Comments on: Will Ieuan end up as Bourne’s deputy ?

By: NIGEL STREETER

NIGEL STREETER — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 01:39:18 +0000

well of course ‘Barry’ – is that his name is that where he is from? – has the right to his opinion – no doubt about that – but it doesn’t really add a huge amount to logical or sensible debate does it? Anyway, I read the dreaded Daily Mail and ‘I aint no Barry’ (place or person) as you might say.

I thank you

By: Ianapharri

Ianapharri — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:58:08 +0000

IWJ was targetted by Huw Lewis and Alun Davies and in hindsight, he should have released information quicker to counter their false accusations. However, the man has substance. He stuck to his guns on transport and Wales has at long last turned away from the constant road domination in terms of spending. It was not only a genuine recognition of the embarrassingly bad north-south links, but also a significant move from road to other forms of transport. It may not be the % change seen in Scotland, but then Scotland does not have narrow valleys in urban areas that we have.

As far as being a poodle to Bourne is concerned, Bethan is spot on. I cannot conceive any situation where we would be juniors to the Welsh Tories and this is where Bourne has a genuine dilemma. He will never be First Minister and he knows it.

Ieuan picks his fights carefully and has led Plaid into its first Government, to financial stability and an expanding organisation and professionalism that even the most subjective opponent would admit is impressive. He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s doing Wales and Plaid no harm at all.

By: dave Rodway

dave Rodway — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:31:19 +0000

“We can see where your sympathies lie, you appalling bunch of nats.”

wow, Barry, that was poor, even by your desperately lame standards.

By: admin

admin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:26:01 +0000

Glad to see that we are read widely, even by ignorant types. Go back to reading the Sun and Daily Mail, Barry.

By: Barry

Barry — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:58:04 +0000

So it’s cuddly “Ieuan” but austere “Bourne”.

We can see where your sympathies lie, you appalling bunch of nats.

By: Pork Scratcher

Pork Scratcher — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:27:00 +0000

If the premise of this post is that IWJ needs to step aside for a more ‘political’ leader of Plaid Cymru, such as Adam Price, then it needs to be done very quickly if any traction is to be gained before the next election. Bethan Jenkins is right in that Plaid will find it nigh on impossible to form a coalition with a ruling Tory party for historical and political reasons. However, Plaid could do very well in their own right if they can only begin to be identied as the party of ‘business’ rather than of some kind of nationalist or language agenda which is the current unfortunate perception, especially in urban areas and the East. They are not the SNP who although they hold to a Nationalist vision, get support because of their relentless and abrasive drive to wrest control from Westminster, of the Scottish economy and governmental functions like health, education and law. Having a ‘personality’ like Salmond does help considerably.
After all, it is still the ‘economy stupid’ that governs voting and Plaid still needs to demonstrate that they can show some hope and ambition to bringing jobs to the Welsh economy. The marketing of the party has undergone considerable improvement recently but still their understanding and use of new media, social media etc shows that they are still very far from ‘getting it’ in the same sense as an Obama campaign.
Personalities can dominate election campaigns and people do vote for people they think they know. No Welsh politician, of any flavour, has yet ‘pressed the flesh’ in any meaningful (American style) way, no Welsh politician has yet asked me, or anyone else for that matter, for their vote or given me a (proper) reason to do so. The first politician that can do this and get in amongst the people will win irrespective of party affiliation. You can forgive many flaws of competence or personal behaviour if you like or admire someone. Most heroic figures of the past had flaws that could destroy them in the current ‘politically correct’ world and intense media scrutiny and yet people forgive them and elect them – look at Silvio Berlasconi!
As a Plaid supporter, I am still waiting for that ‘personality’ and I am sure he/she will emerge but, regretfully, it may not come from the ranks of the current contenders some of whom could be sitting targets for an antagonistic anti-Welsh media. Politicians like IWJ are to be admired for their competence and skill as civil servants but where is the visionary that can take us beyond the paperwork and the wrangling with Westminster?