Labour activist use Union position to attack Plaid Broadcast.

To be honest I wasn't that impressed with Plaid latest Party Political  Broadcast as I prefer positive rather than negative campaigning

If you haven't see it  set in a run-down workingmen’s club with a sign reading “The Labour Party” on the front door. but here it is.

But nevertheless we can only  wonder why the Wasting Mule Online gave space to a report that

A trade union which represents thousands of health workers says it is “livid” at Plaid Cymru for their “ill-informed” party political broadcast.

Apparently Unison Cymru Wales has urged Leanne Wood to apologise to NHS staff for the “gross offence” caused by the broadcast, which aired last week on television.


In a letter to Leanne Wood, Mrs Bowden states:

 “Ambulance workers across Wales are livid that Plaid Cymru decided to dismiss their professionalism and public service ethos in such a crass and ill-informed way in last week’s party political broadcast.
“You and your party owe it to Unison healthcare workers to apologise for the gross offence caused.
“To have a drunk, 70s style comedian in your broadcast pedalling a lame “Knock, knock” joke that ambulances take a blanket 50 minutes to arrive, has no basis in fact and rubbishes the hard work of our members.


In your attempts to talk down the Wales NHS in your game of hurly-burly with the Welsh Government, you are hurting public sector workers who give everything to their community. “The median response time for an ambulance in August this year – the latest month for which figures are available – was six minutes 45 seconds; the mean response time, nine minutes; a startling difference from the figure in your ‘joke’.”

Now I have expressed disquiet about the  state of the Welsh NHS  being used as a political football without some real alternatives being made but criticising the Welsh Governments handling of it is not the same as criticising NHS staff.

In response, trade union representative and Plaid Cymru Assembly candidate , Cerith Griffiths said the film made a “very important point” about the Labour Welsh government’s underinvestment in the ambulance service and how they fail to take this problem seriously

 Not only is the film not critical of NHS staff – it explicits refers to the excellence of health professionals.
“Ambulance staff tell Plaid Cymru they are under more and more pressure and want our help to call for action from this Labour Government.
“Plaid Cymru has repeated time and time again that it is on the side of the Welsh ambulance workforce and the NHS staff.
“Those I speak to on a regular basis tell me they are having to cope with increased pressures and over-stretched resources.
“That is why Plaid Cymru has listened to NHS workers and pledged to invest more money in our health service and to recruit more staff.

Mr Grifiths then hit the nail on the head 

““When active Labour members use a trade union platform to attack Plaid Cymru, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, but what’s important is that Plaid Cymru will always work closely with unions and their members to seek fair play for our public services.”

For  Mrs Bowden is just that an  Labour Party member, and was on the shortlist to be the party’s candidate for next year’s Assembly elections in Caerphilly.

You can be forgiven that "We are Livid"  claim that Mrs Bowden made refers more to the Labour party in Wales than her Unison members.


It is disgraceful for the Labour Party to us a Union to divert attacks on their mismanagement .

At one time NUPE which preceded Unison looked like it was a progressive Union that was wiling to work with other parties rater than Labour .

It no seems that the current Union is more intent on defending the Labour Party and not its member particularly it seems  those who are suffering because the only Labour run legislature in the UK has spectacularly failed them.