Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Conference is over. The display stands are down, the leaflets distributed, the empty coffee cups are on the tables. It was a great Conference actually. I really enjoyed myself. I didn’t manage to live blog as many of the speeches as I would have liked, but I must say Aileen Campbell MSP spoke brilliantly, with a short video introduction from her leader Alex Salmond. Ieuan’s speech was well delivered, and he expanded on how Plaid are performing effectively in government to weather the economic crisis. I liked Jill Evans’s speech about her role as an MEP and the forthcoming European elections, specifically her question as to whether there would be an economic crisis now if women were in charge of the economic structures- what about Lehman Sisters anyone?

 There really was a vibrancy about the conference this year, and I hope its a clear sign of things to come. The staff did a sterling job, and they deserve time to relax a little after this!  I went to the Cymru X fringe meeting this evening, and there was a young 10 year old girl who is a school councillor in Barry who wants to set up Cymru X activities in her school- s0 we are quite literally preparing for the next generation of Plaid leaders!

Right, well I’m off to get ready for the Conference dinner. I have to show my SNP guests how we do social events in Plaid Cymru aswell, don’t you know….

Warm welcome from conference to Adam… Adam starts by saying that he was in DC earlier this week, but that he could not get his ‘Obama moment’ as Obama was in London at the time!

One thing that he has learnt from Obama is that elections do matter, that things can change. The World is changing rapidly and we have no choice but to change with it. Are we confident enough as a Nation to accept challenges and chart our own course? Adam says that we must make choices to shape our Nation. What is a Nation? A Breton political thinker said that it was a daily referendum. 

Gwyn Alff said that Wales exists only if we make that choice. A future Independent Wales will be no Utopia. The crucial factor will be that we will make our own mistakes. We will be the author of our own destiny. There is nothing anti English about this, but no other country ruled another country well. London is the only part of the UK where unemployment has fallen, while in Wales we have seen a rise. The policies of the UK government favour London more than they do Wales. They have done nothing for our car, or steel industry says Adam.

The needs of Wales are never high on the list of London. The report on the Severn Barrage by Price Waterhouse Cooper doesn’t even mention Wales! And any benefits thereafter will be given to the London Government. Our environment will bare the costs, but London will gain financially. We cannot allow another Tryweryn to happen Adam says emphatically.

In Sardinia, our sister party is a member of the governing coalition. They say that Sardinia is a Nation with aspirations. He has obviously read Gramsci! They have powers that we in Wales can only dream of. 

It changes to Welsh now…. 

Mae Adam nawr yn trafod Llydaw a’r sefyllfa gwleidyddol yno. Nawr mae’n mynd ymlaen i drafod Cernyw, a’f ffaith y mae’n mynd i greu un haenen o wleidyddiaeth yno. Bydd Cernyw yn un unwaith eto, ac mae Adam yn estyn lwc i’n chwaer blaid yno.

The 19th century saw the springtime of Nations says Adam, and we are seeing that again now. Spain for example, where Catalans are taking to the streets to demand a referendum on the constitutional question- such is their passion for their rights.

Galicia is now the point of discussion, and the fact that teaching Galician in schools has been termed ideological. 

No Nation or party can be without disagreement. Lets not confuse arguments over policy with issues or problems over leadership. To those who are disheartened that our government is getting things wrong- don’t get angry, get even! Submit your motions, stand for election. Leaders need and deserve our support, especially when times are tough says Adam.

We cannot resign our responsibilities as a Welsh Nation as patriots and citizens. This is not a time to be disheartened. We have our destiny within our own hands. Not to demand a referendum will be a vote of no confidence, not in our government, but in our Nation. 

Do not let the fear of our yesterday snuff out the hope of our tomorrow emphasises Adam. 

Gosh, we are having a roundabout trip of the World, Palin style with a bit of politics thrown in for good measure! Adam has ended up in Greenland, now Sri Lanka, now West Papaya…. Their courage inspires us is Adam’s reasoning for this- in their fight for their rights as a people.

Www mention of Eluned Morgan now, and her retirement with the karaoke machine. There are those Labour politicians who will support Independence movements anywhere in the World- apart from their own country ( big clap from audience!!)

