Tories more concerned with ‘saving PMs job than solving cost of living crisis’, says Plaid Cymru MP

A Plaid Cymru MP has blasted the Conservative Westminster government for being “more concerned with saving the Prime Minister’s job” than solving the cost-of-living crisis.

Speaking during a debate in the House of Commons today, the pro-independence party’s Work and Pensions spokesperson, Hywel Williams MP, pointed to Wales having the highest poverty rate among the four nations of the UK.

The Arfon MP contrasted what he described as the stasis of the UK Government’s with how he says Plaid Cymru is delivering for the people of Wales through the party’s Co-operation Agreement with the Welsh Government.

The Co-operation Agreement will ensure that school meals will be free to all primary school children, phased in from this September.

The Arfon MP said that extending free school meals had “long been promised by Labour”, but that Plaid Cymru has made sure that they have “acted on these fine words”.

On a local level, Mr Williams also drew attention to the work of Porthi Pawb (Feed Everyone), a volunteer-run food distribution organisation which supplied food to vulnerable people in Caernarfon during the pandemic.

He also drew attention to his local party’s scheme providing surplus food from local supermarkets distributed from the Plaid Cymru Bangor office to those in need.

Hywel Williams MP said: “This Government seems more concerned with saving the Prime Minister job than with solving the cost-of-living crisis.

“Almost one in four people are living in poverty. Worse, Wales also has the worst child poverty rate with 31 per cent of our children living in poverty.”

‘Gross injustice’ 

He added: “My party is determined to solve this crisis and end this gross injustice, through our work in the Senedd and on a local level.

“So, just one example, under our recent 3-year agreement with the Welsh Government school meals will be free to all primary school children, phased in from September.

“This had long been promised by Labour. Plaid has made sure that at last they have acted on these fine words.

“But more generally, families across Wales are being failed by the Westminster’s welfare system, inadequate as it is in meeting the cost-of-living crisis.”

“In Wales alone, the Trussell Truss distributed over 145,000 emergency food parcels in 2020-21, 83 per cent up from levels at the height of austerity.

“I would draw attention to the efforts of my constituents in Caernarfon with Porthi Pawb (Feeding Everyone), distributing hot meals throughout the Caernarfon area for many months.

“Another example – last Sunday we have a very successful Plaid Cymru food share scheme in Bangor. It opened its doors at 10:00 on Sunday and cleared out almost immediately.”