PLAID ON THE STUMP IN NEWPORT

Plaid's Maria Shellard and Leanne Wood AM / AC, Leader of Plaid Cymru

Both Labour and the Conservatives have run Newport over the last couple of decades and during that period both Newport have seen a marked deterioration in services and infrastructure. Many buildings and shops are boarded up, council services are being cut and what attempts that are made to deal with the situation seem to be half hearted and end in failure. Plaid in Newport are saying that it is time for a change and that someone else should be given a chance to run the Council and also to locally represent the people of Shaftesbury. To help ensure this change on Thursday the 3rd of May make a difference and vote for Maria Shellard and Tony Salkeld as strong voices for Shaftesbury and Newport.

Across Wales's Plaid is focusing its campaign on its strong local record in building economic recovery, supporting families and improving local services. With its record number of candidates, the party will also say that, as Wales’ only ‘local party,’ Plaid will work tirelessly to provide a powerful voice and vision for the whole of Wales.

Key Wales-wide commitments will include:

• Providing paid apprenticeship, skills and training schemes – to support our young people.
• Helping local businesses secure public contracts and providing grants and loans to fund business start-ups.
• Campaigning to save vital local services currently under threat from closure and centralisation.
• Bringing empty properties back into use and investing in more affordable homes.
• Introducing schemes to allow local communities to benefit from the ownership and control of our natural resources.

You can download Plaid's 2012 Manifesto

TIME FOR ACTION ON FUEL AND ENERGY

The Con Dem Westminster government (in its recent budget) has failed to deal with the problem of soaring fuel prices something that it hitting all of us, but, has added impact on families and businesses in our rural areas. Plaid has again called for a fair fuel regulator which would cut fuel duty when prices spike unexpectedly by freezing the price at the pump. This week's Finance Bill includes no provision for tackling the cost of fuel, which is one of the main drivers of rising inflation. The Bill faced its second reading on Monday. Plaid Cymru and the SNP tabled a motion of opposition on the basis that the Finance Bill fails to address a crucial issue which is damaging economic growth. Fuel aside, this Westminster Government, which once claimed that it was ‘the Greenest Government ever’, has promised much but has delivered little, failing to tackle our over reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation by developing renewable energy.

Plaid Cymru’s Elfyn Llwyd MP said:

"The issue of fuel prices really is the elephant in the room as far as the Budget is concerned.

"Fuel prices are one of the main sources of rising inflation yet the Chancellor has failed to tackle this problem, instead choosing to introduce tax-cuts for the rich and slash payments for the elderly.

"The Coalition has yet again shown itself to be completely out of touch with ordinary people and failed to act on an issue which affects the vast majority of the UK population.

"Rising fuel prices are a great problem for families and businesses in my constituency.

"It seems that they keep going up, whatever the government claims they have done - and so does the fuel duty that they collect.

"Motorists in rural areas spend significantly more on fuel than those in urban areas. Figures from the Office for national Statistics also show that poorer families spend more of their income on petrol than richer families, so there is an earning effect as well through soaring fuel prices.

"After 7 years of Plaid pushing for a genuine fuel duty stabiliser, it is hugely disappointing to see that neither the Labour nor Conservative governments in London have agreed to this common sense idea.

"Looking at the long term, I would also urge the Government to urgently address the lack of investment in renewable energy that we are seeing at present.

"We have to be moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels and moving towards a greener economy.

"Sadly, the Coalition's betrayal of its promise to be "the greenest Government ever" is making this extremely difficult.

"Plaid has consistently maintained that the future of energy generation lies with renewables and we will continue to campaign hard on this issue, regardless of the London parties' inaction."

THE END IN SIGHT?

The second Severn Bridge

The Highways Agency has done a deal with Severn Crossings PLC which means that they will rake at least another £33 million pounds worth of bridge tolls before the concession finally comes to an end in 2017. On the basis of current annual toll income this deal will allow the company to operate the bridges for an additional five months. Plaid is firmly opposed to any extension to the contract for the Severn Crossings with the private company and wants to see the contract ended at the earliest opportunity followed by a significant reduction or removal of tolls on the Severn Bridges. The high cost of the tolls is a matter of real concern for the people of Wales because the tolls impact on businesses, freight and logistics, on commuters and on tourism and are a tax on jobs and businesses.

ENERGY INDEPENDENT BY 2050

Denmark has announced that it will be 100% energy independent by the year 2050. The country has ambitious plans for alternative energy, which have only recently gained the favour of Denmark's leaders. In previous years, Denmark has considered energy independence and alternative energy in general as a novelty. The country has changed its perspective as alternative energy technology has grown more advanced and efficient. Denmark now has plans to expand its use of solar, wind and biomass energy.

