Labour voters: help stop the Tories - give your 2nd vote to Plaid

This is a message to Labour voters.

Since the the first Assembly elections in 1999, Labour has never won a seat in South Wales Central, the regional list on which I am seeking re-election.

The regional lists are Wales's version of proportional representation, providing an element of political balance. The aim is to ensure that if a party gets, say, one third of the votes in a region, it should get one third of the seats.

In South Wales Central there are 12 Assembly seats - eight constituency seats and four regional seats. In 2007, Labour held six of the eight constituency seats; and this time round they are challenging strongly in both Cardiff North and Cardiff Central. Because Labour dominates the constituency seats they cannot win regional seats here - they already have at least half of all seats in the region so already have their fair share of seats, and more. In every election since the establishment of the Assembly its been Plaid versus the Tories for the regional seats. In 2007, in South Wales Central, 70,000 Labour votes counted for nothing. In 2007, Plaid won two of the four regional seats and the Tories won the other two.

If the Tories narrowly lose the seat they hold (Cardiff North), they could increase their representation on the regional list.

Plaid policies have a lot in common with the values close to the hearts of Labour voters - for example our opposition to privatisation, support for workers' rights and working to ensure those on the lowest incomes do not pay for the debts caused by the casino-capitalist driven economic crash. Plaid is a progressive party on the left.

Labour voters can help reduce the risk of getting more Tories by voting Plaid with their second vote.

Help stop the Tories. Keep left. Vote Plaid.

What future for our youth?

Youth unemployment rates are shocking. UK-wide, 18-24 year olds make up one fifth of all unemployed. However, in the valleys of South Wales, they make up a third of all job seekers' claimants.

According to the ONS, there are a total of 2470 people claiming out-of-work benefits in the Rhondda, 960 of whom are under 24, as of April 5th 2011. The youth unemployment levels as a percentage of the total figure for the Rhondda is 38.8%, while in the Cynon Valley it is 37.4%, Neath 36.3% and Caerffili, 35.7%. The number of job vacancies in those constituencies varies from 151 in the Rhondda to 264 in Caerffili.

The chances of current incapacity claimants finding work in the valleys are not high.

In remarks reminicient of 'unemployment is a price worth paying', Tory Energy Minister Greg Barker gives the ideological game away by telling a US audience that his government is "making cuts which I think that Margaret Thatcher back in the 1980s could only have dreamt of.”

This is not a new problem - youth unemployment rates for the valleys were shocking under the Labour UK government too.

It is safe to assume that these areas in Wales which have deep, structural and long-term economic problems are unlikely to receive any special attention from London. As the late DJ Davies, one of the founders of Plaid Cymru said in 1931, "Let us cease looking to others, or to Westminster either for help. It is Wales alone that can lift Wales from the dust."

The aim of the Valleys Greenprint is to put DJ's words into action. It is the beginnings of what I hope will be an action-based plan to create jobs, opportunities and an economic future for the valleys, by doing things for ourselves.

A willing Welsh government could help by making sure public sector purchasing power is used to help create local jobs and train people. It could bring together the various players to make finance available for people to take out no-up-front-cost loans to maximise their home energy efficiency and invest in micro-generation which would significantly reduce home heating bills and help to create more work. Government could make public land available and it could provide practical support for people to set up and run the businesses to undertake the work that needs doing. And it could make sure that the training courses are available to ensure that people have the right skills.

But a plan like this can only work if people want it to. Can we rekindle the famous community spirit and the self-belief, self-confidence and self-determination of our mining forefathers who built the institutions that were the backbone of the valleys before the days of the welfare state? Welfare halls, schools, libraries, hospitals were all built using collective resources. In previous recessions, the miners could not afford to hope that Westminster would bail them out. And neither can we.

I have already received expressions of interest from business people interested in the ideas and I have set up a facebook group for anyone who is interested in registering to help develop the job creation ideas in the Valleys Greenprint. Do you want to help turn around the economy, fortunes and future of our valleys? Why not sign up?

Ron Davies for Plaid

This is the full text of Ron Davies’s speech in the Plaid election rally to support Penri James to be the next MP for Ceredigion, in Aberystwyth on Saturday. With thanks to Alun Williams.

“Thank you very much. I was tempted to say, “Good Morning. And it is a very good morning in Aberystwyth".

“I am not going to try to attempt to speak with the degree of hwyl and local conviction that we’ve just had from my very good friend Dafydd Iwan. But the message I bring to you is no less heartfelt. I’m here today to support Penri.

