A THINNING BLUE LINE

At the end of the day, the Welsh people have a simple democratic right to have a greater say in something so fundamental to civilised community life as policing. This is already the case in Scotland, Northern Ireland, London and Manchester. Policing is only one side of the coin, to make devolved policing work, there is also a need to devolve control of criminal justice. 

I have been long convinced that now is the time is right to devolve policing powers to the Welsh Government in Cardiff. Devolving policing powers would increase the accountability of the Welsh Government; strengthen the democratic process by allowing decisions, which directly impact on the Welsh people to be made, reviewed, revised and changed here in Wales. 

The recent Con Dem and Conservative cuts may shape policing and set the policing agenda here in Wales for the next twenty years. Fundamentally policing decisions in Wales need to reflect the needs and concerns of our communities, not the cost cutting agenda of the current Conservative Prime Minister (and previous Home Secretary) and the Ministry of Criminal Justice in London.

Plaid Cymru has rightly pledged to “stop the thin blue line from breaking” and to boost funding for the Welsh police forces. The party’s Home Affairs spokesperson, Liz Saville Roberts, has pledged to boost police funding in Wales by devolving policing to Wales.

The Westminster Government last year delayed the introduction of a new funding formula for forces in Wales and England after a “statistical error” was discovered. Once this new funding formula is introduced, the Welsh police forces will be £32 million a year worse off.

The devolution of policing would mean the Welsh police forces would be exempt from the Tories’ planned £32 million cut to their budgets and would lead to an additional £25 million through being funded through the Barnett formula meaning a total difference in Welsh police budgets of £57 million between Plaid Cymru and Conservative policy.

Our police forces are in favour of devolution, as are all four of the Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales. Plaid Cymru called a vote on devolving policing during the passing of the Wales Bill through the Houses of Parliament. We should remember that given the choice of devolving Policing to Wales, the Conservatives voted it down and the Labour Party abstained.

There are 19,704 fewer police officers in Wales and England since the Tories took office in 2010 but the Scottish police force has been exempt from Tory cuts due to the fact that policing is devolved to Scotland.

Plaid Cymru’s Home Affairs spokesperson Liz Saville Roberts, said:

“Governments have a duty to keep our country safe and secure but the number of police officers has plummeted since the Tories took office in 2010 and they want to slash Welsh police force budgets by £32 million a year. The forces are already suffering from severe cutbacks and we have to stop the thin blue line from breaking.

“The Tory review before the election sought to change the funding formula to place greater emphasis on socio-economic data and more general crime figures which wouldn’t have properly considered the workload differences of each constabulary. It would have benefitted urban areas like London at the expense of the Welsh forces. The change was delayed but voters should be in no doubt that once this election is over, the Tories will try again.

“If we devolved policing to Wales, not only would we be able to focus on Welsh policing priorities but they would also be funded in line with population. Figures by Dyfed Powys Police indicate that funding our forces in line with population would result in an additional £25 million for the four forces in Wales, and they would be exempt from the £32 million cut from Westminster.

“The difference between Tory policy and Plaid Cymru policy is £57 million a year for Welsh policing. ​We will be actively pressing the Westminster government to implement a formula that does not disadvantage the four Welsh forces, but the case for the devolution of policing to the National Assembly grows by the day and has never been stronger. It seems the best way to protect our policing system is to remove it from the simplistic one-size-fits-all approach at Westminster and operate a system that is developed in Wales and works for Wales.

“Only Plaid Cymru can defend Wales from the Tories in Westminster. The Labour Party abstained on the devolution of policing – a vote for Labour is a vote for the status quo of weak and distracted opposition, allowing the Tories to get away with it.”

ENDS

  

Number of police officers in England & Wales statistics:

http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN02615/SN02615.pdf

THREE POINT PLAN FOR TACKLING CHILD POVERTY

Quality childcare is part of the answer to ending child poverty, Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood has said. Visiting a nursery in Llanelli (on May 26^th), the party leader unveiled the party's three-point plan to tackle child poverty.

Leanne Wood said that it is a damning indictment of Labour's legacy that 200,000 children in Wales are living in poverty, with 90,000 in severe child poverty. She said that Plaid Cymru's plan aims to break the cycle of poverty and lower educational attainment that comes with that.

