The Plaid International

Contrary to what one might suspect from the title of this post Plaid have not developed an election manifesto and policy document comparable to the genius of Guy Debord. Nothing as wild as that is at foot yet. However there is anti-war humanitarianism in the ether.

Elfyn Llwyd has been speaking about Afghanistan. A great time for him to re-emphasise his own and Plaid's deep suspicion to this conflict. For those of you that still care to remember the facts of the UK's incessant warfare over the last decade, the Afghan campaign was initially justified, sneakily, by an understandable emotional response to Sept 11th. Afghanistan was, they said, the coalface of the war on terror. This seems to be forgotten now, and most people would struggle to to tell you the aim of this conflict. The war has however been criticized by those on the left from the outset as being a de-facto means to impose Western control on fossil fuel resources.

An ongoing conflict like this is in some way unavoidable given the material condition of the UKs economy of course. Here in Britain we have a war economy, dependent on the defence industry, so it is only logically fair to assume that we will be either directly engaged or supporting conflict somewhere in the world for the foreseeable future. If we weren't the wheels would fall off BAE, Senergy and countless others

As the Party of Wales Plaid always maintains an international outlook, and has a proud tradition of peace, in stark and consistent opposition to all the other principle parties in Wales. Adam Price's campaign for Blair's impeachment for war crimes back in 2004 being a great example.

For those in Wales with conscience (and we are very several!) the militarism inherent in British history is an anathema (WW2 withstanding). And the practical denouncements and actions of Plaid's elected representatives indicate a wider aspiration that gets to our very core. The vast majority of people desire peace, and abhor war. Yet the challenge is how to bring about a society that fulfills this uncomplicated yet deeply problematic aspiration. While not the answer to this age old dilemma itself, the advancement of devolution in the united Kingdom is one way to bring the pacifistic ideal from the realms of the hypothetical to possible fruition. The devolution of defence powers to properly democratic national parliaments would encourage a dialogue and co-operation across these islands. It would encourage more interaction with our european neighbours, and in short the kind of self interested campaign based on US neo-liberal aims that we have the misfortune to witness now would be close to impossible. Crucially devolution could stimulate the kind of economic development and accountability that could sever the UK's dependency on the arms sales- by variously nationalising the defence industry at first, then transforming its infrastucture from within.

These are big dreams of course. Huge dreams. They look pretty damn difficult to attain even to me. They undoubtedly look impossible to attain by many, and undesirable aims in the first place by others. They are dangerous dreams. But unless you can dream huge dreams like this, and make some efforts towards their satisfaction, then there is no point engaging with the politics of our age for any reason expect personal self aggrandisement.

The question remains however- of how to bring these aims to be. It starts with small gestures. The phased withdrawal from Afghanistan would be a start. A vote for Plaid in Wales come election day would be another.

After a geography imposed hiatus...

The plaid newport blog is back.

I know you've all missed me!

I moved house this weekend

57 varieties of boxes, bags, and makeshift containers were thrown hastily onto the back of Trefor Pew's Reseiclo van, and we made our way to Chepstow like Beverly Hillbillies or Wacky Racers, mishaped packages bouncing on top of the highsided truck.

As I don't live in Newport anymore and will not be acting as press officer for the branch at newport west, for purely geographical reasons, then it is only fair that this blog is wound down a bit. New posts shall appear here however, but with diminished frequency- maybe from electoral candidates, and from myself when the times feel right (probably as we build up to the euro elections).

I shall be continuing blogging however- a things art, writing, politics, everything but biography blog will appear soon enough (over the week or two- possibly sooner). Those of you interested will be able to follow more regular posts there.

This is not goodbye then, more a see you later.

slaters x

Chomsky gives his support to Cardiff Students:

From Cardiff Stop The War:

The occupation of Cardiff University has ended with success as Cardiff University acceded to the occupiers’ key demand – to divest from the arms trade. Cardiff University have given students written confirmation that they have divested from the arms trade and have instructed fund managers not to reinvest.

The occupation ended at 4pm today with the mass of students walking out together waving occupation banners and chanting ‘Free, Free, Palestine’. They then held a ‘Books not Bombs’ rally as they marched around campus declaring their success.

The victory comes after three days of occupation which has made students across the campus aware of the £209, 000 worth of shares which, until yesterday, Cardiff University held in the arms trade. This included BAE Systems and General Electric who supplied Israel with weapons used in the recent attacks on Gaza.

The Cardiff Occupation, organised by Cardiff Students Against War, was in opposition to the University’s investment in the arms trade and to the atrocities committed in Gaza, where 1.4 million Palestinians are blockaded in a semi-autonomous apartheid state.

The occupation has been inundated with messages of support including most notably one from Noam Chomsky:

I am very pleased to learn about the courageous and honourable actions of the Cardiff University students. These are particularly significant because of Britain's role in arms sales generally, and it's contribution to the savage onslaught on Gaza and on the occupied territories generally, second only to the decisive role of the United States -- a disgrace for all of us. I hope you have the greatest success in arousing public opinion and bringing these crimes to an end.

The action at Cardiff is the twenty-eighth UK student occupation to have taken place in the last few weeks. This unprecedented wave of student dissent has seen many university’s capitulating to demands. The Cardiff activists hope their success will inspire other students to hold occupations on their own campuses.

Arla Gramper, 22, who took part in the occupation said: "Our success here at the occupation is a great realisation of what can be achived by direct action. It’s a starting point upon which we plan to build larger, wider reaching campaign to engage many more people in the debate and lobby the university.”

The actions don't end here and Cardiff Students Against War will continue to campaign to ensure the University cements its promise not to reinvest by putting it in policy and to fight against the deportation of Saudi ex-BAE trade unionist Yahya Al Faifi.

