Plaid Cymru ‘Amazed At Labour Smears’ But Hope Talks Today Result In ‘Stable Government’

Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd has welcomed talks today between Plaid Cymru and Labour in Cardiff Bay that should result in ‘stable government’.

He said: “Our door has always been open for discussions and it’s regrettable that Labour didn’t engage with us before the vote for the First Minister, in which Leanne Wood and Carwyn Jones were tied 29-29. Labour has to realise that it does not have a majority and therefore must engage with the other parties to be able to form a government and get legislation passed.

Yesterday Wrexham’s two recently elected local Assembly Members went on the attack saying the First Minister contest was due to ‘ego’ and hammered the party with various comments.

AM Llyr Gruffydd went on to comment: “I’m frankly amazed that Labour’s reaction to the vote was to try to smear Plaid Cymru when their own senior members had been talking to UKIP about a possible deal to form a government. There has been a certain arrogance about their attitude that demonstrates why they lost so many votes in the recent election.

“They must remember that they are a party supported by only a third of voters, although they managed to scrape almost half the seats. Even with the support of the lone Liberal Democrat, they do not have a majority and the sooner they realise that they have to sit down and discuss areas where we can agree on policy commitments, the better.

“Just to clarify, there have been no deals between Plaid, UKIP and the Tories and we would not go into coalition with them. Labour has admitted that it has had negotiations with UKIP’s Nathan Gill.

“In the meantime we’ve seen AMs rushing to the press desperately trying to blame Plaid for everything from the steel crisis to ‘betraying vulnerable people’. Plaid Cymru has been consistent in urging Welsh Government intervention in the steel crisis from January onwards – when Carwyn Jones was sitting on his hands saying ‘we can’t do anything’.

“Carwyn Jones is currently still the First Minister and this delay is not preventing him from intervening in the steel industry. It’s time some of our local Labour representatives grew up rather than assuming they have a divine right to rule, no matter what the electorate decide.”

Talks are due to be ongoing this afternoon between Plaid Cymru and Labour, for the first time described as ‘formal’. The BBC are reporting Carwyn Jones ‘has discussed appointing Lib Dem AM Kirsty Williams as a cabinet minister’ as the horse trading goes on to find a solution to the deadlock.

If the problem persists Wales could see ballot boxes reappearing once again for the Assembly.