PLAID HOPE OR REFORM CHAOS

Election is a straight choice between Plaid hope and Reform chaos – Rhun ap Iorwerth

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS will today address his party’s Spring Conference hailing the upcoming Senedd Elections as a straight choice between Plaid’s hopeful vision and the chaos Reform’s ex-Tories would bring. 

Speaking to delegates in Newport, Rhun ap Iorwerth will set out the positive case for voting Plaid Cymru on May 7th whilst accusing Reform of having “no accountability, no seriousness, no policies, and no shame in using our nation just as an electoral springboard, nothing else.” 

Rhun ap Iorwerth MS is expected to highlight the contrast between his party and Reform with Plaid Cymru’s hopeful vision, and will to stand up to Westminster in a way the current First Minister is unwilling to do so:

“We offer hope - hope that can overcome people’s fears of other political forces leading Wales down a dark path.

“Hope that things can get better for our Health Service, that our elderly relatives won’t have to wait so long for treatment or that the burden of childcare costs on our sons and daughters’ household budgets will be eased.

“And hope that, finally, Wales will have a government willing to stand up to Keir Starmer, to Jo Stevens and anyone else denying our nation the fairness it deserves.”

The Plaid Cymru Leader will warn that Reform-run councils England are the “canaries in the mine” when it comes to what the party would have in store for Wales:

“Friends, for Labour, the party is over - and so the election in May will be a choice between two contrasting futures.

“Tolerance or division. Progress or decay. Defiance or deference. Culture or ignorance. Humanity or indifference. Plaid or Reform.

“Conference, we all know that a Reform government full of ex-Tories would set our country back decades.

“Faceless candidates and feckless council leaders from Northumberland to Kent are the canaries in the mine when it comes to what Farage has in store for our parliament and our people.

“They say they accept devolution, for now. But they’d turn against it on a whim. We all know they have zero loyalty to Wales and our nationhood.

“No accountability, no seriousness, no policies, and no shame in using our nation just as an electoral springboard, nothing else. 

“And what of Farage’s man in Wales? An ex-Tory leader of a London council? Thatcher’s own council no less, but this man took privatisation to levels even she didn’t imagine.

“When we asked for a Barnet consequential, this really isn’t what we had in mind!

“With such a damning litany for a parade of ex-Tories, you’d expect them to be no-hopers too. But they’re not.

“They have deep pockets to spread propaganda and evangelise the deep fakes of Musk’s putrid platforms, and they have the right wing media in the palm of their hands.

“But despite their rags, and their riches, Wales would be so much wealthier without them.

In advance of launching Plaid Cymru’s ‘First 100 Days’ plan for government, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS is expected to say how his party will aim to deliver better government for the people of Wales:

“I want us to do politics differently in Wales. And here’s how.

“From Brexit to Covid, a sense of being unheard and not listened to has been normalised.

“A feeling of being left behind, of helplessness in the face of events and tribulation, of being let down, even abandoned by conventional politics - and the ‘establishment political parties’ - is manifest.

“We have to promote the kind of democracy that engages people and dispels cynicism.

“By empowering individuals and communities, something which runs deep in our thinking and in our values, we can revitalise what has become an almost redundant political model. We can offer Wales a different kind of deal, drawing on our collective experiences and aspirations to shape a better Wales.

“We aim to be known as a team that runs a better government, or quite simply got the basics right.

“We’ll be people centred, thinking always of the impact our policies, legislation and actions will have on people’s lives in Wales.

“We’ll be open, transparent and digitally driven, sharing information and insights, highlighting opportunities and challenges – to build a new confidence and a new trust in our Welsh democracy.

“We’ll be cooperative and collaborative, bringing people together within government, across the public sector business and beyond, to solve common problems together.

“And above all else we’ll be unrelenting in our focus on outcomes not outputs, leaning in not on how much we do but rather on the return we get from doing it.”

- ENDS -

REGENERATION - A PROCESS NOT AN EVENT

With spring and an important election (in Wales) approaching there is a whiff of regeneration in the air…

Let’s be honest, if you live in Newport or various parts of Gwent and are reasonably familiar with your home community, then over the years you may have noticed that redevelopment / regeneration comes and goes over the years, in many shapes and formats, in any particular community or town at any given time.

Regeneration schemes will have cleaned areas up, built in cycle routes, created transport plans, pedestrianised streets, reopened them to traffic, re-pedestrianised them and (as is the case in Newport and no doubt elsewhere) made certain streets shared space with both cars and pedestrians (which is actually not as crazy an idea as it sounds, and it actually works) and so on. 

