CF99 – Incredible!
Well I was right. On CF99 last night I was joined by senior Plaid Cymru AM, Helen Mary Jones and a Liberal Democrat staff member at the Assembly (sorry, I forgot his name!)
The programme was an eye opener. Those of you who speak or understand Welsh can access the recording on the BBC iPlayer site from what I gather but for everybody else here are a few highlights!
1. The Plaid AM offered advice to Gordon Brown stating that he needed to highlight the in-experience of David Cameron and the fact that this"Eton educated public schoolboy"could not be trusted with the governance of Britain. This strategy was (and I quote) "our only hope". Consider those words. "Our only hope" says a PLAID AM. What is this, Plaid Cymru campaigning for the Labour Party? Well upon reflection, it's hardly a surprise since in Conwy Council and in Cardiff Bay Plaid and Labour are in coalition together so once again be aware, be very aware, that Plaid Cymru will, in the event of a hung parliament, support this discredited Labour Government "our only hope" as the Plaid Cymru AM said. I wonder what my Plaid opponent will say about this?
2. In a second response the Plaid AM (I'm sorry but the Liberal did not have much to say) again talked about the Eton educated public schoolboy. Class war appears to be alive and well in Plaid Cymru. However, she did not appear to enjoy my comment that I had never heard her complain of the decision of former Plaid Cymru MP, Dafydd Wigley, to send his children to a fee paying private school for their 'A' levels rather than send them to the state comprehensive that I attended. Pure hypocrisy.
3. The Plaid AM then claimed that her party was the 'only' party to proclaim themselves as socialists with pride. Funny that, I have never seen the word 'socialism' used by Plaid in any literature or communication with the public here in Aberconwy. Are they becoming a Welsh version of the Liberal Democrats I wonder? Socialist in the south but small 'c' conservatives in Aberconwy and North Wales.
4. The Plaid AM then attacked the other parties for choosing candidates who had previously been political researchers with no experience of the real world. Again, pure hypocrisy. The Plaid AM for South Wales West is one Nerys Evans. Her previous (and only) job I believe was as a political researcher for Plaid AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas. The Plaid AM for South Wales Central is one Bethan Jenkins. Previous employment - full time Plaid Cymru student union leader! To cap it all Plaid Cymru have recently chosen a chap called Jonathan Edwards to stand in their seat of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr as a result of the decision of my friend, Plaid MP Adam Price, to stand down. Prior to his selection Mr Edwards had been employed as a political researcher and strategist for, yes you guessed it, Adam Price MP! Hypocrisy again.
5. Finally credit to the Liberal contributor. On Monday night Plaid Cymru stated that they would increase the state pension for all by 30%. They claimed to have costed this with care and by scrapping Trident it would be affordable. Today in the Assembly (according to the Liberal contributor) Plaid AM Chris Franks said that spending on the Health Service could be increased by, wait for it, scrapping Trident. The Plaid AM response on CF99 was that you could only spend the Trident savings twice so it was OK!!
I'm sorry for the length of this posting. Non Welsh speakers do not often see Plaid at their most duplicitous, dishonest and dam right silly but CF99 last night proved them to be unfit for responsibility at Bodlondeb and Cardiff Bay. They are an utter irrelevance in a Westminster election.
As I have said before - Plaid Cymru cannot be trusted.
Guto