who would join a political party?

Due to problems with the Assembly server I won't be able to do my guest blogger section this week, so it will restart after the weekend if the IT is working again at the Assembly.

I was going to write a letter to the Western Mail and local papers in response to Ray Davies, a Caerphilly Councillor's recent criticism of Plaid for entering the House of Lords, but Dafydd Iwan got in there first!

I know Ray well, and was probably just as surprised as Dafydd Iwan to read the somewhat angry letter in the papers this week from Ray. If he was a Plaid member, then I could totally understand his resentment for our change in policy, but for someone who has remained in the Labour party as an anti war activist over the years, who has had to defend his party's involvement in Iraq and so on, I find it quite perplexing that he has responded in such a manner.

Before I was a member of any political party, and when I invited Ray to speak at Aberystwyth Guild of Students as part of activities surrounding the peace movement in Wales, I always asked him why he was a member of a party that he campaigned so much against. His answer was (to generalise) that he wanted to make changes from within, and help in restoring 'Old Labour'. He was always so clear in that opinion and aim, and didn't once question his membership to Labour, even when the Labour run Council at Caerphilly had run ins with him over his determination to continue to protest during peace protests using non violent direct action.

Of course, I agree with Ray on the issue of the House of Lords, but that is a decision which party members have taken. Had it been a policy imposed on members, then the discussion would be quite different. If we decide to become members of political parties, and want to remain as such, then sometimes we can't always get our own way- however much we try! We can obviously campaign against ideas before they become ingrained in policy if we disagree with them vehemently, and we can even choose to leave the party if our principles do not fall in line with the party's general direction. Nevertheless, Ray must know that there is a broad church of people in every party, and that is how it will always be.