In Newport we have seen parking has been restricted, created and removed, made free and charged for, we have seen bus lanes created, removed and been given limited and varied hours all within a few tier software local government.  

Now this is all well and good and while it may from time to time reflect the latest trend in regeneration and redevelopment, at the end of the day has it made the places where we live, work, socialise and shop and visit actually any better? 

The one question that tends not to be asked, and hence not answered is: Has the regeneration process or scheme increased or generated wealth in our communities or provided people with the opportunities to get jobs, to go into business for themselves or generate wealth? 

One of the unintended features of redevelopment is that quite often it can be perceived as being driven from the top down i.e. by elected bodies whether they be County Councils or the Senedd or Westminster government.  

Regeneration should never simply be a process that merely consults after the plans have been drawn up - thats not consultation thats simply window dressing.

Real and meaningly consultation should take place before, during and after - any process not run this way runs the real risk of becoming deeply flawed. 

Local communities and towns and cities of South Wales have over the years has been the recipient of much grant aid, development and redevelopment schemes and initiatives - how can we measure success? 

Measuring a regeneration schemes success should be a key factor in any regeneration scheme. 

This is the key question that needs to be asked - after the cement and the paint has dried, after the development / redevelopment / regeneration professionals have banked the cheque and moved on - have the various schemes made a real difference to our communities and our lives. 

I mean beyond any immediate physical improvements to the environment, have they made a real difference when it comes to wealth generation in the area affected by the regeneration scheme and can the people who live here actually see and benefit from the change? 

If the end result is in reality a makeover, and the targeted community is no better off, save for being bereft of the 'regeneration funds' that have been effectively hoovered up by professional regeneration companies - some of whom make a good living out of regeneration - then we should ask is this success? 

How do you make regeneration projects work beyond the tick box list of the regeneration schemes managers? 

One key component that is often ignored or marginalised during the regeneration process is the communities greatest resource - its people.

If we really want to develop strong sustainable communities, then any regeneration scheme should from the start and at every stage of the process involve the people who are going to live and work in the redeveloped area after the scheme has been completed. 

 

We don’t need regeneration professionals coming into an area and engaging in a largely token consultation process. They should directly talk to land listen to local people (who are an asset to the process) rather than at them, and actually find out what they would like to be done, what they actually want for their community and their town.

If you are reusing or renovating old buildings then any regeneration scheme needs to ensure that old buildings can make a sustainable contribution after the regeneration scheme is finished. 

If we do this rather than merely making a token gesture towards public consultation, then any regeneration schemes will, with hard work, really begin to deliver tangible benefits to our communities. 

Regeneration schemes and projects should be bottom up rather than the top down. 

The bottom line should be when spending public money, it needs to be worked extra hard and every single possible benefit should be squeezed out and we ned to maximise the impact locally of the regeneration process and make every effort to build in local benefits into the tendering process - whether by employing local people, using local resources, local skills and local input. 

Now a plea for a more people focused and community driven regeneration is not driven by nostalgia or about living the past - we have to re-image our urban spaces for the 21st century - but not at the expense of the people who live and make their living within them. 

 

As had been said elsewhere, regeneration should be a process rather than a cash extracting event, that delivers unmeasurable success. 

THE FUTURE OF WELSH ENERGY PROJECTS

Plaid Cymru leader sets out party’s vision for future of Welsh energy projects.

A Plaid Cymru led Welsh Government would ensure Welsh communities benefit from Welsh energy projects, Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has said. 

In a speech at an event hosted by Ynni Cymunedol Cymru at Partneriaeth Ogwen in Bethesda Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth outlined his party’s vision for the future of the energy landscape in Wales.

Rhun ap Iorwerth MS also stated his party’s ‘unequivocal’ support for renewable energy and ambition to see communities ‘the length and breadth of Wales’ harness the power and potential of renewables, whilst also making it clear that the wellbeing of communities must be at the heart of the Welsh Government’s energy strategy.

In his speech, the Plaid Cymru Leader will announce several steps a Plaid Cymru Government would take to ensure communities in Wales benefit from energy projects in their communities, steps that are designed to “support a just, green transition that ultimately sees communities take more of their economic future into their own hands”.  

