What Plaid Cymru can learn from Neil McEvoy

Neil is one politician who puts a smile on my face...Diolch, Neil!

Fascinating article. I'd just make one observation on the supposed divide between the populist and the technocrat. Believing there is an out-of-touch elite running things is not incompatible with believing that the "will of the people" is dangerous. This is especially true in a system where a government can have absolute power with a minority vote. Think JRM. If you dare.

Excellent piece. Spot on. It's the balance, opposition, and middle-ground of those two seemingly-opposing forces where governance should exist. They should both influence the other.

"The flood defence experts don’t know anything about the benefits of greenery on mental health, and people can’t be blamed for being worried about potentially nuclear mud." Bravo IMJ

A good analysis; dw i'n cytino evo chi. The only AMs that I can think of who have any fire in their bellies are Andrew RT, Mohammed Asghar (once in a while and on very local issues) - and Neil McEvoy. The rest are like finance department managers in a local government office debating how to spend this year's budget. McEvoy is like a nugget of gold in a sea of radioactive mud. Wales has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to choosing issues and causes that a party could pick up and run with - LDPs and the zip wire economy in North Wales, for instance, the housing association racket in the South West, or the growing disparity between Cardiff's wealth and the poverty of nearly everywhere else. Plaid Cymru are worse than being merely technocrats; they masquerade as a campaigning party, but campaign on issues that are of little significance or value to Wales. The party needs an entirely new team, and people with conviction need to find their way onto constituency selection committees, otherwise things will go on this way forever.

The term technocrat is rather biased. What we are seeing is a new ideological war developing. Populism is not the answer because it leads to division and hatred. What we are seeing in the world today is an increasing divide between Liberal viewpoints and Populist ones. Corbyn and the Tories, Podemos in Spain, and Syriza in Greece are Populist. Justin Trudeau, Macrón, the Liberal Democrats and the coalition government in the Netherlands, are on the other, Liberal side of this new divide. Welsh Nationalism needs to come to terms with the 21st century. The war between socialism and capitalism now belongs to the past.

This 'technocrat' / 'populist' dichotomy seems to me to describe the symptoms rather than the fundamental problem, which is neoliberal capitalism exploiting new technologies to eat its own children, like Saturn on the rampage. In its greed it destroys class, jobs, communities, cultures and languages. A party such as Plaid Cymru should not be doing a pick-and mix of tactics like Tony Blair, but grasping the nettle and fighting with more imagination and conviction than their rivals (well that shouldn't be too hard!). By radical action, self-determination becomes a real asset, not just a piece of wistful, wishful thinking. We need to demonstrate that a polity the size of Wales is ideal for a good life and success within an internationalist framework. At the moment too many Plaid politicians are prepared to take the unionist king's shilling and work for the Uk-US imperium's military industrial complex. We can do better than that.

Too true. It's the Asshole Effect. The sense of entitlement and superiority of AMs who hobnobb with lobbyists is shocking to us lesser mortals. The haughty elite wouldn't give you the time of day. So quick to judge and condemn from on high. Same as having money doesn’t necessarily make anybody anything, the rich/powerful are way more likely to prioritise their own self-interests above the interests of other people. They are more likely to exhibit characteristics we would stereotypically associate with, say, assholes. As inequality mounts and the policies entrenching it remain, as politicians are increasingly drawn from the top 10% or even 1%, and in Wales the well-connected, we need to pay heed. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/08/the-age-of-entitlement-how-wealth-breeds-narcissism

