Plaid Cymru Llundain London: Who Would Want to hurt William Windsor?

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Who Would Want to hurt William Windsor?

The people of Ynys Mon can rest at night knowing their police are hard at it keeping a watchful eye on William Windsor who has chosen not to stay on base with his colleagues but to rent a cottage so he can have relaxing nights on the pop with his mates and the odd romantic evening. They will be pleased of course that they will not have to bear the cost but merely lose some of their policemen. Cameron talks of all of us being in the economic mess together, of fairness and respect. As ever we pick up the tab for people who seem to be on one long holiday.

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Plaid Cymru Llundain London meet on the first Wednesday of each month

NEXT MEETING : LONDON WELSH CENTRE 7.30 Wed 6 October 2010

SIMON THIRSK
author of recently published “Not Quite White”

The young Jon Bull is sent by Westminster to Wales's last remaining Welsh-speaking town to see why all attempts to bring it into the twenty-first century have failed. Waiting for him is the beautiful but embittered Gwalia... Not Quite White explores the complex tensions that spit and seethe when English colonialism and Welsh nationalism go head to head. It is a passionate defence of cultural and political identity, and a considered plea for tolerance. It is also a sustained attack on the forces of small-town bigotry and corruption. But, above all, it is an acknowledgement of the subtleties and ambiguities that exist in even the most entrenched attitudes.

Keep in touch with the events at conference with Plaid Live

Find all the latest news from the Plaid Cymru conference on www.plaidlive.com, with access to twitter, various blogs and other new media forums.
There are pictures and videos available to access, as well as a live stream from the conference hall itself in Aberystwyth. You will not have to miss a thing from the conference, with everything available at the click of a button.
The Plaid Cymru conference will be interactive; meaning that the public can give its input and express opinions regarding the events and news from the conference hall. Plaid Cymru welcomes any feedback, and would love to hear your thoughts on the conference proceedings.

Dates and locations of Plaid Cymru regional hustings announced

Time to plan for Wales' First Parliament

19 August 2010
PLAID Cymru intends to establish “clear green water” between itself and its Labour coalition partners in advance of next year’s National Assembly election, the party’s policy director said yesterday. Consciously echoing Rhodri Morgan’s use of the term “clear red water” to characterise the differences between Welsh Labour and New Labour, Nerys Evans said the party would be unveiling radical new policies in the coming weeks. Among the proposals will be one that Wales should be able to levy taxes and charges on its natural resources like water and energy sources. Ms Evans, a regional AM for Mid and West Wales, said the party needed to move into a new phase, with fresh ideas for a fully-fledged Welsh Parliament which will come into existence if the referendum on primary lawmaking powers is won next year. She told the Western Mail: “As happens for parties after every election, Plaid has obviously been doing a lot of thinking over the past couple of months about the next steps for us as a party. “Plaid’s role has been slightly different in Welsh politics, especially because the party has historically had a dual purpose which the unionist parties don’t have – winning elections and pushing forward the national project.

Constituency reform plans condemned

Plaid Cymru’s parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd MP has criticised plans by the UK Government that will slash Welsh representation at Westminster by up to a quarter, creating separate constituencies for the Welsh Assembly and Parliament, and hold parliamentary and assembly elections on the same day in 2015.
The plans were formalised in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill and in the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill.
Mr Llwyd said:
"These plans really are a recipe for confusion and disaster.
“They intend to uncouple the parliamentary and assembly constituency seats and in a separate piece of legislation have the elections on the same day.
“It is very possible that in May 2015 we will be voting in two elections for three different types of constituency and with three different voting systems.
“Like everything else that Nick Clegg and his party have done since taking the Tory shilling, they’ve made an absolute pig’s ear of this.

Website’s English-only policy

Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards MP has today called a new UK government website designed to encourage participation in ‘restoring and defending freedom’ a ‘complete contradiction of itself’.
In answer to a question from Mr Edwards to the Deputy Prime Minister, it was revealed that the ConDem government believed that translating such a website was deemed too expensive. This is despite the fact that the Welsh Assembly Government operates fully bilingual websites as do many Whitehall departments.
On the website, Nick Clegg is quoted as saying “Your Freedom is the part of the most radical shake up of our politics for decades. We encourage you to keep participating in this unpredictable forum…it’s time to have your say. After all – it’s your freedom.”
Plaid’s Jonathan Edwards MP said:
“The ‘Your Freedom’ website claims to offer members of the public an opportunity to participate in the UK’s democracy.
“By declining to translate the contents of this website into any of the other languages used by UK citizens, the Government has now effectively disenfranchised all those not comfortable in written English from having any say.

Plaid: S4C Cuts

Plaid’s deputy Leader in the Assembly, Helen Mary Jones AM, has described reports suggesting that the ConDem government will cut almost a quarter of S4C's budget as shocking, adding that such cuts would endanger Welsh language programming and Wales' broadcasting industry.
Ms Jones said that people would rightly feel misled after Conservative assurances during the election campaign that S4C would be safe under a Tory government.
Plaid Cymru’s Deputy Assembly Leader Helen Mary Jones said:
"The reports regarding S4C are shocking and suggest a clear agenda within the ConDem Coalition to slash S4Cs budget. If the reports are true, it will not only be a blow for the Welsh language and those of us who watch S4C programming, but it could severely undermine the broadcasting industry in Wales. S4C is an important player in commissioning programmes throughout Wales and an announcement like this could mean further difficulties for many companies who compete in this market.
"If these reports are true, it suggests that the Conservatives have some very serious questions to answer. During the general election campaign, key Welsh Conservative figures promised that S4C would be safe under a Tory government. It appears that those statements were clearly untrue and many people will rightly feel that they have been misled.
"I would urge those who are as shocked as I am at these reports to contact their local Conservatives and Lib Dems to ensure that they are fully aware of the damaging effects that these cuts would have."

Ieuan : We will not shy away!

12 July 2010
Three years in government have proven Plaid’s determination to deliver. In a keynote speech Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones AM said that that after 3 years in government, people now recognise that his party is prepared to take tough decisions in order to bring about change instead of simply "managing the status quo”. He said that Plaid has proven itself as a party that does not shy away from challenges and its focus has been on delivering real outcomes.
Ieuan Wyn Jones said “We have seen politics change in Wales. We’ve pushed the reset button on our thinking and philosophy. Both the Holtham report and my economic new direction have shown that Wales can be an exciting place. New ideas can flourish and new challenges can be met. There will be a significant change of priorities which will be reflected in our manifesto next year. We are faced with a cost-cutting government in London whose long term aims we reject completely. But in doing that, we must not protect or fight for things simply because they are there or have always been in existence. You will not find us wedded to ways of doing things simply because it’s always been done that way. It’s time to set the compass for the next decade of devolution. We must now begin to start outlining how we propose to continue to deliver on our ambition for Wales at a time of shrinking, not growing, public resources. Plaid Cymru in 2011 will be a sharper, more focused party that you have ever seen before. While the Liberal Democrats try to hide from the responsibility for the disgraceful way they have abandoned their principles; while the Tories plan public services cuts as a backdoor to ideology, and while Labour remain stuck in oppositional mode to Westminster but bereft of ideas for Wales, we – the Party of Wales – will step up to change our nation.”

Holtham Findings Positive for Wales

Plaid Cymru Finance spokesperson Chris Franks AM has renewed his party’s call for the failing funding formula which sets the size of the Welsh budget to be replaced immediately by the ConDem coalition in London. Mr Franks made the call in response to the final report of the independent Holtham Commission which was set up to review the way Wales is funded.
The South Wales Central AM said that the refusal of the Conservative/Lib Dem government to act on this important issue was all the more shocking, considering the fact that both parties had called for it to be addressed while in opposition. Chris Franks, said: “The independent commission has identified the clear need for the funding of Wales by Westminster to be sorted out as a matter of urgency. Before the election, the Lib Dems and Tories agreed with Plaid that the underfunding of Wales needs addressing yet they now refuse to take any action at all. “There is a moral duty on both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems to take some firm action on this issue in light of their view before entering government and now the recommendations of this clear independent report. To continue to refuse would be a breach of trust and a demonstration of a clear decision to ignore what’s best for Wales. This report has shown that Wales’ underfunding can be remedied, while saving money for the UK government at the same time.

Plaid Comment on Cull Decision

13 July 2010 Following the successful appeal against Welsh government plans to cull badgers in north Pembrokeshire, Plaid Cymru AM for Mid and West Wales, Nerys Evans said: “This decision will no doubt mean further delays in fully tackling Wales’ TB crisis. Having said that, all 3 of the judges indicated that further action can be taken by the government to tackle the disease in badgers and Lord Justice Pill recognised that the government's plan for a cull pilot, did demonstrate the prospect of a substantial reduction of the incidence of TB in livestock. "It is important that we recognise fully just how hard TB is hitting our farming industry, our rural communities and the Wales public finances generally. We're talking about tens of millions of pounds being paid in compensation every year because of this disease that has been allowed to rage unchallenged for far too long. Elin Jones has been the first Rural Affairs minister to tackle this problem head-on and she clearly grasps the importance of sorting it out. She has put her name to a package of measures designed to eradicate Bovine TB - and it would appear that a group with very narrow interests have been allowed to delay her efforts. Our farming industry, and our public finances will suffer as a result.”