More...

JOB CREATING POWERS COULD TRANSFORM WALES

Plaid has welcomed the Western Mail poll which show that the vast majority of Welsh voters support the devolution of tax-varying powers to Wales.

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood AM said;

"The fact that a clear majority want to see the transfer of these powers to our nation is very positive news.

“Plaid Cymru's submission to the Silk Commission has called for the Welsh Government to be able to set Welsh income tax rates.

“Having these powers in Wales would give us more tools to focus on economic growth and the creation of more jobs that would then increase the tax base.

“Surely any self-respecting Welsh Government would prefer to have control over these job-creating levers rather than see them remain in the hands of a remote government in Westminster which doesn't place the economic well-being of our nation as a priority or even an after thought.

"People are saying clearly that they want our nation to take greater control over the economic tools that can help to improve our lives. The First Minister and his Labour Government now have a big decision to make - the choice is between taking responsibility for ourselves or to continue to blame others; the choice is between home rule or continued Tory rule."

CUTS AND CONSEQUENCES

Gwent Police and South Wales Police forces have merged their forensics operations in a bid to save £1 million in public money, at a time when both forces are facing serious budget cuts, this is a sensible decision. The Westminster government announced a 20% cut in police budgets back in October 2010.

Gwent Police has to make some £34 million pounds worth of budget cuts (savings), and South Wales Police has to achieve some £47 million pounds worth of budget savings (cuts) by 2016. The new Joint Scientific Investigation Unit, which will be made up of staff from both forces, will employ 160 staff - 110 from South Wales Police and 50 from Gwent. The fact that no redundancies have been made in either force in creating the unit, should also be welcomed.

Our Police services are facing, much like the rest of us, difficult times financially, Gwent Police is planning to close 17 stations to the public as part of cost-cutting measure, changes which would save around £500,000. Despite the spin and the talk of ‘redesigning the way people accessed its services’, when the dust settles a cut is still and cut and a closure is still a closure. What this means is that from July front counter services won’t be available at:

• Abertillery
• Alway
• Bargoed
• Bedwas
• Bettws
• Brynmawr
• Caerphilly
• Caldicot
• Chepstow
• Rhymney
• Risca
• Maindee
• Monmouth
• Pill
• Pontypool
• Tredegar
• Ystrad Mynach

Gwent Police will retain the Police stations as bases for police officers, specialist departments or office accommodation. Newport’s Central Police station will remain open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Police Stations at Abergavenny, Ebbw Vale, Cwmbran and Blackwood will also remain open to the public from 08:00 to 20:00 GMT, seven days a week. Similar cost cutting measures are being undertaken by South Wales Police and North Wales Police forces.

The Police budget cuts have already lead to a reduction in Police numbers in Wales and England. There were 135,838 police officers in September 2011 - 6,012 (4.2%) fewer than the 141,850 of a year earlier. Only Surrey Police out of the 43 forces in England and Wales actually increased police officer numbers. The figures also show that police numbers have been cut further in Wales and England than they have been in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

One possibly unforeseen consequence of Police budget cuts may be a boost to the Conservative privatisation agenda – G4S a private security company has signed a deal to design, build and run a police station in Lincolnshire. This agreement between G4S and Lincolnshire Police is first of its kind in the UK. As part of the deal, around two-thirds of civilian support staff employed by the force are to be transferred across to the private sector. This contract may will save Lincolnshire Constabulary around £20 million pounds but we may well ask at what cost over the medium term to support staff terms and condition and the provision of services to the public.

While this is probably a step too far for most people, until Policing and Criminal Justice are devolved to the National Assembly. Despite any mutterings to the contrary from Labour in Wales’s elected representatives in Westminster our Police forces here in Wales are in my opinion acutely vulnerable to back door privatisation and further cuts in services. The sooner Policing and Criminal Justice are devolved the better for all of us here in Wales.

REDUCED BRIDGE TOLLS

A bridge with reduced tolls...

Motorcyclists took part in a midnight celebratory crossing of the Humber Bridge on Saturday after tolls for bikers were scrapped. Charges for cars have also been halved to £1.50. The reductions are expected to boost the region's economy by £250m. Local campaigners have long called for action to be taken on the bridge tolls and the local Grimsby Telegraph, together with its sister papers in Scunthorpe and Hull, has pressed for the charges to be scrapped or reduced to £1 for cars for many years through its ‘Axe The Toll On Health’ and ‘A Toll Too Far'campaigns. Last November, the Con Dem Government announced it would be prepared to write off £150 million of the bridge's £332 million debt to allow for tolls to be reduced in return for the Humber local authorities taking on a more equal share of the outstanding debt of £182 million. Nice if you can get it...