From a personal viewpoint, I havent seen any change. On the street in Lampeter and amongst my friends there is a clear majority in favour of full law making powers for the Assembly. I don’ for a minute think that I’ve conducted a reliable poll but I haven’t seen or heard anything to make me doubt the consistent opinion poll results. Yes has been in a clear lead for months and with no campaign to speak of, it may have been easy to forget that around 25% of the Welsh population have always been against further powers. Now, with the campaign underway, those who want a No vote have found their voice and are getting plenty of media coverage. Are the people in pubs we hear of saying they are going to vote No new converts, or are they amongst the 25% who have always been opposed? This isn’t to say that I know there has been no shift in opinion but I’d hope that the leaders of the yes campaign are keeping an eye on any polls that are done to be sure.

The yes campaign can’t take victory for granted – this will be a hard fought campaign and we need to ensure that the yes message gets across clearly – something that may not behappenning yet. The “Laws that affect Wales should be made in Wales” slogan is a good one, but we need to back it up with substance. We have very compelling arguments and shouldn’t let ourselves seem superficial. Having rugby endorsements is great, but we also need to get ordinary people and yes – politicians – in the media spotlight for the Yes campaign. We need to to persuade those undecided voters and motivate our supporters out to vote.

Its important that we keep an eye on what the opposition is up to, and we should challenge their arguments, but we mustn’t get obsessed with them. We’ll win this by making the strong case for full legislative powers in a positive way – not by running around True Wales in circles!

O’m brofiad personol i, ar y stryd yn Llambed a siarad a ffrindau, mae mwyafrif sylweddol o blaid datganoli pwerau deddfi llawn i’r Cynulliad. Nid yw fy ffrindiau, neu hyd yn oed y pobl sy’n dod i siarad a’r criw ar stondyn stryd o reidrwydd yn adlewyrchu’r barn cyhoeddus, ond dwi heb weld unrhyw symud mawr tuag at yr ochr na. Gyda polon piniwn yn dangos cefnogaeth cryf i’r ochr Ie, a dim ymgyrch ymlaen roedd yn hawdd i rai ohonom anghofio bod 25% o’r boblogaeth wedi bod yn erbyn datganoli pellach ers amser. Nawr, mae’r ymgyrch na wedi ffindio llais, ac yn cael sylw yn y cyfryngau. Dyn ni gyd wedi clywed am sibrydion pobl yn y dafarn yn dweud eu bod yn mynd i bleidleisio Na ond ydyn nhw’n pobl oedd yn mynd i bleidleisio Ie ac sydd wedi newid eu meddwl neu ydyn nhw o fewn y 25% sydd wastad wedi bod yn erbyn? Dwi ddim yn dweud mod i’n gwybod am ffaith fod dim newid ond gobeithio bod arweinwyr ymgyrch Ie yn cadw lygad ar unrhyw bolion piniwn ar gyfer unrhyw son am newid o’r fath.

Rhaid sicrhau bod y neges Ie yn cyrraedd  – ac mae’n bosbl nad yw hynny’n digwydd ym mhob man. Mae’r slogan am wneud deddfau yng Nghymru yn un da – ond inni fod yn barod i roi cig ar yr esgyrn. Mae’r cefnogaeth chwaraewyr rygbi yn gret – ond mae hefyd eisiau glywed mwy gan wleidyddion a phobl arferol. Rhaid inni barhau i berswadio y rhai sydd heb benderfynu eto bod pleidlais Ie yn olygu Cymru gwell – rhaid inni perswadio ein cefnogwyr i ddod allan i bleidleisio. Rhaid inni gadw golwg ar yr ymgyrch Na ac ateb eu dadleuon, ond peidio canolbwyntio arnynt. Mae’n llawer pwysicach i ni ymgyrchu am bleislais Ie mewn modd positif na phoeni am dactegau True Wales!

The Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly, along with the legislatures of American and Australian states, German Lander manage to manage services and legislate where they have responsibility without oversight. We in Wales are just as clever and just as creative – there is no need for us to be supervised more than anyone else!

