still waiting for regional result but great night for Neath

Excuse the tiredness......

It's 10.38am and we still haven't had the South Wales West regional vote. It's looking tight, and I hope that we can clinch the 2nd regional seat.

Very tired, and annoyed that we had to leave without a clear result today.

Neath was an exceptional result, and is definitely winnable in 2011. Well done Alun Llewelyn, you made Labour very scared. Hain looked much more orange than usual, and was trying to comfort Gwenda when she thought she had lost.

Disappointing about Swansea West, but across the region we don't look too bad. Aberavon at constituency level was heartening in second place, but Gibbons has a huge majority to try and hack in to!!!

No television to find out results until early hours of the morning when the Afan Lido put on the televisions in the gym. Bizarre hour of candidates sitting watching Huw Edwards on the screens...and sleeping on cross trainers and running machines!

BNP walking around in matcho crowds all night, while I tried to avoid catching their attention. Communists got in to a bit of a cerfuffle with them. I couldn't even think of looking at Nick Griffin. Very disconcerting that the BNP have picked up votes, that's for sure.

I am getting ready to go out for today and face the world. Our count is at Port Talbot Civic Hall at 2pm. We will learn there how we have done on the regional list.

All in all, Plaid has done exceptionally well. Not the Labour meltdown that we had hoped for, but room for development for Plaid for 2011. Helen Mary winning Llanelli was an election high for me, and my friend Aileen Campbell getting in on the list for the SNP.

See more pictures on my facebook page of the evening.

Lib dem Councillor endorses BNP candidate

Chocking on my Bran flakes this morning( I'm trying to be healthy, not pretentious;-)), I read in the Independent that a Lib dem Councillor in Darlington has been waylaid- signing a nomination form of a BNP candidate for the local elections this May. All legitimate and mainstream political parties should unite against the BNP, in my opinion.

It shall be interesting to see whether Campbell expels the Councillor from the party. I certainly think that this would be the appropriate action to take.

Candidate or AM? That is the question.

It seems that some politicians always manage to live up to the image of being difficult- in this case it's in the shape of Leighton Andrews, New Labour candidate for the Rhondda, who has commented on BBC election guidlines.

Once the Assembly has been dissolved for an election, all candidates, whether they have been AM's for the last 4 years or not must be labelled 'candidates', and ministers must be 'spokespeople.' Leighton Andrews said of the matter- 'I think what they are creating is a sort of real world and a BBC world in the real world we are AMs, talking to constituents, holding surgeries.' His comment is a little confusing, but basically hints that the policy is uncalled for.

Personally I do not think that there needs to be a debate on this. When the Assembly has been dissolved, AM's are candidates like everyone else, and shouldn't be treated any differently. This safeguards the BBC's impartiality, and our ability to assess all candidates on a level footing.

What interests me more as an election issue is that the BBC must give an equal platform to the main political parties during interviews and news stories from now until the election. This must have annoyed Leighton Andrews during the Burberry protest on Friday, as other parties were given a chance to air their opinions on the closure. Other parties that perhaps haven't commented before, or whose views have not been broadcast to a large majority of the population via the BBC.

Is there an argument that this practise should be implemented all year round? There may be, but I am sure that it would create much tension amongst AM's and political parties alike, especially in the context of the BNP. I do not sit easy with the idea of debating with the BNP for example, or giving them coverage on TV. Nevertheless, in the next few weeks all political parties will have to decide whether or not they share a platform with them, or take part in discussions with this blatantly racist party.

I have heard rumours that South Wales Central list candidates have taken the stance not to share a platform with the BNP during the election. Does this only serve to push the BNP underground, and confirm their anti- establishment arguments, or should this party be refused a platform as is the view of the organisation Unite and Searchlight?
I would be very interested in hearing well thought out comments on this pressing issue.

BNP's Nick Griffin a candidate in South Wales West

Here's a press release I've just issued on this. It should be on my website, but it doesn't seem to want to update itself ....

Press Release Press Release Press Release Press Release Press Release

Educate electorate about dangers of BNP, says Plaid candidate Bethan Jenkins

Plaid candidate for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins has today (28/2/07) announced the necessity to educate the electorate about the BNP and their racist nature in light of the announcement issued today that Nick Griffin, the Leader of the BNP plans to stand as a candidate on South Wales West’s regional list.

Plaid’s Bethan Jenkins said:

‘The BNP follow a blatantly racist agenda. I am eager to raise awareness of this agenda amongst the people of South Wales West, and play a part in dissuading voters from embracing such a negative political organisation. Plaid Cymru wants to create an inclusive society, where everyone is equal regardless of culture, ethnicity or Nationality. Unfortunately, this is something which the BNP does not adhere to, therefore in the run up to the election there is an obligation on candidates, and Assembly Members alike to educate the electorate about the negative racist agenda of the BNP.’

Bethan added:

‘I have recently signed UNITE Bridgend’s Anti- Fascist Declaration which seeks to promote a united response from all those dedicated to freedom and democracy. I believe that all legitimate political parties must combine forces to challenge the BNP in May’s Assembly election, and that such parties should work together to highlight the BNP’s Islamophobic attitude, and ideas which undermine our goals of human rights and equal opportunity for all.’