Plaid Cymru - logo pictured left - has since 1981 officially considered itself a socialist party. The importance it attaches to that stance is now being put to the test, following elections earlier this month that left the Welsh Assembly under no overall control.

Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones has pulled out of discussions with New Labour, and as head of the second-largest party, is now trying to put together a coalition with the Tories and the Lib-Dems.

That is, of course, difficult to reconcile with even a nominal attachment to socialism. So it’s pleasing to hear that over a quarter of the Plaid’s assembly members – all of them women, incidentally – have rejected the move.

But four of the 15 Plaid AMs broke rank. Helen Mary Jones, Leanne Wood, Bethan Jenkins and Nerys Evans said the so-called rainbow coalition was "not the way forward".

Ms Wood said: "We fought this election on a platform to deliver a proper Parliament for our nation. A deal with the Conservatives would undermine the chance of delivering that goal."

Ms Jones said: "There is a clash of values and principles between Plaid and the Conservatives."

Hopefully the four will do more than reject any deal verbally, but lead the opposition from the Plaid left if the deal goes ahead.