On paper, a ‘No’ vote won’t change anything but the signal it would send out would be extremely danaging. It would show a lack of self confidence in ourselves and our government. Civil servants and politicians in London would take less notice of us that the do already, and it would be a major boost to those who want to go back to pre-devolution days when Wales was run by a Secretary of State appointed by the Prime Minister with no input, or support from the people of Wales.
Devolution has shown that we can be trusted. It has shown that we can do things differently where we need to – tuition fees – PFI – education and with the public sector under threat from UK Government cuts – now is the time to support and strenthen our Assembly.

Vote yes for efficient government
Vote yes for clear accountablility
Vote yes for policies for Wales – made in Wales
Vote yes for self respect
Vote yes for a better future

More information on the ‘Yes’ campaign is available here

Mae gan Senedd yr Alban, Cynulliad Gogledd Iwerddon, seneddau talieithau yn yr UDA ac Awstralia a’r Lander yn yr Almaen yr hawl i deddfu ar faterion maent yn gyfrifol amdano heb orfod mynd at senedd arall heb broblemau. Rydym yn bobl galluog a chreadigol – nid oes rheswm pam fod Cymru angen goruwchwyliaeth mwy nag unrhyw wlad arall.
Er nad fydd dim byd yn newid ar bapur os bydd pleidlias ‘Na’, bydd yn dangos fod gennym fel cenedl dim ffydd ynom ni ein hunain. Bydd gweision sifil a gwleidyddion yn Llundain yn gweld pleidlais na fel pleidlais o ddiffyg hyder yn y Cynulliad, a na fydd yn teimlo eu bod yn gorfod cymryd Llywodraeth Cymru a phobl Cymru o ddifri. Bydd yn hwb i’r rhaid sydd eisiau mynd yn ol i’r sefyllfa cyn datganoli lle roedd y Brif Weinidog yn penodi Ysgrifennydd Gwladol i fod yn gyfrifol am wasanaethau a pholisiau Cymru heb unrhyw mewnbwn gan bobl Cymru.
Mae datganoli wedi dangos fod ffordd i ni yng Nghymru wneud pethau’n wahanol – ffioedd dysgu – PFI – addysg –  a gyda’r sector cyhoeddus yn wynebu torriadau o ganlyniad polisiau llywodraeth y DU – nawr yw’r amser i adael ein Cynulliad fod yn fwy creadigol.
Pleidleisiwch Ie am lywodraeth effeithlon
Pleidleisiwch Ie am atebolrwydd clir
Pleidleisiwch Ie am bolisiau arbennig ar gyfer Cymru
Pleidleisiwch Ie am hunan barch fel cenedl
Pleidleisiwch Ie am ddyfodol gwell.

Mwy o wybodaeth ar yr Ymgyrch ‘Ie’

It was a dissappointing night for Plaid, but also for the Lib Dems, and Conservatives. The only party that did better than expected was Labour. The Ceredigion result was especially dissappointing, after a lively and active campaign by Penri and the team. I have to congratulate Mark Williams on his vistory and his majority – he made very good use of the opportunity to build on his support and was buoyed by the Clegg Bounce – which despite me thinking would have less of an impact in Ceredigion actually seems to be have been almost totally concentrated here! Failing to take Ynys Mon was also a dissappointment, and although we nominally won a seat from Labour (the newly created seat of Arfon) there are still 3 Plaid MPs – the same number as before. Which is a round about way means that we did quite well compared to the others.

The big shock of the night was Lembit Opik losing Montgommery to the Conservatives. If the night was a dissappiontment to Plaid, lib Dem supporters outside Ceredigion must be distraught. After all the pre-election hype they actually lost a seat in Wales and quite a few in England. Perhaps the TV debates didn’t do that much good for them after all.

