Plaid Cymru: Co Leadership Or Coup?

I really didn't want to write about Politics today. Really I didn't. In fact if I was going to write anything today it would have been about how my voice has suddenly gone all croaky overnight. So deep it could touch gravel. I reckon it's the weather. After all I've lived in Wales since 1997 and I cannot recall a time when it has been so hot for such a long time.

But there we go. The first item on the Welsh news today was an article written by leading Plaid Cymru AM Adam Price suggesting that Plaid Cymru should have a joint leadership. This, on top of the gradual criticism of current leader Leanne Wood, seems to building to a possible challenge to her for the position which has to be done by Wednesday.

The article in the Nation website is worth reading but whether his reading of the situation is correct. (And I've dealt with some of these issues in this blog previously) what I want to focus on here on his proposed solution and  it's timing. After all you have to ask the question why is he doing this now? Why not months if not years before?

So let's deal with Mr Price's "joint leadership" idea. Well to me it's a non starter. After all if the SNP and Sein Fein don't need a joint leadership then why should Plaid? Also to the electorate it just gives a muddled picture of the party. After all the Greens have a joint leadership and until Caroline Lucas leaves she's one of the leaders. Now name me the other one. Unless you're a Green Party member I bet you can't without going online.

A leader is the focus of the party to the electorate and in that Ms Wood has succeeded. We all know that even in a scenario of joint leadership that Mr Price has proposed she will be damaged. And that is assuming she'd accept such a humiliation of her position. She'd every right to walk away.

So the Price is wrong.

I have no idea of Mr Price's motives, let me stress that, but let me tell you the impression that it and all the recent attacks on Leanne Wood gives. It gives the impression of middle aged men trying to put the upstart woman in her place. That's the impression it gives me and I suspect I'm not the only member of Plaid who thinks that.

(And as I've said in my recent post on Ms Wood's leadership a lot of the people attacking Leanne Wood now could have help shorten the disaster that was the leadership of Iuean Wynne Jones but failed to do so)

The best position for Plaid Cymru is that there is no leadership contest. As she has acknowledged the time to truly judge her is after the next Assembly elections. But for what it's worth she'll have my vote if a contest is called this week.

Until the next time.