SOCIALIST UNITY

New Plaid MP, Jonathan Edwards, certainly thinks there was a deal possible:

Plaid Cymru’s new MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr has said that Labour will never be forgiven in the Amman Valley for handing over the government of the UK to the Conservative party.

Jonathan Edwards MP said that London Labour had collapsed under pressure, and that a Conservative government would now be allowed to “do its worst” to Wales’ economy as a result.

Jonathan Edwards, who was returned with a majority of almost 3,500 at the recent general election criticised the Labour party for throwing away the opportunity to create an alternative Government based on co-operation and consensus, and for allowing the Tories to threaten Welsh communities with savage cuts.

Mr Edwards said:

“This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that would not only have changed the face of politics as we know it in the UK but also allowed Welsh communities to have been protected from savage cuts. Instead, and totally against what they had promised during the election, Labour chose the easy option of going into hiding, sending David Cameron into power in the process.

There are a number of Labour supporters who have been left very angry by this. I am sure Labour councillors, who have passionately spoken against the threat of Tory rule, will be wondering why it is their party did nothing to stop it from happening.

There was a real alternative to Tory rule that would have offered hope for ensuring fair funding for Wales and support for our local businesses and public service jobs. However, tribal Labour politicians, who on the doorstep said they were the only people who could keep the Tories out, chose instead to step aside and inflict these cuts on us.”

Now I know that there are many members of the Labour Party, of both left and right, who were opposed to a coalition deal. However, I don’t think this oposition was decisive. It seems that the key component for a coalition would have needed to be the Liberals, and they were never serious about negotiations with Labour, using the talks only as leverage with their preferred partners, the Tories.

Had a rainbow coalition been achievable, then it would have prevented the round of additional £6 bn cuts in public services; and would have prevented the proposed attacks on child tax credits, sure start, the expected hike in VAT, and other disastrous class-war policies from the Con-Dems.

Paxo starts off in his usual condescending way towards anyone without a Home Counties accent - but Plaid Cymru’s economic adviser, Eurfyl ap Gwilym, takes him apart, and Eurfyl makes the very pertinent point that London receives higher per-capita spending than any other English region, higher than Wales.

This is the full text of Ron Davies’s speech in the Plaid election rally to support Penri James to be the next MP for Ceredigion, in Aberystwyth on Saturday. With thanks to Alun Williams. From Leanne Wood AM

“Thank you very much. I was tempted to say, “Good Morning. And it is a very good morning in Aberystwyth”.

“I am not going to try to attempt to speak with the degree of hwyl and local conviction that we’ve just had from my very good friend Dafydd Iwan. But the message I bring to you is no less heartfelt. I’m here today to support Penri.

“I hope that people throughout the length and breadth of Wales will think very seriously about the way that they will cast their vote on May 6th. We have not been well served by our governments in Westminster. We have had 40 years of political consensus which has put the interests of London at the heart of all of our decision- making. And that political consensus is shared between those people that Dafydd described as ‘those three men’.

“The Conservative Party, unfortunately the Labour Party, and the Lib Dems have shared that political consensus, that what matters in Britain is the future and prosperity of that square mile in the city of London. And when you have a political consensus without any real challenge to the priorities you have a country descending into the country that we see today.

“We’ve had the worst economic collapse that any of us have seen. Following from that we have political corruption on an appalling scale in London. We’ve seen a growth of inequality right throughout the length of Britain. And we’ve seen the British people led by a British government into overseas military adventures when we’re killing innocent men, women and children in the name of the British state and in the name of the Americans.

“Now that is the consequence of having a political consensus. Like me, you’ll have watched some of the debate on television. And they talk about change - “We are the party of change”. The only difference is the colour of their ties. They shouldn’t call themselves parties. They should say, “The Blue Tie Party”, or, “The Red Tie party”, or, “The Orange Tie Party”. They don’t offer any difference.

“This election offers us in Wales the chance to send a very clear message. Every vote which is cast in this election for Plaid Cymru is a vote cast on behalf of the people of Wales. Every vote cast for Plaid Cymru candidates will be noted in London. In terms of politics, in terms of what we offer, it is now only Plaid Cymru which can challenge that political consensus.

