Ieuan Wyn Jones seemed surprised – but far from dumbfounded – when approached by Cambria with news that some people are after his job.
The individual, of course, is Adam Price, the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP. To bid for the leadership of the Plaid group in the Assembly, he would of course have to become an AM.
Informed that the current incumbent for that seat – the former rev-min Rhodri Glyn Thomas – had dryly responded that he had yet to be approached with the suggestion that an early retirement might be in order – and the underlying feeling is that his reaction to any such suggestion would be along the lines of, “Piss off” – Mr Jones gave the sensible reply, “That is all totally hypothetical.”
And yet why should one of the most senior figures in Plaid have commented to Cambria that it was exceedingly interesting the amount of public speaking that Mr Price is currently managing in Wales.
“He is speaking so often that he is even managing to contradict himself,” I was told.
What was interesting was that Mr Jones seemed totally unaware of what was going on. As there have been stories around for some years doubting his continued hold on the group leadership, one would have expected to have found antennae specifically tuned in that direction.
Of course, the truth is probably that the party sometimes seems so unsure of itself that rumours of this sort are totally censored by party officials, even when speaking to the party’s own leaders.
If Ieuan is eventually to get the chop, you can be sure of one thing. The execution will be defered until after the election. It’s only juvenile right-wingers among the Tories who can risk jeopardising election support with a contest before the polls.
Labour plans to replace Rhodri Morgan in advance of the poll – giving the new incumbent ample time to settle in before the 2011 election. Mr Morgan himself is going to extreme lengths to dampen advance speculation about his own party’s contest. Asked about the poll at the first cabinet briefing of the new term, Mr Morgan refused point blank to add anything to what he had said earlier.
And to minimise the resulting story, he refused to remind journalists of what he had said earlier. Of course, one reason he refused to give a reminder might be just in case his new reminder might turn out to be slightly different from what he had said earlier !
Ieuan will still be leading the Party come the 2011 elections, so to suggest that the amount of public speaking Adam is performing right now is preparation for a leadership bid this side of 2011 is merely wishful thinking (doubly so considering that Adam has been a high profile figure for years, not weeks or months!).
You’d be better off looking at your “senior” source’s own motives for coming up with such garbage.
There’s a lot of sand around where some people live for them to bury their heads in…
The fact that there’s absolutely no strategic advantage whatsoever to unhorseing the first leader we’ve ever had in government and the fact that such a move would in fact be electoral suicide should -one would hope – be reason enough to treat this story with complete incredulity.
Ieuan Wyn Jones seems to have been a good leader by not leading. By, in effect, keeping his head down and, as far as possible, out of the public gaze. Truth be told, he’s an unspiring individual and a poor figurehead for the party, in no way comparable with Dafydd Wigley or Gwynfor Evans
We must assume, therefore, that he has other qualities, invisible to the naked eye. Presumably he’s a good organiser; a behind-the-scenes man. But with the party possibly on the brink of replacing Labour as the major political force in Wales Plaid needs something more.
At this point in its development Plaid needs a leader who doesn’t operate in the shadows. The party needs a leader that can front up and argue down the likes of Murphy, Hain and whoever gets passed the poison chalice after Rhodri steps down. Adam Price fits the bill.
“The execution will be deferred until after the election” is what my piece said. So, instead of “complete incredulity” Mr Simon should have written something about “total credibility”.
For there’s a significant difference between Plaid and the Tories over current dissatisfaction over leaders. The current Tory yells against Nick Bourne seem to come from the far-Right – from somewhere in southern Gwent, and you could name Monmouth MP David Davies and his Newport councillor father, Peter. The urgings here are ideological – firstly, anti-Assembly, and secondly, pro Thatcherite.
The argument within Plaid is hardly over ideology – although the more Rightish AMs ae pro-nuclear, but that is all to do with preserving jobs on Anglesey in the aluminium industry.
Those who want rid of IWJ in the wake of the next election are hardly complaining about this support for a replacement for Wylfa – by the way, has anyone a written statement or report that IWJ is unequivocally in favour or that idea ?
No, Mr Jones has hit the nail firmly on the head. Mr Jones the leader – oh, that he were more of a Fuehrer ! – is doing a splendid job acting as the deputy to Mr Morgan. But Plaid needs someone whom Hain would be scared of……
Like Simon, I find this a non-story. Plaid’s leader in waiting speaks a lot in Wales shock horror. Everyone knows Adam is likely to become Plaid’s next leader and there is no question of any leadership vacancy any time soon. When there’s a v real leadership conundrum facing Labour, the decision to focus on Plaid’s leader is strange but not surprising given the author’s obsession with that party.
I’m glad to see Seren agreeing that a leadership contests exists withinn Plaid – “Everyone knows that Adam is likely to become Plaid’s next leader”. When I spoke to him, Ieuan didn’t…
Trying to refocus on Labour is a typical politics-follower’s inability to think beyond the very short term.
The big query, of course, is how Adam will move into a position enabling him to mount a challenge, In other words, how will he become an AM. Particularly as – no surprise, here – the former Rev-Min doesn’t fancy going back to full-time ministering.
No doubt, the pay in that job is one reason. Of course if Rhodri had chosen to become a vicar – he’d have made a very good on, possibly even an archdeacon – he could have looked forward to a stipend which bore some relationship to a teacher’s…
” Mr Simon should have written something about “total credibility”.”
Not at all, as I prefer to base my argument on logic rather than fantasy.
Getting rid of Ieuan would be telling the electorate that we have no confidence in him as leader of Plaid in government and therefore no confidence in Plaid as a party of government. In other words: electoral suicide. It’s as simple as that.
Oh, and it’s Mr Dyda.
Ieuan really should go and make way for Adam Price.
Both IWJ and AP are excellent servants of Plaid Cymru and Wales in their different ways and roles. However neither of them should take the Party leadership for the future. If Adam Price became leader it would attract and focus unwelcome and undue attention on him from certain quarters and diminish his effectiveness as a politician. Putting ‘fire in the belly’ of supporters is not IWJ’s forte.
If Plaid is to take over from Labour and prosper in the polls then it needs to look inward at its current crop of new(ish) members to identify, nurture and promote a new and exciting talent to take on the Leader’s mantle. Cometh the time, cometh the Man or Woman (but not pig).