“I hope that people throughout the length and breadth of Wales will think very seriously about the way that they will cast their vote on May 6th. We have not been well served by our governments in Westminster. We have had 40 years of political consensus which has put the interests of London at the heart of all of our decision- making. And that political consensus is shared between those people that Dafydd described as 'those three men'.

“The Conservative Party, unfortunately the Labour Party, and the Lib Dems have shared that political consensus, that what matters in Britain is the future and prosperity of that square mile in the city of London. And when you have a political consensus without any real challenge to the priorities you have a country descending into the country that we see today.

“We’ve had the worst economic collapse that any of us have seen. Following from that we have political corruption on an appalling scale in London. We've seen a growth of inequality right throughout the length of Britain. And we’ve seen the British people led by a British government into overseas military adventures when we’re killing innocent men, women and children in the name of the British state and in the name of the Americans.

“Now that is the consequence of having a political consensus. Like me, you’ll have watched some of the debate on television. And they talk about change - “We are the party of change”. The only difference is the colour of their ties. They shouldn’t call themselves parties. They should say, “The Blue Tie Party”, or, “The Red Tie party”, or, “The Orange Tie Party”. They don’t offer any difference.

“This election offers us in Wales the chance to send a very clear message. Every vote which is cast in this election for Plaid Cymru is a vote cast on behalf of the people of Wales. Every vote cast for Plaid Cymru candidates will be noted in London. In terms of politics, in terms of what we offer, it is now only Plaid Cymru which can challenge that political consensus.

“If you want to affect those issues that are concerning us, if you want to change the structure of politics, if you want to change the quality of democracy, if you want to bring equality, if you want to make sure that communities know where they stand and have secure futures, there’s only one thing to do on May 6th. And that is to support your Plaid Cymru candidate.

“Penri, I’m delighted to be here. I wish you every success. I have no doubt at all that you and many, many other Plaid Cymru candidates are going to be successful on May 6th. And Wales will be better for it.

The valleys and tunnels

Great article in the Western Mail today about the abandoned tunnels that scatter the south Wales valleys. The legacy of heavy industry, these feats of engineering were used to transport coal and materials between areas that would have otherwise been separated by thousands of tonnes of rugged landscape.

Now Plaid's prospective General Election candidate for Cynon Valley, Dafydd Trystan, has proposed opening up these tunnels to link up communities that are very close geographically but miles away from each other due to the road network.
Speaking as a board member of the sustainable travel charity Sustrans about the tunnels between Abernant and Merthyr Tydfil and between Penrhiwceiber and Quakers Yard, Dafydd said:

“Both these tunnels could provide a fascinating walk or cycle ride, especially for anyone interested in our transport history, as well as a convenient inter-valley route. I very much hope studies can go ahead which could eventually lead to their reopening.”

I think this is a fantastic idea and should be seriously explored. There's a blocked up tunnel between Treherbert and Blaengwynfi in the Afan valley. If the tunnels in question are in a good state of repair it should cost a relatively small amount of money to reopen them and the benefits to all communities concerned would be felt instantly.

Travel time between the major town of Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil could be slashed, which would not only be beneficial to commuters and the economy, but also to the environment. We need to be doing all we can to reduce our green-house gas emissions, and car-travel, which is almost essential for travelling between valleys, is one of our greatest emitters. Cutting time spend on the road would reduce emissions from cars, but re-opening the railtrack, if it still runs under the mountains, would help to reduce car usage much more.

Many communities would, I'm sure, feel and be a lot less isolated if some of the old tunnels could be reopened. It is very difficult to place a value on the benefits it could deliver as I've never experienced life living in a community where the road runs out. The idea deserves wider consideration as it could provide good opportunities to people who would otherwise struggle to access employment.

From the record - prepearing for Copenhagen Climate talks

Assembly Record of proceedings 3rd November 2009
Leanne Wood: Plaid Cymru supports the calls from the environment movement for wealthy industrialised countries to commit to a cut of at least 40 per cent in domestic emissions by 2020. This call is not just about getting the UK Government to agree to such a target, but about persuading other industrialised countries to agree that a 40 per cent cut in emissions is a fair and just approach for the sake of a global deal. If you agree with that call, Minister, there are clear implications for the One Wales Government and the commitment to cut our emissions by 3 per cent per year after 2011. I know that the climate change commission is looking at the feasibility of emission cuts of 3 per cent, 6 per cent and 9 per cent, so I would be grateful to hear whether you think that Wales can commit to cutting emissions by 40 per cent by 2020.

