Plaid Cymru leader to establish Commission on Sustainable Communities

Urgent report on Welsh language communities first task of long term group

Plaid Cymru’s leader Leanne Wood has today announced the formation of a Sustainable Communities Commission.

The Commission will be headed by Llyr Gruffydd AM and Bethan Jenkins AM, and will develop the party’s vision for ensuring our communities are economically, environmentally and linguistically sustainable and able to flourish over the coming decades.

In addition to its longer term work, the Commission will report by Autumn this year on the future of the Welsh language at a community level fulfilling a pledge made by Ms Wood during her leaderhip campaign.

This is the second of a series of commissions to be announced by the new leader, following the appointment of an Economic Commission last month. The commissions are intended to look at key policy areas and feed into Plaid Cymru’s vision of a strong and sustainable Wales.

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood said;

“My aim is to pull together a group of experts, from both inside and outside the Party to be part of developing a long term plan to ensure that our communities overcome the huge challenges of today and flourish in the decades to come.

“Llyr and Bethan will lead on the work of this commission, reporting back on individual elements of the commission in stages over the next four years. I look forward to reading the first stage report of the group on the future of Welsh language communities soon. Welsh faces serious challenges at a community level, and all political parties have a duty to come up with answers to strengthening our unique national language in the 21st century."

Llyr Gruffydd AM, who will lead on matters relating to the environment, regeneration and housing, said:

“Creating sustainable communities is essential to the future success of our nation. We want to look at how we can rebuild and strengthen our communities, ensuring that were utilising the enormous natural resources of our nation along with the talent of all its people.

“Our work will consult widely on elements such as how we build our green economy, invest in our knowledge base and create the right infrastructure for a 21st century Wales.”

Bethan Jenkins AM will look at aspects of linguistic sustainability, she added:

“Sustainability is more than just being green. We also want to ensure a truly bilingual nation where both our languages are able to flourish. That means ensuring that, for example, communities are able to offer sustainable jobs, affordable homes and wider opportunities for our young people to stay and contribute to their communities.

“The first stage of this commission will focus on the Welsh language – looking at how we can ensure it flourishes as a living every-day language in our communities over the coming decades.

“Plaid Cymru has proven that it is committed to delivering for the people of Wales, and that is what our focus will be with this commission. Our aim is to bring forward clear and realistic recommendations that will benefit communities across the whole of Wales.”

VIDEO: Plaid 2012 broadcast - What is being welsh?

Take a look at Plaid Cymru's latest broadcast where people from across Wales tell us what it is to be Welsh.

Local communities: Our vision

Local communities: Our vision

What is Plaid's vision for our local communities?

Plaid will work to ensure that local government is more open and answerable to the public. We will also ensure that our local councils work effectively in partnership with other local councils and organisations for the benefit of our communities. We oppose the micro management of local councils by central government and are committed to ensuring that local councils have the freedom and funding to respond appropriately to local issues.

In the long term, Plaid will create an All-Wales Civil Service, with civil servants and officers able to move freely between the National Assembly for Wales, Local Government in Wales and The National Health Service in Wales. We believe that this model will encourage cooperation, the sharing of best practice, and will result in more joined-up thinking.

Plaid-run councils operate with robust scrutiny mechanisms so that decision-making power is not just concentrated in the hands of the executive board and senior local government officials. Plaid values the important work of town and community councils as they are a vital link in Welsh democracy. We will work to strengthen their role as we believe that they have the potential to play a fuller role in revitalising our communities.

We know that community involvement is vital to effective local government. We will make sure that voluntary groups, local businesses and individuals have every opportunity to share their views on decisions impacting their local community. We will support the campaign for participatory budgeting in our local authorities to ensure that local citizens have a voice in how money is spent.

Plaid is committed to a fairer voting system and will continue to campaign for the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote for every election in Wales including local authority elections. We will also continue to call for the right to vote at 16 as a way of encouraging young people to take part in the political process.

Plaid believes that we should abolish the unfair and outdated council tax system and introduce a local income tax. A local income tax would be based on the ability to pay, not on the value of property. It would be fairer and more efficient.

