A SIGN OF THE TIMES...

A sign of the times...

PLAID'S VISION FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT

While the Welsh Assembly government has committed Wales to annual carbon reduction-equivalent emissions of 3% per year by 2011 in areas of devolved competence, Plaid has recognised that climate change is more severe than previously realised. The National Assembly agreed, with cross-party support, to reduce emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 - this is an important necessary step forward.

Plaid will work to ensure that this decision is turned into meaningful and effective action to achieve the full reduction, and calls on Westminster to follow Wales' lead. Yet, if we are going to achieve this sort of massive reduction, then we must ensure that Wales is able to decide our own energy priorities. Plaid Cymru demands the full devolution of all powers over energy policy to the National Assembly.

Wales can be self-sustaining in energy generation by 2020 and we must take full advantage of our renewable energy resources and support micro generation and other small-scale sustainable power generation schemes, including tidal, wave-power, on-shore and off-shore wind, hydro and biomass.

We are completely opposed to decisions on large energy projects being taken outside Wales by the new Infrastructure Planning Unit. NB - Decisions will now be taken through a new unit formed within the Planning Inspectorate with the final decision on projects being made by Westminster Ministers.

Any future energy projects in Wales should be decided democratically, and by a body which is accountable to the people of Wales. Plaid welcomed the decision to scrap the Severn Barrage Cardiff-Weston project, as we have always believed that, instead, a combination of lagoons and tidal-stream turbines would minimise environmental damage while maximising zero-carbon electricity generation at a cost affordable to consumers.

Plaid has called for emission performance standards for all new power stations and we reaffirm our opposition to the construction of any new nuclear power stations in Wales. We call for research into the creation of a European Smart Power Grid for the sharing of renewable energies across Europe. We all have a responsibility to improve energy efficiency within our homes and to use more renewable energy.

Lets not forget that the old New Labour Government in Westminster made sure that control over water and large energy projects was specifically kept under the control of Westminster. And this situation has continued under the current Conservative–Liberal Democrat Government. Plaid seek to control of our own natural resources. If it's good enough for Scotland, then it's more than good enough for Wales.

The Westminster-based parties are sending a very clear message in the coming election that they clearly don’t believe the people of Wales are capable of taking control over our own natural resources. So the clear message of this election is that - if you vote Plaid, we will demand responsibility over our nation's natural resources in order to ensure our nation can take full advantage of our wind, water, land and sea.


We not only need to take action in response to climate change but also need to tackle fuel poverty so that everybody can afford to keep warm in their homes. Despite the action taken by Plaid in government, the problem is rising sharply with a quarter of all households in Wales are experiencing fuel poverty. Plaid will continue to campaign for a windfall tax on energy companies to help pay for grants for insulation for lower income families in Westminster.

We will also work to ensure that the new feed-in tariffs encourage community-scale community beneficial renewable energy projects. We will continue to oppose the use of waste incinerators and support binding targets for waste prevention.

Plaid supports recycling targets of 80% of domestic waste by 2020 and the introduction of a higher landfill tax. And Plaid will continue to campaign for changes in public procurement legislation so that Local Authorities can favour materials from recycled and local sources, something that benefits the environment and delivers local jobs. So to start the ball rolling make sure you vote Plaid twice on Thursday 5th May!

AT A CINEMA NEAR YOU!

OUR TOWN CENTRES

Over the last twenty years the commercial hearts of many of our communities have been seriously damaged as a result of a combination of aggressive policies pursued by the larger retail chains and exceptionally poor decision making on the part of local government and central government indifference.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have noted that the UK loses 2,000 local shops every year and that of this rate of loss continues then by 2015, less than 4 years hence, there will be potentially few independent retailers left in business, something that will badly hit both consumers and our communities hard as they lose any real choice in the marketplace and lose potential job opportunities.

When this decline is combined with the rapid growth of unsustainable out of town and edge of town retail developments which leave next to no place for the smaller local businesses and retailers and deprive consumers of real choice - then it is clear that we have a real problem on our hands.

Factor in parking charges, business rates and the effect of the closure of high street banks and post offices in many of our communities and you begin to see why many of our smaller businesses and local shopping centres are up against it.

Local small businesses as well as trading with us, also trade with each other - so the community gets twice the benefit. Money spent by and in local businesses spends on average three times longer in the local economy than that spent with chain stores which is instantly lost to the local economy which in times of recession our communities can ill afford.

Plaid Cymru recognises the economic importance of our town centres, and will introduce a package of measures in government to support local shops and town centres. And Plaid will maintain the current business rate relief for the next five years which means that half of Wales’s small businesses will pay no rates at all during the term of the next Assembly government.

In its manifesto, Plaid has also promised to undertake a detailed retail strategy for Wales to support vibrant local economies and towns. The party will design a national plan to improve town centres for local people and visitors as well as undertaking a wholesale reform of the Welsh planning system to encourage the development of a low carbon economy and new business growth.

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in Wales and plays an important role in communities across Wales.

Plaid’s strategy would include looking at:

• Independent retail impact assessments for supermarket development
• Ensuring affordable retail units for local businesses being made available in new shopping developments
• Making provision for retail services for new significant housing developments
• Ensuring regular town centre reviews as part of Local Development Plans
• Creating online directories to promote Welsh produce within Welsh businesses

Plaid wants to create a Welsh Valuation Office Agency, and would ensure that rateable value assessments are undertaken fairly to provide a level playing field for small businesses rather than favouring the larger out of town developments as they do at present.

