DAFYDD WIGLEY: 'CAUTION REQUIRES A FRACKING MORATORIUM'

The dangers - at both a global and local level - associated with fracking for gas should trigger a precautionary principle and both exploration and exploitation should be “put on hold” until much more is known about the threats such technology poses...

Dafydd Wigley (front, right) with local UK parliamentary candidate Ben Foday (front, second from left) and local Plaid Cymru activists.

This was the theme of a keynote speech by former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Wigley at a public meeting in Penarth. He has pressed in the House of Lords for the National Assembly to be empowered to impose a moratorium on fracking in Wales, as is being granted to Scotland’s Parliament.

“In global terms, we should be moving away from carbon-based sources of energy and put far more effort into renewables, such as the excellent Swansea Bay lagoon scheme,” said Lord Wigley. “In local terms, I am really worried about using fracking technology in areas which have resident populations who could be adversely affected by the dangers of fracking poisoning water supplies.”

Lord Wigley drew attention to the fact that each fracking “job” requires between a million and eight million gallons of water and the use of up to 40,000 gallons of chemicals; that there are 600 different such chemicals which have been used in America, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and others toxic.

He quoted one survey of a hundred water wells in Texas which showed that at a distance of two miles from the well, over 30% had arsenic levels in the water which were above the safety limit. A rig “blow-out” in Organ County, Texas last May caused the spillage of 184 barrels of toxic fluid. In Pennsylvania last year, a spill of a quarter of a million gallons of toxic fluid led to local families being evacuated from their homes and to one company being heavily fined.

“It is because this technology has not been proven safe that towns like Denton in Texas voted in a referendum last autumn to ban fracking, as did the State of Vermont in 2012,” he said. “Both Holland and Germany have implemented a moratorium on fracking and France has banned the technology. In these circumstances, we should have the power in the National Assembly for Wales to apply a similar moratorium without delay so that the communities threatened with fracking don’t find this being imposed on them without the dangers being known and so that the companies considering fracking are duly warned that they won’t have any automatic green light to wreak environmental and human havoc in Wales for their own greedy purposes.”

Dafydd Wigley added that the Assembly was closer to the people of Wales than is Whitehall and Westminster and that an indicative resolution in the Assembly last month had shown AMs on a cross-party basis supported a moratorium.

He warned, however, that until new powers are devolved to the Assembly, they won’t have the authority to implement a moratorium and that implementing a new Government of Wale Bill after the General Election will depend on UK parties being forced, by voters in Wales – as is happening in Scotland – to be forced to show a greater commitment to Wales than has been the case up to now.

Dafydd Wigley and Ben Foday with Penarth's 2016 National Assembly candidate, Dafydd Trystan (left)

The meeting was also addressed by Ben Foday, the Party of Wales/Plaid Cymru candidate for the Westminster election, who said that environmental issues were one of his key priorities.

He called for natural resources in Wales to be brought under Welsh control so that decisions could be made in future by the people who live in Wales and who have the interests of Wales at heart.

The meeting also heard from Coun Ian Johnson, the party’s candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan, who has been actively campaigning against fracking in his constituency.

The speeches were followed by a wide-ranging discussion with topics including the challenges of climate change and the need to develop a suitable energy mix.

Plaid Cymru’s Adrian Roper, who chairs its Penarth Branch, welcomed the speakers and members of the audience to the meeting, which was chaired by Dafydd Trystan Davies, the National Chair of the party and its candidate for Cardiff South and Penarth in the Assembly elections next year.

PENARTH MAN'S SONG FOR SCOTLAND

Penarth singer-songwriter Adrian Roper has written and recorded a song in support of a Yes vote at this month’s Scottish independence referendum...

Adrian Roper

Adrian, a well-known part of the music scene in Penarth, wrote Freedom’s Hame (home), which is now on Youtube.

With instrumental support from his fellow band-members in The Wide Open Spaces, the song is beautifully enhanced by backing vocals and bag-pipe drone sounds from The Lovely Wars, who also produced the song.

Adrian, who lived for a while in Scotland, has recorded his song in Scottish dialect.

He will be travelling north later this month with his daughter, Bethan, to support the Yes campaign and will be staying for the result of the referendum, which is being held on Thursday. September 18.

“I’ve written a number of songs,” he said, "but consider this to be my most important."

