Time to control our own resources

One of the themes of this weekend's Plaid Cymru conference was the economy. Wales's economy is in a poor state and not getting better despite billions of euro-cash.

With public sector cuts resulting in job losses and cuts to workers' wages hitting at the same time as big rises in the costs of living, allowing the Welsh economy to continue to decline is not an option.

As Dr Calvin Jones pointed out in a Stop Climate Chaos Cymru fringe meeting, Wales will need three nuclear power stations to replace oil, which is fast increasing in price as world reserves run out. Calvin presented a chilling picture of what can be expected: he asked how Mrs Jones living at the top of the valleys will be able to get to hospital when there are no buses, taxi's are unaffordable and the NHS can't afford to put fuel in its ambulances. This is the sort of consequence we can expect from peak oil, if we continue to live the way we do.

It's important to understand our history if we are to avoid making the same mistakes. One of the reasons that Wales's economy is in the state it is, is that we failed to control our own natural resources in the past. Those areas which produced the coal which fuelled the Britsh Empire should today be wealthy. Instead the land and the people of those areas were exploited, colonial-style, as the profits from coal lined the pockets of those elsewhere. It is those former coalfield areas, the valleys, which are among the most deprived part of Wales, the UK, even Europe - which is why we still qualify for EU structural funds. If Wales is to host another energy revolution, control over and the ability to realise the profits from those energy sources is going to be vital.

The valleys and parts of our coasts are due to see a vast expansion of wind power. Wind turbines being contructed already. Opposition continues, with one of the chief objections being that local communities will see little benefit. Electricity will not be cheaper and any benefits from compensatory 'wind-falls' to local councils are likely to be swallowed up by the cuts. In future, all renewable energy developments should have an element of community ownership and tangible benefits for the local communities before they are allowed to go ahead.

Decisions about large energy projects should be made in Wales, by devolving the power for energy consents for power generation of more than 50 MegaWatts. And the land owned by the Crown Estates in Wales should be owned by the people of Wales, with the profits being invested back into green infrastructure instead of into the coffers of the Windsors.

And there are more proposals in the Valleys Greenprint to make sure small communities in Wales see the benefits from controlling and owning the renewable energy we have to produce.

A green revolution has the potential to provide a vital boost to the Welsh economy. If we can make sure people have the right skills - green construction, co-operative and business skills and access to finance, co-operatively-based, where possible, and we can implementing some of the other proposals contained in the greenprint and those put forward in the conference fringe by Stop Climate Change Chaos and recently by Friends of the Earth Cymru, we have the potential to create thousand of jobs and prepare Wales for a future less reliant on carbon emitting fossil fuels AND save people money on their home energy bills. No brainer? What are we waiting for?

Plaid conference highlights

I returned yesterday, not-so-fresh, on a packed train from Llandudno. The Plaid annual conference is great for catching up with old friends and making new ones – with late night conversations often finishing just a few hours before the 'official' debates on the conference floor.

On Thursday, I chaired a discussion called "Is going green a luxury Wales can't afford?" where there was general agreement that we cannot continue to consume as we are and that we should now be looking beyond material wealth as a measure of a prosperous society. We passed motions calling for a maximum wage, against cuts to front-line local authority services, for a campaign to defend disability benefits as well as opposing the privatisation of the Royal Mail and the Royal Mint.

With the possible exceptions of the hilarious entertainment provided by Plaid youth section CymruX's 'Have I Got News for Plaid', George Monbiot's speech at the conference dinner and the demolition of Welsh Conservatism by Adam Price, my personal conference highlight was the UNDEB fringe meeting, ’Unions after the Union’. Our guest speakers were England football fan and author Mark Perryman, and Professor Gregor Gall from Edinburgh, expert in industrial relations, author and editorial board member of the Scottish Socialist review, Celyn's sister magazine. It was sponsored by the Public and Commercial Services Union Cymru, and UNISON Cymru. This union sponsorship was a first for UNDEB, and a first for Plaid.

Both speakers put forward strong but challenging arguments. Gregor outlined the reasons as to why the independence movement in Scotland has gained strength. He argued that self government would provide an opportunity to improve the lives of working Scots, and that the numbers of people who are pro-independence is now on the rise. He smashed the argument that independence would mean a break in solidarity between workers who are currently in Britain-wide unions by pointing to the situation in Ireland.

Mark put forward a clear and undisputable case for a multi-cultural, democratic and non-imperialist English nationalism to counteract the rapid rise in support for the far right in England - a force, he argued, which is less dominant and relatively easier to defeat in Wales and Scotland. He spoke of the effect of prejudice-based humour such as that of Jeremy Clarkson, Anne Robinson and Gary Bushell, who portray anti-Welsh and Scot sentiment on our TV screens. His work through the England Football Supporters group involves attempting to redefine the St George Cross as a symbol which represents a civic pride in a multi-racial country, as opposed to a badge of racism and hooliganism. Together with Billy Bragg he argues that England and Britain are not one entity, that Union Jacks should not be flown at England games and that 'God Save the Queen' should be replaced by a new anthem for England. They stand for an independent England with good relationships with its neighbours. He argued that the battle for English identity is currently being won by right-wing and far right bigots and that the situation simply had to be contested. This is not an academic question - turning the debate around is a huge task. The outcomes of failing to do so are frightening.

We had a good discussion as to what could be done to work across borders to stop the vile hate-based and nonsensical politics of parties like the BNP, who are rising on a wave of race-based English identity. Plans for more work together have been hatched.

The feedback from the 50 or so attendees couldn't have been more positive. Most said it got them thinking. You can't ask for more than that.