Plaid Economy Minister sets out economic vision

05 July 2010
Plaid leader and Economy Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM has set out his plans to radically transform the way the government supports the Welsh economy. Ieuan Wyn Jones outlined a vision of making Wales “one of the best places in the world to live, to work and to thrive”.
“Economic Renewal: A New Direction” sets out the role the One Wales government should play in providing the best conditions and framework to enable the private sector to grow and flourish.
In future government resources will be targeted at tackling wide systemic issues within the Welsh Economy - investing in infrastructure, research & development and improving the conditions within which businesses operate. Economic Renewal will see a fundamental shift away from the culture of grants to a focus on creating the right environment for businesses to succeed. Plaid leader and Economy Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones described this change of direction is an opportunity to help build a stronger future for Wales.
Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said:
“’Economic Renewal: A New direction’ is a radical re-think of the way the Welsh Assembly Government supports economic development. Our actions are based on a shared vision and ambition of what needs to be done to create a more prosperous Wales
“In the current economic climate our investment needs to be smarter. We must concentrate our efforts and our resources on areas where we have the greatest degree of control and where their impact will be most widely felt.

Scrap Housing Subsidy that costs Wales £80million a year

05 July 2010
Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards MP has called for the UK Government housing minister to meet with his opposite number at the Welsh Assembly Government in order to discuss the future of the housing revenue account subsidy system.
Under this system, Welsh local authorities paid £80million back to the Treasury in 2008-2009.
A consultation on local authority housing funding in England will finish on Tuesday, 6th July, and Mr Edwards has laid an early day motion to ensure that the UK Government liaises appropriately with the Welsh Government.
Mr Edwards said:
“It is a ridiculous situation that Welsh local authorities are being penalised to this extent for running their housing budgets effectively.
“In a time of hardship and cuts, this is more than £80million which could be re-invested in the local economy, boosting affordable housing construction, stimulating the local economy and creating new jobs.
“In England they are reviewing the effect of this unfair subsidy system, but the review does not extend to Wales.

Holtham Shows the Way Forward

06 July 2010
But ConDem Coalition, must act to reform failing funding formula
Plaid Cymru Finance spokesperson Chris Franks AM has renewed his party’s call for the failing funding formula which sets the size of the Welsh budget to be replaced immediately by the ConDem coalition in London. Mr Franks made the call in response to the final report of the independent Holtham Commission which was set up to review the way Wales is funded.
The report sets out the need for the funding system (the Barnett Formula) to be replaced with a formula based on need, which would ensure a fair level of funding for Wales from Westminster. In light of the ConDem Coalition’s refusal to take action to replace Barnett since it came to power, the report calls for a ‘floor’ mechanism, which would reduce underfunding in the short term pending further reform. The report also supports Plaid’s call for the Welsh government to be responsible for raising its own funds through taxation and borrowing.
The South Wales Central AM said that the refusal of the Conservative/Lib Dem government to act on this important issue was all the more shocking, considering the fact that both parties had called for it to be addressed while in opposition.

People of Wales ignored in ConDem AV plans

Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales West Dai Lloyd AM has questioned whether Nick Clegg and the ConDem government gave any consideration at all to the people of Wales when planning for a referendum on the AV voting system. Raising the issue in business questions in the Senedd Dai Lloyd said that despite the ConDem’s rhetoric of respect for Wales and the other devolved nations, this failure to take the fact that the vote would clash with the Welsh elections was more like disrespect.
Plaid AM for South Wales West, Dai Lloyd, said:
“It is clear that the leader of the Lib Dems and his ConDem colleagues gave no consideration at all to the people of Wales when planning for the AV referendum. In fact in his first radio interview on the issue, Clegg seemed only concerned with a clash with the English local elections.
“It is only a matter of weeks since the ConDem parties in the Assembly were arguing that holding a Welsh referendum on the same day as the Welsh election would be too confusing. And yet both the Tories and Lib Dems here now seem content to make the opposite argument with regard to their own referendum. They are happy to follow the script prepared by their London bosses - despite the blatant hypocrisy.

NEWPORT COUNTY

21st March 2010
Plaid Westminster Parliamentary Candidate for Monmouth Constituency, Jonathan T Clark has welcomed Newport County’s promotion to the Blue Square Conference, extending his congratulations to Dean Holdsworth, his players, the club officials and supporters for their superb efforts this season, who are a credit to Newport and the former county of Gwent.

Jonathan T Clark said:

“Newport County start next season in the Blue Square Conference, having won promotion with 7 games to go. Congratulations are due to Dean Holdsworth, his players, the club officials and supporters for their superb efforts this season – it’s been a long and rocky road from the early days in exile in Morton in the Marsh, with that infamous 160 plus mile round trip for home games.”

Jonathan concluded:

“Hopefully the club will win more media coverage as well as more honours next season - S4C might consider picking up the Newport v Wrexham games for live coverage next season. Perhaps BBC Wales will give the club, who are soon to be in the same division as Wrexham, fair and equal coverage – this has been sadly lacking over recent seasons. Colwyn Bay and Merthyr Tydfil also deserve notice when it comes to BBC Wales Sports coverage which at least nominally claims to cover or report all sport in Wales.”

Liberals Reject their own Programme

Welsh Lib Dems embarrassed after voting against their own manifesto 10 June 2010

The Liberal Democrats voted against their own manifesto pledge following a debate on the new Westminster government’s budget cuts in the Senedd. A Plaid/Labour government amendment to the Conservative debate was tabled which quoted parts of the recent Lib Dem general election manifesto. Yet in keeping with their numerous u-turns following the formation of a coalition with the Conservatives, Lib Dems voted against their own manifesto content.
Plaid’s Finance spokesperson Chris Franks AM said that the Lib Dem actions showed utter hypocrisy, proving that they have conveniently forgotten everything they were saying before the general election and selling out on those who entrusted them with their votes.
Plaid Finance Spokesperson and AM for South Wales Central Chris Franks said:
“This is utter hypocrisy by the Liberal Democrats who seem to be now adopting their new Conservative partners’ attitude towards all sorts of issues. For them to give up on all their major policy areas in order to get a hatful of ministerial posts in London is a betrayal of those people who voted for them. But for them now to actually vote against the content of their own manifesto shows an unprecedented and cynical about-face in this way.

A ConDemnation: Plaid Leader attacks Tories and Liberals

16 June 2010
A ConDemnation: Plaid Leader attacks Tories and Liberals for their refusal to address Wales’ underfunding Plaid Cymru’s leader Ieuan Wyn Jones AM has described the Conservatives’ and Liberal Democrats’ refusal to take action to reform the way Wales is funded by Westminster as “deplorable”. Mr Jones said that the parties of government in Westminster had made unambiguous statements criticising the current funding arrangements before the election – only to back-track having reached power.
During a debate in the Assembly (16/6/10), Nick Bourne and Kirsty Williams welcomed their parties’ legislative programme in Westminster despite the fact that it reneges on their promises during the election campaign to ensure a fairer funding formula for Wales. The ConDem government claims that the financial deficit should be tackled before Wales’ underfunding is addressed.
Mr Jones said that the new government’s reason for refusing to act had been rubbished by economists and political opponents alike. The author of the independent report into the funding of Wales by Westminster described it as “surreal”. The Plaid Leader added that the lack of action over Wales’ underfunding was just one of a number of ways in which the Con/Dem government’s Queen’s Speech had ignored Wales’ needs. He said:
“It is deplorable that the Lib Dems and Conservatives have failed to include a Bill on fair funding for Wales in their legislative programme despite supporting the need for reform in the Assembly chamber and during the election.

London parties block Welsh housing legislation

LCO system shown up as not ‘fit for purpose’
Plaid Cymru's Hywel Williams MP has today said that both Labour and the conservatives should be ashamed that they have blocked the Assembly’s right to legislate in order to improve housing in Wales. Mr Williams’s attack came as it appeared that the final stage of the Housing LCO failed to get through the wash-up at Westminster. Both Labour and Conservatives have delayed for political point scoring throughout the three year process that it has taken to develop the Housing LCO (Legislative competence order) which is now in its final stages and would mean devolving powers over housing in Wales to the One Wales Government.
Despite this Plaid Cymru has persevered both in the Assembly and at Westminster over the crucial piece of Housing legislation, which is backed by several leading Housing organisations. Hywel Williams said that in a hung parliament situation, Plaid would seek a guarantee that these powers are transferred.
Plaid’s Hywel Williams MP today said that the Tories' latest attempts to block the passage of the LCO had not only served to undermine the devolution system but showed that the LCO system was not “fit for purpose” as it had not worked to the advantage of the Welsh Assembly Government and the people of Wales.
The final straw, Mr Williams said, was the fact that the system had eventually allowed the Tories - an opposition party in Westminster - to block the democratic will of the National Assembly. Moreover the process had been full of contradictions with the Tories supporting the transfer of these powers to Wales in a future Referendum but not through this current Legislative Competence Order.

