The Wigley and Ryder Nonsense

The amount of crap that has been written on blogs, in magazines and in newspapers over the last few days about Dafydd Wigley and Janet Ryder is incredible. That much of it has come from people who claim to support Plaid is unforgivable. These stories and the nonsensical comments that support them do nothing but hand feed those who wish to harm Plaid Cymru and the national movement. They create division where none exist and create unneeded bad feeling amongst supporters of the national cause

If Dafydd Wigley, as an individual, or Plaid Cymru as an organisation wanted to ensure the re-election of Wigley to the current Assembly there were better ways of doing so than standing him on the North Wales Regional list.

Owen John Thomas had made known his intention of retiring from his seat on the South Wales Central list, there was nothing stopping Wigley from trying for this vacant slot. Janet Davies had also indicated her intention of retiring; if Plaid wished to make an exception to its women first rule to facilitate Wigley's return, South West Wales was clearly the best region in which to make such an exception. If Wigley had wanted to stand for the Aberconwy constituency he would have won the nomination and Gareth Jones would have been happy to stand aside to facilitate his nomination. A bigger gamble, but not as much of a gamble as 2nd place on the northern list would have been for Wigley to stand as candidate in Clwyd West.

Ensuring Wigley's election wasn't part of the plan when it was decided to put him in 2nd place on the North Wales list. Following the disastrous election results of 2003 and 2005, there was a genuine worry amongst Plaid's leaders that Ieuan Wyn might lose his Ynys Môn constituency. If this had happened bitter internal wrangling over the leadership question would have weakened an electorally weakened Plaid group further. If, however, Wigley had been elected as a consolation for a losing Anglesey, then that bitter wrangling would be avoided, because Wigley would become the natural leader, and the Plaid group would be able to start building for the future.

Of course if Wigley had gone for one of the safer alternatives of getting elected, he would still have been in the Bay to step in if a disaster had hit the party on the Island, but this path was purposely and conscientiously avoided by the party and by Wigley himself, for a good reason. If Wigley and Ieuan Wyn had both been elected the new Assembly would have began with a divisive leadership debate. If Wigley had been elected the muck that is now being aimed at Janet Ryder would have been aimed instead at IWJ and Plaid would have found itself in the same mire as the Lib Dems now find themselves.

Plaid had a plan when it put Wigley on the north Wales list, a plan that has worked, so far, are disgruntled party members about to derail that plan by vilifying Janet Ryder?

CYMRAEG Hen Rech Flin: Nonsens Wigley a Ryder

Links:
Western Mail - Blog Vaughan - Blamerbell - Labour Mark - Sanddef - Peter Black AM - Cymru Mark - Brit Nat Watch