This is a fair summation of the present situation by IMJ. The problem is he seems to think there is a means to reconcile the technocratic and populist wings of Plaid, in a kind of new middle way approach. This reminds me of the Third Way that Tomy Blair tried to flog to the electorate at one stage. It was of course an empty shell. And quickly abandoned. The truth is Plaid are imploding. Completely. There's nothing any one can do about it. In a way it's terrifying to watch. What's interesting that the imploding features of both the Tories and Labour have now infested Plaid. The bitter internal spats, the weak and insipid leadership( did Wood, Corbyn and May go to the same finishing school?), the emulation of the Westminster/Media/Lobbyist bubble down Cardiff Bay, the lack of a clear and coherent message, the managerial make up of its elected representatives, the obsession with a few hobby horses( feminism, and right-on causes), lack of passion and real vision and complete disillusion amongst grass-roots supporters. With Labour mired in the awful fall-out following Carl Sergeant's death, and Carwyn Jones merely marking time, it should be Plaid's time. But it isn't. And we all know that. There could never be a better time for a new national movement to inspire this old anarchist and welsh nationalist- and many thousands of other people throughout Wales i supect... We hear its lurking in the shadows... So where is it??

My bosses are the voters. I am there to represent their concerns. My political antennae is guided by all the conversations I have. Re: Roath Brook: an expert view to avoid destroying the park is the temporary lowering of Roath lake, which engineers say can be done. Re: nuclear mud: I think it is irresponsible to rely on 5 samples only below 5cm from 2009. The job of Plaid is to provide solutions. When we do that and communicate them effectively, Plaid grows hugely. We don't do it anywhere near enough across Wales. I wish we did.

"The Leadership were desperate to appear moderate and not scare off the middle classes, and in doing so, they left many of their cores supporters feeling a deep sense of betrayal" Page 139 of Arguments Yard, the Autobiography of Attila the Stockbroker. Here he is describing the Labour Party of 1986/87. It is so appropriate for Plaid Cymru today, it is unreal.

When a nation is visibly disintegrating culturally and economically I think the greater the problems of the nations people. So in a country thats doing reasonably well populism is dangerous and reason rules. But in our situation there's a lurch towards populism because we're literally getting to the point where if you're not engaging with the will and needs of the people then you're simply not engaging with the people at all. The direction of populism is also dependent on the people leading it - thats where the broad church needs to come in (like the SNP) so that populism as be under the watchful eye of people of all walks of life and ideologies - rather than being hijacked by a Trump or Farage. Plaid's resistance to that is dangerous because the more that populism is ignored the more people will punish them in the polls. So what I'm saying is... our issues are so great we require everyone to work together before that populism finds itself an outlet... or maybe it kind of already did with UKIP and Brexit.

Did write this once... not sure if it got moderated or I hit refresh by accident (food was calling so I was in a rush). Wales has a lot of problems. More problems the country has usually means its people have a lot of problems too... as in comparison to a stable nation like say... Norway. When the people have more problems it means "populism" must be engaged with. If its not then people feel their politicians are out of touch or even ignoring them. Two things can happen next - a party becomes a broad church and puts the people first or we have a Brexit/Trump situation which hijacks it. Responsible thing for Plaid here is to become that broad church lest to protect Wales from opportunists. Condemning populism in the manner of Leanne only distances her from the voter - because shes essentially ignoring the increasing problems of the people. This isn't some little niggle we've got here... we've got a serious problem - as a nation - that we need to fix. Thats not to say we should let that populism/potential mob mentality get out of hand. We have elected officials to lead and guide our nation - it is their failings when people lose faith - not the peoples. But yeah a broad church that covers the spectrum of Welsh identity and politics. Its the responsible thing to do and probably the thing we need as a nation. Its upto Plaid if they want that mantle but with Brexit there's no time for thumb twiddling. Its now or never.

