HALF MEASURES OR A GLASS HALF FULL?

The devolution of control of the rail franchise (back in 2014) was welcomed along with the news that the Welsh Government would actively seek for the rail franchise to be run on a not for profit basis (something that Plaid have been calling for several years). This was important as it meant that we in Wales would be able to choose who operates its own railway for the first time. The not for dividend profit option makes the most sense as any profits made will remain within the franchise area rather than paying share holder dividends.

While that is positive stuff, it may be a case of glass half-full, as yet the element of Network Rail that covers Wales (and the marches) remains under the remit of the Department for Transport. Without full control of that portion of Network Rail the next Welsh Government will face a significant challenge when it comes to preparing for and delivering the next franchise; it is a task that must be accomplished.

One of the key elements in rebooting our economy is infrastructure investment and investing in our neglected railways.  Many of our existing railway stations suffer from some pretty significant gaps in services, and so are underused. The final stage of the rail-link from Ebbw Vale to Newport needs to be completed and new railway stations at Caerleon (which has been in the local UDP since the 1980’s), Llanwern, Magor and Little Mill (with secure park and ride facilities) provide local communities with a regular rail service and reduce the ever-increasing traffic burden from already overcrowded roads.

Over twenty five years ago as a trainee journalist with the Pontypool Free Press, I interviewed commuters on wet and windy mornings at Cwmbran and Pontypool railway stations and  wrote up news stories about the poor service and train overcrowding. I am consciously aware that we have not progressed as far as we could when it comes to developing and sustaining a decent rail service for commuters here in the South East - something which goes someway to explain why so many people chose to drive to and from work.

We need our railway stations to be real transport hubs with fully integrated local bus services and expanded safer secure reasonably priced parking. We also need better facilities at Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow, Pontypool, Severn Tunnel Junction and Lydney railway stations. We need feasibility studies into the development of a Parkway Station at Little Mill and the possibilities of re-opening the old line from Little Mill to Usk along with the development of a new railway station at Usk.

Outside of the South East, the next Welsh Government should take a more strategic view and commit to rebuilding and reopening the line from Carmarthen to Aberystwyth and push to redevelop the line north to Caernarfon and Bangor.  In Scotland, significant strides have been made to reopen; redevelop and build a coherent and integrated public transport system, something that we in Wales need to aspire to.

In Wales, we lag significantly behind Scotland, over the last 16 years there have been two successful railway re-openings carried out by Network Rail at the request of the National Assembly; the Vale of Glamorgan Railway Line (re-opened on Friday 10th June 2005) and the Ebbw Valley Railway Line (which was partially re-opened on Wednesday 6th February 2008). Unlike in Scotland here in Wales we have lacked any real political dynamism; as these were largely administrative rather than legislative projects.

Plaid Cymru believes that a revitalised not for profit railway service in Wales can and should lead to more areas of our country being opened up to both new and reopened rail services. This combined with the long overdue electrification of the valley lines no to mention the Great Western mainline to Swansea would be the basis for a decent rail network. Yet the job will remain only half done until full control of railway infrastructure is devolved to Wales so that both the development of the franchise and the development of our railway infrastructure can be planned together.

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. 

MAKE ST DAVID’S DAY A BANK HOLIDAY

Some 15 years have passed since Assembly Members voted in favour of establishing a public holiday on March 1^st. It has also been nine years since an opinion poll showed that some 87% of Welsh people backed the idea, yet nothing has happened since. That must change, if you believe that St David’s Day should be a bank holiday, then sign Plaid’s petition.

ED HAS SPOKEN…

Ed has spoken out about the failure of the energy companies to pass on cuts in their domestic retails bills to customers after the falls in the price of wholesale gas and the energy companies have trembled. All well and good, it is more than reasonable for the energy regulator Ofgem to be given new powers to force firms to cut gas and electricity bills - to reflect falls in wholesale energy prices.

Since June last year, oil prices have gone down by 50% and wholesale energy prices have dipped by 30%. But the prices being paid by households to heat their homes have not fallen at anything like that speed. 

