Leanne Wood leads the Progressive response to Trump's victory

Though an Independent Blogger I make no attempt to hide my Tendency to support Plaid Cymru as well as the Greens and other progressive parties.

I try not be sycophantic and will criticise  Plaid or any "Progressive" party at times.

But today is one, where my praise  for Leanne Wood response to Trump's election victory is total 

She said 

“Following Mr Trump’s victory, now is the time for calm heads and winding down the rhetoric we have witnessed during the election. If Trump wants to do business with the rest of the world, he must row back on the appalling comments we saw throughout the campaign.
“There is now a clear trend in Western democracies of anti-establishment rhetoric being falsely utilised by the wealthy and powerful as a route to power.
“While our values of anti-racism and anti-sexism are not up for negotiation, we must still reach out to those people who are now attracted to right-wing populist parties or causes, because on issues like inequality of wealth, there is a clear case to answer.
“The reason why Plaid Cymru has gone forward in recent elections is because we have become trusted at a local and community level. There is far more to be done, but in Wales it is Plaid Cymru which holds open and inclusive values whilst still offering an alternative to the Westminster establishment. “

I am not alone  in this the Left wing Blog  The Canary  writes that

Boris Johnson continues to woo Trump in his efforts to backtrack over earlier, less favourable comments he made about the President-elect. Leanne Wood, meanwhile, has issued a brilliant response to Trump’s election.
Wood, the leader of Plaid Cymru, called for “calm heads and winding down the rhetoric”. But she also nailed the essence of Trump’s victory:

The challenge ahead  is immense  not only in Wales and our friends on the progressive movement  have responded in similar fashion.

Caroline  Lucas, the co-leader of the Green Party, has responded to Donald Trump being elected as president of the United States. 

She said: 

“This is a devastating day for women, for people of colour, for disabled people and for an inclusive society in the USA.
"Trump’s election is also a hammer blow for the fight against climate change – and presents a genuine threat to some of the poorest people in the world who will suffer its effects worse.
"But this is no time to mourn – instead we must organise like never before to keep our communities cohesive and our climate safe. On this dark day we extend the hand of friendship to people in the USA who wake up in fear – we know that you are not defined by the hatred espoused by your new president. But it’s at times like this when we need to unite, learn, resist and hope more than ever before. Today, in whatever ways we can, let’s light a candle rather than curse the darkness.”

 One Political leader in Europe  SNP Nicola Sturgeon  who has  managed to gain vote from  anti-establishment  voters whilst still standing on a Progressive platform a day after issuing a statement congratulating Trump on his electoral win, response was similar  

She stood by her criticism of the president elect, saying that she would have felt guilty saying nothing in the face Trump’s “deeply abhorrent” rhetoric.

“I never want to be, I am not prepared to be, a politician that maintains a diplomatic silence in the face of attitudes of racism, sexism, misogyny or intolerance of any kind,” said Sturgeon. “I hope that president-elect Trump turns out to be a president very different to the kind of candidate he was … But people of progressive opinion the world over, I think, do have to stand up for the values of tolerance and respect for diversity and difference.”

Indeed the National Movements in Scotland had defeated the far rights grab of the support of the disposed by  offering hope and a new future.

We can only hope Plaid under Leanne Wood can do the same and reverse the circumstances which have seen Ukip siting in the Welsh Assembly and freely expressing their bile in our National Legislature.