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Plaid Leader to set sights on government at annual conference

11 Oct 2024 4 minute read
Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth

Emily Price

Rhun ap Iorwerth will use his Plaid Cymru annual conference speech to set his sights on government with a promise of immediate impact and a long-term change for Wales.

At the event in Cardiff on Friday (October 11), Plaid Cymru’s leader will set out his party’s commitments if it were to come into power in the Senedd.

Plaid achieved the party’s best election results ever during the recent General Election – doubling its number of MPs and securing its largest share of the vote in its history.

Here’s what he’s expected to say:

On key issues of the economy, education and health, Mr ap Iorwerth will use his 45 minute speech to set out how he will implement immediate improvement – but also explain the need for a longer term plan for Wales.

In health, he will pledge that a Plaid Cymru government would increase spending on preventative health measures every year.

Mr ap Iorwerth will also announce that a Plaid Cymru Cabinet would include a Minister for Public Health, “ensuring a truly national mission of creating healthier lives which in turn deliver substantial savings.”

‘Repair’

Describing the NHS as “born on Labour’s watch”, Plaid’s leader is expected to say: “My government will break the cycle of short term thinking which shortchanges Wales.

“Unlike Eluned Morgan, I will acknowledge that some things are broken but more importantly I’ll be determined that nothing is beyond repair.

“My government will not consider issues in isolation. Silo working helps no one when one decision so often affects another.

“Unlocking our economic potential will need major improvements in education attainment, but another bedrock of a healthy economy is a well Wales – its people active in body and mind.

“This year, as waiting lists grew – Labour for some inexplicable reason cut the amount it spends on preventative health policies.

“Friends, this is short-term thinking with long term pain guaranteed. It feeds the problem as opposed to solving it, putting further pressure on front line staff, filling our hospitals with ever sicker patients.

“Plaid Cymru will reverse the thinking, it’s something I’m determined to do , ensuring the NHS is fit for its centenary celebrations and beyond.”

‘Sticking plaster’

During the conference, Plaid’s leader will launch a new approach to preventative health as part of wider NHS changes.

He is expected to say: “For too long, Labour’s priority has been managing people’s pain but I want to keep people healthy and I can announce that in the first 100 days of a Plaid Cymru government we will bring forward a new budget – based on the principles of a healthier, wealthier Wales – with a promise that spending on preventative health measures will increase every year.

“No more sticking plaster, no more blaming the individual, no more passing the buck. This is grown-up government – taking responsibility, empowering people and protecting the NHS.

“And we have an enormous task ahead of us. On improving the NHS estate, we’ll go further than the last 8 Labour Health Ministers, clearing the emergency maintenance backlogs over the duration of the next Senedd term.

“Only this week, a critical incident was declared at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend because of serious long-term damage to its roof. We have to have an NHS estate fit for purpose!

“We’ll introduce a target focused cancer contract for every patient and reform the governance of the NHS, bringing standards back where they should be and waiting lists down.

“And with a new Minister for Public Health, we’ll put the ‘N’ back in the NHS – ensuring a truly national mission of creating healthier lives which in turn deliver substantial savings.

“Our treasured National Health Service – born on Labour’s watch, given a rebirth by the Plaid Cymru government I will lead.”


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Margaret Helen Parish
Margaret Helen Parish
13 days ago

Is he actually REAL?
Plaid have been hanging on to Labours coat-tails like forever!
They plotted with Labour to bring in the new election process…this in my opinion is the worst piece of legislation to come out of the Senedd, and that would take some beating!!!
For the sake of Wales, get rid of them!

Stevie B
Stevie B
13 days ago

Get rid of who? Plaid?

Margaret Helen Parish
Margaret Helen Parish
12 days ago
Reply to  Stevie B

Yes!

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
13 days ago

Are you really serious ? Plaid Cymru was not in any coalition for the last 2 Senedd terms. We were always the effective opposition. When Labour ran out of ideas we gave advice to the government. Whether they took this advice was up to the elected Labour administration. Plaid Cymru (like the Lib Dems and Green Party) supported the change of the election system to the Single Transferable Vote as recommended by the Electoral Reform Society. We, in Plaid Cymru opposed any party list systems which takes away the power of the electorate to choose individual candidates for any party.… Read more »

Dr John Ball
Dr John Ball
13 days ago

All he needs now is experienced, capable individuals to be ministers (er..none available) and the small matter of winning the election.
Having taken part in the worst case of jerrymandering in history, the chances of winning are negligible, but Reform will do well….

hdavies15
hdavies15
13 days ago
Reply to  Dr John Ball

That last prediction is bound to come true unless some of Reform’s resident buffoons pull some seriously outrageous stunts in the meantime. The new rigged voting system was created to give Labour a perpetual dominance but the law of unintended consequences looms just below the horizon. Maybe Plaid and Labour will start to address the real concerns of people and quit the faffin’ about

includemeout
includemeout
13 days ago

It’s hard to evaluate Rhun’s leadership since so far, like Starmer before the election, he hasn’t had to do much except look plausible, blather vaguely about change, and watch the governing party fall apart. His record hardly inspires confidence. He’s reached the top of two little worlds – Welsh TV journalism and Welsh nationalist politics – without once saying or doing anything that anyone can remember. His interviews show him as a master of the art of using a lot of words to say nothing. The suspicion remains that, for all the talk, come 2026 Plaid will once again settle… Read more »

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
13 days ago
Reply to  includemeout

If Plaid Cymru are elected to government it would be an independent minded government with the only priority will be the interests of the people of Cymru Wales.
If Labour is re-elected again we can look forward to another 4 years of wasted lifetime of following exactly what the UK tell them to do.

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