Concern about Plaid Cymru and women’s single-sex spaces in Wales

[GreenEyedFeminist]

Plaid Cymru is leading in the polls and could team up with The Greens. This will be a disaster for women in Wales. Plaid have been instrumental in pushing for policies that dismantle women’s rights to single-sex spaces and sports. The Plaid Manifesto is very vague on what it will actually do for women (like implementing the Supreme Court Ruling - Welsh politicians are very fond of the phrase Waiting for Guidance) but very specific on the subject of trans rights… full implementation of the Wales LGBTQ+ Action Plan is promised - that means males self-identifying into women’s spaces and sports. On the rare occasions when Rhun ap Iorwerth is questioned he says it’s ’a fringe issue’ 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m really worried atm.

We don't actually have a Green in at the moment, it would take a big swing for them to get in, but I'm expecting same old same old only in reverse PC supported by Labour, and the Lib Dems will side with anyone to get a bit of power.

Reform don't give a single shit about women.

And that distinguishes them from other parties how? 😛

The sad truth is, loads of people are 'politcally homeless' all over the UK. Mostly former Labour voters. I'm one of them, as are many other MN posters.

They do at least know what a woman is though

Either Reform or Plaid will have the most seats. I think it will be Plaid.
It is vanishingly unlikely that any party will have an outright majority and both would therefore be reliant on others.
All the so called 'progressive' parties have said openly that they would not ever support any motion put forward by Reform or the Conservatives. That includes the election of a First Minister put forward by Reform (Drakeford spelled that out in a TV interview) and any budget put forward by them. So were Reform to be the largest party, they will be blocked from governing by Plaid, Labour and the Greens. I'm not sure many will consider that a democratic outcome (though technically it is of course).
I think there's going to be a simmering discontent after this election as the realities of our voting system dawn on the electorate.

Hmm yes, this is what I need to think about. Had a Greens canvasser who actually mentioned ‘hermaphrodites’ as though that was some sort of gotcha.
No Plaid canvassers as yet. I have no idea at all who to vote for.

Could we end up in a situation like Belgian was in a few years back, when they went without a government for nearly 2 years because the parties wouldn't co-operate with one another.

That was a federal government, Belgian still had local governments, so the country still functioned, maybe it'll be the same in Wales with the local councils, although will any of us notice if we didn't have a government down the Bay. 😂

So can you name a party that does? I mean, the greens, Labour, SNP, PC all believe women should have no rights to single sex spaces and that the r feelings of males claiming to be women trump the feelings, needs and rights of women. So if you want to support women, which party should one vote for?

The vast majority of the funds for local councils comes from the Welsh government. If there was political paralysis to the point of no budget being approved for months or years, then yes, your local council would notice it.

I agree with pp that even if Reform got the most votes, they wouldn't be able to form a government, pass any laws or approve a budget because the majority would oppose them. Reform would endlessly milk this "the left kept the most voted party out of power" at a UK level 🙄

I'd love to see Plaid or any coalition try to pass any laws relating to self-id. It didn't work for the SNP. The dynamics and optics would be different now with Labour at no 10.

I'm not in Wales but I can't believe these parties haven't learned from when the SNP tried it in Scotland! And that slippery clip of the PC chap just not answering the question at all - why put it in your manifesto then?

Every time I think we're moving back to some sort of common sense - Supreme Court ruling, Cass report - up pops a whole political party or other large organisation who don't seem to have listened to, or thought about, any of the debate on this issue since 2015.

It's not a devolved issue in Wales so it doesn't matter what the parties say, they all need to tow the Westminster line or end up in court. Therefore don't make this a single issue vote!

Yes, although tactical voting can still be used in this election. You'll find further explanations online.

No, it won't take a big swing with the new system. Some Green members are likely to win at this election.

"Could we end up in a situation like Belgian was in a few years back, when they went without a government for nearly 2 years because the parties wouldn't co-operate with one another."