Rhun ap Iorwerth will announce Plaid Cymru’s intention to:

• require a minimum community-ownership stake of between 15 and 25% for all energy projects over 10 MW, or equivalent means of capturing community benefits, while also increasing the number of communities who have the capacity and ability to buy in to projects at scale,
• establish a national energy body for Wales that would be responsible for developing large-scale projects, embedding meaningful community ownership, and supporting smaller-scale community energy initiatives.

Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, is expected to say:

"Plaid Cymru supports renewable energy unequivocally just as we believe that the wellbeing of communities has to be at the heart of the Welsh Government’s energy strategy.

“Unlike the climate change deniers in Reform, we know that the transition to Net Zero and to greater energy self-sufficiency in an era of increased global insecurity is not optional.

“Our super-abundance of wind, water and waves means that Wales has the potential to be a green energy powerhouse. Done right, the green energy transition comes with major social and economic opportunities. I am clear that Welsh communities can and must benefit fully from Welsh renewables. And that includes a fair share of the profits.

“What does this mean in practice? It means building the infrastructure we need in a way that minimises and works to offset the impact on those who live closest to it. Above all, it means greater local and community ownership of energy produced in Wales.

“Ultimately, we think that increasing communities’ share in the ownership of Welsh renewables is the best way of securing a higher level of reinvestment in those communities in the longer term. A Plaid Cymru government will require a minimum community-ownership stake of between 15 and 25% for all energy projects over 10 MW, or corresponding means of capturing community benefits as a key condition for consent.

“We propose a single national energy body for Wales responsible for developing large-scale projects, embedding meaningful community ownership, and supporting smaller-scale community energy initiatives – all framed by the clear remit of retaining more of the value of Welsh renewables in Wales and helping to reduce energy bills over the medium to long term.

“If I have the privilege of becoming Wales’s First Minister following the election in May, we’ll do more to support a just, green transition that ultimately sees communities take more of their economic future into their own hands. 

- ENDS -

ANOTHER BIG WESTMINSTER PROMISE

So there we have it - the Labour Westminster Government has committed itself to funding seven new train stations in Wales and has also endorsed a long-term pipeline of rail enhancement schemes worth billions of pounds. Good - get on with it! 

The current PM Keir Starmer has given his backing to a wish list of projects set out in a new vision document from Transport for Wales, which over the long term could see £14 billion worth of investments across Wales - although that will be a matter for future Westminster governments.

More immediately, he has confirmed that his Westminster government will provide the finance to deliver six new stations between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel, as well as a new station at Deeside that will support efforts to increase the capacity and frequency of train services between north Wales and Merseyside

The five stations were recommended by the South East Wales Transport Commission, in the Burns Commission Report, which set up by the Welsh Government after it decided not to proceed with the £1 billon M4 Relief Road, and have an estimated cost of more than £300 million. 

These are: Magor and Undy; Llanwern; Cardiff East; Newport West; and Somerton. Along with the smaller Magor and Undy walkway station, each has an indicative price tag of £70 million. All are currently going through the design process ahead of planning. It is anticipated that the Magor station will be the first of the stations to be completed. 

This is good news - it just seems to have taken an age to get here. Although from a local perspective the absence of a commitment to build a railway station to service Caerleon remains disappointing - and shows a lack of any real vision. 

Yet the Labour Westminster Government’s announcement will have a more than a touch of déjà about it for many people in Wales. The new railway stations were already announced in last year’s Spending Review, with funding spread over a decade. Simply reheating old promises is far from the generational transformation that Wales was promised.

Most people in Wales are aware that our nation has been systematically short-changed on rail for decades, not least through the misclassification of HS2, which has deprived us of billions of pounds in consequential funding. 

So without correcting that injustice and devolving rail infrastructure powers in full, Wales will continue to be reliant on short-term funding cycles and overhyped announcements from Westminster - with the knowledge that the goal posts can be moved it the Westminster bubbles priorities change.

Rail funding is still not devolved unlike in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Manchester. As yet we don’t know when and where the money will actually come from. And there is no actual promise or commitment of £14 billion. 

Was we have is at best a “potential pipeline of future projects” which Transport for Wales expects to cost £14 billion. Again, the UK Government has not said it will allocate £14 billon. It has said it endorses the vision of these projects. 

The devil will lie in the details and the delivery. Westminster promised to electrify the main line from London to Swansea - but by the time the dust settled the promised electrification only got as far as Cardiff. That said but for Plaid’s intervention it would never have gone beyond Bristol. 

What we need is a truly transformative approach which would mean fair funding, full powers over rail, and a rail strategy that serves the whole of Wales. That’s what a vote for Plaid Cymru on 7th May 2026 will demand.

THE NATION OF SANCTUARY - THE TRUTH

There still seems to be much misunderstanding about what the nation of sanctuary programme actually was and did. 

And there are those who are doing their best to stir things up for their own political ends. 

The truth is somewhat different...

CONSPICUOUS BY THEIR ABSENCE

Urgent action must be taken to protect May elections from Russian interference - Ben Lake MP

Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion Preseli, Ben Lake, has criticised Reform UK for being “absent” from a parliamentary debate on Russian interference, in the wake of the jailing of its former Welsh leader, Nathan Gill, for “treachery.”

Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate on Monday (9th February), Mr Lake said the scale of public concern was reflected in Wales having the highest numbers of signatories to the petition that triggered the debate.

His comments follow the jailing of Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, who was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison after admitting to taking bribes in exchange for promoting pro-Russian positions in speeches and media interviews while serving as a Member of the European Parliament.

Mr Lake warned that the upcoming Senedd election in May could be held under laws that are not yet strong enough to prevent foreign interference. He urged the UK Government to act swiftly to implement new protections for UK democracy.

The UK Government-commissioned review into foreign political interference is expected to report its findings in March. Mr Lake told MPs that, while it may not be possible to pass new legislation before elections in Wales and elsewhere in the UK in May, ministers must be ready to act immediately once the review is published.

He warned that failing to do so would leave future elections vulnerable to covert interference, including the use of opaque financial structures to channel foreign money into UK political debate.

Mr Lake also called for urgent scrutiny of loopholes in existing law, including the use of limited partnerships registered in Wales, which he warned have been exploited to channel foreign money into UK politics. He urged ministers to ensure that these mechanisms are fully examined as part of the review.

 

Speaking in Westminster, Ben Lake MP said:

“Wales is one of the areas that has secured the highest concentration of signatories across the entirety of the UK. It will come as no surprise to anybody that the reason for that interest and level of concern in Wales is the antics and treachery of the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, Mr Nathan Gill. As has been mentioned, he has been jailed for 10 and a half years for accepting Russian bribes to the tune of some £40,000 for making pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament and to the media. As I think everybody will agree, the man has committed treachery for £40,000, so we must ask serious questions about his integrity and that of his party, whose members I notice are absent from today’s debate.

“I want to make two broad points. The first is to explain why it is so important that we waste no time in implementing measures in response to the findings of the review that the Government have rightly called for and initiated. I understand the review will report its findings in March. I plead with the Government Minister to ensure that the findings are acted on as soon as possible, so as to preserve the integrity of our democracy. Sadly, it might not be possible to bring about any legislative changes in time for the elections in Wales and other parts of the UK in May this year. Nevertheless, it is important that we do not waste any time so that further elections are not influenced in any way by the scourge of Russian interference.

“I also ask the Minister that, as part of the review’s considerations, we look at the egregious loopholes in our current laws that the Russian state was able to exploit by funnelling money through to political actors and traitors in the UK for their own ends. I would like his reassurance that one particular device and mechanism being examined is the creation of Welsh limited partnerships. It is a subject that a whole host of investigative journalists have written about in some detail, and which I would very much like to hear the Government state that they are looking at. Such devices are created in Moscow in Russia and are then used to funnel money into our political discourse and political actors who try to interfere and influence our debates in malign ways that are very difficult for us to spot, or at least not very easy for the Electoral Commission and other authorities to act on effectively.

“I will end by reflecting on why that is so important. The Russian state is trying to target society and democracy in western countries. We should not be so naive as to think that it is not happening here in the UK.

“The strategic defence review of June last year concluded that we are under daily attack. When we talk about political interference, whether it is Russian, Iranian or Chinese for that matter, we should place that in the broader context of other hybrid warfare tactics. We need to consider that while those countries are perhaps flooding our social media feeds with disinformation generated by armies of bots, or trying directly to bribe some willing fools in our political environment, they are paving the way to undermining and corroding trust in political institutions and authorities such that we are even more vulnerable to the direct attacks they may launch, such as the terrible poisonings in Salisbury back in 2018, the arson attack back in 2024 or indeed the almost constant daily threat that these mysterious Russian research ships pose to our critical subsea infrastructure.

“By allowing political interference to continue, we risk undermining the public’s trust in all our institutions and, indeed, in the very integrity of our politics.”

- END -