Can I share a few thoughts with visitors to my blog.
As far as I know I am the only candidate in Arfon bothering to maintain a blog as the campaign goes on, even though it means working through some diatribes that I suugest are very unlikely to draw a response from me. Why don't people set up their own blogs if they want to slag off Labour- cos' I aint gonna get involved.
Secondly my blog will contain commentary on Plaid here in Arfon, part of fortress Gwynedd and land of Arianrhod. A land where we are so well off we can turn down economic investment like a marina in Pwllheli, Snowdonia Gateway in Llanberis etc. Clearly Plaid feel we have enough jobs and wealth.
Thirdly, and a request to certain knockers, why won't these people of such strong views at least provide profiles so we know who we are delaing with. Someone has suggested that some postings are Plaid staff out to spread muck and defend AFJ. I don't know but some open profiles (like mine) would help us to know what we are dealing with.
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48 comments:
Interesting. But it doesn't tell me why the people of Wales should vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident.
Unfortunately, I have no real proof, whether I open profile or not. The point is not that I am spreading muck. I ask a simple question: why is Labour shutting Welsh schools and hospitals?
You are indeed the only blogger Martin - we have it from Plaid's mouth...Alun Ffred is far too busy to inform his electors what he is up to, assuming he actually does anything for Arfon. This is ofcourse debateable...
More than you it seems, Aled! If Alun Ffred has work, should he drop it in the shredder and turn to blogging?
So if he has so much to tell us why has he put no leaflets out across the constituency since the last election.
Why has he got no web/blog site running - oh except for the fact he has one "coming soon"
As I said previously is there an election on or something???
Do you think think it is good practice for an AM to knock on doors at election times - but then go quiet once elected and forget about telling people like me who voted for him what he is doing on my behalf.
He is elected by the people - and is paid for by the people. Yet doesnt seem to think it is important to keep us informed.
Perhaps he has just given up as the boundary changes mean Plaid are likely to lose Arfon...
There have been a few leaflets actually; if you didn't get any, you should phone him to tell him. As for why there are no staff to run a blog, we did this one earlier. If there were leaflets he might ask...
Why should the people of Wales vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident?
Quite a few leaflets...how many? when?
I know I'm not alone in not getting them. But then as you say Alun is a "busy man" and doesnt have time to keep us informed. Well not in between elections anyway it would seem...
And there is only one person here that talks about London issues and thats you.
The Welsh Assembly doesnt make decision on the issue you trot out all the time.
But maybe you use this as a smokes screen as you cant tell me why I should vote Plaid.
You cant tell me what Alun Ffred has dont for Arfon other than be too busy to inform local residents of their actions.
You cant tell me that Plaid wont get into bed with the Tories - a party that hates Wales.
And you cant tell me therefore that Plaid will not make concessions like allowing the Tories to scrap free school breakfasts in Wales.
In the unlikely event the voters trust Plaid now I hope you can live with your party should they do a grubby deal with Cameron's lot.
You'll go down in history as the party that allowed the Tories to rule Wales.
Why should the people of Wales vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; cloed Welsh schools and hospitals; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident?
Because the Labour party doesn't have anything to do with the Labour Party. Makes sense to me...
Cymro go on about London all you want.
These are the Welsh Assembly elections - yes thats right wales.
The Tories have failed to get anyone elected in Arfon for decades and yet your party is looking to do a grubby deal with them and let them govern our country.
Hope you sleep easy tonight.
Labour - a party who have been in bed with the Tories for 10 years.
Labour - we like leaflets.
Labour - we're not the Tories (but we are really)
That was an interesting search for a slogan.
Or how about Labour they wont form a coalition with the Tories.
Plaid on the other hand...
These are the Welsh elections, and the Assembly government should be able to tell Westminster what they think! Has Rhodri ever done that?
Closing Welsh schools and hospitals. Yes, London issues...
You talk about Westminster again - why is it Plaid cant talk about Arfon?
Why is it they have nothing to say about their achievements?
Could it be that they have hoodwinked people like me into voting for them for years - only torepay that loyalty for selling their souls down the river in a grubby power sharing deal with the Tories.
As for Morgan - love him or hate him - he has won concessions for Wales that people in England dont have in the health policy area to name just one.
Now what have Plaid done for Arfon again.
Alun ffred - if you are not to busy please do tell us?
