There’s more than one constituency in Wales
Bubble — By Daran Hill on October 8, 2009 1:45 pmWHO else out there is a bit bored with reading about who is likely to be selected to succeed Adam Price as Plaid candidate in Carmarthen East and Dinefwr? The selection race almost feels like an American presidential primary in terms of the blog inches it’s attracting. That’s meant as no criticism of any of the candidates. It’s a criticism of the obsession of the blogosphere. It is inevitable that Plaid orientated sites like Welsh Ramblings and Cambria Politico take a strong line. But when Politics Cymru starts obsessing too, it becomes worrying.
That isn’t to say there isn’t an interesting story here. But there are 40 seats in Wales – 80, actually, in political terms, because each constituency returns a directly elected AM as well as an MP. And that’s without even counting regional list seats.
Of course, there isn’t really much of a story in who Labour selects in Dwyfor Meirionnydd or who Plaid chooses for Alyn and Deeside (with apologies to the two people that have we’ve just offended). But with so many incumbent MPs and AMs standing down, aren’t the successor selections in other seats worth an examination? Surely Labour’s choice of Susan Elan Jones for the Parliamentary contest in Clwyd South merits a mention somewhere? It’s a Labour held seat that is probably likely to stay that way in 2010. Sure, it could switch this way or that, but the way things are nobody has even noticed.
Similarly, isn’t there a story in who the Liberal Democrats choose to follow Mick Bates AM in Montgomeryshire? Or who succeeds Dr Brian Gibbons in the rock solid Labour seat of Aberavon? Or how the Conservatives plan to manage their regional list selections?
But there is a deafening silence on all these contests, and others, too. Perhaps that says as much about Plaid’s dominance of online commentary as anything else. Once more, it might be up to WalesHome.org to fill the gap.
Tags: 2010 General Election, 2011 Assembly elections, candidate selection, social media
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12 Comments
I think it also says more about the person leaving. Who is Mick Bates? Who cares. In contrast Adam Price is a big name across all political cultures.
Also in addition to this the strategic and tradition associated to the seat. This is a seat for Plaid that has been held by their prodigal son in price, it was their first ever seat under Gwynfor and at Assembly level has been held since the start by Rhodri Glyn their former deputy leader at the assembly and first culture minister. All big hitters.
“Once more, it might be up to WalesHome.org to fill the gap”
It is worrying that you are buying into your own self generated hype mind. And even more concerning that through this piece and Adam Higgets on the Labour leadership warning others not to get involved that this blog has started to take to telling others what they should and shouldn’t blog about. Goes against the ideas of free speech which the welsh blogsphere is so good for promoting
Also seems like a bit of a random dig at politics cymru. Those guys have been a great contribution to the blogs. Is it a case of trying to have a go at the competition?
I would be interested in who will win Cardiff West at the assembly election!
When questioned about this obsession about Adam Price (only found on the Blogosphere mainly) You met with the response that there is more than one personality involved in running Plaid. Does that mean that Adam suffers from a multiple personality disorder? lol
“And even more concerning that through this piece and Adam Higgets on the Labour leadership warning others not to get involved that this blog has started to take to telling others what they should and shouldn’t blog about.”
Adam wasn’t warning others about getting involved, he was making a point about what might happen if they did.
This post was intended to be provocative – it is intended to illustrate how narrow the focus out there is when it comes to candidate selection. That doesn’t illustrate a particularly healthy Welsh blogosphere to me. It’s not just an issue of Plaid dominance or absence of Labour. Why doesn’t Freedom Central discuss the Lib Dem selection in Montgomeryshire, or even report on timescales? Yes, Adam is a big name and Jonathan is certainly a very credible candidate to succeed him. Yes, Carmarthenshire has a special place in Plaid’s heart. Yes, Carmarthen East & Dinefwr was supposed to be the swing seat of 1999 (though it didn’t quite turn out that way…) But nevertheless, there are other stories out there too.
The reference to Politics Cymru was meant to be tongue in cheek. I’ve a big respect for what they’ve achieved and continue to do.
ha, notice you don’t deny that you believ your own hype. There is a real ego issue with this blog. i mean why is it really wrong for other blogs to discuss this issue?
I think the Carmarthen East contest will be significant in terms of Plaid’s direction. The choice seems to be between a cultural nationalist (who I’m told is pretty right-wing) and one of the party’s brightest street fighters from the left. Again Plaid could end up with one of its most promising future talents stuck in Westminster.
Mathew
Show me where any contributor on the whole of WalesHome.org has said it is wrong for any issue of any sort to be discussed by anyone at any time.
You won’t be able to. Because nobody has said it. You’ve just made it up.
Daran’s post called for a wider discussion of other Parliamentary and Assembly selections. Your problem with this is..?
My post argued that – on tactical grounds only – the other parties might be best advised to let Labour fight it out among themselves. Am I wrong?
If you have a point of substance to make about either of these arguments (as you did in your opening sentence when you – plausibly in my view – claimed that it was the stature of the departing MP that made Carm E so interesting) then please make it.
If, however, you are just going to respond by insulting people, don’t bother. We won’t publish any such comment.
Well I haven’t said anything about Carmarthen East yet. Who cares what lesser bloggers have to say?
Daran makes a fair point. I think that it shows that the other parties tend to be more keen to keep internal stuff just that. I would though keep an eye on the possibility of the Tories going for open primaries for the regions which could prove very interesting.
The key for parties is to avoid navel-gazing while being as open and transparent as possible. Talking endlessly about selections and internal party stuff leaves voters cold.
Oh and Matthew, I think you’ll find that Mick Bates has achieved more for Wales in opposition through NASEG than most members of the Government.
Is the attack on this blog because it is balanced and independent? Like politicscymru, this is most welcome in a blogosphere that is mostly full of self serving rubbish.
Thanks for letting us know that Susan Elan Jones is the Labour candidate for Clwyd South – she will have an uphill struggle to keep it Labour because both Tory and Plaid are targetting different sections of a soft Labour vote. This sort of service is what waleshome.org should be doing.
Glyn Davies picks up the baton and blogs on the succession to Mick Bates:
http://glyndaviesam.blogspot.com/2009/10/whos-going-to-succeed-mick-bates.html
If Freedom Central doesn’t, then don’t be surprised that their Conservative opponent has.
Glyn is never one to miss an opportunity.