Reality hit home on Thursday evening when I took part in a Youth Forum event in Cardiff's County Hall. I was questioned on all manners of topics- from racism and Big Brother, to immigration, to the Thomas Cook affair. The problem arose when a question was posed on the National Assembly and coalition. All eyes were on me, expecting some new updated information on how thing's were going.
Well, I found myself having to explain to a room of very keen and political young people that 'negotiations like this are normal for Institutions elected via PR', that 'a decision will be made soon', and that ' it will all work out for the best' ( I have to convince myself of the above on a regular basis as well, believe it or not!). While I am very confident that a decision is imminent( our group will decide on Tuesday), I can understand the frustration that they felt by the fact that I couldn't give a definitive answer. It didn't help that I was also a bit worried that I couldn't tell them outright what was happening, and that they'd give up and label me as just another politician dodging answering the question!
Having said that, I hope they understood the fact that a deal WILL be brokered soon, and that the Assembly's 'coalition' bubble WILL be broken. I think that most would agree that we must work on securing the best deal. If we rush anything, people will be very quick to judge. Any agreement can't be a case of a few days bargaining here and there. It has to be robust and deliverable.
I am therefore looking forward to next Tuesday when we can finally take our views forward to the National Executive and the National Council. Until then I won't be letting any secrets out of the bag in terms of what has been discussed between Plaid and the Labour Party. Vaughan Roderick notes on his blog that Plaid AM's have been disciplined in keeping negotiation information firmly within the negotiation process( which is more than can be said for some 'Senior Plaid sources!')
Early next week all will be out in the open, when we will say 'yes' to a formal deal with Labour, or 'yes' to a three party coalition............unless of course everything has changed by then by which point I will be going out of my mind!!!
2 comments:
I doubt any politician go out of their way to be difficult - with a few exceptions. It's just that there are a few questions that can't be answered. For example, if you had answered fully in Cardiff, it would be putting the coalition discussions, not to mention your own career, at risk.
I think that most people are willing to understand that. The problem comes when political bodies use evasions to set the political agenda. So don't worry too much, Bethan!
I watched the Assembly debates this afternoon, and to tell you the truth, the more I saw those smugly self-satisfied and supercilious Conservatives airing their views the greater was my aversion to having them in a coalition with Plaid and the Liberals. The Liberals I can stomach, and though wary of Labour and its affiliations with Westminster and the Union, I feel that the majority of people would expect us to go in with them, while working towards a referendum. We should take the lead, not prop up, and publicise the fact that we are doing so. Despite northern members inclinations I think it will turn out to be a Red/Green, or rather a Green/Red government.
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