“I can’t say I’m rivalling The Proclaimers for a place at the top of the charts, but hope nevertheless to make my small contribution to the Yes vote campaign."

“I’m looking forward to spending time with some old friends in Scotland and encouraging everyone I meet to take this once-in-a-lifetime chance to vote for independence."

“It’s great to see the recent ‘bounce’ for a Yes vote in the opinion polls and so exciting for Scotland and for the rest of the UK too. The Scots have really grown in self-confidence and are clearly moving from dependency on a remote Westminster towards running their own affairs instead."

“As The Proclaimers say on their hit record: I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land - cap in hand.”

EUROPEAN FUNDING SHOULD HELP YOUNG PEOPLE INTO WORK

A call for money from the European Union to be used to help unemployed youngsters find work or an apprenticeship has come from one of the candidates representing Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales.

Addressing a meeting of party members and supporters in Penarth, Ioan Bellin said the Welsh Government should make a legally binding commitment for all young people who have been unemployed for four months to be offered a job, training or further education, funded through the European Social Fund.

Ioan Bellin (centre) with Penarth's UK Parliament and National Assembly candidates Ben Foday (left) and Dafydd Trystan Davies

“Long-term unemployment has rocketed since the current Labour Government took control in Cardiff Bay,” said Mr Bellin. “The number of young people claiming job seekers allowance for more than a year has more than quadrupled.

“Solving this crisis is vital, and it’s high time the Welsh Government followed the lead of Plaid’s Euro-MP Jill Evans, who has been campaigning for European support to reduce youth unemployment and help our young people become a skilled workforce.”

Mr Bellin also called for a change in European rules and a cut in red tape so that more Welsh contracts could go to Welsh businesses.

Such a move, he said, could create an estimated 46,000 new jobs in Wales.

He said that Plaid’s campaign for the European elections included support for a living wage both at home and in the rest of Europe, a new Welsh transport plan and guaranteed jobs, education or training for under 25s.

It was vital, he said, for Jill Evans, Plaid’s Member of the European Parliament, to be re-elected so that she can continue to be able to speak up for Wales.

Mr Bellin was welcomed to the meeting by the Chairman of Plaid Penarth, Adrian Roper. He was thanked by the party’s national Chairman, Dafydd Trystan Davies, who emphasised how important it was for Plaid to retain its seat at the European Parliament.

Mr Bellin also made reference to the unique place Penarth holds in the history of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales, as the first meeting of the group which led to the foundation of the party was held in the town at Bedwas Place 90 years ago.

DATHLU RHAN PENARTH WRTH FFURFIO PLAID CYMRU

Daeth cant o bobl i gyfarfod arbennig i gofio 90ain pen-blwydd o'r cyfarfod cyntaf o'r Mudiad Cymreig, grŵp a arweiniodd at ffurfio Plaid Cymru - gan synnu'r gŵr gwadd, yr Athro Richard Wyn Jones, un o brif ysgolheigion ym maes gwleidyddiaeth.

Chwith i'r Dde: Cadeirydd o Gangen Plaid Cymru Penarth, Adrian Roper, Alun Ffred Jones AC, Athro Richard Wyn Jones o Brifysgol Caerdydd, a Chadeirydd Cymdeithas Hanes Plaid Cymru Dafydd Williams

Fe gynhaliwyd y cyfarfod hanesyddol, cudd yn Bedwas Place, Penarth ar Ionawr 7, 1924, ac ymhlith y rhai fu yno bryd hynny oedd y darlithydd a dramodydd, Saunders Lewis, a drigai ym Mhenarth dros flynyddoedd lawer.

Yn ystod y digwyddiad y mis yma, siaradodd yr Athro Richard Wyn Jones am bwysigrwydd cyfarfodydd y grŵp a'u dylanwad wrth ddatblygu cysylltiadau gyda chenedlaetholwyr yng ngogledd Cymru a sefydliad swyddogol Plaid Cymru'r flwyddyn ddilynol.

Eglurodd sut y daeth y polisïau a luniwyd gan y grŵp yn bolisïau i Blaid Cymru ei hun yn ei blynyddoedd cyntaf.

Y gynulleidfa'n ymgynull wrth edrych ymlaen at sgwrs yr Athro Richard Wyn Jones

Yn ogystal â Saunders Lewis, yn bresennol yn y cyfarfod hanesyddol cyntaf oedd yr hanesydd, Ambrose Bebb, a pherchnogion y tŷ yn Bedwas Place, yr hanesydd ac ysgolhaig Cymreig, G. J. Williams a'i wraig Elizabeth.

