&usg=AOvVaw0HX1Mzb0KRj0PKFmrbY51m
I’d rather not, but thanks for warning me, Alun.
I left plaid at the end of last year and joined the w n p I should have left in 2007 after the plaid labour stitch up in the welsh assembly plaid were shacking in their shoes that they could have had a sniff of leading wales. I also have seen this at local level having been a member of Neath Port Talbot council for 21 years. Is there is any where in the world that a political party that has been around for 95 years has lost so many times if plaid was a boxer the licence would be stopped. and this latest episode sums this lot up a bunch of losers..
As another life long Plaid voter who finally gave up on the party I wonder how the two new parties are going to approach the election. Hopefully they won’t fight each other and will concentrate on the lists, with a just a handful of high profile constituency contests to raise awareness.
I sense that people in Wales are desperate for change. They don’t need to be convinced of all the Labour corruption stuff. They get that, they see it everyday. But who to vote for?
In my opinion there is a group of voters who need to be won over. They are the English speaking Welsh. They do not speak Welsh and don’t wish to learn the language.
They do not consider themselves any less Welsh for not speaking the language
They have a fear that they could become second class citizens in their own country if they voted for a Nationalist party
Square that circle and Neil could be onto something
I am a Welsh speaker, always have been, and it’s my language of choice. I’m probably one of those irritating bastards English visitors hear when they visit pubs in our country ! That said most of my friends are monoglot English speakers, used to take the mick a bit – sheep and stuff like that – but that is down to bits of banter. However if an English or any other visitor spoke disparagingly about my language my old pals would be quick to straighten him out. lt’s like that, simply an almost tribal thing. We have an identity which may be made up of say a dozen characteristics. Most of us only have say 6 -9 of those but that binds us as a nation. Many who do not possess the language do not fear it, it is the opponents that sow the seeds of fear because they have to latch onto something to keep that fear alive. How politicians can’t articulate that national identity mix into something positive is beyond me.
We all know all the facts here. Plaid IS in dire straits. The leadership race showed the discontent and there’s been no reason to see party morale grow in the meantime. Quite the contrary we’ve seen another parachute event in Ynys Mon which massively backfired as well as an election which managed to alienate leave voters, socialists (because the Lib Dems are austerity enablers) and nationalists (because the Lib Dems are Unionists).
I really don’t see how Plaid can justify all this against the WNP. It’s either against McEvoy which will only alienate Indy supporters because it’s putting the personal before our nation or it’s against what it sees as a rival party. There’s clearly places that Plaid struggles to gain support in and another Indy supporting parties should have a go.
I think the majority would have preferred to see McEvoy back in Plaid but we’re past that now and I think it’d be in everyone’s best interests if the two sides spoke to each – more for the the supporters of our movement than anything. I don’t see that Plaid can really reject working with another party after working with the Lib Dems.
I think with the fallout of Brexit and Covid-19 (especially the awful handling of it by the UK government) there’s more reason than ever to break away and there’s just no room for a civil war. Every day this conflict goes on is a detriment to our movement when instead we should all be working toward extracting our people from this forced marriage.
Ultimately the optics for Plaid are really not good and it takes their members for granted by not really acknowledging the criticisms. I think they’ll still go ahead with what they’re doing – even in Cardiff West. They’ll come third and be a laughing stock for it.
Agree with you there, it would be better for all if both sides would at least speak to each other, but at the moment this has all the makings of a bitterly contested divorce that takes both partners to places they’d be better off not going to. I personally think it’s gone way too far now for any bridges to be built. The opportunity was there, I feel, if Dewi Evans had got in at the last Plaid conference but by hook or more probably crook, that opportunity was snuffed out.
As someone who tries to follow what’s going on but not personally involved ( not a member of either Party) I have to say I’m astonished by the level of personal abuse, probably libellous comments, bullying, baiting, character assassination and sheer malevolence posted on a regular basis about Neil McEvoy by certain Plaid and/or Yes Cymru individuals. It would have broken me, I’ll be honest with you. Jac has referred to some of it from one particularly obnoxious sounding character in this particular post but anyone who follows McEvoy’s social media will have seen it for themselves. Have to say he doesn’t always help himself with social media posts that don’t help his case, but I’ve never walked a mile in his shoes so I shouldn’t be too judgemental. For me the greatest pity is that Welsh Labour and Drakewell in particular must be lapping all this up. It’s them that will reap the benefits, those that truly yearn for a better Wales will, yet again, be left in the lurch.
