Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Elin Jones is on the conference floor now. She is speaking about a speech she had written before the previous Llandudno Conference 2 years ago, but it was never delivered as there was a foot in mouth outbreak in Wales, and she did not get out of the Cardiff Bay bunker to deliver it! Should she deliver it now unchanged? 

Elin is now talking about the first ever young farmers entry scheme, delivered by Plaid in Government.( applause)

(There are people sitting behind Elin. No elected members there this time- they can’t trust us to keep a straight face, see;-))

Elin is now mentioning the All Wales Transport plan delivered by Ieuan. No M4 relief road- ( applause) This four year One Wales Government is not the finished product says Elin. She could be picking up her pension, and Plaid will still be in Government! The prospect of picking up her pension scares her, but not governing Wales. Yes, we can be trusted to govern our own country. We are not in government to manage Wales, we are here to change Wales, claims Elin.

We can no longer blame others for decisions that we make as an Assembly says Elin. 

(the conference hall is almost full now…)

We are talented and ambitious in what we do as a Nation in terms of music and the arts, but are nervous when it comes to politics. But it is Welsh Labour who are nervous, says Elin. We should ignore the shenanigans of the Welsh Labour leadership campaign, and get on with the job. One Wales is non negotiable. The coalition is in the ownership of the two political parties, not the party leaders. They cannot tinker with the content, says Elin.

Nid newid yn arweinyddiaeth Llafur yw’r unig newid sydd ar y gweill. Oes amser i ni gael refferendwm? Oes, mae na amser. Mae angen cael refferendwm cyn yr etholiad cyffredinol yn ol Elin Jones. Fe pasiwyd cynnig gan y Cynulliad cyn diwedd y tymor yn cefnogi refferendwm cyn i’r Cynulliad yma dod i ben cyn etholiad 2011.

Mae tensiynau gwleidyddol gyda’r LCO. Ond beth am yr LCO lle nad oes unrhyw densiwn? Yr LCO cig coch! Dafad yw dafad yn nyfyniad cyfraith Cymru, dywed Elin.

( I am not well rehersed in the red meat LCO, so I won’t give you all the details,as Elin is now!)

Mae’r pedair mlynedd dwethaf wedi bod yn effeithiol o ran adeiladu capacity’r Llywodraeth- gwaith yn creu LCO’s yn rhan o hyn, ond ni fydd angen y fath scriwtini gan San Steffan yn y dyfodol.

Dyw Elin ddim yn siwr beth fydd dilyniant Cymru’n Un. Mae’n rhaid i ni weithio ar syniadau newydd, mewn realiti ariannol na fydd yn caniatau blank cheques, dywed Elin.

Mae Elin Jones am gael Aelod Seneddol i Geredigion sydd yn delivero. Mae gwaith caled o’u blaenau yng Ngheredigion. Mae Elin yn siarad am Myfanwy Davies nawr, ac am y dyhead o gael AS benywaidd yn 2010 i Blaid Cymru.

Mae cyfle am newid yn bosib- yn chwyldroadol. Gad i ni gymryd y cyfle. 

( lot o bobl yn clapio, ac Elin yn gadael y llwyfan..)

I am going to live blog a few speeches if my laptop battery doesn’t go before Elin Jones speaks soon. Looking forward to what they have to say. I’ll blog in the language they speak.

Dwi’n mynd i flogio’n byw pan fydd yr areithiau allweddol yn dechrau os nad yw fy matri yn mynd cyn araith Elin Jones. Edrych mlan i be mae nhw’n dweud. Nai blogio yn yr iaith ma nhw’n siarad.

…so the Plaid slogan goes. First day of motions and speeches at Conference today. So far so good. I really enjoyed the new media workshop yesterday. Adam talked about how we are using new media to reflect the energy and the change in the party, but for us to be careful not to see it as a the answer to everything. Duncan Higgitt talked about the threat to broadcasting in Wales, and its relationship with new media, while Daran Hill spoke about how Plaid are leading the way with regards to the technology revolution. I looked at how we can use new media more effectively as a campaigning tool and to inspire new members. 

I went to a workshop then on Wales after 2010, with a high profile panel- Wigley and Ron Davies to name a few, and chaired by Heledd Fychan.

Ron Davies talked about how Labour is losing trust with the electorate, that class politics has gone, and that Labour have lost its core vote, and destroyed democracy. Harsh words, but I wouldn’t expect any less from a former Labour member! What did ring a bell with me was when he said that his intention of supporting the creation of the Assembly in the first place was to create more of a sense of Nationhood in Wales, and to strengthen the economy. We still have much more to do. He also noted that Rhodri Morgan has not achieved what he set out to do when he became First Minister- and that was to create an independent Labour party in Wales. Surely this would have strengthened any clear red water between Wales and Westminster?

