I am grateful to Peter Black AM for pointing out that Cllr Alex Williams is not the only blogger to have commented on Plaid sacking Siân Caiach as I noted in my last post. Peter notes that the issue was raised on the Welsh Lib Dem joint blog Freedom Central on Saturday.
What is interesting about the post on FC is that it contains links back to a related story that I was unaware of. Another story that would have spread like wildfire through the Welsh blogosphere if it had involved a Labour or Tory party member.
Apparently Siân Caiach's daughter Arianwen Caiach- Taylor was expelled from the party last March for having the audacity to send an e-mail to Ieuan Wyn Jones accusing him of being a traitor over the top-up fees issue.
If Plaid is going to expel every young person (and parent of young persons) who feel betrayed by Plaid's u-turn on top up fees the party will have to kick out a hell of a lot of members. If they add those who are unhappy about Plaid's other U-turns Ieuan might find himself in a one person party!
The attitudes of Plaid and John Dixon that come through in these stories is very reminiscent of the breakdown in trust betwen the party hierarchy and ordinary Plaid members that caused the formation of Llais Gwynedd to challenge Plaid Cymru in its north western heartland.
If John and his cronies continue to give Plaid Cymru such a bad press I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a Llais Dyfed being formed to challenge the authoritarians in Plaid's south western heartlands too!
In fairness Alwyn i think that story is quite well known. As for the issue you should note that she was expelled, as i understand it, not for emailing her dissatisfaction but for stating that she was activly now going to campaign against Plaid cymru, not on top up fees but on election issues in general. It is hard to see how you would retain someone as a member who was activly planning on campaigning against the party? You have been a political commentator for long enough to know you shouldn't believe everything, or should that be anything, that the lib dems say.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Sian is a great person socially but has always been off the wall politically. Honestly, I have never understood where she's coming from. Politics often - too much - attracts people who want to upset their own apple-cart. No party can put up with that, especially now. If you join the club, you accept the rules. Most people say that John Dixon is fair and balanced.
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