Plaid on the up as population shifting

A MAJOR problem facing traditional political parties in rural Wales is the movement of population.

Young people have for many years moved towards the cities of Britain, Europe and the world. Their place has been taken by older people, who have moved into the countryside and augmented the increasing proportion of older people in the remaining population.

When it comes to elections, there is thus a scarcity of young, fit people to stand for election, to canvass the villages and towns and to do the office work needed.

The young people also take their political support with them, and those who have come to live often bring their political inclinations with them also.

The result of this demographic change tends to be a movement from Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Party towards the Conservatives.

It is thus of major, major significance that Plaid Cymru has been able to increase its number of seats in rural county councils in the recent council elections, and this bodes very well for the growth of Plaid Cymru in its heartlands during the forthcoming General Election.

The other exciting development is that in spite of the flood of Conservative propaganda in the newspapers and the BBC and ITV news bulletins, Plaid Cymru is also strengthening its position in the old industrial parts of Wales and in the cities. John H Davies Llandysul, Ceredigion