Why Plaid Cymru Should Not Panic Part Three: Welsh Labour And The NHS

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I have mentioned before, and will repeat, that should the next general election fall within the next twelve months Plaid Cymru will find the going difficult if the electorate feel that there is a good chance of getting rid of the current Conservtive coalition of chaos with the Witchfinder general party that is the DUP.

The beneficiary of such a vote will be the Labour party led by Jeremy Corbyn. As I've also stated previously Welsh Labour have been lucky that the party of Corbyn has propped up what is, essentially the party of Blair despite it's clear arrogant incompetence on such issues as the running of the economy and education.

My view is that Plaid Cymru should battle to retain what it has in Westminster but go all guns (other metaphorical weapons are available) blazing with regard to the next Welsh Assembly elections. For then it can target a Westminster Corbyn government but crucially Carwyn Jones' Welsh Blair Labour (plus one Libdem for education) administration in the Senedd.

This would then be the moment for Plaid to say to the electorate of Wales that they, and only they follow in the traditions of the old Labour party and that the current Labour takes their vote for granted and then proceeds to destroy through mainly incompetence central tenets of Welsh (and people living in Wales) voter values such as a decent education for our children.

Which leads us to the National Health Service.

The Welsh Labour party will always tell you that it was they who created the National Health Service. This is factually incorrect. It was the old Welsh Labour party who created the NHS. Think about it. What do you think would happen if New Welsh Blair Labour was charged with the reform of the Health service in a parallel universe where the NHS did not exist. Would they have created it? Of course not. There would probably have been a public/private mixture. Point being they would not have created for all conditions a service that is free at the point of delivery.

Why can I say all of  this? Because you should judge Labour's record in running the Welsh NHS. A record which, whatever the issues are in England, Conservative Ministers and the Daily Mail use as a weapon to attack Labour governance. The irony of those who would rather the NHS be destroyed attacking Labour for it's record running it cannot be overemphasised.

Average waiting times for treatments and diagnosis are higher in Wales than in England. England, the country with a bigger population has a turnaround time generally quicker than Wales. How is this possible that people are waiting longer for an operation that will improve their lives or a diagnosis where they can work out how they need to handle what the future will bring?

An "ageing population" is not an excuse either. Whisper it gently. People in England grow old too.

So the probable reason, rather as in education, is incompetence in the administration of health in Wales. Welsh Labour have these big grandiose ideas with regard to health boards and the like but don't realise that there are problems until it's too late. Having on occasions actually cut the health budget they then throw money to try and resolve it realising that to do nothing will be a vote loser with the electorate. Trouble is that even if it cures the problem of the Welsh National Health Service, I suspect that any reforms will not be quick....and there will be pain.

Come the next Assembly elections Plaid Cymru will need to emphasise time and time again that Welsh Labour incompetence is destroying the NHS as it is the education of our children. That Plaid Cymru is the inheritor to the ideals of Aneurin Bevan and not the Welsh Labour party of Blair.

The opportunity to improve the lives of people living in Wales, and yes with the ultimate goal of independence is there.

But patience is needed.

Until the next time.