Wednesday 25 July 2012

What are Plaid's Options?

I am beginning to wonder whether the Plaid Leadership  are secretly pleased with the Dafydd El amd Cynog Dafis row despite the obvious damage that it is initially doing to the party.

After all if you are going to place your emphasis on Independence then its best to get any potential critical opposition out of the way particularly if it comes from an older generation and you would like to give the impression that the torch has been passed on (or snatched)  but if it is a policy it is a dangerous one.

However it does show the problem Plaid has always have and how it should state its aims.


  1. Take a Sinn.Fein Line and argue that it wants no part of the British state. Fight Westminster election but to refuse to take your seat. Plaid original stance when Lewis Valentine stood for Caernaforn n 1926'
  2. Take a line that its only  goal is Independence, Fight al elections but remain aloof from other parties and political issues. 
  3. Aim to be in overall control in the Assembly and use this to call a Independence referendum ( The current position in Scotland 
  4. Aim to be the Largest party  in the assembly and concentrate on running the Assembly aiming to emulate the SNP and gaining the above .
  5. Have Independence have your aim but aim to form coalitions as a Junior partner and concentrate on running the country hoping to archive option 4.
  6. State although Independence is your aim its a long way off and therefore you are concentrating of achieving option 4 for the "benefit of Wales" (Which seems to be Cynog's stance}.
  7. State you are willing to enter Coalition with Labour, The Green's .and possibly the Libdems but completely rule out the Tories.
  8. State you have no intention of entering a coalition with any Party 
  9. Abandon complete Independence and seek a Federal Britain
  10. Abandon Independence for a Devo max Parliament 
  11. Become largely a pressure group hoping to influence other parties to adopt one of  the above.
I suspect most Plaid voters would chose one of these options .

This is Plaids dilemma .

If you take option 3 as your aim which what seems to  Leanne's stance.Do you insist all members adopt this or do you take the Broad church approach and "Welcome Debate within the party ".?

The problem with the former is you look authoritarian and with the latter   Debate will be portrayed by your enemies as an internal row.

Plaid problem is that dissent will probably end if it increases it position dramatically in the opinion polls but with Labour enjoying the luxury of UK opposition it loks set to keep its current hegemony.



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