PLAID AND SNP ‘REAL ALTERNATIVE’ TO LONDON PARTIES

Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price was today joined by SNP Defence Spokesman, Angus Robertson, at a joint press conference in London.
Mr Price and Mr Robertson set out their parties’ outright opposition to the Trident nuclear weapons system – and said that only Plaid Cymru and the SNP offer a genuine alternative to the London parties and their pro-Trident stances.
Plaid and the SNP unveiled also unveiled a viral poster – A Future Feared By All.
Commenting, Mr Price said:
“The Cold War is long past and the world has changed but the mindset of the London parties is stuck on weapons of mass destruction. For Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats, the question is not if we should be replacing the nuclear deterrent but how big the replacement should be.
“The Liberal Democrats may paint themselves as a third option but the fact remains in this election, the choice is straight down the middle: voters can choose a party which wants to blow billions on nuclear weapons or a party who wants to see this cash invested in the things that matter.
"Only a vote for Plaid in Wales and the SNP in Scotland and at this forthcoming election is a real vote against nuclear weapons."

What a difference Plaid makes

Plaid Cymru has today highlighted the real difference that a Plaid team in Westminster can make for the people and communities of Wales. At a press conference in the former mining village of Tumble, Plaid Cymru’s honorary president, Dafydd Wigley, referred back to an agreement that Plaid MPs negotiated with the Callaghan government in the winter of 78-79 which included compensation for sufferers of industrial diseases. Mr Wigley explained that the act has made a huge difference to the lives, not just of slate quarry workers in the north of Wales, but also of coal miners in the south.
Dafydd Wigley was joined by local Plaid candidate Myfanwy Davies, local Plaid AM Helen Mary Jones and General Secretary of the colliery officials union NACODS in Wales, Bleddyn Hancock.
Plaid Cymru’s honorary president, Dafydd Wigley, who was part of the negotiating team of MPs in 1978 said:
“The Plaid Cymru team at Westminster has always been very effective at getting the best deal it can for the communities of Wales. When the Callaghan government was short of 3 votes to sustain it through the winter of 78-79, the Plaid MPs used their sway to negotiate a package to address the needs of Wales. We secured the ‘Pneumoconiosis, etc (Workers Compensation) Act, 1979’, which is still on the statute book. This has paid out over £250m compensation to quarrymen and other workers suffering from industrial lung diseases - and is still making payments. More recently to ex-coal miners who, disgracefully, have been left without compensation, and whose cases have been taken up by Bleddyn Hancock and the NACODS union. In addition to this we also negotiated resources to help create jobs and improve Welsh language education; television infrastructure investment to facilitate S4C;leasehold reforms and help for tenant farmers.”

Plaid slams 50% drop in Welsh sports funding since London 2012 announcement

26 April 2010
Plaid Cymru have exposed a staggering 50 percent drop in the amount of lottery cash awarded to sports groups in Wales in the four and a half years since the 2012 Olympics were awarded to London. Research carried out by the party examined the total value of grants awarded for sport in Wales by the Lottery for the five years preceding the 2012 announcement and the four and a half years since.
The research reveals that between the 1st January 2000 and the 6th July 2005, £65,106,195 had been awarded for sport in Wales by the Lottery, compared with £31,851,168 between 7th July 2005 and 1st of January 2010 – a drop of £33,255,027 or fifty-one per cent.
Plaid’s director of elections, Helen Mary Jones AM said:
"Funds used to promote grassroots sport in Wales have been lost to pay for the Olympics. I am extremely disappointed about this situation. The Welsh taxpayer has contributed a massive amount of money to London’s Olympics. It is scandalous that money is being taken away from one of Britain’s poorest nations and being given to the very richest region

With MPs like these – who needs enemies?

Plaid launches attack on hypocrisy in politics
Plaid Cymru has today (Tuesday) launched a scathing attack on the hypocrisy of several Welsh MPs track-records in parliament.
Plaid Cymru has discovered that many Welsh Labour MPs have misled their constituents over important local issues, from post office closures to bingo taxation, by saying one thing to their constituents and voting the opposite way in Westminster.
Today, Plaid’s Myfanwy Davies visited the site of a post office in Swiss Valley which was closed by the UK government despite widespread opposition locally and warnings from Plaid over the importance of maintaining local Post Offices to communities. Several Welsh Labour MPs voted to close post offices across Wales often despite pledging to the reverse.
Plaid’s Elfyn Llwyd said:
“Now more than ever is Wales crying out for more local champions, for more independently minded MPs. What we have here is a shocking two faced attitude where an elected representative has been promising one thing to the electorate then doing quite another in Westminster.
“MPs are elected to listen to their constituents and represent their needs in Westminster. How then is it acceptable for the last MPs for Llanelli and Ynys Mon, Labour’s Nia Griffiths and Albert Owen for example, to claim to oppose the closure of post offices, yet their voting records prove otherwise?

Plaid AM disappointed by divisive Tory scaremongering on language

Plaid Cymru AM and culture spokesperson, Bethan Jenkins, has said that she is disappointed and shocked by Tory comments on new Welsh language legislation which she described as divisive scaremongering. The Tory spokesperson was quoted on the web-based news service ‘Golwg 360’ as expressing concern that the new language measure could create ‘linguistic apartheid’. Ms Jenkins said that the use of such incendiary language is not only unacceptable but also wholly inaccurate. Speaking ahead of a Senedd statement on the legislation, Plaid AM Bethan Jenkins said: “I was very disappointed to hear the Tory spokesperson using emotive and divisive language like ‘apartheid’. His irresponsible comments ride roughshod over the broad political consensus about the Welsh language which has been developed over recent years, and seem deliberately divisive. There is a healthy debate taking place surrounding the measure which looks at how the language can be taken forward. To introduce such divisive language into this debate is unnecessary and incendiary. “This Measure is a historic step, and gives the people of Wales, for the first time, the right to receive services through Welsh; confirms the official status of the Welsh language and creates a strong Commissioner to protect and promote the language – it has no effect at all on the rights of English speakers.”

Leaders of Plaid Cymru and SNP on Election Debates

The leaders of the Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party, Ieuan Wyn Jones AM and Alex Salmond MP MSP have taken the unusual step of writing to the heads of the international press bureaux to highlight how the impartiality of the British Broadcasting Company is compromised by the current proposals for the leaders debate, which cuts out three of the four countries which make up the UK and parties of government in Wales and Scotland.
Writing to the international press the two leaders state: "The BBC's proposal effectively disenfranchises the people of Scotland and Wales. The format as currently devised makes no allowances for the reality of the devolution settlement which sees the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly - and indeed the Northern Irish Assembly - responsible for a number of key policy areas including health and education. We believe this is a retrograde step by the BBC which reflects an overly centralised, metropolitan and outdated attitude and which fails to meet the needs of three of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom. "As yet, no satisfactory measures have been put in place to ensure that balanced coverage, reflecting the different political make-up of the United Kingdom. “Unless broadcasts are held in a fair, impartial and accurate way, the legitimacy and integrity of the General Election results will be called into question. That cannot be an acceptable state of affairs for anyone.
“The action the BBC has taken in putting together these plans is nothing short of a betrayal of the principles upon which the editorial integrity of the BBC is built.”

Referendum Vote Countdown

09 February 2010
Plaid Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones AM has welcomed the unanimous cross-party support for a referendum to reform the way Wales is governed.
AMs from all 4 parties supported today's motion which kick-started a process which will lead to a referendum before the end of this assembly term. Mr Jones said that a successful referendum will give the Assembly the tools it needs to do the job more effectively.
Plaid Cymru leader and Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, said:
“The unanimous cross party support for this referendum is a clear signal of the breadth of support for a referendum and strengthens the case for it substantially.
“We know that most people in Wales now believe that the Assembly is where most decisions that affect their daily lives should be taken. Most people in Wales also believe that it is right that the Assembly should have more tools to do the job more effectively.
“If it’s alright for the Northern Ireland Assembly to have powers to make laws without having to get the consent of Westminster, then surely it’s alright for us in Wales. After all, what could be more natural than allowing the Assembly to pass laws about Wales, here in Wales?
“Once the General Election is over, we can start work on securing a YES vote in the referendum.”

Torfaen Plaid Leader Speaks to London Branch

Jeff rees, the leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Torfaen Borough Council spoke to the branch earlier this month. In a short time, Plaid has made substantial progress despite its small size. By entering an agreement with the minority UK Labour group, Jeff ensured that Plaid could influence the council on a range of matters. While Jeff was severely criticised for entering a deal with UK Labour. However, the alternative was either no influence or a precarious coalition with a mix of Independents, Peoples Voice and Tories. Indeed, Jeff`s strategy has paid off as the other opposition parties have imploded, while gains have been made by Plaid in promoting the Welsh language and culture in both schools and the wider community of Torfaen.
Jeff is also Plaid`s Parliamentary candidate for the UK General Election. He is looking forward to building on the progress made in what was also another poor area for Plaid in the recent past.