Peter Hain supports Independence…but only in the 15th Century…. and a referendum? Labour wants to turn people in to Nationalists by supporting Glyndwr, but they have been doing that for that last 70 years says Adam.

(My battery is running out, but I hope I can finish the speech!)

Adam Price is now talking about Plaid and the new logo that was introduced 4 years ago now. We want to be members in our own right of the great European family. Let’s fight our election beneath this flag( adam holds a flag with EU flag, but with Plaid poppies on it)

Big round of applause and now Plaid’s EU candidates are on stage holding the flag….End of speech! phew! Well done!

I’m now in the Conference hall waiting for the proceedings to start. I am relieved that my speech is over and that I can finally rest. I enjoyed being on stage and delivering the speech despite the nerves. I concentrated on our need as a party to use new technologies when we are campaigning, comparing what has happened during Obama’s campaign, and the way in which our party campaigning has evolved. I also mentioned the need to nurture young people in Wales, and given that opinion polls show that young people are supportive of further powers for the National Assembly that we should get on with preparing the ground for a yes campaign on a parliament for Wales. I’ll post the speech up here in full later on hopefully.

Adam Price MP is speaking next as Director of Elections. The place is buzzing and werare doing the usual thing of party members sitting behind those who deliver speeches- listening closely without nodding to sleep of course;-) The media are descending on the conference hall on mass- I think this is because of the live coverage that the party has on the BBC., although I”m sure that they would be here anyway! I’ll blog Adam’s speech in another blog post…..laters.

Mae Elfyn yn son am y ffaith bod Llafur Newydd mewn cariad gyda’r rheiny sydd yn gweithio yn y ddinas. Dywedwyd bod yna broblem byd eang ymhell cyn nawr, ond fe wnaeth Alistair Darling wneud dim. Mae Elfyn yn gofyn i ni os ydym yn cofio ystyr y gair ‘prudence’. Nid yw Gordon Brown yn gwybod yr ystyr, yn ol Elfyn. Mae Prydain mewn sefyllfa wael iawn i ymdrin a’r creisis. Yn hytrach na gwaredu boom and bust, mae Gordon Broawn wedi ei greu, ac fe fydd ein plant yn dioddef yn sgil hynny. Problem y llywodraeth yw ei bod yn cefnogi buddiannau’r banciau yn fwy na dim arall. Mae’r sector ariannol yn fwy na gwledydd eraill, sydd yn beryglus iawn.  Mae gwahaniaethau rhanbarthol mwya’r economi yn waeth ym Mhrydain nag yn unrhywle arall yn ol ymchwil gan arbennigwyr. Mae hwn eto yn broblem mawr.

Mae Elfyn yn edrych ar beth mae Gordon Brown wedi ‘cyflawni’- parhau a’r broses o gau swyddfeydd budd-daliadau ym Mhrydain. Pam creu mwy o ddiweithdra yn ardaloedd tlota Cymru? Pam adael i’r banciau wneud yr hyn a wnaethant? Y Satan newydd yw Sir Fred Goodwin yn ol Elfyn Llwyd- y prif Weinidog a oedd wedi ei gefnogi o’r cychwyn, ac yn ffrind iddo. Roedd y banc am gael gwared o Sir Fred, ond ni ofynnwyd dim am ei bensiwn. Tasa’r Llywodraeth ddim wedi buddsoddi cymaint ym manc yr RBS, yna fyddai ddim pensiwn ar gael i Sir Fred, yw barn Elfyn.

Mae’r banciau yn ymddwyn fel lladron pen ffordd. Mae’r llywodraeth yn dweud iddynt fenthyg, and mae’r FSA yn dweud iddynt gynilo’r arian hynny. Mae nhw’n cymryd arian cyhoeddus, ac yn eistedd arno, heb wneud dim, yn ol Elfyn. 

Dywedodd Gordon Brown joc dda ar ddechrau’r creisis yma dywed Elfyn. Dywedodd na fyddai Cymru yn gallu ymdopi ar ben ei hun. Ond gad i ni edrych ar beth mae Cymru wedi ei wneud yn ystod y creisis yma. Mae Ieuan Wyn Jones  a Jocelyn Davies wedi cael clod yn ei waith i gynorthwyo’r sector adeiladu, cynnig tir o dan perchnogaeth y llywodraeth i adeiladu tai newydd, sicrhau tai i bobl leol, cynllun achub morgeisio. Mae nhw wedi gwneud popeth o fewn ei gallu o ran pwerau’r Cynulliad i weithredu. Cynullun ReACt a ProAct sydd yn cael clod nawr gan Elfyn Llwyd.

