Socialism or Britishness - you can't have both!

It is flattering of Jeff Jones to compliment all us "talented people in Plaid" (Plea for Labour Autonomy, Western Mail, 18 Jan) but his article illustrates all that is wrong with Labour - basically that as a British-based party, dependent on English votes, it will never, ever implement anything even approximate to a traditional Labour/Socialist agenda.

When Blair won his landslide in 1997 and actually, for the first time, won the majority of seats in England, he did things to education and the health service which even Maggie Thatcher shyed away from and led us into 5 wars. Middle England is implacably opposed to the sort of classless, cooperative society which Old Labour espouses. The sort of socialist programme which Jeff Jones identifies with will only ever be delivered in Wales when we are able to set our own agenda and decide our own priorities which has no chance of happening until we have at least a Scottish-style Parliament.

For those of us in Plaid, the good of the common people, those born without privilege or inherent advantage, call it "Socialism" if you like, is more important than being British. Socialism in one country, Wales, could be a reality, but never if we wait for British Labour to deliver it.

For some of us principles are still more important than electoral success. After all, if you sell your soul like Blair has, what's the point of winning elections?