“If you want to affect those issues that are concerning us, if you want to change the structure of politics, if you want to change the quality of democracy, if you want to bring equality, if you want to make sure that communities know where they stand and have secure futures, there’s only one thing to do on May 6th. And that is to support your Plaid Cymru candidate.

“Penri, I’m delighted to be here. I wish you every success. I have no doubt at all that you and many, many other Plaid Cymru candidates are going to be successful on May 6th. And Wales will be better for it.

Interesting interview with Plaid leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones, from the Daily Politics show.

He points out that the New Labour electoral strategy of minimising the differences between Labour and Tories to attract swing voters in middle England has been disastrous for Labour in Wales, where voters have perceived this as Labour turning its back on its traditional values, and against the interests of its core voters.

Watch it here

Leanne Wood AM, Plaid member in the Welsh Assembly, just pointed out to me today’s article by Jim Jepps in the Morning Star, where Jim looks at the support or lack of it offered to trade unionists by the different political parties.

Many in England are unaware how solidly pro-trade union Plaid Cymru are, so it is worth quoting this section from Jim’s article:

How about Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party? It’s undoubtedly true that both parties have taken votes from traditional Labour base, so do they reflect those traditional Labour values towards trade unions?

Well, yes and no. Yes for Plaid and no for the SNP, to be exact.

Plaid Cymru Assembly Members refused to cross the picket line during the recent PCS strike and Leanne Wood AM joined the pickets and spoke at their rallies.

She denounced Labour, saying that it seems “hell-bent on doing the Tories’ dirty work for them by making it cheap to sack civil servants ahead of the anticipated post-general election cull of public services.

“As an example of a party losing touch with its core support, this is up there with the abolition of the lower rate of income tax.

“Casino capitalism and greed has led us to this position, yet it will be those who use public services who will be made to pay for the mistakes of the bankers yet again.

“The poor are being robbed to pay the rich - a reversal of the Robin Hood principle. The PCS dispute is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a sustained all-out attack on the public sector and the thousands of loyal workers that keep our services running smoothly and efficiently, often for little more that the minimum wage.”

Good luck to Plaid candidates in the general election.

As reported from Wales Home.

Over at the Conservative group press conference in the Assembly it has just been announced that Mohammed Asghar is leaving Plaid Cymru and joining the Conservatives.

First elected on the South East Wales regional list in 2007, Oscar (as he is known) ironically took the fourth list seat for Plaid from the Conservatives, unseating Laura Ann Jones. In doing so he became the first ever AM elected from an ethnic minority.

He is now stating that he is joining the Conservatives because of his respect for the Royal Family and the United Kingdom.

This is a first in two ways – the first time an Assembly Member has defected from one party to another; and the first time anyone has ever left Plaid because of their love for the UK and the monarchy. Jaws are more than dropped this lunchtime…

A full press release will follow, but in the meantime consider this. Adam Price is known to be looking for a seat in the Assembly in 2011 and one of the options being discussed has been a list seat in South Wales East. Does not that possibility look a little more realistic now?

Actually it is another first. The first time a politican we have interviewed for Socialist Unity has become a Tory.

by Adam Price MP
Er gwaetha’r cynnydd yng nghefnogaeth y Blaid a’n llwyddiant yn ein cadarnleoedd, mae’r anfadwaith bod pleidiau cenedlaetholaidd Prydeining wedi gwneud bron cystal a’r Blaid Genedlaethol Gymreig yn yr Etholiadau Ewropeaidd yng Nghymru dal yn fy mhoeni. Gobiethio bod hyn yn pigo cydwybod pob gwladgarwr wnaeth aros gatre, ond mae’n gyfrifoldeb arna i ofyn beth a ellir gwneud yn well neu’n wahanol. Yn hen draddodiad y trioedd, dyma dair, taer awgrym.

Rhaid i ni beidio ymddiheuro am ein cenedlaetholdeb. Yn oes globaleiddio mae gwleidyddiaeth hunaniaeth a’r amgen am ail-wreiddio grym gwleidyddol mewn cymunedau lleol a chenedlaethol yn ganolog i’n cyfnod. Dyna yn rhannol sydd wrth wraidd twf y Dde Brydeinig; consyrn gwirioneddol am bwer anatebol, boed yn sefydliadau Ewropeaidd annemocrataidd neu gorfforaethau’n ecsploetio llafur rhad.

