Leanne Wood: After the elections

Its been a diffucult election for Plaid. Despite holding up our vote and seats in a number of places, we've lost some long-serving, hard working community activists, some of whom have dedicated many years of service to the party, their community and their country.  I am personally sorry for each and every one of them, but also grateful for all that they have done for their communities and for the party.

Some results were very close.  On a night when there were massive swings back to Labour, especially in their traditional heartlands, where the cuts are being felt particularly acutely, Plaid Cymru took less of a hit that the other two parties as well as the independents.  The call to 'send a message to Cameron & Clegg', to turn the election into a referendum on the UK government's austerity measures was clearly attractive to people and that message was sent in a spectacular fashion.  People are fearful - the economic crisis has created great uncertainty and people voted for safety.

This election has highlighted those communities where there is deep strength to the support for Plaid Cymru. We must work now to further deepen and broaden that base of support.   And despite the difficult night, we also saw some new councillors make gains in parts of the country which aren't traditionally the strongest areas for us in places like Trebanos and Bangor town, we have new champions for Plaid, new beacons of progressive politics. 

We know from the findings of our internal review Moving Forward what we need to do to turn Plaid Cymru into a successful party capable of making inroads into new territory.  Plaid Cymru activists must now be ready to roll up their sleeves to carry out the hard work needed to re-build our internal party structures so that we are able to effectively communicate our messages to large numbers of people.  For strong communities in a strong Wales, we must have a strong Plaid Cymru.  The re-building work starts now.

A vote for Plaid Cymru - a vote for jobs

 

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood has called for people to vote for jobs on Thursday by voting Plaid Cymru.

Leanne said that Plaid Cymru councillors will act as local champions for their areas and Plaid run councils will be powerhouses for their local economies.  She said that the party is focussed on ways to raise finance and work with small businesses and social enterprises to promote schemes that can create jobs and apprenticeships.

Following these elections, Plaid Cymru plans to: 

• Create and save jobs by keeping more taxpayers’ money local. Using for example, our fantastic Remploy factories as well as other local firms to supply goods to the public sector.
• Fund apprenticeships for our young people.
• Provide practical support for small businesses and social enterprises - to help them to take on more staff as well as other measures - like help with marketing and the forming of consortia aimed helping them to apply for public contracts - action to help them grow and thrive.

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood AM said:

"When the economy is in so much difficulty, all levels of government must step up to the plate and do whatever can be done to create jobs and stimulate economic activity.  All levels of government have to take their share of responsibility for making things better.

"Plaid Cymru's focus is on what our local councils can do to help to create jobs.  Councils can play an important role - but they have to be led by people who have the determination, will and ambition to make such a plan happen.

“Plaid Cymru councillors have a proven track record of taking action to boost their local economies.  Plaid Cymru in Gwynedd launched the 'Gwynedd Loans Fund' which has protected or created more than 300 jobs in the county.  In Cardiff Plaid Cymru introduced the ‘Capital Cardiff’ public investment scheme which has helped to create more than 600 jobs in the city.  And 160 young people in Caerffili have so far benefitted from the apprenticeship scheme that Plaid Cymru introduced.  Schemes like these can be extended and expanded by Plaid Cymru run councils - our work begins next Friday.”

Labour led NPTC Neglecting Skewen

Skewen Plaid Cymru candidates for the local council Elections on May 3rd , Russell Gwilym Morris and Pauline Fellowes  feel angered that Skewen constantly gets forgotten about by the Labour led council . One example is the local park , where there seems to be no major effort to invest to make it into an attraction Skewen can be proud of .
Below are photos taken by Russell and Pauline whilst walking through the park yesterday .

As  you can see the Park is really showing its age and needs investment , something Labour don't seem in a rush to come up with .

Double-dip disappointment as UK economy remains stagnant

Plaid Cymru have responded with disappointment to figures this morning which show that the UK has suffered two consecutive quarters of negative growth, blaming the double dip recession upon the direction of the UK Con-Dem government’s economic policy and the austerity cuts that they have introduced.

