Plaid Cymru accuses Labour of putting “brakes” on Welsh aspirations
Labour is “putting the brakes on Welsh aspirations”, twenty-five years after a parliament for Wales was established, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS will argue today.
Speaking ahead of the last First Minister’s Questions before the general election on Thursday (4 July), the leader of Plaid Cymru said that it is the only party saying “yes” to Wales in line with people’s wishes since 1997. He will also hit out at what he sees as fault lines between UK Labour and the party in Wales.
Accusing Labour taking Wales for granted, the MS for Ynys Môn will highlight issues including fair funding, money owed from the HS2 rail project, ending the two-child benefit cap and devolving powers over justice and policing, claiming any appetite by Labour in Wales to pursue these issues are being “quashed” by Labour HQ in London.
‘Putting the brakes on’
Mr ap Iorwerth MS said: “The political history of Wales for nearly thirty years is one of our nation saying “yes.”
“Yes” in 1997 to having a parliament of our own and “yes” to making more of our own decisions in 2011.
“After twenty-five years in power in Wales, the Labour Party now appears to be putting the brakes on devolution and failing to keep pace with people’s ambitions.
“Whatever Labour in Wales claims to believe, any attempts to join Plaid Cymru in saying “yes” to fair funding, HS2 consequentials, scrapping the two-child benefit cap and devolving powers over justice and policing are falling on deaf ears in London.
“Keir Starmer has made it clear that when it comes to Wales, his answer is too often “no.”
“Hoarding power in Westminster is something we’re used to from the Tories, but with UK Labour adopting a similar approach, it’s clear that only Plaid Cymru MPs will give Wales a voice in the UK Parliament.
“Labour members in Wales are right that the two-child benefit cap is the single greatest driver of child poverty.
“Labour members agree with us that control over the Crown Estates should be handed to “Wales, as part of the drive to unlock our economic potential.
“If only Keir Starmer respected them and listened.
“As things stand we just face more of the same – more cuts to public services but no more powers to change our nation for good.
“I urge anyone fed up of how Labour are taking Wales for granted to vote for Plaid Cymru on 4 July as the only party committed to putting our communities before party interests.”
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Putting the breaks on! What an understatement. Labour is a unionist party. Wants Wales to be nothing more than England’s west bank colony.
Putting the brakes on??, most of the barking mad political ideas that have been scrapped or delayed were thought up by Plaid when they were in coalition with Labour. With a GE on no wonder they are disowning them.
When was this coalition then?
The last time there was a coalition government with Labour and Plaid was back in 2007.You seem to be confusing coalition with a previous voting pact
Too true
Putting the brakes on! The brakes have never been released 25 years another generation has passed and still no independence for Wales, what is the problem with all of the politicians in the senedd they all seem to have the dripford attitude we are not ready? Realy, if Wales does not declare independence within the next 2 years let’s get rid of the senedd it’s costing a fortune to run is only another layer of government soon to be expanded and paid for and has no more power than a local council. Either do it or forget it.
If you managed to get a job where you got well paid for pretending to be important but in reality your job didn’t matter, would you be in a hurry to change things?
And is the pension these people will receive fixed for one day’s work or 1 years work is it a lump of money we have to pay for someone to annoy the population with meaningless rules and regulations just for them to say I was part of that where’s my pension.
Plaid needs to shift its ideas to a broader plain to have any hope of success. Leanne was the best leader Plaid has had. She had a broad appeal beyond beyond the middle class Welsh speakers.
Wake up you dozy Welshoidz! Deffrwch!