Great article, Jac, with some unforgettable ingredients adding the final touches to a master dish. The unused moral compass presented to Nerys Evans, then “if Plaid Cymru had two heads it would have one stuck up its own arse and the other stuck up Labour’s” are classic.
I am in total agreement with you as to how Plaid has missed a golden opportunity to appeal to the working class, disenchanted Labour vote in the industrial south of Wales. It’s something I’ve been banging on about for years. An additional missed opportunity has been to fail to appeal to the many more people who are pissed off with politics and politicians generally, or are so apathetic about everything in life, that they never both to vote. If the WNP (or Gwlad) can capture some of this vote, which after all, Plaid has failed miserably to do, then good luck to them. Why should Plaid shed (crocodile?) tears if another nationalist party captures votes that they can’t get themselves? It’s pure spite and malice to deny these new parties the opportunities they have conspicuously failed to take advantage of.
On the subject of Neil McEvoy, only a couple of years ago he did a talk at Blanco’s, Port Talbot, when he was launching his grassroots organisation, Propel. I went along to hear him and he spoke eloquently. The event was well-attended, the audience included several NPT Plaid Councillors, as well as a lot of Plaid party members and activists. To be honest, I thought the audience had a lot of time for him. The aggressive, snarling ogre that bites the heads off the babes of his detractors was nowhere to be seen. I reckon many who were hearing him or meeting him in the flesh for the first time were left wondering how it was that the Plaid hierarchy and him could be so at loggerheads (because things were already in a parlous state between them even by then). Looking back to then, it’s a shame some rapprochement hadn’t been possible, but I genuinely believe that many of the more fair-minded, shall I say “balanced”, members of Plaid that I know still have a lot of time for Neil. In my opinion he was just the type of candidate Plaid needed more of in the neglected, former industrial heartlands. He’s one of “us”, not some effete, over-educated, out-of-touch prat who if he/she walked into one of the remaining working men’s or social clubs, would stand out like a festering boil on an Albino’s face. Plaid’s loss, the WNP’s gain.
Finally, is it me suffering hallucinations due to lockdown fatigue, or is Adam Price turning into the Welsh equivalent of Ben Gunn or Robinson Crusoe? I saw him on TV last night and he looks as dishevelled as some of the homeless on the streets of Neath. Not only that but his mannerisms have become bizarre to boot. His eyes seem to have a startled, manic look about them, if I didn’t think better, I’d swear he’d been “using”. Someone give him a bloody trim, for God’s sake. It’s bad enough seeing Old Turtle ‘Ed masquerading as First Minister, but when one of his main rivals for the post starts to adopt the persona of a demented Worzel Gummidge, something needs to be done before we become a laughing stock internationally. On second thoughts, scotch that remark – we already are!
Keep up the good work, Jac. Your blog brightens up a grim time for us all.
Cast your mind back to 1983 and Labour’s election manifesto, described by Gerald Kaufman MP as the ‘Longest suicide note in history’, because it was so hot on socialism and so out of touch with an electorate that was in love with Margaret Thatcher. And, yet, there were some in the Labour Party who thought it didn’t go far enough – they demanded that the party become even more socialist! It’s these sort of people who have captured Plaid Cymru.
As for the party leader, I know what you mean. It’s the eyebrows I’ve noticed. When I first saw them I thought he had some exotic insects on his forehead. Which would have gone down well with the Caterpillar Liberation element in the party.
I don’t share the urge to “have a go” at the appearance of the First Minister as I believe that he probably suffers a slight physical problem with his upper spine. That can be quite painful and also poses problems with jackets.
As for the appearance of Mr Price it occurs to me that his individualistic personal grooming may be down to what is fashionable among some of the bizarre types he mixes with socially. Bad influences don’t only originate at Deryn Consulting although they may be managing aspects of his social life.
Metaphorically Mr Drakeford has been displaying a novel tendency to “showing backbone” recently. Long way to go but in view of the crap Opposition he could still be in post in 2 years time. And who’s to blame for that ? Well the shockers that play at Opposition right now. So a sharp growth in support for WNP and Gwlad is vital for our future prospects and my sanity.
Lot in what you say there. Because it’s only the last couple of times I’ve seen Drakewell he’s shown he has a spine at all, let alone one that gives him a problem. Much as it irks me to say it, even the largely anonymous Jeremy Miles of these parts has come out of hibernation and shown some spunk (hope that passes the censors). Noticed Lord Hain is quick to sing his praises among his Twitterati whenever he says something that is heard wider than Pontardawe, so are we seeing Drakewell’s heir in waiting? You’re right, Dafis. Drakewell and his lot could yet cling to power if this continues. And I’m not even sure right now that would be worse than seeing Plaid as it stands today seizing the crown itself.
