Plaid chairman quits role
0 Comments | South Wales Evening Post, Jul 27, 2010
A MAJOR figure in Carmarthenshire politics has resigned as Plaid’s national chairman so he can challenge the party’s direction.
John Dixon, who failed in his second bid to become MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire in May, said he was stepping down for personal reasons and “some significant political reasons”.
Announcing his resignation on his blog, the 58-year-old stated: “There are a number of ways in which I feel the party has moved, or is moving, in a direction which I cannot support, but being a national office-holder has fettered my freedom to say so.”
He added: “It was never the mechanics of the party organisation that got me involved — it was about a different vision for the future. And in that area, I think we have a few problems.”
Mr Dixon, who lives near Llanpumsaint, has refused to expand on what those problems are, saying he wants to raise them internally with the party.
On a personal level, he said he wanted to spend more time “on activities for which I get paid”.
His resignation brings to an end Mr Dixon’s second stint as party chairman, which began in 2002. His first spell came in 1992-93.
Plaid’s president-elect Jill Evans MEP paid tribute to Mr Dixon, saying: “He has helped transform Plaid into a modern and professional party.”
In addition to contesting five parliamentary elections, Mr Dixon came third in a three-way fight for the Carmarthen West Assembly seat in 2007.