The haggling is over. I had my preference and my preference lost. A deal had to be done, so a deal has been done and we have to live with it, for better or for worse
All options had dangers for Plaid and the national cause. Red-Green and Rainbow both meant compromising with unionist parties, so neither option was perfect.
Good luck to Rhodri and Ieuan in governing Wales from day to day as new found best friends.
It's time to move on.
The national question is above coalition deals. Wales is a nation and the natural status of all true nations is independence. Aiming for independence is more important than coalition deals.
All coalition deals mean compromise, and Plaid has been compromised by this deal (as it would have been by any other). Plaid has an important role to play in putting the needs of Wales first in the government in which it is now a partner, but it cannot campaign for independence any more, because that would go against the grain of the government of which it is now a part.
The campaign for independence needs to be taken out of the party political sphere; Wales needs a convention for independence a non-party political campaign for independence or something similar.
Some have said that the blogosphere is important to politics in Wales, it could be on this issue. But I think that it would be better if those of us who believe in independence; from right, center and left who see the value of creating a campaign for independence got out of our internet bubble and meet in person to discuss how to create a real world campaign for independence, that ignores party political machinations.
Alwyn, good to read concilliatory words.
ReplyDeleteAs for indpendence, there is certainly a call for such a Convention and it belongs, as you say, outside any party as ALL four main parties (plus, doubtless the Greens) will be officially backing a parliament - and who who have thought that eight years ago?
Alwyn, you will have doubtless seen the Scottish Independence Convention website - in the unlikely event that you haven't - there's a link to it on my blog under "democracy". Perhaps that might give you some valuable ideas.
agree on this...perhaps we can get a few things moving.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMeet ups? I vote Bangor. Or Caernarfon.
ReplyDeletemorgan hen said:
ReplyDelete" I attended the last Liberal Assembly in Harrogate, and supported the merger with the SDP. A decision I now regret it was the worse for Liberalism in the UK. We lost that radical edge. "
That became New Labour under Tony Blair. We have just had ten years of the kind of government the SDP dreamed about.
Is there any place for the Liberal Democrats in British politics now?