Sunday 8 October 2017

Plaid must act as an honest opposition.

 I imagine Plaid Cymru has ended its "compact" co-operation agreement with Labour. 

As Plaid Leader Leanne Wood she told BBC Wales that

"some people might have been confused around where we stand in terms of opposition".

"This way now, it will be much clearer and cleaner for people to understand what Plaid Cymru's job of work is,"

It comes just days after the two parties agreed a deal to ensure Labour's budgets for this year and next would be passed by the assembly.
In a letter to Plaid members, leader Leanne Wood said the budget deal "represents a natural conclusion to the Compact".
First Minister Carwyn Jones said both sides were "amicable" and had agreed to "keep open lines of communication". 

The compact had allowed Mr Jones to return to power after the 2016 assembly election. 


Referring to the budget, Ms Wood said in her letter:

 "The two-year deal takes us to a position where we can produce a clear alternative in advance of the next Assembly elections. 

"The commitments we have secured represent the green shoots of our programme for government. We must all work towards the goal of government if we are to see these foundations built upon."


In response, Mr Jones said:

 "Our conversation was amicable and we agreed that it was important to keep open lines of communication."
"From our viewpoint we believe the compact gave Wales some welcome stability at a time of great uncertainty caused by ongoing Tory cuts and the Brexit chaos in Westminster,"
In a tweet , Plaid Cymru AM Adam Price said the decision to end the compact had been made "before the summer". 

Clearly  Plaid feel they need to act more like an opposition party but I hope they are constructive in their opposition simply opposing Labour  or coning up with calls for more spending .

Take the latest call from the Tories give free bus travel to all 16-24 year olds in Wales, and have urged Labour ministers to do the same.
The Green Card - which the Tories said could cost up to £25m a year - would also give a third off rail tickets.

Education spokesman Darren Millar said young people suffered high car insurance and the lowest wages. 

Yes you read it right the Tories are worried about the plight of young people!

 
The Tories opened last weeks annual conference in Manchester with a string of new policies aimed at wooing younger voters who backed Jeremy Corbyn at the election.
 
However, some figures in the party warned that Theresa May’s policies were not bold enough, after Labour’s manifesto promising to scrap tuition fees entirely and impose rent controls.
Michael Heseltine, the former deputy prime minister, told Sky:

“I understand well the motivation for the student grant regime change, but I can tell you what’ll happen. The Labour party will simply outbid us. No question about that. They’ll look at our figures and they will offer more attractive figures to the younger generation.”

So far from having  developed a Social conscious that recognises the plight of Welsh youth the Tories in the Assembly have come up with a publicity gimmick

Not that its a bad idea and I hope Plaid  and the Welsh Government  back it .

But  if Parties  are going to woo young voters they may well remember  the fate of the Liberal Democrats who before the 2010 General Election signed
pre-election pledge to oppose a rise in tuition fees. Only as part of the Tory-Lib Dem coalition too do just that.

Many of the Lib Dem seats relied on University students in these Constituencies for their majorities.

Over night they lost this support  and have never recovered it.

In the last election it is clear that many students voted for Corbyn and Labour.

Whether they will be betrayed again by the Parties wooing their vote  remains to be seen.


 

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