Autumn 2013
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The Welsh Nation Ynys Môn By-election win exceeds all forecasts P
laid Cymru retained Ynys Môn in the National Assembly byelection with our candidate, Rhun ap Iorwerth, trouncing the other parties. Rhun polled 12,601 votes, with his nearest challenger, Labour’s Tal Michael, getting just 3,435. His percentage vote (58.24%) was the highest in any Westminster or Assembly election since 1931. And, remarkably, it’s the first time since 1929 – the era of Megan Lloyd George - that a party has retained the seat with a new candidate. In a special message for Welsh Nation, Rhun said: “The recent Ynys Môn by-election was a reminder of what Plaid Cymru can achieve.
Election Result
Votes Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) 12,601 Tal Michael (Labour) 3,435 Nathan Gill (UKIP)
3,099
Neil Fairlamb (Conservative)
1,843
Kathrine Jones (Soc. Lab.)
348
Stephen Churchman (Lib Dem) 309 “By putting all the elements together for a successful campaign, and sticking unswervingly to our strategy and positive message throughout, the Party was able to enthuse its members - both locally and nationally - to play an active role in helping secure our aim and,
more importantly, win the trust of the people of Ynys Môn. “We must build on this success and keep up the momentum. “On a personal level, it was humbling for me to be supported by so many party members, staff and supporters during the campaign and then, of course, to have been given the overwhelming support of the people of Anglesey. I am grateful to everyone who contributed their time and energy to the campaign and to those who donated financially. Every contribution large and small from knocking on doors to putting stamps on envelopes - was vital. Diolch yn fawr. “I will do my best to repay that trust and help Plaid Cymru achieve its ambitions for Wales. “Now is the time to bring in new members - a new generation
of party activists to help take our nation to the next level in its development. “The Party is going through a period of reinvigoration and I’m proud to be able to play a part in that.” On the same day as the Ynys Môn election, Plaid Cymru scored a double success, defending two council seats in Caerffili. Steve Skivens won the Penyrheol ward, beating his nearest challenger, the Labour candidate, by 929 votes to 554 and Michelle Britton won a community council seat in a straight fight with Labour by 378 votes to 241. The by-elections followed the death of former Mayor Anne Collins, the much-loved and long-standing Plaid county and community councillor.
Meet Rhun ap Iorwerth Anglesey’s new AM Could you give a brief summary of your life to date? I was born in Tonteg, near Pontypridd, but spent the first years of my life in Meirionydd, before moving to Anglesey at the age of five. After a wonderful upbringing on the island, with nothing but fond memories of my time at Ysgol Gynradd Llandegfan and Ysgol David Hughes, I went to Cardiff University to study Politics and Welsh. I was then lucky enough to follow a career I loved in journalism, which gave me an opportunity to be at the heart of the birth of a new, devolved and increasingly confident Wales - as a political correspondent. After nearly
20 years as a journalist and broadcaster, the opportunity came along to stop commentating and to try to take some action myself. One exhilarating by-election later, I am now very proudly the Plaid Cymru AM for Ynys Môn. Your favourite film? Too many to mention, but a good comedy always hits the spot. Give me Plains, Trains and Automobiles or Anchorman for the hundredth time and I’m quite happy. Your favourite TV programme or series? The series I’ve enjoyed most in recent years has been Mad Men - box set after box set, it’s never
Plaid Cymru
Your favourite song? I have a very varied taste in music, so naming a favourite song is a tall order, but singing Cofio dy Wyneb with the children is something of a family tradition and brings a lump to the throat! Your favourite quotation? Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon. What are your hobbies and interests? Music and sport are among my favourite pastimes. I’ll spend hours playing the guitar and piano, and I love rugby, both watching and coaching (I coach juniors at Llangefni RFC). I’m a keen Cardiff City fan and I try to run as often as I can to keep relatively fit.
Credit Union
Who or what inspired you to join Plaid Cymru?
Run by members for the benefit of members
My father has always been a Plaid Cymru activist, so the party was very much part of my upbringing, and Ieuan Wyn Jones’ famous victory in Ynys Môn in 1987 was a great inspiration. During my career as a journalist I was able to scrutinise all parties and, having done so, I know only Plaid Cymru offers Wales real ambition.