While EON is the first of the big 6 energy cartel members to cut their domestic energy bills, it is probably fair to say that this was not driven by an Ed inspired pre panic. Energy UK – the energy supplier’s trade body’s pronouncement that they (the energy companies) are already passing on price cuts to customers. Ofgem at present does not have the power to force a reduction in prices. It is worth noting that Wholesale energy costs have been dropping in recent months, with the price of a barrel of Brent Crude oil falling to below $49 dollars this week.

The Labour leader has said that he would demand fast-track legislation on energy in a House of Commons debate next week. When he served as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 3^rd October 2008 until 11^thMay 2010, he showed no great desire to regulate the unscrupulous activities of the energy cartel on our behalf. We have been here before with mumbled words of condemnation from the former New Labour energy minister calling for the energy cartels to pass on the benefits of wholesale energy price falls to its customers. 

Warm words aside, Westminster is incapable or unwilling to deal with this problem, so perhaps it’s time for a home grown solution to the problem. We need a new Welsh national energy company, an Ynni Cymru to break the stranglehold of the Big Six energy cartel members on the energy market.

We in Wales, need a ‘not for dividend profit’ company, as with Glas Cymru works within our water industry. This would firmly ensure that customers come before shareholders dividends and the City of London and that all the profits would be reinvested back into the energy sector in our country, ensuring that Welsh families, households and small and larger businesses get a good deal on their energy and our country will end up with secure sustainable energy supplies. 

THE LEADERSHIP DEBATES

In many ways it is simply a matter of fairness - Plaid Cymru, the SNP and the Green Party should be included in these debates. Any TV debates have to be a full and accurate reflection of the choices facing voters throughout the whole UK in May. Plaid, alongside the SNP and the Green Party, represents a progressive anti-austerity alliance which, which in the event of a TV stitch up could end up voiceless in the TV debates. The Prime Minister's motives in relation to his call for the Greens to be included so that his opponents come under fire from the left might be best described as deeply cynical at best. The Conservatives would probably prefer not to have any debate at all as the format of the last leaders debate probably cost them victory at the last UK Westminster General election. Personally I have little doubt that the party formerly known as New Labour would privately agree although for different ‘Ed’ related reasons. The media has a responsibility to ensure that the voters are fully aware that there is an alternative to the Westminster austerity agenda and in the interests of democracy the compelling case for leadership debates needs to continue to be made.

A NEW APPROACH TO POLITICS

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and leader of the Green party in England and Wales Natalie Bennett have stated that all three parties will unite whenever possible to battle the Westminster parties’ obsession with austerity. Meeting at Westminster the three party leaders said that with no end yet in sight to the failed austerity agenda of the Westminster parties, the General Election next May is an opportunity to change UK politics for the better.

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said:

"Plaid Cymru and the SNP provide an alternative to Westminster’s promise of austerity and cuts to public services. As the only parties, together with the Greens, to reject the cuts consensus, it is unjustifiable and undemocratic to exclude our three parties from proposed leaders’ debates during the forthcoming UK elections. I reiterate my calls for Plaid Cymru’s inclusion in those debates in order to ensure the people can exercise their right to question and scrutinise all major parties.

"The people of Wales face a real choice at the election. All three Westminster parties are committed to slash and burn economics.

"That means cuts for the sake of cuts rather than balancing the books by investment and spreading opportunities.

"It is likely that there will be another hung parliament after the election. In that scenario, Plaid Cymru could hold the balance of power alongside our colleagues in the SNP.

"Should that happen, Plaid Cymru will seek a rebalancing of power and wealth in the UK: transferring powers away from London to Wales so more of our fate is in our own hands; spreading investment away from the booming City of London to areas in most need of investment.

"If the people of Wales return a strong contingent of Plaid Cymru MPs in May, then Wales will be best placed to secure an outcome to improve the prospects of our people and communities."

First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said:

"There is no end in sight to the Westminster cuts that are already hitting Scotland hard - the Autumn Statement earlier this month set out another £15bn of cuts that are coming our way. Not only will these cuts continue to hit hard-working families, women and the vulnerable hardest – they will also put growth and competitiveness at risk.

