Bethan tops the party list

We note that Plaid’s party hierarchy received a smack in the chops last night when sitting AM Bethan Jenkins took top position on Plaid Cymru’s South Wales West regional list.

According to the well-informed Western Mail, Bethan received 95 first preference votes, whilst Dai Lloyd took 70 and contender Myfanwy Davies won 32 despite some heavyweight backing from senior members. The Pontardawe-based AM recorded a significant hike in popularity among members from her debut a few years back and at which party rules in favour of women nominess put her in pole position with just 17 votes.

We hear that the result was greeted with enthusiasm by activists in the region. However there are reports of sneers and a few groans among those earnest young things at party HQ who think that effective campaigning is something you do from behind a desk.