It is difficult, nay impossible to put into words; Plaid Cymru and its hapless leadership has entirely and completely lost the plot. In Swansea and Gower there is no organisation, no councilors and no candidates, apart from the tiny Dai Lloyd fan club. It really sums up the party that with just under a year to the Senedd elections (and forming a government…pause for hysterical laughter) members money – and goodwill – is being spent on a spiteful vendetta.
Interesting article in this week’s Economist. In the glorious Peoples Republic of China a sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment is possible for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble…” I bet the lefties in P C dreaming of the socialist paradise wish they had that kind of power (on behalf of the people of course) – watch out Neil!
The paradox is that through pursuing a strategy of ‘broadening the support’ and ‘reaching out’ what Plaid Cymru actually did was to embrace weirdo fringe groups pursuing esoteric objectives and minority interests. These groups now seem to control the party, but these fanatics are a complete turn-off for your average voter, so Plaid Cymru loses support.
Replying to Dr John Ball and others, I would remind readers that he (Dr John Ball) was one of the capable first in the old West Glamorgan area to win seats on the old Swansea City Council for Plaid Cymru. After that Plaid Cymru started gaining key seats on the Councils here. At County level were Aled Gwyn; Dr Dewi Evans; Mathew Mulcahy; Huw Evans(?); Dewi Harris and at Borough level were Roy Jones; Eifion Davies; Dewi Davies; Raymond Davies; Mathew Mulcahy (again); Wil John Evans; Alan Griffiths; Raymond Davies; Alun Llewelyn; Ioan Richard (myself); Dr Del Morgan; Martin Peters and others (my memory is failing). All these delivering political service at the higher level (before the Assembly was spawned). Then there were numerous Town and Community Councillors some running Councls as majority groups. Today there is only one honourable traditional small number remaining in Neath Port Talbot. They have totally disappeared in Swansea and Gower. They cannot even put forward names for co-option without election onto Community (Parish) Councils for unfilled vacancies which are then filled by Labour. Maybe Max Rhydaman could offer himself up for co-option for an empty easy seat somewhere obscure. This evil nasty pursuit of Neil McEvoy will be the end of the line for Plaid Cymru in South Wales and the Wales Assembly. One member here has been running a bogus series of web postings trying to smear Neil McEvoy and gets exposed for dirty tricks and the dirty Party does nothing. It’s the same in Cardiff Council – they’ve all gone. The felons have all been named and shamed here on Jac’s Blog So Adam Price what are you going to do about it? It would not surprise me in the long run if you all joined Welsh Labour as a vote now for Plaid Cymru in the Wales Assembly forthcoming election is a vote for Labour led from London. The Welsh National Party and Ein Gwlad is the only alternative for the future of Wales to stop it becoming Bristol West and Liverpool West. The whole situation reeks of perverse malice and is a disgrace. Can’t these idiotic deviants see what they are doing to Wales and a once honourable Party?
Diolch Ioan for reminding me of 2 things (1) how you sent a spoof letter to the ‘Evening Post’ when I stood for Plaid in Gower in 1987, and (2) for listing all those names of good committed nationalists in the Swansea area whom I knew. Brought a tear to my eye. Helo bawb!
Just the other day I resigned from Plaid Cymru for exactly the reasons Jac gave. Inevitable. Sad but I immediately felt free. To do some proper work for Wales. For example. I am deeply angry that Plaid does so badly in Preseli, of all places, where I now live. Neglect? Folly? Watch this space….
Again taro yr hoelen ar ei phen! Hitting the nail on its head
As i said on another platform i supported plaid for over 40 years what a bloody waste ,but now we have two new honest partis ,and a new begining.but i would say that two new partis could become one ,woth a discussion or two.
This is very good Jac. Has PC decided to retaliate against the WNP because of Carl Harris and his attempt to make fake Facebook accounts, in an attempt to discredit Niel McEvoy? It’s clearly backfired, Harris not sacked and an excuse needed to find a way out of a very deep hole.
I can envisage panic at Plaid central, with everyone putting on Tin Foil hat’s, while sending smoke signals to Llinos Price asking her if she can ask her fellow members of the Witch Clan to release the flying monkey. Well Aled GW.
Thank you for reminding us of Llinos Price, another one who is so irrational in her attitude to Neil McEvoy that she comes across as being unhinged. Yet among her associates in Plaid Cymru she’s perfectly normal! There’s a message there.
