EXPELLED AM LOOKS SET TO KEEP THE HEAT ON PLAID
Aence. Mr McEvoy’s name has not cause, he has struck a chord for been mentioned by platform many who are disenchanted with speakers, but his expulsion has Plaid Cymru for one reason or provided an unacknowledged and another. unpalatable backdrop to the event. Gwyn Hopkins, a former longThe South Wales Central AM standing Plaid councillor from may have been the person the Llanelli, who recently left the party audience in the Bridge End had in the wake of a row caused by the come to see, but the first speaker imposition of a General Election was Jacqui Hurst, a social worker candidate, has made common and former Plaid candidate for cause with Mr McEvoy and made Alyn and Deeside. the trip to Llangollen.
Ms Hurst spoke of the lack of Four young men from Pontyfunding affecting mental health pool also travelled north for the services and explained that she meeting because of their commithad worked closely with Mr ment to “a free Wales” and discusMcEvoy on a number of issues. sions they had with Mr McEvoy
She praised him for being preabout Welsh history and politics. pared to challenge authority, sayThe content of Mr McEvoy’s ing that was rare in Wales, where speech was defiant. He had been many people kept their head down treated appallingly, the process for a quiet life. The same was hapthat resulted in his expulsion was pening in Plaid Cymru, she sugdeeply flawed and he was the vicgested. tim of lobbyists who had an
She concluded her contribution unhealthy influence on indiviwith the statement: “If this party is duals in Plaid Cymru and on Welsh to become a bunch of nodding public life in general. heads, what possible use are we to He was careful, though, to make anyone else?” Labour and its Welsh Government
For Neil McEvoy, this was the the main focus of his attacks, perfect introduction, playing into together with the “corruption” and his narrative that he is a politician “nepotism” he claims it has made victimised for standing up for what possible. he believes and exposing uncomEdryd Gwyndaf from Aberystfortable truths. wyth, who travelled to the meeting
If his speech – in which he to support Mr McEvoy, said he had quickly declared he was not left Plaid some years ago because misogynist – had been spontanehe had come to the conclusion ous rather than scripted, its delivthat it had lost its passion for camery would have had the flavour of a paigning. sermon from a revivalist preacher, For him, Mr McEvoy was taking punctuated as it was by shouts of the party back to how it used to be.“Daiawn!”,“Diolchynfawr!”and O “Brilliant!” from the audience. n the strength of the first meet
He insisted on the need to chaling of his as-yet-unnamed group, lenge authority by demanding evithere is little doubt that Mr dence. McEvoy has more trouble in store
Whatever for the party leadership. ROUND 40 people from across Wales packed into the upstairs room of a Llangollen pub to attend the pre-launch meeting of a new group formed by rebel AM Neil McEvoy.
Rather curiously for someone who was expelled from Plaid Cymru less than a week ago, Mr McEvoy did not encourage those present to quit the party.
Instead he urged them to stay in Plaid – or, if they’re not already members, to sign up.
Far from being resigned to a future outside the party, Mr McEvoy is convinced he will be back in its ranks before long: if not as a result of the appeal against his 18-month exclusion that he is about to lodge, then as a result of what he is confident will be a successful judicial review of his exclusion by the High Court.
The Bridge End Hotel is around 400 yards from the Llangollen Pavilion, where Plaid has been holding its Spring Confer- one thinks of his