Plaid Cymru’s strategic dilemma

Plaid's strategic plan is brilliant.

An enjoyable and thoughtful read.

I think a pre-election fudge is far more likely. The usual language around fighting for every vote etc. I simply cannot see Plaid doing any sort of deal with Reform - they would lose all credibility overnight. But nor can I see them “replace” Labour if the polls are broadly correct. They might win a couple more seats; but that doesn’t mean replacing. At present, it looks like a binary choice between a coalition of the Left or Right. The dangers around the likely stalemate are very real though.

I genuinely don't see how they can even think about joining with reform. I know that a lot of immigrants in Wales support them, but on the whole, the genuine Welsh people seem to absolutely despise them (good to see)) Whilst I would happily support Plaid now, if they ever had any kind of relationship with the fascist liars party, I would not support them for life. Reform want Wales to continue to be plundered and stolen from as a little county of England, in much the same way as both Tory parties.

Plaid has not addressed its legacy member bullying problem. Good as Rhun is, but until Plaid does, the strategy does not matter.

I see no dilemma. There's a simple choice to be made next May Senedd election. It's either vote Plaid Cymru or have more of the same stagnant Welsh Labour rule. See, we can either stand up and fight for our rights as a country with Rhun ap Iorwerth & Paid Cymru or choose parties like the Welsh Conservatives or Reform UK that want to use & abuse Wales, abolish our Senedd Cymru, returning us back to being vessel state of England where we are seen but not heard. Us real Welsh Nationalists want a better future for Wales not a return to the bad old days of direct rule. If 26 years Welsh Labour stagnation , 14 years of Westminster idiocracy under the English Conservatives, or the disaster what is Brexit championed by Reform UK fraudster Nigel Farage, seeing under his leadership Ukip & Brexit Party won list seats in the then Welsh Assembly and were a shambles. So it's your choice Wales. You can either choose a positive pathway forwards under Rhun ap Iorwerth & Plaid Cymru , or exit onto a roundabout of perpetual poverty favoured and weaponized by Unionists and English imperialists.

I don't see how Plaid can ally themselves with Reform or Labour. Maybe it's wishful thinking on Labour's part that Plaid will bail them out to keep them in power a bit longer but that isn't going to happen and Plaid would be foolhardy to even consider it. Even if Reform get most seats next year, they won't be able to form a government. I'm not even sure the Conservatives under Miller would work with them. They can shout about it but without a clear majority, they won't be able to dismantle Welsh devolution. Likelihood is that Labour will have to govern alone but Plaid will need to step and prove that they can offer a strong alternative to Labour in Wales. Even if it's Plaid's intention to replace Labour, it does not mean they can only achieve that in 2026. They can play the long game like the SNP and Sinn Feinn did. It is a risk but it's frankly the only way that Plaid has a shot of becoming the alternative to Labour on the left and centre-left. Hopefully by then, some of the "shine" might have come off Reform.

Whilst there is a case for some additional Senedd members, doing so by 40% is simply folly, this should have been done in small increments. Because of this “shock” combined with all the other societal shocks, learning about DOGE in the US, and not being able to see the doctor, but feeling potholes, not being able to vote for the individual (some like people more than parties) etc etc - Senedd 2026 is likely to attract a huge protest vote.

I agree with ex Plaid statement - Prosiect Pawb has not been addressed. This misogyny stretches to the WRU and South Wales Fire Service that we know of and can prove. I conclude that Cymru is a misogynistic country. To illustrate further the Plaid mantra - trans women are women and trans men are men is further proof. The Democrats in USA lost partly because of their stance on trans issues. We've had several court cases in Britain - and currently in Scotland- to uphold the Equality Act 2010 that includes sex as a protected characteristic not gender and confirms women's single sex spaces as exactly that. Single sex not gender. I won't vote for Plaid because of this and they ignore this issue at their peril. Women (and some men) are angry enough and we won't be ignored.

I am surprised that Jonathon, with all his experience of Plaid, can find any connection between Plaid Cymru and strategy. They have bumbled along throughout devolution, without any apparent sense of purpose. Sometimes a party prepared to take a minor role, but mostly a party of protest. Blame Westminster, blame the Welsh government, without giving a clue as to how they would do things differently, better. The last Senedd election was a true indication of their strategy prowess. Welsh Labour was expected to lose considerable ground. They didn't. Plaid was expected to make significant gains. They didn't. With the Welsh public still confused and reeling from Covid, they produced a 131 page manifesto that promised everything, but not how it was to be achieved. Everything that is except Independence. You had to wait until the last paragraphs for that and then the usual ' when the time is right '. What happened to the architect of that disastrous campaign. Plaid made him CEO. Not for long though, Plaid doesn't seem to have much luck with CEOs. The real dilemma for Plaid will come if they fail to dominate in 2026. There will never be a better time, with Welsh Labour and the Torys tanking, surely the Party of Wales must do better than running neck and neck with a right wing, Reform party that has no coherent policies. If not their dilemma is not who will they work with but how do they remain relevant in Welsh politics

Have no problem with putting some Tory Mandi Maldwyn in charge of museums as long as Plaid Cymru get to run the important stuff. Any reform wreckers can then have bun fights with Labour leftovers in the corridor.