What’s the point of Plaid Cymru?

Llew Gruffudd

A new leader, same old flip flop. Support for independence, but not yet. A raft of policies, but how to pay for them. Well?

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth states in a recent interview that before considering independence, it is important to convince the English coming to Wales, that Wales is a good place.

What’s that all about?

His priority should surely be convincing Welsh people living in Wales that Wales is a good place. Perhaps the Welsh valleys would be a good place to start.

As a party with supposedly independence as a policy, there seems to be a view that supporting independence too strongly, is the cause of their very obvious problems.

Closer to the truth is that Plaid Cymru’s wobbling around independence is the problem. They simply are not committed, not credible.

This unfortunately, is the way with Plaid Cymru. In the early years, independence was a word not to be used, a supposed vote loser.

Prior to the 1999 Devolution vote independence was dropped as a policy.

And although reinstated, Plaid Cymru 2011 manifesto had no mention of independence and in the 2016 manifesto warranted merely a paragraph.

It was not until the success of rallies led by Yes Cymru and the like and the rise for independence support in polls that Plaid Cymru took a liking for it.

Not entirely though. Plaid’s infamous Commission on Independence, you know, the one that wants a referendum on a referendum, they carried on the Plaid tradition of “now don’t be hasty”.

Perhaps, they said, we should go for a federal UK system. Not such a big commitment.

After all, it took almost 25 years to discover that devolution isn’t working for Wales. If it takes another 25 years to find federalism isn’t working, that would give a bit more time to have a think about independence.

Even in their recent manifesto, you have to reach page 42, before you come to independence.

They have failed to realise that you cannot use independence like that and remain credible.

Although they don’t realise it, Plaid Cymru need independence

Where are they without it?

Strip away the rhetoric. Where are they different?

Generally recognised outside their diminishing heartland as a Welsh speaker dominated elite.

The Party of Wales, they say. The only party committed to Wales.

They seem to think that by repeating it enough, it becomes true. Whereas it is only relevant if it is of benefit to Wales and that as yet to be shown.

The message though hasn’t cut through yet.

A membership of around 9000 from a Welsh electorate of 2.3 million, hardly supports the claim of the Party of Wales,

They are not even the second party. That’s the Tories without even trying.

They are squeezed between the bigger parties.

They were a junior part, in the Cooperation Agreement with Labour, rather than a robust opposition. How far they have fallen by is shown conceding the opposition to a programmed robot they have named R T Davies.

But it would also seem that they would also work with the Tories. That was indicated by Lord Ellis Thomas. You know the political mercenary, rejoining Plaid Cymru, He had been given assurances, he said.

The party’s failure to work with the main parties, including the Tories, was his reason for leaving.

However this approach may be pleasant enough for Plaid members, but is not enthusing with the Welsh voters.

Their support for the Welsh Labour government is not good politics. Welsh Labour is using them. Didn’t they learn anything from their time in coalition?

Plaid Cymru is making a great and often quoted play, of its part in the free meals for primary school children in Wales. It would help the poorest families, they argue. (Although Welsh Labour has already claimed that as their own)

Instead, they should be loudly and consistently condemning a constitutional system that allows such poverty in Wales.

In Finland, a small country, all school children get free meals, not because they are poor but because the country is wealthy.

Now that’s something to boast about.

It should also be remembered, that in the Wales financial arrangement, the additional money for that purpose, however laudable, is taken from somewhere else, some other area less in the political spotlight.

The thinking seems to be. The public [the voters], would be less likely to object if, for example, £260 million or so is spent on children’s meals, even if it’s taken from the innovation and research and development budget. Which is historically the perennial loser.
However it is the innovation, research and development that improves the Welsh economy to allow meals for all children, as in Finland.
But that’s Plaid Cymru. If you think small you will achieve small.

They tell the few who are listening that they have big plans

A plan for thousands of jobs in green industries, for example. And there’s more. [as with all political parties ‘fully costed’] except that Plaid, in their own words, will need an additional £6 billion from the UK government.

Well good luck with that.

But that’s not a plan. That’s just a wish list.

Plaid Cymru needs a clear and considered plan for the future of Wales.

Come the next election all the parties will be environmentalists, all will build more houses, protect the NHS, social care, provide better education and repair the potholes.

What they have in common, is the avoidance of how? How are they going to implement them? How to pay for them?

Plaid will be shackled, as will the other parties, by financial allocation and policy from Westminster.

It’s not independence that’s the problem for Plaid, but their inability or unwillingness to tell the Welsh people how it is able to better their lives and how it is to be achieved.

They want a plan.

An economic plan for an independent Wales.

The Welsh people are not against change, Brexit and the 2019 General Election, showed that.

The trick is to convince them of which change.

They would welcome higher wages, better pensions, health and social care, higher education standards for Welsh children, They just don’t know how it’s going to happen and Plaid Cymru, the Party of Wales, is doing little to enlighten them.

So where have they been until now?

Their leader has been a Senedd member of his party for over a decade. So what has his and Plaid Cymru’s contribution to this persuasion been?

Very little it would seem

Wales potential

In spite of the drum beating and flag waving, the Welsh public remain unaware of the great potential that Wales can offer, given the opportunity.

A number of recent projections regarding Wales renewable energy resources by Carbon Trust, Marine Energy and Crown Estates present findings of 14 GigaWatts of renewable energy sources off the Welsh coast.

This has a value of £10+billions per year at the present wholesale price.

That’s an awful lot of extra money for investment in Wales, for Wales NHS, social care, education, housing and more.
In growing the economy.

That is if Wales owned those resources as a nation.

Now not a lot of people know that.

Cardiff University, in Wales financial assessment, argued that if Wales wages were at a UK average, it would add £5.4 billion per year to Wales revenue income through income tax and N.I.

This achieved by investment in skills training and technology [that’s from our £10 billion]

Not a lot of people know that.

A Nat West study found that if Wales productivity level was at the UK average it would add a further £1.7 billion annually to the Wales economy and Price Waterhouse study argued that if productivity was at the level of the best in the EU it would add £7.3 billion per year to the Wales economy.

This is to be achieved by increased investment in innovation, research and development.

Not a lot of people know that.

The question is why don’t the people know that?

A further £20 billion per year from these few examples, if Wales was free to take advantage of these opportunities, it would surely influence the Welsh public view of independence.

That is, if only they were aware and the fact they don’t know, is a failure of the Party of Wales. The supposed party of independence.

It is they who have the platform.

Every interview, every public statement by every Plaid representative, should contain references to the benefits of independence.

Instead of constantly wailing about the shortcomings of Westminster, they should be talking up the alternative. The benefits of independence. Supported by credible evidence.

Independence should become an everyday topic in Wales. However, being Plaid they don’t and they won’t.

The former First Minister, Mark Drakeford, often quoted in the Senedd, his commitment to the Union. Better together, he said. Shared benefits, he said. Not one concrete, tangible example as to why. He didn’t need to. For, to their discredit, he was not challenged on it by the Party of Wales. That seems to be the way with exchanges there.

But the path to independence, the only way these improvements can be made, won’t be decided in these ineffectual exchanges, but out with the people, the voters, persuading them.

Perhaps Plaid Cymru could start by recognising that the border is Offas Dyke, not down the centre of Wales.