UK’s first quarter GDP figures, published this morning, showed a contraction of -0.2% in the economy, following last year’s fourth quarter figures of -0.3%. This means that the UK is in a ‘double-dip’ recession, as consistently warned by Plaid since the 2010 UK General Election when the Con-Dem coalition announced their economic plans.
Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesperson, Jonathan Edwards MP, said:

“These are disastrous figures and this ‘double-dip’ recession shows the abject failure of the UK Coalition’s economic policies.

“These figures show that the UK economy remains stagnant, years after the financial crisis began.

“We are now firmly looking at an economic lost decade – with most of the cuts still to come and most of the public sector job losses yet to take place.

“Worse may still come with the Eurozone in crisis and no real sign of growth in domestic demand as families continue to tighten their belts.

“Plaid have warned since the very beginning of the financial crisis that growth was vital for the economy’s well-being, but the UK Coalition’s package of austerity cuts, job losses and tax rises for ordinary people have undermined the economy and led to the double-dip recession we are now in.
“Our policy throughout the crisis has been to invest in infrastructure projects, such as hospitals, schools, rail and roads, which would have created jobs now to boost the economy and invest in better prospects for the future.

“In recent weeks we have had the Con-Dem’s giving tax breaks to their rich friends who earn more than £3,000 a week while the economy is stagnant. The Tories are out of touch.”

Plaid Cymru is the only party committed to fighting for the future of Wales

“Plaid Cymru is the only party committed to fighting for the future of Wales.”



We believe that through the collective strength and talents of our people we can achieve a prosperous, sustainable and just Wales. We will not stand back and let our communities be devastated by consecutive reckless UK governments and by the inaction of a do nothing Government in Wales .


Together we will fight for the future of jobs in Wales, through ensuring that councils: 

Pump £1billion extra into the Welsh economy by improving local procurement.
Provide grants and loans to fund business start-ups.
Provide paid apprenticeship, skills and training schemes – to support our young people.


Together, we will fight for the future of our communities, through ensuring that councils:

Campaign to save vital local services currently under threat from closure and centralisation.
Introduce schemes to allow local communities to benefit from the ownership and control of our natural resources.
Ensure that the housing needs of our communities are met by bringing empty properties back into use, investing in affordable housing and campaigning against over-development .


Together, we will fight for a future for our young people, through ensuring that councils:

Work tirelessly to ensure that all our children have the basic skills of literacy and numeracy so that they can reach their full potential.
Identify and support young carers to ensure their needs are met.
Support young families everywhere in Wales through parenting programmes which help to give children the best start in life.



Plaid Cymru Councillors are community leaders who are elected to serve the interests of the people they represent, they are proud of their towns, villages and communities. They place this duty higher than any other consideration. This is what sets Plaid Cymru Councillors and candidates apart from the others.

Plaid Cymru is ambitious for Wales. Together we can make Wales more successful, and Plaid believes that independence is key to unlocking the potential of the nation. To achieve this aim we realise that each community in Wales needs the strength and sustainability to take us forward as a nation.

We know that people are facing difficult times, whether it’s in trying to find a job, in struggling to pay the bills, or in seeking support services for vulnerable family members. Our communities are suffering due to the irresponsible actions of a small, greedy minority. Only Plaid Cymru is working hard to make Wales better
for the majority.

Plaid Cymru will always be there for the people of Wales. Our Councillors are always there for the people they represent. Whether in government or opposition our Councillors work tirelessly to represent you and your family.

We also understand that your community is infinitely more important to you than any councillor or political party which is why Plaid believes in putting people first.

Plaid Cymru-run councils have led the way in supporting local economies. We have dealt with the Westminster-imposed cuts wisely to protect the most vulnerable. We are also doing everything in our power to make sure that our communities can move beyond “managing the cuts” and thrive in the future.




We are under no illusion about the challenges we face, but just as the goal of empowering our nation to stand on its own two feet is an ambitious one, we are also ambitious for the future of our local communities. We are proud that, thanks to our role in the Welsh Government, cuts to your council services are around half the size of those that are being made to services in England.

