Labour and the Conservatives think Welsh economy is ‘inherently inferior’ says Adam Price

Labour and the Conservatives think Wales’ economy is “inherently inferior,” Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has said.

Writing in the Sunday Times he said that Wales needed to escape the “Labour-Tory group-think that this is as good as it gets for Wales” which believed that the country was “too small, too poor, and too stupid to stand on its own two feet”.

He called on voters to act on the “growing sense of self-assurance” that Wales could act in its own social and economic self-interest.

“Unlike the London parties, Plaid Cymru refuses to believe that the Welsh economy is inherently inferior,” Adam Price said. “There is no problem we cannot solve for ourselves with the right levers and the right leadership.

“Having swallowed the Westminster line that Wales is too small, too poor, and too stupid to stand on its own two feet, repeated polls tell us that Welsh public opinion is rapidly outgrowing Labour’s stifling self-esteem.

“It is this lack of confidence which means that our nation has never been allowed to realise its economic potential.

“It is the reason why thousands of people are trapped in poverty pay and why global corporations and their bravado-filled boardroom pitches have been backed before homegrown businesses.

“It is the reason why a change of government is now not just desirable but essential.

“We know that momentum is the most powerful thing in politics. A Plaid Cymru government would represent and reflect that growing sense of self-assurance among our people which will be the key to delivering social justice and economic success.”

‘Get to grips’

Adam Price added that twenty years since Wales voted for its own parliament, the “promise of a devolution dividend has been blunted by poor delivery”.

“For many years, relatively low unemployment figures have hidden one of Wales’s worst economic problems – poverty pay. Welsh workers are still earning roughly £50 less per week than their counterparts in England and Scotland,” he said.

“Settling for second best is to wave the white flag and seal the fate of future generations yet to even enter the world of work.

“Only a ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ mantra can change Labour-Tory group-think that this is as good as it gets for Wales.

“A Plaid Cymru government would place a relentless focus on job-creation – well-paid, high-skilled jobs which balance the needs of our economy and environment and ensure that work really does pay.

“During our first term, a Plaid government would create up to 60,000 jobs in public services, energy, infrastructure and beyond.

“As part of this, our plans to train and recruit 6,000 extra NHS staff – 1,000 doctors, 4,000 nurses and 1,000 allied health professionals – would get to grips with the two biggest challenges facing our nation, rebuilding our economy and health service.

“We need more teachers too. Not to just to address the pupil-teacher ratio so that every young person gets the attention they deserve, but also so that every need is met with the right support.

“In its first term, a Plaid government would work to recruit 4,500 extra teachers and specialist support staff, helping to raise standards in our schools which have been left languishing at the bottom of the league tables under Labour and the Liberal Democrats.”