Labour and Plaid Cymru approve deal to work together in the Senedd – including ‘new media authority’
Labour and Plaid Cymru’s executive committees have both backed an agreement to work together in the Senedd, including the creation of a new authority to tackle the weakness of the media in Wales.
The final hurdle for the deal will be the backing of Plaid Cymru’s members. If ratified it is expected that the final deal will be published tomorrow.
Measures to tackle the second homes crisis are also expected to be included in a Plaid Cymru and Labour deal in the Senedd, sources have said.
It is also expected to include an agreement on changes to the Senedd’s size and electoral system, including a statutory guarantee of gender balance.
It was announced in September that talks between the parties were ongoing after Welsh Labour ended up one seat short of a majority at the Senedd elections in May. There will be no Plaid Cymru ministers in the government.
According to Darren Williams, a Labour Party NEC and WEC member who was at the Labour meeting, First Minister Mark Drakeford had said that “the content of the agreement was entirely in keeping with Labour’s principles, although Plaid would no doubt wish to claim the credit”.
“He also said that past experience suggested that Labour, as the party of government, would have no difficulty claiming its rightful credit for the policies in the agreement.”
He said the deal included:
- Moves to establish rent controls
- The extension of free school meals to all primary school pupils
- Childcare for all two-year-olds; creation of a National Care Service
- Limits on second home ownership; a replacement for council tax
- The creation of a publicly-owned construction company and an energy company
- Changes to the Senedd’s size and electoral system, including a statutory guarantee of gender balance
- Measures to promote the Welsh language.
Separately, BBC Wales were told that the deal includes a commitment to “explore the creation of a shadow Broadcasting and Communications Authority for Wales, to address our concerns about the current fragility in the media and attacks on its independence”.
‘Constructive’
In September the two parties issued a joint statement which says that with the pandemic, the climate emergency, the consequences of Brexit, and the threat to devolution it was “more important than ever that political parties work together”.
The statement said: “As Wales prepares for a stronger future beyond the coronavirus pandemic; responds to the climate emergency, the ongoing consequences of leaving the European Union, and threats to devolution; it is more important than ever that political parties work together wherever they have common interests on behalf of people in Wales.
“Constructive initial discussions have taken place between the Welsh Labour Government and Plaid Cymru exploring ways of building a more equal, just and democratic nation for all.
“These discussions are continuing to explore an ambitious co-operation agreement to be based around a number of defined policy priorities and the governance arrangements on which the Welsh Labour Government and Plaid Cymru can work together to deliver for Wales.”
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…..waiting for the “Little Englanders” commenter to come along……..hehe 😀
I’m convinced he’s R2D2 Davies in drag.
PS On googling, I find his home page listed as “Your voice in the Assembly”. Rather a lone voice in the Assembly, aren’t you, eh, Andrew? 🙂
Dal I ddisgwl, but I must admit that I agree with his post, a tad extreme maybe in somethings but sometimes that’s what people need to hear to make them take notice of the situation in our country.
Newyddion da. Dyma’r ffordd ymlaen am nawr.
Good. If there are 2 parties in Wales I trust who would do the best for Wales as a partnership, it’s those 2.
The tories will bitch and whine about this partnership but 75% of the Senedd vote last May did go to let wing parties. We are not like the English electorate and never were.
Love the idea of an energy company and publicly owned construction company. So much potential in our land and people – about time we ensure that money invested here, stays here! Untold £millions leaching out of Welsh economy each year in payments to outside energy / construction / service firms. Given the urgent need to green the economy, lets hope the construction company can handle renewables and energy efficiency upgrades on a mass scale – we so desperately need action aross the entire public and private estate. Nothing will enhance support for the Senedd and devolution (and move towards independence)… Read more »
A state owned construction firm can also be useful and geared to tackle the enormous skills shortage in construction, including the skilled specialisations that are lacking everywhere, carpentry, electricians, plumbers, etc. If properly funded a lot of this could be massively transformational
Would like to see Libs, Greens and Gwlad endorse this, working to a common goal.