As a party we believe in local democracy – local leadership, local decision making, and community empowerment. For Plaid Cymru devolution does not end in Cardiff Bay, we believe our communities should
be empowered to take responsibility for their own destinies.

This Manifesto provides an outline of the principles behind the decisions that we will implement on your behalf in local government. It also demonstrates our record – what we have been doing on your behalf throughout
Wales and what we will continue to do for the sake of Welsh communities.

Our local Plaid Cymru teams will also share with you their vision, their record and introduce their local champions when they produce manifestos for your local community .

Manifesto here http://www.english.plaidcymru.org/uploads/Manifesto_2012/Plaid_ManiffestoLleol_2012_engWeb.pdf

It’s time to stop believing that poverty is inevitable

Plaid Leader’s pledge to push hope in inaugural speech

Leanne Wood will use her inaugural speech as Plaid Cymru Leader to urge the people of Wales to build a nation that offers hope, not despair to its people.

At her party’s Spring Conference in Llanelli, Leanne will emphasise Plaid’s message that poverty and hardship do not have to be inevitable. She will say:

“For real progress we need to learn to hope. To dream big dreams. Let’s decide today, from now on, to do politics differently. Let’s decide to do our politics positively. Let’s talk about ideas. Not personalities. Let’s talk about our vision of what Wales can be.

“Let’s push hope not fear. And optimism, not despair.

“If we can do that, not only will we see a better politics, but we will also see a better Wales.”

“Plaid Cymru must become the party of hope. In our day-to-day
practical work, we will fight to protect jobs, we will defend those things that are important to people.

“We will fight to protect pay and to protect our local public services. We are the party which has respect and which shows common decency towards pensioners, young people and people without work.”

Ms Wood will outline her determination to focus on Wales’ economy in order to bring about a better future. She will say that sustainable
development, and renewable technologies in particular, offer the opportunity for a second industrial revolution in Wales.

“I think there are three giant goals we need to set ourselves in the coming decade. We must build the green economy, invest in
our knowledge base and create the infrastructure for success in the 21st century.”

“Let’s get the tax powers that can power our economy, so we can reward those Welsh companies that invest in the sectors of the future.
And let’s make sure the best of our companies invest in our most
precious workforce: our people.”

Leanne will also use her speech at Ffos Las in Carmarthenshire to outline the crucial role local authorities can play in changing Wales’ economic prospects. She will also talk about what motivates her
as Plaid Cymru Leader.

“We will not accept that our poverty is inevitable. We will not accept what our opposition says: that this nation cannot be successful. We will believe in the ability of our businesses to thrive and in our families to prosper.

“In fact we are finished with putting up with things as they are because that’s how it has always been. We are done with simply
surviving and with just muddling through. We want our people to soar.” 

Concerns raised that AWEMA bosses to receive pay-offs

Plaid AM asks for guarantee that no public money will be spent

A Plaid Cymru AM has asked for assurances from the Labour Welsh Government that no public funds will be used to pay-off AWEMA officials implicated in the charity's financial mismanagement.

Bethan Jenkins AM said that sources connected to AWEMA had raised concerns that officials implicated in recent reports into financial mismanagement at the charity would receive 'redundancy payments' as the organisation's affairs are brought to an end.

Ms Jenkins said that given the extent of maladministration highlighted in last week's official report, and previous reports, it would be scandalous for those responsible to receive any further public money.

Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins represents South Wales West where AWEMA is based. She said:

"People connected with AWEMA have voiced concerns that those at the centre of allegations of financial mismanagement at AWEMA will now receive pay-offs as the charity is wound up.

"It cannot be right that any public funds should be given out in this way. Those responsible for the financial mismanagement at AWEMA should not be allowed to receive any more taxpayers’ cash.

"I've asked the Welsh Finance Minister for a cast-iron guarantee that no public money will be given to those people implicated in the affair, unless they are first cleared of any wrongdoing."

Plaid Cymru bids the Welsh Six Nations squad good luck

As the 2012 Six Nations competition gets underway, Plaid Cymru AMs have wished the Welsh squad good luck.

