Plaid candidate on the attack in beer mat row (From Western Telegraph)

Plaid candidate on the attack in beer mat row

PLAID Cymru has branded the Tories hypocrites over their tough stance on binge-drinking, claiming that party members were seen handing out beer mats encouraging drinkers to vote for them.

Speaking after a recent radio hustings in Haverfordwest, Plaid Cymru candidate, Matt Mathias, said the Tory line was sheer hypocrisy and launched a rebuke on his Preseli Pembrokeshire Conservative opponent, Stephen Crabb.

"So far in this campaign the Tories have made binge drinking one of their campaign issues," said the Plaid Cymru candidate.

"Mr Crabb even went as far as to condemn New Labour for using beer-drinking slang during their 2001 General Election campaign."

Mr Mathias was shocked, therefore, to see the Tory candidate and his supporters retiring to the bar after the radio debate and start distributing the mats.

"This takes the biscuit in sheer hypocrisy," he said. "There is genuine concern in Preseli Pembrokeshire over binge drinking and anti-social behaviour, but we need rational debate, not this form of 'do as we say, not as we do' hypocrisy from the Tories."

But, Mr Crabb said the accusations were laughable and that the Plaid Cymru candidate had actually commented on how good an idea it was before taking a few away.

"I've been using the coasters for months," he said. "Why are they suddenly focusing on them now?

"Just because I am using coasters and other different promotional material does not make me hypocritical."