No, that won't happen. It will either be minority government with confidence and supply (voting together) or a coalition. There are enough parties willing to co-operate.

"Reform would endlessly milk this "the left kept the most voted party out of power" at a UK level 🙄"

They're loving it and are already talking about a stich-up against them.

Wild to me that in some ways Wales is still in Woke 1.0

Plaid have just booted out a councillor for saying "I have no problem with multiculturalism but I worry about pressures on limited housing stock and diluting the Welsh speaking population"

Quite recently that would have been bog standard Plaid politics. Many Plaid voters probably still think it is, and haven't noticed Plaid adopting precisely the same nonsense that has proved so popular in Scotland.

I am quietly furious about politics in Wales. For the first time ever o will not be voting in an election - more by accident than design as we will be away and only realised the dates too late to apply for a postal vote - but to be honest it fits with my exasperation with the lot of them.
Firstly I think the expansion of Senedd members is an unnecessary extra expense on the taxpayer.
Then I’m annoyed that we have six parties competing, none of whom can be bothered to acknowledge half the electorate.
If I did vote it would probably be Labour because I just want a sensible centre left party but at the same time I have to admit that Welsh Labour are neither centre nor sensible anymore.
The Greens are basically a home for all the Corbynistas and have hijacked good eco policies for batshit gender woo; Plaid are trying on SNP shit when everything since Brexit tells us unity is what we need; the Lib Dems are ok but no one listens to a word they say, and as for the Cons and Reform, well, over my dead body. So who am u supposed to vote for?
Stop the world, I want to get off. It was simpler when I grew up in the 80s and we could just bash Thatcher.

I find this a bit strange too, but when you have political rivals making big news of anything said and distorting things, I can understand it. If you see how all sorts of small things are searched for to discredit candidates, it makes sense.

What annoys me is that among the left parties, any small indiscretion is a big thing and hurts their chances, but Reform can have a leader actually convicted of working for Russia and their supporters believe it's just 'one bad apple'.

"Firstly I think the expansion of Senedd members is an unnecessary extra expense on the taxpayer."

The competences of the Welsh Parliament have grown and more members are needed to be in committees scrutinising the government. The number of members compares to similar parliaments. Northern Ireland has 90 members, for example.

What’s that saying about the Left spending more time looking for sinners than winners?

(It’s the Judean People’s Front v the Popular Judean Front all over again. « What about the Romans? » « Oh Them! » )

One candidate referred to children in a vulgar way, but didn't actually do/say anything wrong imo. However, taken out of context rivals could paint him as a paedophile so I suppose he had to resign his candidacy.

How can policies that are clearly unlawful be allowed in published election manifestos?

Is the Electoral Commission not the slightest bit interested?

Fair comment about increased workload, but Wales has about 3.5m population and will have 96 representatives; the U.K. had 70m and has 625 in Westminster. Either Westminster should have 1920 MPs or we should have about 30-35 for our population. On top of that we still have representation at Westminster and local councils, so three layers of costs, compared to two in England. If legislation is coming that thick and fast maybe it’s too complicated and we should align with the U.K. more? For instance the recent Renter’s Rights Act will not apply in Wales. The issues aren’t significantly different here so why should the law be different over the border? The same applies for childcare costs, NHS trusts, you name it. Ultimately I think the duplication costs us a lot more for marginally little benefit and allows Cardiff to ignore national progress (such as on women’s rights).
I’m sounding against devolution here and tbh I voted for it at the time, but in practice I’m not so sure now that it has been beneficial. I wish Labour here had been stronger on sensible left wing policies and women’s rights instead of trying to outcompete the smaller parties.

"Wales has about 3.5m population and will have 96 representatives"

NI has 90 for a much smaller population.

"On top of that we still have representation at Westminster"

Recently reduced from 40 to 32.

"and local councils"

but no district councils any more since the re-organisation of the 90s. Also no directly elected mayors.