This goal should be enabling financial and public security for our people.
When we have succeeded, we may think about others, but for now this should be
the path we follow, and no foreign entanglements, please.
This sounds good. Especially on second homes. PC have (broadly) the right instincts on this issue and I trust Drakeford & co. to make it actually work
Plaid Cymru as it has been over the last twenty years as it is yet again Labour’s Little Helper and has kissed good bye to victory and independence in 2026
.I was a member of Plaid for many years and told them to copy the SNP. Fight for independence get rid of Labour. .But they carry on doing the same thing and will get the same result
.I m now a member of Propel a party that believes in Freedom.You will never get a Free Wales by supporting the British Nationalist Unionist Labour Party.
The negative score on Mr Parry’s comment suggests that too many commenters are very accepting of a party line when there is room for a more critical and objective response. At its heart Labour, call it Welsh Labour if you prefer, is an Unionist organisation with a bias to Loyalism. Accordingly any agreement will end up being severely watered down in its application and more time will lapse during which Plaid’s capacity for criticising outcomes will be constrained by being a party to such an arrangement.
Until Plaid Cymru form a majority in the Senedd, then a shared approach is a rational move, irrespective of any watering down that might occur. The two are on the same page regarding many issues, anyway. And a joint strategy is an effective way of preventing any pro-Wales measure being defeated by the Tory Party’s Welsh branch.
Although I’d favour a Nationalist government that could implement policies which could transform Wales, cooperation that provides stability, which will look constructively into Welsh independence, and can find a positive solution to our second home crisis a positive step. Also the creation of a shadow broadcasting body looking into the weakness of Wales broadcasting and the further devolution to our Senedd Cymru long overdue. And If the Welsh Government want these powers denied including control over policing and criminal justice systems have a mandate from the Welsh people. And once this agreement was announced, had the usual yawnfest from our… Read more »
I welcome this, but it will fundamentally weaken Plaid as a distinct political movement. Plaid’s leverage will wane rapidly.
In the circumstances, Plaid should push for a full merger, based on Welsh Labour severing its links with Keir Starmer’s party over the border.
A Plaid / Labour combination reflects the main voting patterns of the Welsh electorate – no matter what our party allegiance the main goal has to be independence from Westminster …. and if maturing our home rule means collaboration between parties then Im all for it. After all, the ills inherent in perpetual single party rule (mainly tory) from Westminster is one of the reasons why many of us are now in favour of independence anyway. Would love to see Welsh Labour declare its independnce from Keir Hardy and co. – from what I see on Twitter a growing number… Read more »
Ymlaen at y gwaith rwan 😃
Action not words is what we need 😀 Engage, Involve and Inform 😀
Fantastic news.
Why the hell are Plaid doing deals with unionists.
Anything for a sniff of power.
No mention of getting their heads together and sorting Covid 19 out…bring Vaughan Gething back…
As a member of Yes Cymru I am with the demands for Welsh independence, but would caution some careful thought about how to achieve it and what it will mean. Given that Climate Breakdown is the major threat on our horizon, I feel that we should welcome any moves that mean that the Senedd parties are working together to head us towards Zero Carbon. As for Independence, we do have a very good ‘homegrown’ example on our doorstep of how to get independence wrong. Currently, England and Wales are economically integrated and to split the two apart could well be… Read more »
Wales is just a spec on the globe, Wales could become carbon neutral tomorrow and it wouldn’t make an iota of difference to global temperatures.
Just like Singapore or Taiwan or perhaps New Zealand Glen ? You may find adding up all the’ little ‘ gains is worth a punt ? ( opps forgot Ireland )
I still want to breath clean air in my own country.
What is the point of voting Plaid, just vote Labour and cut out the middle man.
Because everyone knows that it is Plaid spurs that drive the cart horse.