The Plaid Cymru Credit Union (UCPCCU) is a practical demonstration of the party’s philosophy of people co-operating in building a confident and independent Wales. UCPCCU is owned by its members and for over 20 years it has worked for members, their families, party branches & small family businesses. Saving money means that you have both something to look forward to and something to fall back on. The dividend paid for savings for 2011/12 was 2%. Subject to status, you can borrow up to £5,000 as a low-cost loan with no hidden charges or fees.
Join Plaid Cymru Credit Union our national financial institution For more details go to www.ucpccu.org Click on ‘Forms’ and download and print the Application for Membership and Bankers Order forms. After completing them post them to the Credit Union Office.
Plaid Cymru Credit Union (UCPCCU) Tŷ’r Cymry, 11 Heol Gordon, Caerdydd, CF24 3AJ T: 029 2049 1888 www.ucpccu.org E: post@ucpccu.org The Welsh Nation
failed to please!
What are your aims and ambitions as an AM? If I can help Ynys Môn and Wales realise their potential in any way, I will do so. What would you say to someone considering joining Plaid? If you are passionate about Wales, then play your part in shaping its future as a prosperous and confident nation by joining the only party that has real ambition for Wales and its people. October 2013
Tributes to Ieuan Wyn Jones as he leaves Assembly
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ributes have been paid to former Plaid Cymru Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones on his retirement from the National Assembly. Mr Jones, who was the Deputy Prime Minister in the coalition Government, has left the Assembly to become the Director of the new Menai Science Park. Plaid Leader Leanne Wood, who took over as Leader from Mr Jones, said he had served the people of Ynys Môn and Wales with distinction for more than 26 years and his place in the history of Plaid Cymru and Welsh devolution was assured. Euro-MP Jill Evans said she was confident Mr Jones’ experience and skill would ensure the success of the Science Park project, which was of fundamental importance to the economic future of Ynys Môn and the north-west of Wales. Ieuan Wyn Jones said: “I am grateful for the many messages of support that I have received for my new role. I am fully committed to working hard in order to ensure that the project realises its full potential for the economy of northwest Wales. “I’d like to thank everyone for their warm wishes as I take up my new role. My decision to take on this new challenge is driven by my desire to take an active role in improving the economic prospects of north-west Wales.” Leanne Wood said: “Ieuan was elected as an MP in 1987, boosting party confidence during a disappointing decade.
“He was elected to the newly established National Assembly in 1999 and eight years later took Plaid Cymru into what became the One Wales Government. “He will be remembered for his response to the economic crisis in 2008 when, as the Minister for the Economy, Ieuan implemented innovative policies to protect jobs and to help retrain those made redundant, policies which have since been copied by governments elsewhere. “Ieuan was at the helm of Plaid when we made all the running to secure referendum success in 2011, delivering primary law-making powers for Wales “He has laid a strong base for the future as we build towards the 2016 National Assembly elections.” Jill Evans said: “As Deputy First Minister, Ieuan’s response to the economic crisis was a model that others followed. He obtained funding from the European Investment Bank for the first time to protect jobs and workers through the ProAct and ReAct schemes. He held summit meetings around the country and initiated good co-operation between the Welsh Government and the MEPs at a crucial time when we needed to work together at all levels in the interests of the Welsh economy. “I look forward to working with him to ensure that Wales gets more EU research funding to maximise the potential within our universities and institutions”.
Euro-election success will be springboard for Westminster and Assembly elections to come writes Chief Executive, Rhuanedd Richards
Activists arrive at Plaid Cymru office, Llangefni on first day of Ynys Môn by-election campaign
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n my opinion there were five critical factors at the heart of our success in the Ynys Môn byelection - our team of motivated and hard-working volunteers and staff; our local, well-known candidate; our positive message and our refusal to be distracted by what our opponents were saying; the financial contributions from members and supporters across Wales and finally, but most importantly, our data. To the credit of the Ynys Môn constituency committee, the data gathered over many years of campaigning on the island – by door-to-door canvassing, telephone calls, sampling of ballot boxes and careful analysis and retention of the marked electoral rolls – provided a strong basis on which a clinically focused and targeted campaign could be created. The council elections on the island in May were an important springboard to the summer’s success, both in terms of the machine that was mobilised and the intelligence gathered. The reality of modern day politics is that all parties rely on data, analytics and metric-driven campaigns to bring about electoral success. This of course needs to complement and not be a substitute for a strong programme of ideas and the leadership, authority and commitment to deliver for our constituents.