Labour - a party that can win arguments on the merits of their ideas not being shared by Tories; not even 'and' 'the' and 'a'.
Hospitals and schools are Arfon issues, decided in Cardiff!
What does Labour have to support 10 years in government? Why should the people of Wales vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; cloed Welsh schools and hospitals; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident?
So no answers again about what Plaid have doen for Arfon.
As I suspected the answer must be nothing.
Anyway Cymro, I'm sure we'll talk again during Alun Ffred's final days as our AM.
Enjoy cosying up to the Tories. Wont be long before you have a picture of your idol Cameron over your bed.
Nos da
Well, first of all, schools and hhospitals are under threat rather than closed - thanks, in part, to Alun Ffred. Quite an achievement!
Labour has run Britain; their achievements?
Nos da i Aled hefyd
Goodnight to Martin too. Tomorrow you might like to tell me why should the people of Wales vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; closed Welsh schools and hospitals; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident?
Sorry to intrude on Cymro and Aled's private spat. You make a valid point about "profiles". If you click on mine you won't learn much about me, mainly because the profiling questions that Blogger asks are pretty inane - would you know me better if you knew what my star sign or my favourite book is?
I understand where you are coming from, in your criticism of Alun Ffred for not having a blog, but I'm worried about where such criticism may lead to.
At the moment there are interesting blogs from members of all the major parties in Wales, your own, Peter Black's, Glyn Davies' and newcomer Ian Titherington's are all examples of blogs worth reading even in disagreement with the comments posted on them. There are also boring blogs by members of all the parties - press release and official party bumf repetition blogs that have no personality or individuality, all of which are a waste of bandwidth. (No! Martin I will not name names!)
At the moment the "good" blogs add interest to the political debate in Wales. If all political candidates feel a pressure to blog for the sake of blogging, in order to avoid the sort of criticism that you make in this post we could end up with 600 or more Welsh political blogs, most of which are boring. The danger would be that the valuable contribution that blogs make to the political debate in Wales at the moment might be drowned out by the waste of space "party machine" blogs.
From what I've heard of Alun Ffred, he seems like an interesting individual who could produce a very readable blog - so I support your call for him to start blogging - as soon as he does he will be added to my feeds and links. But as to some of your other opponents in Arfon - do you really think that they should be inflicted on the blogosphere?
I honestly can't see Martin's problem.
He blogs over the election period - fair enough - he's on the stump & blogging is nowdays a legitimate if rather marginal means of campaigning. Politicians can do this if they want to - it's a matter of personal choice. It's an open secret that had the Plaid candidate for Ceredigion in the last GE spent a little less time blogging & a little more time pressing the flesh, that the result would have been different.
The tenor of the blog is overwhelmingly negative, & that negativity is directed mainly at one party. Personally I have my doubts about this approach - with Labour having been in power for 8 years one would have expected Labour's record to have been more of an issue - but with so many failures to implement manifesto pledges - free care for the elderly & implementation of the free breakfast scheme being just two amongs many - maybe this is understandable too.
Given all this it's inevitable that people read some of the comments & don't like them & respond in the negative spirit of the blog itself - this is inevitable.
I suppose that it's within the general spirit of the blog to try & blame Alun Ffred for all this, but that's a case of being rather stupid. Unlike Labour, Plaid is a large organization in Arfon & probably has the best part of a thousand paid up members here. Some are bound to read the blog & respond in kind to the incessant, carping negativity of the thing.
I've no idea who Cymro is, sosialydd I know to be an Arfon based party member - with no connetion other than that to Alun Ffred - I'm a Plaid member in Caernarfon - but I certainly don't work for A Ff. If Martin wants to know who I am, all he needs do is indicate that here & I'll phone him & tell him (after I return from holiday in a week's time - I won't be visiting your blog in the meantime you'll be glad to know).
If Martin doesn't enjoy the situation he's got himself into, there are two obvious solutions:
(1) Don't allow comments - I believe that this option is available.
(2) Use the moderation facility. If you believe any comment that I have made to be personally offensive or inaccurate (I don't believe this to be the case) you're welcome to delete it.
I think it's quite a valid question to ask. So Martin, tell me why the people of Wales should vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident?
You had me worried there Martin. I thought your blog had gone into overdrive until I realised all the comments came from just two people!
