Editing Cynog Dafis (section)

== Political career ==

=== Member of Parliament ===
Dafis joined [[Plaid Cymru]] in his youth. He left the party in 1964 but rejoined in 1979.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Rhys |last2=Fowler |first2=Carwyn |date=September 2008 |title=Fractured Intellectuals and the Nation: Cynog Dafis and Welsh Nationalism |url=https://research.aber.ac.uk/en/publications/fractured-intellectuals-and-the-nation-cynog-dafis-and-welsh-nati |journal=Contemporary Wales |publisher=University of Wales Press |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=130–149 |access-date=14 January 2024}}</ref>{{Rp|page=6}} He first contested [[Ceredigion and Pembroke North (UK Parliament constituency)|Ceredigion and Pembroke North]] in 1983 and finished in fourth place, a result repeated in 1987. His victory in 1992 was a notable one as he more than doubled his vote.

Dafis was a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)|Ceredigion]] from 1992 until 2000, having been supported by a coalition of local [[Plaid Cymru]] and [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] activists, the latter of which had worked with him on a number of environmental initiatives.{{sfn|Burchell|2000|p=147}} Between 1992 and 1997 Dafis sat in Parliament as an official Plaid Cymru and Green Party MP, having been elected on a [[joint ticket]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Porritt |first=Jonathon |date=1994-08-28 |title=We need more shades of green: Jonathon Porritt is in disgrace with his party, but unrepentant: they are failing to grasp the new politics |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/we-need-more-shades-of-green-jonathon-porritt-is-in-disgrace-with-his-party-but-unrepentant-they-are-failing-to-grasp-the-new-politics-1379329.html |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Palmer |first=Mark |date=2011-02-28 |title='Hybrid' gives first Green MP title to Caroline Lucas |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-12599220 |access-date=2023-12-24}}</ref> He agrees with the Greens' official recognition of [[Caroline Lucas]] as the first Green MP, as he was "a kind of hybrid, so I don't really count".<ref name=":0" /> 

During this eight-year period as an MP, Dafis voted for homosexual law reform, against greater autonomy for schools, and for removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10151/cynog_dafis/ceredigion/votes|title=Voting record - Mr Cynog Dafis, former MP, Ceredigion - TheyWorkForYou|website=TheyWorkForYou|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?id=uk.org.publicwhip/member/151&showall=yes#divisions|title=Voting Record — Mr Cynog Dafis MP, Ceredigion (10151) — The Public Whip|website=www.publicwhip.org.uk|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref>

===Assembly Member ===
In 2000 he resigned as an MP to devote more time as a member of the [[National Assembly for Wales]], to which he had been [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|elected in 1999]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} WALES {{!}} Plaid Cymru MP stands down |url=https://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/595607.stm |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=newsimg.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

In a speech at the [[National Eisteddfod of Wales|2000 National Eisteddfod]] at [[Llanelli]], Dafis called for a new [[Welsh language]] movement with greater powers to lobby for the Welsh language at the Assembly, UK, and EU levels.<ref name="languagemovement">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/871220.stm|title=BBC News - WALES - Call for new language movement|website=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref> Dafis felt the needs of the language were ignored during the first year of the Assembly, and that in order to ensure a dynamic growth of the Welsh language a properly resourced strategy was needed.<ref name="languagemovement"/> In his speech Dafis encouraged other Welsh language advocacy groups to work closer together creating a more favourable climate in which using Welsh was "attractive, exciting, a source of pride and a sign of strength".<ref name="languagemovement"/> Dafis pointed towards efforts in areas such as [[Catalonia]] and the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque country]] as successful examples to emulate.<ref name="languagemovement"/>

[[Dafydd Elis-Thomas|Lord Elis-Thomas]], former Plaid Cymru president, disagreed with Dafis' assessment, however. At the [[Urdd]] Eisteddfod, Lord Elis-Thomas said that there was no need for another Welsh language act, claiming that there was "enough goodwill to safeguard the language's future".<ref name="languagerow">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/776895.stm|title=BBC News - WALES - Elis-Thomas in language row|website=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref> His controversial comments prompted ''[[Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg]]'' to join a chorus calling for his resignation as the Assembly's presiding officer.<ref name="languagerow" />

In 2002, Dafis announced he would step down from the Assembly at the 2003 elections, despite party leader [[Ieuan Wyn Jones]] having asked him not to do so.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2002-09-20 |title=Plaid Cymru 2002: Ieuan Wyn Jones speech |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2270944.stm |access-date=2024-08-27 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> Soon after the elections in 2003, he announced his candidacy for Presidency of the party, but lost to [[Dafydd Iwan]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-05-22 |title=Cynog Dafis enters Plaid contest |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3048211.stm |access-date=2024-08-27 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-09-15 |title=Ieuan and Iwan for Plaid |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3111166.stm |access-date=2024-08-27 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>