WATER, ENERGY AND OWNERSHIP

Not everything that works in Scotland will work in Wales, but, some things are worthy of consideration - Scotland is undergoing a sustained period of growth in small scale hydroelectric energy schemes, with scores of streams and rivers being earmarked and investigated for development. This sustainable energy 'gold rush' driven by water rather than minerals is helped by the fact that Scotland, just like Wales is blessed by pretty abundant water resources.

In Scotland, the energy consultants and developers are looking for specific locations where water that flows down steep enough slopes and ravines to allow it to generate an increasingly precious resource: energy.The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is supporting and encouraging the development of hydro power schemes within the park's boundaries and local communities are also planning to build their own local schemes (something that will deliver sustainable cheap energy and other financial benefits as well).

One of the reasons why the hydro rush will work and deliver long term sustainable benefits is the new feed-in tariff that came in 2010. The subsidy for producing green energy has been increased and it makes schemes more viable, which when combined with a progressive Government that is actively driving the growth of sustainable non oil and gas and non nuclear dependent energy supplies'- means that plans to develop sustainable renewable energy supplies are proceeding apace.

In truth, this is something that every Government (with or without half a brain) in Europe should be striving to actively accomplish, all this means that Scotland is on the up energy wise. One simple observation, if it works in Scotland then why can it not in Wales, are we not blessed with rain and blessed with some reasonably steep hills, the odd slopes, not to mention gully's and the occasional ravines?

I mention this because cheap sustainable secure energy is important, it's the potential game changer. The privatised energy companies are busy gouge mining profits from their domestic customers - us and piling up the dividends for their shareholders. British Gas who's operating profits rose 24% in 2010 to £742m. This news, which no doubt was welcome to shareholders, was not welcomed so warmly by domestic customers, it came barely two months after the UK utility announced a 7% rise in domestic energy bills, which it blamed on rising wholesale prices.

British Gas also said it had increased its number of customers by 267,000 during the year to 16 million. Parent company Centrica managed to achieve pre-tax profits of £2.8bn, with operating profits up 29% to £2.4 billion. Not to mention the fact that unrest in the Middle and near East is leading to a rise in Oil Prices which will also hit us at the pumps and elsewhere with increased food and energy costs.

With all that in mind why are we not seriously and actively pursuing the development of sustainable, reliable and secure (not to mention community owned and community beneficial) energy supplies here in Wales and elsewhere in the UK with a serious degree of urgency?

MORE BRICKS AND MORTAR

Whilst out on the stump today in Newport West and Newport East (and Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr on Wednesday) there is plenty of evidence that the pledge made by the Plaid driven one Wales Government to construct 6,000 affordable homes has been well and truly achieved being driven through by Jocelyn Davies (AM), Plaid Minister for Housing. While obviously more needs to be done this has been a major step in the right direction, and a clear statement of intention and action to try to solve the problem of affordable housing which continues to affect every part of Wales.

Giving our housing stock a lower carbon footprint and lower energy costs is something that is particularly important, especially when it comes to developing affordable housing and refurbishing existing housing stock. The planning policy (which was brought in 2009) for Wales, with new building regulations lead the way towards zero-carbon buildings and should be touted as an example of getting it right.

Lets be realistic though, while reducing energy costs in particular, as zero-carbon housing will be cheaper and thus more affordable over its entire lifetime - is a good thing. In truth, it does not directly and immediately help the young people in our communities who can't get onto the Housing ladder, but the construction of 6,000 affordable homes in every part of Wales (including Monmouthshire) is a small but significant step in the right direction.

Good intentions may have undue consequences, after May 5th whatever hue of Government is on office in Cardiff, as we continue to either wobble our way further into or out of the recession what may happen is that the Government in Cardiff may come under sustained pressure from the building industry to relax the rules, water them down or delay implementing parts of them.

This certainly happened in 1997 when the New Labour Government almost entirely caved in to pressure from the Building industry, the problem of energy efficient homes or the lack of them in Wales is not something we can merely put off to help bail out a faltering building industry sector (which has made fat profits over the last decade) merely puts off the problems for another day.

Let's be brutally honest, short term thinking will not do and there is a real danger that there will be further pressure for short term budgetary savings made at a time when when government budgets are going to be cut, when there is less money to spare for incentives, grants and initiatives - this will come back to haunt us with a vengeance further down the line.

There is a real need for want of a better phrase joined up thinking, with the banks and the building societies needing to change their lending criteria for truly zero-carbon houses, as logically people paying less for their energy could be able to afford to pay more for their mortgages.

At the end of the day, this is a particularly good example of how the Plaid driven One Wales Government has thought differently and made a significant difference and is a positive step towards helping to solving the housing crisis as well as tackling one of the major issues facing the whole wide world. More of the same please! Think Different, Think Plaid, Vote plaid twice for a better Wales.

A BUSY MORNING IN MONMOUTH...

We had a busy morning in Monmouth on Tuesday with a street stall and simultaneous leafleting in another part of the town. We had plenty of passing customers, many of whom were more than willing to stop for a chat and to pass on their concerns. One prominent local concern (amongst many) was the call for the return of the market (to the square outside the Shire Hall) - from where it was removed so that the Shire Hall could be refurbished. Local opinion suggests that Monmouth County Council (MCC) is dragging it's feet (for whatever reason) when it comes to facilitating the return of the market - something that many traders and small business people in the town are calling for. Monmouth is a town that has a great deal of potential to make far more of itself economically - it does not need MCC to be dragging its feet over the return of the market.

