Down with this sort of thing

Today I saw one of the biggest protests I have ever seen at the Senedd. At least 1,000 residents of mid Wales descended on Cardiff Bay to voice their opposition to, well, to several things. Firstly to the proposed siting of pylons and sub-stations in Montgomeryshire and secondly, perhaps, to the very idea of windfarms at all in mid Wales. Behind it all, however, was a real sense of being ignored by a Welsh metropolitan elite.

There’s no doubt that the grid proposals have stirred up a hornets’ nest in the area and some politicians have seen the opportunity to jump on board with their own agendas. I listened during the election campaign to two Tory candidates swear blind that they were opposed to ALL onshore windfarms in Wales. Whilst at the same time their government in Westminster, which actually approves all energy developments over 50MW in Wales, hands out grants and incentivises the market to encourage such developments.

I am always reluctant to jump on any passing bandwagon. I’d like to think out of a sense of principle, but it’s fair to say out of experience as well. Bandwagons rarely stop where you want to get off.

So today’s event was a difficult gig for a Plaid politician who believes passionately that Wales’ wealth – both environmental and economic – lies in her hills; whether as potential windfarm sites; as water regulating and providing sponges, or for sustainable agriculture.

I felt able to address the crowd however, despite the overwhelming Conservative presence (whipped up to narrow partisanship by one Tory AM), because of three key principles:

Firstly, Plaid Cymru has long acknowledged that TAN 8 – the Welsh Government’s guidance to renewable energy development in Wales – had got things wrong by concentrating onshore wind in particular in relatively narrow corridors, located some distance from the major conurbations where the energy was needed. In this year’s manifesto for the Assembly elections we put planning for energy developments and the centre of our call for a completely refreshed and renewed planning system in Wales.

Secondly, I wanted to listen and represent the views of the numerous protesters as their regional AM. This is one area where being a regional AM perhaps gives an advantage over our constituency colleagues. The event itself had the feeling of being an aftershock from the Lib Dems losing Maldwyn to the Tories - partly on the back of vigorous Tory campaigning on this issue and the usual fence-sitting by the Lib Dem candidate - but at the protest were residents from Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire also.

Thirdly, it was an opportunity to emphasise once again that these planning decisions are taken by others, and mostly outside Wales. The major pylon and windfarm developments are retained by Westminster government and Plaid is committed to getting these powers devolved.

It was sad to see so many placards denigrating “the Assembly”, when the decisions affecting these communities are actually made by the Welsh Government (in setting policy), Westminster government (in approving infrastructure plans – currently farmed out, partially at least, to the IPC) and their own local council (Powys on the location of the electricity sub-stations). I urged the crowd to take their fight and views to these bodies also, and judging by their response, they will!

I believe the protesters achieved something today however. They have almost certainly ensured that those proposing these plans will need to rethink about the location of sub-stations and the balance between carrying power cables by pylons and burying them in some locations. Some were there to stop all windfarm developments in mid Wales. As we both fight climate change and seek to make Wales more sustainable economically, a landscape and seascape that excludes all renewable energy projects is a vision I do not share.

Anghymwys i fod yn Aelod?

Bu bron i’r Cynulliad bleidleisio ddoe ar dad-anghymwyso (os dyna’r gair) dau Aelod Cynulliad newydd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, John Dixon ac Aled Roberts. O edrych yn ol ar y 24 awr diwetha, da o beth oedd hi fod oedi wedi digwydd cyn ystyried y fath gynnig.

Nid oedd yr un o’r ddau yn gymwys i fod yn ymgeisydd ac felly mae’u ethol yn annilys. Ni allent fod yn Aelodau Cynulliad oni bai i rwybeth newid.

Rhaid pwysleisio nad yw’n ddirgelwch i ymgeiswyr etholiadol – ar bob lefel – bod angen cwrdd a gofynion i fod yn ymgeisydd dilys. Ar hyd a lled Cymru mae nifer o bobl a hoffai fod yn gynghorwyr neu Aelodau Cynulliad neu Seneddol na fedrant oherwydd eu swyddi.

