Helen Mary should beat Janet any day

Hopes that Plaid’s northern regional member Janet Ryder will be shoe-horned into the vacant position of deputy leader of the nationalist group in the Assembly seem somewhat misplaced.

Helen Mary Jones is also in the running among AMs, and she is heading for far more votes.

Leader of the group is of course Ieuan Wyn Jones; his deputy was Arfon AM Alun Ffred Jones. But Alun Ffred gives up the spot now he has been appointed heritage minister.

What is the job of the deputy leader ? Perhaps to keep those unfavoured with ministerial rank (and attendant cash) happy. More significantly, to speak in plenary when the party has to give an opinion on a non-devolved issue.

That demands a wide policy background, a knowledge of party philosophy, and an ability to think quickly and outside the box.

From among AMs present at the party conference in Aberystwyth, there was a surprising lack of knowledge of the vacancy. “Not been raised in the group,” I was told more than once.

But when ignorance turned to consideration, the name which shot forward was not Mrs Ryder. One of her fans has already been at work on the blogosphere loudly singing her praises, and 32 of her fans (or, one fan, 32 times) have given her their votes, in comparison to 20 for Helen Mary Jones (or ditto, one fan 20 times). No-one else really registered, with the Rev ex-Min (Rhodri Glyn Thomas) surprisingly managing only four – which makes me suspicious of the whole exercise.

Quite why Janet did so well, I don’t know. She came to notice recently with her pressure for car number plates to be allowed to carry a national flag; which is currently illegal, although the police rarely pursue the issue.

Those who sing her praises over the matter should perhaps ask why it was not the Welsh, but the Scots Nationalists, who originally raised the matter, nears ago. After all, Mrs Ryder was an AM at the time.

There is an assumption among quite a few Nationalists that the reason Mrs Ryder was adopted for top place on her regional list was not because of her ability, but because she was English, and sounded it. Several other names have been strongly canvassed for the position.

But it’s difficult to unseat an incumbent when it’s the party machinery that chooses. Unlike in Eire with its PR system (they use STV), the party list of candidates is “closed” in Wales. This means the position on the list is decided by the party beforehand, rather than the electorate deciding the positioning.

Mrs Ryder has certainly kept up her Englishness, through her vocal support, for instance, for rugby league – a long lost cause in Wales, even if they still play it in her native north-east of England (she comes from Sunderland).

At some point in the history of the Assembly, plenary seat-swapping was under way, and I decided to check how she was observed by other political parties. Did they see her Englishness as a major asset to Plaid and as a threat, for instance, to their own party’s ability to be, in their own view, the prime speaker for Wales.

I tried the line on a good contact in Labour. The answer was simple; in a word, they recognised her as a local AM, but as nothing more. No insults were considered against her; they really weren’t worth coining.

As Plaid member of the old education committee, she did a sound job. But nothing more. I know Jane Davidson, the old minister, can seem a bit big-headed (which is why she is called The Princess, but everyone knows she’s a right to that epithet). But one got the feeling that Ms Davidson was far more worried about the weight carried by Plaid’s Welsh-language education spokesman, the now-retired Owen John Thomas, South Central.

It’s interesting that Helen Mary Jones is often referred to by her initials – HMJ. If that seems a trifle similar to a title that Ms Davidson sometimes seems to carry that is a sign that there is considerable similarity between the pair.

For instance, an interest in detail of policy over a wide area. An ability to spell out policy in fields where the party hierarchy have yet to tread. A willingness to be different. A mistress of their own thoughts. Perhaps even a fondness for ensuring that her well thought-out views are taking fully into account in any party discussion.

Another similarity is that both are capable of their party’s top job. HMJ had a go, and nearly got there. The Princess has made it known she has foresworn going for Rhodri Morgan’s job when he steps down – but then she’s married, and perhaps fancies seeing her husband occasionally.

HMJ’s talents are currently under-used. If Plaid is to pass the Tories at the next election in number of seats won, the party will have to use its man and brain-power to its utmost.

A person who is good enough to be leader must not be by-passed.