I look in different directions, I see see the rabbit in the field. Let's shoot. It's trespassing. I shall plant mines and trip wire. It runs in circles. Hopping, and enjoying the freedom of an open field and garden . Pity it breeds, too many you see. Soon there will be a three,and four. Just the same . Running around with bobbed tails . One is called Peter, he's Mr Mc Gregor's worse enemy. The others are topsy, flopsy and cotton tail . For ever young. A wonder of Beatrix. Nature had much to give and learn from. The seasons in the sun. Now the rain. You will never stop progress or the change in seasons. Youth demands answers. That's the problem, a constant energy that seeks opportunities, not excuses. The behaviour of the first minister of the Senedd towards Adam Price is symptomatic of a dinasour in the ice age. This is damaging to the life blood of the old guard. It's finished. As will be the Senedd unless there's a shift of ideas about what why when and how. A fundamental re examination of theories and practice of politics at the Bay. This is Wales, until the Unionists start to even ponder the hopelessness of a Union, and understand the consequences of their allegiances will we start to address the serious imbalance of the politics at the Senedd. You are serving two masters. It shows. The issues facing Plaid is the timid nature of the aggression needed to expose it. Others see it. Let us unto the day, see the turning of ways. A light in the darkness of a terminal decline. For now it's obvious. The tide has turned, the old must giveaway to the new. It isn't enough to see the patter of quaint exchanges in the Chamber, or avoidance of important questions. Elbow to the despatch box as all seem glued to screens or asleep. At least the more recent AMs look engaged. Plaid needs our support and help to change. Grass roots must energise itself. Its not as simple as placing the laurel on any one person. Be it a mischievous Peter Rabbit, or as effective as it might seem when pitted against what looks like to many casual observers sterility. A tired and flat opera. The achievements of a fledgling Assembly have been quietly noticeable in building a credible Govt. But clearly not enough. What it now needs is a more excitable opposition that exposes more of what needs to happen and who is not performing to expectations and why. There is scope for youth and a vision for independence in Wales. That is urgently needed and our flagship cry.

Neil is Cymru's Ghandi, Martin Luther King...potentially. To quote, Ghandi - "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win..." I have the feeling those words will be proved true.

Populism may be grounded in instinct, but may be rightly suspicious of technocrats. As in the Roath Brook struggle, they challenged the low value given to trees by NRW's flood-engineers, were scathing of their promises to plant new trees and spend lots of (our) money to recreate the destroyed parkland. We know a diverse ecosystem takes decades to mature. Those populists were rightly sceptical of the plans to excavate a river-sized channel for our little Brook. Instead, they endorsed arguments for the alternative strategy of trapping or containing peak flood waters in existing lakes (Roath Park Lake and Llanishen reservoir) or even temporary artificial hollows in the flood plain. This is a strategy that some technocrats prefer - the issue is why one set of technocrats silence their opposers, so that only a populist revolt can let the latter through. Over Roath Brook, it was Lib-Dem Cllrs taken in by the technocrats so they've been swept aside. For the radioactive mud, it's Labour Cllrs taking up the technocrats' arguments for political reasons and Labour is a stronger force. Their hold is however suffering, through identification with technocrats on nuclear mud and on incineration of waste. On the other hand, the Swansea tidal lagoon was built into a populist idea, espoused by all political parties, when the technical critiques hardly get a look in. The technocrats' financial argument should have killed it, but as a levy on consumers, the huge cost appears unreal as well as imposed on future generations (90 yrs subsidy at Hinkley Point nuclear levels but 2.5 times longer). Technocrats lost out likewise over Severn bridge tolls, once all political parties went for populist scrapping. So I don't see the clear separation between populist and technocratic parties that you make out.

Neil McEvoy is a delusional liar,when he was deputy leader not long ago he was happy to cut down trees in Bute Park.He was happy to try to build a school on a park.so much for green policies. McEvoy simply takes any opportunity for cheap self publicity. He states that by lowering the water in Roath Park lake the flooding problem will go away.what nonsense,it's about the tidal flow in the stream that leads to the River Rumney as well as the flow from any storm overflow from the lake. His disciples like Max Wallis are happy to go along with outlandish theory.he frankly makes David Ike look normal. He will be telling us next that we are ruled by lizards. Since NRW were working on this scheme for 4 years and consulted widely why did McEvoy not once make any comments till he saw the chance to jump on the bandwagon. McEvoy fails to attend any council committees simply because he is embarrassing when putting an argument.mostly gibberish like the rubbish he put on Nation Cymru.confused and juvenile. Have a look at the press coverage then and marvel at the same people now supporting him were critics then. McEvoy will use any means to tap into discontent as long as he gets something out of it. Have a look at his pronouncements and promises. A football academy on a school with the same people now in court for fraud.ask Fairwater Football Club. Ask him about the company he started and never declared when promoting the boxing.companies house has the records. I watched him make a complete fool of himself at the scrutiny meeting when he tried to call Cardiff Bus Interchange in.he struggled to put forward an argument.and when he did put up an argument it was mostly factually wrong or made up.just like the rubbish he states about the mud and Roath Brook. McEvoy uses the Robert Maxwell defence (I will sue) the classic act of a bully and when pushed will turn himself into the victim. So what should Plaid learn from McEvoy. Plaid needs to find out how to deal with fools who are not there for the cause but themselves. Plaid will expell him soon and then watch him play the martyr. Have a look at the disgusting leaflets he put out in Fairwater warning of the in migrants coming to live in the new houses and his spurious local homes for local people call.smacks of facist leanings to me. I warn UKIP.look out he could be joining you soon.