Roedd hyn yn wir amdana’i. Roedd rhaid i mi ymddiswyddo o’m swydd gyda Llywodraeth y Cynulliad,  nid pan ddeuthum yn ymgeisydd swyddogol,  ond siwrne yr oedd fy enw yn adnabyddus fel ymgeisydd posib. Roedd hynny nol ar ddiwedd Medi 2010 a bum yn ddiwaith ers hynny er mwyn cael bod yn ymgeisydd a dod yn AC. Mae nifer eraill wedi arberthu mewn ffordd debyg i’r achos y maen nhw’n credu ynddo a heb gael y diweddglo boddhaol a gefais i.

Ac mae pawb sy'n dilyn gwleidyddiaeth yn gwybod am y swyddi sydd yn eich gwneud yn anghymwys i fod yn AS, oherwydd drwy ddal swydd felly, megis "Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds", mae dyn yn ymddiswyddo o Dy'r Cyffredin.

Nid “mater technegol dibwys” felly yw ymddygiad a sefyllfa y ddau Lib Dem hyn, ond sefyllfa gyfarwydd iawn i bob ymgeisydd, er bod y cyrff y buon nhw’n aelodau ohonyn nhw heb ymddangos ar y wyneb fel rhai a oedd yn eich diarddel i fod yn ymgeisydd.

Cyn yr etholiad cyhoeddodd y Cynulliad ganllaw defnyddiol a amlinellai’r sefyllfa yn gwbl glir yma

Yn fwy na hyn, bu’r union ddeddfwriaeth a osododd y gwaharddiadau hyn drwy’r Cynulliad, Ty’r Cyffredin a Thy’r Arglwyddi yn ystod y misoedd diwethaf. Ble oedd yr aelodau Dem Rhydd yn y llefydd hyn dros yr amser hynny? Mae ganddynt Arglwydd wedi’u trosglwyddo’n syth o’r Cynulliad, a fu’n gwneud ei job o archwilio deddfwriaeth? Roedd sylwadau hysterig yr arglwydd Roberts ar Taro Post heddi yn chwerthinllyd o ystyried ei fod yn o’n deddfwriaethwyr ni. Fuodd yn cysgu pan aeth y Gorchymyn drwy Dy’r Arglwyddi?

Roedd gan blaid y Dem Rhydd bob cyfle i wybod am y ddeddfwriaeth hon.

Yn ogystal – ac ar gais uniongyrchol y Comisiynydd Safonau – bu pob plaid yn gosod yn eu maniffesto datganiad yn ymrwymo’u haelodau i ddilyn cod ymddygiad y Cynulliad yn ol y gair a’r ysbryd.

Dywedodd Winston Roderick heddiw fod yr etholiad yn annilys a’r ddau yn anghymwys i fod yn ACau.

Mae’n edrych yn bur debyg imi na fedrant fod yn Aelodau, ac nid wyf yn siwr o’r sefyllfa gyfreithiol pe bai’r Cynulliad yn pasio cynnig yn caniatau iddynt ddod yn aelodau. Rwy’n ofni y byddai hynny’n agored i arolwg barwnol yn y dyfodol.

Felly, rwy wedi galw heddiw am gyngor cyfreithiol llawn i’r Cynulliad cyn i ni ystyried unrhyw fath o gynnig i ganiatau i’r ddau hyn gymryd eu seddi.

Beth bynnag a ddigwydd, ni welaf yr angen am etholiad arall. Pe bai AC rhanbarthol yn marw yn y tresi neu ddod yn anghymwys oherwydd troseddu, yr un nesa o’r un blaid ar y rhestr sy’n cymryd ei lle. Dyna fyddai’r sefylla yn y cyd-destun hwn, rwy’n siwr.

Un peth i gloi, ble mae'r Comisiwn Etholiadol yn hyn i gyd?  Tawelwch llethol yw'r unig ymateb ganddo hyd yma.  Ar ol etholiad gwael gyda'r ffrwgwd am gyfri yn y gogledd, byddai dyn yn dychmygu fod y Comisiwn a rhywbeth i'w ddweud am fethiant arall yn y sustem etholiadol.

