Re The Hinckley Point Radioactive Mud Coming To Cardiff Bay : Will It Cause The First Plaid/Tory Coalition?

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I've chatted about the various issues revolving around the radioactive mud coming to Cardiff Bay from the Hinckley Point Nuclear site in Somerset previously. My previous post being about how people within Wales should boycott EDF in protest. This post relates to the politics and future politics of this.

So far the prime mover politically in the fight against the dumping of the nuclear mud is former Plaid and now independent Assembly Member for part of the area Neil McEvoy (and as an aside I still really can't get my head around the background to him becoming an independent AM. Which is why I haven't chatted about it here). 

Mr McEvoy is the person who has kept this issue in the spotlight, he is the one who has organised a committee to oppose the dumping and it is probably fair to say without the work he's put into this EDF would have started to have dumped the stuff now and not postpone it until September. He really should be praised from the highest rooftops about this.

Incidentally he's organising a demonstration against the dumping outside Cardiff Bay this Bank holiday Monday. If I wasn't working that day I'd have definitely attended. 

What is also interesting about this issue though are the people who are against the dumping. Plaid Cymru have come out against it as have interestingly the Welsh Conservatives. At least one Conservative Assembly Member will attend the demonstration and the Conservative led Vale Of Glamorgan council have also raised concerns. Given how far the dumped mud might spread it could affect Conservative areas in the borough. And the local Tories and their voters are just as angered about this as what could be described as people you'd expect to protest about such an issue.

Indeed what is stunning about all of this is the attitude of Welsh Labour in agreeing to this in the first place. I've mentioned many times before that the way they govern Wales is one of arrogant incompetence. On this issue however they have acted with arrogant patronising incompetence.

"Look at the science" they say. The subtext being "Look at the science and go away whilst I make the important decisions."

And yet not one Welsh Labour government person apparently asked the simple question. "What are the consequences if the science is wrong?" That one question should have sent alarm bells in someone's head to refuse the dumping of nuclear mud by the capital city of Wales. And yet no. 

Which is why you have a rainbow coalition (led by Mr McEvoy) opposing this. And whilst despite Tory blandishments from time to time Plaid is right to refuse a general coalition with them on specific issues such as this it may be no bad thing. 

Of course there is an element of self interest involved. The Conservatives are protecting their core voters and Plaid is showing Labour voters in the area that it is they and not Welsh Labour who truly care about their interests.

But even sometimes in politics. Doing the right thing and acting for your party could be one and the same.

Until the next time.