It is also the case that historical data in itself is not enough. This is why in Ynys Môn our aim was to speak to at least 60 per cent of all our potential voters during the campaign. It wasn’t going to be easy. It was hard work but, by August 1st, we managed to exceed that target, thanks to the tremendous effort of local activists and the volunteers who travelled to the island to help. Thousands of conversations were held on doorsteps and, quite often, there would be second and third conversations with those who wanted to talk again about Rhun ap Iorwerth and Plaid Cymru. The challenge for us now is transferring that effort to the national campaign for the European Parliamentary elections in 2014. The psephologists and pundits are right to suggest that we cannot automatically presume that the Ynys Môn momentum will carry us towards our electoral goals next year. The truth is that it’s going to take a lot of hard work. In Wales, 684,250 people voted at the last European election – 30 per cent of the electorate. It is quite possible, given the potential of an impending referendum on Europe and the distorted press coverage received by UKIP, that the turnout in 2014 could be higher. This means, if we are to make progress, that we need to declare
the campaign under way and those hundreds of conversations need to happen now. The candidates have been hard at work throughout the summer laying out their platform and our Head of Campaigns, Geraint ‘Metric Man’ Day is working on the data plans. If every member could identify 100 Plaid Cymru supporters, we could achieve great things next year. I know that’s a big ask, but we need more members to mobilise and become activists – conversationholders in your square mile. We cannot assume others will do the work for us. The responsibility is ours. After all, if we want to ensure that the needs of Wales come first in a reformed Europe and if we want to defy the isolationist rhetoric of those in the London-based parties who don’t give a second thought to what Wales wants, we must demonstrate our strength at the ballot box. This should be motivation enough, but a further incentive is to think how important Plaid’s relative success on Anglesey in May was to securing the best ever result for the party on the island in August. In the same way, the 2014 Euroelections will be an important springboard for the 2015 Westminster election and the 2016 Welsh General election for the parties which perform well.
Let’s build on Ynys Môn win for future success writes Plaid Leader Leanne Wood
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hese are exciting times for Plaid Cymru.
Rhun ap Iorwerth’s convincing victory in the Ynys Môn byelection was the result of a wonderful team effort – it was a blueprint for what will be needed in 2016 if we are to achieve our aim of leading the government of Wales. Rhun was a great candidate. He engaged the voters of all ages and backgrounds wherever he went – at local businesses, council-run care homes under threat and on doorsteps across the island. Jobs and the local economy were made the key priorities of a very positive campaign. Far too many people are battling to make ends meet with never-ending increasing bills and, in many cases, frozen income. Plaid Cymru’s performance in last May’s council elections on the
island, when we were the largest political party, gave Rhun an excellent platform to build upon. The convincing Plaid Cymru victory would not have been possible without the support of his family and the phenomenal amount of hard work carried out by a very committed team. Scores of members were out pounding the streets of Ynys Môn day by day in baking heat. The result broke records and exceeded all expectations in what was an overwhelmingly positive campaign. Many members travelled from across the length and breadth of Wales to lend their support, paying their own way to get to and stay in Ynys Môn, which shows the high level of commitment our members have as we drive to make Wales a better place for our people. An extra special thank you has to go to the team of staff, some of whom took leave to decamp to the island for five weeks. Plaid Cymru members deserve to know that we have a superb staff team who are totally committed to the project, working behind the scenes and often
doing work no one sees. Rhun now joins our other 10 members in the Assembly. He will be a fantastic addition to a superb team which will continue to hold the unimaginative, unambitious Labour Welsh Government to account over the next three years in the run-up to those vitally important Assembly elections. Our future looks promising with some superb candidates already selected in key seats across Wales. The victory in Ynys Môn has given everyone a boost, but there is no time for rest. We have to push on. That means getting out on the streets and pushing our very positive message for Wales on the doorsteps at all times, not just when there is an election. It will mean a lot of hard work for everyone but if we put in the work we can achieve great success. This result, along with the excellent council by-election results in Penyrheol, Caerffili, now gives us some good momentum to build on. We thought 2013 would be a quiet year, but the Ynys Môn by-election coming straight after the local council elections on the island has meant that has not been the case. Next year we have the European elections, followed by the UK General Election in 2015. It will be a hectic next few years but with your hard work we can make it very worthwhile. Ymlaen!