Still, looks like it's getting lively up there in the norff:)
By Martin's own omission, Labour would prefer to let disaster befall Wales than to work in any team to stop it. Labour - cash for honours. Labour: party of lies, sleaze and spin. Labour: party of inequality and waste.
Labour: the party that closes schools and hospitals! The schools and hospitals that we all use, everyday! Labour: party of ruin.
On May 3rd, make a real difference. Vote for a government that cares - that stands for truth, justice and equality. That will open more hospitals. That will deliver top-quality schools.
Make a difference - Plaid Cymru - Gwna wahaniaeth
It seems promising that after a week of asking, Martin has still to tell me why the people of Wales should vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident?
Why? So that more schools and hospitals can be closed? I'm sure an answer is in Arfon's interests!
But Menai/Alwyn you miss the point totally.
I see blogs and websites from a totally differnet point of view.
When I elect someone - I dont expect them to go quiet for four years. I expect to see what they are doing upon behalf of our constituemcy.
Especially in Arfon/Carefnarfon where it is not easy to get round every village in person or with leaflets, the www provides an ideal platform to keep people up to speed.
The fact that our local AM has never used this medium will I'm sure not help him in his case for reelection. For unless you have had need to contact him - and the vast majority of people I would argue would not have - he will have lost out on the ability to use the web to connect with people.
In doing so he may have lost many more votes than just mine - as I will not be taken forgranted and be used as voting fodder.
I will not be expected just to turn out and vote Plaid for ever and a day without being told what Plaid are doing in Arfon.
If as you say Plaid Cymru have 1000 members in Arfon - surely at least one of them could have put up a web presence. Or indeed one of the staff that Alun employs using our taxpayers money could have done this. Its not rocket science.
I just think its a missed opportunity and one that shows Alun Ffred didnt really attempt to connect with voters in a disperse constituency such as ours.
The fact he has a "website coming soon" just smacks of opportunism. Is there an election coming soon?
Thats why I congratulate Martin - and all the other blogging campaigners from all parties.
Its not a big investment of time - but it does help stimulate debate and keep alive the one thing I'm sure we would all hate to see die...democracy
Still nothing. Martin Eaglestone: the Labour candidate who's too scared to face the truth that Labour has done nothing but stab Arfon, and all of Wales, deeply in the back.
The candidae who won't tell me why the people of Wales should vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident.
Aled, when did being computer-literate become a requirement for a role in public life?
Labour: the party of discrimination.
Alun Ffred has worked tirelessly for four years. The reason that Arfon still has so many schools open and hospitals running, is Alun Ffred. He has leafleted and posted - and if you haven't got one, ring him up to tell him that he's missed you out.
He can't be everywhere or run every kind of public forum. But he acts where it counts.
Labour are the party that close schools
Labour are the party that close hospitals.
Labour are the party that cut care for the elderly and disabled.
Still quiet? So Martin, tell me why the people of Wales should vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident?
By Martin's own omission, Labour would prefer to let disaster befall Wales than to work in any team to stop it. Labour - cash for honours. Labour: party of lies, sleaze and spin. Labour: party of inequality and waste.
Labour: the party that closes schools and hospitals! The schools and hospitals that we all use, everyday! Labour: party of ruin.
On May 3rd, make a real difference. Vote for a government that cares - that stands for truth, justice and equality. That will open more hospitals. That will deliver top-quality schools.
Make a difference - Plaid Cymru - Gwna wahaniaeth
I'm impressed by your unwillingness to explain why the the people of Wales should vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; closed Welsh schools and hospitals; entered an illegal war in Iraq; wasted £85bn on Trident?
Did you actually want to do those things? That's what your silence on these issues will tell people.
If you keep a blog, be ready to respond!
Martin, tell me why the people of Wales should vote for a London-based party who have seen inequality rise to its highest since 1961; entered an illegal war in Iraq; closed our schools and hospitals; wasted £85bn on Trident?
By Martin's own omission, Labour would prefer to let disaster befall Wales than to work in any team to stop it. Labour - cash for honours. Labour: party of lies, sleaze and spin. Labour: party of inequality and waste.
Labour: the party that closes schools and hospitals! The schools and hospitals that we all use, everyday! Labour: party of ruin.
On May 3rd, make a real difference. Vote for a government that cares - that stands for truth, justice and equality. That will open more hospitals. That will deliver top-quality schools.