Populism is an exploiter of the populous. I don't think plaid have anything to learn from adopting the politics of exploitation. ,

Just for context, Cllr Michael Costas Michael was the Labour councillor who saw Fairwater go from 80% Labour to 60% Plaid. After losing, he was placed in another safe seat on the other side of the City. I'm confident Cardiff Plaid will win that seat next time also. I think it's great he reads Nation.

I joined Plaid in the 90s and I remember the conferences before Devolution. It was a members party - and it was a collection of activists exchanging ideas on how to get Plaid to break through in their local areas.For instance If we picked up a council by-election victory in Cefn Cribwr or Holyhead - we got together and discussed things and tried to apply these methods in our areas. Dafydd Wigley was an incredible leader and he was not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve to push home his points. I remember when he visited Swansea before the 1999 Assembly Elections and it felt like I was walking around with a pop star. Everyone seemed to know him, he was warmly welcomed and his easy-going natural charisma was a great asset. Plaid is now a fully technocratic party - the party is dominated by spads and people on a career-political class trajectories. The Party is no longer a bottom-up party - it is now top-down with experts (which have their own vested interests) holding more sway than the rank-and-file members. There is a glass ceiling in the party - and the upper echelons are above it. I could see on the outskirts of Swansea that Plaid were in another galaxy from the people on Brexit. I am a big fan of McEvoy. He is a breath of fresh air in our stale Senedd. He clearly has a connection at street level while Plaid occupies a parallel world in a Bay bubble full of insiders, lobbyists and quangocrats. Plaid have been happy with the incremental gradualist approach. but no grand vision - no chunks of red meat for the activists. Little concessions and crumbs from Labour here and there while laudable for those who benefit but in the heat of an election campaign - Labour will take all the credit for plaid's work behind the scenes. It is a shame to see Plaid in this position - We seem to be in a rut.

Having lived in Fairwater at the time that Fairwater Plaid put out those leaflets campaigning against the massive over expansion of Cardiff and the building on our green spaces, I can categorically say that those leaflets were not racist. They were suggesting that the increase proposed in housing was not to meet local demand. That the growth would suck the life out of the valleys - to no one's benefit. This is something that is being repeated through out Wales, and indeed we see it in England too. Inflated projections leading to speculative building for vast profit, with the real housing needs of the community neglected. Fairwater Plaid and Neil should be congratulated for highlighting the folly of Labour in over developing the city, while failing to look to the basic amenities, re the bus station fiasco.

Isn’t the essence of political leadership to use the expertise of experts, but set it within a context of human understanding and empathy? Very often it is the case that ‘The gentleman in Whitehall knows best’, but his technocratic competence needs to be modulated by the political nous of the gentleman/lady in Westminster - or Cardiff Bay.