WELL THOUGHT OUT?

Now, some of us may have noticed that it's election time (again) and that all sorts of people are making all sorts of promises and pledges to gain electoral support (again). The Tories, who occasionally pass themselves of as being business friendly (although the combination of the current economic climate and the swinging Conservative driven cuts agenda might make many small businesses think twice about that particular claim), are suggesting that they will scrap business rates - yet their shadow budget shows that there would be significant reductions across the board, which would directly hit the economic budget, if they got their way.

The Conservatives in Wales have claimed they will provide rate-relief of 100% to all small businesses with a rateable value up to £12,000. However this promise is simply not affordable. The Tories pledge has absolutely no credibility especially when you consider that the Conservatives current plans to cut the local government budget, which deals with rate-relief, by 12.5%, far greater than that currently proposed.

I think that the Conservatives are seriously misleading the business community on their business rates pledge. In the past the Conservatives have stated they plan to give responsibility for rate relief to the Economic Development department. however at the same time they are campaigning for a massive 30% cut to that portfolio, almost a third more than what the Welsh Government believes is necessary. Plaid Cymru’s plans for business rates have been costed and are deliverable, something that certainly cannot be said for the Conservatives seemingly hastily calculated on the back of a fag packet.

Plaid Cymru is proposing to maintain the temporary business rate relief scheme until 2016, this will ensure that around half of small businesses will continue to pay no business rates at all. This will have a significant impact on businesses in Wales and will allow our economy to continue to recover from the disastrous mess that New Labour created and which the Con Dems are intent on making worse. Unlike the Conservatives at Plaid's plans are both ambitious and also deliverable.

WHAT ABOUT GWENT?

I welcome Network Rail's plans to make improvements to stations, lines and signalling equipment could double the rail capacity of the region by 2015 and to ease railway congestion in Cardiff and the south Wales valleys have been revealed. It has long been recognised that passenger demand in Cardiff and the valleys is increasing at 8% on average each year.

Network Rail, which owns and operates Britain's rail infrastructure, has predicted that the number of passengers travelling in Cardiff and the valleys would exceed 12m per year by the end of 2015 and has said some 900 trains already travelled daily through the Cardiff area, but the railway needed more capacity by the end of the decade.

The proposed changes would remove the rail bottleneck on the Cardiff city line and allow an extra four trains an hour to run through the area. The £200 million pound improvement plan will help the railway manage the increasing numbers of passengers longer-term and will allow for more and longer trains to run on the valley lines, with 600 more seats during the rush hour.

Additionally more freight trains would run in Cardiff, boosting the business sector, and more robust and efficient signalling equipment would improve reliability of services. One question though - what about Gwent?

In the south east we could do with railway stations at Caerleon and  Magor, not to mention the opening of the line between Newport and Ebbw Vale to passenger traffic. We need far better facilities for passengers at Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow and Severn Tunnel Stations - including save and secure park and ride facilities - to provide and alternative means to getting to and from work, not to mention a start being made on the electrification of the Gwent Valley lines.

A VOTE FOR THE FUTURE NOT THE PAST

PLAID - A VOTE FOR THE FUTURE NOT THE PAST

DELIVERING BETTER RAILWAYS IN WALES

Plaid Cymru, in government, has gone to great lengths to ensure that improvements to current rail services where they can be made, have been made, running 'rail in Wales,for Wales, means that the possibilities of reopening previously closed railway lines and closed railway stations becomes something more than a pipe-dream. It would also make sense to get the powers to take over responsibility for running the tracks from Network Rail - as any rail projects in Wales are going to be well down the list of priorities. There needs to be much better integration of track and train - something that will allow for far greater efficiencies.

There is a clear need to ensure that easily accessible rail services are available to far more people in the near future. Improving infrastructure, including rail, is absolutely vital to the development of the Welsh economy - to create the successful, sustainable, prosperous and green nation that Wales can be. The Glas Cymru model of how a ‘not-for-profit’ company can operate, already provides an excellent example of what's possible and could have great potential for the delivery of much better and more integrated rail services here in Wales.

It's pretty obvious that the rail franchise agreement for Wales needs a complete overhaul and currently delivers little to the the people of Wales. So Plaid will seek to ensure that the responsibility for the service is transferred entirely to the Welsh Government and create a not for profit company to run the service. it also makes sense to complete the devolution of responsibility and funding for Network Rail in order to complete the work of electrifying the Great Western Main Line to Swansea, electrify the Valley Lines Network and put in place a plan for the electrification of the North Wales Main Line and the Marches Line.

Plaid Cymru's commitment to putting the management of Welsh railways in the hands of a 'not for profit' company when the current franchise contract with Arriva Trains Wales ends in 2018 is significant major step forward. This will enable the Welsh Government to develop a transport system to suit the needs of the people of Wales, rather than see rail transport in Wales merely seen as previously being a mere add on to transport policy of England.

Significant savings could also be made with the possibilities of reinvestment projects such as re-opening lines across Wales, improving journey times or purchasing additional rolling stock. The development of an All-Wales transport network complete with integrated ticketing and timetables across public transport in Wales.