Ein cyfrifoldeb a’n cyfle fel cenedlatholwyr Cymreig yw dangos bod yna ddewis amgen i hunaniaeth Brydeinig, hiliol y BNP (fyddai yn hala Colin Jackson ‘adre’, ond nid y mewnfudwr i Faldwyn, Gauleiter Griffin) a gwrth-Gymreig UKIP (sydd am ddileu’r Cynulliad ynghyd ag unrhyw fesur o ddwyieithrwydd). Mae hyn yn golygu gwella’n gallu i gynhyrchu negeseuon syml, gafaelgar: mi oedd neges UKIP, a’r BNP, dim ots pa mor wyrdroedig, yn hawdd i’w cofio ac yn uniongyrchol. Rhaid i ni greu neges o genedligrwydd cynhwysol Gymreig sydd yr un mor rymus emosiynol.

Yn ail, mae rhaid i ni dargedu’r dosbarth gweithiol sydd wedi eu bradychu gan Lafur newydd ac sydd nawr yn chwilio am gartref gwleidyddol newydd. Ar wahan i’r Cymoedd, mae’r Blaid wedi bod yn blaid y dosbarth canol Cymraeg am gyfran helaeth o’i bodolaaeth. Pan ymunodd fy nheulu i a’r Blaid yn ystod Streic y Glowyr, roedd e’n dipyn o sioc ddiwylliant i’r Blaid yn lleol. O fewn rhai misoedd, mi holltodd y gangen yn ddau: un yn cwrdd yn Neuadd Les y Glowyr a’r llall yn hen dy rheolwr yr Ammanford Colliery Company a oedd bellach yn ‘country club’ y Wernoleu. Mae’r Blaid a Rhydaman wedi mynd ar siwrnai gwleidyddol ers y ddyddiau hynny – ond os ydym am wireddu ein potensial fel yr ydym yn Sir Gar ac yn hen ardaloedd y chwareli, rhaid i ni droi nid yn unig yn Blaid Cymru, ond plaid pobl cyffredin trwy Gymru gyfan.

Yn olaf, mae rhaid i ni ffurfio cynghreiriau. Hen alwad gen i erbyn hyn, ond mae’r canlyniadau diwedderaraf a llwyddiant y Dde yn arbennig yn profi’r angen am gydweithio ar y Chwith. Pe bae’r Gwyrddion yng Nghymru wedi cytuno i’n galwad ni am restr ar y cyd i’r Etholiadau yma mae’n siwr gen i y byddwn wedi dod yn gyntaf a, gyda phum mil ychwanegol o bleidleisiau, wedi llwyddo i guro UKIP gan roi i’r Gwyrddion Cymreig eu Haelod cyntaf yn Ewrop. Mae’r un peth yn wir am Mebyon Kernow a’r Gwyrddion yn Ne-Orllewin Lloegr fyddai wedi ennill sedd oddi wrth y Toriaid wrth sefyll ar y cyd. A’r Dde ar garlam, nawr yw’r amser i greu clymblaid enfys go iawn i ennill nid yn unig yn Ewrop ym 2014, ond yn bwysicach fyth, yng Nghymru 2011.

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IN ENGLISH (more…)

Plaid Cymru look poised to win two MEPs in the Euro elections, which would be a significant advance for them. At last week’s Welsh TUC, the blaid launched a five point pledge for workers, committing the party to:

• Strengthening the Posted Workers Directive to guarantee equal rights for workers at the same workplace
• A Working Time Directive that ensures the health and safety of all workers
• A more effective framework for informing and consulting employees
• Proper implementation of the Insolvency Directive to protect pensions
• A new programme of investment in public services to protect public sector jobs

Mae addewid pum pwynt Plaid i weithwyr yn ymrwymo’r blaid i wneud y canlynol:

• Cryfhau’r Gyfarwyddeb Gweithwyr a symudwyd i warantu hawliau cyfartali weithwyr yn yr un gweithle
• Cyfarwyddeb Oriau Gwaith sy’n sicrhau iechyd a diogelwch pob gweithiwr
• Fframwaith mwy effeithiol i hysbysu gweithwyr ac ymgynghori â hwy Gweithredu’r Gyfarwyddeb Ansolfedd yn iawn i warchod pensiynau
• Rhaglen newydd o fuddsoddi mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus i amddiffynswyddi yn y sector cyhoeddus.