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It's always fascinating to read the words of Plaid's anonymous and generally self-styled 'strategists' in the Western Mail. Today's story is a case in point.
According to the paper, "Party strategists had been working on the assumption that the current leader, Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, would stand down at some stage during the next Assembly term, with Mr Price his obvious successor."
It's either an assumption which for some reason the 'strategists' chose never to share with the now ex-Chair or NEC - or else the Western Mail has been fed a piece of fiction. I know which I believe. But then if a story happens to fit a particular agenda...
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9 comments:
There is infighting and factional positioning in every other party, but you rarely hear or read about it, because the Parties have learned to manage it and understand the damage it does to the Party with the electorate.
Compare that to Plaid Cymru where the public hears every about every hissy fit, foot stamp, toy throwing incident and argument going because they still don't understood that the media isn't their friend and journalists are more than willing to highlight the problems in Plaid to help their friends in Labour.
This isn't the only problem Plaid have, it still hasn't learnt how to manipulate the media on the scale of the other parties to their advantage or found the self discipline for a Party that is less than a year away from what they consider their most important elections. Until that happens these stories will keep appearing and Plaid Cymru will keep having to fire fight.
I tend to disagree slightly with Anonymous. Despite the obvious aganda operated by the Western Mail, Plaid still has access to a considerable pool of journalists who, if not sympathethic, are at least willing provide to balanced coverage. There is also a very able communications team.
The problem is that the the paty has too many people on the sidelines who really should leave the PR to the professionals or else shut up altogether. The same could be said for a few Plaid bloggers as well (JD excepted of course).
"The same could be said for a few Plaid bloggers as well (JD excepted of course)."
Hmm. You will have to be more specific?
As long as certain AMs are allowed to choose to play no part in the party's internal discussions, but instead treat the Western Mail as some sort of House Magazine, the party will continue to get the press coverage it deserves.
Yes, just read the piece myself. I see that the 'strategists' are at it again as well, with a post-event rationalisation of decisions which proves only that they weren't there at the time.
Which prophet assumes that Adam Price will have a seat in the next Assembly. Having spoken to a well known Plaid veteran today on the maes, he stated that the present leadership lacked dynamism and were essentially "strategists". However, when pressed he failed to come up with the obvious candidate.
Trefor
Anon 13:06 seems to be suggesting that Rhodri Glyn Thomas plays no part in internal party discussions, and prefers to restrict his input to discussions with Martin Shipton at the Western Mail. This is shocking if true. John - you presumably chaired the meetings concerned - can you confirm?
Anon,
I have no intention of either cofirming or denying that any particular individual was or was not at any particular internal meeting. You'll have to ask the individual concerned, I'm afraid.
I think John sums it up perfectly. Seems to be a lot of strategists in the party. I can't remember seeing them hotdesking at Ty Gwynfor?
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