PLAID Cymru Llanelli appear to be in a state of implosion. Llanelli Online received an email form a Plaid Cymru member who wished to remain anonymous. In the email they claim that 25 members have now resigned across the Llanelli Constituency with around a further 20 considering whether to stay or not. Two Constituency Committee Officers have now resigned from their positions and The Llanelli Town Branch remains suspended.
Llanelli Online understands that the two Constituency Committee Officers are the long serving Dyfrig Thomas and the man who appears to have been at the centre of the controversy Sean Rees.
Llanelli Online contacted Sean Rees for a statement. He responded: “For the last 5 years, I have served as Plaid Llanelli Constituency’s Press Officer. However, I now feel that, considered as a matter of principle, the current situation is such that my conscience requires me to stand down from this role forthwith.
“Being born and bred, growing up and currently living in Llanelli, my focus is on the communities that I have the privilege of representing as a Llanelli Town Councillor, that is and always will be my priority.”
One former leading local Plaid Cymru party member who did not wish to be named confirmed that all is not well in Llanelli and said: “The current crisis within Plaid Cymru in Llanelli is getting worse.
“I have heard that unfortunately both Sean Rees, the Constituency’s Press Officer and Dyfrig Thomas, the Constituency’s Data Officer have resigned from their positions on the Officers Group of the Llanelli Constituency Committee with immediate effect.
“Although, they are both remaining as party members, Sean and Dyfrig have been treated appallingly by the conduct of certain Constituency Officers. This conduct appears to have been ignored by the Party centrally, mainly by those in positions of power and authority.
“Sean is a very well respected Councillor and member amongst the Party’s membership. Dyfrig received a lifetime achievement award from the Party just last year at the Plaid conference.
“I understand that the Party centrally is refusing to hold a full independant investigation into everything that has happened at a local level over the past nine months. Llanelli is not alone in this regard which begs the question if they have nothing to fear, why not agree to an investigation?
“25 members have now resigned to date across the Llanelli Constituency.
“The Llanelli Town Branch has issued a vote of no confidence in Deris Williams (Chair of the Constituency) and Mari Arthur (Secretary of the Constituency) yet there has been no response from the Party centrally at all in relation to this matter too.
“The Officers of the Town Branch are also being placed under considerable pressure to release the notes of the last Town Branch meeting with the minute taker L.J. Couch in particular feeling aggrieved at the interpretation of the standing orders and failure to differentiate between rough notes and ratified minutes.”
We contacted Plaid Cymru for a statement regarding the state of play at the Llanelli branch. A spokesperson said: “The Llanelli Town branch has been temporarily suspended for breaching the Party’s standing orders.
“The branch’s actions were deemed damaging to the public reputation of the Party and breached the confidentiality provisions of the complaints process.
“We are continuously working to resolve matters in the area and determined to arrive at a swift resolution in which all parties involved cooperate in a respectful and effective manner.”
