In his regular blog for Caerphilly Observer, Caerphilly’s Labour MP Wayne David talks about the upcoming Assembly elections in May.
The Welsh Assembly Election campaign is certainly beginning to hot-up. I have been going around talking to people and knocking doors in earnest over the past couple of days and I have to say the feedback I am receiving for Jeff Cuthbert and Labour is very positive.
Two things however have loomed large during the past few days. The first is a ‘document’ on Voter Identification for Plaid Cymru activists which has ‘dropped on to my desk’. The document is fascinating and quite shocking.
There is no doubt about its authenticity and it provides Plaid Cymru activists with a step-by-step set of instructions of how to ‘identify’ Plaid support on the doorsteps.
The advice begins with a bizarre recommendation about how activists should greet voters. It then goes on to say that Party members should take up issues and how Plaid will reply so that the impression is that it is a ‘personal reply’ from Ron.
The next advice is given on how to help members of the public, who are likely to vote for Plaid, fill in application forms for Postal Votes – advice which is contrary to the guidance given by the Electoral Commission and the Local Authority and a practise which is ‘questionable’ to say the least.
The most outrageous part of the ‘advice’ is at the very end where it compares Ron Davies to Jeff Cuthbert. The absurd comparison of a thoroughbred and a carthorse beggars belief. The scurrilous attack on Jeff Cuthbert speaks volumes about the desperation of Plaid who must fear coming third in Caerphilly, behind Labour and the Tories.
The second development relates to local businessman Clayton Jones. Mr Jones is a prominent supporter of Plaid Cymru who has an unfortunate reputation throughout South Wales. Now Mr Jones has been fined £10,000 and lost one of his bus operating licences because of the poor quality of his bus services.
All the more surprising (or perhaps it’s not that surprising) that Ron is prepared to be associated with him and even held his launch party at the club in Trethomas owned by Mr Jones.
Given the poor response that ‘man of principal’, three parties Ron, is getting on the door step, I would have thought that the last thing that he would wanted to have done is cosy up to Clayton Jones. But as they say, birds of a feather….
Wayne David
Labour MP for Caerphilly
Response from Plaid Cymru
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “The people of Caerphilly have been let down by Labour on the economy, health and education. That failure should not be rewarded. On May 5 with Plaid Cymru and Ron Davies they have the opportunity to vote for a candidate who is ambitious for a better Caerphilly and a better Wales.”
Response to Plaid Cymru – Ron is an ambitious candidate but not for the County of Caerphilly or those who live there, if he were he would have been honest and up front with them during the local council elections on his intentions of standing for an Assembly seat for Plaid Cymru and not as an Independent as he claimed at the time to be.He should at least have resigned his seat in Caerphilly CBC once he "officially" joined Plaid, the only ambition he has is personal ambition.
As far as health, education and the economy are concerned, Plaid have not made a single policy that is fundamentally different from the Labour Party values over the last 100 years. the only difference between Labour and Plaid is their ridiculous drive for Independence. Since we've had a Government in Cardiff, Plaid is becoming an irrelevance.The fight for Labour is to stop the Conservatives and anyone considering a vote for the Nationalists should think hard about the Osborne statement that'We're all in this together'.
The Cuts will not affect the likes of Mr Osborne in the same way as our nurses, teachers, social workers etc.and thats what Labour is fighting.
Whatever your personal view of Ron Davies and Plaid , you have to admit that the comparison they used is quite apt. Ron Davies is a very able and talented politician who held a number of key and senior positions whilst at Westminster and delivered devolution for Wales. What has Jeff Cuthbert ever achieved?
I think, considering Ron Davies stated conviction and dedication to a clean and responsive campaign, the comparison made by Plaid Cymru,in his campaign,if Wayne is correct in his blog, and I am sure he would`nt put pen to paper on anything that was not true, is certainly NOT apt as the above contributor states,I would hope that the stated comparison, in the Plaid Cymru documents Wayne says he has, between Ron Davies and Jeff Cuthbert are internal, childish banter, originated by an inane and non political combatant, and certainly not meant for public consumption, I think Ron Davies should disassociate from this vacuous, veminous, obnoxious style of campiagning and tell the author of the comments so.
There are, I am sure those more reasonable members of the Caerphilly Constituency/voters who would not appreciate to support a candidate who promoted such diriding identification of a fellow candidate in an election campaign to become a law making member of the new Welsh legislature, Which gives its newly elected members, in this election, a new and hightened sophistication. It requires grown up politicians not those who are willing to scrabble around and apply thier collective minds to inventing such childish nonesence.
Just because Jeff Cuthbert isn't constantly in the national media shouting about everything he's ever achieved, or backtracking on some ridiculous sound bite, doesn't mean that he hasn't achieved a significant amount of work across Caerphilly. Just ask the hundreds, even thousands, of constituents who have been helped by him.
No, Jeff Cuthbert is more concerned with keeping a low profile in the national media and a high profile with his constituents, which is exactly what an elected representative should be doing. What has Jeff Cuthbert achieved is such a daft question. You could fill an A3 sheet of paper in 10pt font with the answer.
An apt comparison ay? I guess that comment really just shows Plaid’s true colours.
Mr Morris should be asking 'What has Ron Davies achieved since he left the highest echelons of Government in disgrace?'At that point in his political career he was the loudest Welsh Politician in his criticism of Plaid Cymru.
Since then he has been more concerned with his own re-establishment.He formed and then abandoned the 'Forward Wales'- badly letting down the few who joined him – then saw an opportunity to use the People of Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen,who had loyally supported him for many years. His haste to make a deal with Plaid on the night he was elected, as an 'Independant', to the CBC was embarrasing to witness but he didn't have the guts to admit to the people of BTM that he had joined Plaid. Worse, he let them down by siding with Plaid on plans that were not in their best interests. While he was being groomed by Plaid as a replacement for the serial failure Lindsay Whittle,with dubious use of Council publications, to claim credit for schemes mostly initiated by Labour [and with vociferous resistance from Plaid Councillors at the time] Jeff Cuthbert was working hard,and honourably, on behalf of Caerphilly and Wales. The list of Committees and Working Groups that he has been closely associated with is long, but this kind of work goes unrecognised by the likes of Mr Morris. Many comments have been made by independent sources of the dedicated work ethic of Jeff Cuthbert during his stewardship of the Caerphilly Constituency. He hasn't let us down.
I drink at the club and have seen many Labour politicians there – including you Wayne David. At least Ron had a local launch party – none of this £2000 champagne Labour parties for him – he spends local.
AN EXTRAORDINARY row has blown up over a champagne reception and fundraising dinner hosted by Carwyn Jones that the First Minister had said he was unaware of.
Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/welsh-politics/…
And another thing – since when has it been the done thing to have an attack a small local company after all this is about 40 odd jobs as well at that bus company but then again you have never really worried about the great unwashed.