Sunday 17 June 2018

The Plaid Leader's fortunes may depend on events in Scotland.

 Unless I am vary much mistaken there will not be a challenge to the leadership of Plaid Cymru this year.


So far, no other Plaid AMs have said they want to go against . Leanne Wood, who  his week submitted her nomination papers to bid to be leader again. Others can also put themselves forward and the window which allows for a leadership challenge closes on July 4

There does seem to be support from elsewhere in the party for there to be a leadership contest.
Sian Gwenllian, Elin Jones and Llyr Gruffydd have emailed their colleagues asking them all to consider standing.

A source told WalesOnline the email was sent via personal email addresses and included Ms Wood.

Another source said the email was sent in a positive spirit and was not about challenging Ms Wood's leadership but was about encouraging people to come forward and have a debate.

They said if she survives the challenge then it could strengthen her position but that it was an important debate for the party to have.

There has been some speculation that it would come from either or both Rhun ap Iowerth  or Adam Price .


 In some ways Ms Wood spiked  thier guns  this week said she will resign as leader of Plaid Cymru if she fails to become First Minister after the next National Assembly election in 2021. 

 Also in a BBC interview she mentioned Rhun ap Iorwerth by name and her opposition to the Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station became evident. It's a project he's supporting. 

The thing is there are Assembly elections just thre years away. Anybody  who thinks they can win a challenge would have to change the parties rather static poll around and at the vary least finished with at least five extra seats or face calls for them to stand down.

They would  face the potential loss of Dwyfor Meirionnydd as   Dafydd Elis Thomas either winds or splits the Plaid vote.


Thee does appear to be some prejudice among Crachach tendency in Wales 
Crachac that a working class valleys woman could lead a major Welsh part,

(a pejorative term sometimes used to refer to members of the Establishment in Wales. The crachach are usually said to be Welsh-speaking and are said to be found in influential positions in the arts, politics, academia and the media. The term 'Taffia' is sometimes used in a similar sense.)

 But sadly  even more so among some the working class themselves who believe that their "betters" should shed their accents for a more "educated" one.

It's not for me to tell Plaid who should lead them but we seem to be living in a a peculiar period of political staticity where the polls (outside Scotland) see little change despite us having one of the most inept Uk governments  in living memory.

The catalyst for change in Wales however may come in Scotland where events last week made I believe a second (and successful) Independence referendum .  and whoever is Plaid leader  is must adopt an aggressive "Wales must not be left behind".

1 comment:

Leigh Richards said...

Worth noting that many of those behind the insidious online whispering campaign against leanne are not even members of plaid cymru. And they are usually anonymous reactionary trolls who can't stomach the fact the party of wales is led by a left wing working class woman. Also worth noting leanne's detractors are also cowards - that's why it's unlikely there will be a leadership campaign in plaid before the senedd elections in 2021