Iraq War Evidence

Unamazingly Jack Straw yesterday defied the will of the information commissioner and refused to publish the details of the cabinet's discussions on the Iraq War.

Presumably the truth- that government thought the war was illegal and then lied about about anyway, would be quite damaging.

We all suspect the truth, but cannot have it confirmed to us while Labour remain in power.

So we have a government that breaks international law and vetos the release of this information to protect its own interests , is complicit in torturing its suspects but has a foreign minister who tries to cover it all up, and a home office minister facing a proble because she gave herself an illegal £100,000 defacto bonus. All this, just in the last week.

Welcome to the labour government. It is 2009.

Tuition Fees and Coalition Government:

When Labour and Plaid agreed to share power in Wales in 2007 they made a series of agreements and pledges that formed the basis of coalition government. We all know that agreement as One Wales. On the subject of tuition fees here is what One Wales has to say:"

"We will provide extra assistance with student debt and maintain existing fee levels in Wales up to and including 2009/10. We will maintain the current level of resource throughout the four year Assembly term, doing whatever is possible to mitigate the effects on Welsh-domiciled students if the Westminster government lifts the cap on fees in 2009."

Unfortunatley Labour's interpretation of "whatever is possible", at this juncture, is to follow the lead from Westminster, and saddle Welsh students with additiontal burdens of debt come 2011. Labour's proposals may follow the letter of One Wales, but they certainly abandon the spirit of the agreement. Disappointingly Plaid leaders in Welsh government seem all to ready to temporarily suspend principle in this instance, and try to reshape Plaid's policy to suit Labour's planned public spending cuts. In the process of doing this they wish to ride roughshod over Plaid's election promises not to introduce tuition fees if in power.

Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid's affable, diplomatic, and somewhat inert leader, in case you missed him) may well point to pragmatism. He can also talk of the limits on ambiton that come with coalition governement. In this he has a point. The purpose of government is to slice the pie as fairly as possible, and as we are dependent on Gordon Brown the portions tend to be stingey- cuts to higher education spending are part of this process, arguably, brought to a head by recession. Ieuan fails to note however the other aspect of government. Which involves campaigning and standing by what you profess to believe in- and doing what you said you would do. It is a sign of the cynicism of the times that this seems naive- but pragmitism must be wedded to idealism if politicians, and democracy, are to serve any purpose. The career of most politicians, the average ones that is, are determined by the ability to compromise. The career of remarkable politicians is shaped by their refusal to do so. In this sense, by trying to alter a key Plaid policy mid-term- Ieuan Wyn Jones reveals himself as an unremarkable politician- closer to his colleagues in government than he is to the wishes of his own party.

All this points to a much wider problem at the heart of coalition governement. I know as a party activist I am not alone is asking what Plaid are attaining, and how are Wales benefitting, through our presence in government. Key policies cannot be introduced through the loathsome cumbersome LCO process, as there is constant interference from disgruntled MPs. Wales stands to lose a mammoth £500 million in future spending. The All Wales Convention is grinding slowly to the already suspected conclusion that a referedum on further powers is both winable and loseable. Devolution could even potentially be deferred rather than progressed even with Plaid in power.

This is hugely frustrating as in Europe, Assemby, and Westminster, Plaid have so much to offer. In government however we begin to risk being seen as New Labour's lackeys with added patriotism. There seems little point in supporting a party that will, when push comes to shove, endorse, however reluctantly, key policies they opposed when in opposition. Plaid are better than this split on tuition fees. The cost of power should never be the abandonment of key principles- not unless that Tony Blair and his ilke were right all along?! And that can't be right.

Local Food

I always try not to think of Tubs from the League of Gentleman when I mention the word local. But I always end up thinking of the dark comic characters in their strange shop whenever I consider food policy- 'local food for local people!'

These semantic concerns aside however- I am passionate about local produce. I have campaigned actively on the subject. It is therefore with pleasure that I read:

"Plaid MEP Jill Evans has welcomed a vote in the European Parliament backing her proposal to give preference to locally produced food products. The parliament is reviewing an EU scheme to provide food support worth over 400 million pounds this year alone.

Ms Evans hopes the change will be made permanent and will be a boost to farmers, and local food producers.

The EU food distribution scheme is part of the Common Agricultural Policy. The European Commission wants the subsidised food to be purchased on the open market, but Ms Evans believes this would be a missed opportunity.

I think the long term health of both environment and the European economy will depend on developing and supporting local systems of food production. If we are to slink out of the slipstream of globalisation then we need to see more domestic food production backed with fair trade policies for imported goods. For those of you into modernist anarchist collectivism 'what Kropotkin said'. A long term commitment to local food produce is imperative, and Plaid have not overlooked this crucial area of policy like other principle parties.

The current initiatives on local food acquisition are excellent. As is Jill Evan's proposed initiative. These are just the beginning however.

I would favour a range of tax incentives for businesses that support and develop local food production. I'd also favour consumer education on local, and Fairtrade produce, and would hope that government would drive consumer awareness of the topic by co-ordinating education efforts with a number of NGOs such as the Soil Association and Fair Trade groups, for example. There are good, but disjointed efforts, in this direction already.

Current EU legislation, and commitment to the free market, make more radical actions highly problematic, but with time and effort perhaps we can begin to prepare soft commodity economies that are both sustainable and not based on progressions from colonial systems of trade. This is some way off, and will take a rethinking and reshaping of the current supermarket business models, we even have to pay a bot more for for stuff in the long run, but it is totally necessary. As a society we need to shift the way we think about, and consume, food.