HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2025

Today (Monday 27th January 2025) is Holocaust Memorial Day, which is commemorated each year on the 27^th January because this is the day ( some 80 years ago this year ) when the Red Army liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.   

Perhaps now, more than ever, we need to take time to remember the millions of people who have been murdered or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and in other subsequent horrors which have followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur and in Syria along with the war in the Ukraine.

 

We should also forever remember the earlier genocides that inflicted on the Armenians and the Ukrainians. It is only right and proper that we honour the survivors and continue to challenge ourselves to use the lessons of their experience to inform our lives today.

 

By the end of the Holocaust, six million Jewish men, women and children had perished in ghettos, mass-shootings, in concentration camps and extermination camps along with millions of other minorities. As Allied troops made progress across Nazi-occupied Europe, they began to uncover concentration and extermination camps and the remains of camps. 

 

The camp of Majdanek in Poland was the first to be liberated, in summer 1944. Faced with defeat and advancing Allied armies Nazi forces burnt the crematoria and the mass graves in attempts to hide the crimes that they had committed. 

 

The Operation Reinhardt camps of Sobibor, Belzec, and Treblinka were dismantled by the Nazis from 1943, and Auschwitz itself was evacuated in late 1944. 

 

The surviving prisoners, weak from starvation and ill-treatment, and poorly clothed against elements were forced to walk into the interior of Germany, away from the Allied armies, many thousands died on the enforced ‘death marches’. 

 

Soviet soldiers liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau on 27^th January 1945,  they found several thousand emaciated survivors, and the smouldering remains of the gas chambers and crematoria. 

 

In the following months, the Soviets liberated Stutthof, Sachsenhausen and Ravensbruck. In the west, US troops liberated Buchenwald in April 1945, followed by Flossenburg, Dachau and Mauthausen. British Troops liberated Bergen-Belsen on 15^th April 1945. It is estimated there were over 60,000 prisoners in Belsen by April 1945. Approximately 35,000 prisoners died of typhus, malnutrition and starvation in the first few months of 1945.

 

Back in 1999, Jewish leaders, were once asked  Tony Blair (the then UK prime minister) whether we needed Holocaust Memorial Day in Britain? 

Jonathan Sacks (the then former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth for 22 years, until 2013) noted that that, when it was proposed that the UK have a Holocaust Memorial Day, Blair wanted the opinion of British Jewish leaders. They explained that they did not need a specific day to remember as Jews.

 

When it comes to remembrance Jewish people already had Yom ha-Shoa, their own memorial day, which falls soon after Passover in the Jewish calendar. Every Jew literally (or figuratively) lost family in the Holocaust. For Jews, Yom ha-Shoa is a grief observed. 

 

The Jewish leaders said that the Holocaust was not just a crime against Jews and other victims – Roma, Sinti, homosexuals, the handicapped, Jehovah’s Witnesses and political opponents of the Nazi’s among them; it was an assault on all of humanity.  

 

As has been said previously by a survivor perhaps we need is an additional eleventh commandment along the lines of – Don’t be bystander!  

CUTTING NHS WAITING LISTS

Long waiting lists for the NHS in Wales have become a big problem, with over 600,000 people waiting for treatment. Many have to wait more than a year, and things are only getting worse. Plaid Cymru has a five-point plan to help fix this issue and make sure people get the care they need.

1. Local Treatment Centres (to get people on waiting lists treated faster)

Emergency care often takes resources away from planned treatments, causing long waits. Plaid Cymru would set up temporary treatment centre in existing hospitals, each focused on a specific type of care. By reorganising staff and using underused hospital spaces, we could reduce waiting lists by up to 30% without needing new buildings or extra staff.

 

2. Speed Up Referrals

The referral process in Wales' NHS is slow and inefficient, partly due to a shortage of GPs. Plaid Cymru plans to address this by creating a special team to   speed up referrals and quickly match patients with the right doctors. This would remove unnecessary cases from waiting lists, and support doctors with weekend approvals to free up space. This could clear up to 60% of backlogs in some areas, like dermatology.

 

3. Make Health Boards Work Together

We’ll make sure hospitals share resources and work as a team so patients can be treated faster, no matter where they live. Wales' health boards aren't working together as well as they should, leading to poor coordination and wasted resources. Plaid Cymru would introduce emergency laws to make health boards work together better and share resources more effectively.

 

4. Better Waiting List Planning

Plaid Cymru plans to improve how waiting lists are managed by setting staffing levels before treatments are planned, based on successful models like those in Aneurin Bevan. We’ll create national guidelines for managing waiting lists and use a team-based approach for patient assessments, such as whole-body check-ups by GPs to spot conditions early.

 

5. Use Technology to Help Patients

Plaid Cymru plans to use technology to improve care for patients on waiting lists. Many don’t need surgery but need better support to manage their conditions. We’ll use digital tools to help patients track and manage their care, and allow doctors to monitor them remotely. The Executive Triage Service will help sort through waiting lists and make sure resources are used efficiently, providing faster care and reducing unnecessary delays. This will create a support layer between GPs and specialists, filling a gap in current care.

