One Wales, but for how much longer?

Nov 2 2007 by Tomos Livingstone, Western Mail

PLAID Cymru is threatening to pull out of its Assembly coalition with Labour unless there is clarity over a referendum on a Welsh parliament.

The One Wales coalition agreement commits both sides to a poll by 2011, but Plaid are unhappy at what it sees as a rowing back from that deal by Labour.

Hard-liners within Plaid are preparing to use the issue as a means of forcing a pull-out from the agreement. The party faces a bruising meeting of its National Council in Aberystwyth on November 17, with a motion expected to be put forward proposing an end to the coalition.

Such a dramatic move less than three months into the coalition would cause chaos in Cardiff Bay. And both sides are hoping for a show of unity in the coming week as the Assembly Government prepares to unveil its annual budget.

The latest tensions have been provoked by a interview given by Welsh Secretary Peter Hain at the weekend, in which he said, “I didn’t take the Government of Wales Bill through, nor did MPs vote for it, to be bounced into an early referendum.”

Days earlier, First Minister Rhodri Morgan and his deputy, Plaid’s Ieuan Wyn Jones, appointed diplomat Sir Emyr Jones Parry to head a convention charged with looking at the case for a referendum. Mr Morgan said he saw “no reason” to deviate from the 2011 timetable.

Labour faces its own tensions, with many of its MPs against both the coalition deal and the referendum idea.

Senior figures in Plaid are seeking a compromise before its November 17 meeting. They hope some further statement from Labour will calm the situation and make the commitment to the 2011 date clearer.

One idea is for Plaid’s chairman, John Dixon, to write to Chris Roberts, general-secretary of the Welsh Labour Party, asking formally for a clarification of the position.

But, in a sign of the seriousness of the situation, one senior Plaid figure said, “If there is no resolution, we could pull out...the incentive of being in Government is not so important to us, we don’t want bums on seats around the Cabinet table if the programme isn’t being delivered.”

Labour sources said last night that Mr Hain’s comments had been “blown out of all proportion” and that there was “no difference” between his position and that of Mr Morgan’s.

Plaid entered coalition with Labour in June, after initially drawing up a deal with the Conservatives and the Lib Dems. That “rainbow alliance” could be revived if the One Wales coalition founders.

But Plaid are keen to pull back from the brink, and both sides know a collapse of the agreement would risk exposing the Assembly as a laughing stock.

Labour are likely to dismiss the threat as not being serious.

“It’s just sabre rattling,” said one Labour MP last night. “Everyone needs to calm down a little bit and we need to get away from the idea that every little thing is a crisis.”

The convention, headed by Sir Emyr, has yet to meet or appoint its members. It is possible that the first meeting may not be held until the new year, but bringing that timetable forward may be one of way placating hard-liners in Plaid Cymru.

Plaid AM Adam Price said, “We need a statement of British Labour party policy which is going to be acceptable to both sides. [Mr Hain] went too far.

“We need a durable, medium-term position from them, otherwise this is going to come up time and time again and undermine the coalition.”

Mr Price has also drawn attention to the problems on his blog, writing that without further guarantees from Labour, “it is inevitable that members in my party will begin to fear they were sold a pup.

“And the most progressive government in Wales for 30 years will be plunged into a crisis it doesn’t deserve, and Wales can do without.”

Plaid’s National Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the deal with Labour in the summer, although some were unhappy there was no vote on the alternative “rainbow” coalition.

The national council has 380 members made up of elected members and representatives from groups and branches within Plaid.