Welsh Elections 2016

[Tubby Isaacs]

SNP starfucker in chief, Leanne Wood, sounds the starting pistol.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/23/plaid-cymru-leader-attacks-labour-over-17-year-record-of-failure-in-wales-leanne-wood

Apart from (as yet) unfunded commitments, it sounds like what the Tories/Lib Dems would say. Ring-fenced Welsh NHS (the whole point of it not being ringfenced is that there's other spending, most obviously social care) that impacts on health demand. And something about special cancer centres- this is Tory stuff too, putting cancer in a special category and shitting on the Welsh Government because it doesn't do that.

She is generous to Corbyn, to be fair, and I understand she's probably competing most closely with Labour so will naturally go after them. But her lot did the "voted for £30bn Tory cuts" bollocks and that didn't go very well for anyone.

[Diable Rouge]

Welsh Elections 2016

Why are UKIP so popular west of the Severn? Too simplistic to suggest English immigrants reacting against devolution, or does Farage actually appeal to the native Welsh.

[Bored Of Education]

Welsh Elections 2016

Because a lot of Welsh are just as insular, xenophobic and, at times, racist as the English (and, I expect, Irish and Scottish).

Plaid are an odd one. Leaving aside the nationalism, they are useful when providing a left wing alternative to hold Welsh Labour's feet to the fire and they need their feet burnt in Wales. I know a fair few Plaid lot and I respect them as much as I respect my sensible Labour colleagues. Last time, if I had the choice, I would have voted Plaid. Now, post-Corbyn, it's a bit like Left Unity inasmuch as I am not sure how relevant they will be come 2020.

Next year will be important for them, of course. Wood is under a lot of pressure already for the ho-hum display in the General Election and, probably, because she is not Sturgeon. I don't know whether that is fair, to be honest. Plaid's problems are that their policies are muddled and all over the shop. She has done quite well in raising party's profile as hers. She certainly is better known than Jones and possibly more than Wigley.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

Wood was given a fair bit more profile than others have had because of Cameron's sudden conversion to pluralism when it helped avoid debating with Miliband.

I'm surprised he didn't insist the "It's Our County" party were included, being the opposition on Herefordshire Council.

I don't blame Plaid for taking part, because there isn't really a Welsh media. Wood had no obvious bounce from it though, so she'll come under some pressure.

They have a bit of annoying "outsider" schtick, which rather overlooks that they were in government in Wales from 2007-11.

[Bored Of Education]

Welsh Elections 2016

Yes, as I say, a bit of a mixed bag. I have no interest in nationalism but it is a disgrace (although typically Welsh to accept it) that the Welsh Assembly hasn't got the same powers of the Scottish Parliament.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

It could have more, but Scotland has for instance its own legal system. Wales is much more integrated to England.

Ironically, it's using powers independently (over the Welsh NHS) that'll probably help do for Labour. Plaid's opposition on the NHS is much better than the Tory and Lib Dem opposition, but there's been some silly populism too.

[Kowalski]

Welsh Elections 2016

My MP blocks his constituents if they ask inconvenient questions.

[Disco Child Ballads]

Welsh Elections 2016

The existence of Plaid also makes it difficult for the Green Party in Wales. The Green Party's deputy leader, Amelia Womack who is from Newport, is standing for the Assembly and is hoping to be their first Welsh AM, but I doubt she has much of a chance.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

Why would the Green Party be getting votes that go to Plaid particularly?

Plaid's heartland isn't particularly a "green" area. George Monbiot probably wasn't wise in telling his Plaid neighbours they should give up farming and sell ice creams to tourists, but he had a "green" point.

[Duncan Gardner]

Welsh Elections 2016

Tubby Isaacs wrote: Why would the Green Party be getting votes that go to Plaid particularly?

Generally, as they're both left of Labour, at least in urban Wales. I'll pass on the specifics without local knowledge.

Plaid's heartland isn't particularly a "green" area

The Green target area in Wales is in the South East, not Plaid-land.

[Patrick Thistle]

Welsh Elections 2016

Plaid are a waste of space. Attacking NHS Wales is a joke given what's happening in England. Special funds for cancer are just a political point-scoring exercise. The cancer drugs fund has been dropped in England but just about every week the Welsh tories have a go at the Health Minister here for not having one. He pretty much replies saying, 'The Tory government in England has said that doesn't work. Are you saying they're wrong?'

Plaid would do better working out plans that are better than campaigning for Welsh medium schools in multiracial areas where the struggling local schools are already teaching English as a second language.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

I'm not sure the "tanks on Labour's lawn" has worked that well really.

I wonder if there could be something more like the Salmond SNP approach up in the pipeline- Wood's pal Sturgeon was an important part of that, despite her metamorphosis into Keir Hardie.

Could Plaid go for council tax freezing, as Salmond did? Wales has stood apart from this, but it seems (regrettably) like a vote winner in England and Scotland. That would open things up for the Greens a bit.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

Jongudmund wrote: Plaid are a waste of space. Attacking NHS Wales is a joke given what's happening in England. Special funds for cancer are just a political point-scoring exercise. The cancer drugs fund has been dropped in England but just about every week the Welsh tories have a go at the Health Minister here for not having one. He pretty much replies saying, 'The Tory government in England has said that doesn't work. Are you saying they're wrong?'

