So what now?
Since the news that Plaid Cymru was excluded from an administration at County Hall there have been many posts across the Welsh blogosphere about the issues surrounding the rig
Since the news that Plaid Cymru was excluded from an administration at County Hall there have been many posts across the Welsh blogosphere about the issues surrounding the right of the biggest party to form such an administration. But removing the element of political theory, those that I have been talking to about it feel extremely disappointed and are frustrated that nothing has really changed.
Because I spend much of my time away in Bristol, I have a different perspective on Llanelli. I personally think that the town looks more and more tired every time I go home, with the exception of the Retail Park. Although going home and visiting the Retail Park I could still be Bristol.
Meryl Gravell hailed the “winning team”, the Independent-Labour coalition of the last four years. Vaughan Roderick puts it more eloquently than I ever could*:
Parties’ efforts to ensure at least a share of power in our county halls continue.
In Carmarthen the Independent group (along with one Liberal Democrat) have reached an agreement with Labour to preserve the coalition which had run the authority prior to the election. Fair enough. Carmarthenshire will be one of the handful of Welsh councils with Labour members in the cabinet for the next four years.
“Why Change A Winning Team?” is the slogan on the press release announcing the agreement. It doesn’t explain what exactly is the meaning of a “winning team” in this context. In the election the Independent group stood still and Labour lost half its seats. “Winning Team”? You decide.
Labour’s support in Llanelli collapsed. People were fed up of the old regime’s method of building white elephants, tarting-up and serial incompetence. The people of Llanelli voted for a change and now, because they did so, Carmarthenshire’s largest town will have hardly any representation in the new (or in this case old) administration.
Through doing what they have done and the continuing unpopularity of the party, Labour is in severe danger of losing the Llanelli Parliamentary seat. And once it’s gone, it won’t come back any time soon.
* Credit to Sanddef for translation.