The discussion on who will win the next General Election was also fascinating, especially the comments on the current tensions in the Conservative ranks between MPs and AMs over issues such as the Welsh language and devolution. Wigley asked whether a Tory PM would  continue with the commitment to have a referendum on a Parliament for Wales, would it scrap part 4 of the Government of Wales Act? What is certain according to Wigley is that the General election of 2010 will shape the discussion of the Assembly election, and therefore Plaid must be strong and show clear leadership.

There are fringe meetings starting at the moment. People are buzzing around the stalls, and speaking to friends. More debate this afternoon to follow. I’ll blog at that point…

Conference season is upon us again. Where did the summer go? Political parties are preparing for discussions and motions( well not if your in Labour or the Tories, mind) and social events, guest speakers, and finding out ways to get the headlines above opponents…

I’m looking forward to ours,which is in Llandudno this year. I plan to speak on a few motions- one on criminal justice, child poverty, and extending IVF treatment in Wales. I’ll also be chairing a Shelter Cymru fringe meeting, taking part in a panel discussion on new media and its impact on politics and society, as well as taking the chance to catch up with members.

Plaid HQ have been working hard to make this conference a success, and I’ll try and get back in to the swing of things by blogging from the conference hall and fringe meetings. You can rely on me for twitter updates, and a few pictures also. So watch this space.

George Monbiot is our speaker at the Conference dinner. You can guarantee that he will mention the political spat in Machynlleth over the Tesco development, especially given that he’s mentioned it in a previous Guardian column! There’s going to be live music throughout conference, and another round of policy speed dating. It’s all go!

I am a little disappointed however that our conference clashes with a lecture in Merthyr on Friday, titled ‘What would Keir Hardie say now- A New left Narrative’ organised by Wales 20:20. John Cruddas is the guest speaker alongside, shock horror, Huw Lewis AM and others. The poster tells us that  ’a new narrative for Labour will be unveiled in our valleys as it was with the election of Keir Hardie; be there to hear it.’ Why they are announcing a new narrative for Labour in a public lecture is a little perplexing, but I hope to send some spies to find out what will be said:-)

You’ve got to give it to Huw Lewis, at least he’s trying to start a debate. We all know that this is a blatant attempt  to gain momentum for his Labour leadership  campaign in Wales, and why not? Carwyn Jones’s silence is deafening, and I haven’t seen Jane Hutt out and about since stating her intention to stand. And all is still up in the air about whether Edwina Hart will actually put her name in to the ring at all. The rumours that Rhodri Morgan will be staying on until the General Election are supposedly all untrue, so it’s only a matter of time before the official race gets underway, and Rhodri can then retreat to his caravan in Mwnt! 

Anyway, I’m off to prepare for Conference. Apologies for the long delay in blogging. I am back, and will be blogging much more often from here on in!

Swyddog Gwleidyddol/ Wasg / Rheolydd y Swyddfa

Note: The appointee will have to prepare and provide information bilingually and so the ability to speak Welsh is essential for this post.

Noder: Fe fydd yn rhaid i’r person a benodir baratoi a darparu gwybodaeth yn ddwyieithog ac felly mae’r gallu i siarad Cymraeg yn hanfodol ar gyfer y swydd hon.

Mae Plaid Cymru yn chwilio am Swyddog Gwleidyddol / Wasg i weithio gyda tim AC Bethan Jenkins yng Ngorllewin De Cymru. Os oes gennych yr awydd i gyfrannu at y tîm hwn, a bod gennych y sgiliau gwleidyddol priodol er mwyn cyflawnu’r swydd i’ch lawn botensial, yna cysylltwch gyda Philippa Edwards ar philippa.edwards@wales.gov.uk am swydd ddisgrifiad a ffurflen gais.

Lleoliad: Swyddfa Plaid Cymru Castell Nedd/ Cynulliad

Dyddiad cau ar gyfer ceisiadau: Dydd Mercher 23ain o Fedi 2009

Political/ Press Officer / Office Manager

Plaid Cymru is looking for a Political/ Press Officer to work with Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins. If you are eager to contribute to this team, and if you have the political skills necessary to achieve your potential, contact Philippa Edwards on philippa.edwards@wales.gov.uk for a job description and application form.

Location: Neath Constituency Office / National Assembly

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 23rd September 2009