Print Your Own

For almost ten years Plaid Cymru`s London Branch have been campaigning for Wales to issue its own commemorative and definitive stamps. Dic Penderyn, Owain Glyndwr, the National Anthem, the National Museums centenary, Edward Llwyd and so on were all brilliant opportunities to celebrate our people and culture. The response from the Royal Mail has been consistently negative. So why not print our own. The Hywel Dda stamp is the fourth design by the branch. It could be better of course. It is easy to print . Simply copy and paste so you can print it off on a label sheet ... you choose whatever size label you prefer.
In the meantime let us know your ideas for stamps or any tales of how you have been treated by the post office when asking for Welsh stamps in Wales

Plaid wants halt to IMPERIALIST wars

Ieuan Wyn Jones has declared Plaid support for withdrawal from “imperialist” wars which oppress people “in the interest of unprincipled adventurers”.
Mr Jones says Plaid’s values clearly fall within the same tradition of early Labour pioneers such as Kier Hardie: “Nowhere will those values be more evident than in our attitude to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have always opposed these conflicts, and Alastair Campbell’s arrogant defence of Tony Blair’s record simply reinforces how right we were to oppose them.
“And what about the decision to allow our men and women to fight the war in Afghanistan with no exit strategy, without proper equipment, and with very little care and support for the soldiers and their families when they return home? We need more Plaid MPs to put the case for peace and to call for an end to the conflict in Afghanistan.”

Plaid Expect Hung Parliament : PENSIONS KEY PLEDGE

PLAID CYMRU will fight the general election with an pledge to raise the basic state pension by 30%.
The pledge is being made following the revelation that last year there was a 74% increase in winter deaths in Wales – largely as a result of high fuel bills.
Meanwhile, £5.4bn of benefits for older people are left unclaimed in the UK each year because pensioners find the process of applying for pension credits complicated and intrusive.
Mr Jones says: “The London-based parties have already decided what’s important to them – the City, the banks and the votes of Middle England. Plaid has very different priorities – we will be putting fairness for our pensioners and our communities at the forefront of our general election campaign.
With fuel bills set to rise by a further 60% over the next six years, our pensioners cannot afford to wait until the Treasury’s debt has been cleared before getting a decent pension.”
In what could be a closely-fought election with the possibility of a hung Parliament, we will negotiate on the basis of a firm commitment not only to protect the Welsh budget but to ensure that changes are made to address the unfairness in the present system."

Plaid in government takes sting out of London Cuts

Plaid Cymru local government spokesperson, Dai Lloyd AM has said that the Plaid driven Welsh government has done all its power to help local government to protect public services from London budget cuts. The Plaid AM said that the Plaid driven government had managed to take the sting out of London Labour cuts for local government by using budget reserves to bolster the funding settlement, but warned that London should not expect the Welsh government to do this again in the future.
Dr Dai Lloyd called on the London parties to commit to ruling out cutting the Welsh budget any further- just as has been recommended by a report by the independent Holtham Commission.
Plaid Cymru local government spokesperson Dai Lloyd AM said: “Thanks to cuts to the Welsh budget by the London government, Welsh public services faced the devastating prospect of losing over £200m this year. Plaid Cymru is committed to protecting Welsh public services as a priority. The Welsh government has therefore aimed to take the sting out of these London cuts by using budget reserves to bolster the budget settlement.

Plaid in government – investing in education and jobs

Millions of pounds worth of investment in an education and training centre in Ebbw Vale will help to tackle the educational divide as highlighted in a report yesterday. Plaid Education spokesperson, Nerys Evans AM, was referring to a report from the University and College Union (UCU) which showed the south Wales Valleys to be amongst the lowest performing areas in terms of higher level qualifications. The Plaid AM said that Plaid in government was investing in the development of a University of the Valleys in order to close this gap.
The Welsh government today announced that it would be investing £35m in an education and training centre in Ebbw Vale. Ms Evans welcomed the funding which she said would, in the short term help to stimulate the local economy, and in the longer term would help to attain the Welsh government’s aim for higher education levels in the valleys to be on a par with the Welsh average within 10 years.
Plaid Cymru education spokesperson Nerys Evans said:
“This investment of millions of pounds will be a huge boost to education in the valleys. The UCU report yesterday day highlighted why this work that the Welsh government is doing is so important. It is not right that a person’s educational attainment can be decided by where they live and this funding will go a long way in rectifying this injustice. “While the London parties are fighting over who can cut spending the most, it is refreshing to see the Plaid driven Welsh government investing in our communities. This funding will also make a huge difference in terms of the valleys’ economy. The project will create hundreds of jobs, helping the local communities to weather this economic storm.”

Plaid in government – investing in jobs

Plaid Cymru in government is doing all that it can to help the people of Wales to weather the economic storm. That was the message today from Plaid’s Finance spokesperson Chris Franks AM. The Plaid AM was responding to an announcement of a further 10 projects set to benefit from strategic capital investment.
Mr Franks said that the money had the potential to create thousands of new jobs while tacking climate change, increasing the availability of affordable housing, and improving education and health services for Welsh communities.
Plaid Cymru Assembly Finance spokesperson Chris Franks said:
“This is exactly the kind of action that is needed from government in these tough economic times. Plaid in government is investing money strategically in order to create jobs and to help the people of Wales to weather this economic storm. “When Plaid went into government we committed to increasing the availability of affordable housing and to addressing the educational and health needs of our communities. These Wales-wide investments do just that, including £20m for affordable housing, £8m for the children’s hospital and £35m for an education centre in Ebbw Vale while also creating thousands of much needed jobs. People can count on the Plaid driven Welsh government to put its money where its mouth is and do what it can to help the communities of Wales to weather the economic storm.”

New language powers will make change happen

Plaid AM Bethan Jenkins has said that she hopes that the countdown to important new legislation over the Welsh language can now begin. Ms Jenkins was speaking during a debate in the National Assembly on the draft LCO on the Welsh language. She said that new powers over the Welsh language will enable the Welsh government to deliver on its commitments and make change happen
Bethan Jenkins criticised MPs from the London based parties for trying to water down the powers. She called on Tory Assembly Members to distance themselves from their Westminster colleagues who she said have been doing their level best to scupper the transfer of powers.
“The inordinate amount of time that it is taking to get these powers brought to Wales just goes to show just how inadequate the LCO system is. It is beyond me why Westminster MPs should be able to stifle and strangle the efforts of the democratically elected Welsh government.. It did give us an insight into the 19th century mindset of Tory MPs who seem to be doing their level best to scupper these plans. Especially that of Cheryl Gillan who – unelected by the people of Wales – called for future Welsh laws to be vetted by Westminster before being passed.

Elin Jones: “Peter Hain should explain why he thinks the Welsh are less capable than the Scots

Plaid AM for Ceredigion and Minister for Rural Affairs Elin Jones has called on Peter Hain to explain to the people of Wales why he thinks they are less capable than the Scots of creating laws in the interests of their nation. Speaking ahead of the Secretary of State’s speech in Cardiff today (29/10/09), Ms Jones said that only a small number of MPs actually believe that the current LCO system is working well – and it should come as no surprise that Mr Hain, as the architect of that system, is one of them.
Wales’ Rural Affairs Minister also said that this week’s YouGov poll confirmed that the Welsh public are ready for further powers and want to see more decisions taken in the open, transparent and participative democracy of the National Assembly. Elin Jones said Peter Hain was wrong to suggest that only “the chattering classes” want to see a law-making Parliament in Wales. She reminded the Secretary of State that it was Labour and Plaid Cymru MPs and AMs who had set the terms of reference of the All-Wales Convention and decided upon its membership in order to ensure the most inclusive process possible in reaching its decision. Plaid Cymru AM for Ceredigion Elin Jones said: “If, as is being reported, the Convention has decided that there is a case for further powers – then it has done so with the support of its executive members who represent all four political parties, the CBI, the Faith Forum, the WCVA, the WLGA, the Wales TUC, the YFC and the Wales Women’s National Coalition. Their conclusions will also be based on 2,000 opinions and 700 pieces of evidence. These are not the views of the chattering classes. To the contrary it seems that by now only a handful of remote Labour MPs are prepared to defend the status quo. It begs the question – why are they so out of touch with the will of the people of Wales?”

Parti Breton and Cangen Llundain

Alexandre Delin, (centre) Secrétary of the Exterior Federation of Parti Breton (Strollard Breihz) enertained the Branch with a wide ranging discussion of the history and current issues facing the campaign to win a national Parliament for Britanny. In many ways there were parallels with the situiation in Wales especially 20 to 30 years ago, which tended to give hope that they would eventually succeed. However, the intransigence of the Paris Central government to anything non-French is major factor denying the Bretons their very existence within the state of France. Thus the voluntary movement to advance education often finds itself teaching in tents while the partition of Britanny between two regions hinders the consolidation of a territorial identity.Alex was upbeat though taking his inspiration from Wales and what has been achieved in a few decades.

