Ex-Police and Crime Commissioner leaves Plaid Cymru because of a ‘lack of strategy’
A former Police and Crime Commissioner has left Plaid Cymru because of a “lack of strategy and a lack of success” at the Senedd election.
Arfon Jones, who represented North Wales, has confirmed that he quit the party following the 2021 election in which Plaid was knocked back in many of its target seats, and won 13 seats in the Welsh Parliament. This is compared with 30 for Labour and 16 for the Conservatives.
The ex-police inspector was voted into office on a Plaid Cymru ticket in 2016 – with a 25,000 majority – before stepping down the the following election.
He has previously been critical of Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, saying that he isn’t the “right person” to lead the party.
Arfon Jones told Nation.Cymru: “I had a discussion with the party, with the new Chief Executive and I sent an email to the chair. We were doing a review of the strategy for the 2021 election and I didn’t believe the strategy had been the right one. I decided well, I’m retiring anyway”.
In a previous interview in which he was asked by Golwg360 if Adam Price was the right person to lead Plaid Cymru, he replied: “I don’t think so personally. I know there are some people who still support him but that’s another matter.
“It’s up to the membership to decide on who it wants as a leader. But no, I don’t think he’s the person to move us forward”.
On his party’s performance at the Senedd election, he said: “I don’t think there was a strategy there to tell the truth.
“We haven’t had any support from the centre in Cardiff, and the reason that some candidates did so well was because of their own hard work, and not because of support from the party.
“It’s time for us to have that discussion, and we are unable to have it internally.
“We’ve had a working committee and a national council and the electoral failures haven’t been discussed in either of them.
“I know that Dafydd Trystan (Davies) is investigating these failures and it’s expected that something will be published in September.
“But I think we should have a discussion now before it becomes ‘oh everything is ok’ and we do the same in the next election again.”
‘Devolve resources’
Arfon Jones called on Plaid to “devolve resources” to party branches and suggested that it would lead to more success.
He said: “That would enable them to build their own infrastructure.
“We’ve been quite successful in Wrexham through building our own structure, and we’ve done that without a jot of support from Cardiff or the leadership.
“It took two years if not more for Adam Price to visit us as branches in the north east of Wales, and that isn’t good enough.”
Plaid Cymru did not wish to comment on the departure, but a spokesperson has previously said: “The period after an election is an important opportunity for Plaid Cymru to reflect on the campaign and to look ahead to the local elections in 2022.
“Dafydd Trystan’s review will be supporting that work and we look forward to accepting any constructive recommendations in due course.”
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well I am shocked that Arfon is actually leaving Plaid, his reasons reflect poorly on Adam.
Flaky party. Those factors that bound members to a central ethos while tolerating some differences have been worn thin and replaced by a centralist orthodoxy. Marxism ? not really, unless Graucho had a hand in it. He would have laughed at the lifestyle lefties that are much in evidence today.
I”d say it reflects badly on Arfon. What is leaving the party going to achieve?
Price has been a massive disappointment! He is good at giving a speech, but if someone asks him a questions, he falls to pieces, mumbling & stuttering his way through. His economic knowledge is poor too, for someone with a business background. Not the right person!!!
Adam Price is a decent bloke.
he may be a decent bloke.trouble is,he is inefective.
Decent bloke or not, he’s bland, We’re not looking for a Che’ Guevara, Someone with more panache than a fridge would do.
I don’t think anyone doubts that. Also a clever one but doesn’t make people want to vote Plaid.
Plaid Cymru got to stop getting involved with British politics and start fighting for a new wales 🏴 and a Free Wales 🏴 start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴
who are you fighting Graham? that is the problem with Plaid it is not a fight, it is a debate of ideas taken to the International stage with the support of us the people of Wales by those who represent us. unfortunately Adam is not that man.
I have never met or have any connection with Arfon Jones but as a former elected member of the North Wales Police Authority i found his openess and local community engagement a welcome change from the former post holders very low profile. His willingness to speak on a eide range of social policy topics again was a very welcome initiative and should be applauded – but the use of occasionally ill thought social media outbursts allowed distraction and a platform for those with other motivations. I do hope his obvious community talents are not lost to Wrexham and north east… Read more »
I suppose Arfon Jones recent Tweet about the David Amess murder was a factor for him leaving. Was he pushed or did he jump is the question? No doubt words were said. So he fired a few parting shots. Usual thing. Pity he didn’t make his feeling & frustrations known earlier regarding a way forward. Sure, Plaid Cymru”‘s leadership can be blamed for years of not mentioning independence like it was a taboo word due to the worry it would put off voters.. But the ones mainly responsible for Wales being ignored and marginalized is not Adam Price or any… Read more »
It wasn’t the Welsh that voted for Brexit, it was the English people living in Wales that did that. look it up Cardiff Uni report
Plaid went into the senedd elections promising a independence referendum in 5 years if it formed the next welsh govt – think that’s mentioning independence https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56654580.amp
This does rather have the feel of a personal vendetta. The fact is that, during the 12 months prior to this year’s general election, the political discourse and policy agenda were dominated by the COVID response. It was virtually impossible to broaden the debate into wider policy areas, as Adam Price would no doubt have wished. As has been widely noted, the incumbent administrations in Westminster, Edinburgh and Cardiff Bay have reaped massive advantages from their domination of the media and policy agenda. I really think Adam Price should be cut some slack until we are through the pandemic and… Read more »
I completely agree with you.
Arfon is entitled to take whatever decision he wants but how will his walking away from plaid help the cause of welsh indy? 🤔 And why the need to do a ‘nigel copner’ and issue a public statement like this? Arfon must know this statement can only damage plaid and give succour to plaid’s unionist opponents in welsh labour and the tories ☹️. Plaid went into the senedd elections promising a referendum on welsh independence if it won and the party remains our best hope of securing an independent Wales and creating the kind of Wales we want to see… Read more »
gwynt teg ar dy ol di
Petha adra’n arbenig o ddrwg felly! Dŷn da.
He made a lot of money as a plaid councillor and police commissioner. He also had plenty of opportunity to raise his concerns. I don’t remember him saying much.