Plaid in buoyant mood for Annual Conference
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laid Cymru is on a high at the moment following the excellent by-election victories in Ynys Môn and Penyrheol (Caerffili).
Committee took the decision to see whether holding a later conference would make it easier for people to attend.
And this feel-good factor is sure to be in evidence at this year’s Annual Conference.
This year’s Annual Conference returns to a familiar venue Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
This will be the first conference under the new constitution which means that motions will be passed under the ‘one member, one vote’ rules. So you needn’t worry if you’re not registered as an official delegate of your branch. If you’re a paidup member, you’ll be able to vote and influence the policies of Plaid Cymru. There are some interesting motions up for debate this year, some which will no doubt be decided by the slimmest of margins. There will also be important emergency motions up for debate.
However the timing is different to recent years. The Conference will take place on Friday and Saturday, October 11 and 12, which is a few weeks later in the year than recent conferences. The Steering
Apart from the important policy issues to be debated, the other highlights will include the speech by Party Leader Leanne Wood on the Friday afternoon, Rhun ap Iorwerth’s ‘maiden
This will be the first time for us to get together following the successful elections. And it will be the first conference since the Spring Conference in Beaumaris, which was a great launch pad for the fantastic campaign in the Ynys Môn council elections.
The Welsh Nation
speech’, contributions from our European candidates and from candidates who have been selected for important seats, such as Ceredigion’s Mike Parker. The revue will take place on the Friday evening in the Aberystwyth Town Football Club. We understand there may be a special guest support act which should be of great interest to comedy fans. The conference dinner will take place on the Saturday night at the Marine Hotel with the guest speaker a representative of Yes Scotland. As everyone always ends up in the Marine until the early hours anyway, the organisers must have reasoned it made sense to cut out an unnecessary walk across town and hold the dinner there too. For more information about attending the Conference, please contact Tŷ Gwynfor on 029 20 475928.
October 2013
Helen Mary Jones steps down
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ormer Assembly Member for Llanelli and Mid and West Wales Helen Mary Jones has stepped down as the Chair of Plaid Cymru. She said: “The last two years have been very exciting for Plaid. Under our new Chief Executive, we’ve modernised our organisation and campaigning after a wide consultation through the Moving Forward process. We have a new constitution in place. We have elected our new Leader and we have just won stunning election victories in Ynys Môn and in Penyrheol, Caerphilly. “I have been really proud to play my part as national Chair in supporting all those who have
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he impetus in starting Plaid History was to ensure we tell the story of our fight for the nation over the last 88 years and not let others tell their version of our contribution. If you are also interested in helping to support, record and publicise the Party’s story, why not join the Plaid Cymru History Society - Plaid History in short. During the past year, Plaid History has bought three digital recorders to lend to members. We have been able to record the Plaid memories of the older generation in Cardiff, Caerffili and Newport. By the New Year, recording will start in Carmarthen, Abergele and St Asaph. One area, untouched so far, is the north-west. We are a nationwide movement and organise meetings in conferences, the Summer School and Eisteddfods. Most of the lectures have been posted on our website.
worked so hard to make all of this possible. “I have decided not to stand for re-election when my term of office comes to an end at Conference as I need to concentrate on my career and my family for a while. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support for me as Chair, particularly our great staff team and my fellow National Executive Committee members. “I know the Party will continue to go from strength to strength under Leanne’s leadership and I’m looking forward to more great results in elections in the coming years.”