Plaid Cymru reiterates commitment to all Wales government

Plaid Cymru today pledged to continue to ensure that all areas of Wales have a clear voice in the National Assembly.

Following Labour's decision not to allocate a Cabinet minister to Rural Affairs, Plaid's former Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones reiterated her party's commitment to represent all areas of Wales. She said that Plaid in opposition would act constructively to ensure that Labour does not get away with ignoring rural areas, particularly in the west and the north.

The party called for early co-operation between the minority Labour government and opposition parties in order to get its programme of government through the Assembly.

Plaid's Mid and West Wales AM Simon Thomas said that talks on finance should begin as soon as possible if opposition support is to be secured.

Simon Thomas AM said:

"Plaid is committed to constructive opposition here in the National Assembly. After Labour failed to gain a majority, they will have to demonstrate their commitment to co-operation in order to get their plans through the Senedd. It would demonstrate a positive intent by the government if they initiated talks, particularly regarding finance as soon as possible."

Elin Jones AM said:


"The early indications from Labour are that they do not view rural areas as a priority while Plaid is as committed as ever to ensuring proper representation for all areas of Wales.

"In opposition, we in Plaid Cymru will work hard to ensure that Labour, without a working majority, cannot carry out plans that do not serve the best interests of the whole of Wales.

“Plaid demonstrated that this was one of our core values in Government – and as a responsible and constructive opposition party here, we will continue to be led by those values."

Plaid Cymru yn ailadrodd eu hymrwymiad i Lywodraeth Cymru

Mae Plaid Cymru heddiw yn ymrwymo i sicrhau bod gan holl ardaloedd Cymru lais clir yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol.

Yn dilyn penderfyniad y Blaid Lafur i beidio dyrannu aelod o’r Cabinet i Faterion Gwledig, mae cyn-Weinidog Materion Gwledig Elin Jones wedi ailadrodd ymrwymiad ei phlaid i gynrychioli holl ardaloedd Cymru. Dywedodd bydd Plaid Cymru fel gwrthblaid yn ymddwyn yn adeiladol er mwyn sicrhau na fydd y blaid Lafur yn llwyddo i anwybyddu ardaloedd gwledig, yn benodol y gorllewin a’r gogledd.


Mae Plaid Cymru wedi galw am gydweithrediad buan rhwng Llywodraeth leiafrifol y Blaid Lafur a’r pleidiau gwrthbleidiol er mwyn sicrhau gweithredu eu rhaglen Lywodraethol yn y Cynulliad.

Dywedodd Simon Thomas, Aelod Cynulliad Plaid Cymru dros y Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru bydd angen i drafodaethau ynglŷn â chyllid gychwyn cyn gynted â phosib er mwyn sicrhau cefnogaeth gan y gwrthbleidiau.

Dywed Simon Thomas AC:

“Mae Plaid Cymru yn ymrwymedig i wrthbleidio yn adeiladol yma yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Ar ôl i’r Blaid Lafur fethu sicrhau mwyafrif, bydd angen iddynt arddangos eu hymrwymiad i gydweithio er mwyn sicrhau bydd eu cynlluniau yn llwyddo yn y Senedd. Bydd cynnal trafodaethau buan, yn enwedig ynglŷn â chyllid, yn arddangos bwriad cadarnhaol ar ran y Llywodraeth.”

Dywed Elin Jones AC:

“Mae arwyddion buan gan y Blaid Lafur yn dangos na fydd ardaloedd gwledig yn cael eu trin fel blaenoriaeth tra bod Plaid Cymru yr un mor ymrwymedig ag arfer i sicrhau cynrychiolaeth deg i holl ardaloedd Cymru.

“Fel gwrthblaid, bydd Plaid Cymru yn gweithio yn galed er mwyn sicrhau bydd y Blaid Lafur methu llwyddo gydag unrhyw gynlluniau sydd ddim yn gwasanaethu pennaf les yn holl ardaloedd Cymru.

