22nd May 2008
Colofn Golwg
Mewn rhifyn diweddar o’r cylchgrawn Barn fe ddywedodd yr Athro Richard Wyn Jones nad oedd y Blaid wedi llwyddo i greu naratif clir ynglyn a’i llwyddiannau mewn llywodraeth. Mae Dicw – fel y’i adnabyddir gan bawb – yn ‘gyfaill beirniadol’ i’r mudiad cenedlaethol felly dylid cymeryd y sylwadau hyn yn yr ysbryd y’i cynhigir. Wedi dweud hyn, yr oedd proffwydoliaethau rhai o wrthwynebwyr y Blaid o dranc y mudiad yn bell oddi ar y marc – mae’r map llywodraeth leol yn fwy gwyrdd nag erioed. Gyda blwyddyn gyntaf y Blaid Mewn Grym yn brysur nesau, teg yw gofyn pa wahaniaeth mae’r Blaid wedi ei wneud mewn gwirionedd?
Rhaid dechrau gydag un o sloganau’r ymgyrch: ‘achubwch ein hysbytai’. Wel, do fe achubwyd Ysbytai Llandudno, Llanelli a Bronglais – ac ad-dalwyd codiad cyflog y nyrsys - addewid arall wnaethpwyd gan Ieuan Wyn cyn yr etholiad. Ar y cwestwin cenedlaethol, fe fydd Confensiwn Cymru-Gyfan yn dechrau ei waith yn ystod mis Gorffennaf, a’r comisiwn ariannu yn cael ei sefydlu yn fuan hefyd. Ym maes yr amgylchedd, mae’r targed o gwtogiad o 3% o allyrannau carbon yn un o’r rhai mwyaf uchelgeisiol yn y byd. Fe fydd y cynllun peilot ar gliniaduron i blant – prosiect agos iawn i’m calon i – yn dechrau y flwyddyn nesaf. ‘Roedd hawl i ofal plant yn un o brif flaenoriaethau’r Blaid a fe fydd £120 miliwn yn cael ei glustnodi er buddsoddi yng nghymry’r dyfodol. O ran addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg fe fydd yna strategaeth newydd wedi ei gytuno erbyn y Gwanwyn ac fe fydd yna ofyniad statudol i awdurdodau lleol hwyluso addysg Cymraeg. Ymhellach, mae’r cynllun hir-ddisgwyliedig ar gyfer Coleg Ffederal Cymraeg ar fin cael ei gyhoeddi.
Mae trethi busnes wedi eu torri yn barod – a, ie, Dylan Jones-Evans – fe gant eu torri ymhellach. Mae cynllun mynediad fel bod amaethwyr ifainc yn cael troedle o fewn y diwyniadant – syniad a fathwyd gyntaf gan Cynog Dafis fel rhan o ymgyrch Credigion 1992 – o’r diwedd yn cael ei weithredu. A phwy well na arweinydd cenedlaethol o Fôn yn weinidog trafnidiaeth i ddechrau’r gwaith o uno’r genedl trwy drawnewid ei chysylltiadau De a Gogledd? Yn ystod y flwyddyn nesaf fe fydd cynghorau Plaid Cymru yn adeiladu tai cyngor eto am y tro cyntaf ers cenhedlaeth. Ac er gwaetha’r Toriaid, fe fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau y cedwir stoc o dai cymdeiathasol mewn ardalaoedd sydd a diffyg cyflenwad ar gyfer pobl lleol.
Syniadau Plaid Cymru oedd yr uchod i gyd, er bod y rhan fwyaf wedi eu derbyn gan bob un o’r pleidiau erbyn hyn. Nid Plaid Cymru yw ffurfafen gwleidyddiaeth Cymru, ond yn sicr ei seren ddisgleiriaf a chliriaf hi yr haf yma. A seren fore ydi hon.
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In a recent issue of the Welsh language magazine Barn Dr Richard Wyn Jones stated that Plaid Cymru had failed to produce a clear narrative about its successes in government. Dicw - as he is known by everyone - is a ‘friendly critic’ of the national movement and therefore his comments should be taken in the same spirit as they were given. Even so, the predictions made by same of Plaid’s opponents that the movement was faltering were way off the mark - the local government map is greener than ever. With the first anniversary of Plaid in Government now imminent, its fair to ask what difference Plaid has truly made?
We must begin with one of the campaign’s slogans: ’save our hospitals’. Well, yes, Llandudno, Llanelli and Bronglais hospitals were all saved and nurses were reimbursed with their pay rises - a promise made by Ieuan Wyn before the election. On the national question, an All-Wales convention will start its work in July, and the financial commission will also be established before long. In the environmental field, the target to reduce carbon emissions by 3% is one of the most ambitious targets in the world. The pilot scheme to provide children with laptops - a project close to my heart - will begin next year The right to childcare was one of Plaid’s main priorities and a £120 million will be set aside to invest in our future generations. Regarding Welsh language education, a new strategy will be agreed by the Spring and it will be a statutory obligation for local authorities to facilitate Welsh language education. Further, the long awaiting plan for a Welsh Federal College is about to be announced.
Business taxes have already been cut, and yes, Dylan Jones-Evans - they will be cut further. The entrance scheme so that young agriculturalists get a foot in the door of the industry - an idea proposed by Cynog Dafis during the 1992 campaign in Ceredigion - is at last being realised. And who better than a national leader from Anglesey as a transport minister to implement the beginning of a plan to unite the nation by transforming connections between North and South? Over the next year, Plaid Cymru councils will be building council houses for the first time in a generation. And, despite the Tories, Wales’ Government will be ensuring that a stock of social houses will remain in areas were there is a lack of availability for local people.
All of the above are mainly Plaid Cymru ideas, though they have been accepted by nearly every party by now. Plaid Cymru isn’t the sky of Welsh politics, but is certainly its brightest and clearest star this summer. And its a morning star.
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