WALES is on a winning streak. The country just secured the Six Nations rugby Grand Slam and its players were feted this week at Cardiff Bay with a reception at the Welsh National Assembly.
Thousands of people thronged outside the Senedd building to catch a glimpse of their winning national heroes bedecked with red and white streamers. The crowd and team belted out the Welsh national anthem and the Six Nations and Triple Crown trophies were held aloft. Photos were taken with Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones, coach Warren Gatland and the rest of the victorious team, including the other winning Welshman of the moment Adam Price.
Since becoming leader of Plaid Cymru late last year Adam Price has helped boost the profile, performance and momentum of the Party of Wales. More than 3000 new members have signed up and Plaid Cymru have won every single by-election held in Wales this year, including an earthquake victory in the Cardiff constituency of Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford.
Opinion polls show that this is more than a mere blip. According to ICM support for Plaid Cymru stands at 27% which would nearly double the representation of the Party of Wales in the National Assembly. According to the most recent Welsh Political Barometer survey Adam Price is the most highly-rated of all politicians in Wales.
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Now, I must confess that I’m not a neutral when it comes to Adam Price and Plaid Cymru. I have known him since we were both Westminster MPs, in fact we were the youngest MPs from Scotland and Wales at the time (cue ageist jokes).
Adam is one of the most impressive thinkers, orators and all-round good guys that I know. When he was elected as new Plaid Cymru leader, he asked if I would do a campaign review for Plaid Cymru given my experience as SNP campaign director for our first victorious national campaign in 2007 and majority winning result in 2011.
My report focuses on five key themes:
1. The need for a sense of mission and purpose
2. The recognition of the ‘fierce urgency of now’
3. Maintaining and building momentum
4. Instilling local and national leadership
5. Grassroots activity
The clearly stated aim of victory, winning a majority at the next Welsh elections, is hugely challenging in any circumstances, especially when a political party has never won a national election.
Why should voters believe Plaid Cymru is serious, if its members don’t believe it themselves? The good news is that they do.
Campaign discussion and planning at a national level has already begun. Serious work is under way to plan out the different preparations for victory and beyond. For example, what will happen in the first 100 days of the next Plaid Cymru government? It’s both exciting and daunting!
The amount of work needed to prepare and deliver Plaid’s victorious campaign depends on the “fierce urgency of now”. There is no time to waste. There are now 775 days until the next Welsh General Election on May 6, 2021. If all candidates and members share the sense of mission and purpose towards a Plaid Cymru victory – as well as the fierce urgency of now – Plaid is on the launchpad to success.
The election of Adam Price as the new leader is a new chapter for the party which has been welcomed by thousands of people motivated enough to join the party. Recruitment is continuing and Adam Price is already touring the country.
This is positive momentum, and as all political practitioners know: momentum is key. Activating those new and existing members to campaign as never before, will bring new members and new voters across Wales. This will require inspiring campaign leadership at a national and local level.
Already the opinion polls are very encouraging. Plaid Cymru has surged to a level that would nearly double their seats and are not far off the level the SNP secured to win the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. Plaid have won every by-election held in Wales this year, in areas of traditional strength and also in areas they have not won in the past.
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Party members, at a national and local level, are up for the cup and are providing leadership. This shared mission is not a top-down or bottom-up process: everybody has a huge role to play. Activists understand that it must be the biggest and best Plaid Cymru grassroots campaign ever.
Plaid Cymru wants to win. Plaid Cymru believes it can win. And with the party already on its journey towards success there is no doubt in my mind that in two years’ time, Plaid Cymru will win a new Wales with Adam Price as first minister.
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