Plaid will also seek to increase the frequency of rail services between Cardiff and the west of Wales, and from Fishguard to the east, and examine Opportunities to introduce light-rail links in parts of the country, as well as enabling direct services between Ebbw Vale and Newport. Plaid will support more services across mid Wales. Following the success of the Ebbw Vale service, Plaid will also work to reopen services on disused lines where there is a good case to do so.

POLICING IN WALES

Exactly how our communities are policed and exactly to whom our Police are accountable is an important issue at this Welsh election, even though Policing is not a devolved matter. Certainly well over one hundred plus email's that I have received from concerned Police Federation members over the last few hours show that many of our Police officers are also concerned as to where things are going Policing wise as a result of the proposed Con Dem public sector spending cuts.

Plaid believes that everyone in Wales has the right to live in a community that feels safe and is properly policed. While Policing is not currently devolved, Plaid will seek the devolution of the criminal justice system to the National Assembly for Wales so that we can introduce a progressive and more responsive approach to ensuring safer communities. And Plaid will work towards a Welsh system of restorative justice and community policing.

This is why - Plaid believes that the devolution of policing would safeguard jobs, pay and conditions. Showing a total lack of vision, Labour are working with the Tories by accepting their plans, proposing instead to create 500 Community Support Officers – support staff working on local anti-social behaviour issues.

This is a waste of public money - Plaid would much rather see these wasted millions spent on supporting trained police officers as they go about their existing duties while faced with deep and painful budget cuts. In Wales We are facing the prospect of losing 1,600 police officers across Wales, and Plaid would rather see the estimated £14 million Labour wants to spend on CSO's spent on real police work instead.

HMIC (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary) has said that a cut beyond 12% would “almost certainly reduce police availability”. The UK Government thinks it is acceptable to force a cut of 20% to the policing budget during times of recession - this makes no sense.  Our Police forces cannot ill afford to lose some of their most experienced police officers, who will be the first to go.

I sincerely that wish someone would explain to me (and everyone else) exactly how the UK Government honestly expects to see a fall in crime rates at the same time as it is slashing resources and is planning to reduce the number of civilian support staff and Police Officers.

Following the devolution of criminal justice, Plaid will launch a National Commission on Policing. This comprehensive project will look at the future role and functions of Welsh police forces, including what people in Wales want from their police authorities and the changing demands of a 21st century Wales.

Despite everything the UK Government has forced through plans which will see responsibility for appointing Police Commissioners given to the Secretary of State for Wales, despite the Welsh Assembly's opposition to the move. With that in mind, Plaid will continue to oppose the introduction of elected police commissioners, as Plaid believes that ideology and politics should not be a part of our criminal justice system.

REMEMBER - AMBITION IS CRITICAL

Ambition is Critical

New Labour (or whatever they want to call themselves these days) are quietly hoping that we all suffer an attack of collective amnesia and by the Labour line that it's the Tories fault. It's a big simple lie, but, one that the Labour Party (both old and new) has used again and again over the years. It's also totally untrue - they held the reigns of power at Westminster between 1997 and 2010 and did nothing to curb the bankers, improve the NHS, and deliver fair funding for Wales. Lacking the ambition and the motivation to govern Wales effectively they should not be rewarded for their poor record over the past 12 years.

Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones has pledged that Plaid would bring about a ‘revolution’ in the way Welsh Government works for the people of Wales.The Plaid leader labelled Labour’s lack of policy ideas during this election campaign as tragic. Mr Jones said that their dearth of ambition clearly showed how electing a Labour government in Wales in this election would allow their Ministers to continue to manage failure and halt progress.

Mr Jones listed among Labour’s failures:

• Plummeting education standards
• Poor public health and bloated bureaucracy in the NHS
• Devastating handling of the UK economy and clueless approach to job creation in Wales
• Refusal to reform the way Wales is funded

Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones 

Speaking at a press conference in Cardiff, the Plaid leader also said that Labour had failed to lead and unite the Welsh Civil Service behind a clear sense of purpose and a determination to deliver – and had a devastatingly poor record in providing a strong voice for Wales in Westminster. He cited their failure to ensure fair funding for Wales whilst in power in London as a clear example of why Labour cannot claim to ‘stand up for Wales.’

Mr Jones was joined by Plaid’s candidate for Caerphilly Ron Davies who said that Labour’s record on education, health and the economy had been devastating for devolution in its first twelve years. Mr Davies said that despite their arrogance in this election, Labour had failed to produce any shred of evidence that they wanted to improve Wales’s social and economic prosperity. He said that their record of decline had given them no right to ask Wales to give them a majority on May the 5th.

Plaid Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said:

“Despite weeks of campaigning we still haven't heard anything from Labour about how they will improve our education or health services, and how they plan to develop Wales's economy for the next generation. For a party which has held power for 12 years in Wales, their lack of vision and ambition is tragic. Wales cannot afford to reward Labour failure by giving them a free hand to manage decline for the next 5 years. Our people and our communities deserve so much more, and Plaid Cymru is the only party which believes that a better Wales is possible.”

Jocelyn Davies

Plaid Cymru’s candidate in South Wales East Jocelyn Davies said:

"We need to ensure that Welsh government is fit for the future and not a relic of the past. We also need a Welsh Government that can force the Conservative and Lib Dem Coalition in London to sit up and take notice of the needs of Wales. If Labour is given a majority on May the 5th the UK Government will yawn, roll over and go back to sleep again on matters relating to Wales. We cannot allow that to happen.”

