No Plaid deal for Tories, who ask Labour to follow
WELSH Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies has ruled out doing any post-election deal with Plaid Cymru – and he called on Labour’s First Minister to do the same.
Ahead of the Senedd election in May, Mr Davies said he was calling for all parties to be clear with the Welsh public.
Plaid Cymru has already ruled out doing a deal with the Conservatives, who party leader Adam Price says have moved further to the right and played to “the antidevolution gallery”.
Mr Price has also said Plaid would not be a “junior partner” in a coalition with Labour, as it was between 2007 and 2011 in the socalled One Wales government,
Welsh Labour has not ruled out a deal with Plaid Cymru and, at their party conference last weekend, First Minister Mark Drakeford spoke of his wish to see “home rule” for Wales within a confederal UK where all four nations were voluntary and equal partners.
After the last National Assembly election in 2016, when Plaid came second to Labour, Welsh Conservative AMs – as they were then known – voted for Plaid’s then leader Leanne Wood to become First Minister against Labour’s Carwyn Jones, as did the seven Ukip AMs.
The first vote was tied, but Plaid then did a deal to keep Labour in office.
Plaid has now pledged to seek a referendum on Welsh independence, but Mr Davies has confirmed that Welsh Conservatives will not do a deal with the nationalist party under any circumstances.
Mr Davies said: “When the people of Wales head to the polls on May 6 they need to be fully aware of what parties stand for and what their votes will achieve.
“This Senedd term has been besieged by party changes and backroom deals, and ahead of May I believe all parties should be up front and straight with the Welsh public. I will give a clear commitment to people across Wales that we will not work with the divisive separatists of Plaid Cymru. There will be no repeat of 2016 and we will not support the nomination of any other leader.
“Labour’s First Minister has regrettably flirted with divisive nationalism throughout his short time in post, but for the good of the country and our economic
recovery he must rule out any backroom deals with a party that is solely intent on tearing Britain apart.
“Whereas other parties want to divide us, our future economy depends on remaining a United Kingdom and the sole focus of the Welsh Conservatives will be on our economic recovery and rebuilding Wales. Not the constitution, powers, or new taxes.
“Labour need to be honest on how they see Wales’ future; a strong economic bounce back recovery from the pandemic in a strong Union, or a dangerous dance with nationalism that risks division, and both economic and constitutional chaos.”
A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said it was a “rather embarrassing intervention” and was “tantamount to sending an RSVP to a party to which you were never invited”.
She added: “It is beyond comprehension why anyone would think that Plaid Cymru - a party which campaigns day in day out for fairness for Wales - would form any kind of an alliance with a party which is doing its utmost to undermine our nation and its national parliament.”
A Welsh Labour spokesman said: “This latest wheeze from the Tories in Wales is just another attempt to distract from the fact that they can’t stand up to their bosses in London, and want to hand over powers to Whitehall.
“First Minister Mark Drakeford set out Welsh Labour’s position last weekend. We are the party of devolution.
“We are proudly patriotic, and believe Wales’ future is best served in a reformed, fairer Union. Our priority is leading Wales through the pandemic, out of lockdown, and to keep moving Wales forward.”
A WOMAN was left with broken ribs and a punctured lung after going to the aid of her niece who was being attacked by a partner, a court has heard.
Lee James William Smith says he can remember little of what happened having smoked cannabis and drunk half a pint of vodka.
Sending him to prison, a judge noted he has a history of violence against women and described him as a “coward and a bully”.
Swansea Crown Court heard that on the evening of October 3 last year Smith and his partner were at home in Hafod, Swansea.
Sophie Hill, prosecuting, said the 39-year-old defendant was smoking cannabis and consuming alcohol and was also on medication for back pain.
During the course of the evening an argument broke out between the pair and the woman rang her aunt and asked her to come over to the house.
In the early hours of the following morning an argument again took place and Smith was asked to leave the property but refused.
The court heard a 999 call was made to police but was abandoned. However officers responded to the terminated call and went to the house at 3.30am to check things were okay.
Mis Hill said the defendant’s partner denied making an emergency call and as there were no signs of a disturbance the officers left.
Shortly after they went, violence erupted in the house with the defendant grabbing his partner by the throat and repeatedly punching her to the face.
When her aunt tried to intervene Smith turned his aggression towards her, punching the woman to the floor and kicking her before “stomping” on her a number of times.
Another 999 call was made at 3.50am and police quickly returned.
When they got to the house the officers saw blood on the walls and found both women in a distressed state.
Smith had by now fled the house but police carried out a search of the area and found him at 4.15am.
He was cautioned and arrested and said he wanted to press charges against the women.
The court heard the defendant’s partner suffered bruising to her arms, a black eye, and a bloody nose, while her aunt suffered three broken ribs, a punctured lung, bruises to her body, and a swollen eye.
In his subsequent interview Smith said he had smoked three or four cannabis joints and drunk half a bottle of vodka and had little recollection of the night’s events.
He denied injuring the women and suggested the injuries may have been caused by the women fighting each other.
Smith, of Emlyn Road, Mayhill, Swansea, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH).
He has 13 previous convictions for 19 offences including for burglary, thefts, and assaults of children and former partners.
Jon Tarrant, for Smith, said the defendant had very little memory of the night but offered “unreserved remorse”.
Recorder Malcolm Gibney said
Smith had carried out two “brutal assaults” after losing his temper in drink.
He said a probation report noted none of Smith’s past offences of violence involved other men and he told the defendant he was a “coward and a bully”.
He jailed Smith for a total of six years and five months, of which the defendant will serve up to half in custody.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse, visit the Live Fear Free website or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800.