I have disliked Labour since Neil Kinock, the red haired left wing wonder campaigned against self rule in 1979. The next Labour Government will solve all problems Kinock belowed. All voting No in 1979 gave us was eighteen years of Thatcher and Major. Come 2017 all voting Labour has given us is May and rule by the DUP. A great pleasure in 2008 was with Neil McEvoy taking a seat on Cardiff Council from Micheal Costas Micheal. Cllr Micheal speaks for himself above. The current Labour run Cardiff thinks Cardiff should be a suburb of Bristol and in the past has waved taxes owed by the local county cricket club so "England" can play at home in Cardiff. In Scotland the SNP have got where they are by taking on and defeating the Unionist Labour Party and campaigning for independence. We must do the same here.

Is Michael Michael's likening me to David Icke just abuse, or does it betray a deep-seated prejudice and ignorance of environmental standpoints? One of Neil McEvoy's strengths is his listening to people and readiness to challenge Labour's authoritarianism, which may or may not be backed by technocrats as they twist technical arguments to suit their political choices. In Cardiff, Cllr Michael and the Labour leadership suppress technically-back points on increasing traffic congestion and air pollution, in order to press on with concentrated central development and provision for buses and 'Metro' squeezed down. It may be populist to support freedom-for-cars but not Labour's increasing congestion with reducing buses.

Nats,I feel your pain. You want a messiah to come and lead you but all you got is a fantasist in McEvoy. Are the people that write these posts on the same planet,we even have one stating that McEvoy is Plaids answer to Ghandi and Martin Luther King. Nah he's not a messiah just a very naughty delusional fantasist. I tend to think of him as a poor mans Trump except Trump is more truthful. Are you people really that desperate to rank this fool in the same bracket as Ghandi and Martin Luther King.really. Read the rubbish by Keith Parry,facts don't seem to matter. Keith,The money to Glamorgan Cricket Club was given by the Lid Dem/Plaid administration that McEvoy was Deputy Leader.its not a tax. Legal advice was to write it off or risk the club getting into serious trouble. You were part of the decision making at that time.where were your protests then?. I am afraid we have spend the past 5 years clearing up the mess Plaid and the Lib Dems left. Now Cardiff is moving forward for our children and in my case Grandchildrens futures and the electors of Cardiff spoke loud and clear last May. Remind me of McEvoys prediction.he said 21 Plaid and has got 3. It's like being in an episode of the 70s sitcom "Citizen Smith" Get over it.McEvoy is finished,Plaid will expell him and he can join his true spiritual home UKIP.although I not sure the Hamiltons will want to damage their reputations by letting him in. Just for the avoidance of any doubt everything I write is check able. Max.You lost all credibility when you and your pals secretly recorded the planning committee and wrote a transcript where you made up most of it. The Judge rightly threw that out of court. I have to confess I secretly enjoy reading the different views on Nation Cymru,why not we all have our own point of view but I also have to confess that I am beginning to have serious concerns about some of the near facist leanings of some of the contributors. Bye bye for now Nats or should I say Nuts.

Kim.Do you mean Neil Ghandi or Neil Luther King ??? I'm sure he will grace us with his thoughts after he comes back from walking on the water.?

talk about delusions! We had the actual recording of the Planning Committee that Cllr Michael so inaccurately remembers, from when they held a special meeting to rewrite the Minutes in order to falsify the actual Motion passed at Committee. Because we had the recording, the officers did not dare pretend to the Court that the words on the officers' report had .been amended in Committee. Making public their own videos of Planning Meetings, as the best Councils do, has limited the scope for fabrications as practised in Cardiff. Does Cllr Michael now agree with Neil McEvoy that the solemn warning by the Planning chair "no recordings by the public" at the start of each meeting is ridiculous? In our case, the Chair in fact forgot to say that for once (not that it would have stopped us)..

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it: Concerns over councillor Michael Michael's Cardiff council deal - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18107947

Welsh local democracy at work. Plus he labels those who want to change the status quo as 'fascists'.

The mud very probably contains radioactive hot particles that the official monitoring hasn't seen because CEFAS used inappropriate techniques. Don't look, don't find. This stuff is potentially lethal and will blow ashore to end up in people's lymph nodes. The demands for thorough testing are justified on a cost benefit basis alone (cheap to do the tests, costly to treat the cancers), in addition to issues of trust and democracy.