"Welsh" Labour is not quite the same creature as its namesake at Westminster and Carwyn Jones is not in the same league as Gordon Brown and his advocacy of "Britishness", but Labour, whether in its Welsh or British guise, is still a Unionist Party dedicated to the perpetuation of the Union, and thus of the English Establishment which George Thomas and the Kinnocks and certain Welsh MPs embraced so enthusiastically. This is not in accordance with the recognition of Wales as a nation, or the future development of Wales.
A General Election is looming. Labour is discredited and unpopular. Now is not the time to relax.
This is what I wrote in June 2009 (for the full text see here - "Departure from a Political Position"):
http://alanindyfed.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html
Western Mail - June 4th, 2009
‘Time for Plaid to pull out of coalition with Labour’
Jun 4 2009 by Martin Shipton, Western Mail
A POPULAR Plaid Cymru blogger has told the party it should pull out of its coalition with Labour to avoid being tainted by association with its troubled partner.
Alan Jones, whose alanindyfed blog is widely read, sent an e-mail to senior Plaid politicians saying: “The time has come in my opinion for a re-evaluation of Plaid’s position in the political line-up at the Welsh National Assembly.
“Whatever the major parties in Wales may say to the contrary, they are British parties dedicated to the maintenance of the Union. Plaid Cymru, in this perspective, is the only party of Wales, a party formed for the aim of severing the connection with the United Kingdom and establishing an independent social and democratic republic as Ireland has done.
“In Northern Ireland the Unionists are in coalition with Sinn Fein. In the Welsh Assembly Labour is in coalition with Plaid. With a general election in the offing this is an unhealthy situation for both Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru. The public will associate both nationalist parties with the failed and discredited policies of the Labour Government and these parties could well be damaged by the association.
“Therefore it would seem that the interests of Plaid and consequently the interests of the Welsh nation are not well served by remaining in coalition with Labour. It may be in the strategic interests of Plaid to pull out of the tenuous political association. Thus Plaid would be enabled to pursue its own unadulterated policies unencumbered by restraints and as a result would gain stature with the electorate.”
A Plaid Cymru spokesman said: “Due to the European election campaign, many Plaid supporters will be only too aware of the troubles that the Labour party are having. They are in serious decline, are facing meltdown at the polls and seem to be heading towards a very messy leadership election in Westminster.
“However, as part of the One Wales coalition, Plaid is driving forward an agenda of change in Wales. We have safeguarded the future of our district general hospitals, cut red tape for farmers, increased affordable housing, are steering the welsh economy through this recession and we’re gaining rights to legislate on the Welsh language. We are committed to delivering our agenda and providing stable government for Wales and avoiding the worst effects of the economic crisis.”
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So what do you think?
Would Plaid gain more respect by pulling out?
Poll results by 1st January 2010
From Mebyon Kernow
2010 is almost upon us and with it a General Election. Most people are predicting that the election will take place on Thursday May 6th. That gives us four months to make a real difference and show that there is a credible and better alternative to the London-based political parties.
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