Wood rejects Hamilton’s call to join forces with Ukip

A SUGGESTION by Ukip’s National Assembly group leader Neil Hamilton that Plaid Cymru should co-operate with his party in the interests of Wales has been firmly rejected by Leanne Wood.

Mr Hamilton claimed that under the leadership of Ms Wood, Plaid was nothing more than “Labour’s lapdog”.

He advised Plaid to dump its current leader in favour of Adam Price or Neil McEvoy.

In a statement, Mr Hamilton called for Plaid to elect a leader “hungry to break the cosy Cardiff Bay consensus” and with “the imagination to work with Ukip in order to take Wales forward”.

He added: “Plaid is not a real opposition party. It is just Labour’s lapdog.

“Last year, Leanne Wood bottled out of bringing down Wales’ permanent Labour Government. Together with Labour’s little Lib Dem helper Kirsty Williams, she has propped up Carwyn Jones, who lost his popular mandate in the 2016 Assembly election.

“Plaid will never get under her.”

Mr Hamilton’s comments about Ms Williams and Ms Wood were relatively mild in comparison with his description of them as “political concubines in Carwyn’s harem” after they supported Carwyn Jones’ re-election as First Minister after Labour won 29 of the Assembly’s 60 seats.

Previously, there had been a tied vote between Mr Jones and Ms Wood when Conservative and Ukip AMs had joined Plaid Cymru in backing Ms Wood.

Ukip AMs had voted for Mr Wood after talks between Mr Price and Mr Hamilton.

Expanding on his views about the Plaid leadership, Mr Hamilton said: “Rhun ap Iorwerth fancies his chances as Plaid leader but he would be no different. anywhere He was at it again last week, telling Radio Cymru that his party ‘should again consider a coalition with Labour in the Assembly if circumstances allow.’

“Plaid will never progress under these fainthearts.

“They need a red-blooded leader like Adam Price or Neil McEvoy, both of whom are very effective AMs, hungry to break the cosy Cardiff Bay consensus.”

Mr Hamilton asserted his hope that Plaid would one day work with Ukip for Wales’ benefit. “As a real nationalist party, Ukip will be pleased to work with Plaid Cymru to take Wales forward.

“We need to create an enterprise economy which will end our status as a beggar nation within the UK.

“Adam Price has seen a bit of the world and understands this.

“Neil McEvoy similarly never ceases to point out how Labour has utterly failed Wales’ working class.

“The trouble with the Assembly is that neither Plaid nor the Tories has supplied effective opposition to Labour.

“They are just ‘sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.’”

Finally, Mr Hamilton posited his vision for a real opposition in Wales. “Real opposition means more than timid tub-thumping.

“Opposition parties should come together to smash the tired and corrupt consensus which has turned Wales into the poorest part of the UK.

“Ukip revolutionised British politics through Brexit. We can do the same for Wales within the UK.”

Signalling her anger at Mr Hamilton’s offer of co-operation, Ms Wood tweeted: “Dead cat deflection here. @Plaid_Cymru is the home for all who are fed up with Labour misrule & want change.”

Earlier Ms Wood tweeted a comment to former Ukip leader Nigel Farage: “I cannot believe that you can try to disassociate yourself from something you had such a strong hand in. Your rhetoric has contributed.”

Reacting to events in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a woman was killed at a far-right rally, Mr Farage had tweeted: “Cannot believe we’re seeing Nazi salutes in 21st century America.”