I think that today's Wales on Sunday relays some rather good news to us. There are not enough Welsh speaking Welsh people on the red benches. Lord Wigley of Wherever would be a real asset to the place. The great man has been out of representative politics for too long. Wales can't afford to waste such talent. He's got that air of self importance which makes him a natural. And Eleanor would make such a lovely Lady.
I do think Plaid Cymru have been a bunch of hypocrites over this issue though. I feel free to attack Plaid now that Nick Bourne and his 'Rottweiler' Hazlewood has started calling them 'lap dogs' - and generally taking the gloves off. And I approve of this as well. In politics there's nothing wrong with a bit of jousting between parties. After all I was the one who laid into Ieuan last December, calling him Wobbly Wyn Jones. I know that hurt him - mainly because it was true. Doesn't mean that I don't like him though. We rugby players are a bit like that - smashing your opposite number one minute and having a friendly beer the next.
But back to the hypocrisy. Dafydd is making out that he would go to the Lords only out of a sense of duty. He doesn't believe in the unelected constitution of the place - and rather laughably is laying down three conditions before he will consider an offer - conditions that he already knows will be met next month. Why doesn't he just say that he wants to be back in politics and wants to don the ermine to get there. He's obviously gagging for a seat on the red benches - and why not. I'd eat rat meat if it would make me Lord Davies of Montgomeryshire - at least I would have done before I decided to stand for the Commons. Surely Dafydd's not that afraid of Bethan Jenkins! I was pleased to read that he's also thinking of standing for the Assembly in 2011. If I don't manage to become MP for Montgomeryshire at the General, I might just put my name in hat again myself. Neither of us is anywhere near as old as Gareth Jones, who was elected last May.
10 comments:
Great post. Glad I wasn't drinking a cuppa whilst reading it though, otherwise I'd be cleaning the screen of my PC right now
:)
And the Welsh Conservatives too need active Welsh peers - am glad you would be up for it. By my reckoning, the last one created was Lord Roberts of Conwy in 1997.
Why is it hypocritical for Dafydd Wigley to want conditions before taking a seat at the lords? Conditions that basically mean he would want the support of the party before doing so. If dafydd wigley was so concerned about being back in politics at any cost he could have chosen to stand in a constituency seat at the assembly elections. He stood on the list as a commited party member under the knowledge it would be very hard to be elected. I think if Plaid are to reverse the decision and allow members to the house of lords then dafydd would be a fantastic representative and it would only be right that he sought the support of the party membership, assembly members and mp's before doing so.
I think Wigley would be an excellent choice for the Lords, and at least he has been honourable when appropriate during earlier years. However, others go against their party and are self-serving. Enough said!
It seems that we all agree. Only che is nit picky. It was the conditions that got me. He would only accept an offer of a peerage if Plaid Cymru approved. Well, we all know that they are going to approve - next month. The problem was that there wasn't a winnable North Wales constituency seat available to him at the last Assembly Election. Dafydd El, Alun Ffred and Ieuan Wyn Jones had them wrapped up.
Bit of a bonus for Dafydd with all this conditions stuff is that he can have a bit of a dig at Dafydd El at the same time - a win/win for him.
I wouldn't say Che was nit-picking in so far as every party has found itself in the position where they find that a certain stance they have on an issue is out-dated...the Tories on devolution, for example, or Labour on, well, just about everything
Its not changing their policy that I thing is hypocritical. Its pretending it all depends on three conditions that are givens already.
why do we have to have aged men in the Lords How about some eye candy for a change.
It wouldnt hurt to get a few younger ones in there
I personally dont think the conditions are "givens" Glyn and it is right for Wigley to want to see them in place. However, if they are "givens" or not, I still don't see why it is hypocritical for Dafydd to want the support of the party before taking any seat at the house of Lords?
valley's mam - maybe Adam Price would consider it?
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