Wigley or won't he?
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

I can't believe I've been writing this blog for six months without asking the question, what the hell is Dafydd Wigley playing at?

He is the nearest thing Wales has to a statesman. He was a consummate parliamentarian and continues to be respected across party political boundaries. And yet he is standing for election second on the North Wales regional list.

Now, at the moment Plaid have one list member in that region. To get another they'd have to do pretty poorly at constituency level. But in reality, they're in the hunt for two gains in North Wales: Aberconwy and Clwyd West. This would be great news for Plaid, but catastrophic for Dafydd Wigley who would be flung into the political wilderness (possibly accompanied by Janet Ryder).

So what's his game?

Well, apparently 'Dafydd's done his Maths', the implication being that he's got it all worked out because he is Dafydd Wigley and you absolutely have to trust that big boomy voice. I'm not convinced. Wigley is re-energised, that's for sure, but did he ever have his eyes on a political re-birth or was this always going to be a cameo appearance designed to give Plaid an election time lift? It is, perhaps, the political equivalent of taking one for the team - like the plucky midfielder who charges down a free kick only to get the ball lodged between his bollocks.

Dafydd Wigley is doing strange things to this election, not least because the list system makes psephology a whole lot of fun. Labour's Arfon candidate is reminding people to 'Vote Eaglestone Get Wigley', while the prospect of Plaid's leader losing his Ynys Mon seat to let Wigley in on the list would possibly even beat Rhodri Morgan's train journey as the most ironic moment of the campaign.

But I suspect that after all the hoo-ha on May 3rd not much will have changed. Except that Dafydd Wigley is likely to be holding his groin with some satisfaction, knowing that he hasn't let the team down.

Labels: , , , ,

posted by Blamerbell @ 12:15 pm, ,


Top 5 campaign car crashes
Tuesday, April 17, 2007

It's election time, so politicians everywhere are creeping out of their hovels and stepping into dodgy tracksuits, bin bags, go-karts... anything to get a picture in the local rag. But some moments have just been plain bizarre, and there's still over two weeks to go!

1. Rhodri Morgan's 'ironic' train journey on the day South Wales' trains ground to a halt. Cue headlines: First Minister running out of steam etc.

2. Rhodri on yet another mode of transport. This time it's a boat. He's donned his life jacket and is off out on a little jolly with Tony Blair. Cue headlines: Labour's sinking ship, Labour in need of a lifeline etc. Worse still, Rhodders and Tony get off the boat and embark on a steep uphill struggle back to base. They might as well just write their own scripts.

3. Dafydd Wigley squeezes into a shellsuit for the first time since 1983. This is to make old people feel better about exercising. But it just makes them feel better about not exercising in the same place as Dafydd Wigley.

4. Labour's manifesto launch is a treasure hunt for kids in oversized t-shirts. More than a week later and nobody's told Lib Dem leader Mike German that the competition is over.

5. Plaid's Adam Price MP and Labour's Arfon candidate Martin Eaglestone have a very public tiff in a North Wales car park. 'Sign my contract'. 'No, you sign my contract'. 'I asked first'. 'He wot smelt it dealt it' etc. They are suddenly interrupted when an electronic wheelchair pulls up and gets stuck into the action. Eaglestone then becomes embroiled in a Ricky Gervaisesque exchange with a very stubborn Plaid supporting disabled person. There is no exit strategy.

I apologise for the lack of balance in this item. Labour win the innovative press call hands down so it's inevitable a few will go a bit wonky.

Labels: , , , , , ,

posted by Blamerbell @ 12:02 am, ,