Don Touhig's comments on the One Wales Government, specifically his view that Plaid are 'runnning rings around Labour' will not go unnoticed on the blogosphere today, especially not by Plaid bloggers! I read the story on the BBC website, and went straight over to Normal Mouth's blog. Normal Mouth's attempts to brush off Plaid's influence on government made me smile, especially as only seconds ago I read the way in which a leading Labour MP believes that
' They've ( Plaid) exploited their position in the assembly very well to make sure that the people believe that advances and changes and benefits to Wales are coming from them and not from the Labour Party.
"We're too dull, we haven't done that."
Comments such as this, along with the leaked Labour document on the dwindling grassroots support for the party will be worrying for the Labour leadership, and for any potential leadership hopeful. As Helen Mary Jones hints at in the article, it seems that instead of Don and the like accepting and embracing this coalition for what it is, they are childishly trying to undermine it at every cost.
Again, the Westminster v Assembly agenda goes in to overdrive. It is clear that the Unionists in the Labour party are in a very weak position at the moment, and that they are scrabbling to find a strategy to undermine a coalition which is working well, which is offering stability, and which is implementing progressive policies- merely in order to highlight their own personal misgivings a year on. Even some of the Labour AMs who were pessimistic about the Labour-Plaid deal have come on board, and recognised that the coalition is offering a new dynamic to Welsh politics. Yet the same Labour Unionists clamour for negative press coverage on the coalition, knowing that this is the only way they will make the headlines. Surely they have better things to do than to undermine the work of their own colleagues in Wales?
I believe that the coalition with Plaid has teased out many of the radical elements in Labour that were there in previous administrations, but which they felt ( for reasons I do not know) could not be explored further in the context in which they governed at the time. Plaid in government alongside them has provided them with a degree of flexibility to implement new ideas, and to approach policy in a fresh light. Plaid in government alone has started the long awaited shake up of the civil service, who are being told to understand that the Ministers make the policy- not the other way around! I don't need to list the things that we have done in government here, but what I will say is that this coalition has ensured that it looks highly unlikely that Wales will return to a one party majority administration- ensuring that governments do not become complacent and take voters for granted.
The fact that the Labour party are assessing their internal situation is, I believe, as a result of this government in the Bay- a realisation that they must ensure that what they are seeking to achieve on a One Wales government level is reflected in the party membership. This positivity on a National level should feed down to the grassroots level, as opposed to Labour maintaining a parochial, Nationalist hater stance at all costs.
I look forward to the next few years of Plaid being in government. Obviously we will make mistakes, that is the nature of being a party of government. Obviously there will be decisions made that I and others will not agree with, but this is historical for Plaid- to be in government for the very first time, and I won't let the likes of Don ruin that for me or my party.
3 comments:
Bethan,
Many of us in Welsh Labour are very pleased with the progress made by the coalition government which everyday is improving its socialist credentials and is forging the way in progressive policies exemplified by the robust determination of Edwina Hart in health. We are not tribal Plaid haters but we are opponents of anyone in politics who stand for the regressive free market policies of the right. Such people exist in New Labour and elements of your party. Don't forget that some of your colleagues were very comfortable at the thought of coalition with the Tories a year ago.
Politicians of the progressive left in Wales must rise above petty party tribalism and focus on keeping a progressive Welsh Government like the one we have now and dispelling any prospect of the Tories gaining places at the cabinet table. I don't think the Welsh people would forgive either of our parties if we let that happen in 2011.
Fair enough, I understand your misgivings re
'We are not tribal Plaid haters but we are opponents of anyone in politics who stand for the regressive free market policies of the right'.
although i do think that there are people who hate plaid for the sake of it quite often.
I want this coalition to work for the same reasons that you outline above. We owe that to the people of Wales- I only wish the Unionists in Labour could see that too.
The one wales government has done well in difficult circumstances and even those of us who still harbour reservations about its effectiveness should pay tribute to its success and to the discipline of ordinary Plaid members who have accepted we cannot do everything we want.
However people like activist are talking utter rubbish when they say the "people of wales" would never forgive our parties if the Tories were back in the cabinet.
The only poll taken during the various negotiations shows that the Rainbow option was the clear favourite of "the people of wales".
As a supporter of the rainbow at the time I am happy to acknowledge that, with hindsight,it would not have worked. Its utter non-sense though to suggest it was the least popular option at the time.
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