Make a difference - Plaid Cymru - Gwna wahaniaeth
Plaid will certainly make a difference Cymro - they ll let the Tories rule Wales and what difference that would make.
Well done Cymro!
As for your silly bombarding of this site I'm speechless.
Same old spin, same old lies from Labour. Though at least if you are speechless then you will stop spouting ill-informed nonsense. But I will continue asking Martin to explain the merits of Labour.
The people of Wales need to know what Labour stand for.
Cymro keep it up if you must but you are making yourself and your party Plaid Cymru look very silly, very desperate and very scared of losing Arfon...
Have a good afternoon and keep turning more voters like me to Labour...
I think it's Labour who are scared, mate. You see, Plaid has worked on keeping Arfon running. Labour wants developments - such as those mentioned by Martin - that will harm the Welsh language; they want to close school; they want to close hospitals. If that sounds silly to you, so be it.
Labour have run out of excuses for 8 years of failure in Cardiff, and 10 years of failure in Westminster. They refuse to discuss their record over the past years.
Why? It is a record of failing Wales. They have no new ideas, no new policies! The only reason they have to offer for keeping them in power is that they are not the Tories! Labour has created as much damage as their Conservative friends while in power.
So I say that enough is enough. Labour has a duty to explain its record of failure.
I don't feel anyone should be under pressure to blog - judging by the comments board they might be wiser not too !!
But as the record shows I have been running for some time, not just for the election, and thought I would make the point that others are not. I am trying to be open, available and am no doubt a little vulnerable as a result.
The world of Plaid/nat bloggers awaits my major error ..... with great enthusiasm.
Martin, some might say that your error is in standing for Labour. By reputation, you are a decent bloke who stands as a leftist politician should.
The mistake you make is to be blind to the fact that Labour have long ceased to be the voice of the working class - it is now the party of Middle England, and the party of Middle Englanders who live near the M4. It does not represent the working families of Wales, nor our language, nor our culture.
Cymro - the mistake you make is you spend your whole life on here..when you could be out delivering leaflets for your beloved Plaid candidate (should he ever see fit to produce any)
I mean he's going to need all the help he can get.
As for Martin - a brave step? Maybe?
Or maybe just someone who sees the benefit of reaching out to people.
The fact that Plaid members are spending their whole lives coming on here to attack you shouldn't worry you - you should just take it as a sign that Labour are on track to take Arfon following the boundary changes and Cymro are his mates are v v worried indeed.
And I thought Aled was in favour of blogging? He flip-flops more that a Lib Dem!
Dear dear Cymro - find me the quote in my last entry that said I was against blogging and I will get you your well deserved white jacket as your reward.
As a former ardent nationalist, I have come to see the folly of my ways.
Plaid Cymru represents an inward looking philosophy. They believe in accentuating difference between people while in truth we are much the same.
The true language of social justice is internationalism. It grieves me to admit that I have had it wrong for the majority of my life.
We only have to look at how nationalism is cynical and destroys lives; just look at Milosevic and Ahmadinejad, Iranian president.
They suck out the beauty from international brotherhood and prey on the insecurity and latent prejudice of their people.
And here in the Kingdom of Gwynedd they presume to know what is best for people.
Gwynedd has received millions in Objective One funds, but because of Plaid Cymru's narrow agenda, those millions have gone down the black hole.
Look at white elephants like Cymad. Now that's a real fishy one.
And when is the protfolio holder for planning going to stop asphyxiating the hopes of our young people with his crackpot ideas on planning and the language barrier to investment and opportunity.
It's a crying shame to say it, but Plaid Cymru and their pernicious political philosophy (in theory and practice e.g Gwynedd)is giving us Welsh people a bad name.
The only way for Gwynedd to see the bright dawn of tomorrow is to get rid of the cancer called Plaid Cymru.
God help Wales if we ever had a cocktail consisting of these hyenas and the Tories.
Aled - You're "no leaflet" attack is pretty bizzare to eb honest. In the past week I've delivered two different leaflets to people in Carmel and Bethel. I'm not sure where we are tonight but you can rest assured that a few hundred more Arfon homes will get a visit from a Plaid Cymru member and a shiny new leaflet to read through.
As for Martin's campaign I've been telephoned at home three times (admitedly much more than ever before). Funnily enough when i asked where the callers were telephoning from they all told me they were at "the Labour Party HQ in Newcastle". What's up Martin, can't find local people to campaign for you?
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