We know that Post Offices are often central to the vibrancy of communities, especially in our rural areas. Plaid has always been opposed to Post Office closures, and we have supported the strengthening of the Post Office network with a People's Bank. We believe that these community hubs have massive potential as information and advice centres.

Thank You - A message from our new leader Leanne Wood

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Hit the streets; Let’s win for Wales

Party election boss rallies local Plaid champions ahead of elections

Plaid Cymru is ready to go the extra mile and win for Wales - this will be the message from Alun Ffred Jones AM in his keynote speech at the party’s Spring Conference in Ffos Las, Carmarthenshire.

Addressing delegates at the conference, he will highlight Plaid Cymru’s glowing legacy in local government which gives the party a solid foundation on which they can fight the next election.

As the local elections approach, Mr Jones will remind delegates that Plaid Cymru councillors have worked tirelessly in wards across Wales, delivering local services, protecting and creating jobs and
investing in the community and will call on activists to go the extra mile in the weeks ahead to deliver even more for our communities and nation.

Plaid Cymru’s Alun Ffred Jones AM will say:

“Plaid Cymru has proven that we can govern effectively at a local level.

“All across Wales we have councillors going the extra mile and delivering in Plaid Cymru’s name. We have governed effectively in Gwynedd and Caerphilly, and are in strong coalition partnerships in Cardiff and Conwy.

“We have protected and created jobs in these difficult times.

“We  have protected and improved local services.

“We have individual councillors who champion their local areas, such as Fiona Cross in Torfaen who has won a UK-wide award for her good work.

“We will leave this conference later today with a renewed sense of what we can achieve for our nation.

“Now is the time to spread the word of how Plaid will always go the extra mile for our communities.

“Now is the time to hit the streets and win for Wales.” 

Appetite Grows for Devolution

The Welsh public have demonstrated a thirst for greater powers for Wales and Plaid must lead the way. That was the message from  Plaid Cymru’s Ieuan Wyn Jones during a panel discussion at the Plaid Cymru spring conference at Ffos Las, Trimsaran on the Future of the United Kingdom.

During the discussion, Mr Jones pointed out that recent polls show that the majority of people in Wales believe that the Welsh Government should have tax-raising powers. He said that the wheels had been set in motion on this with the Silk Commission’s inquiry
into the devolution of fiscal powers, and that Plaid Cymru is in a position to lead the debate on this.

Plaid Cymru’s Ieuan Wyn Jones AM said:

“We are currently in an interesting situation, where post-referendum on law making powers, the Welsh people have clearly indicated an appetite for more powers. They want Wales to have more responsibility and more accountability.

“Plaid Cymru now have an opportunity to move this debate forwards. We have submitted a detailed and thoughtful contribution to the Silk Commission which sets out which powers we think should be devolved to Wales, and we will continue to make the case for this. When Plaid Cymru is strong we can make our voices heard.

“At present, the electorate are ahead of the institutions on this matter, and we need to continue to push the agenda forwards.” 

WELSH HEALTH SERVICE

THE FACTS ABOUT 

WELSH HEALTH 

SERVICE

The health services we depend on in our local hospitals are under threat. Labour is in government in Wales – and it is Labour that controls the Welsh health service.

Despite promising just before last May’s Assembly elections hospitals or centralise core health services, Labour is now doing just that.

The Labour Health Minister has asked local health boards to make plans which will lead to downgrading hospitals and centralising core services.

This may all sound familiar to you. That’s because Labour attempted to do exactly the same thing in 2007.

Back then, as a condition of our coalition deal, Plaid Cymru stopped those plans. Together, we safeguarded the future of our local hospitals and invested in them. Now we need to do the same again

                                                                                                          

FACT CHECK

Fact:   Labour is in Government in Wales

It is Labour that controls the Welsh health service, not the UK Government.

Fact:   Labour denied they would downgrade hospitals or centralise health services just before the 2011 election

Now in government Labour is drawing up plans in all areas of Wales that will lead to the downgrading of hospitals and the centralisation of core services.

Fact:   The Conservatives’ NHS reforms are for the English NHS , Labour in Wales is also trying to dismantle local health services.

What’s the alternative?

Fact:    Plaid Cymru is committed to our District General Hospitals and the essential services they provide

Downgrading hospitals and centralising core services causes increased risk for patients and can lead to increased costs too