Plaid AM calls to scrap Trident

Plaid Cymru AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM today called on the government in Westminster to scrap the expensive Trident nuclear weapons system – and plough the funds into front line services.
Mr Thomas, who represents Carmarthen East and Dinefwr in the National Assembly, said that the London government could not afford expensive nuclear weapons programmes and Welsh communities would suffer as a result of the £100 billion price tag.
“Plaid has argued since the start of Trident that it is immoral for such huge amounts of money to be spent on Nuclear weapons. Whatever the state of the economy, this is the case. Every day we hear how the London parties intend to further slash the Welsh budget and starve our public services of essential funding. With that in mind, the UK government can surely no longer afford the huge £100bn cost of Trident and it should simply be scrapped.
“The London parties should tell us why it is acceptable for Wales to be underfunded while such a costly and unnecessary nuclear weapons programme is allowed to swallow-up so much public money.”

Adam's Wednesday Essay for Western Mail

It should be pretty clear by now to any objective observer that the Labour Party is a few months away from suffering the most humiliating electoral defeat since 1931. With support now hovering in the low 20s, Gordon Brown is set to go down in history as the most unpopular Labour leader ever by returning fewer Labour MPs than even Michael Foot. The broad left group Compass has even talked darkly of this being “The Last Labour Government” with Tory gerrymandering and Scottish independence tipping Labour into terminal decline.
Readers may imagine that the champagne corks are popping in Plaid’s Ty Gwynfor HQ. They would be mistaken. The sudden implosion of social democracy anywhere – whether in England or, as happened recently, in Germany – can hardly be a cause for celebration for progressives, though in both cases the damage was largely self-inflicted as what were, after all, historically movements for the political representation of the working classes wandered so far from their founding ideals that they ended up barely recognisable. And now the former workers’ parties wonder where all the party workers went.
There is an air of inevitability about the British Labour Party’s demise. It is not just the cruel and inexorable swing of the political pendulum – though the boredom threshold of the Great British Public should never be underestimated. It is the scale and the sheer brutality of the cataclysm that awaits Gordon Brown that suggest something deeper at work, something more akin to the iron law of history.

(shortened by HJ)

Helen Mary Jones : Tory Government could spell end to NHS

16 September 2009As the Plaid Cymru conference begins in Llandudno, Plaid Health spokesperson Helen Mary Jones AM has launch a stinging attack on the Conservative party's plans for the NHS, saying that a Tory win at the next general election would threaten the existence of the NHS as we know it.With the polls predicting an almost certain Tory victory at the next election, Ms Jones raised serious concerns about the impact that their policies will have on our core health services here in Wales. The Tories' ideological opposition to a free health service would mean private sector involvement and a charging culture within our NHS.
Plaid wants to maintain a Welsh health service that is within Aneurin Bevan’s vision – but in the Tories hands, this will be destroyed with their big plans to privatise our health services. There is no doubt that their plans for privatisation in England will have a direct knock-on effect on our NHS finances in Wales – and as a result, will starve our doctors and nurses of the resources they need

“No More Politics as Usual”

Plaid Cymru’s leader Ieuan Wyn Jones told Conference in Llandudno that “this is not the time for politics as usual” - it’s a time when the “credibility of the political system has crumbled” and the UK Government has “lost its moral compass.” The leader will say that in the next Westminster election Plaid will be the only party which is in tune with the values of the people of Wales.“While New Labour has spent the last 12 years slavishly following Tory policies, the Conservative leader, David Cameron is modelling himself on Tony Blair” and Mr Jones will tell delegates that people are looking for real change and not the politics of old.“Now is not the time for a false choice between two parties who have miserably failed Wales over the last two decades. At a time when people in Wales feel angry and let down by the same old Westminster politics now is the time for change. Now is the time for a new politics, a different way of doing things.”
“The Tories won’t care where the axe falls – as long as the rich and powerful are protected. The fat cats and city bosses, and the banks will be alright – regardless of what happens to everyone else.”
Ieuan Wyn Jones said Plaid must also face up to the fact that it needs to tackle some of the false perceptions that exist about the party in order to persuade more people that Plaid is an credible alternative to the London based party they have supported throughout their lives. “We need to tell people that we are a party for everyone in Wales regardless of the language they speak, where they’re from or where they live. Yes we are different to the other but that’s because our only loyalty is to the people of Wales – whoever they are - and because we truly believe in creating a fairer, more prosperous future for our citizens

Troops out of Afghanistan!

Adam Price has become the first mainstream politician to call for a withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan.
Adam led an unsuccessful campaign to get Tony Blair impeached over the invasion of Iraq, said “It is high time we had a debate about Britain’s strategy in Afghanistan. I am calling for a full military withdrawal.
“We have reached a consensus now that so far as Iraq is concerned, it is not a question of if we should withdraw, but exactly when. Once that happens, the focus will inevitably shift to Afghanistan, where we will soon have nearly four times as many troops as in Iraq.
“We need to have a debate about what we are trying to achieve in Afghanistan, and whether that is feasible.”
Mr Price, the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said his own view was that talk of a 10-20 year military commitment to the country was “completely unfeasible”.
He said, “I don’t think that is in any way acceptable to the public. The fact is that the larger the occupation force you have, the more unpopular you will become.

Patagonians’ Rejected by UK Immigration

PLAID CYMRU’S MPs a “civil rights campaign” following reaction to the plight of two young Patagonians refused entry to the UK at Heathrow Airportin July and then had their visas application to attend the Eisteddfod rejected
Last month two Patagonians were forced to fly back home when Border Agency officials refused to believe their stories: that one was travelling to Llangollen to stay with a family to practise her Welsh, and the other was visiting her sister in Porthmadog.
Evelyn Calcabrini, 20, was questioned for several hours at Heathrow before being put on a flight back to Buenos Aires. Fellow Patagonian resident Shirley Edwards was refused entry at the same airport.
Plaid MPs Elfyn Llwyd and Hywel Williams raised their plight in the House of Commons.
The Welsh-Argentina Society managed a fund for the two young women and hoped that enough money will be available to buy flights over to the UK in time for the National Eisteddfod which is this year held in Bala, Gwynedd.
Any additional funds raised will be used to sponsor Patagonians wishing to visit Wales and work on the language over the next few years.
Mr Llwyd said: “This is an important issue of basic civil rights.
“I am going to campaign vigorously to ensure that this injustice is put right and that visitors to Wales are never treated like criminals.”

Wigley calls for a referendum in 2010

Dafydd Wigley used a major speech atthe Eisteddfod to call for a referendum on law-making powers for the Assembly to be held next year.
in the speech he insists that there is “no earthly reason” why the vote on the next step of devolution cannot take place next year.
Plaid joined Labour in coalition in 2007 on the condition the two parties would work towards a referendum “at or before the end of the Assembly term” in 2011.
Mr Wigley’s intervention will put pressure on Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones and his fellow ministers to deliver this key goal of the party grassroots. He will declare that the present system of government has “failed” to give the Assembly the powers it wants.
He said “For whatever reason, it is by now patently clear that MPs at Westminster have been unable to make the present system work. As a result, much needed law changes on matters such as safeguarding a supply of rented housing, have been delayed month after month as MPs squabble about the issue. It would be both more time-efficient and effective if responsibility for these matters were now transferred to the Assembly where there exists a political will to shape our laws in line with the needs of Wales.”

Dafydd El calls for criminal justice powers for Wales

THE Assembly’s first two years of law-making have been “almost miraculous” but are threatened by a future Conservative government, presiding officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas claimed in a speech at the National Eisteddfod in Bala.
Dafydd argued that Westminster committees must not obstruct requests for new powers with “irrelevant” scrutiny.
He said responsibility for the criminal justice system should be transferred to Wales and that the post of Lord President of the Courts in Wales should be created.
Mr Elis-Thomas said: “Bearing in mind the restrictions that exist on the matters upon which the Assembly can legislate and the complete absence of any Welsh legislative tradition before May 2007, the increase in the flow of legislation in the Assembly is almost miraculous.”
Each time the Assembly wants new powers it must submit a Legislative Competence Order to Westminster for approval by the Welsh Secretary and both Houses of Parliament.
Mr Elis-Thomas said a Tory-dominated Welsh Affairs Committee could attempt to thwart new powers coming to the Assembly.
“The best that can be said about the Legislative Competence Order process is that is has worked to a certain extent,” he said.
“During the first two years of the new process, only four Legislative Competence Orders have completed the process and have come into force.
“In my opinion the process is far too lengthy and is more complicated than it needs to be.
“With a parliamentary general election approaching, there is an increasing risk that important orders which have not completed the process when an election is called will therefore fall, and will need to start the process again following the election.”

Decision to scrap plans for M4 relief road welcomed

15 July 2009
The new national transport plan will benefit not only the current residents of Wales but also many generations to come. That was the message from Plaid AM and sustainability spokesperson Leanne Wood. The Plaid Cymru AM was responding to a statement by the Minister for Transport in which he announced his decision to scrap plans for a new M4 relief road.
Ms Wood welcomed the Transport minister’s decision to consider effective use of public funding, and economic and environmental needs when forming the new national plan. This includes measures to improve the use of the transport infrastructure around the Newport area in order to alleviate congestion on the M4.
Plaid AM Leanne Wood said:
“It is crucial that any plans to develop our national transport infrastructure take the cost to future generations into account. Environmental considerations can not be sacrificed for short term gain. Careful consideration also needs to be given to the fact that we don’t want to burden future generations with projects that can’t be afforded. Plaid in government has recognised this and I am pleased to see a transport plan that reflects this.