The leader of Plaid Cymru Ieuan Wyn Jones has said:

"The squad did us proud out in New Zealand last autumn, and I’m looking forward to an equally impressive performance in this Six Nations. Their thorough preparations have made them a physically and mentally strong team that we are all extremely proud of.

"I’m sure that they will enjoy great success in this campaign, and I wish Warren Gatland and the squad the best of luck."

Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Sport Bethan Jenkins AM said:

"The professional attitudes, great team spirit and hard work and dedication of our national rugby team make them excellent role models for young people. I look forward to cheering them on every step of the way during this Six Nations tournament, and I wish them the best of luck!"

Support for greater powers, or independence for Wales has increased significantly - ITV-YouGov poll

Commenting on the ITV-YouGov poll released today (Thursday), Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards MP said;

“Support for greater powers, or independence for Wales has increased significantly in the space of just a year - up from 17% 42% when people consider the possibility of Scottish independence.

“There can be no doubt that political structures of the United Kingdom are changing. Wales must not be defined purely in relation to what happens north of the border. We must chart our own path.

“Wales is clearly growing in confidence and people are now leading the calls for greater responsibilities to be transferred so that we in Wales can create jobs, help our businesses grow and improve people’s lives.

“Plaid Cymru will be setting the agenda on these issues by showing how control over our own affairs will give Wales the best possible chance to help our nation flourish.

“Meanwhile, the unionists parties face a major crisis in terms of the future of the UK.

“Only yesterday, Labour united with the Tories in Westminster to vote against giving Wales control over our vast natural resources. It seems that once again, Labour prefers Tory rule to home rule.” 

Plaid proposed energy revolution - Labour and Tory MPs team up to vote it down

Extraordinary scenes as labour block devolution of energy powers to their own Government

Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards yesterday repeated calls for energy powers to be transferred to the Welsh Government, currently run by Labour - but his motion was defeated by Labour MPs, who teamed up with Conservatives MPs to stop their own party in Wales taking these powers.

Jonathan Edwards hoped to introduce a bill in Westminster which would give the Welsh Government powers over energy generation in Wales – something supported by both Labour and the Conservatives in their Welsh general election manifesto last year, where they argued that there should be an increase from the present 50MW limit.

Mr Edwards argued that the proposal would lead to equality with Scotland and Northern Ireland and that it would allow Wales to better fight fuel poverty if we had responsibility for our own resources.

His proposal was defeated by 239 votes to 44 after Labour and Conservative MPs teamed up together against the Bill.

Commenting after the vote, Jonathan Edwards said:

"It is extraordinary to see Labour MPs from Wales teaming up to vote with the Conservatives against a motion that would empower the Welsh Government which they run. Do they just not trust Carwyn Jones with these powers?

“My Bill was simply titled ‘Energy Generation Wales’ and, although our policy is for full transfer of powers to Wales, it would have been open for other MPs to amend and put forward their own suggestions.

“This was an opportunity for Labour to introduce proposals from the manifesto on which their Welsh Government were elected last year but their MPs in London seem strangely keen that Wales should not have these powers.

“When you see the Conservatives and Labour walking through the lobbies together in London then you know that they are doing something which is good for Westminster, not for Wales.

“It is a strange world where Labour would so obviously rather have the Conservatives in charge of energy in Wales than take responsibility for it themselves.

"In 2012 alone, Labour MPs from Wales have voted in favour of NHS privatisation, a reduction in farming subsidies for Wales and now against Wales having the same energy powers as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"If Carwyn Jones can’t persuade Welsh MPs to support his policies, then it makes you wonder if he has any influence on his own party – never mind his complete failure to influence the Tories in charge at Westminster." 

Partnership of equals: the only positive way forward for the nations of these Isles

25/01/2012

Current devolution settlement will always hold our nation back

As the Scottish Government today announces its plans for the independence referendum, Plaid Cymru’s MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Jonathan Edwards has said that the current devolution settlement delivered by Labour wasn’t sustainable and would always hold our nation back.

He said that public opinion and events had left most of the political establishment behind over further constitutional change and the time had now come for Wales to chart its own course and take control over the vital job-creating economic levers in order to flourish.