“Mae Plaid Cymru wedi arddangos mai dyma oedd un o brif werthoedd y Blaid yn y Llywodraeth, felly fel gwrthblaid gyfrifol ac adeiladol yma, byddwn yn parhau i ddilyn yr un gwerthoedd”

Yn sefyll dros hawliau dynol/Standing up for human rights

Speech to Plaid's Spring Conference/Araith i Gynhadledd Wanwyn y Blaid

Cynhadledd


Nearly four years ago, this party decided to become a party of government.



We went into a coalition agreement with our eyes open; having agreed a deal - the One Wales agreement – not only between the political elites but directly between the memberships of both parties.



Just think just how different that democratic process was to the stitch up in Westminster that gave us the present ConDem regime.



Now, our deal has served Wales well.



When the international bankers blew the last wads of our cash on their junky gambling habit, we were ready in government to help the most vulnerable.



When unemployment threatened many of our industrial workers, we stepped in with programmes such as ProAct that saved thousands of jobs.



And most importantly, for the long term, we insisted and secured a guarantee not only of a referendum on legislative powers for our Assembly, but also a guarantee that Labour would campaign actively for those powers – in this period of office.



As Peter Hain said – all this was done at Plaid’s insistence.



Plaid’s insistence that our nation was ready for full powers

Plaid’s insistence that we invest in our health service

Plaid’s insistence that we save 3% on our carbon emissions

Plaid’s insistence that we build the case that comprehensively showed that Barnett formula shortchanged Wales.



Peter Hain’s soundbites never hurt us, but they do sometimes work for us –

“at Plaid’s insistence” is the best shorthand way of describing how the One Wales government has been a success.



Ond rhaid edrych nid yn unig ar lwyddiant Cymru'n Un ond hefyd ar beth fydde'r dewis arall.



Nid son am yr enfys ydw' i - er bod wastad enfys hyd yn oed yn y tywydd mwya stormus – ond son ydwy i am beth fydde record Llafur ar eu pennau eu hunain.



Yn 2007, roedd Llafur am dorri buddsoddiad yn ein hysbytai. Roedd Bronglais yn y Canolbarth a Gorllewin o dan fythygiad. Yr wythnos hon, gwelson ni fuddsoddiad o £38 miliwn yn ysbyty Bronglais. Eto oherwydd bod Plaid yn mynnu.



Yn 2007 roedd Llafur am i ymlwybro ymlaen gyda'r sustem LCO am ddegawd o leia.



Yn 2007, roedd Llafur yn erbyn Deddf Iaith o gwbl; o blaid codi ffioedd dysgu i'r entrychion, a – cofiwch chi – yn mynnu fod y fformiwla Barnett yn gweithio er lles Cymru.



Do, pan aeth Plaid i mewn i lywodraeth fe newidion ni bolisiau trychinebus, fe sefydlon ni lywodraeth Cymru gyfan go iawn a dwgyd Llafur ymaith o'u hobsesiwn gydag ardaloedd a sectorau cul.



Rydym yn gadael llywodraeth fel plaid sydd wedi aeddfedu, tipyn bach fel y caws ffermdy Cymreig gore!



Ac rwy'n credu ein bod wedi defnyddio ein hamser mewn llywodraeth i dyfu a dwfnhau ein gwreiddiau a'n cred mewn cyfiawnder cymdeithasol yn ogystal.



Mae Plaid mewn llywodraeth wedi cadw at ein hegwyddorion ac yn wir wedi'u cryfhau. Mor wahanol i'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol a werthodd eu hetifeddiaeth am bris lledr car gweinidogol.



Pan ddaeth y dirwasgiad – oherwydd gweithredoedd y bancwyr o dan anogaeth Llafur a'r Toriaid – fe weithion ni i glymu cymunedau at eu gilydd, nid eu chwalu.



Dangoson ni gyda'n ymrwymiad i ostwng allyriadau carbon 3 y cant ein bod am i'r genedl gyfrannu i'r frwydr yn erbyn newid hinsawdd a gosod ein hawl i ddefnyddio ein hadnoddau naturiol i adeiladu cenedl gryfach a mwy gwydn.

