Plaid Cymru has vowed to deliver free school meals for all pupils, safeguard jobs and incomes, as well as tackling the housing crisis in Wales as its main priorities in the upcoming local elections in May.
The party launched its local government election campaign and manifesto at the Quay Hotel in Deganwy, Conwy county on Friday. The Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, outlined the party's "ambitious" policy platform, which aimed to prove that having Plaid Cymru counillors was "making a difference in communities all throughout Wales".
This comes after the party launched a co-operation deal with the Welsh Labour Government. So far, the agreement has seen the two parties tackle the second homes crisis in Wales with tougher new measures and the promise of free school meals for all primary school children.
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For the local government election campaign, Plaid Cymru has promised that it will commit to the aim of extending universal free school meals to secondary pupils within the next council term, with a focus on locally-sourced and nutritious meals. On top of this, Adam Price outlined further flagship policies such as tackling Wales's housing crisis by building more energy-efficient and carbon positive social housing, as well as affordable homes and tacking a "radical action" on second homes and homelessness.
The party added that its manifesto would focus on free childcare for all two-year-olds, harness Wales's potential for renewable, community-owned energy schemes, as well as strengthening local supply chains and support for local businesses in order to safeguard local jobs and incomes.
Speaking at the launch, Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price MS said: "Plaid Cymru has already secured free school meals to all primary school children by the end of this Senedd term. Now, we want to go further. That’s why, our headline offer in this campaign is that Plaid Cymru led councils will aim to extend universal Free School Meals to secondary pupils within the next council term.
"And we won’t stop there. We’ll tackle Wales’s housing crisis by building more energy-efficient, genuinely affordable housing, and take radical action on second homes and ending homelessness. And we’ll strengthen local supply chains and support local businesses - safeguarding local jobs and incomes in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis that many simply can’t absorb.
"This is Plaid Cymru at its best – taking action to make a real difference to people’s everyday lives."