Plaid would do better working out plans that are better than campaigning for Welsh medium schools in multiracial areas where the struggling local schools are already teaching English as a second language.

Yeah, that cancer stuff looks pretty populist.

I wonder if that's a sign of a different emphasis from Plaid in the future?

Scotland, to its credit, has avoided this rubbish about cancer drugs. Though I dislike the SNP, they've done the same as Wales, and fair play for that. I guess it makes it easier for them that the Tories aren't the Opposition in Scotland.

Perhaps Ruth Davidson personally is less cynical than their clowns in Wales, I don't know. She must wonder why, if the SNP are so awful, Cameron hasn't helped her attack them with the sort of planted question bollocks they've done v Labour in Wales. Davidson might as well set up a separate party in Scotland.

[Patrick Thistle]

Welsh Elections 2016

I was a bit grumpy when I wrote that earlier. But I do wish Plaid would actually propose some policies that would make a difference to people.

I've said elsewhere though I think left wing politics and nationalism don't really mix. Nationalism slips easily into racism.

[Patrick Thistle]

Welsh Elections 2016

Like you can promise 1000 new doctors but where are they coming from?

[GCostanza]

Welsh Elections 2016

Duncan Gardner wrote:

Why would the Green Party be getting votes that go to Plaid particularly?

Generally, as they're both left of Labour, at least in urban Wales. I'll pass on the specifics without local knowledge.

Ha ha, really?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

Jongudmund wrote: Like you can promise 1000 new doctors but where are they coming from?

It's all part of the Labour killing your gran meme.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-first-minister-accuses-welsh-10423820

Kezia Dugdale told an anecdote about the Welsh Government to a magazine. The Welsh Education Minister said that he decides what he wants to do and worries about budget cuts later. Not a particularly interesting anecdote really- bloke says he's determined to get stuff done, in spite of the cuts, right?

Apparently no. According to Sturgeon, he meant it literally!

“Most people would be utterly appalled by the incompetence of that.

“I will leave Labour in the la-la land that it increasingly inhabits and get on with the job of governing the country in the interests of the people we serve.”

Enter Plaid Cymru:

“This revelation from the leader of the Scottish Labour branch exposes the disgraceful way Labour in Wales avoids scrutiny and treats the public with contempt"

Pete Wishart standard. Given their fluffing of the SNP, perhaps Wishart dictated that over the phone.

Increasingly, I think I could live with Plaid Cymru coming fifth.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

I was harsh there. Plaid should come at least 4th and that I'm disappointed in some of what they say (and their starfucking people I don't like), they'd be second on merit.

In the meantime, Mark Drakeford says to English-based junior doctors, "come and work in Wales, none of that Jeremy Hunt bollocks contract".

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/16/welsh-government-mark-drakeford-recruit-junior-doctors-england

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

Not a good day for Plaid's faves.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/case-for-independence-dead-former-snp-policy-chief-1-3949549

Case for independence ‘dead’ - former SNP policy chief

“The fact is a gap exists - Scotland does not earn enough to pay for its current level of spending. Once you accept that, you acknowledge that the SNP’s model is broken.”

SNP's response- talk about something different. We're popular, nah, nah, problem is we don't have enough powers.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Welsh Elections 2016

Interesting story, Tubby - but what relevance is that to the Welsh elections? Some would think you're prepared to chuck any old shit at Plaid in the hope that it will stick - even stuff with no Welsh significance. There are plenty of areas in which you could have a fair go, but posting the financial drawbacks of Scottish independence is not one of them.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Welsh Elections 2016

It's a standing joke here I'm obsessed with the SNP and didn't know where else to post it. It's not really relevant, and I was partly laughing at myself.

I want Plaid to come second. Labour-Plaid Coalition would be a good result.

[Diable Rouge]

Welsh Elections 2016

Is bilingualism likely to be an election issue?

[Kowalski]

Welsh Elections 2016

Yes! Another piece of media content that draws hysterical conclusions from virtually no evidence, ahem I mean "21 emails in support". This "national debate" has yet to make it to the other side of Denbighshire - where I live - never mind neighbouring counties.

The language issue has been settled on a political level; all publicly funded signage is bilingual, there's are Welsh medium TV and radio channels and Welsh is a compulsory school subject.

The only time I hear the Welsh language mentioned as an issue is when some Daily Mail reading type rehashes the old chestnut about the translation of official documents by bilingual typists, and their subsequent photocopying, causing penury.

Having said that it would the UKIPs of this world might try to use this angle to fuel another of their resentment-based outlooks. Before the election Paul Nuttalls of the UKIPs almost raised the issue with his customary aplomb and elan during a surefooted venture into Welsh speaking Gwynedd.

[Patrick Thistle]

Welsh Elections 2016

Problem is though there's an unwillingness to admit that translation and bilingual printing does cost a fair amount and delays things. I've had to arrange translation. It's not free. And it's galling when you know it's rarely/not needed.

For example, on a document that is going to be read by medical professionals. Most of whom, we can assume, are not monoglot Welsh and are used to reading missives from the professional organisations they belong to who are based in England and don't send out Welsh language publications.

Buy, you know, as long as we can tick the box we're supporting the Welsh language policy...