VOTE PLAID TWICE FOR A BETTER WALES

Today's Welsh national election is our chance to help change our country for the better. In these challenging times Wales needs a strong and ambitious party in government, not more of the same from the others. Plaid has shown what we can do to protect Wales during the difficult years and its now time to do more. Raising standards in schools, creating new jobs and improving our hospitals must be the priority. If we want an ambitious Welsh Government to get on with the job, then vote for it.

So in today's Welsh national election, vote Plaid twice - for a better Wales.  The Polls open until 10pm tonight!

A BUSY MORNING IN ABERGAVENNY...

A brief moment in time during a busy campaign, with Jill Evans (MEP), Plaid President, Fiona Cross (Monmouth Constituency Candidate), Jonathan T Clark (South Wales East - Regional List Candidate), Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East - Regional List Candidate) and Janet Davies in 'Red Square', at Plaid Street Stall, in Abergavenny on Tuesday 2nd May 2011.   

CHRIS PAUL FOR NEWPORT EAST

Chris Paul - Plaid's candidate for Newport East 

Chris Paul is the Plaid Cymru candidate for Newport East constituency in the Welsh National Election to be held on the 5th May 2011. He can be contacted via e-mail at ChrisPaul@plaidcymru.org .

Chris has lobbied against the closure of the Passport Office in Newport. He  has called for the Severn Bridge to be brought under Welsh Government control with reduced tolls. Chris will fight for better rail services and facilities at Caldciot and Severn Tunnel Junction and has called for a new railway station at Magor.

Chris Paul was born in Abergavenny in 1978 and grew up in Monmouthshire. He was educated at Monmouth Comprehensive and Dartington College of Arts. Like many he moved away from Wales to go to University and then to work. He has lived in the South West of England, London, and South America before returning to Wales to settle with his partner in 2007.


Chris has been a grassroots Plaid activist since that time and has contributed to the party at both local and national level, through policy development, canvassing, blogging, and as branch press officer. His professional background is in the private sector, grounded in the arts and media.

He currently works for an international media and events company in Bristol. Chris is an English and Spanish speaker, and Welsh learner. Apart from politics Chris is a widely published poet and critic, and plays the guitar. A member of Amnesty International, his political interests include the arts and culture, economic development, the environment and international affairs.

A SIGN OF THE TIMES...

A sign of the times...

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.