A chymeron ni bob cyfle i adeiladu ein llwyodraeth genedlaethol.



Wyddoch chi'r peth mwya comig am yr ymgyrch refferendwm? - Wel, y syniad y bydde pleidlais Ie yn ein gosod ar ben y llethr llithrig i annibyniaeth.



Gyfeillion, buon ni ar y tyle hwnnw ers y blaidlais yn 97. Siwrne safodd pobl Cymru lan a datgan ein bod yn genedl – ac bod rhaid ini llywodraethu fel cenedl – fel drodd rhod hanes a chychwynson ni ar y daith tuag at annibyniaeth.



Cadarnhad, ac nid y cychwyn, oedd y blaidlais Ie.



Ond os buon ni'n aeddfed mewn llywodraeth mae'n rhaid ini fod yn aeddfed yn hyn o beth hefyd. Fydden ni ddim yn cyrraedd pen y daeth yn gloiach drwy weiddi fel plant bach drwg “yn ni wedi cyrraedd 'to?”



Ein dyletswydd yn awr yw mynd yn ol i lywodraeth, gan ein bod yn gwybod nad oes gan Lafur ddim i'w gynnig.



Ie, mae'n wir fod Carwyn wedi dysgu siarad fel cenedlaetholwr. Ar ol blynydde o sefyll yn y cornel yn fud, mae Llafur am “sefyll cornel Cymru”. Ond mae'r Blaid wedi hen fynd heibio dim ond sefyll dros Gymru – mae hynny'n ail natur i ni – rydym ni am i Gymru sefyll ar ei thraed ei hunan.



Ond o dan arweinyddiaeth Carwyn – neu ife Hain neu Ed sy'n arwain? - maen nhw'n ysu am rematch o'r 80au, gan gynnig dim byd adeiladol nac uchelgeisiol i Gymru.



Ond dyw cynnig addewid o bethe gwell o dan lywodraeth ffantasiol Ed Milliband ddim yn ddigon da. Dyw Cymru ddim yn gallu aros am hynny.



Mae Cyllideb “twf” honedig Obsorne yn golygu 30,000 o bobl ddiwaith ychwanegol. Mae'n rhaid gweithredu yn awr.



Llywodraeth Brown a Hain a ddywedodd ei bod hi'n gysurus gyda thwf pobl “cyfoethog cythreulig”; a wrthododd drethiannau gwyrdd a chyfiawn; a fynnodd ryfel anghyfiawn yn Irac ac a welodd y bwlch rhwng y tlawd a'r cyfoethog dyfu yn ddibaid.



Pan wrthwynebodd Aelodau Seneddol Plaid Cymru y codiant yn TAW, fe wnaeth Llafur ei lyncu.



Mae gan Lafur ddau arweinydd yng Nghymru a dwy wyneb yn San Steffan.



A beth am y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol? Roedd Clegg yn iawn, wyddoch chi. Mae torri gwariant cyhoeddus yn rhy fuan ac yn rhy ddwfn wedi tanseilio'r economi a chreu diweithdra.



Roedd gan y Toriaid gynlluniau cudd i godi TAW – gan gostio pob teulu yn y wlad bron £400 ychwanegol bob blwyddyn.



Do, roedd Clegg yn iawn, ymhob dim, ond un peth. Y penderfyniad erchyll, anfaddeuol i roi'i blaid fel tarian ddynol o gwmpas y llywodraeth Doriaidd mwya ideolegol, .mwya asgell dde a mwya di-hid am Gymru am genhedlaeth.



You can tell how important Wales is to the Lib Dems and this Westminster government by the simple fact that since the election, Welsh Lib Dem MPs have not held one single press conference to explain themselves or their selling out. Welsh Lib Dem MPs are content to let two Tories do their talking for them.



