Coalition talk stirs the waters

For several weeks I have been using the letters page of local papers, and the Daily Post, to suggest that one issue for the voters to consider as we run towards May 2007 is the possibility of a Plaid/Tory coalition in the Assembly in the Assembly to dislodge Rhodri Morgan and Welsh Labour. The Party of Wales had been keeping quiet about all this until today, when Mark David Jones in the Vale of Clwyd decided to break cover, and raise the issue of Dafydd Wigley on the letters page of the 8th August.

On the same page we have Lee Waters comments on Ieuan Wyn Jones recent walk about Wales. Lee's column starts "It ended as it began: with a bit of whimper" and "all the gripes about his lack of charisma and cautious leadership style" and even Lee raises the "Wigley factor".

Well my comment to the Daily Post letters page is as follows :

"The Party of Wales seem a little irritated that I dare turn my mind to what might happen after May 2007 should a coalition of opposition parties seek to take power from Labour. They suggest we might talk about Mr Wigley instead. So fair enough let us consider the proposition sugested by the Party of Wales. Many political observers consider that the only way in which Mr Wigley can return to the Assembly, remembering that he is second on the North Wales list, is if Plaid loose ground in the constituencies like Arfon and Ynys Mon.

Of course I know that the Plaid Cymru voters in Arfon can consider the added value of voting for Eaglestone - Labour in the Arfon constituency, and Plaid on the North Wales regional list, thus giving Mr Wigley his best chance of returning to the Assembly.

In respect of hospitals I am willing to defend Labour's overall record. Labour has made a record investment in health, and we can see new hospitals being built in places like Porthmadog and new facilities in places like Bangor. I say that would not have happened under any opposition coalition.There is however a move to community services and I happen to believe that trend will continue whoever has control after May 2007. Changes are now being suggested in the role of other hospitals and, in a democracy, I respect the right of all communuities to campign for what they value. In many cases however we must remember that the hospitals will remain open but asked to deliver different services, and we know that change is never easy to deliver".

Vote Eaglestone - get Wigley. A different sort of campaign slogan.