Plaid Cymru outlined our ambition for a more prosperous and fairer economy at our conference in Llanelli this weekend.
We are not ashamed to be enthusiastic about the future of our country. Wales is fed up with being forgotten, ignored, sidelined by the Westminster parties. The Tories continue to deny our fair funding for HS2, depriving us of billions of pounds of consequentials for transport funding.
And what do Labour do? Cancel all road infrastructure whilst presiding over the neglect and decline of alternative greener modes of transport. Let us not forget that it is Labour in Wales who are slashing budgets of local bus services, those very services which are a lifeline for many older people and those living and working in rural parts of Wales.
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Lee Waters, just like the Tories in Westminster, has zero vision for rural Wales. Where’s the ambition, Lee? It’s easy enough to scrap rural projects for a clap on the back at COP26, but what do you offer instead?
Incisive investigations by Ben Summer and Will Hayward of WalesOnline shows that in the last four years, Lee Waters, has claimed for nearly 12,000 miles of car journeys but only three train trips. As too often with Labour, it’s do as I say, not as I do.
The only time I truly believed Lee was when he admitted – as Deputy Economy minister – that he ‘didn’t really know what he was doing with the economy’. Just admit it, Lee. You don’t really know what you’re doing with transport either, do you?
Both Westminster parties are dead set on turning Wales into an economic backwater – despite the incredible potential we have in every corner of our country.
Plaid Cymru is the only party that will demand a fair deal for our country. Every, single, day. Westminster’s disregard for Wales was summed up this week by none other than the Prime Minister himself.
Speaking in Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister said:: “Northern Ireland is in the unbelievably special position – unique position in the entire world, European continent – in having privileged access, not just to the UK home market, which is enormous, but also the European Union single market.”
Rishi Sunak was bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm about northern Ireland’s privileged access to the EU single market – as if the penny was finally – just maybe – starting to drop. A man who campaigned to rip Wales and the rest of Britain out of the world’s biggest economic zone, now singing from the rooftops about the economic opportunities of being within it.
You couldn't make this stuff up.
Like a man who smashes all your windows then gives away brand new double glazing to the neighbours.
While Mr Starmer over the road hands him the stones. Well. Wales is fed up with being short changed and being collateral damage. It’s common sense: for our businesses, for our economy, to rejoin the single market.
We will soon face a general election. Supposedly, the choice is between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. Keir Sunak or Rishi Starmer – can anyone tell the difference?
Indeed – so disillusioned are people of the prospect of grey or grey-er, that a poll this week showed that 61% of people want a completely new type of political party to take on the Tories and Labour.
Well in Wales, we already have it: Plaid Cymru is a home to anyone and everyone who wants to demand better for Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland are on the agenda in Westminster only because their politicians have demanded it.
While Welsh Labour and Tory MPs vote along party lines, Plaid Cymru MPs always vote in Wales’s interests. Only Plaid Cymru MPs and Plaid Cymru votes throughout Wales that will force the next Prime Minister to give Wales the deal that we deserve.
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