In June, two beavers will be reintroduced in mid and west Wales. The first time we will have seen beavers for 800 years. At this rate, they won’t even need to breed to outnumber Lib Dem AMs and on this record, Lib Dems won’t deserve our trust for another 800 years either.



I say to Lib Dem voters. If you feel betrayed by the decision of Clegg to sell out to the heirs of Blair and Thatcher, there is a home for you in Plaid Cymru. A party that puts the people of Wales first and fights for civil liberties and the realisation of the individual's ambition. We won't let you down.



May is a Welsh election. We are electing the next Welsh government.



Plaid knows there is a huge job to do still. We need to improve our young people’s skills and education. We need a school year and a school curriculum that, building on the Foundation Stage, gives our young people the skills and knowledge they need for the economy of the future.



We need to encourage enterprise and job creation and investment, particuarly in green jobs and renewable technologies. While Westminster faffs about with a green bank sometimes in 2015, we have firm, realistic proposals now for a company that can invest in the infrastructure of our nation.



So we can build for Wales, and invest in our schools, hospitals and public transport. And we can do similar things in renewable energy also. Wales has fantastic wind, tidal, water and even solar energy sources that this nation should own, exploit and use for the benefit of our communities.



Ieuan as Leader and Minister has swept aside the old ways of doing things within Welsh government. Now we see clearly that ambition will be supported and recognised and job creation will be about getting the right skilled people to the right place to attract the right companies to invest.



By building a better, linked up Wales, we are making broadband and the knowledge economy open to all. Labour and the Tories are fighting the economic battles of the last century – chasing the chimera of inward investment that up sticks and leaves when the going gets touch. Plaid will build investment here in Wales; for Welsh companies and creating up to 50,000 jobs.



The lesson of the last four years is this:



Plaid in government does make a difference

Labour are retreating to their old, narrow and unimaginative ways

The Tories and their friends the Lib Dems have no ambition for Wales and no way to grow our nation.



This party has known for more than 80 years that the best government for Wales is one with Plaid Cymru written through it like the writing in a stick of Pwllheli rock.



And we intend to stick around in government for a better Wales.

Funding for FE education/Cyllido addysg bellach

Mae'n dda gen'i ddweud imi heddiw gefnogi ymgyrch undeb yr ATL ar gyfer cyllido teg i addysg bellach yng Nghymru.  Bu'r undeb yn ddigon doeth i gydnabod fod y diffyg cyllido yn y fformiwla sydd yn dosbarthu arian i Gymru (Barnett) oedd wrth wraidd y diffyg, ond mae'i gofynion eraill yn deg hefyd.

I am pleased to say I today signed up to the ATL Union's funding pledge.  The union were sensible enough to acknowledge the real funding gap is that in the Barnett formula which currently allocates resources to the Welsh government, but their other demands are fair as well.

Funding pledge

Libya – a new Iraq or a lesson learned?

Eight years ago today I sat in the House of Commons for what became the most important debate I ever participated in. And the most difficult. It was the first time the House had been asked to approve military action on a substantive motion – rather than a pathetic adjournment of the House. This was as far as New Labour’s commitment to an ethical foreign policy went however, for the debate and decision that day was to go to war in Iraq.

Tony Blair gave an immensely impressive performance, there’s no doubt about that, but we also now know how shallow, misleading and duplicitous it was.

I had questions for him, but he brushed me off:
The Prime Minister : I shall certainly do so. The UN resolution that should provide for the proper governance of Iraq should also protect totally the territorial integrity of Iraq. And this point is also important: that the oil revenues, which people falsely claim that we want to seize, should be put in a trust fund for the Iraqi people administered through the UN.
Mr. Simon Thomas (Ceredigion): Will the Prime Minister give way?
The Prime Minister: In a moment.
18 Mar 2003 : Column 772
Let the future Government of Iraq be given the chance to begin the process of uniting the nation's disparate groups, on a democratic basis—


Despite the stated aim of going to war to secure a democratic future for Iraq I was unconvinced both of the legal basis and the long term effectiveness of such action.

I was right and Blair was wrong and looking at the list of those who spoke that day I see many who have since recanted.