The situation in Wales this morning is

• Labour26 (-4)
• Conservatives8 (+5)
• Plaid Cymru 3 (+1 notional gain)
• Lib Dem 3 (-1)

The Conservatives had won a lot of extra seats, but not enough to give them a majority. Labour have done much better than expected. From the discussions that are going on in the media this morning, it looks like we have have a Conservative/DUP or Labour/Lib Dem government. With the result so close, the Plaid/SNP block of 9 may be able to exert significant influence.

And the best news of the night – the Greens have won their first seat in England (Ceredigion had a joint Plaid/Green MP from 1992-97) and the BNP have failed to win anything.

Roedd yn noson siomedig i Blaid Cymru, ond hefyd i’r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol a’r Ceidwadwyr. Yr unig plaid sydd wedi gwneud yn well na’r disgwyl yw Llafur. Roedd canlyniad Ceredigion yn siomedig, ar ol ymgyrch bywiog a llawer o waith caled gan Penri a’r tim. Rhaid llongyfarch Mark Williams ar ei fuddugoliaeth – roedd e wedi bachu ar y cyfle ac adeiladau ar y cefnogaeth roedd e wedi denu y tro diwethaf, ac mae peiriant sbin lleol wedi cael effaith. Roedd peidio a chymryd Ynys Mon hefyd bach o siom, ac er i ni “ennill” Arfon o Lafur yn dechnegol, 3 AS Plaid Cymru sydd o hyd.

Sioc y noson i fi oedd gylwed bod Lembit Opik wedi colli Maldwyn i’r Ceidwadwyr. Os yw Plaid Cymru yn siomedig a’r canlyniadau, rhaid bod yDemocratiaid Rhyddfrydol y llefen – lawr un sedd yng Ngymru (gwaeth perfformiad na’r Blaid) a lawr llawer mwy ar draws Prydain. Roeddwn i’n meddwl buasai’r “Clegg Bounce” yn llai yng Ngheredigion gan fod Mark Williams wedi denu cefnogaeth o Lafur a’r Ceidwadwyr y tro diwethaf, ond mae’n edrych heddi fel bod y Clegg Bouce yng Ngymru i gyd yng Ngheredigion. Efallai nad oedd cymryd rhan yn y dadleuon ar y teledu wedi bod o les iddynt yn y pen draw.

Y sefyllfa yng Nghymru y bore ‘ma yw

• Llafur 26 (-4)
• Cediwadwyr 8 (+5)
• Plaid Cymru 3 (+1 yn dechnegol)
• Dem Rhydd 3 (-1)

Mae’r Ceidwadwyr wedi ennill lot o seddi, ond dim digon i gael mwyafrif. Mae Llafur wedi gwneud yn llawe, llawer gwell na’r disgwyl. O’r trafod sy’n mynd ymlaen y bore ‘ma, mae’n bosib welwn ni clymbiad Llafur/Dem Rhydd neu Ceidwadwyr/DUP. Gall y 9 sedd sydd gan Plad a’r SNP wir fod yn allweddol.

A’r newyddion gorau – mae’r Gwydddion wedi ennil eu sedd cyntaf yn Lloegr (roedd AS Plaid Cymru/Gwyrdd yng Ngheredigion rhwng 1992-97) a nid yw’r BNP wedi ennill unrhywbeth.

The reality of course is that the Lib Dems don’t have much of a record to campaign on. Being critial of Plaid in government would have been quite legitimate – IF the Lib Dems hadn’t run scared of responsibilty after the Assembly election. They had the chance to do something positive and decided not to. If we apply the Lib Dem criticism of Plaid to both Plaid and the Lib Dems we see that

• Plaid haven’t delivered everything in the 2007 Assembly manifesto
• The Lib Dems have accomplished NOTHING from their 2007 manifesto.

The main messgae in the Lib Dem leaflets is that “Only Mark Williams can beat Plaid here” but it doesn’t actually give any reason to vote FOR him. Why? Can’t the Lib Dem spinmesiters think of anything?

