FOR OR AGAINST AUSTERITY?

Wayne David (Lab)	Caerphilly	FOR
David Davies (Con)	Monmouth	FOR
Chris Evans (Lab)	Islwyn	FOR
Paul Flynn (Lab)	Newport West	FOR
Dai Havard (Lab)	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney	FOR
Jessica Morden (Lab)	Newport East	FOR
Paul Murphy (Lab)	Torfaen	FOR
Nick Smith (Lab)	Blaenau Gwent	FOR

(Source: Hansard Parliamentary Record)  

On Tuesday Plaid Cymru MPs stood up against the Conservative and Labour party shared austerity agenda by voting against proposals for tens of billions more cuts as part of the Westminster Government's Charter for Budget Responsibility. Jonathan Edwards MP, the party's Treasury spokesperson, branded the vote "judgement day" for Labour and warned that the people of Wales will not look kindly on this decision to back Tory cuts when they go to the polls on May 7th. He added that ending austerity lies at the heart of Plaid Cymru's General Election campaign and that it was time to put a stop to Westminster's failed and deeply flawed economic plan.

Speaking soon after the vote in the Commons, Mr Edwards said:

 "We have now had five years of pain under Westminster's austerity agenda with ordinary people paying the price for the collapse of the banks.

 "Over a billion pounds has been wiped from the Welsh economy due to welfare cuts alone. This simply cannot go on.

 "It beggars belief that the Labour party was willing to follow the Tories through the lobbies and back another five years of cuts that amount to tens of billions of pounds.

 "Plaid Cymru is absolutely committed to ending austerity and providing the people of Wales with a positive alternative.

 "Through investing in infrastructure, scrapping Trident, and tackling the scandal of tax avoidance and evasion, we can secure strong, sustainable economic growth rather than leave the lives of ordinary Welsh people at the mercy of London bankers. 

 "In May, the people of Wales have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make their vote truly count. With the anti-austerity parties likely to hold the balance of power, a strong group of Plaid Cymru MPs would mean a strong voice for Wales.

 "The Westminster parties offer nothing but the same cuts in a different colour. With clear plans to recruit a thousand extra doctors, deliver a living wage and secure fair funding, only a vote for Plaid Cymru will make Wales matter in May."