I have been told that it was on her advice, that Plaid changed the election process at Conference this year. Ensuring that Dr Dewi Evans, didn’t become Chair, as he supported Neil. Can anyone confirm this please.
My understanding is that last year was the first time the election had been held without postal votes. You had to be there to vote and the anti-Neil McEvoy faction had some control over who was there. It was a blatant stitch-up.
Any piece of the their relationship and mcevoy should mention Plaids blocking of the Sergeant report.
Exactly. The Sargeant report was embarrassing to both Labour and Deryn. So Plaid Cymru helped suppress it.
How could I have have forgotten that one! Though I did write about it at the time I still felt it was worth updating today’s piece.
I was probably just regurgitating your previous posts…
I’ve never been able to bring myself to vote for Plaid Cymru. I have had far too many arguments with Plaid members (including the one that lives next door to me) that PC are simply Labour-lite. I actually thought they might have improved when Adam Price took over the leadership, but he has been a huge disappointment. I now actively cringe whenever I see/hear him on TV/radio as he spouts an even bigger load of shite than the First Minister (Mr Magoo) and comes across as even less credible/inept (as impossible as that may sound).
Ioan Richard I do know. He was actually my chemistry teacher for a time when I was at school. I thought he was as mad as a box of frogs, especially after one incident when he mixed up some chemical concoction on the slab in front of me and then threw a match on it to show how inflammable it was (Health & Safety was so much more fun in the 1970’s). He still failed to get me through my O Level though !!
The only way that Corruption Bay will be cleaned up is to get rid of the influence of Deryn, as they pretty much run Wales these days. I am convinced that nothing is ever announced by Welsh Ministers until it has been run past (and approved) by Deryn.
Being taught by Ioan must have been quite an experience.
The politicians are allowed to make their gestures and strut their stuff as long as they follow the orders of the civil servants. Most of what’s dressed up as ‘initiatives’ and ‘ground-breaking new strategies’ come from those who’ll benefit from them – the third sector, lobbyists and assorted pressure groups.
Pandering to these, in ways that England never would, is then dressed up as ‘devolution making a difference’. But never for the Welsh people.
A succinct conclusion and recommendation :
” But it doesn’t have to be like that. Because next year you will be offered alternatives to those who have betrayed us; you will be able to vote for new parties, with fresh ideas, and candidates who will put Wales and Welsh interests first.
In 2021 vote for the Welsh National Party or vote for Gwlad. ”
Enough said.
Plaid’s rank and file membership still contains a high proportion of decent honest people but they have either surrendered or have had the party machinery – leadership, office holders and influencers – hijacked by a bunch of warped entryists who have a core agenda totally unrelated to the needs and aspirations of our country.
Plaid Cymru indeed have fine upstanding members but I am afraid they are trod upon by the higher echelon.
Adam can’t have an opinion because he’s afraid of upsetting people.
Who is really running the show?
Here in Carmarthenshire, having met up, on different occasions with two quite ‘good’ backbench county councillors who were out and about. Them being elected as Plaid, I asked for their views on the state of Plaid Cymru. Their responses..
“I prefer not to get involved in the party side of things just concentrate on my civic duties”
and
“I’m more of an independent really, only in the Plaid group to get what I can for the ward”.
Both these councillors have distanced themselves from the party in any real sense and it’s no surprise that any emergence of an alternative like the WNP would effectively make Plaid Cymru obsolete overnight. I suspect their is situation is not unique.
As a Plaid member for over 55 years I regretfully agree with what you Say Jac! God forgive me!
Da iawn Alun. Dwi’n cytuno’n llwyr.
My late Welsh born and bred father in law would be disgusted at the treatment we have had at the hands of the Plaid led Carmarthen County Council.Your knowledge of Plaid is far greater than mine and although my local County Councillor has been very supportive,the same can NOT be said for my AM (Adam Price) or my MP (J.Edwards). With N.McEvoy we see a prime example of a politician who is prepared to ask the awkward question and as a consequence sees his character called into question. Why should Plaid be so concerned by whatever N.McEvoy should name his own party? Are they not confident that they would be the winners in any future democratic election?When I asked asked A. Price ( at a meeting supporting a friend) could he have a word with The Plaid leader of his local Council as his actions were having a negative affect on Plaid, he responded by saying he could not be seen to influence. This response seems quite strange given that hardly a day seems to pass when he is not on National Media demanding of every politician whether National or Local that they be called to account.
Andrew Redman, that the Leader’s standard reply. 🙄