Once upon a time, Plaid Cymru used to hold an annual conference which attracted nationalists from all corners of the country to debate ideas and to decide policy. But not now.
The agenda for the autumn gathering was closely perused to gain insight into how nationalist thoughts in Wales were moving.
This same may still be happening with the Tories – their annual meeting, which closely follows in time, publishes both an agenda of what will be discussed, and a long list of motions hopefully submitted for debate – and then, thank god, rejected.
The vast majority of motions get no further than that long list. But those provide a host of points of crucial importance to discover the directions in which the membership of Britain’s greatest vote-winning machine is moving.
Plaid’s agenda similarly always provided valuable indicators towards the topics which were agitating the membership. And if you agitate the membership enough, the force of your ideas – expressed by the membership either on paper, or, sometimes, in paint on a wall, or even in street demonstration – could have an effect on the entire body-politic.
I’ll be attending this year’s conference, at the Arts Centre in Aberystwyth. So I registered. Two days ago, nothing had been returned beyond an acknowledgement.
So I asked my daily newspaper colleague who share’s Cambria’s room in the Assembly press gallery what he knew, what the big topics would be. Nothing, was his answer. Beyond a timetable of mini-debates (long enough in time for the proposer to run through a short speech, the platform to say “hear, hear”, and for hands to be raised). Even the timetable had been cadged from HTV.
Eventually, the Plaid press office emailed a programme (which couldn’t be opened !).
I got the strong impression that there was supposed to be only one event of importance – the Ieuan Wyn Jones speech. Yes, of course, that’s important – perhaps to see whether it’s boringly scripted, or whether it is enthusiastically delivered off the cuff.
What about policies? Y Byd? Welsh-language federal university college? The drastic u-turn reorganisation of the NHS?
Having seen Plaid at work at close quarters, I gain the impression that the party has two great aims in mind this weekend.
One is to do everything to keep the great ship of state (in reality, rather more like a good clinker-built rowing boat) of the coalition safely afloat and chugging (no, rowing) forward at a couple of knots.
The second is to keep those nasty nats concerned about the state and future of the Welsh language and other Plaid principles all safely tied up down in the hold where they can’t be seen.
After all, if anyone knew that their ideas still existed the tory left-wingers of Penarth – Huw Lewis, of the Merthyr second home, of Lynne Neagle, with a second home in Torfaen, might suddenly be overcome with an irresistible urge to seize the engine room (or grab the oars), and go for an upset.
Surely the 2001 referendum has to be discussed along with establishing a “Yes” campaign (the “No’s” under David Davies and Nigel Dix are already off the blocks).
Again Clive, you are off the mark. The party relies mainly on motions from branches and your opinions on anything awkward being blocked is plain wrong. There was quite a heated debate on the Federal College as well as on some environmental motions.
However, the party is at peace with itself, with its Ministers performing well, membership picking up and everyone planning for the next round of elections. I would personally prefer a bit more bite at conference but we generally get that at National Council, where members feel freer to let loose.