Row over Plaid Cymru's 'women first' candidate selections for the Senedd election

Martin Shipton

A row has broken out within Plaid Cymru in mid Wales over a decision to insist that the top Senedd candidate in a new “super constituency” must be a woman.

Party members in Maldwyn and Glyndwr say no likely female candidate has come forward and point out that the decision was taken behind closed doors and without consultation.

Nation.Cymru has been leaked an email sent to Plaid’s chief executive Owen Roberts by Angus Eickhoff, Treasurer of the party in Maldwyn & Glyndwr.

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Timing

The email states: “Referring to the Plaid meeting in Newtown on Monday March 3, the aim of having 50% or more female candidates for the next election is in principle excellent and Plaid leads the way on this. Moreover, the party is already doing very well, with four MPs at Westminster of whom three are women and 12 members in the Senedd, five of whom are women.

“However, the timing of this is hardly fortuitous. People have been working hard in Maldwyn-Glyndwr to bring the profile of Plaid Cymru to the fore but thus far there has been no likely female candidate. Moreover, we did not know until after the Westminster election last July what form the new Senedd election would take, in terms of electoral system, number of candidates or the size of constituency.

"What had previously been Maldwyn / Montgomeryshire was enlarged by the [Boundary] Commission to be Maldwyn-Glyndwr and now for the Senedd election will include Dwyfor Meirionnydd as well. A truly huge geographical area [to be known as Gwynedd Maldwyn].

“Not enough time has been allowed for any female activist to make herself known in the community and we are left with a situation in Maldwyn-Glyndwr where people might otherwise turn to Plaid as a new alternative but find they would be voting for someone they had never heard of nor understood. This may leave the door open for ‘Welsh Labour’ to be returned to government once again or, perish the thought, Reform Ltd.

“In consequence, really this decision should not have been implemented until after the Senedd election next year. Moreover, the discussions were held behind closed doors, so this is hardly a democratic outcome.

“In the meantime, have there been any legal challenges thus far to this resolution on account of the hearings being held ‘in camera’?

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Super-constituencies 

Next year will see the number of MSs increase from 60 to 96, together with the introduction of a new electoral system under which all MSs will be elected using the “closed list” method of proportional representation. Wales will be split into 16 “super-constituencies”, each of which will elect six MSs.

Under the new arrangements, Plaid Cymru has decided that eight of the “super-constituencies” shall have women candidates in the number one position on the closed list, while the other eight will be open selections for the top slot. However, in these latter seats, if a woman is chosen to head the list, a woman will also take the second position.

Gwynedd Maldwyn has been designated by Plaid Cymru as one of those where the top list candidate must be a woman.

Mid Wales is not the only area where some local Plaid members are unhappy with the implications of the gender policy.

Adam Price

In Carmarthenshire former party leader Adam Price is fighting a selection battle that could decide whether his political career continues.

Mr Price will be up against fellow sitting MS Cefin Campbell in the new Sir Gar super-constituency, which covers the whole of Carmarthenshire.

It also seems likely that former Mid and West Wales Assembly Member Nerys Evans will seek selection for Plaid in Sir Gar, providing another challenge for Mr Price.

If Ms Evans won the top slot in Sir Gar, the second-placed candidate would also have to be a woman - an outcome that could result in neither Mr Price nor Mr Campbell being elected.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: "Plaid Cymru's selection procedures have been decided some time ago by votes of party members at the Annual Conference and at the National Council. We look forward to selecting a strong slate of candidates in all areas who can offer new ideas and leadership for Wales."