IF IT’S THURSDAY… IT MUST BE MONMOUTH

Here's one I did earlier...  back in 2015

Civic society is truly alive and well in Monmouth constituency, and just as in every election I have been involved in since 1999 there are plenty of well-attended Hustings, where voters can quiz the candidates. 

The only other way to talk to voters is literally on the doorstep - when you catch people a) in and b) with the time to talk, in Monmouth constituency people raise many issues, including the bankers, Westminster MP’s corruption and expenses, recycling, affordable housing, council tax, and our NHS. 

The closing of local post offices and banks remains an issue, Europe, the referendum and immigration come up but not that regularly. The poor state of public transport (especially buses to and from Monmouth town) does come up more regularly, along with the need for better school transport, saving the smaller village and community schools. The Severn Bridge Tolls, which are a tax on jobs, commuters and businesses, comes up regularly as does the ongoing issue of better treatment for our solders, their families, our service veterans, the legacy of Blair’s wars along with other issues.

WHAT'S NEXT?

• The next Hustings in Monmouth constituency has been organised by Transition Towns. It's taking place tonight Thursday 21st April (at 7:30pm) at The Bridges Community Centre, in Monmouth (NP25 5AShttp://www.bridgescommunity.org.uk/)

• After that comes the Farmers Union Wales Hustings, which is taking place on Tuesday 26th April 2016 at 19.30pm Abergavenny RFC, in Abergavenny.

BUILDING OUR WORLD-CLASS REPUTATION

Monmouth Bridge

Plaid’s is committed to boosting the tourism sector by doubling the budget for Visit Wales and increasing the Visit Wales budget from £7m to £14m. A Party of Wales government would designate 2018 a Year of Welsh Food and Drink, 2019 a ‘Celebrate Wales’ year, and create a National Academy for the Welsh Tourism sector to provide ‘hands-on’ learning experience for students.

The importance of the tourism across Wales both as an employer and as a way of attracting investment into the country has long been recognised. This is why a Plaid government will double the Welsh Government’s funding for Visit Wales (from £7m to £14m) so that they are better placed to attract tourists to Wales.

The Party of Wales will continue to bring more people to Wales and improve the tourist experience by ensuring joined-up services and knowledge so that tourists can stay close to events, that hotels have access to the latest tourism information, that public transport is available when required and that hotels can provide the best quality of service, including the use of foreign languages.”

Something that will directly benefit the small businesses, food suppliers and food producers in Monmouth constituency is Plaid Cymru’s plan to designate 2018 a Year of Welsh Food and Drink, in order to boost local producers and our vital agricultural industry, as well as support small businesses and sellers who form the stepping stone between farm and fork.

The Welsh Government must also work hard to promote Wales as a world-class, sustainable tourism destination with activities and experiences based on our natural resources, our produce, our unique coast and landscape and our language, culture and heritage. 

We also need to give our young people the opportunity to develop careers and businesses in the hospitality industry. This is why Plaid Cymru will also create a National Academy for the Welsh Tourism sector to provide ‘hand-on’ learning to students in catering and hospitality from apprenticeships up to degree level

GETTING WALES MOVING

We need to improve rail services across Wales, planning to integrate bus and rail timetables and introduce new light rail networks, combined with active travel proposals, to keep Wales moving. Plaid Cymru has put forward a realisticvision of the future of Wales’ transport infrastructure, which includes investing in new light rail networks, community rail and safe walking and cycling routes. We also need to ensure that our public transport networks are fully integrated, so that it is as easy as possible for people to use it in their daily lives.

Lets be honest about the fact that when it comes down the revitalising of our railways (a vital part of our transport infrastructure) Wales comes of second best in comparison with Scotland and parts of England. Part of the reason comes down to the poor devolutionary settlement which failed to give Wales adequate powers in relation to infrastructure developments and part of it relates to a simple lack of will on the part of the recent Labour in Wales Government in Cardiff.  

A strong transport network is obviously particularly important in rural communities, which is why Plaid Cymru wants to create a fully integrated public transport network. It is worth noting that back February 2006,The Transport (Wales) Act, which came into effect, this gave the National Assembly powers to plan and co-ordinate an integrated transport system.

How much longer do we have to wait to see some real vision and action rather than words? In the absence of any real leadership from Cardiff Bay and Westminster the rail companies have continued to ramp up rail fares, attempting to reduce rail services, all with the tacit co-operation of successive Westminster Government's (regardless of their political hue) and the Department for transport (in London). 

Such duplicity has never been acceptable - it’s time for our government in Cardiff to take the long term view, to bite the bullet and actually put its money where its mouth is and work to redevelop our rail services, boost the development of rail freight and to co-ordinate rail and bus services across the whole of Wales. To do this effectively Wales needs to have full control of it's transport policy and transport budget devolved as quickly as possible and the franchise when it is renewed in 2017 needs to be run on a not for profit basis. 

The Party of Wales supports public ownership over the railway and we will continue to seek unrestricted control over awarding future rail franchises. When Plaid Cymru was in government we made investing in infrastructure a priority, and Wales continues to feel the benefit of this investment. We are ready to continue with this project, and invest in rail, road and digital infrastructure right across Wales.

In Monmouth constituency we need to ensure that our railway stations have more frequent stopping services and have safe, secure and reasonably priced park and ride facilities at Abergavenny, Severn Tunnel and Chepstow. New railway stations at Llanwern and Magor and at Caerleon / Ponthir would do much to cut congestion.

Our bus services need to be fully integrated with our rail services and our railway stations should be fully accessible with easy access to services for all passengers. The National Assembly should commit to redevelop and expand our rail services, as has happened in Scotland and some parts of England. Personally I would work for feasibility studies into a new station near Little Mill / Penperlleni and into the reopening of the line to Usk and the construction of a new station west of the town.

