Thursday, November 15, 2007

Plaid's "political suicide"

No, its not an OTT comment from myself but Councillor Simon Glyn's comments as he uses GOLWG to announce his resignation from Plaid Cymru. I have little doubt that much is being written in blog land about this nationalist crisis in Gwynedd. Here is my little angle.

Firstly I think the schools debate is simply the tipping point. The tension in Plaid has been running for some time and I firmly beleive the roots of this split go back to at least the rise of Cymuned and the debacle over Pwllheli marina. While some people's paths have seperated since Cymuned was formed, the cultural v moderniser divide was evident. Isaid so at thetime, although Plaid rushed to deny it.

Will Plaid be worried ?.

Firstly lets see what happens in Gwynedd council betwen now and Christmas. Final consultation reports are yet to be signed off, and this is a council with a track record of back tracking when the pressure is on. But could they really back down now ? My guess is no -unless of course another council leader is to resign. In addition the de selection, and resignation, of longstanding members like Richard "Moi" Jones was already shifting the sands

Then clearly the council elections of May 2008 are now a real battle ground. Even the prospect of elections in places that may have forgotten what it is like to have a choice of candidates in their county election !

As to any wider implications ? Well Labour knows better than most what happens once the internal concensus is broken, and a rebellion follows. All sorts of consequences can be felt by MPs, AMs and others.

This will keep running......

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Firstly I think the schools debate is simply the tipping point. The tension in Plaid has been running for some time and I firmly beleive the roots of this split go back to at least the rise of Cymuned and the debacle over Pwllheli marina.

What on earth are you dribbling on about, Martin? Cymuned is a cross-party communities pressure group, not a faction of Plaid Cymru.

Martin Eaglestone said...

The popular art of blog "dribbling", as we all offer some speculation where nationalist politics is heading. I happily read your "dribblings" and am glad the exchange is mutual.

Anyone suggesting that these divisions only exist because of the schols debate is watching a different set of nationalists to me. I won't even go near Cymad etc !

Anyway is Parry Hughes going to resign ??

Anonymous said...

Anyone suggesting that these divisions only exist because of the schols debate is watching a different set of nationalists to me.

Evidently. I would hazard a guess that your definition of "nationalist" is anyone outside the Labour Party. Small wonder you see so many divisions if you cannot even discriminate between a communities pressure group and a political party.

Martin Eaglestone said...

If only life was so simple !

I readily recognise that nationalists come in many guises and the Party of Wales is home to only part, perhaps the substantive part, of the spectrum.

Plaid's big problem is that as they have increased their vote/influence they have to face issues that their cultural wing find difficult. Meanwhile the socialist wing are off in search of their new dawn. The modernisers are trying to keep everyone on board as they respond to the many "grey" issues that face in government. (i.e. many things are not black and white but shades of grey).

Others stand on their own ground perhaps finding "party" politics too narrow a spectrum for free range views.

Whatever background I think a lot are finding the schools debacle difficult.