But if the printed message is negative, the Lib Dem campaign message on the street is not only dirty, it’s lies. on Saturday April 24th, a Lib Dem canvasser and town councillor told a member of the public in Aberystwyth that

Plaid Cymru are only interested in Welsh speakers. If you don’t speak Welsh, as far as Plaid Cymru are concerned you’re Sais, Saesneg

In another case, a Lib Dem canvasser told Plaid councillor Dai Suter

that Plaid was a fascist party than wanted to create a police state

There really cannot be any excuse for this kind of attempt to scare, mislead and lie to the electorate. I’m sure that Mark Williams didn’t personally approve the outright smearing, he must take responsibilty for the general negative tone of the campaign which has fed into it.

A common Lib Dem tactic is to run a negative campaign and then complain that the other parties are negative when they pick up on this. So, I’d like to make it clear that I’m casting a positive vote for Penri James on Thursday and hoping that that the people of Ceredigion will also vote in a positive way. There are many reasons to vote for Penri and Plaid – strong policies, Plaid’s record of taking responsible decisions and delivering for the people of Ceredigion, and ensuring a strong, independent voice for us in Westminster.

This is how a positive campaign looks.

Y gwir yw, mae’n anodd i Mark Williams ymgyrchu ar ei record. Buasi cwyno am beth mae’r Blaid wedi gwneud ac wedi peidio a gwneud mewn llywodraeth yn ddigon teg – ond cafodd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol gyfle i fod yn rhan o lywodraeth Cymru a gwneud cyfraniad positif i ni yng Ngheredigion. Eu dewis nhw oedd aros yn wrthblaid yn y Cynulliad a chefni ar eu dyletswydd i gyflawni dros y bobl. Os defnyddiwn ffformat y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol i edrych ar gyflawniadau’r ddwy Blaid ers 2007 mae’n wir i ddweud

• Nid yw Plaid Cymru wedi cyflawni popeth yn maniffesto Etholiad Cynulliad 2005
• Nid yw’r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol wedi cyflawni UNRHYWBETH o’u maniffesto nhw.

Prif neges y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yn eu taflenni yw “Dim ond Mark Williams gall curo’r Blaid yma” ond dyw e ddim yn rhoi unrhyw rheswm i bleidleisio iddo fe. Pam? Achos does dim rheswm positif i bleidleisio iddo.

Os dyna ydy’r neges yn eu taflenni, mae neges i Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol ar y stryd yn fwy brwnt na negyddol. Ar ddydd Sadwrn 24 Ebrill dywedodd cynghorydd tref Dem Rhydd Aberystwyth wrth aelod o’r cyhoedd

Plaid Cymru are only interested in Welsh speakers. If you don’t speak Welsh, as far as Plaid Cymru are concerned you’re Sais, Saesneg

Mewn achos arall, dywedoddcanfasiwr Dem Rhydd Arall wrth y Cyng. Dai Suter

that Plaid was a fascist party than wanted to create a police state

Does dim esgus i’r fath ‘ma o ymddygiad o gwbl. Er dwi’n siwr bod Mark Williams ddim wedi cymeradwyo’r ddau achos olaf, rhaid ei fod e’n hapus gyda’r ymgyrch negyddol sy’n digwydd yn ei enw.

Tactig cyffredin y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yw rhedeg ymgyrch negyddol, ac wedyn cwyno bod y pleidiau eraill yn negyddol pan fydd rhywun yn tynnu sylw’r cyhoedd i’r faith. Felly hoffwn i wneud yn glir ‘mod i’r ymgyrchu yn bositif dros Penri ac ar ddydd Iau, dwi’n gobeithio bydd pobl Ceredigion yn bwrw pleidlais positif drosto. Mae digon o resymau i bleidleisio dros Penri James a Phlaid Cymru – polisiau’r Blaid, record y Blaid o gymryd cyfrifoldeb a chyflawni dros Geredigion, a sicrhau llais cryf, annibynnol i bobl Ceredigion yn San Steffan.

Dyma sut mae ymgyrch BOSITIF yn edrych