Electrifying victory for Wales

23 July 2009
Plaid leader succeeds in changing UK government plans for electrification
Plaid Cymru AMs across Wales ’ southern regions have welcomed the announcement that the main train line from Swansea to London will be electrified. The news follows months of negotiations by Plaid Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones – putting pressure on the UK government and Network Rail to change their announced plans to electrify the track between London and Bristol only.
The South Wales West AM, Dai Lloyd, said that the news came as a great relief following recent indications that the electrification would not be rolled out into Wales , let alone as far as Swansea in his region.
Plaid AM for South Wales Central, Chris Franks, said that the announcement represents good news for passengers and industry and commended Plaid Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones for ensuring that the UK government changed its initial plans to stop electrification at Bristol .

First Welsh mobile phone launched

THE world’s first Welsh language mobile phone has been launched at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Bala.
Specific software has been created to make more than 44,000 Welsh words available on the device, which will include predictive text.
The Samsung S5600 will be available exclusively on Orange from September 1 and on pay monthly and pay-as-you-go tariffs. It follows in the footsteps of the launch of anIrish language phone in 2008.
The people behind it have described it as a major step forward in providing Welsh speakers with choices they’ve never had before.

DEFINITELY NOT LOSING THE PLOT

Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales Date: Sunday 9th August 2009 - for immediate release Plaid Westminster Parliamentary Candidate for Monmouth Constituency,Jonathan T Clark is concerned about the shortage of allotment plots in SouthWales. Earlier this year, figures obtained by Plaid’s Leanne Wood AMrevealed that gardeners wanting to grow their own food can face a wait of upto NINE years for a plot on council allotment sites, to make matters worsesome would-be growers have been refused land for allotment use and many haveseen sites sold off for development. Jonathan T Clark said: “There are wider community benefits that come from ‘growing your own’ food,as well as the obvious environmental benefits; there are clear healthbenefits from exercise and good quality produce, together with valuablesocial benefits. There is great potential to link up different generations,to provide meaningful activities for young people as well as using theskills and acquired knowledge of older gardeners.” Jonathan continued: “The demand for allotments in Wales far exceeds supply in every localauthority. In times of recession, with food prices increasing, not tomention concerns about the implications of additives in food – the demandcontinues to grow, particularly among younger gardeners. We simply mustrespond to this demand and do all we can to encourage people to grow theirown food.” He continued: “What's really amazing is that the whole business of allotments is stilllargely regulated by legislation from the early years of the 20th Century.The 1908 Small Holdings and Allotment Act says the council has a duty toprovide land if they are satisfied there is demand and if six electorspetition that council, their representations have to be taken intoconsideration. While the 1908 Allotment Act provides for people to petitiontheir local authority for allotment land, most authorities appear toroutinely refuse such applications.” Jonathan concluded: “Many Community and Town Councils are more than willing to provide or seekout potential plots for allotments, but, it appears that County Councils aremore focused on disposing of land for development and raising resultantrevenue. There must be a way to find a happy medium by which we can ensurethat there is a readily available supply of allotment land, as well asensures that whoever works a particular piece of land has basic rights toremain there.”

Wales must avoid London Labour spending cuts on the road to economic recovery

22 June 2009
Plaid Cymru AM and finance spokesperson Chris Franks AM has challenged Labour MP, Chris Bryant, to help Wales avoid cuts to public spending planned by the London Labour Government. Mr Franks’ challenge came as Mr Bryant discussed the detrimental effect that cuts in Public Spending would have on Wales’ economic recovery in the Western Mail.
Chris Franks argued that the people of Wales are faced with two London based parties both threatening to cut Wales’ budgets. He said that as an MP representing Welsh communities, Mr Bryant should be using all of his influence to stop Gordon Brown from taking money away from the areas that need it most.
Plaid’s Chris Franks said:
“In his article Mr Bryant highlights the fact that the last thing any government should do, during difficult economic times, is slash public spending. In fact he argues that during a recession people need the support of the government to get through difficult times. He reiterates that cuts in a recession are madness.
“Reading this article, the choice for the voter might seem simple. However, what Mr Bryant doesn’t mention in his article is that it is his government - the London Labour government that is proposing to cut £416,000,000 from the Welsh budget this year alone.
“In recognising that huge cuts to our services on the road to recovery would lead to stagnation, Mr Bryant is arguing against the policies of his own government. I would urge Mr Bryant to use any sway that he has with his London bosses to stop them from leading Wales’ recovery to death by a thousand cuts.
"The fact is that there is a growing consensus among the London parties that they should cut Wales' budget. That is not good enough - and the true battle now is between Plaid who believes Wales should get sufficient funding - and those like Labour and the Tories who will divert our taxes elsewhere.”

Plaid campaigners welcome Coleg Ffederal

23 June 2009
Senior Plaid campaigners who have spent years campaigning for Welsh Language education provision have today welcomed the announcement that a federal college will be set up to provide Welsh medium higher education. The Coleg Ffederal will be an independent legal entity with a constitution which will work through the existing Higher Education institutions to deliver Welsh Language Education.

Plaid President Dafydd Iwan commented:
“Many people have voiced concerns about the government’s ability to deliver the dream of a Coleg Ffederal. Therefore it is a real pleasure to welcome the ministers announcement. If we are serious about making it possible for students to have a Welsh language education from start to finish then the Coleg Ffederal is a crucial part of that strategy.”

Plaid MPs proud of Impeachment campaign

Plaid Cymru MPs have stated that their decision to use Parliamentary funds to hold the UK Government to account over the Iraq war was entirely appropriate and necessary.
Plaid Cymru MPs commissioned research from leading specialists in legal and constitutional law as part of a Parliamentary motion to bring about the impeachment of Tony Blair. Parliamentary allowances are provided to ensure that all MPs are able to research subjects thoroughly and to carry out their Parliamentary duties as effectively as possible.
Plaid MPs originated and led the call to impeach the former Prime Minister in August 2004 because of his hugely unpopular decision to enter into a dangerous and illegal war with Iraq . Plaid MPs believe that Mr Blair had misled the country and had entered into a secret agreement with a foreign power.
The impeachment issue was supported by members of all parties and laid the groundwork for a Parliamentary motion - and for the Government’s eventual concession for a new inquiry about the Iraq War, which will begin shortly.
Plaid’s Adam Price MP said:
“Every penny of this money was spent doing our job as Members of Parliament and holding the Government to account for their actions. This was not a party political campaign to get rid of another party’s leader. We would have taken the same steps irrespective of which party Mr Blair led.
“Our attempt to impeach Tony Blair over the Iraq war is one of Plaid Cymru’s proudest achievements in Parliament. “The real waste of taxpayers’ money was the £7billion that was spent fighting a war in Iraq that the people of this country did not want in the first place.”

There is no better time to argue for more self-government

Plaid Cymru’s leader and Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM told Plaids Spring Conference that the needs and values of the people of Wales are at the heart of the party’s economic vision. Mr Jones said that Wales is now paying the price for “Westminster’s obsession with the city” and its “slavish addiction to market forces”. The leader accused Labour and the Conservatives of being complicit in a plot to protect a culture of greed and financial recklessness. He’ll tell delegates
Plaid Cymru is calling for a fiscal stimulus during this recession - a stimulus targeted at real jobs in the real economy not at banks, bankers, insurance companies and the City. It’s time for Brown to change course - to ditch his faith in the market and to regulate again for the sake of the economy. If that means nationalising the banks – so be it. If that means a windfall tax on the utilities that are making a mint out of fuel prices – so be it. But what is Gordon Brown planning for Wales? Forget quantative easing. Instead we face financial squeezing. If carried through, his and Darling’s proposals will cut at least £500million from the Welsh budget.” The party leader told delegates that Plaid’s values are about doing everything possible in Government to save jobs, defend communities and help businesses out of the recession. Ieuan Wyn Jones will also say that the economic crisis has made the need for greater powers for the Assembly even starker. “I treat each day in government as a day in which to increase the confidence and trust of the people of Wales in their own government. I treat each day as an opportunity to better the lives of the people of Wales. I also treat each day as another step on the road to self-determination. Sometimes we are told that Wales can’t pay its way. That’s a bit rich coming from a government which has broken the UK economy to such an extent that it has to print up to £150 billion worth of money. There is no better time to argue for more self-government.”

London Branch Conference Motion : Severn Barrage

Cangen Llundain/London Branch has submitted a motion on the Severn Barrage proposals for consideration at Cynhadledd/Conference:
"Conference notes the UK Government’s consultation on possible alternative ways of harnessing the tidal power of the Severn Estuary. Conference notes that half of the Severn Estuary lies in Welsh coastal waters. It further notes that after the construction of the infrastructure, is not proposed that Wales should receive any benefit from the generation of electricity in its coastal waters. The consultation includes proposals which allow for the possibility of the construction of a very large barrage across the Severn estuary, which would provide a very substantial amount of electricity, at significant environmental cost, but would be of limited advantage to Wales. The consultation does not provide for the building of a pilot project to refine the uncertain cost estimates of tidal energy generation, which in the case of the largest barrage amount to some £20 billion.