A FIRST MINISTER FAILING WALES

The State of NHS shows Eluned Morgan “failing” as First Minister of Wales – Plaid Cymru  2025 will be “crucial year” as Plaid highlights its vision for leading Wales – Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth

 

The state of the NHS shows that Eluned Morgan is “failing” as First Minister of Wales, Plaid Cymru has said.

 

Speaking at the start of the new Senedd term, Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said 2025 would be a “crucial” year for Wales ahead of the Senedd elections next year.

 

The Plaid Cymru Leader said that Plaid Cymru would, over the next term, publish further details on its vision for leading Wales – beginning with a plan to bring NHS waiting times down.

 

The party will outline further details on its vision for government over next few months.

 

Mr ap Iorwerth strongly criticised the record of the Labour First Minister, formerly the Health Minister, on missed NHS targets and said that the government had failed to deliver the changes needed to fix the NHS in Wales.

 

Waiting times hit another record high late last year with over 800,000 hospital patient pathways.

 

The party’s health spokesperson Mabon ap Gwynfor previously announced plans to reform the way the NHS is run in November last year – proposals that were well received by stakeholders.

 

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said,

 

“The new year brings opportunities, but Wales is facing the same old challenges: wages not keeping up with bills, public services struggling, HS2 billions still missing, and an NHS, despite the best efforts of staff, overstretched and at capacity.

 

“A quarter of patients are currently waiting over eight hours in A&E, hospital waiting lists have topped 800,000, ambulance services are in crisis, and GP surgeries are closing. This is unacceptable.

 

“As Health minister, Eluned Morgan promised no patient would wait over 12 months for treatment by spring—a promise already broken by virtue of the fact she’s set a new target of bringing two year waits down to 8,000 by April – and based on December’s numbers even those figures are going in the wrong direction.

 

“No matter how many times this Labour government tries to reincarnate itself as being a government of delivery, it continues to fail the NHS workforce and its patients.

 

“This is a failure of delivery by a failing First Minister.

 

“2025 will be a crucial year for Wales. This year can be the beginning of the fresh start that Wales needs – with Plaid Cymru at the helm.

 

“We don’t believe this is as good as it gets. Over the next months, we will give further detail on our ambitious offer of change to the people of Wales: better public services, an improved NHS, an economy that creates good jobs, and a government that will be unrelenting in fighting for fairness for our communities.

 

“To those who want to see Wales put first, who feel let down by Labour, and are looking for an alternative to division, look to Plaid Cymru at next year’s Senedd elections.

 

“Together, we can build a fairer, more hopeful Wales and deliver the future we deserve.”

- ENDS - 

FAIR FUNDING IS NO BIG ASK

Fair funding for Wales isn’t a big ask, is it? Yet according to Labour in Wales , it seems like it is. Their latest budget doesn’t deliver fairness—it’s just papering over the cracks of 25 years of Labour mismanagement. While our NHS struggles and our economy stalls, yet Labour continues to deny Wales what it’s owed. From a fair funding deal, £4 billion in HS2 funding to control over our own natural resources, we’re left short-changed time and time again.

Labour in Wales’s proposed budget its both underwhelming and unambitious, this budget won’t even touch the sides of the crisis facing our NHS and councils. This doesn’t take into account the impact of Labour’s national insurance contributions on our public services. And more than anything, this is a direct result of 25 years of Labour in Wales mismanagement and an unfair funding deal that leaves Wales seriously shortchanged.

Instead of offering fairness for Wales, Labour in Wales have decided to intimidate opposition parties into backing its budget - which is incredibly disappointing. Giving Labour in Wales a second chance means more of the same. In 2026, we must be more resolute than ever that Plaid Cymru is the real alternative for a new government that will offer a better direction for Wales.

 

The Labour in Wales budget fails to meet the needs of Wales’ struggling public services and continues to deny us a fair funding settlement. Plaid Cymru is the only party fighting for fairness, offering an ambitious alternative with long-term solutions to improve our NHS and grow the economy.

While Labour in Wales are boasting this is a good budget for Wales but the reality on the ground tells a very different story. It’s time for a fresh start with a Plaid Cymru government. We will put Wales’ needs first and deliver ambitious, long-term solutions to fix our NHS and grow our economy. 

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY

Over this weekend, once again communities across Wales which were hit hard by devastating floods following Storm Bert ( resulting in two landslides, damage to homes and businesses, and one known fatality ) now face Storm Darragh. Last week residents were taken by surprise with inadequate warnings and failing flood defences - particularly in the south valleys - but also in and around Newport and Monmouthshire.

While there is not much we can do about the weather, much of the flooding, chaos and the cleanup are not inevitable.  Labour in Wales initiated cuts to flood prevention alongside their refusal to learn lessons from previous storms - a decision that has left our communities vulnerable to (now much more commonplace) extreme weather. 

Plaid Cymru is calling for immediate emergency funding to help those impacted by the flooding alongside long term investment in resilient infrastructure and actual government accountability – not crowd funders. Protecting high risk communities and addressing coal tip safety are also urgently needed. 