Plaid’s candidate in Caerphilly, Ron Davies said:

Ron Davies

“Those who know Labour inside out understand what drives the party’s political aspirations –it's power for its own sake, rather than any ambition to make a real difference to people's lives. The Welsh Labour party lacks substance and ambition – and their claim that they will stand up for Wales lacks credibility after their failure to do so for the last 12 years. We can't go on like this. They want it to be 'business as usual’. My vision for devolution has always been of a Welsh Government which has the capacity, the solutions and the drive to really change Wales and to make it a more confident, more prosperous country. The only party in this election which has shown any evidence that it is in any way qualified to do this is Plaid Cymru.”

Ieuan Wyn Jones said that, in contrast to Labour, in this election Plaid is proposing a package of ideas to improve services and to reform the way government works in Wales. Plaid’s manifesto will be designed to

• Transform our schools, health service and economy
• Save money and increase transparency
• Devolve further key services to Wales and ensure fair funding from the Treasury
• Improve efficient working within the Welsh government and local government
• Strengthen Wales’s voice in London and Brussels by creating new formal intergovernmental relationships

CON DEM CAP CUT

News that the Conservative and Lib Dem plans to cut European farming subsidies over the coming years would spell disaster for the local economy. At the moment the Con Dem government is lobbying the European commission to cut the payments which amount to £280 million in Wales every year which comes in at a staggering injection of £1.4 billion over the course of the next Assembly term.

In a recent response to the Commission, the Conservative and Lib Dem UK government said, "There must therefore be a very substantial cut to the CAP Budget during the next Financial Framework." It's important to remember that one size does not fit all, farming in Wales works differently when compared to large parts of England, so if such a huge amount of money is taken out of the rural economy of Wales, jobs will be lost and many agricultural towns would be decimated.

If the Con Dem plans come into effect it will be a pretty well near fatal blow to many if not most farming businesses in Wales. The UK government doesn't seem to care about the implications of what its saying in our agricultural areas. The hundreds of millions of pounds that come to Wales from Europe every year do not stay in the pockets of farmers - it is the life-blood of farming and rural communities across Wales, and helps to keep shops, post offices and local banks open and keeps people in jobs.

Fortunately in Wales, we have had, Plaid's Elin Jones who (as Agriculture Minister) has fought hard to ensure that Wales' farmers concerns are heard at the highest level in Europe and that the Commission knows how damaging the Tory Lib Dem plans would be for our farmers.

No doubt some Conservatives will cynically deny what their party is trying to do - but we have it in black and white. The UK government's response to the commission says it all - they care nothing for our farming industry and they care nothing for the rural towns that depend on it. Yet another reason to think about voting Plaid twice on May 5th!

MEANWHILE ON RED SQUARE

I spent the morning manning a Plaid street stall and working the sunny streets of Abergavenny around ' Red Square' for Plaid with Fiona Cross (Plaid's Constituency Candidate) and local Plaid members and Plaid supporters. It was a warm mornings work and our presence (and our message) was very well received. Our political opponents were conspicuous by their absence, so we made good use of our time and talked to a fair number of potential voters and potential supporters, who were pleased to see us. Had a few interesting and eye opening conversations with an interesting cross section of people, some of whom indicated that they will vote Plaid twice.

A THOUGHT ON MOD REDUNDANCIES

News that the Con Dem Government plans to make service personnel redundant at a time when the level of overseas commitments are increasing is something that could make you wonder about the competence and the judgement of the UK Government let alone wonder whether or not the left hand knows what the right hand is actually doing. Any of our servicemen and women who are going to be made redundant need to be able to fully access timely advice on a wide spectrum of issues including: welfare benefits, employment advice, budgetary and life skills, debt management, alcohol and drug treatment, and relationship skills, in order to tackle the feeling of isolation experienced by many on leaving the forces.

Some of our Servicemen and women found out on Monday (4th April) about the terms of redundancy for 560 soldiers and 1,600 sailors. All in all some twenty-five thousand civil servants and 17,000 armed personnel in the army, navy and RAF will lose their jobs by 2015 due to budget cuts. The UK Government has a duty to honour the military covenant, which is enshrined in law so the UK government must do all it can to make training for service people leaving the forces mandatory. Anything less would be a blatant betrayal of our armed forces personnel and the often hazardous work they do.

Now a week is a long time on politics, on Friday (8th April) we learned that the Prime Minister is “actively engaged” in a reassessment of Britain's military capabilities and planned reductions in equipment and manpower. The Daily Telegraph said that the rethink has raised hopes that some of the cuts to military aircraft and ships in the Strategic Defence and Security Review could be postponed or even reversed. Insiders said it was not too late for a change of mind on the decision to cut the number of RAF Tornado's and scrap surveillance planes. Some Royal Navy frigates could also be spared, or have their retirement delayed.

In what may well be the first sign of compromise (or a not so carefully camouflaged U-Turn) on defence cuts, Cameron has now ordered the Treasury to give the Ministry of Defence a reprieve on its overspent 2011-12 budget. This £800 million climbdown will spare the Armed Forces further cuts this year. Senior government figures admitted that the Libyan conflict has raised questions about the wisdom of cuts that will leave Britain facing a “dip” in its military capabilities for several years.

The BBC notes that some analysts suggest that the MoD budget will come under renewed strain next year, with some of the pain simply deferred unless deeper cuts are made in 2012 or extra money is found for defence. A U-turn on a deeply unpopular cut or not, that's open to question - but one thing is true it is unacceptable to treat our service men and women in such an irresponsible and high handed and cavalier manner.