By 10.30pm we had voted, and it is worth noting the full text of the motion that the House of Commons approved that day – but which I and Plaid Cymru voted against:

That this House notes its decisions of 25th November 2002 and 26th February 2003 to endorse UN Security Council Resolution 1441; recognises that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and long range missiles, and its continuing non-compliance with Security Council Resolutions, pose a threat to international peace and security; notes that in the 130 days since Resolution 1441 was adopted Iraq has not co-operated actively, unconditionally and immediately with the weapons inspectors, and has rejected the final opportunity to comply and is in further material breach of its obligations under successive mandatory UN Security Council Resolutions; regrets that despite sustained diplomatic effort by Her Majesty's Government it has not proved possible to secure a second Resolution in the UN because one Permanent Member of the Security Council made plain in public its intention to use its veto whatever the circumstances; notes the opinion of the Attorney General that, Iraq having failed to comply and Iraq being at the time of Resolution 1441 and continuing to be in material breach, the authority to use force under Resolution 678 has revived and so continues today; believes that the United Kingdom must uphold the authority of the United Nations as set out in Resolution 1441 and many Resolutions preceding it, and therefore supports the decision of Her Majesty's Government that the United Kingdom should use all means necessary to ensure the disarmament of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction; offers wholehearted support to the men and women of Her Majesty's Armed Forces now on duty in the Middle East; in the event of military operations requires that, on an urgent basis, the United Kingdom should seek a new Security Council Resolution that would affirm Iraq's territorial integrity, ensure rapid delivery of humanitarian relief, allow for the earliest possible lifting of UN sanctions, an international reconstruction programme, and the use of all oil revenues for the benefit of the Iraqi people and endorse an appropriate post-conflict administration for Iraq, leading to a representative government which upholds human rights and the rule of law for all Iraqis; and also welcomes the imminent publication of the Quartet's roadmap as a significant step to bringing a just and lasting peace settlement between Israelis and Palestinians and for the wider Middle East region, and endorses the role of Her Majesty's Government in actively working for peace between Israel and Palestine.

We know now that the reference to the Attorney General’s views was misleading to say the least, but what is particularly disheartening about this motion is the sop to Labour backbenchers regarding Israel and Palestine.

For the last eight years the situation in Palestine has worsened, not improved, and the Quartet’s efforts have been pitiful. Indeed when the Quartet appointed Tony Blair on his retirement as PM as their representative, then their efforts amounted to an insult to legitimate Palestinian grievances under successive UN resolutions.

After that vote, I and my Plaid Cymru colleagues continued to oppose the war in Iraq and campaign hard against it. Many will recall Adam Price’s superb efforts to impeach Blair for lying to Parliament. I pressed the case for legality in international affairs and UN leadership in ways varying from visiting Palestine to promoting the memory and example of Henry Richard

Which brings us now to Libya. Let’s acknowledge first that the Tories have learned the lesson of Iraq. Yesterday’s UN resolution was firm and unambiguous. I don’t have any doubts about the Attorney General’s views. It does not mandate occupation, but it does mandate military action to secure humanitarian aims. In this regard it seems to me to be in accordance with the St Petersburg principles – and the developments of them - which lie at the heart of Plaid Cymru’s approach to international affairs.
St Petersburg Declaration

I don’t deny that the action on Libya is ripe with hypocrisy. Cynics will talk of oil, Darfur, Rwanda, East Timor…and they are right. My own current example is that of the King of Bahrain, invited to “the wedding” (you know which one I mean) even as the UN human rights chief condemns his government for "blatant violation of international law".

But if I have learned anything in years of politics and trying to get things done, it is not to allow unreasonable perfection to drive out the good.

The UN resolution on Libya has led to a ceasefire (of sorts); the UK Parliament will vote on it on Monday; Gaddafi is using tremendous violence against protesters and promised “no mercy”. I believe what is being proposed so far is commensurate with the UN resolution. I support it, and I hope my Plaid Cymru colleagues – those anyway who do not have pacifist beliefs – will do so also.