Saturday 24 December 2016

Apparently Dafydd EL has a "simple view of politics!

So we are led to believe  according to , Dafydd Elis-Thomas that a deal was struck between Plaid Cymru and UKIP to elect Leanne Wood First Minister.
And Plaid’s former leader said the deal triggered him leaving the party.
After this May’s election an Assembly vote was held to elect a new First Minister but there was shock when Leanne Wood got the same number of votes as Labour candidate Carwyn Jones.
There were accusations of horse trading among the smaller parties to get a deal to block Mr Jones’ re-election as First Minister which Miss Wood denied at the time.
If that is so what did Ukip expect to get ? and why haven't they told us ?
It would surely be in their interest to spill the beans
A second vote was held which saw Mr Jones carry the day.
But Mr Elis-Thomas told the Daily Post a deal had been done to line up UKIP AMs ahead of the vote and this was something he could not tolerate.

“I have had discussions with the First Minister since the tied vote for him becoming First Minister which I participated in on a three line whip as part of the Plaid group and that was when I decided I did not want to be in that position again when I was subject to a three line whip not realising the Welsh Conservatives and UKIP had been lined up to vote for my then leader Leanne Wood as First Minister,”

After the Plaid group had decided to put Leanne’s name forward on a three line whip UKIP were approached and I know that from talking to them.

“I didn’t know that this was going to happen and then there was a second vote and I was asked by the First Minister and other Labour colleagues whether I would vote with them and I decided I couldn’t because of the three line whip.“But I didn’t think it was a good strategic approach to contest the election of the First Minister. And I was very pleased that the Liberal Democrat leader as she then was, voted in the conscientious way that she did.“The approach to UKIP was an indication that the strategy of opposition was more important for the Plaid group then contributing to the governance of Wales
The Liberal Democrat leader e us talking about is Kirsty Williams the  sole Lib Dem in the Assembly who subsequently joined the Assembly Government  in the "Not a Coalition".
  
Asked if the an approach to UKIP was key to him leaving the party he replied: 
“Yes, because I have a very simple view of politics and that is my job is to ensure Wales has good governance, the argument then is who runs the government of Wales and I do not believe that relying on the support of the Welsh Conservatives and UKIP was appropriate strategic position.

Dafydd El having a "simple view of politics?

In March 2014 he , condemned Ms Wood's description of a vote for UKIP as a vote against Wales in her speech to the Plaid Cymru spring conference.
He said: 
"It is facile and assumes a kind of superiority that we decide who is Welsh and who is not Welsh.""A party which gets votes from ordinary citizens in Wales has to be taken seriously."It clearly represents a point of view in Wales."

   Plaid Cymru hit back at the accusations, a spokesperson for the party said: “Plaid Cymru has been a constructive and effective opposition party since the May elections.

“We have held the Labour Government to account when necessary and we have negotiated agreements in June and more recently the biggest budget deal in the history of the Assembly to secure additional and important funding for cancer care, transport infrastructure, help for small businesses and local councils as well as mental health services.“Leanne Wood has made no approach to UKIP at any stage and it should be remembered that the AM for Dwyfor Meirionnydd was nominated by UKIP’s Neil Hamilton in his bid to become the Presiding Officer.”
Did Dafydd El canvas Ukip vote in his failed bid to get the lucrative role as Presiding Officer?
Probably not but such a accusation appears as baseless as his on Paid doing a deal with Ukip.
Apart from the fact that I don't think Plaid were serious in the nomination of Leanne Wood as first Minister  it was  an early indication that they were not going to have the free reign that Dafydd El appears  to want to give them.
As I have already written . It would be clearly in Ukip interest to embarrass Plaid by revealing any approach.
Could it be  that the simple reason is that Dafydd El is not content to be a humble  opposition AM and would love to emulate Kirst Williams in the 2Not a Coalition?"
I suspect that Labour may have at some kind welcomed Dafydd El defecting to them but are worried that he is to much of a loose cannon and t would not be long  he would be given often contradictory  views that embarrass them.
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