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

I have long believed that the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have never really prioritised any real concerns for Wales, other than nominally. Now Plaid believes that crime and justice should be devolved in its entirety to the National Assembly for Wales, and is committed to ensuring that local policing and local democratic control is maintained and enhanced.

While Plaid believes that cutting front-line policing at a time of recession is absurd, the Con Dems have other ideas. The Con Dem Government have different priorities, not just the harsh public sector cuts, which include amongst other things slashing central police funding by 20% in the middle of a recession, this decision is absurdity writ large and entirely devoid of common sense, on a par almost with reducing the size of the UK armed forces while out of European theatre commitments expand.

The Con Dem plan to introduce the unpopular policy of elected police commissioners at a cost of £50million whilst simultaneously overseeing devastating cuts to front-line policing goes well beyond adding insult to injury. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has said that this will mean there will be 12,000 fewer police officers as a result. It has also been estimated that 579 police officers in Wales will now face redundancy.

HMIC (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary) has said that a cut beyond 12% would “almost certainly reduce police availability”. Despite everything the UK Government has forced through plans which will see responsibility for appointing Police Commissioners given to the Secretary of State for Wales, despite the Welsh Assembly's opposition to the move.

As far as I can seen it appears that what little common sense the Con Dems had has been ditched. Most people will be aware that historically, in times of recession, the crime rates increase. So the Con Dem cuts mean that our communities will come to rely on the police more and more. Despite this fact the UK Government thinks it is acceptable to force a cut of 20% to the policing budget - this is madness.

Our Police forces cannot afford to lose some of their most experienced police officers, who will be the first to go. I wish someone would explain to me (and everyone else) just how exactly the UK Government honestly expects to see a fall in crime rates at the same time as slashing resources and planning to reduce the number of civilian support staff and Police Officers.

The planned introduction of elected Police Commissioners is nothing more than a flawed outdated ideology - and yet the Con Dem Government is providing £50million to force them through, whilst they simultaneously oversee devastating cuts to front-line policing. This whole sorry mess really shows where the Tories and Lib Dems priorities actually really lie, clearly Wales will never be a priority for them, fortunately it is for Plaid.

SEVERN BRIDGE TOLLS

Plaid Cymru has stated that it would significantly reduce tolls on the Severn crossings once in Government. Plaid would initiate discussions immediately for a transfer of powers in order to reduce the tolls on the bridges, which are currently £5.70 per car, £11.50 per van and £17.20 per lorry and have a considerable impact on Welsh businesses and the Welsh economy.

Back in October 2010, Professor Peter Midmore's independent economic study of the Severn Bridge tolls recommended that the revenues should stay in Wales, once the crossings revert to public hands. The Professor's study found that Welsh businesses were unfairly penalised by the tolls and concluded that the money should be shared with the Assembly Government and used to improve Wales’ roads and public transport.

Under the current set-up, once the cost of the Second Severn Crossing is paid off (by 2016 or 2017) the revenue stream will revert straight to Treasury coffers in Westminster. The study of 122 businesses commissioned by the Federation of Small Businesses found the tolls had a negative impact on 30% of firms in South Wales, compared with 18% in the Greater Bristol area. While noting that the economic impact was not substantial for most, the study found that transport, construction and tourism-related companies reliant on regular crossings suffered increased costs and reduced competitiveness.

A Plaid Cymru government would view it as essential that control, or at least shared control, over the operation of the bridge be devolved to the Welsh government at the earliest opportunity in order to ensure that action could be taken to significantly reduce the tolls. And would use any money raised by the tolls for maintenance of the bridges and the upgrading of Welsh infrastructure and not for private profit.

At the moment the operation of the bridge is in the hands of a private company (Severn River Crossing PLC) with the contract likely to end in 2017 at which point the bridge will revert to the Department for Transport in London. The private company that runs the Severn Toll Bridges managed to raise around 226m over the three years (up to June 2010) yet barely spent £15m on essential maintenance on the original crossing's damaged cables.

That the bridge tolls have been used used as little more than a cash cow, to fleece bridge user should come as not much of a surprise to many people.The bridge tolls have become in recent years an effective a tax on jobs, a tax on commuters, a tax on growth and tax on business in the south of Wales.

Plaid Cymru argues that control, or shared control, over the bridge should be devolved to the Welsh government and that negotiations to this end should start immediately to ensure that the transfer is in place by 2017. And Plaid is committed to significantly reducing the tolls on the Severn Bridges to under £2 per car and recognises that the high cost of the tolls is a serious matter of concern for the people of Wales because of the impact it has on Welsh businesses, particularly those in freight and logistics, and on people visiting Wales.

The bridges are of such vital importance to Wales it is only right that control, or at least shared control, over them is in the hands of the Welsh people. A Plaid Cymru government would immediately initiate discussions to bring about the devolution of control, or shared control, over the bridges to the Wales.

With control over the bridges, Plaid would significantly reduce the cost of the tolls to under £2 a car and would also introduce new collection techniques so that people crossing the bridge would have an alternative to paying by cash. Any profit that is made will be used to maintain the bridges and upgrade Welsh infrastructure.