Conference notes that the Welsh Assembly Government has the power to grant planning permission for power plants with a generating capacity of under 50MW.

Conference urges Plaid Cymru as a partner of the Welsh Assembly Government:

To commission and review its own feasibility study for the construction of a tidal lagoon structure of under 50 MW to the west of any of the proposals contained in the UK government’s consultation, so as not to prejudice any of the alternatives.
To consider the granting of planning permission to and the funding in whole or part of such a structure depending on the outcome of such review.
To consider whether the carrying out of a small pilot project of tidal energy generation should be a necessary pre-cursor to a final decision as to which of the proposals should be proceeded with, based on actual experience rather than estimates.To insist that the ownership of any tidal power station located in Welsh territorial waters should revert to the Welsh Assembly government and not the UK government once its period of concession has elapsed, and that the Welsh Assembly government should be fully involved and in agreement with the financial arrangements of such concessions"

Cwsmeriaid BT yn gorfod talu mwy am Wasanaeth Cymraeg

Fe ddaeth i sylw Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg yn ddiweddar bod BT yn codi mwy o arian ar gwsmeriaid yng Nghymru sydd yn dymuno derbyn gwasanaethau wrth y cwmni telegyfathrebu yn y Gymraeg. Meddai Bethan Williams, Cadeirydd y Gr?p Deddf Iaith:
"Mae BT yn annog pawb i gael biliau ar-lein ar hyn o bryd sydd wrth gwrs i'w ganmol am resymau cynaliadwyedd. Ond pe bai cwsmeriaid am dderbyn biliau yn y Gymraeg, ni fyddai dewis ganddynt ond derbyn biliau papur, am gost o £1.23 y mis, am nad yw BT yn darparu biliau Cymraeg ar-lein. Enghraifft arall yw'r teclyn ateb 1571, sydd yn rhad ac am ddim yn Saesneg, ond os am recordio neges cyfarch yn Gymraeg, rhaid talu £1.47 am y fraint. Am y gwasanaethau mwyaf sylfaenol yma yn Gymraeg, caiff y cwsmer ei gosbi £32.40 yn ychwanegol y flwyddyn gan BT."

Turkish persecution of Kurds

The case continues against the Turkish politician Leyla Zana for speaking Kurdish in the country’s parliament. Former Plaid MEP Eurig Wyn has been attending the hearing. Following a court hearing in Diyarbakir, Turkey last night, she still faces the possibility of a ten year prison sentence on top of the ten years she has already spent behind bars. The situation is becoming increasingly serious in the wake of the increase in the Kurdish party vote in the provincial elections over the weekend.
Former Plaid MEP Eurig Wyn, who attended the hearing as part of an international deputation of politicians and lawyers, said: “This shows the weakness of human rights legislation in Turkey, and stresses again the importance of preventing the state from joining the European Union.”
Meanwhile Turkish membership of the EU has been recently supported by President Obama.

Support for Welsh

Nearly half of the people questioned in a poll commissioned for BBC Wales say they support the need to create new laws to encourage the Welsh language.
The assembly government is currently seeking permission from Westminster to make new laws to cover the language.
Of the 1,000 people polled by ICM, 47% agreed there was a need for new laws, 29% thought they were not required and just under a quarter were undecided.
Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said the support shown was "heartening".
Initial plans in the assembly government's legislative competence order (LCO) have indicated that any future new law would be aimed at requiring more of the public sector and some private businesses who provide public services to provide more Welsh language services to their customers and users.

Further delay in Housing Legislation

19 March (From BBC on Line)
The Welsh Assembly Government's attempt to secure the powers to restrict a right-to-buy for council tenants to buy their homes has hit another obstacle.
A Westminster debate on the housing LCO - Legislative Competence Order - has been postponed.
It appears that the LCO will have to be rewritten.
The House of Lords had been due to consider the housing LCO after the Easter recess, but reports suggest that the LCO will not be passed by peers.
This is the latest in a series of setbacks for the order, which is the first stage in allowing the Welsh assembly to make its own laws. 'Scratched their heads'
The BBC's Welsh affairs editor Vaughan Roderick explained: "MPs were worried that the assembly government would abolish the right-to-buy so they shoved in a veto for the Welsh secretary into the so-called LCO.
"Then a joint committee of Parliament turned round and said that could be illegal.
"The assembly presiding officer Dafydd Elis Thomas agreed and yesterday a senior cross bench peer who is a Labour member, Lord Elystan-Morgan, also agreed.
"So today we heard that a Commons debate that was due to take place on Monday on this order would be postponed while everyone scratched their heads and decided what on earth they could do."
He also said that the LCO represented only the right for the assembly to make the law.
"Once the LCO is actually passed the assembly then has to write, discuss and debate the law themselves," he added.
"So it does make it look as though any law, no matter how minor, to be passed by any assembly, would take the term of an entire assembly - four years."

More and More Support More Independence

Some 48% of people would vote to give the Welsh assembly full law-making powers, according to poll findings.
The All Wales Convention/GfK survey indicated 35% would vote against further law-making powers, 13% were undecided and 2% would not vote.
The research was conducted in December, two months before a BBC Wales/ICM poll.
That, more recent study, found 52% would vote for full law-making powers in a referendum with 39% opposed and 9% described as 'don't knows'.
Back in September, an anti Wales group calling itself "True Wales" was formed to fight greater Independence for Wales. The group, which claims to have cross-party support, warned more powers would lead eventually to independence.
Tory MP David Davies, who earlier this month announced plans to campaign for a 'No' vote, has backed the new group. True Wales spokesman David Rees, a Labour Caerphilly councillor, accused the convention of spending public money on promoting a 'Yes' vote in a referendum.

A letter from Ieuan Wyn Jones

The following are extracts from Ieuan Wyn Jones letter to all members explaining why Plaids ministers in the One Wales government have defied the party membership regarding tuition fees raising the question again about why we are in government with UK Labour.

"Today, 19 March 2009, the National Assembly heard a statement from the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning, Jane Hutt, regarding the future of student finance in Wales. I want to explain why this statement had the support of Plaid Cymru Ministers and to outline the actions we have taken in Government, within this difficult financial climate to help students and universities.
Alun Ffred, Jocelyn, Elin and I felt that in light of the financial circumstances we face, that we had no real option but to support the new funding arrangements proposed for the HE sector. In doing so we have sought to ensure that a number of criteria are met and today I would like to take this opportunity to explain what we’ve managed to secure.
It remains the case however that the party’s policy of opposing tuition fees remains the same. That is the democratic will of the members of Plaid Cymru.
The party has already had some honest and difficult debates around this issue and this situation has highlighted the need for us to keep talking through these tough choices with our friends and colleagues in Plaid. I am however proud that we are able to discuss and debate these dilemmas and respect each other’s viewpoints and circumstances within the democratic structures of this party. "

See full text on : http://www.plaidcymru.org/content.php?nID=14;ID=1171;lID=1

NATIONAL IDENTITY TICK BOX

We were pleased to hear that the White Paper on the Census published indicated the intention to allow respondents in England to indicate their main language. However, the requirement to only indicate the main language is a concern we will need to address. The question the branch proposed was " Do you speak a language other than English?" This question would give an accurate indication of the actual numbers of speakers of individual languages. My main language in England of course is English! Thus the fact that Welsh is my other language may go unrecorded. Attempts therefore to gauge the needs of speakers of a variety of languages may go by the board. We have been campaigning for literally decades for a question on language ability. We will need to encourage Welsh people to respond appropriately.
In addition respondents in England as well as Wales will also be able to tick their national identity as Welsh! This was the focus of some embarassment for the ONS in 2001 in Wales, and we have campaigned for the extension of this question to England. The next step of course is for the Census functions to be transferred to Wales as they are in Scotland and N.Ireland.

