In an interview with the Western Mail, published this morning, Plaid Cymru’s leader firmly hitches his wagon to the Labour donkey for a second bite at the One Wales coalition.
According to Martin Shipton, Ieuan Wyn Jones effectively ruled out out the possibility of a “Rainbow” coalition involving Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats after next year’s National Assembly election.
He says that when pressed on whether it would be possible for Plaid to go into coalition with the two parties at Westminster who were imposing swingeing spending cuts Ieuan said: “Let’s be honest. I think that does make a Rainbow [government] more difficult. I think there’s no question about that. The political context means that would be much, much more difficult to achieve than it was in 2007.”
Tying his party to Labour like this is going to make it much more difficult for Plaid Cymru to put across a distinctive message at these elections or to attack their coalition partners. It will also narrow his room for manoeuvre when it comes to negotiations.
In these circumstances it is difficult to see how Plaid Cymru will be able to deliver on their conference message which is that they will transform Wales rather than just manage. Given that they have failed to deliver transformation to date, then what more can be done in the context of falling budgets and limited negotiating options?
What is also interesting is that in all of the interviews I have heard to date nobody has been able to actually set out what this transformation is. When pressed Plaid spokespeople either revert to talking about independence or mitigating cuts. The latter of course is management.
Given Plaid’s failure to deliver on their part of the One Wales agreement to date then it is unlikely that this sort of rhetoric will impress anybody when it comes to the detailed scrtutiny of the party’s record during the election.
That is especally so when the overwhelming majority of people are concerned about the bread and butter services that are under threat as a result of the need to reduce Labour’s debt and deficit, and are actually looking for parties to go into government to manage that transition competently.
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Well it has to be Labour doesn’t it? Let’s be honest, linking up with Lib Dems or Tories in Wales would be like handcuffing yourself to a dead giraffe.
So, Plaid have hitched their wagon to the Labour Donkey. Fine by me, I wouldn’t want to see the Liberals associating themselves with Nationalists.
Reminds me of the joke; what’s the difference between Port Talbot and Blackpool?
In Blackpool they have their Donkey’s on the beach!
Why does Plaid stick with Labour?
Because …
Plaid has an itch and Labour has thick gloves.
excuse me sly earwig I’d choke you out in seconds …Donkeys are magnificent
creatures, admirable, one of man’s best friends