£1bn boost to local economies

“Spend Councils’ money locally – and we’ll save jobs”

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood has outlined her party’s plans to spend more of councils’ money locally to safeguard jobs and provide a boost to local economies.

Wales’ councils spend billions of pounds worth of public money and Plaid is pledging action to ensure that more of that money remains in the local economies – which provide employment and support to town centres.

Currently around £4bn is spent by the public sector in Wales buying goods and services. Plaid Cymru has called for government action to ensure that a greater percentage of that money can be spent in Wales. Plaid’s target of 75% of the public sector spend in Wales would mean around £3bn pounds of tax-payers money staying in Wales.

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood AM said:

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and of the wider Welsh economy. Plaid Cymru wants to see our public sector supporting small businesses by allowing them to bid for contracts to provide goods and services.

“The more public money we can lock into our communities, the more jobs will be safeguarded and created, the more businesses will flourish, and the more prosperity we’ll have as communities and as a nation.

“As part of the previous Welsh government, Plaid Cymru increased the number of public sector contracts going to Welsh companies to 50%. More work can be done to increase this figure to 75% which would lead to a £1billion boost for our economy.

“Plaid Cymru wants to see the Welsh government working together with local authorities to make this happen. Plaid Cymru councils will introduce procurement models that are accessible to smaller businesses and contracts which will include social and environmental clauses to promote the sustainable development of our economy.”

Absence of ambition and legislative lethargy – signature of Labour government

Eight months of Labour letting Wales lag behind

Plaid Cymru has attacked the Labour Welsh Government’s lack of action saying that the last eight months since the election can be summed up by ‘legislative lethargy and a complete absence of ambition’.

Plaid has published a list highlighting ten of the most significant failures of the Labour administration to date. The list highlights Labour’s failure to take much needed and bold action to help the economy:

1. Labour has failed to prioritise the fight for Welsh jobs
2. Labour has turned down Welsh economic rescue package
3. Labour has failed to bring forward any new capital projects
4. Labour’s legislative lethargy
5. Labour plans to downgrade hospitals and centralise services
6. Labour has left farmers left in the lurch
7. Labour has failed to “Build for Wales”
8. Labour has failed to arrange or hold any economic summits
9. Labour has no targets, no accountability
10. Labour has mishandled Enterprise Zones in Wales

Plaid Cymru’s Economy Spokesperson, Alun Ffred Jones AM, also repeated his calls for the government to follow Plaid’s proposals to help secure jobs and support businesses during the difficult year ahead. He said that it is vital that the Welsh government take urgent action in order to kick start the economy in 2012.

Plaid Cymru’s Economy spokesperson Alun Ffred Jones AM said;

“In the eight months since forming this Welsh Government, Labour has only managed to introduce two things - legislative lethargy and an absence of ambition

“Labour has wasted the best part of a year sitting on its hands, and this ‘list of inaction’ shows that. It puts into sharper focus the vital things that this Labour Government has failed to do during these most challenging of times. What is really striking is the amount of opportunities for Wales have been missed on Labour's watch.

“Despite finding time to write an urgent letter to the UK Prime Minister about the Welsh electoral system and the jobs of his Labour colleagues, the Labour First Minister failed to send any correspondence to David Cameron about the state of the Welsh or British economies during the first two terms of the Assembly.

“The Welsh economy is still waiting for start dates to show when building projects, vital to stimulating the economy and creating jobs, will go ahead. While the Scottish and UK Governments have brought forward six bills each, the lethargic Labour government in Wales has only managed one. Labour’s inaction is letting the people of Wales down.

“Plaid Cymru, however, is determined to maintain the pressure on Labour to take action to boost the economy. Labour needs to sit up and take action to kick start the economy for 2012. We will continue to press the Labour government to adopt our positive proposals to protect jobs and help small businesses, as well as taking forward our ‘Build for Wales’ plan which could create up to 50,000 jobs, providing a much-needed economic boost in 2012.”

LIVE AT THE SENEDD

Catch Coverage of the Assembly Live here Senedd Tv

Thanks Paul Nicholls - Jones

The Aberavon Constituency Branch of  PLAID CYMRU , Would like to thank Paul Nicholls - Jones for his huge effort during this Assembly Campaign .
He led the campaign for Plaid in Aberavon which saw off the TORY challenge with targeted activity to finish 2nd and smashed the LIBS who was last , And all with a fraction of the neighbouring teams resources.
Unfortunately we couldn't beat LABOUR who led a campaign which included scaremongering about the CONDEM coalition in Westminster .

So thanks Paul from us all at the Branch , We now continue to move forward , plenty of hard work to come but thats what its all about .
Also we will be snapping on the heels of LABOUR making sure they don't take Aberavon for granted like they have done for years .

2011 Welsh Election

We didn't win in Aberavon , It was a good effort by the Aberavon Plaid Team and our Candidate PAUL NICHOLLS - JONES .

Aberavon voted for LABOUR , on the back of the reaction of the CONDEM Government in Westminster . However the only Party that would of dealt them a good deal and created a BETTER WALES would of been PLAID CYMRU.

Tremendous effort BUT now is the time we build up starting today for the 2012 Local Elections , Sending out the Plaid message in our Communities .