"But despite the deeply damaging impacts of failed austerity, the Tories and Labour have made crystal clear their determination to carry on regardless.

"And after four years propping up the Tories, the Lib Dems have no credibility. It is time for a new approach to UK politics - and for our parties to use our influence to bring about progressive change at Westminster.

"Following the referendum in Scotland, the political landscape has changed utterly. The SNP is now the third biggest political party in the UK in terms of membership.

"Last month we sent this message to the BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 - to exclude the SNP, the Greens and Plaid Cymru from general election TV debates would be to wilfully ignore this new political landscape. Put simply, it is just not on.

"Electing a strong group of SNP MPs will ensure that Scotland’s voice is heard at Westminster. Along with Plaid Cymru and the Green Party, we will work to do everything possible to tackle inequality and bring about sustainable economic growth."

Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said:

"I am delighted to have the chance to catch up with two other female leaders of anti-austerity parties in the UK. Together, we represent, with the Scottish Green Party, a new way of doing politics, a move away from the business-as-usual model of the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems that no longer represents public opinion.

"We are the voice of real change - a voice that must be represented in the leader debates next year.

"The ‘Green surge’ that has seen membership in England and Wales more than double, and Scottish Green Party membership leap more than 625% in 2014 is a sign of the shifting political landscape.

"Collectively the Green parties will be standing in more than 75% of seats in the UK, reflecting the advance of our political philosophy that rejects austerity and believes that everyone should have access to the resources for a decent quality of life, with certainty, without fear, while we all live collectively within the limits of our one planet.

"And in thinking about future financial stability, we have to focus on the reason for our current difficulties, the near-collapse of our fraud-ridden, reckless, over-large financial sector.

"Green MP Caroline Lucas is an outstanding MP. Electing more Greens next year will help to bring about a peaceful revolution in British politics, towards a government that works for the common good, not just for the few."

REBOOTING OUR RAILWAYS

The recent devolution of the rail franchise should be welcomed along with the news that the Welsh Government will seek for the rail franchise to be run on a not for profit basis (something that Plaid have been calling for several years). For the first time, we in Wales will be able to choose who operates its own railway, the not for profit option makes the most sense as any profits made will remain within the franchise area rather than paying share holder dividends. The current and next Welsh Governments will face a significant challenge when it comes to preparing for and delivering the next franchise; it is a task that must be accomplished.

One of the key elements in rebooting our economy is infrastructure investment and investing in our neglected railways.  Many of our existing railway stations suffer from some pretty significant gaps in services, and so are underused. The final stage of the rail-link from Ebbw Vale to Newport needs to be completed and new railway stations at Caerleon (which has been in the local UDP since the 1980’s), Llanwern, Magor and Little Mill would provide local communities with a regular rail service and reduce the ever-increasing traffic burden from already overcrowded roads.

We need our railway stations to be real transport hubs with fully integrated local bus services and expanded safer secure reasonably priced parking. We also need better facilities at Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow, Pontypool, Severn Tunnel Junction and Lydney railway stations. We need feasibility studies into the development of a Parkway Station at Little Mill and the possibilities of re-opening the old line from Little Mill to Usk along with the development of a new railway station at Usk.

Driver training on the Gaer spur (Ian Brewer) 

In Scotland, significant strides have been made to reopen, redevelop and build a coherent and integrated public transport system. In Wales over the last 15 years there have been two successful railway re-openings carried out by Network Rail at the request of the National Assembly; the Vale of Glamorgan Railway Line (re-opened on Friday 10th June 2005) and the Ebbw Valley Railway Line (which was partially re-opened on Wednesday 6th February 2008). Unlike in Scotland here was not any real political dynamism at work here; these were administrative rather than legislative projects.

Plaid Cymru believes that a revitalised not for profit railway service in Wales can and should lead to more areas of our country being opened up to both new and revitalised rail services. This combined with the deal over electrification of the valley lines along with the Great Western mainline to Swansea is good news, but the job remains only half done until full control of railway infrastructure is devolved to Wales so that both the development of the franchise and the development of our railway infrastructure can be planned together.