Plaid’s Jonathan Edwards MP said;

“As these events unfold in Scotland, people in Wales are already talking about what's best for our nation’s future and considering independence as a real choice.

“The status quo, supported by all three of the Westminster parties, isn’t serving Wales well – and taking greater control over our own affairs through independence, with the agreement of the people of Wales, will mean that we can create more jobs, help our businesses grow and help our nation reach its potential.

“Even for those who believe in the preservation of the UK, a partnership of equals with England, Scotland, Ireland will never be achieved under the current settlement.

“The Labour First Minister has recently made a few belated statements in reaction to events in Scotland, suggesting that making alterations to the makeup of the House of Lords would be enough.

“Public opinion has left him behind on this issue.

“The truth is that a little tinkering on the edges of the UK’s constitution whilst keeping so many of the job-creating economic levers at Westminster, as he is advocating, will neither be sustainable or in Wales’ best interests.

Jonathan Edwards added;

“Unionism is in crisis. The Westminster parties are unable to present a coherent and positive argument for the preservation of the United Kingdom in its current form, or for that matter, in any form.

“The big question that needs asking is if the United Kingdom is so good for Wales, how has it, and successive Westminster Governments, Labour, Tory or Liberal continued to see Wales fall behind.

There’s no good tinkering on the edges as the First Minister is suggesting – we need to know details of exactly what job-creation and economic levers he will support.

“We in Plaid Cymru want our country to stand on its own two feet, an independent nation with the tools to help improve the lives of our people.

“Plaid will be putting forward detailed proposals to the Silk commission on the next steps we want Wales to take to improve the lives of our citizens, create jobs and help our nation flourish. The question now is whether the Westminster parties will join with us in seeking the powers to help Wales chart its own course with the economic levers we need to succeed. 

Stop subsidising Labour

This Labour Party has been in government for 10 years and has done very little to help the workers of Wales and the UK. During this time we have seen massive cuts in UK manufacturing and a constant barrage of abuse from the Labour leadership towards the unions who need to "modernise or die" and the Workers who have left "scars on my back". If you have had enough of Labour's attitude then you should opt out and stop paying the Labour party.

Plaid Cymru supports the unions and actively encourage our members to join a union. We also value the good political work that unions do and think that it is important that people support the General Political Funds that many unions use to campaign for better and more equal rights for all workers.

We also believe that union members should have the right to decide for themselves whether or not the Labour party is representing their interests. At the moment many union members do not realise that they are paying money to the Labour party.

If you do not want your union money to go to the Labour party then create an email to your union by clicking on the logo below. Fill in your name, address and the date and send it. Your union will then stop giving your money to the Labour party.

 GMB

 Aslef

 Community

 Communications and workers union

 BECTU

  Unsain

  Unite (Formerly T&GWU and Amicus)

 Usdaw

 Unity

 UCATT

 Musicians union

 Bakers, Food and Allied workers union

If you do not have a mail manager (e.g. outlook express) and are having any problems creating an email simly copy and paste the following text into an email and send it to your union.

FORM OF EXEMPTION NOTICE.

POLITICAL FUND (EXEMPTION NOTICE)

I give notice that I object to contributing to the Labour Party through the Political Fund of the Union, and am in consequence exempt, in the manner provided for by Chapter VI of Part 1 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, from contributing to any political fund that donates to the Labour party. 

Name:

Address:

Date:

60,000 more job seekers than jobs shows need for urgent action

Labour must wake up to drastic job situation says Plaid

Labour needs to wake up to the drastic situation facing people looking for work in Wales.　 That was the message today from Plaid Cymru’s economy spokesperson Alun Ffred Jones AM.　 The Plaid Cymru AM for Arfon pointed to official figures which show that there are over 60 thousand more people looking for jobs, than there are jobs available.　 Mr Jones said that he hopes that these　 shocking figures will make Labour realise just how serious the situation is for people living with the reality of the current economic situation.　

The figures, published by the Office for National Statistics, show that there are 76,210 people in Wales looking for work with only 16,094 live unfilled vacancies being advertised in job centres.　 The situation is particularly bad in the Blaenau Gwent local authority where the figures show 17 people chasing every job vacancy.　

