Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

So, here we go, live blogging again. Let me know if you’ve found the live blogging vaguely interesting! I think that its a useful insight in to what we are doing at conference, and reaffirms the fact that we are an open and transparent party.

I’m at the Plaid bloggers desk using the desk, hopefully with enough time to finish live blogging Adam’s speech before doing an interview for the BBC.

Now there is an Equality and Human Rights video on encouraging women to get involved in politics and Plaid women in politics. Its mentioning the gender balance in the Assembly, and that women are an asset to political parties. Wouldn’t have minded contributing to it as the youngest female AM! Ah well:-)

Adam Price is now on stage. We want to be able to be free from Westminster, free to make our own mistakes and our own decisions.

Labour tried to recruit Adam; now they would question his legitimacy!

Adam does not want to be part of Westminster. He wants a parliament for Wales. Wenstminster’s subliminal message is that its allegiance is to the state.

Adam felt a bit like a fish out of water in Westminster. It can change you, and your values. MPs are happy just to ‘be there’, with their silk ties, and probably silk underwear too! The building is a grand deception. It is a fraud. It does not represent Welsh people. The sooner we get out of it the better it will be for all of us, says Adam. But we need people there now to fight our corner. We must marshall our best arguments, to secure a victory for the battlefield of Wales.

We are on a cusp of a new era- cuts, conservativism. Conservative governments will confirm our worst nightmare. Tories have been on the wrong side of every political argument- nhs, apartheid etc. They have opposed every Welsh devolution Bill in Wales- the Wales Act. Who can forget Nick Bourne’s face when he thought the referendum vote was going to be lost, and there would be no devolution for Wales? Someone who opposed the Assembly should never lead it says Adam. Previous Conservative party campaign guides said that the laws and customs of Wales are the same as England! The last one didn’t mention Wales at all!

We need control over our own water in our own land. The  masters of the Tories are in London.

Right, I can’t blog any more, must dash to do the interview…. . Any other bloggers are welcome to continue…

I’m at the Conference centre, charging the battery on my laptop, which means I am straining to listen to the SNP guest speaker on a feed in the press room. I am taking part in a fringe meeting with Shelter Cymru on the housing challenge for Wales very soon. I am pleased that the child poverty and IVF treatment motions were passed successfully so that we can continue our campaigning as a party.

The  conference dinner was well attended last night. George Monbiot was engaging, knew his audience, and was obviously popular in his support for Plaid Cymru, and the strengthening of devolution.

He said that an English parliament was needed to give the people of England a voice where Westminster has failed, and mentioned the f word- federalism on a few occassions! All very interesting stuff, but I will await the Monbiot driven campaign for an English Parliament….

Right, I’m off to take part in the fringe meeting.