6 reasons to vote Jonathan T Clark in Newport West

Jonathan T Clark’s six pledges to the people of Newport West: 

We need affordable homes prioritised for local residents and we need to  end street homelessness.  

Our country lacks, a serious well thought out integrated housing structure plan, a modern planning system and a realistic vision or plan for strategically developing our housing for the future and we need to develop a sustainable protected green belt for Newport and Wales. 

We need a public transport revolution for Newport, the metro must deliver - saving our environment, our time and money. We need a new railway station for Caerleon / Ponthir and an hourly rail service from Ebbw Vale and Rogerstone into Newport.

Newport must be at the forefront of the green energy revolution - with our deep-water port, our highly skilled adaptable workforce, we are a natural centre for off-shore wind, tidal lagoons, tidal turbines and an Usk river barrage

Newport has suffered because of the obsession with directly competing with Cardiff and Cribs Causeway. We need to focus on growing small local businesses that supply our needs as well as hosting the usual suspects to bring economic life back to our city centre.

The proposed Cardiff City region and the Western Gateway project will not serve Newport well. I will ensure that Newport has a strong voice in the Senedd, I will work hard to put the interests of Newport, rather than party interests, first. 

50,000 AFFORDABLE HOMES

Plaid Cymru Senedd Election candidate for Caerphilly, Delyth Jewell, has today set out her party’s pledge to launch “the biggest public house building programme for fifty years” to help the thousands of households currently on housing waiting lists across Wales.

Delyth Jewell said that if elected on May 6^th a Plaid Cymru government would build or convert 50,000 public homes over the next five years – 30,000 council houses or other social housing, 5,000 cost-rental homes at intermediate rent, and 15,000 genuinely affordable homes to buy. 

The Plaid Cymru candidate for Caerphilly said that the pandemic had “shone a light” on the fact that the need for everyone in Wales to have a safe and secure home was currently going unmet.

She also committed to ending no fault evictions and to implement a new system of fair rents for the future, saying that it is “shameful that 41% and 48% of renters in private and social housing respectively, live in poverty”.

A new fair rents system will give local authorities the power to set a Living Rent rule for the private rented sector which will cap rent in rental pressure zones at a maximum of one third of local average income. A similar model will apply in the social rented sector, ending the current freedom for housing associations to raise rent above inflation. 

Delyth Jewell said:

“The pandemic has shone a light on the fact that not everyone in Wales has a safe and secure place to call home. This is unacceptable.

“That is why a Plaid Cymru government would undertake the biggest public house building programme for fifty years to help the 67,000 households currently on housing waiting lists across Wales.

“This would be a five-year project including a combination of council houses or social housing, and genuinely affordable homes to buy. 

“The programme will also commit to brining some of the 26,000 empty homes and flats above shops across Wales back into use.

“It is a scandal that whilst these homes lay empty, around 11,500 households were recorded as being homeless in 2018-19.

“It is shameful that 41% and 48% of renters in private and social housing respectively, live in poverty, which is why we need a new system of fair rents for the future.

“A Plaid Cymru government would be committed to going further than any Labour government before us, tackling the housing crisis once and for all and working towards our goal of securing a home for everyone in our nation.”

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POLITICAL WILL CAN ERADICATE CHILD POVERTY

Immediate action to help 180,000 children living in poverty will only begin by electing a Plaid Cymru government, Senedd candidate for Caerphilly Delyth Jewell has said.

As part of its commitment to eradicate child poverty, Plaid Cymru will provide targeted payments of £10 a week to families living below the poverty line, rising to £35 a week before the end of the next Senedd term.

Delyth Jewell said “child poverty in Wales can be ended if the political will is there” and promised a “relentless focus on breaking the cycle of poorer prospects and school attainment for children from lower income families”

Announcing the policy Delyth Jewell said,

“It is a national scandal that one in three of Welsh children live in poverty. Covid-19 has affected everyone in Wales but those most likely to bear the brunt of its short- and long-term impacts are low-income families and children living in poverty. The outlook now is even more bleak than before.

“It’s simply not good enough for the Labour government to set a target of ending child poverty 2020 only to walk away from it later.

“A Plaid Cymru government would not take its eye off the ball, child poverty in Wales can be eradicated if the political will is there. 

“The best way in the short term to lift a child out of poverty is to give her or his parents money. 

“A Plaid Cymru Government would provide targeted payments to families living in poverty, introducing a Welsh Child Payment of £35 a week to children.

“Voters can be assured that a vote for Plaid Cymru on May 6^th is a vote for a relentless focus on breaking the cycle of poorer prospects and school attainment for children from lower income families.”

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6 reasons to vote Daniel Llewellyn in Newport East

Daniel Llewellyn’s six pledges to the people of Newport East: 

We need affordable homes prioritised for local residents, We need to end street homelessness and we need to develop a sustainable protected green belt for Newport and Wales.

Wales’s lacks, a serious well thought out integrated housing structure plan, a modern planning system and a realistic vision or plan for strategically developing our housing for the future. I will fight to help establish protected green belt land around our urban areas.

Newport must be at the forefront of the green energy revolution - with our deepwater port, our highly skilled adaptable workforce, we are a natural centre for offshore wind, tidal lagoons, tidal turbines and an Usk river barrage

We need a public transport revolution for Newport, the metro must deliver and quickly - saving our environment, our time and money.  We need new stations at Somerton, Llanwern and Magor and we need them urgently.

Newport has suffered because of the obsession with directly competing with Cardiff and Cribs Causeway. We need to focus on growing small local businesses that supply our needs as well as hosting the usual suspects to bring economic life back to our city centre.

The proposed Cardiff City region and the Western Gateway project will not serve Newport well. I will ensure that Newport has a strong voice in the Senedd, I will work hard to put the interests of Newport, rather than party interests, first. 

OUR LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE: NO TUITION FEES

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has set out his party’s long-term goal of making university education free again, starting with a reduced cap on fees.

A Plaid Cymru government if elected in May would reduce the maximum tuition fee chargeable to Welsh-domiciled students at Welsh universities to £7,500. 

Adam Price also said that a Plaid government would raise the teaching grant payment associated with each student to better reflect their subject’s reasonable costs and its social economic value to students and taxpayers.

He added that Plaid Cymru would also increase grant funding for the most disadvantaged students so that more financial resources reach the institutions educating the students that are most likely to need extra support.

Owain Arwel Jones, a pupil at Ysgol Thomas Jones in Amlwch, says that he had always wanted to go to University, but that he’s been reconsidering his plans over fears that certain facilities may shut again, and yet students will be expected to pay the full costs. Knowing that Plaid would bring in an immediate cap of maximum fees, Owain says, would give him that “extra reassurance” that going to University is the right decision.  

Adam Price said:

“Young people have been hit particularly hard by the Covid pandemic with many of them left rethinking their future options.

“We want to make access to a university education as much of a level playing field as possible, eventually making university education free once again.

“A Plaid Cymru government’s first step towards achieving this goal would be to cap tuition fees for Welsh-domiciled students at Welsh universities at £7,500 – a reduction of £1500.

“We will in tandem increase the level of direct university funding, adjusting the teaching grant payment associated with each student to better reflect the subject’s reasonable costs and its social and economic value to students and taxpayers.

“To make sure disadvantaged students get the support they need, a Plaid government would also increase the amount of teaching grant funding that follows them so that the right financial resources flow to those institutions educating the students most likely to need such support.

“We want to reverse the brain-drain that’s happened in recent years by incentivising our young people to stay in Wales to study. Cutting tuition fees while investing more in Welsh universities – for example through the £100m increase annually in government funding for university research – will make Welsh universities more attractive to our young people, encouraging more of them in future to stay here to work and live after graduating.”

Owain Arwel Jones, a pupil at Ysgol Thomas Jones in Amlwch, said

“I’ve always wanted to go to University, but at the start of the year, I had to seriously reconsider my plans because of the pandemic. What put me off going is the fact I’d have to pay the full tuition fees but I might not be able to use all the facilities if they have to close again due to coronavirus. I want to study Welsh and Journalism, so using the library will be really important to me. 

“I support Plaid Cymru’s pledge to immediately cap tuition fees, because that would provide me with that extra assurance that I’m making the right decision, knowing the fees aren’t going to increase any more. The decision to go to University has been made harder because of the pandemic, and I could see how this would put people off going. I fully support Plaid Cymru’s plan to make university accessible and affordable to all in Wales.”

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A SMARTER ECONOMY FOR WALES

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has today (Sunday 25 April 2021) launched his party’s Business Manifesto, setting out ambitious plans to create “a smarter economy”.

Adam Price said that “Wales has one of the lowest levels of local business ownership of any advanced economy” and that a Plaid Cymru government “would ensure that a new emphasis is placed on supporting indigenous firms with potential for growth”.

One of the main pledges is emergency Covid-19 support for businesses in the form of zero interest loans that Mr Price said would help “accelerate the post-pandemic recovery”, as well as emergency reskill grants to address skill shortages in specific sectors.

Other elements of the Plaid Cymru Business Manifesto include:

• Providing immediate Restart Grants of up to £20,000 to businesses in the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors (and others affected by lockdown restrictions).
• Developing Emergency Reskill Grants to address skill shortages that may emerge in specific sectors of the economy, for example in hospitality.
• A Local First policy built around local ownership of business.
• Introducing proposals during the coming Senedd term for a Site Valuation Tax covering commercial and industrial land – agricultural land will be exempted – aimed at scrapping non-domestic rates.
• Offering Business Protection Grants of up to 90% of fixed costs for businesses that will continue to be affected by the effects of the pandemic over the course of the next 18 months.
• A Make it Welsh policy to substantially increase the proportion of our economy which is domestically owned.
• Delivering a £6bn programme of investment to support business development and a Welsh Green Deal.
• Establishing Prosperity Wales, and arms-length all-Wales development agency to provide effective policy delivery for business.

Adam Price said:

“Wales has one of the lowest levels of local business ownership of any advanced economy. That must change.

“Our plans for a smarter economy will be based on expanding, supporting, and protecting domestic businesses. A Plaid government will ensure that a new emphasis is placed on supporting indigenous firms with potential for growth.

“We recognise that the past year has been a huge challenge for Welsh businesses. That’s why a Plaid government would bring in emergency Covid-19 support, offering zero interest loans for business to accelerate the post-pandemic recovery.

“My focus as First Minister would be on supporting as many people as possible back into work, be that through Plaid Cymru’s Youth Job Guarantee or by supporting businesses with additional financial support.

“We would extend business rate relief to the hospitality sector and other worst affected businesses, initially until the end of June and longer as necessary.

“In addition, we would develop an emergency support scheme to cover up to 90% of fixed costs for businesses that will continue to be affected by the pandemic over the course of the next 18 months.

“Other policies range from boosting procurement to driving up levels of innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Our £6 billion programme of investment – the Welsh Green Deal – would create up to 60,000 jobs ensuring that job-creation and growth benefit the economy and environment alike.

“This is an ambitious, fully-costed plan that proves that Plaid Cymru is the party of Welsh business.”

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WALES AND THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Welsh Commonwealth sprinter Mica Moore backs Plaid plan to host games

Plaid Cymru’s Senedd Election candidate for Ynys Môn, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has announced that a Plaid government would bid for Wales to host the Commonwealth Games in either 2030 or 2034, boosting the Welsh economy and the nation’s profile on the world’s sporting stage.

Rhun ap Iorwerth pointed to Glasgow’s “overwhelmingly positive” experience of hosting the Games in 2014 as a possible blueprint for Wales, adding that the event contributed up to £740m to Scotland’s GVA in gross terms.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, who was part of the team behind Anglesey’s successful bid to host the International Island Games in 2025, added that hosting the Commonwealth Games could bring not just economic benefits but wider public health benefits to Wales too through improving facilities and inspiring people to take up new sports.

The Plaid Cymru Senedd candidate for Ynys Môn said:

“Following Wales to France for Euro 2016 was a special experience that will stay with me forever.

“I want us to be able host similar international events here at home so that Wales too can become a stage for world-renowned sporting contests.

“That’s why a Plaid Cymru government would bid for Wales to host the Commonwealth Games in either 2030 or 2034, boosting our global profile and bringing a range of economic benefits.

“Glasgow’s experience of hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014 was overwhelmingly positive and one Wales could learn from in preparing our bid.

“Figures show that the Games contributed up to £740m to Scotland’s GVA with an estimated 690,000 people visiting the city of Glasgow spending a reported £280m whilst there.

“Hosting the Games would require investment in sports venues and transport infrastructure, creating employment opportunities and leaving a legacy of world-class facilities for Welsh communities to use and enjoy for many years to come.

“I hope that hosting the Games would inspire a new generation of Welsh athletes to follow those already making our nation proud on the world sporting stage.”

Cardiff born sprinter Mica Moore, who competed for Wales in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow said,

“As a proud Welsh athlete this is incredible news to me that Plaid Cymru are pledging to develop a bid to host the Commonwealth Games in Wales.

“I competed at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014, and that was my experience of a home games. The stands were jam packed, the crowds were so loud, everybody felt like they were cheering for us and it showed in our performance because we got a national record that still stands today.

“To have the opportunity to compete for Wales in front of a home crowd is something that I would love for the up and coming athletes in Wales to experience, and even if I'm not competing then, I'll be stood right at the front of the stand cheering on the rest of Wales.”

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LEARNING FROM SMALL NATIONS

Plaid Cymru Shadow Education Minister and Senedd Election candidate for Arfon, Siân Gwenllian, has set out how a Plaid Cymru government would work towards providing free school meals for children in Wales, helping to close the attainment gap and tackle child poverty.

Figures from the Child Poverty Action Group show that around 70,000 children in Wales living below the UK poverty line are currently not eligible for free school meals.

 

Siân Gwenllian said that the policy would focus on supporting Welsh farmers and businesses through boosting local procurement, and that the rollout should begin by extending free school meals eligibility to primary children from households in receipt of Universal Credit. Every child in primary school would receive free school meals before the end of a Plaid Cymru first term in government.

 

Siân Gwenllian said:

 

“The attainment gap poses a real challenge in Wales. A Plaid Cymru government would start the important work of closing this gap expanding free school meals provision, starting with extending eligibility to all primary children from households in receipt of Universal Credit.

 

“By the end of the first term of a Plaid government, we would extend the eligibility even more by offering free school meals to all primary pupils, going further than any Labour government ever has.

 

“With almost one in three children in Wales living in poverty and the last Labour Government having scrapped their target of eradicating child poverty by 2020, a Plaid Cymru government would focus on addressing this failure. 

 

“Wales can learn from other small nations such as Finland and Sweden who place an emphasis on Free School Meals as an investment in effective learning and children’s early development. 

 

“Plaid Cymru’s free school meals plan would also benefit wider society, placing a focus on supporting Welsh farmers and businesses through boosting local procurement, and promoting the benefits of nutritious, home-grown produce in terms of health, the economy and the environment.”

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RE-OPENING INDOOR HOSPITALITY

A Plaid Cymru Government would also backdate financial support to April 26^th

 

Responding to the latest update on Coronavirus restrictions from the Welsh Government, Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said,

 

“The collective effort of the people of Wales exemplified by the heroic vaccination rollout by our incredible NHS staff have allowed for the relaxation of restrictions.

 

“A Plaid Cymru government would plan for the reopening of indoor hospitality, tourist accommodation, cinemas and other entertainment venues on May 17th. To put businesses on the best possible footing our first steps in office include providing start up grants for hospitality businesses.

 

“Additional financial support would also be backdated to April 26th for those businesses that cannot viably trade on the basis of outdoor opening alone.

 

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SUPPORTING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES

For too long far too many small and medium sized businesses in our country have been denied access to credit by banks and this has prevented the growth of our private sector. Our over centralised dividend driven pretty much rootless London based banking model that has been followed in the UK is incapable, indifferent or simply unwilling to deliver or support economic development in our country. In Germany, the Sparkasse and Landesbanken operate on a geographical basis, and have developed special expertise in the local industries so that they are better equipped to make investment decisions and should offer a real alternative. We need to develop Industrial Innovation Clusters in key areas of our economy and to expand the role of the Development Bank of Wales and support the creation of a Community Bank to help  domestically owned businesses grow their market share and to put down deep roots in our communities. The Welsh economy needs to be locally owned and to pay higher wages. Jobs and investment need to be shared across the whole country. Our economy needs be more balanced and much more diverse and our public finances need to be stronger. If we can accomplish this then the talent we have in Wales will be developed and retained.

CUTTING COUNCIL TAX

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has today outlined how thousands of Welsh households will see a cut in their council tax under his party’s plans to reform the current “unfair and outdated” system.

Adam Price pointed out that the values of properties in different parts of the country have changed differently over the 18 years since the last revaluation in 2003, citing the example of Blaenau Gwent where it has increased more than twice as much as in Wrexham.

The Plaid Cymru Leader said that around 20% of households in the bottom fifth of income distribution would see their council tax bill fall by around £200.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said:

“The Institute of Fiscal Studies describes Wales’s current council tax model as ‘out of date, regressive and distortionary’. It is unsurprising but entirely unacceptable that Welsh families have been hit by a total of £13m of council tax arrears during the pandemic. 

“That is why a Plaid Cymru government would take immediate action to reform this deeply unfair system and help the average household make their weekly budget go further.

“The value of properties in different parts of Wales has varied considerably over the 18 years since the last revaluation in 2003. For example, it has increased twice as much in Blaenau Gwent as in Wrexham.

“As the IFS also notes, making council tax proportional to up-to-date values would lead to average bills falling by more than £160 in Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot and Blaenau Gwent.  

“This progressive policy will form part of Plaid Cymru’s wider programme for government which has fairness for families at its heart.”

ENDS

PROTECT, PRESERVE, PROMOTE RURAL WALES

Plaid Cymru launched its Rural Manifesto today (Tuesday April 20th) vowing to be the only party that will truly “protect, preserve and promote rural Wales”.

Speaking ahead of a visit to Fferm Hafodwen in Johnstown near Carmarthen, party leader Adam Price said Plaid Cymru “recognises the immense contribution that the agricultural sector makes to Wales economically, environmentally, socially and culturally” and vowed that a Plaid government would work “for the benefit, not to the detriment, of our wider rural communities”.

Policies included in the wide-ranging manifesto address issues such as NVZ Regulations, Welsh Food Production, Rural Crime and promoting Welsh produce around the world.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said:

“Our manifesto for rural Wales outlines the key policies that a Plaid Cymru Government would introduce after May 6th in pursuit of the better future our rural communities deserve.

“We will strive to ensure that our food system works in the interests of our family farms and our local producers and processors by making Wales more self-sufficient.

“We need shorter food supply chains and greater capacity to grow, process, distribute and sell our own produce. That’s why a Plaid Cymru government would reform public procurement so that the purchase of Welsh-produced food is prioritised by schools, hospitals, and council offices.

“We would also create and promote a ‘Made in Wales’ official brand that will be carried by any product or service where 50 per cent of the value is created in Wales. Our country has some of the best produce in the world and a Plaid Cymru government would do fare more to promote it across the globe.

“We know that rural communities are being hit hard by the second homes crisis which is why Plaid’s policy to deliver 50,000 affordable and social homes will improve the provision of homes for local people.”

Llyr Gruffydd,  and Clwyd South candidate said:

“Farming and the wider agricultural sector have been badly let down by Labour and the Tories.

“A Plaid government would annul the unfair and disproportionate NVZ regulations introduced by Labour and work to protect Welsh food producers from the trade barriers erected by the Tories’ hard Brexit.

“We would also introduce a CAP replacement scheme that would guarantee a baseline support payment for farmers to offer the industry greater economic stability at this challenging time.

“Another area where a Plaid Cymru government would help our rural communities is in tackling crime. By working with our Police and Crime Commissioners we would increase the capacity of our rural crime teams. We would also demand greater powers to tackle rural crime, particularly farm theft and the protection of livestock from dog attacks.

“This is a wide-ranging set of pledges that shows that Plaid Cymru is firmly on the side of rural communities. We understand the challenges and we’re committed to protecting, preserving and promoting rural Wales for future generations.”

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YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH HUBS

Plaid Cymru Senedd Elections candidate for Ynys Mon Rhun ap Iorwerth, has today pledged to create a network of 14 ‘youth wellbeing centres’ throughout Wales to support young people’s mental health.

Rhun ap Iorwerth said that the walk-in centres would offer early intervention for young people who are not ill enough to require advanced psychiatric treatment but still need support for their mental health and are therefore vulnerable to “slipping through the net.”

 

Official figures show that in September 2020, more people were waiting for mental health treatment than any other condition.

The policy would be based on a successful model used in New Zealand and would revolutionise the way in which young people access mental health support. 

Plaid’s policies on youth mental health provision have been supported by Bricks Magazine creator and editor Tori West, who frequently discusses mental health with her large following on social media platforms.

Ms West noted that Plaid’s youth wellbeing centres would be a “great step forwards for Wales”, and whilst reflecting on her own experiences said that she feels her symptoms wouldn’t have progressed as she got older had she had access to support when she was younger.

Plaid Cymru candidate and health spokesperson Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

 

“As a father of three young people, I know how hard the pandemic and all the challenges that come with it have been for their generation. 

 

“That’s why a Plaid Cymru government would create a national network of 14 wellbeing one-stop shops in currently unused town centre premises where young people could get advice from counsellors and therapists. 

 

“Research by Mind Cymru found that 74% of young people aged 13-24 said their mental health had deteriorated during the first lockdown. 

 

“There is a real danger that these young people who are not ill enough to require advanced psychiatric treatment but still need mental health support could slip through the net.

 

“Fantastic work is already carried out across Wales by support centres and organisations, but such ventures need and deserve far more support. 

 

“Plaid’s plans would aim to fill the large gap in provision which has grown under the last Labour government and send a clear message to Wales’s young people that we are firmly on their side.”

Tori West, mental health advocate and editor and creator of Bricks Magazine and said,

“Plaid Cymru’s policies on youth mental health is a great step forwards for Wales, and it’s important to me in particular because of my own experiences within the system.

“Early intervention and early access before someone reaches breaking point is crucial, something that the Youth Wellbeing Centres would play a huge role in.

“Young people being able to walk into these centres and access support when they feel they need it is imperative, as well as there being more provision of CBT and rehabilitation for those with eating disorders.

“I feel as though if I had been offered more support earlier in life it would have prevented me from having worse symptoms as I got older.”

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