After 25 years, Labour has utterly failed Wales and taken people for granted. No fairness from London - from the £4 billion owed in HS2 cash to fair funding to control over our natural resources. And no ambition from Cardiff – just more decline in our NHS, economy, and public services and our nation needs a fresh start. 

Giving Labour in Wales a second chance after the mess they have made is not an option, to put Labour in Wales back into power in May 2026 simply means more of the same. Wales deserves a fresh start with a new Plaid Cymru government.

Only Plaid Cymru will give Wales a fresh start. After 25 years of Labour in power, we have the longest waiting lists on record, falling educational standards and an economy not realising its potential. It’s time for a new Plaid Cymru government, full of ambition and energy, to improve our NHS and schools, create jobs and grow the economy - putting Wales first to build a fairer society for all. Roll on May 2026.

NO DETAIL ON PLAN TO REDUCE WAITING LISTS

In their conference in Llandudno yesterday, Labour in Wales announced additional funding to tackle high NHS waiting lists, but there was no detail on Labour’s plan to bring down waiting lists. 

In response to this announcement, Plaid Cymru’s spokesman on Health & Social Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, said:

 

“Announcements that are heavy on rhetoric but light on detail are becoming commonplace within Labour party conferences. While bringing down waiting lists should be a priority for any government, the absence of a plan on how to achieve this from the Labour party in Wales – beyond throwing more money at the problem – means many people in Wales will remain waiting far too long for NHS treatment.

 

“We need to know exactly how the Labour Government in Wales intends to bring down waiting lists, but the increase in patient pathways in Wales for 7 consecutive months suggests they don’t know themselves. Labour have had 25 years to deliver a health service fit to serve the people of Wales, and they’ve failed to do so. It’s time for a fresh start and a fresh vision for the Welsh NHS under Plaid Cymru’s leadership.”

 

- END - 

REMEMBERANCE 2024

Another remembrance Sunday has passed and at 11:00 am on Monday 11th November) it was one hundred and sixth years to the moment when the Great War - at least on the Western Front, when the fighting was brought to an end with the armistice literally at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day. 

A few years ago we reached that point in time, where there were no more living veterans from the First World War, yet people will still pause to publically and privately remember the veterans and survivors of more historic and more recent conflicts and particularly those who never came back. 

The 947,023 military casualties (with 744,702 of them from these islands) between 1914 and 1918 (by way of comparison with the 264,000 military dead from 1939 - 1945) should still shock us even now.  

The killing continued through the morning of the 11th November - with the  French soldiers who were killed on the morning of the 11th November 1918 having the dates on their deaths recorded as the 10th November rather than the 11th. In Mons where the first world war in the West began and ended for the BEF there are memorials to the first and last casualties on the Western Front. 

My family like many others in Wales (and elsewhere on these islands and across the Commonwealth) had relatives who served and survived and also relatives who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars and other subsequent conflicts. 

My lost relatives (and their missing descendants) from time to time, periodically play on my mind, particularly at times like this - my maternal grandmother’s lost two brothers in the First World War and its aftermath. Her elder brother was a regular soldier, who wrote home and told them not to allow his younger brother to join up and to come out to France. 

Sadly it was, however, too late as the younger brother had already joined and was killed in action in 1918 and is buried near Amiens. My paternal great grandfather (and my grandfather) both served in the First World War and survived but came back as deeply changed men (as did many).

As someone, coming from a relatively large extended close family, I am of an age, were I grew up with a generation of older relatives a number of whom had seen active service in the second world war in the Navy, Army, Air Force and the merchant navy.

They like many from those generations rarely talked about their actual experiences of the war, and then perhaps save only occasionally to those who they had served with, and who would have understood, because they had survived similar experiences. Younger relatives have also served in more recent more modern conflicts around the world and fortunately have come back. 

As I have said before I have absolutely no problem remembering those who lost their lives and the courage, comradeship and their endurance of those who served in the First World War and other more modern conflicts (and not necessarily those who served in the armed forces). 

I have no time whatsoever is rose tinted sentimental nostalgic flag waving foot-tapping pap. As has been said elsewhere, soldiers don’t go into conflict aiming to die - not for the politicians, for patriotism or even us - but they often can end up dying with their friends and comrades with whom they served. 

The first world war was the first conflict when real concerted efforts were made to remember and record all of those who had fallen - particularly because of the decision (taken for a variety of reasons) not to bring the fallen home for burial. 

One consequence is that far too many literally still lie in corners of foreign fields, are names on war memorials, faded photographs, faded memories or too many literally have no grave at all. 

Speaking of another bloody conflict across the Atlantic, the, US President Abraham Lincoln noted at Gettysburg the fallen had given their last full measure of devotion. And that what we do or say does not really matter in comparison with what the fallen (and those who survived) had done. 

It may be more true today that the world will little note the current crop of political leader’s lyrical wittering on conflict (both recent or older) or long remember them. What we should never forget what the former soldiers and veterans did and what they went through and too many still live with. 

We should not just cherish their memory but should ensure that after their military service they remain fully honoured as should be the military covenant. Never again should it ever be found that dead heroes are cheaper to honour than live ones.