Wasting Mule "hatchet Job probably means Leanne is best for Plaid.

I wrote earlier on this Blog that the Wasting Mule seems to be backing Adam Price for Plaid Leader. Though I doubted the support would continue if he was to win.

In a damaging (if anyone takes the Mule seriously) Chief Reporter Martin Shipton does a hatchet job on  Leanne Wod headlined 

Why Plaid's politicians fell out of love with Leanne Wood 

He writes...

,,.When she stood for the party leadership she had no expectation of winning. The safe, party establishment candidate Elin Jones was seen as the obvious favourite, with Dafydd Elis-Thomas, the third candidate, looking rather optimistically for a new major role after losing the Presiding Officer’s post he had held for 12 years.Ms Wood was thought of as something of a rebel; she had called the Queen “Mrs Windsor” and was unequivocally on the far left of the party. It was not unknown for her to be referred to in political circles half-jokingly as a “Trot” – short for Trotskyist.

The old saying "If you want to drown a dog  a dog, first call it a Jacobin" comes to mind.

Nation Cymru covers the same article and points out that .....

....Plaid’s incumbent leader – who faces a leadership challenge by AMs Adam Price and Rhun ap Iorwerth – has so far gained the support of one Assembly Member, Dai Lloyd.She has also been supported by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Arfon Jones.Four AMs and the party’s sole MEP have yet to back any of the candidates.

Taking that  three of the AM are standing out of 10 that means onlyl three have declared for any candidate 

One not backing Leanne is Ceredigion AM Elin Jones who tweeted 

Elin Jones‏ @ElinCeredigion 15h15 hours ago

Cyn i neb arall fy holi, dyma sut y bydda’i yn pleidleisio yn etholiad arweinyddol Plaid Cymru. This is how I’ll be voting in Plaid’s leadership election. 1. Rhun 2. Adam

Given that she was defeated by Leanne in the previous election it is hardly surprising, but as she is also Presiding Office/ Llywydd means sh that she has no worries about her position if she was to back the wrong candidate.

It seems however those who oppose Leanne are reluctant to make their criticism open being open  quotes anonymously.

Shipton carries on ..

...The leadership election in which Ms Wood is being challenged by Adam Price and Rhun ap Iorwerth has the party’s generally uninspiring electoral performance as a backdrop.
But there are additional, more pressing reasons why she hasn’t got the support of parliamentarians in Westminster and Cardiff Bay.
For public consumption, Plaid politicians will say the party is fortunate to have three such talented leadership candidates, and that any of them are credible as potential First Ministers.
Privately, it’s a different story.
While preceding their criticisms with the assertion that Leanne is a lovely person, they set out in detail why in their view she is not up to leading the party – and in no way could be seen as a credible First Minister.
One senior Plaid source said: 

“The reason why Leanne has so little support among elected national politicians is because we are the ones who work with her closely and see how she approaches the job.

“We are moving towards the next Assembly election in 2021 when it is vital that we have the opportunity to form a government."Yet she has shown no leadership in tasking people to bring together ideas and craft them into practical policies that will help us win the election. This kind of work needs to be done well in advance.“It’s also important to take professional advice from outside the party, but she decided not to renew the services of the SNP adviser she had been working with.“The Assembly group told her they have no confidence in her, but she refused to stand down as leader and just carried on.

I bet if she had done the reverse, the response would be that Leanne spent to much time  listing to advice from outside the party . Indeed I suspect it will come .

”Another party source said:

“It’s no wonder she has no support from the MPs. There has been no communication from Leanne as to what she expects them to do in Westminster, and therefore they make their own decisions.“If you have a meeting with her, she has no ideas of her own, but wants whatever is under discussion to be sent to the National Executive Committee and sometimes for wider debate at the National Council.“She doesn’t offer any guidance, but will be critical if she doesn’t like what you’ve said.“The party is in desperate need of vision and leadership, but its present state is sclerotic.”

Again if Leanne exerted her authority the same sources would be accusing her of being directorial and imposing her agenda and not listing to different opinions.

 

It seems to me that "Plaid's politicians fell out of love with Leanne Wood ", because she does not fit into "Crachach"  mold that inflicts all the Welsh Parties.

It is not that despite not being a first-language Welsh-speaker and preferring to give speeches and interviews in English or even a Woman.

BUt she just doesn't fit into the mainly boys club of Welsh politicians , for who actual beliefs come only second or even third to winning public office and who can shift any olicy according to the polls or more likely the latest Tabloid Heading.

Personally if the Wasting Mule think Leanne is doing a bad job of leading Plaid it proves that she is actually doing the reverse.

Maybe what she really needs (if she wins) is the support of her colleagues , who should put their knives away,