Plaid Cymru

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Plaid Cymru (pronounced IPA: /plaɪd ˈkəmri/) – The Party of Wales, is the principal nationalist political party in Wales. Traditionally it has advocated the withdrawal of Wales from the United Kingdom and the establishment of an independent Welsh state, as well as the promotion of the Welsh language and its associated culture. Support for Plaid Cymru is historically concentrated in the rural Welsh-speaking areas of north and west Wales. In the United Kingdom general election, 2005, the party's share of the vote in Wales was 14.3%.

Plaid Cymru has 1 of 4 Welsh seats in the European Parliament, 3 of 40 Welsh seats in the UK Parliament, 12 of 60 seats in the National Assembly for Wales, and control of 1 of 22 Welsh local authorities. According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission for the year of 2004, the party has an income and expenditure of about £500,000 <ref>Electoral Commission: 2004 accounts</ref>. Its website claims a membership of about 8,000.

[edit] Aims of the Party

Plaid Cymru has five stated aims.<ref>Our Aims: Plaid website. Retrieved 08 June 2006.</ref>

1. To promote the constitutional advancement of Wales with a view to attaining Full National Status for Wales within the European Union.
2. To ensure economic prosperity, social justice and the health of the natural environment, based on decentralist socialism.
3. To build a national community based on equal citizenship, respect for different traditions and cultures and the equal worth of all individuals, whatever their race, nationality, gender, colour, creed, sexuality, age, ability or social background.
4. To create a bilingual society by promoting the revival of the Welsh language.
5. To promote Wales's contribution to the global community and to attain membership of the United Nations.

[edit] History

The party was founded as Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (Welsh: National Party of Wales), on 5 August 1925, by members of Byddin Ymreolwyr Cymru, a nationalist party of north Wales, and Y Mudiad Cymreig, an underground nationalist movement. Early members included the noted writers Saunders Lewis, D. J. Williams and Lewis Valentine, all of who were imprisoned for the burning of the Penyberth bombing school in 1936. .The party soon changed to the more familiar name, Plaid Cymru. In informal contexts, and spoken language, the name was regularly shortened to simply Y Blaid or the "Welsh nationalist party". On February 24, 2006, the word "Cymru" (Wales) was effectively dropped from the party's name. <ref>BBC news: Plaid image change a 'new start' 24 Feb 2006</ref>. The name Plaid simply means "Party".

Plaid Cymru contested each general election in its early years, but preferred to concentrate on the promotion of the Welsh language and its culture, reflecting a split in Welsh nationalism over the question of whether to prioritise the constitutional separation of Wales from the United Kingdom or the promotion of the Welsh language

During the Second World War the party's stance on the conflict prompted concerns within the UK Government that it may be used by Germany to insert spies or carry out other covert operations.<ref>Inspector Williams the Spy Catcher: South Wales Police Website. Retrieved 29 September 2006.</ref> The then leader of Plaid Cymru, Saunders Lewis, had in 1936 praised Adolf Hitler when he said At once he fulfilled his promise — a promise which was greatly mocked by the London papers months before that — to completely abolish the financial strength of the Jews in the economic life of Germany.<ref>United Kingdom Parliament: Debate on Government of Wales Act 1998. Retrieved 31 August 2006.</ref> This was a factor in the split which formed the Welsh Republican Movement, who also criticised the party for being overly concerned with rural affairs and the Welsh language.^{[citation needed]}

In 1966 Gwynfor Evans, the party's President, became the first Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament, winning a by-election in Carmarthen in 1966, a largely Welsh-speaking constituency, the seat had previously been held by the Labour Party.<ref name="carmarthen">1966 By-election in Carmarthen: Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru. The National Library of Wales. Retrieved 31 August 2006.</ref> Evans lost the seat by three votes to Labour in 1970, but regained it in October 1974,<ref name="carmarthen"/> during which time the party had gained a further two MPs from largely Welsh speaking areas.^{[citation needed]}

Plaid Cymru retained this level of representation until 1979, when Carmarthen was again lost. More significantly, however, a referendum on Welsh devolution (or 'home rule') was heavily defeated. Despite Plaid Cymru's ambivalence toward home rule - as opposed to outright independence - the referendum result led many in the party to question its existence.

In 1992, the party added a fourth MP, again from a Welsh speaking area. In 1997 a further referendum was won, establishing the National Assembly for Wales. Plaid Cymru became the main opposition to the ruling Labour group. In so doing it appeared to have broken out of its rural Welsh-speaking heartland, and captured supposedly strong Labour areas in industrial south Wales. At the second Welsh Assembly elections in 2003, however, all of these seats were lost to Labour.

