In the light of recent social media harassment from some Plaid Cymru members, I would like to make the following statement:
The Wales Green Party have always been open to discussions with Plaid Cymru. I myself have met Leanne Wood twice in the past few months. Once with Ann Were and once with Anthony Slaughter. The meetings were called by myself in the hope of finding some common ground which worked for us both in a reciprocal way, appropriate to our relative standing.
The last meeting was a long term proposal from the Greens. I was trying to instigate a joint programme to break the back of the Labour vote in Wales to our obvious mutual benefit. Leanne’s last words to us were, and this is pretty much the direct quote: “You stand down in Ceredigion, and we’ll see if there is something we can do after that.”
These were not the words of a leader of a political party interested in a deal.
Since that time there has been even more of a Green surge, even better polling for us, and substantially more media coverage. The harassment and online bulling from certain Plaid Cymru members has increased. We are all fed up with it.
I subsequently had a meeting with Rhun ap Iorwerth after the Sharp End TV programme in which I asked why Plaid had not put forward an alternative energy plan for Yns Mon in line with Plaid Cymru's policy against nuclear. He said he would like to see such a thing. I said the door remained open, but we would need to see Plaid working in line with their own policy.
Mike Parker (Ceredigion, Plaid) has now asked to speak with me, and the clamouring and threats have increased.
Clearly Plaid Cymru are terrified of losing Ceredigion. This is not our problem. We live in a democracy and anyone with £500 can stand as a candidate. The Greens do not split the votes, the voters do. Standing a candidate in Ceredigion is entirely the business of the local party.
Plaid Cymru were terrified of losing their MEP, and much skulduggery ensured, culminating in Plaid announcing that the Greens were not standing a candidate, which was untrue. Jill Evans hung on to her seat, but it was badly done.
Now is not the time to feel sorry for them. This is politics. Our very values are at stake. We are on track for a 4-6 degree warming of the planet, and this will not support life as we know it. Yes we are an anti-austerity party, but we are much, much more than that.
I am so sorry that many of our candidates and members have been experiencing social media harassment. If Plaid truly wanted to work with us they could have at any time come up with a reasonable plan, but from the leadership down the only thing we can detect is ‘Greens get lost’. Well, we won’t. We stand for something more precious, more rare, more beautiful than any other political party. We stand for the preservation and enhancement of life, which can only come about in a more equal world.
Message from Anthony Slaughter, Wales Green Party deputy leader
These are exciting and challenging times as we approach an election more unpredictable than any I can remember. The ongoing ‘Green Surge’ appears to show no signs of slowing as membership of Wales Green Party continues to grow at an unprecedented rate on a daily basis.
This growth has resulted in new local Green Party branches being formed across Wales with the result that every member in Wales now has a Local Party. This increase in membership and activity has come about for a reason. People are joining, getting involved and standing as candidates because they have found a Party that genuinely reflects their concerns and offers a new values-based politics that recognises that ‘business as usual’ is no longer an option.
This passion and enthusiasm stands in stark contrast to the negativity and insults thrown at us, by those we thought of as allies on many issues, especially in the self perpetuating echo chamber that is social media.
As others panic about their own predicament they seem to take refuge in accusing us of betraying a ‘pact’ that has never existed. I share the concerns of Pippa and many others in Wales Green Party that this ongoing campaign of deliberate misinformation and personal attacks, risk causing serious damage to any future cooperation on the many issues so important to all of us.
It is not for any self appointed elite to decide the choice of Parties put before voters in any area. To quote former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Wigley ‘It would be arrogant for any politician to think they can trade people’s votes’.