WE NEED A NEW GOVERNMENT

Plaid's cabinet in waiting to lead Wales. 

By next May (2016) our country will have had 17 years of Labour misrule. The public record on health, education and the economy in Wales is becoming increasingly grim reading. To date we have had close to 16 years of unbroken Labour misrule the end result of which is that we have a bottom of the league legacy along with an arrogant, tired, and complacent Labour government in Cardiff Bay.

Wales needs a new government, rather that more of the same – a Plaid Government would work to reverse Labour's bottom of the league legacy. The Labour Welsh Government has failed the people of Wales at a time when we needed a government to stand up for Wales.

In every key area of responsibility - health, education and the economy - the Labour Welsh Government has failed the people of Wales. Failure and smug complacency have become the hallmarks of Labour's time in power in Wales. The need for a Plaid Cymru Welsh government under Leanne Wood's strong leadership had never been greater.

Rather than having an aspiring government we have an aspirin government – whose only answer is take two and see if things will be better in the morning. The problem is that it won’t - after 16 years of unbroken Labour rule in Wales; we have been lumbered with a bottom of the league legacy that is letting down patients, pupils and public sector staff.

We gave the NHS to the world – something we should all be very proud of - but this legacy has been tainted by Labour's shameful record of running our most treasured public service. Diagnostic waiting times have never been met, ambulance target times were not met for 11 out of 12 months in 2013-14, and Wales has fewer doctors per head than most of Europe.

We have a visionless and plan-less government in Cardiff Bay. When it comes to education, the 2012 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results ranked Wales lower than every other UK nation on Reading, Math’s and Science.

The Labour Government has always been willing to blame Westminster for Wales' economic woes. By consistently failing to stand up to the UK Government and demand meaningful job-creating powers for Wales, Labour in Wales have missed countless opportunities to boost our economy and generate employment.

We have had far too much talk, and far too little action. Despite all their talk of backing Plaid Cymru policies of setting up a Development Bank and cutting business rates, they have failed to act on both counts.

Failure has become the hallmark of this Labour Government and it's time things changed. We currently have a self-indulgent, chaotic and disunited Labour party that is obsessed with dropping and downgrading targets; a Plaid Cymru government would focus on raising standards and expectations.

Plaid Cymru - under Leanne Wood's strong leadership and an ambitious programme for government - offers that change. Plaid has comprehensive plans to transform the Welsh NHS, enable our schools and universities to compete with the best in the UK and beyond, and secure a sustainable economic revival; Plaid Cymru is ready to offer the change Wales needs.

PLAID LEADER'S TOUR IN ABERGAVENNY

Leanne Wood AM / AC, Leader of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales, at the Melville Theatre, Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny / Y Fenni - Thursday 24th September 2015.

Steffan Lewis, Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales Regional List Candidate, Leanne Wood AM / AC, Leader of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales, and Jonathan T Clark, Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales, Monmouth Constituency Candidate and some of the audience. 

PLAID’S FOCUS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY

Plaid Cymru is committed to introducing Wales’ most wide-reaching, comprehensive retrofitting programme, if it is elected in May. Plaid’s Shadow Economy Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth highlighted the party’s commitment to delivering the most comprehensive retrofitting programme Wales has ever seen.

A recent report undertaken by the Institute of Welsh Affairs proved that retrofitting homes with energy efficiency measures could be an important economic tool. The IWA report found that doubling existing investment in improving energy efficiency of homes to £250 million over the next Assembly term would support nearly 9,000 jobs.

The Party of Wales Shadow Economy Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“The renewables sector is a key area of economic growth as well as being crucial in our efforts to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. But it is an area that has been sorely neglected by the Labour Welsh Government, and has most recently been put under threat by the UK Government’s decision to slash the feed-in tariff by almost 90%.

“Plaid Cymru is clear that we should be investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Our plans to roll out a home energy efficiency programme could save households money every year, would create jobs and boost the economy in every part of Wales.

“We should be particularly attentive to local companies, and ensure that as much of this as possible can be procured locally.

“Wales is an energy-rich nation and we are well-placed to benefit from the growing renewables sector. But that will not happen in a vacuum. Plaid Cymru will give the sector the support it needs to grow, so that we can all benefit.”

What next for Wales?

19.00 24/09/2015 - Melville Theatre, Abergavenny

Leanne Wood is visiting Abergavenny as part of her tour of Wales. Come along to hear what Leanne has to say and to share your thought on what the next steps should be for Wales and the Abergavenny area.

Mae Leanne Wood yn ymweld â'r Fenni fel rhan o'i thaith o amgylch Cymru. Dewch draw i glywed beth sydd gan Leanne i'w ddweud ac i rannu'ch barn am be ddylai'r camau nesaf fod ar gyfer Y Fenni ac ar gyfer Cymru.

TRY ECONOMIC FAIRNESS FOR ONCE!

The latest figures on infrastructure investment (in England) suggest that the Westminster Government still remains entirely fixated by the old pre-devolutionary idea that "all roads lead to London". Infrastructure investment in London alone is three times the entire Welsh budget, something that speaks volumes about the Tory Government and Westminster’s priorities.

Plaid fought the last election on a platform of seeking to rebalance power and wealth throughout the nations of these islands and remains committed to this vision to make sure that people everywhere will feel the benefits of a genuine economic recovery. Here in Wales, we have a tired visionless Labour administration, which is only making the situation in Wales worse. Only Plaid can and will offer people a strong government and an ambitious plan for the Welsh economy next May.

The Chancellor must use the upcoming Autumn Statement to legislate on investment that will leave no part of the UK behind. We need an Economic Fairness Bill, as proposed by Plaid Cymru, which would prioritise disadvantaged areas for investment, which would address the UK's growing inequality and end the low-wage, low-prospect status of many areas in Wales and beyond. It remains unacceptable that Wales is repeatedly treated as a second-class nation by Westminster.

A Plaid Cymru Welsh government in Wales (after next May) would roll out plans to invest in infrastructure in all corners of our country, not just a few miles of the M4 as proposed by the current Labour administration. Plaid is committed to a genuine Wales-wide recovery, which reflects a greater and long overdue rebalancing of wealth throughout the UK.