SUPPORTING SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES

Small businesses play a significant role at the heart of our communities; they create wealth and sustainable employment opportunities for local people. Profits and investments made by them tend to stay within the communities where they are based. For too many years economic development in Wales has been focused on large scale development of what can be best described a single egg solutions, which promise much and deliver significantly less, the focus should be on developing small to medium size local businesses, which are significantly less likely to up sticks and leave for perceived greener pastures and fresh applications of development grants.

This focus on attracting large scale single enterprises, which promise much but deliver significantly less than anticipated. The LG development near Newport, is a good example of an expensive disaster / fiasco [please take your pick] which promised the usual total of 6,000 jobs - accrued significant public funding - which was committed by the then Welsh Secretary, William Hague, yet never delivered anything like what was promised. While anyone (even a Tory) with half a brain or even half an understanding of the state of the Korean and the Far Eastern economies at the time that and a basic understanding of where technological developments in relation to PC monitor screens were going, would have put their hands up and said hang on a moment.

A combination of what can best be described as fantasy island economic assessments, a fatally flawed business case and a forthcoming Westminster election led to one of the spectacularly duller decisions of recent years being made, something that ended up costing us millions of pounds worth of public money. The old WDA has in truth not really consistently delivered anything like long term economic stability and much needed long term job opportunities to our communities that it should have done considering the amounts poured into it..

European funding opportunities have been seriously squandered, where are the physical assets, by which I mean the things you can literally put your hand on like improved communications (rail and road), broadband infrastructure, etc - that bring long term benefits to our communities. How much money has been scammed (and scammed may be the key word) into dubious training programmes and questionable educations programmes that fail to deliver the necessary skills that workers and potential workers need to make a decent living in the modern economy?

The Plaid driven One Wales Government has made significant efforts and attempts to think and act differently when it comes to economic development and support for small to medium sized enterprises, which are the only real thing that will put wealth into our communities, and develop and sustain longer term employment possibilities. Attracting branch factory operations of a relative short term duration does not help develop our economy - we really do need to think differently and focus economic development priorities on smaller local businesses who will be rooted in our communities and offer more flexible employment opportunities.

Over the last twenty years the commercial hearts of many of our communities have been seriously damaged as a result of a combination of aggressive policies pursued by the larger retail chains and exceptionally poor decision making on the part of local government and central government indifference. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have noted that the UK loses 2,000 local shops every year and that of this rate of loss continues then by 2015, less than 4 years hence, there will be potentially few independent retailers left in business, something that will badly hit both consumers and our communities hard as they lose any real choice in the marketplace and lose potential job opportunities.

When this decline is combined with the rapid growth of unsustainable out of town and edge of town retail developments which leave next to no place for the smaller local businesses and retailers and deprive consumers of real choice - then it is clear that we have a real problem on our hands. Factor in parking charges, business rates and the effect of the closure of high street banks and post offices in many of our communities and you begin to see why many of our smaller businesses and local shopping centres are up against it.

Local small businesses as well as trading with us the consumers, also trade with each other - so the community gets twice the benefit. Money spent by and in local businesses spends on average three times longer in the local economy than that spent with chain stores which is instantly lost to the local economy which in times of recession our communities can ill afford.

The Welsh Government needs to have the power to vary business taxes in order to help boost our businesses, as well as encourage investment in skills and the tools of their businesses and their workers. If we are going to make Wales a nation of aspiring entrepreneurs and to encourage and enable them, our communities and our economy to flourish we need to encourage the development of community owned social enterprises.

The Rowlands review into the provision of growth capital was most welcome; it recognised that an economical vibrant SME sector is vital for economic growth. There has been a lack of provision for companies in Wales who are looking for between £2 and £10 million pounds in capital, this has to change if we are to encourage sustainable economic growth and development.

It’s pretty clear that the present financial market and its institutions have failed over recent years to supply sufficient venture capital for the SME sector in Wales. We need our own venture capital fund for Wales, which should be established by, but independent of the Welsh Government. Such an independent venture capital fund could raise capital and deliver investment through a co-investment model, with approved private sector partners to our SME sector, where such investment would make a real difference.

More of the same old twaddle from Whitehall and Cathays won't do at all, vastly expensive one egg, one basket schemes to generate the seemingly standard 6,000 jobs, just won't do. And speaking of twaddle, which was all that we were offered by the Wales based branches of the London based political parties, what we need is fresh thinking and action  - more than just talk, we need some concrete steps to encourage growth, boost manufacturing industry, support our small to medium sized enterprises and an end to the business rates and that's just to start with... otherwise it will just be a case of same old, same old with ill thought out out public sector cuts which will do nothing to boost our communities and our economy.

THE PARTY FORMERLY KNOWN AS NEW LABOUR

The Labour Party (once formerly known New Labour) are quietly hoping that people will simply forget the terrible mess they created when they were in power at Westminster and the cuts they would have  implemented had they not been deservedly thrown out by the electorate. New (and Old) Labour were pretty good on sound-bites but well short on actual delivery, Harold Wilson, once talked about "The white heat of the technological revolution" (on October 1st 1963) yet once the dust had settled after six years of Labour Government very little had changed and very little was delivered as vested interests in the Labour Movement thwarted any real economic reform.

History has almost repeated itself, save for that now after nearly 13 years in power the Labour Party is now back wallowing in its comfort zone, safely out of office at Westminster, safely free from responsibility, they are enjoying what they love to do best – attacking the Tories. And talking up the Tory threat (as well practised by Peter Hain) in the Welsh General election is Labour's bottom line and works along the line of if you tell a simple big enough lie often enough then people will eventually believe it.

