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Plaid Cymru unveils plan to ‘breathe new life’ into the Welsh economy

28 Apr 2025 3 minute read
Plaid Cymru MS Luke Fletcher.

Plaid Cymru has launched its new economic strategy for Wales, including the creation of a new Welsh Development Agency, ahead of next year’s Senedd election.

The party’s economy spokesperson Luke Fletcher pledged that the new economic plan ‘Making Wales Work’, will “breathe new life” into the Welsh economy after decades of Labour stagnation and says the plan underpins Plaid’s vision for “building a stronger, fairer economy” for Wales if they are elected to government at the Senedd election next year.

Mr Fletcher said the plan would see “wealth built, retained and recycled in our communities instead of it leaking, and in some cases flooding, out of Wales”.

Pledges

The plan, which will be published in full later on Monday, includes pledges to ensure:

Better support for Welsh businesses, helping them to grow, and keeping successful companies here in Wales.

Energy independence – control over our natural resources so that our communities really benefit from renewables.

A skills strategy fit for the future, so that everyone has the skills they need to get ahead.

A new, strategic approach to innovation backed up by a new deal for our universities.

Wealth in and for our communities by supporting community-owned businesses, social enterprises and co-operatives.

Vision

Luke Fletcher said: “After 26 years of Labour in power, wages are too low, bills are too high, and too many decent businesses are closing their doors. Labour has no clear plan or vision to make Wales thrive.

“Making Wales Work: Plaid Cymru’s New Economic Plan will breathe new life into the Welsh economy, turning around decades of Labour stagnation.

“Our plan will see wealth built, retained and recycled in our communities instead of it leaking, and in some cases flooding out of Wales. It will grow and sustain Welsh owned businesses, delivering good jobs, reviving our own centres and boosting living standards.

“Our vision is of a Wales in which no child grows up poor, where every young person has access to fulfilling work, education or training, and where the economy works for our people and our communities, not the other way around.”

Welsh Development Agency

He added, “With a Plaid Cymru government, small and medium-sized Welsh businesses will finally have a government on their side. We’ll create a new Welsh Development Agency to make Wales a great place to start and grow a business.

“We’ll fight for control over our own resources, like the Crown Estate, invest in skills, and use every power we have – and push for more – to build a thriving economy that works for all of Wales.

“We know that this is not as good as it gets for Wales. Making Wales Work provides a blueprint for a fairer, more ambitious approach on the Welsh economy.

“Labour has let Wales down, and other parties have no answers. Plaid Cymru has the energy, ambition, and ideas to deliver the fresh start Wales needs – and we are ready to begin the work of delivering it now.”


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Gerallt Llewelyn Rhys.
Gerallt Llewelyn Rhys.
4 days ago

Labour has let Wales down says Plaid. Was that true when Plaid and Labour walked hand in hand? Or have they only recently let Wales down?

Hal
Hal
4 days ago

Isn’t it better to deliver some of what you want in a cooperation arrangement than none of what you want whining and sniping from the sidelines?

What have the Welsh Cons ever delivered for their salaries apart from giving everyone a headache?

Imagine if they’d supported the budget this in return for using that spare £100m for a £76 rebate on every ctax bill?

Imagine if they’d had their own cooperation agreement that resulted in the top rate of tax being abolished in Wales.

Rhufawn Jones
Rhufawn Jones
4 days ago

That can be done by decolonizing the Welsh economy, which is currently based on an extraction model.

John
John
4 days ago

Worth pointing out Welsh inwards investment decreased and flatlined long before the WDA was scrapped. Some people look at that quango with very rose-tinted glasses. Recreating a quango without any change in strategy for attracting FDI, or promoting Welsh businesses abroad (largely done by BEIS anyway) isn’t going to make a big difference. As for the rest, some detail would be useful. A lot of this is being done already, one could argue. The problem with Plaid, and Welsh labour to a lesser extent, is how little senior experience in industry, or even the public sector so many of their… Read more »

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
3 days ago
Reply to  John

How many Thompson Twins…?

PMB
PMB
4 days ago

The Welsh development agency used to be run by business people whom had a track record and it worked quite well . It then became infested with civil service types who absolutely ruined it . I recall one had my father followed by a private detective as he didn’t believe the mileage he was doing running around south and west wales helping small businesses . The report back from the Detective advised that he was actually under claiming the mileage done , the gentleman concerned couldn’t contemplate it because he had never worked hard in his life , when I… Read more »

Hal
Hal
3 days ago
Reply to  PMB

How would you have avoided this problem?

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