A SMART CARD FOR WALES

Plaid Cymru will establish a Smart Card system in order to give people who live in Wales access to their universal entitlements. Through the smart card, people will be able people to access entitlements including free prescriptions, free bus travel for the over 60s, and free access to museums. The Party of Wales will seek to expand this list of entitlements when Wales has the power to do so, including offering citizens zero toll charges on the Severn Bridge, and unlimited rail and bus travel, for an annual fee.

Launching the policy, Simon Thomas said that the cards would symbolise a new relationship between Welsh Government and the citizens it serves.

Plaid Cymru Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire candidate Simon Thomas said:

“Plaid Cymru will establish a new way of working across government, and between government and citizen, delivering effectively for the people of Wales.

“If elected in May, Plaid Cymru will create a Smart Card for everyone who lives in Wales, which will become the main system of delivering universal entitlements.

“Plaid Cymru’s Smart Card will entitle users to free prescriptions, free bus travel for the over 60s, free access to museums and many other entitlements.

“And as the Assembly gains powers over other aspects such as the Severn Bridge tolls, we will scrap charges for card carriers.

“Plaid Cymru will establish a new relationship between Welsh Government and the people of Wales, and our Smart Card is a symbol of that.”

Plaid Cymru Aberafan candidate Bethan Jenkins said:

“Plaid Cymru’s Smart Card will deliver free universal entitlements for the people of Wales. Under a Plaid Cymru government your Smart Card will give you access to free bus travel and free entry to museums and a series of other entitlements, and we look forward to extending this of entitlements list in future.

“It’s time for a government with a focus on what it can deliver for the people of Wales and Plaid Cymru is the change Wales needs.”

SUPPORTING OUR FARMERS

A Plaid Cymru government, if elected in May, is committed to being a strong voice for Wales’s rural communities. For far too long, Labour Ministers have consistently undermined our vital agriculture industry by making Wales the most controlled country in Europe – a decision that took £250 million out of the pockets of Welsh farmers.

Plaid Cymru wants to put this right by bringing forward policies that will ensure that the industry prospers in future. Our agriculture manifesto includes ambitious but achievable proposals to address Labour’s CAP fiasco and make sure Welsh farmers have a stronger voice in CAP simplification discussions, and scrap the six-day-standstill rule which is hampering farm businesses at the very time we need more flexibility.

Plaid Cymru has a strong track record of supporting agriculture and campaigning for rural service. Plaid’s pledges for our farmers and the agricultural sector include:

•         A fair price for produce.
•      Maximize benefits to Wales from the next CAP.
•      Use the most effective measures to control and eradicate bTB
•      Appoint an Industry Champion to promote welsh food and farming.
•      Strengthen the voice of rural communities by establishing Rural Parliament.

The Party of Wales would also introduce a strategy to save council farms from being sold off, under a wider programme to support new entrants into the industry. As part of Plaid Cymru’s wider proposals to raise procurement levels throughout Wales, Plaid would ensure that the agriculture industry benefits from this by increasing the amount of Welsh food purchased by the public sector.

SUPPORTING CAMRA’S MANIFESTO FOR WALES

I am happy to pledge support for beer drinkers and pub-goers in Wales by supporting CAMRA and it’s Manifesto for Wales. Pubs are absolutely key to the social and cultural lives of many towns and villages – which has been the case for centuries - in Monmouth constituency and across Wales many pubs play a vital prominent role in community life. 

We must protect the role pubs have in our society as well as in our economy, and so I am pleased to pledge my support for CAMRA and for well-run community pubs and breweries. I share CAMRA’s concern about the business rates faced by pubs. Too many people across Wales are put off from starting businesses due to high rates that they face.

Plaid Cymru has already pledged to cut business rates for small firms, but and extending the Rural Rate Relief to more pubs is certainly something I would personally be interested in looking into. Community pubs and real ale breweries specifically fit into Plaid Cymru’s vision of a Welsh economy that has community-focused SMEs as its backbone, so I have signed up to CAMRA’s election manifesto. 

OUR FARMERS AND THE EU

Our membership of the European Union brings massive benefits to the Welsh agricultural industry and our farming communities. As a result, our economy benefits by around £5.8billion. Wales receives significant financial support from the EU’s structural funds. The CAP provides the Welsh farming industry with substantial financial resources supporting over 80% of Welsh farmers.

DEFRA’s own figures indicate that around 55% of the UK’s agricultural income comes from CAP. In addition to the direct payments, rural communities across Wales will receive, through the Rural Development Programme, over £900m between 2014 and 2020, with over half of this funding coming from Europe.

Our ability to trade with European markets has led to Britain’s agri-food exports more than doubling over the last ten years. If Welsh farmers found themselves outside the single market then our agricultural exports to Europe would face a tariff of 14% on top of the selling price, with a higher tariff imposed on certain items.

Last year, ‘Hybu Cig Cymru’ received over £3m to promote Welsh lamb and beef to our key markets – France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Ireland. Leaving the EU would result in the UK’s beef and lamb industry incurring additional costs under export rules imposed by the World Trade Organisation. 

The advocates of Brexit suggest that the Treasury in London would make up for the loss of funds if the UK left the EU. There is of course no guarantee that this will happen. In fact, politicians, particularly those representing our big cities and urban conurbations are calling for further cuts to agricultural spend that comes from the EU.

For Welsh farming communities in particular, it is vital that we remain part of the EU. Our unrestricted access to a market of 500 million people is key to Welsh business and the prosperity of our agricultural industries. It would be simply madness if we turned our backs on one of our biggest export markets simply to indulge in the politics of Fantasy Island.