The Society is helping Coun. Phil Bevan and Caerffili constituency members in organising a meeting to celebrate the illegal Radio Free Wales/Radio Ceiliog radio broadcasts in the valleys. At the time, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Labour and Tory parties blocked our party broadcasting. We are also working with the Penarth Branch to organise activities to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the forming of Y Mudiad Cymreig/The Welsh Movement - a forerunner of Plaid Cymru. A first for us will be an exhibition at this year’s conference, under the title Women in Plaid Cymru. A continuing job is collecting old leaflets, etc, for display and safe-keeping in county archives. Members are encouraged to scan and email photographs of people, leaflets and campaigns. We are also interested in videos and CDs - in fact, any items of interest to Plaid members.
Remembering past Plaid members is the purpose of the tributes under Remembrance/Cofio on our website As for the future, we want to forge relationships with similar groups in other parts of the European Free Alliance and record talks at our public meetings. Our website www. hanesplaidcymru.org and Facebook page are both bilingual and give further details of our activities. Membership is £10 per annum (£5 for students and those not in work). We want your ideas and whatever support you can offer to help us tell Plaid‘s story. Please contact me at 47, Wingfield Road, Caerdydd CF14 1NJ or by email at history@ hanesplaidcymru.org
Alan Jobbins General Secretary.
A busy time for Plaid Youth writes Cerith Rhys Jones Best wishes to you on your work, Rhun, and remember that you will always have strong supporters among the youth of the Party.
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he last academic year having ended, you might imagine that we in Plaid Youth have been quiet recently, as our students across Wales have moved home to enjoy their summer recess. But no. We’re as busy as ever! The big news, of course, was Rhun ap Iorwerth’s resounding victory in the Ynys Môn byelection, so we send heartfelt congratulations to Rhun on his win. It is true to say he has big shoes to fill, but we have no doubt that he will serve the people of the Isle of Anglesey very well as an excellent Assembly Member between now and the next election and thereafter.
Because students have now left their universities, it was more difficult to get a bunch of us up to Ynys Môn to lend a hand - especially those of us who live in the south but we’re delighted that a number of young local members helped Rhun during the campaign. For them, and for everyone else I’m sure, it was an amazing experience to be part of such a positive campaign. For those who did not go up to Ynys Môn to help, we gave the campaign plenty of attention in the social media and there was a positive response there too. We all look forward to developing a good relationship with our Party’s newest Assembly Member.
Jill Evans ASE | MEP 45 Gelligaled Road, Ystrad, Rhondda, CF41 7RQ T: 01443 441395 E: jill.evans@ep.europa.eu
jillevans.net youtube.com/jillevansasemep twitter.com/jillevansmep flickr.com/jillevansasemep
A number of our members attended the National Eisteddfod in Denbigh. For me personally, taking shelter in the Party’s stand, especially early in the week when the rain was pouring, was lovely. It was a pleasure for us to meet familiar and new faces, and we have to congratulate the Party on running a great stall, especially with the Eisteddfod starting the day after Rhun’s election. Members also attended the Cardiff Wales Mardi Gras. Last year, we gave a donation of £50 to Plaid Pride, which is the group for Plaid Cymru members and supporters who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and we are pleased to say we were able to give the same amount to the cause this year as well. We are very pleased to be able to continue to support such an important cause and, as ever, it was a brilliant day of celebration! The Leader of our Party, Leanne Wood, was in attendance again this year, and Plaid Cymru had a great presence in the Stadium. If you didn’t manage to make it this year, we’d encourage you to come along next year. For more information, contact @plaidifancyouth or @plaidpride directly. After Mardi Gras, the next big thing for us is the beginning of the new academic year. This month the colleges will restart and our students will be moving back to their university towns for another nine months. We are currently creating new materials to distribute to our local groups to attract as many new members as possible. A short word finally to announce that we have co-opted a new National Vice-chair, who will also be responsible for our international relations. Paul Stevenson is from Abererch in Gwynedd and has already started his work. More information about Paul and about all of us on the Plaid Youth NEC can be found on our newly-updated website - partyofwales.org/youth. Until next time - ymlaen!