Plaid Cymru's three-point plan to tackle child poverty includes:

• Free full-time nursery places for all three year olds and extending the provision of 12 and a half hours to all two year olds in Wales. This would provide children with early educational input giving them the chance of the best start in life as well as helping parents to return to work or work longer hours to improve families' income levels.
  
  
• Measures to lift households out of fuel poverty. Plaid Cymru will create a Welsh energy company, Ynni Cymru, to use profit from Welsh resources to cut the cost of energy for thousands of families across Wales. Through NICW we will also embark on an unprecedented retrofitting scheme to make homes more energy efficient.
  
  
• Scrapping the bedroom tax, which has resulted in little savings and has caused disruption and chaos.
  

Announcing the plan, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said:

"Every child in Wales should be given the chance to succeed, and access to good quality childcare is a crucial part of that.

"Plaid Cymru's child poverty action plan means providing free full-time nursery places for all three year olds and 12 hours per week of free childcare for two year olds. It also includes measures to end fuel poverty through reduced household bills and scrapping the bedroom tax.

"Despite consecutive years of Labour and Conservative rule, one in three children in Wales lives in poverty. That is not acceptable. Plaid Cymru wants to give every child every chance of success, but research tells us that children who are born into poverty are already at a disadvantage. That's why we need to break this cycle."

JEFF REES FOR TORFAEN

Jeff Rees, Plaid Cymru Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Torfaen

Now more than ever the Welsh National interest has to be defended, we need to take our destiny in our own hands and create a strong Welsh economy that can fund strong Welsh Public Services, Plaid Cymru is the only party that can do this.

I will fight for Wales to be granted its own immigration visa system. This will ensure that where the Welsh Government identifies a skill shortage in the Welsh economy those needs can be met, while protecting the jobs of those already in employment in Wales, making sure our wages cannot be undercut.

I will fight to cut VAT on home renovation costs. This would lead to a renaissance in the Welsh construction sector helping turn our country’s fortunes around - creating jobs, increasing wages and securing people’s standard of living. Torfaen's ageing housing stock offers ample opportunities for work.

I will fight to keep the British Government's hand off our NHS. Its one of Wales's greatest achievements and it would be my duty to defend and strengthen it, keeping it in public hands opposing the British Government, who are desperate to privatise it for profit given any opportunity.

Come home to Plaid Cymru.

Published and promoted by Jeff Rees (Plaid Cymru Candidate) of 16 East Roedin Cwmbran NP44 7DX

NO CLEAR WATER

Plaid Cymru criticises Labour water nationalisation plans

Plaid Cymru has criticised Labour's plans to intervene in the water industry in Wales. Despite announcing plans to nationalise the water industry in England in order to get rid of profit-making companies, Labour has failed to answer how this would affect Wales where England-based companies operate.

Labour's plans do not say whether policy control of water will be devolved to the Assembly, or whether the nationalisation will actually remove powers from Wales.

Crucially, they do not say whether English companies, operating in Wales and using Welsh reservoirs, such as Severn Trent, would be taken under English public ownership, leading to Welsh consumers having to pay the English public to use their own water resources.

Water has a specific resonance in Welsh politics as an issue of contention. Controversial decisions in the past have been made by governments and local authorities outside of Wales with no regard to Welsh opinion.

Jonathan Edwards, seeking re-election as MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, has previously called a number of votes in the House of Commons on giving the National Assembly and Welsh Government the ability to regulate Wales' water and other natural resources. A vote in the House of Commons on a Plaid Cymru amendment to remove the UK Government’s veto over Welsh water policy was defeated thanks to the Tories voting against and the Labour Party abstaining.

The recently enacted Wales Act allows the removal of the UK Government’s veto only to replace it with a “protocol” which would require the Welsh Government to seek the agreement of the UK Government before making any changes that would impact on water supply in England.

Mr Edwards said that both Labour and the Tories must stop interfering in the water industry in Wales and allow it to be determined by elected Welsh Governments. He further added that Plaid Cymru had a positive vision for the future of the water industry in Wales.

Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards said:

"Labour's plans show a complete lack of understanding of the water industry in Wales. I doubt they have consulted their own Labour Welsh First Minister, who is on record as wanting these powers devolved. It demonstrates how the Labour Party is totally London-centric.

"Plaid Cymru agrees in principle with public ownership of water, but this must be implemented by Wales, for Wales, not imposed on us by a Westminster government. 

“Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water is already constituted as a not-for-profit company and Labour's plans would not be completely relevant here. But much of Wales’ water resources are owned by England-based multi-national companies, not Dwr Cymru. Nationalising English water companies could potentially mean Welsh consumers being forced to pay another country to use our own water. That would be wholly unacceptable.

"There are three water companies operating in Wales and any plans to merge them into a single entity, if that would benefit our citizens, must be taken by a Welsh Government, not a British Government.

"Plaid Cymru will vote in favour of any nationalisation plans which also transfer policy control to elected Welsh Governments. But we will oppose any plans which keep those powers at Westminster.

"In order to promote a positive vision for water in Wales, whereby communities and citizens benefit from the stewardship and care of our own resources, we must have the power to do this in Welsh hands. No longer should we tolerate decisions on water being made outside of Wales, without any regard for our country's needs. 

“Labour’s policies for England need to respect devolution not muddy the waters further.

"Plaid Cymru is fed up of this total cluelessness from the Labour party about devolution. The country deserves better."​

  

Notes:

Hansard details the debate on “Clause 44” to remove the UK Government’s veto over matters relating to water, here:

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https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-07-11/debates/9DDE4C9F-831D-440C-BEB8-48A5767FB56D/WalesBill

CUTTING WELSH CORPORATION TAX

In a post Brexit world (if the Unionists are serious about delivering for Wales) there is no real reason why Wales could not (with the appropriately devolved powers) cut Corporation Tax to bring businesses to Wales and boost wages. Plaid Cymru AM for Carmarthen East & Dinefwr, Adam Price (speaking on the BBC’s Wales Report on Tuesday night (16^th May) said that Brexit offers opportunities for Wales such as introducing “variable tax rates across the UK” including Corporation Tax and VAT.

The Party of Wales has long advocated transferring responsibility over taxation from Westminster to Wales, ensuring taxes paid by people and businesses in Wales stay in Wales. Plaid Cymru has previously called for Corporation Tax to be linked to the size of the economy, meaning poorer areas would benefit from lower taxation whilst richer areas would pay more.

This would certainly be a fairer and more sensible system, which could incentivise businesses to invest in areas where investment is most needed, and could lead to increased wages across Wales. Brexit naturally offers some opportunities as well as some threats our economy.

Adam, Price called on politicians to take advantages of the opportunities, suggesting Wales could set lower rates of Corporation Tax than the rest of the UK, giving the country a “competitive advantage” to attract businesses to Wales and to help existing businesses grow.

Plaid Cymru’s finance spokesperson, Adam Price, said:

“Politicians from all parties must look to the future and get on with making sure we get the best Brexit possible for our country. There are specific risks to our economy with our manufacturing and agriculture sectors being heavily driven by our exports and particularly to the EU, and we must do everything we can to defend those sectors, but there are also some opportunities which are not often talked about.

“In coming out of the EU, for example, we now have the ability to set varying rates for different taxes in the different countries that make up the UK. We could have a lower VAT rate to help our tourism sector and our construction sectors for example. We could also do the same for Corporation Tax and ensure business taxation reflects the lower levels of economic strength in the different UK countries.

“If we cut Corporation Tax in Wales it would give our country a competitive advantage which would draw businesses to Wales and help those who are here already to grow, to employ more people and to offer higher wages for their employees.

“With one rate of Corporation Tax for the whole of the British State including every single country within it, there is no incentive for businesses to go anywhere but the richest areas like London and the south east of England. If we want people in Wales to be paid higher wages, to be offered better mortgages and for our Welsh Government to have more money to invest in our health service for example, we have to make Wales attractive to businesses.

“We have to make the most of every opportunity that Brexit offers and make sure we defend Wales from every threat. The only party that is fit and able to do that is Plaid Cymru.”