Trefnwyd y dathliad diweddar gan Gymdeithas Hanes Plaid Cymru a Changen Penarth o'r Blaid, ac ymhlith y cant a ddaeth oedd criw teledu.

Clywodd ystafell dan ei sang yn y Windsor Arms groeso i'r Athro Jones, aelodau a chefnogwyr y Blaid a thrigolion lleol â diddordeb yn hanes gwleidyddiaeth ym Mhenarth gan Gadeirydd y Gangen leol Adrian Roper.

Cadeirydd y cyfarfod oedd Alun Ffred Jones, sy'n Aelod Cynulliad ac yn ŵyr i'r Parchedig Ffred Jones, a ymunodd â'r grŵp ar ôl ei gyfarfod cyntaf.

Rhoddodd Cadeirydd Cymdeithas Hanes Plaid Cymru, Dafydd Williams, bleidlais o ddiolch i'r siaradwyr a'r trefnwyr.

Ymgeisydd San Steffan Penarth, Ben Foday (de) ac ymgeisydd Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Dr Dafydd Trystan Davies (ail ar y chwith), gydag Alun Ffred Jones AC a'r Athro Richard Wyn Jones

Ymhlith y gynulleidfa yn y dathliad oedd ymgeiswyr San Steffan a Chynulliad y Blaid ar gyfer De Caerdydd a Phenarth, Ben Foday a Dr Dafydd Trystan Davies, a etholwyd yn gadeirydd cenedlaethol Plaid Cymru'r llynedd.

Dafydd Williams gydag arddangosfa 'Merched y Blaid'

PENARTH COMMEMORATIVE EVENT A HUGE SUCCESS

A packed Windsor Arms gathered to enjoy a special event on the evening of January 7th in

commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the first meeting of Y Mudiad Cymreig (The Welsh

Movement), a group which was eventually to lead to the formation of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales.

Left to Right: Chair of Plaid Cymru Penarth Branch, Adrian Roper, Alun Ffred Jones AM, Professor Richard Wyn Jones of Cardiff University, and Chair of Plaid Cymru History Society Dafydd Williams

At the event, guest speaker Professor Richard Wyn Jones outlined the historical importance of the meetings held by Y Mudiad Cymreig and how they led to links with nationalists in North Wales and the official formation of Plaid Cymru the following year.

He explained how policies drawn up by the group became the policies of Plaid Cymru in its early years.

The historic movement was founded at a secret meeting, held in Bedwas Place in Penarth on January 7, 1924, and led by the lecturer and dramatist, Saunders Lewis, who lived in the town for many years.

As well as Saunders Lewis, the first historic meeting was attended by the historian, Ambrose Bebb, and the owners of the house in which it was held, the historian and Welsh scholar, G. J. Williams, and his wife, Elizabeth.

The audience gathers in eager anticipation of the talk by Professor Richard Wyn Jones

The highly successful event was jointly organised by the Plaid Cymru History Society and Penarth's own branch of Plaid Cymru, and was attended by about a hundred people, including a television crew.

A packed room heard Penarth Branch Chair Adrian Roper welcome Prof. Jones, party members and supporters, and local residents interested in the history of politics in Penarth.

The meeting was chaired by Assembly Member Alun Ffred Jones, a grandson of the Rev Ffred Jones, who joined the group shortly after the first meeting.

After an informative and entertaining speech by Professor Jones, questions were fielded from the audience leading to a great deal of interesting discussion. Eventually, the evening was brought to a close with a vote of thanks to the speakers, given by the Chair of the Plaid Cymru History Society, Dafydd Williams.

Penarth UK Parliament candidate, Ben Foday (right) and National Assembly candidate Dr Dafydd Trystan Davies (second left), with Alun Ffred Jones AM and Professor Richard Wyn Jones

Among the audience at the commemorative event were the UK Parliament and National Assembly candidates for Cardiff South and Penarth, Ben Foday and Dr Dafydd Trystan Davies, who was elected as the party's national Chair last year. 

Dafydd Williams with the Women in Plaid exhibition

The event also included an exhibition by Plaid Cymru History Society to celebrate the extraordinary contribution made by women during the early years of the party.