Thursday 5 July 2018

Are Rhun and Adam puting down markers for 2021?

If Leanne Wood fails to re-elected as Plaid leader it will lead to the situation where all the major  parties in Wales  in the 2012 election will have a different leader to that of the 2016 contest.

Including the Liberal Democrats by the way. 
 
Adam Price and Rhun ap Iorwerth are to challenge Leanne Wood for the leadership of Plaid Cymru.
Both senior AMs announced their candidacy on Wednesday, triggering a contest in the party.
Ms Wood, leader since 2012, had said she would welcome a challenge and was very confident of winning.
It means a leadership contest is now underway in all but one of the parties represented in the National Assembly.
There have been mounting calls within Plaid Cymru for a leadership challenge, with a window for potential candidates closing at midnight.


I wonder why both left it so late and prevented a possible surge in membership  in the manner of the Corbyn campaign among Labour supporters with those wanting to vote having to meet the same deadline  of midnight as last night?

The question is why?

True Plaid's electoral performance   has been static, but can either of the two contenders believe that they can change that around n less than three years?

Taken into the possibility that if Ms wood was to lose she may understandably quit politics, meaning Plaid would almost certainly lose the Rhondda seat and if Dafydd Elis Thomas decides to fight  Dwyfor Meirionnydd then that seat could be lost,


Given that Leanne  has said she will "walk away" from the leadership of Plaid Cymru if she does not become first minister after the next  Welsh Assembly . Why challenge for the leadership when it is likely it there will be one in 2021?

Indeed if either of the contenders wins then if the Party does not make progress under their stewardship, then they may be faced with a contest themselves.


Why risk their political careers now?

Can it be that this leadership contest is about the two putting down markers  fr a future contest?

Or have they felt a sea change in Welsh Politics?

The latest  Welsh Political Barometer Poll , which  as points out  suggests broad stability in support levels for the main parties. 

Of course it is in the blood of politicians  to believe that that it is thier destiny to lead their party.

But in reality it can often depend on events and the attitude of the Media ,

A media that in Wales that is not so much hostile as absent.

Who ever leads Plaid in the next elections may have to face this awful trutjh 

No comments: