DEVOLVE THE CROWN ESTATE

Plaid Cymru has long called for Wales-specific Crown Estate figures.

Now we have them - and the case for devolving it is stronger than ever...

When Wales creates wealth, Wales' communities should benefit. 

It's time to devolve the Crown Estate.

A STUNNING GENERAL ELECTION RESULT

Plaid Cymru hail “stunning” general election result

Plaid Cymru have hailed a “stunning” general election result after retaining its two incumbent MPs and gaining two others.

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said,

 

“This is a stunning result for Plaid Cymru and testament to the real warmth and enthusiasm we have been feeling on the doorstep for the last six weeks.

 

Despite the tough context of an unprecedented Labour wave, this is the party’s best ever result in a General Election - representing the greatest proportion of seats won.

 

People were consistently telling us that they were desperate to see the back of the Tories but that Labour weren’t offering real change either.

 

Plaid Cymru stood on a positive and ambitious platform of fairness for Wales and I’m delighted that people have put their faith in four outstanding candidates to represent them in Westminster.

 

Liz, Ben, Llinos and Ann will work tirelessly to make sure that Wales’s voice is never ignored by the incoming Labour government.

 

Despite throwing everything at Caerfyrddin and Ynys Môn, Labour’s UK wide wave failed in the face of strong local campaigns and two excellent new additions to Plaid’s ranks in Westminster.

 

This result shows that Plaid Cymru is the clear alternative to Labour in Wales and our focus now shifts to putting forward a vision which more people than every can get behind at the Senedd Election in 2026.”

 

- ENDS -

THE FINAL PUSH

‘Labour fighting for London, not for Wales’, says Rhun ap Iorwerth ahead of tour of key seats

Ahead of a tour of a number of key constituencies on Wednesday, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“This election campaign has made it clear: the Tories’ time is well and truly over. After a disastrous 14 years in power and a catastrophic campaign, it’s no surprise that people want to give them a beating at the ballot box.

“As I've campaigned across Wales during this campaign, it’s obvious that Labour's looming majority is much more about rejecting the Tories than any real embrace of what Labour has to offer. It is no wonder - after 25 years in power in Wales, the Labour Party has grown arrogant, as displayed by Vaughan Gething’s decision to ignore the Senedd’s vote of no confidence in him.

“Today, I'm making a final push for Plaid Cymru’s positive message for a genuine alternative to the negativity of the Tories and the complacency of Labour. I am determined to ensure that as many people as possible hear Plaid Cymru’s passion about giving our communities a strong voice.

“In Ynys Môn and Caerfyrddin, Plaid Cymru is the party to keep the Tories out. Yesterday’s final YouGov poll for Wales proved it. In Ceredigion and Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Ben Lake and Liz Saville Roberts are living proof of the value of electing dedicated local champions to Westminster. And across Wales, every vote for Plaid Cymru is a signal of our nation demanding a voice.

“By standing in the way of Wales’ journey towards greater self-government in this election, Labour has shown itself to be fighting for London, not for Wales. Plaid Cymru will always put Welsh communities before party interests.

“The Tories have given up. Labour is taking you for granted. It's time to vote Plaid Cymru to force the next UK Government finally sit up and take notice of Wales”

- Ends - 

PUTTING THE BRAKES ON WALES

Labour are “putting the brakes on Welsh aspirations”, twenty-five years after a parliament for Wales was established, says Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS.

 

Speaking ahead of the last First Minister’s Questions before the UK General Election on Thursday 4 July, Rhun ap Iorwerth said that Plaid Cymru is the only party saying “yes” to Wales in line with people’s wishes since 1997.

 

Rhun ap Iorwerth MS will call out Labour’s 'do one thing and say another' on issues such as fair funding, HS2 money owed to Wales, ending the two-child benefit cap and devolving powers over justice and policing where any appetite by Labour in Wales to pursue these issues are being quashed by Labour HQ in London.

 

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said:

 

“The political history of Wales for nearly thirty years is one of our nation saying “yes.”

“Yes” in 1997 to having a parliament of our own and “yes” to making more of our own decisions in 2011.

 

“After twenty-five years in power in Wales, the Labour Party now appears to be putting the brakes on devolution and failing to keep pace with people’s ambitions.

 

“Whatever Labour in Wales claims to believe, any attempts to join Plaid Cymru in saying “yes” to fair funding, HS2 consequentials, scrapping the two-child benefit cap and devolving powers over justice and policing are falling on deaf ears in London.

 

“Keir Starmer has made it clear that when it comes to Wales, his answer is too often “no.”

 

“Hoarding power in Westminster is something we’re used to from the Tories, but with UK Labour adopting a similar approach, it’s clear that only Plaid Cymru MPs will give Wales a voice in the UK Parliament.

 

“Labour members in Wales are right that the two-child benefit cap is the single greatest driver of child poverty.

 

“Labour members agree with us that control over the Crown Estates should be handed to Wales, as part of the drive to unlock our economic potential.

 

“If only Keir Starmer respected them and listened.

 

“As things stand we just face more of the same – more cuts to public services but no more powers to change our nation for good.

“I urge anyone fed up of how Labour are taking Wales for granted to vote for Plaid Cymru on 4 July as the only party committed to putting our communities before party interests.”

- ENDS -

LABOUR’S CUTS WILL HURT WALES

LABOUR CUTS COULD WIPE NEARLY BILLION POUNDS FROM WELSH BUDGET, PLAID CYMRU WARN

The £18 billion spending gap in UK Labour’s recently published manifesto could wipe nearly £1bn from the Welsh Government’s budget, Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS has warned.

Speaking ahead of the BBC Leaders’ Debate on Friday evening, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS accused Labour of having a programme for government “devoid of compassion” that could drive thousands more families in Wales into poverty.

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said:

“Between Brexit lies on buses and Downing Street parties during lockdown, it is little wonder that trust in politics is at an all-time low. That’s why honesty is so critical in this General Election campaign, and that’s why Labour and the Tories’ conspiracy of silence on public sector cuts is so deeply disappointing.

“The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that whoever seizes the keys to Number 10 in two weeks’ time, at least £18 billion of cuts are coming down the line.

“Based on our population share, the equivalent cut to Wales’s public services implied by Labour’s spending plans is a staggering £935 million.

“Figures like this are difficult to comprehend so it’s worth examining some equivalent spending. A third of Wales’s total annual schools budget, the annual salaries of more than 25,000 nurses, funding for ten years’ worth of Universal Free Primary School Meals, almost the entire level of Welsh NHS spending on mental health, or more than twice the annual revenue funding for the entire Economy portfolio.

“There are 13 mentions of poverty in Labour’s manifesto, yet seemingly not one policy devised to alleviate a problem which continues to cripple far too many communities. Not even a commitment to scrap the pernicious two-child benefit cap which the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned this week will hit another 670,000 children throughout the UK by 2029. 

“The spectre of an end to 14 years of Tory rule should inspire at least some hope in people longing for a fairer future, but that is regrettably not the case. By publishing a programme so devoid of compassion, Labour is promising more of the same and threatening to wipe almost a billion pounds from the Welsh economy in the process.

“This is no time for ambition is half measures. It was Labour’s own Aneurin Bevan who said that people who stand in the middle of the road get run over. The challenges are too great and the stakes are too high for a change of government to represent little more than a change of furniture in Downing Street.

“We in Plaid Cymru know that this is not as good as it gets for Wales. That is why we are offering real change at this election. Not nudge along Westminster’s sliding scale of austerity, but bold strides to bring about the economic, structural and social transformation required to build a fairer, more ambitious nation.”

ENDS

 

EDITOR’S NOTES:

1.     The Institute for Fiscal Studies stated on 16 April: “Current policy plans imply real-terms cuts to public investment of 2.6% per year over the next parliament. Avoiding those would require increasing spending by £18bn in 2029-30.” - Where does SNP claim of £18bn cuts under Labour come from? - BBC News

2.      Plaid Cymru research has found that the £18bn spending gap in Labour’s manifesto means an equivalent cut of £935m for Wales, based on our population share.

3.     The Economist has also warned on that the spending gap could be as much as £30bn: “According to The Economist’s calculations, if Britain grows by the consensus forecast of 1.5% rather than the 1.8% expected by the OBR, the annual hole in the public finances would deepen by roughly £30bn ($38.4bn, or 1.1% of GDP).” [The Economist June 8^th 2024]

A PROGRESSIVE VOICE IN WESTMINSTER

Plaid Cymru makes an appeal to Labour voters looking for a “progressive, alternative voice”

“If you believe in the values of social justice, international peace, economic fairness for Wales and support the right of local voices to be heard, consider supporting Plaid Cymru at this election.”

Rhun ap Iorwerth has today written to Labour supporters in Wales to offer Plaid Cymru as a progressive voice in Westminster – an alternative to Starmer’s Labour.

The Plaid Cymru leader said that after 14 years of Tory rule, the Labour party is not offering “the kind of radical change we need.”

Labour has failed to offer ambitious ideas to rebuild the economy, speak out against Farage on immigration, nor commit to scrapping the two-child benefit cap affecting 65,000 children in Wales.

Plaid Cymru says that a vote for them is a vote to constructively hold an incoming Labour Government to account and to ensure that Wales’ needs aren’t ignored in Westminster.

Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“In 1997, Tony Blair secured a sweeping majority. There was a sense of real change on offer. More than a quarter of a century later, we face a similar scenario whereby a UK Labour Government seems inevitable after 14 years of a disastrous Tory administration.

“There is, however, a palpable sense that the change on offer by Labour this time around doesn’t amount to the kind of radical change we need.

“The bold, ambitious ideas required to rebuild our economy after the chaos of Trussonomics, the courage to speak out when Farage and his ilk spread their lies about immigration, and the compassion to scrap the two-child benefit cap are nowhere to be seen.

“Every single poll tells us that the Tories are finished, so this election most also be an opportunity to constructively hold an incoming Labour Government to account.

“If you believe in the values of social justice, international peace, economic fairness for Wales and support the right of local voices to be heard, I ask you to consider supporting Plaid Cymru at this election.

“The more Plaid Cymru MPs we have in Westminster, the more likely it is that Wales’s voice will be heard and our nation’s needs no longer ignored.

“If the last few weeks have left you questioning whether Keir Starmer’s Labour really speaks for you as it should, please consider voting Plaid on 4th July for a progressive voice in Westminster.”

DIWEDD / ENDS

A CLEAR WINNER FOR WALES

Rhun ap Iorwerth “clear winner” in TV debate – “real change with Plaid Cymru”

 

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth showed to the people of Wales that this election “doesn’t have to be a choice between two parties”, Sioned Williams Plaid Cymru MS has said.

 

Ms Williams said Rhun ap Iorwerth was the “clear winner” in the seven-way general election television debate broadcast this evening on the BBC.

 

Speaking after the BBC 7-way debate, Plaid Cymru MS Sioned Williams said:

 

“Rhun was the clear winner in this debate. He showed to the people of Wales that this election doesn’t have to be a choice between two parties that have converged on public spending, immigration, the two-child benefit cap, Brexit, and more. In Wales, you can get real change with Plaid Cymru.

 

“While Labour and the Tories equivocated – from immigration to the future of our NHS – Plaid Cymru’s leader spoke with absolute clarity. He showed that we have an opportunity to elect honest politicians who stand up for what they believe.

 

“After fourteen years of economic wreckers in Westminster, people are crying out for hope. I’m proud that Rhun ap Iorwerth offered hope, ambition and a compassionate vision for the future of Wales tonight.”

 

ENDS

SCRUTINY IS THE HARDEST WORD

Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, Leader of Plaid Cymru, has written about how, if you seek the responsibility, you have a duty not to shy away from it. This has been no more apparent than with the UK Covid Inquiry the week.

Something rather significant happened this week and it was as disappointing as it was enlightening.

A year since Covid restrictions were lifted in Wales, our most senior Welsh Government Ministers and current and former health officials appeared before the public inquiry set up to ‘examine the UK’s response to and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and learn lessons for the future’.

It’s welcome that we are finally shedding at least some light on critical questions which have thus far largely remained unanswered.

However what’s rather remarkable is that the evidence was heard not in Wales, but in London, and before an inquiry set up by another Government - a government whose approach to the pandemic was at the very least suspect, and which has now lost all legitimacy to govern.

Meanwhile in Scotland, the judge-led inquiry investigating the devolved strategic response to the pandemic is beginning its work this month.

In Wales, it seems that scrutiny really is the hardest word.

The absence of a Welsh Covid inquiry speaks to a wider culture permeating through our government’s ranks, its roots deepening with every year of a Labour Welsh Government.

Wales Online’s Will Hayward made the case for a Welsh Covid inquiry echoing the impassioned pleas of bereaved families. Much has been written about this week’s evidence, particularly the admission by Vaughan Gething, the former Health Minister and much touted successor to Mark Drakeford, that he hadn’t even read the key documents highlighting his own government’s lack of pandemic preparedness.

However, fleeting appearances by Wales’ key players pre- and post-Covid at a UK inquiry will only scratch the surface of what happened in the run-up and response to the Covid outbreak. That means the process of learning lessons will fall significantly short of what our nation should expect.

The principle of a full Welsh inquiry goes far beyond any sense of adversarial party politics, it’s about what’s right.

The recent decision to establish a Special Purpose Committee in the Senedd to look at any gaps identified in the UK Covid inquiry is no substitute. It is better than nothing, that is all. Its remit isn’t broad enough, and it will spectacularly lack capacity.

Devolution was to herald a new way of doing politics in Wales. Finally and incrementally we have argued the case for - and won the right to - have more powers that affect the lives of our people.

If you seek the responsibility, you have a duty not to shy away from it. I will always speak out against Tory governments at Westminster trampling over our hard-won constitutional gains. But when a Labour government in Wales runs away from accountability for exercising the powers we do hold, our democracy is all the poorer for it.

Last month, the north Wales coroner John Gittens wrote to Welsh Ministers asking them to consider holding a public inquiry following the death of four patients under the care of the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board vascular service. The wall of silence from Ministers was only broken when the story appeared in the press – and still there remains no commitment to establishing the inquiry – despite a series of damning reports into vascular services within the health board since it was centralised at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

Indeed, when I renewed Plaid Cymru’s calls on the Health Minister to instigate a public inquiry into the Health Board earlier this year, when it re-entered special measures and lost its eighth Chief Executive in nearly as many years, I was accused of “harping on”.

I make no apology for discharging my duty on behalf of constituents.

When governments get it right, they should rightly be congratulated. If common ground can be found, it’s always best to search for it. The greatest devolution dividend of all has arguably been the ability to pool ideas for the greater good, a cross party approach which is the antithesis of Westminster.

But we won’t agree on everything, and disagreeing agreeably is healthy – it’s the very essence of a vibrant political landscape – no matter how much we would like it not to be the case.

And on the most important of issues - assessing and understanding how Wales prepared for and responded to the greatest life changing event of our generation - I do wish we could find agreement.

Decisions that affect Wales must be scrutinised in Wales. To me, that’s not up for debate and neither do I think it should be for those who have both the honour and responsibility of leading our government.

( This article was published in Wales Online, Friday 7 July 2023 )

FAIRER, GREENER, AMBITIOUS, AND MORE PROSPEROUS

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MP has announced his team in the Senedd which will build "a fairer, greener, ambitious and more prosperous Wales". Mr ap Iowerth said that the party's focus in the Senedd would be "firm" on key issues including the health service, housing and living costs.

The Plaid Cymru Leader added that the group would continue to work together with the government through the Collaboration Agreement to fulfill promises to change people's lives for the better such as free school meals and reform of the Senedd, while also holding Labor to account. there are “flaws”.

Delyth Jewell has been appointed Deputy of the Senedd and will deputize for parliamentary matters including Prime Minister's Questions in the Leader's absence. Llyr Gruffydd resumes his role as Chairman of the Senedd Group while Heledd Fychan takes on the role of Business Manager. Mabon ap Gwynfor will take on the role of Chief Whip as well as responsibility for the core Health and Care portfolio.

In announcing the Senedd team, Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MP said,

"I am proud to lead a united, talented and committed team in the Senedd that will build a fairer, greener, ambitious and more prosperous Wales.

"Our focus will be firm and clear as we tackle the issues of the day: the health service, housing, and the economy - focusing on the cost of living crisis and ensuring sustainable public services.

"We will work diligently to achieve for our communities and make a difference to people's lives, working together with the government where there is common ground but at the same time holding them to account where there is a lack of urgency and provision.

"Together, we will continue to argue that Wales' best interests are served by making our own decisions as a nation. By talking to those who are confident about independence as well as those whose interest has not yet been sparked, we will continue to build the case for independence and a brighter future for all.

GROW THE CASE FOR INDEPENDENCE

Plaid Cymru and Wales Green Party create Future Cymru Forum to grow case for independence

Leaders of the two leading pro-independence parties in Wales have announced the formation of a new Forum to grow the case for independence. The Forum will consult, research and develop a ground-breaking body of work to build a "bridge of ideas to the future". Plaid Cymru and The Wales Green Party will engage widely, working together to help build the economic, social and environmental case for an independent Wales.

Announcing the creation of ‘Future Cymru Forum’ at the party’s Annual Conference, Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said it was further evidence of a “genuine agenda of reaching out to others, across the party divide, to join hands to find a shared route to independence that will produce tangible benefits for all our people.”

The aim is produce outputs that will be inspirational but grounded in robust evidence and argument that complements and supports the work of other groups. The Future Cymru Forum project will focus on topics such as:

1. Setting a framework for debate and research on economy in an independent Wales, taking note of new economy thinking, environmental value and wellbeing goals; 
2. Creating an economic plan for an independent Wales in different social and political scenarios, risks and opportunities.
3. Modelling the macro-economic impact of an independent Wales for a range of different scenarios, including forecasting of social and environmental value and GDP growth over first fifteen years.
4. Modelling the public expenditure, contributions to the foundation economy, deficit and debt over the first fifteen years, under different tax and expenditure scenarios.
5. Considering how an independent Wales could encourage a richer mix of viable business models to create environmental and public value
6. Creating ambitious new financial instruments to fund investment in a new energy future for Wales and to tackle climate change.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said:

"The Future Cymru Forum will ensure that the case for Welsh independence continues to grow, both economically and environmentally.

"Both parties recognise the need to explore the key questions surrounding independence more deeply, including the central question of how a new Welsh economy would work. In tough times, working together can turn things around. Our aim is to build confidence in a flourishing independent future for Wales.

"If we are to win independence for Wales we need as broad an alliance of possible who share the vision of a nation that is fair, inclusive, diverse and green. The Future Wales Forum is another step towards realising that vision and ensuring that Cymru's Future is in Cymru's hands."

"I strongly believe in a genuine agenda of reaching out to others, across the party divide, to join hands to find a shared route to independence that will produce tangible benefits for all our people.”

Anthony Slaughter, Wales Green Party leader said:

“I hope that the aims of Future Cymru Forum - to develop economic and environmental plans for an independent Wales - will convince, inspire and enthuse many people across our nation that vision can become reality.

“Working together, we can show positive and hopeful alternatives to the destructive agenda pursued by the Tories in Westminster that is damaging people and planet alike.

“As more and more people are persuaded by the idea of independence as a means of securing a fairer and greener future, The Wales Green Party looks forward to working with Plaid Cymru to undertake the important research required to ensure that the case for our nation to stand on its own two feet is more compelling than ever before.