Letter: Wales faces an election shock on May 7 which could see politics polarised like never before
A letter from John Gemmell:
I have always felt that, within the UK, Wales does not receive enough attention.
Other areas, such as the East of England, also get overlooked. But Wales is a remarkable nation with its own rich history, culture and - crucially - a rapidly developing political scene.
While attention is focused elsewhere, the Senedd (Welsh parliament) elections on May 7 could see nationalist party Plaid Cymru form a government for the first time. Reform UK is also likely to do very well.
I live just a few miles from the Welsh border, close enough to hear bilingual announcements on local trains. I have followed Welsh politics for years, and now, more than ever, is the time to speak up.
With the emergence of Plaid and Reform as the largest parties in the next Senedd, Wales could enter an era of shockingly polarised politics.
Divisions in Welsh society could become entrenched under an opportunistic nationalist government and with an emboldened Reform party in parliament as the main opposition.
This, of course, would be a catastrophe for Welsh Labour and yet another symptom of the failure of Labour at Westminster. But it would be bad news for all of us.
In the old days, Welsh Labour and the Tories used to squabble but within certain boundaries. Nye Bevan, an historic Labour hero from South Wales, was famously vocal about the Conservatives and not in a complimentary way. But Plaid and Reform will, in my opinion, bring a different kind of even more intense and unpleasant division.
Plaid wants, eventually, to see Wales leave the UK. Their agenda is unappealing, with their linguistic nationalism standing out as one element of their broader political agenda that deserves closer scrutiny.
Reform, on the other hand, could be more aggressive in Welsh political debate than old-style Welsh Tories and Liberal Democrats, who were fairly docile. To put it kindly, Reform can be politically rough around the edges and will not handle Plaid with kid gloves.
No good will come from this polarisation. It is depressing to watch as it approaches.
John Gemmell, Wem, Shropshire