Ieuan Wyn Jones

Ieuan Wyn Jones (born 22 May 1949) is a Welsh politician, and leader of Plaid Cymru's group in the National Assembly for Wales. He was Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn, but stood down at the 2001 election in order to spend more time in the Assembly. He was previously president of the party, from 2000, after Dafydd Wigley stood down due to health problems. He resigned as both party president and leader of the assembly group in 2003 after a poor showing for the party at Assembly elections. However he then stood again for the position of assembly leader and won.

Related Topics:
22 May - 1949 - Welsh - Plaid Cymru - National Assembly for Wales - Member of Parliament - Ynys Môn - 2001 election - 2000 - Dafydd Wigley - 2003

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Wyn Jones is generally seen as a pragmatist - steering a middle course between his party's (predominantly South Walian) socialists and the language-inspired activists of the party's Ynys Môn and Gwynedd heartland. As such he has been attacked for lacking charisma or passion, and he was widely blamed for the party's significant setbacks in 2001 and, more seriously, in 2003. However the decline has continued since he resigned as the party's president.

Related Topics:
Gwynedd - 2001 - 2003

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In the past Wyn Jones was a firm opponent of co-operating with the Conservatives to replace Labour with a coalition administration in the Assembly. However his opposition appears to be softening, especially since left wing members of the party - such as Adam Price - have actively advocated a coalition.

Related Topics:
Conservatives - Labour - Adam Price

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His predecessor, Dafydd Wigley, had been a dominant force in Welsh politics and Wyn Jones undoubtedly found it difficult to follow on as leader, especially as Wigley's big gains in the 1999 Assembly elections had created new tensions inside the party. Wyn Jones remains opposed to the use of the term independence (preferring full national status) to describe the party's constitutional aims, but new party president Dafydd Iwan is a strong supporter of independence and this is now, explicitly, the party's aim.

Related Topics:
1999 - Dafydd Iwan

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Labour, with some success, branded Wyn Jones Ieuan Whinge Jones in the run up to the 2003 Assembly polls - saying he had nothing positive to offer.

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The current situation of Plaid Cymru having a separate President and Assembly group leader has led to some being confused about the leadership of the party, and some leading figures have since called for the party to find a single leader in the Assembly who can be presented to the public as a potential First Minister for Wales. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/wales/4528351.stm

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