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

"I hope that these shocking figures will act as a wake up call to this lethargic Labour government.　 The situation for people on the ground looking for work is drastic, with sixty thousand more people looking for work than there are jobs being advertised.　 The fact that so many people are being forced to chase the same jobs is a stark illustration of the reality of the deepening economic crisis.　　

"Labour has wasted the best part of a year sitting on its hands, these figures clearly show that this cannot be allowed to continue.　 Plaid Cymru will 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."

Plaid publishes report to move the Party of Wales forward

Moving Forward: Renewing Plaid for Wales

Plaid Cymru has today published the conclusions of its Party review – Moving Forward: Renewing Plaid for Wales.

The chair of the renewal process, Dr Eurfyl ap Gwilym said he hoped it “would act as a catalyst for a full debate within Plaid Cymru and lead to further success both for Plaid Cymru and the Welsh nation.”

The decision to renew the party, after recent electoral disappointments, was announced by Party leader Ieuan Wyn Jones in July 2011 and led to the establishment of a panel to oversee a complete review of Plaid.

A team of six, chaired by Dr ap Gwilym, looked at all aspects of the party, including structures; membership; vision, strategy and policy; campaigning methods; and communication. Evidence and views were gathered from Plaid representatives, grassroots members, supporters and from people outside the Party over a period of five months.

The 80-page report published today includes 95 recommendations for the party to consider over the coming months. Significant changes are expected to be made to the party following this report with the aim of improving electoral performance and ensuring that Plaid becomes the natural political home for all in Wales who share the party’s ambitions to see the nation succeed.

Key recommendations in the report include;

• The establishment of a National Academy to revolutionise campaigning and organisation, as well as nurturing the community champions and national leaders of the future.
• A radical modernisation of the party’s campaigning methods to create a permanently campaigning party equipped with the tools that are necessary for a modern 21st century party.
• The establishment of a more effective mechanism for policy formulation. Ensuring that the skills of members, supporters and external experts are utilised in order to ensure better policy development.
• An acceptance that the Party needs greater clarity over its aims in order to be able to present a coherent and united message to the people of Wales.
• Fundamental changes to the Party’s structures in order to ensure clearer leadership and greater accountability from all Plaid representatives.

Chair of the renewal process, Dr Eurfyl ap Gwilym said;

“It is our hope that this report will act as a catalyst for a full debate within Plaid Cymru and that our recommendations will form the basis of an action plan which will lead to further success both for Plaid Cymru and the Welsh nation.

“Recent decades have seen tremendous progress in Wales with Plaid Cymru always in the vanguard. If we grasp the opportunities ahead we are confident that the best is yet to come. In the words of one of our greatest historians: ‘We have the faith and confidence that the nation in its fullness is yet to be’.”

Jocelyn Davies AM, one the six members tasked with overseeing the renewal process said;

“This comprehensive report includes 95 recommendations that will, in our view, help transform the way we campaign, engage with the people of Wales and communicate our ambitions for our nation.

“We’re determined to ensure that Plaid becomes the natural political home for all in Wales who share the party’s ambitions to see the nation succeed and this review will provide the foundation on which the can build success over the coming years.

“While Plaid Cymru has set the political agenda in Wales over many decades it has not capitalised on the increase in Welsh identity and the growing support for the people of Wales having greater control over their own affairs.

“We recommend that the Party needs to debate and clarify its constitutional goals and agree possible paths to their achievement. Only by so doing will the Party be able to present a coherent and united message to the people of Wales.

“In all its policies the Party needs to demonstrate the relevance of its constitutional programme and how a Welsh Government with greater powers will be able to deliver better lives for our people. This means placing even greater emphasis on fields such as education, health and the economy. It is by doing this that Plaid Cymru will engender more support for its wider and longer term programme including its constitutional goals.

“Our report recognises that Plaid Cymru’s strength is its membership. We believe that the Party needs to transform its campaigning methods to become a permanent, more effective campaigning force. We have proposed that the party develops a National Academy to revolutionise the way elected representative, members and supporters campaign in our communities and communicate our message.”