Conspicuous by absence

I enjoyed reading Gwion Iqbal Malik's call today on Click on Wales for Labour to embrace a more radical agenda. His attack on his own party for embracing policies that were indistinguishable from those introduced by Margaret Thatcher, so that the same economic doctrines held sway for thirty years, was scathing.

So was his attack on the Tories and LibDems, who are losing no time in shifting the UK's political narrative even further to the right now that they are in power.

But, strangely, no mention of Plaid Cymru.

Perhaps he needs to turn a blind eye to the one party in Wales that has stood up for the values that Labour abandoned when it was in power. Perhaps he needs to believe that the Labour party in Wales can re-embrace the principles it used to hold ...

... or perhaps he's in the wrong party.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmm, Gwion's butties have ruled Wales since 1999 (at least) so what have they been doing?

I agree with his point 2 about 'no ring-fencing point' we just can't afford to do that when Health is such a huge part of the budget. His point 1 '1.To adopt ‘fewer actions’ for the Welsh Government to deliver on (so that only the most important priorities are met in the current harsh economic climate).' is also fair enough, though coming from a Labour person sounds like dog whistling for 'no money to Welshie schools or stuff'.

The whole points however to highlight the fact that Labour has tried it's damnest to hinder and postpone many progressive policies - the Housing eLCO being the most obvious.

He then comes out with the usual 'prince across the water' syndrome so prevelant with Labour members. Ignore the fact that Labour fought the 2010 manifesto on keeping Trident and have lead us into more wars this was all some 'betriebs Unfall' as the Germans say, an 'accindent at the works' they were meant to ban Trident a not go into wars but somehow, well things happen don't they?! Things always happen - war is a symptom of Britishness. Without war and 'punshing above our weight' then, well, what's the point of Britain as Brown would say. It says something that it takes a Tory PM to be brave enough to say things which the naive Gwion Iqcbal wishes Labour would do - call Gaza a prison, say the truth aboutn Pakistan, honesty with the USA.

Fact is Gwion, Labour is a British nationalist party. It's wedded to the City of London, it's wedded to the military. It knows once those go then Britian is just Belgium on stilts.

And as for Holtham and Barnett - where the hell were Labour for 13 years. Oh yeah, attacking Phil Williams, Plaid's Gwent AM and then Plaid in general. Funny, first they ignore you, then they mock you, then they attack you, then they agree with you.

Independence is the only salvation for Wales. Sometime Welsh Labour members will see that too.

El Dafydd El

Unknown said...

I too enjoyed the post - and welcome it as an initiative to open the necessary debate about what are going to do about the Welsh economy. There is no doubt that Labour has not done a good job since 1999, that Objective one was squandered on consultants and conferences, but Ieuan hasn't been a huge success in the most important portfolio in the assembly, either.

I know that Labour are one of the most centralised of the Unionist parties, but this will surely change in the next few years, and Gwion's piece is a good start in the process of making Welsh Labour think for itself. I welcome it, and frankly, I think Plaid should participate in the debate - an exchange of ideas that might lead to change for the better. Let's engage with this debate rather than heckle from the sides.

MH said...

Siônnyn, Isn't the first stage of any dialogue or debate an acknowledgement that Plaid Cymru exists, and that it stands for many of the values Mr Malik wants the Labour party to embrace?

Unknown said...

"war is a symptom of Britishness"

Completely correct. I commend your post actually.

Where were Brown and Blair on Pakistan? They never dared criticise that state's role in global terror. They never even used any kind of correct term about Gaza. Domestically, Labour in government did most if not all of the things that Gwion Iqbal Malik is raging against in his article.

Gwion Iqbal Malik is writing in completely British terms insofar as he only imagines a situation where it's 'Labour or the Tories'.

If he claims to be of the left he must immediately desist supporting a party complicit in imperialism, torture and neo-liberalism. I know many in Labour opposed the wars etc but there's clearly something wrong when you've got your leading politicians being routinely damned and criticised for things that are actually war crimes by an independent inquiry.

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