[edit] Plaid Cymru in the Assembly era

The 1999 elections were seen as a breakthrough by the party, gaining seats in places where little or no Welsh was spoken — such as in the Rhondda and Islwyn. Many attributed this surge in support to the travails of the Labour Party, whose nomination for Assembly First Secretary, Ron Davies, was forced to stand down in an alleged sex scandal. The ensuing leadership battle did much to damage Labour (and thus aid Plaid Cymru who, by contrast, boasted a popular and high profile leader in Dafydd Wigley) after the UK Labour leadership was seen to interfere in the contest and deny the popular Rhodri Morgan victory.

Plaid Cymru then developed political problems of their own, the Party's President, Dafydd Wigley resigned, citing health problems, though there were also rumours of a plot against him.<ref>Plaid Cymru Assembly leader resigns after heart problems by Sarah Schaefer: The Independent, 1 June 2000. Retrieved 02 November 2006.</ref><ref>Hurdles facing Wigley's way back By Brian Meechan, BBC News, Wales. 13 March 2006. Retrieved 02 November 2006.</ref> His successor Ieuan Wyn Jones struggled to impose his authority, particularly over comments by the Plaid Cymru councillor Seimon Glyn, calling for the strict controlling of English-speaking people into largely Welsh-speaking areas. The comments by Glyn were reported as anti-English, anti-English language and racist,<ref>Plaid branded 'racist': BBC News, Wales, 9 August, 2001. Retrieved 2 November 2006.</ref> allegations denied by Plaid Cymru.<ref>Plaid bids to defuse 'racism' row, BBC News, Wales., 21 February 2001. Retrieved 2 November 2006.</ref> The controversy is reported to have cost Plaid support amongst non-Welsh speakers.<ref>'Racist' remarks lost Plaid votes: BBC News, Wales, 3 September, 2001. Retrieved 02 November 2006.</ref>

In the 2001 General Election, Plaid Cymru lost Wyn Jones' old seat of Ynys Môn to Albert Owen, but gained Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, electing Adam Price. The Assembly elections of May 2003 saw the party's representation fall from 17 to 12, with the spectacular 1999 gains such of Rhondda, Islwyn, Llanelli and Conwy reverting to Labour. Plaid Cymru narrowly remained the second-largest party in the National Assembly ahead of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Forward Wales.

On 15 September 2003 folk-singer and county councillor Dafydd Iwan was elected Plaid Cymru's new President. Ieuan Wyn Jones, who had resigned from his dual role as President and Assembly group leader, was re-elected in the latter role. Elfyn Llwyd remained the Plaid Cymru leader in the Westminster Parliament. Although the party's constitution formally designated the post of President as "the Registered Leader of the party", in practice the three were promoted as joint leaders of the party, leading to some confusion. Some senior Plaid figures called for the party to find a single leader in the Assembly who could be presented to the electorate as a clear potential First Minister of Wales. <ref>Plaid urged to find single leader: BBC News, 9 May, 2005. Retrieved 19 July 2006.</ref> Under Iwan's Presidency the party has formally adopted a policy of independence from the United Kingdom.

In the General Election of May 5, 2005, Plaid lost the Ceredigion seat to the Liberal Democrats, the result was a disappointment to Plaid, who had hoped to gain Ynys Môn, whilst holding its four seats thus leaving them with their smallest parliamentary representation since 1992.

[edit] Plaid's 2006 rebranding

At its spring conference in Carmarthen in February 2006, the party unveiled the most radical change of image in its history. It was announced that it would in future use "Plaid" as the party's name, although "Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales" would remain the official title. The party's colours were changed to yellow from the traditional green and red, while the party logo was changed from the 'triban' (three peaks) used since 1933 to a yellow Welsh poppy (Meconopsis cambrica). The logo and brand were changed without consulting the membership. ^{[citation needed]}

The party has also called for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. <ref> Policy on peace, justice and a sustainable world Plaid Cymru website Retrieved 1 June 2006</ref>

At the same time the party voted constitutional changes to formally designate the party's leader in the assembly as its overall leader, with Ieuan Wyn Jones being restored to the full leadership and Dafydd Iwan becoming head of the voluntary wing of the party.

[edit] European Free Alliance

Plaid retains close links with the Scottish National Party, with both parties' MPs co-operating closely with one another. They work as a single group within Westminster, and were involved in joint campainging during the 2005 General Election campaign. Both parties are part of the European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, a self declared nationalist and regionalist bloc of parties. The EFA works with the European Green Party in order to form a grouping in the in the European Parliament: the Greens - European Free Alliance.

[edit] See also

• List of Plaid Cymru MPs

[edit] References

<references/>

[edit] External links

• Plaid Cymru — official site
• Key dates for Plaid Cymru
• Plaid Cymru — Official 2007 Pre Election Website

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