Mae arweinwyr ein gwlad ni wedi ymateb yn briodol. Ond nawr y cynllun yw i dorri £500 miliwn o gyllideb y Cynulliad gan Lywodraeth Prydain. Pa mor hir fedrwn ni beidio sefyll ar ein traed ein hun?

Neil McEvoy, Deputy Leader of Cardiff City Council is the first person to deliver a speech at Plaid Conference. Its already very visual, with a live streaming of the speech on the screens behind Neil as he speaks.

Oh, we’re already on Labour politicians allowances- got to mention Jacqui Smith MP…. ‘Working class hero’ Huw Lewis AM gets a bashing from Neil over his allowances. Labour’s pro market mantra is in tatters according to Neil, the credit crunch an unpalatable breakfast cereal!  Plaid is delivering and doing our best for Wales, he goes on to say. Who would have thought four years ago that Plaid would be in government in Wales, and in the city? Neil is concentrating on the success of Plaid here in Cardiff- how they were irrelevant, but are now a strong force. In 2012, we will replace New Labour in this city.  We are a modern Plaid in a modern Wales. 

Neil as a Fairwater boy is proud of winning 50% of the vote in the area. In Ely, they increased support by 600% and are elected to Cardiff Council to work for the people of the area. They are launching a capital Cardiff fund to support people during the recession. It would allow someone with drive and ideas to realise their dream.  In response to the downturn they have bought forward the refurbishment of council home kitchens= a small but significant development.  Cardiff Council is supporting the .cym campaign, and are fully behind Mentrau Iaith in the area. A quiet revolution is happening in relation to the development of the Welsh language.

The coalition at the Council is strong in supporting those who are seeking asylum, and have endorsed the St David’s Day parade says Neil. 

Plaid are dispelling the myth of what it is to be a Plaid member. Neil is an Internationalist. People like Natasha Ashgar, Mohammed Ashgar and himself are the modern Wales, and they are here to stay. 

Our Wales could be the shining light that the World needs. If we had  more powers for Wales, we would not have to answer to the Windsor fomily or powers in London! We would not go to war in Iraq. We can build our own future says Neil- learn from our mistakes, govern effectively, and campaign for powers on a par with Scotland….nice music now as Neil leaves the stage…….

I’m at Plaid Conference early at UWIC as Aileen Campbell MSP and Gareth Finn, Convenor of the SNP CND group are staying with me and Aileen is doing the press conference this morning. I’m sitting in the cafe, but as you walk in there is a band playing- nothing too heavy for this time of the morning I hasten to add! I haven’t got such a frantic day today bar the fact that I have a speech to deliver around 12 ish and a few Cymru X events to attend.

Yesterday was really good. I enjoyed chairing the blogging event, and there were plenty of interesting questions on why politicians blog, are journalists lazy if they depend too heavily on stories from blogs, the bitchiness and personal attacks bloggers endure, the language one chooses to blog in, the development of online news… Huw Thomas aka  Chanticleer described himself as the ‘reaper’ of the blogosphere- hunting out a good story, and Iain Dale made a strong point about the fact that if you have 200 or 2000 followers of your blog, the one with more followers doesn’t necessarily make the better blog! Heledd Fychan noted her experience of blogging and the fine line between the personal and private life of a blogger, and John Dixon talked about a conference on the future that he attended that suggested that blogs would soon be out of date. hmmm…

I hope we can do a session on blogging/ use of technology at our annual conference in September, as it really engaged those who attended. 

The other event I chaired was one with Rathbone Cymru where 4 girls talked about their experience of the education system, and how they were not engaged in school. I was angry to find out that one girl was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 7 but that nothing at all was done about it by her teachers or support staff. I’ve got quite a few ideas to take back to the Assembly from them…

The Karaoke was good in the evening last night- a first for a Plaid event. It was quite surreal however that Dafydd Iwan sung karaoke to his own songs! 

Anyway, I’ll blog later when the speeches and main events start….I have my laptop with me today so this won’t be the last you’ll hear of me!