There is a long history of to the Labour sound-bite, Harold Wilson said in his 1961 Labour Party Conference speech "The Labour Party is a moral crusade or it is nothing". It seems that the answer is that it is nothing. More recently Tony Blair said "It is not an arrogant government that chooses priorities, it's an irresponsible government that fails to choose". New Labour consistently failed to choose to act to make Wales better and consistently choose to put Party interest before principle and the interests of the people of Wales.

At one very basic level, why not? There is certainly a great deal to attack the Tories (and their Liberal Democrat little helpers) for when it comes to our public services and our economy. But do Labour, not so New, Not so New Labour or whatever they choose to call themselves actually have any real credibility when it comes to attacking the Tories on these issues?

Certainly the party formerly known as New Labour's recent history is marked by a series of of opportunities wasted by Labour in government, the things they could have done, and were supposed to fight for, but chose not to. Fair funding for Wales under Labour, so that would be a No then. Electrifying the Great Western from Swansea to London, that would be a very reluctant Yes, but only after Plaid (and Ieuan Wyn Jones) put them in a situation where they had no other option - originally they planned to electrify the Great Western from Bristol to London - perhaps they helped that we in Wales would not notice.

To sum up, Labour are the 'friends' who are never there when you need them. Labour was the friend that the people of Wales turned to for the best part of one hundred years when faced with economic and political adversity. Through strikes, recession, the Thatcher and Major years the people sought comfort from their natural political home and got scant reward for it during the 13 years of Labour Government. New Labour did nothing to curb the irresponsibility of the bankers and little to support our manufacturing industry and or small to medium sized businesses, that are the lifeblood of much of the Welsh economy.

When given the opportunity (and the Westminster majority to match) to implement real and lasting improvements to the lives of its loyal supporters, New Labour was the friend that offers warm words in opposition, but is never there when you really need them, when they actually had the power to deliver for the Welsh people, they chose not too. Come the 5th May, we all to remember New and Old Labour's failure to deliver for Wales, and cast our votes accordingly.

AV - JUST A THOUGHT?

One of the more eloquent points in favour of the Alternative Vote (AV) may well be the fact that Margaret Beckett, Nick Griffin, John Prescott and David Cameron are against it.

ENERGY, WATER, THE CROWN ESTATES

News that a future Plaid Government will formally request that responsibility over the country's natural resources be transferred to Wales should come as no surprise. The request for devolution of decision-making over large-scale energy production; control of the nation's water resources; and control and ownership over the vast Crown Estates is absolutely the right call.

The transfer of these responsibilities would give Wales the ability to properly plan its energy and water needs for the crucial 50 years ahead and would build our nation's resilience and reduce dependency on external un-secure energy sources. Gaining control over the nation's resources would give Welsh businesses the opportunity to take full advantage of Welsh natural resources in the decades to come.

This is a key election issue which clearly shows that only Plaid has the ambition to see all our communities really benefit from our own natural resources while the old Westminster parties are more than happy to sit back and let decisions about our future remain in London. Our country is blessed with a huge energy potential which we need to develop, yet control over many parts of it remains in Westminster.

It cannot be right that our National Assembly continues to have no control over an area of such importance and potential to Wales. We need Wales to become a world leader in sustainable green energy production, and we could also create thousands of green jobs.

However,unlike in Scotland, decisions over all large energy projects have been deliberately retained in London by the previous Labour Government. The transfer of these responsibilities would give Wales the ability to properly plan its energy and water needs in the crucial 50 years ahead, building our nation's resilience and reducing dependency on external energy sources.

At present countries all around the world are very busy planning their energy needs, we need the control to do the same. Wales needs to have responsibility over its resources in order to make the decisions that will help develop Welsh businesses in a key growth sector.

The old New Labour Government in Westminster made sure that control over water and large energy projects was specifically kept under the control of Westminster. And this situation has continued under the current Conservative–Liberal Democrat Government. Plaid's manifesto will include a pledge to seek control of our own natural resources.

If it's good enough for Scotland, then it's more than good enough for Wales. The Westminster-based parties are sending a very clear message in the coming election that they clearly don’t believe the people of Wales are capable of taking control over our own natural resources.

So the clear message of this election is that - if you vote Plaid, we will demand responsibility over our nation's natural resources in order to ensure our nation can take full advantage of our wind, water, land and sea.

THE CHOICES THAT WE MAKE?

Now that Scotland has joined Northern Ireland and Wales in abolishing prescription fees England is the only part of the UK to charge for them. As of today, no one in Scotland will have to pay for prescribed medicines following the move which was brought in by the SNP government. Prescription charges have been falling in Scotland for the last three years and stood at £3 before the 1st April change, which will mean the Scottish government losing out on £57m a year in income.

In reality creating Universal benefits may well prove to be a one way process, as unravelling the decision afterwards may prove more expensive than any revenues that would be raised by any prescription charges raised. At the end of the day it comes down to a matter of choice, private prescriptions have certainly not ceased to exist, only prescribed medicines are universally free.

There is a degree of irony here, in that this move in Scotland comes on the same day that charges per item rise in England by 20p to £7.40. However, despite the charge, 90% of items dispensed are given out free as children, those on low incomes and cancer patients are exempt.Under devolution, Wales was the first part of the UK to make prescriptions free back in 2007 and Northern Ireland followed in 2010.