‘Militants’ Key Role in Welsh Freedom

A patriot who received a 10-year jail sentence for organising a bombing campaign believes his group’s contribution to the nation’s history has not been fully recognised.
John Jenkins will today be at the launch of a book which argues that militants like him played a crucial role in events that eventually led to the establishment of the National Assembly.
Mr Jenkins, a British Army sergeant who led the paramilitary organisation Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC – Movement for the Defence of Wales), admitted eight offences involving explosives in 1970.
He planted bombs at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Lake Vyrnwy and Hapsford, Cheshire – sites involving the export of water from Wales to England, intending to damage property.
Asked how he felt about the establishment of the National Assembly and Plaid Cymru’s role in government, Mr Jenkins said: “The Assembly’s just a stop-gap, so far as I’m concerned. It won’t be able to make a real difference until it’s got proper powers.
“Plaid are concentrating on getting more votes, and I can understand that. But they’ve tended to forget the soul.
“I get the impression that the Assembly is very bogged down with bureaucracy. Also, I don’t like the fact that some of them see it as a stepping stone to Westminster and being an MP.
“If they stuck to doing a job for the people of Wales – being big fish in a little pool – people would think a lot more of them.”
Freedom Fighters, priced £19.99, is published by University of Wales Press. Available cheaper on AMAZON

Making History in Welsh

Plaid MEP Jill Evans, who has campaigned for many years for official status for the Welsh language at European Union level, has welcomed today's first speech in Welsh at the EU Council of Ministers. (NOTE - see Timeline below).
Welsh Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones will speak Welsh at a ministerial meeting of the EU's Culture Council in Brussels on Thursday where interpretation will be provided into other languages.
Speaking ahead of the meeting the Plaid MEP said:
"I'm delighted that today the Welsh language is finally getting the same recognition as other European languages. I've been campaigning for official status for Welsh in Europe for many years. This is literally making history in Welsh.
"This is of huge symbolic importance and will raise the profile of Wales as a nation on the European stage. I congratulate Alun Ffred Jones and the One Wales Government for making it happen. I also want to thank all of the organisations and individuals in Wales who have given such strong support to this campaign.
"In spite of those who laughed at the idea, including then Prime Minister Tony Blair, and despite opposition from the other parties, we have come a long way. But this isn't the end of the story. I'm still pushing the European Parliament to adopt similar new rules for Welsh. The fact that other European bodies have done it shows that it is both possible and practical 20 November 2008

Seb Coe Breaks Promises For More Welsh

Take a look at the new London 2012 Website and you will find even less Welsh contact.....in fact nothing!

In a letter to London Branch in March this year, Sebastian Coe said that the London 2012 website was to be revamped in the Summer to include far more items in Welsh than has been the case to date. It is now Autumn. A further letter was sent in mid August to Sebastian Coe to ask for an explanation, but we still await a reply.

Branch secretary Huw Jackson said :

“We have grave reservations about the impact of the costs of the Olympics on Wales. Sebastian Coe makes a great noise about the Olympics being a UK Olympics to justify the millions being diverted from Wales to London. However, we have also been concerned that the Welsh language content on their web- site is minute and difficult to find. We have had a lot of trouble since before the Olympics were declared for London in getting any sort of response from Sebastian Coe and the London Organising Committee. They said that it would be too expensive to have Welsh, one of the languages of the host country, in their publicity! We are glad they seem to have relented but we will be keeping watch on developments. For example, I am concerned to see how they interpret the statement in the letter suggesting “ any content directly aimed at the Welsh public will be available in both English and Welsh” London 2012 is supported by the London government and is promoted as a UK event, yet until now they have almost totally ignored Welsh. This underlines the need for a new Language Act to put Welsh and English on an equal footing in Wales.”

Stamp Refusal

The Royal Mail continues to reject proposals for Wales to have its own issues of commemorative stamps as wellas to reject calls for Welsh definitive stamps to be available in booklets. The response of Huw Roberts, recently appointed Director of Affairs for Wales is to quote the London Royal Mail that commemorative stamps have to go through a rigorous selection procedure...... by a committee which sits in london and had no welsh represenatation. Little wonder that stamps take suchan Anglocentric view of so called Britain. The Mails reason for not giving way to demands for Welsh definitive stamps in booklet form is "feedback" from major retailers! Thus for some reason commercial reasons dictate stamp production for Wales, but BRITISH interests apply to the UK?
It will come as no surprise that Huw Roberts is one of Peter Hains chums who donated (according to the Wales on Sunday) £5,000 to the leadership campaign fund.
London Branch has written to Mr Roberts asking him to push for a review of Stamp selection policies in his capacity as Wales` represenatative on the Royal Mail. Meanwhile why not "Copy and Paste" our attempt at a stamp design to commemorate the birth of Dic Penderyn, hanged for his alleged part in the Merthyr Rising.

Stamps for Wales

One of the Royal Mails stated criteria when considering suggestions for commemorative stamps is to “ explore the British way of life celebrating the diversity of cultures and interests within the UK.” To help reach a decision Stamp Advisory Committee was set up in 1968. Plaid Cymru`s London Branch has been trying to get the Committee to consider themes which reflect Wales and its people. The record is not encouraging. Back in 2000 we approached them to consider a set of stamps to commemorate the 600th anniversary of Owain Glyndwr`s Parliament in 2004. They even announced on 1st March 2003 that they were going to produce a set which every Glyndwr fan would be proud to buy. Instead, a set depicting Welsh landscapes as part of a more general UK series was produced. These were launched at a junket in London in June 2004 with a demonstration by 20 Plaid Cymru members outside the doors which included a giant postcard with the branch`s design for a Glyndwr stamp presented to Gareth Davies, the Royal Mail`s Wales Director.

Further Suggestions

Following this rejection, the branch tried again with a suggestion for a stamp to commemorate the150th anniversary of the Anthem in 2006. Indeed we have followed up with a number of suggestions including the 100th anniversary of the National Library and the 1000th anniversary of the birth of Gruffydd ap Llewelyn in 2007, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dic Penderyn and the 300th anniversary of the death of Edward Llwyd. Needless to say they have all been rejected despite their significance to Wales and their compliance with the Royal Mails criteria.

Who are they?

So who are the members of the Stamp Advisory Committee? In 2004, there were twelve members, consisting of five designers, two philatelists, a representative of the dti, one from business, one from print and one representing “ethnic communities”. In 2004, this last person was Balram Gidoomal, a business man active in the Asian community who was a candidate for London Mayor. There is no specific post for Wales or the other countries of the UK and no member in 2004 had any connections with Wales. So what about Wales? In 2004, the Royal Mail disbanded the Royal Mail Group Advisory Board for Wales. This left former rugby international Gareth Davies as Director for Wales. Needless to say his heart is in the right place but his role is to represent the Royal Mail Group in Wales not to represent Wales on the Board.

No Chance for Change?

Its not surprising, therefore that we are unlikely to see a different approach from the Royal Mail to Wales. Their argument is that commercial considerations are a major factor in the rejection of our suggestions. (We have had a similar response from Sebastian Coe and London 2012 regarding the poor provision of the Welsh language on the London 2012 website). Another reason given in response to a few of our suggestions is that it takes three years to complete the whole process. The fact that stamps were produced at very short notice for England`s Ashes victory , England`s Rugby World Cup and Prince Charles` wedding are irrelevant of course.. The last stamp celebrating Wales`s heritage was the 1988 Welsh Bible issue.

Royal Mail Last Bastion of Empire

Eventually, as devolution progresses, the Royal Mail`s responsibilities will eventually be transferred to Wales and stamps reflecting Wales`s interests will be the norm. In the meantime, we have made suggestions that could usefully address our concerns. For example, at a UK level, one or more issues a year could be dedicated to each of the UK countries selected by a committee of the respective Assemblies. Alternatively, such stamps may be made available only each respective country. They could even make a start by issuing the Welsh definitive stamps in book form in Wales. Have you tried buying them in your Post Office let alone Smiths? If Tristan da Cunha and the Falkland Islands let alone the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands merit their own stamps then why not Wales? The status quo where UK stamps are dominated by English culture is not an option.

Census 2011

“Understanding people`s ethnicity and their sense of national identity is key to understanding many current and social and economic trends” Len Cooke, Director ONS 2003 (Ethnic Group Statistics : a guide for collecting and classification of ethnicity data)

2001 Debacle

You may remember the protests for the 2001 Census when Welsh people were denied the right to identify their ethnicity as Welsh. This was despite the opportunity offered to those who wanted to describe themselves as Irish. How many times have you been asked to complete an ethnic monitoring form and been denied the right offered other ethnic groups.

In 2005, Plaid Cymru`s national conference backed the branch`s motion to urge the ONS to include questions on the following lines:

that Welsh people in England have the right to describe their ethnicity as Welsh,
that people in England have the right to indicate their abilities in languages other than English.

Given that about 25% of the Welsh born population in Wales speaks Welsh, then we can assume that about 150,000 of the Welsh born living in England also speak Welsh
Welsh born in England 609,711
English born in Wales 589,828

Other countries

USA, Canada, New Zealand (Len Cookes homeland) all have ethnicity and language questions. They leave the questions open rather restrict the respondent to a “ choice “

Canada : asks for Mother Tongue, Home Language, Knowledge of Official Languages and Unofficial languages. Also Ethnicity including Welsh. Questions is left open. Thus recorded that there are 60 ethnic groups including 6,000 Welsh speakers.

In the USA, the number of people who count themselves as Welsh are 1,750,000.

England

In England Cangen Llundain are currently running a campaign to persuade the ONS to include questions on languages and ethnicity. We gained support from Ken Livingston, London Labour MPs, Liverpool Lib Dem Councillors, as well as Welsh Socs in England e.g. Bristol Welsh Soc and “Wales in London.”
This was accompanied in 2005 by a postcard campaign. This pressure was acknowledged by the ONS in their report on their consultation exercise.
At present, it looks likely that our demands will be met….but to what degree? We must keep vigilant

Plaid Cymru Llundain London

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Who Would Want to hurt William Windsor?

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