Monday, May 28, 2007

Letter refelcts on election messages

Thursday's Caernarfon Herald carried a letter in which I tried to reflect on election messages and more recent events :

"During the recent Assembly election campaign I warned voters on two key issues. Firstly I warned that to see Mr Wigley elected they would need to vote Eaglestone in Arfon, as Plaid could not have success in both the regional list and in the constituencies. I was proved right and I suspect some people now feel short changed by Plaid's campaign.

However of far greater significance I warned that a vote for Plaid Cymru could be a vote for the Tories. Despite all the bluff and bluster we now see the possibility that this warning might also prove correct. I know that these things can change quickly when negotiating such political agreements, but did the people of Arfon really vote to see the Conservatives back in power"

8 comments:

Cai Larsen said...

Tut, tut.

I've told you before - your election wouldn't have resulted in Wigley's.

It's a pity that you spread information that you know to be false in the local paper.

Martin Eaglestone said...

and in other words it was an even more long shot than Plaid suggested.

Martin Eaglestone said...

and in other words it was an even more long shot than Plaid suggested.

Cymro said...

A long shot as in Rhodri Morgan telling us he was aiming for a Labour majority? Very few things are certain in politics. Dafydd is widely liked and an intelligent man, but Plaid wasn't built around him - we never based our campaign in North Wales on Dafydd Wigley alone.

Aled said...

menaiblog said: "It's a pity that you spread information that you know to be false in the local paper."

Wasnt something similar said by you and other Plaid Cymru members when Martin, I and others said Plaid would form a coalition with the Tories given a chance.

Now who was lying?

Cymro said...

Oh good, he's back. We missed you Aled!

We said that this was not going to be a Tory coalition. - the Tories would not be running the government. That was what was proposed for the rainbow last week. Where's the lie, Aled?

Cai Larsen said...

Little Aled is emulating Martin & doing a spot of lying himself.

At no point did I suggest, let alone state anything other than the official Plaid position vis a vis a coalition - that we would talk to anyone but not go into a Tory led government.

BTW Martin - any suggestion that Wigley had a chance in North Wales was far less rash than a prediction that you had a chance in Arfon. It turned out to be the seat you were furthest behind of all the Northern seats, & was indeed one of Labour's weakest performances in the entire country.

Martin Eaglestone said...

Fair comment - but self delusion can be a valuable comfort balnket !