We also support calls for the rich industrialised countries — those of us who have grown relatively rich on the back of fantastically high emissions historically — to provide additional money for non-industrialised countries to grow in a way that does not cause more harm to our planet.

We are all aware that climate change will bring more desertification, floods, droughts and famines. Some countries will need support to cope with the mass movements of people that are bound to arise as a result of that, as well as the finance to green their existing industries. Oxfam has called for an additional 0.7 per cent on top of existing aid commitments. I would be grateful to hear the Welsh Assembly Government’s view on that.

We would also like to see action to reduce the use of large-scale biofuels, as well as action to halt the destruction of the world’s forests. We recognise that we need to make adjustments to our own lifestyles, which help to promote the destruction of those forests. We should be making strong representations to the UK Government, which is the body that has the seat at the top table in Copenhagen. We in Wales should be prepared to make our own share of the cuts.

My final point is that Plaid Cymru is of the view that Wales should have direct representation in Copenhagen. We should have our own seat at that top table, and I would be grateful to hear whether the Minister agrees with that.

Jane Davidson: An awful lot of figures are bandied around in this debate. With regard to some of the early issues regarding the targets, the initial target in the Climate Change Act 2008 was to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 34 per cent by 2020, against a 1990 baseline. There was then a call for a 40 per cent reduction by 2020, against a 1990 baseline. To look at our reductions against a 1990 baseline, greenhouse gas emissions are now 14.7 per cent lower, and carbon dioxide emissions are 9.5 per cent lower, as shown by the figures for 2007 that I announced in September.

The Climate Change Commission for Wales met with the independent Committee on Climate Change, which came to launch its report in Wales on the further action that needs to be taken, and when it should be taken, in the context of the UK Government meeting its 80 per cent target by 2050, it said clearly that our 3 per cent reduction target in relation to our devolved responsibilities was the most ambitious target in the UK; it is over and above the reductions that will come through the EU emissions trading scheme for example — for the large emitters — which will also improve reductions. Therefore, the figures are complex. We are determined to achieve a minimum of a 3 per cent reduction. Further work has been undertaken by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, which is probably the foremost climate change centre in the United Kingdom, in looking at reductions of 3 per cent, 6 per cent and 9 per cent a year, and what those would look like. That work is due to be published before Copenhagen, so we will have a chance to look at that as well.

The Government has always made it clear that the 3 per cent reduction target was a political target; science leads us in a further direction. If every country in the world achieved a 3 per cent reduction, we would not restrict global warming to a 2 per cent rise. Therefore, in a sense, there are major stakes for us all. I am looking at the maximum reductions that can be achieved in our final climate change strategy, which will come out in the early part of the new year.

I agree with you on the relationship with developing countries. One important element of the role that Wales has been given in the nrg4sd, and others, has been our commitment to sustainable development and the ecological footprint. The ecological footprint relates to bringing our share of the Earth’s resources down to our fair share, in the same kind of timescale as in the context of climate change. We have already put more than £0.5 million into our Wales for Africa programme, some of which will contribute towards the territorial approach to climate change, whereby we are one of the 10 pilot regions in the world of the United Nations development programme, and we have a link with the Mbale region of Uganda. That gives us a real opportunity to work on that agenda.

Why the striking postal workers deserve our support

It may be an inconvenience and it may cause major problems for some, but this week's postal strike was unavoidable. Royal Mail's plans for the 'modernisation' of the service, if implemented, will end postal services as we know them.

As Billy Hayes, leader of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) has said:

"right now we can't avoid a dispute about the heart and soul of the future of mail delivery. It's important that the public know that Royal Mail are running down the public services and we are determined that this will not happen. Running down those services has meant running down jobs and terms and conditions of the workforce. It also means you will pay more for a worse service and be expected to pay for one you currently get for free. This can all be reversed - mail is not in serious decline, despite what the company claims."

At the Plaid conference last month, a motion opposing the privatisation of the Royal Mail was passed. The CWU are not opposed to modernisation. All they ask is that their members are involved in the plans, and not bullied into accepting proposals which will privatise their industry and downgrade their terms and conditions, should they be lucky enough to hold on to their jobs. The CWU are ready for mediation, yet Royal Mail bosses refuse to talk through ACAS.

Compass have come up with proposals to save a public mail service which include the creation of a people's bank using post offices, a call which has been supported by my colleague Dai Lloyd.

Like the bankers, Royal Mail bosses have been creaming off hefty bonuses while the company squeezes the workers and customers. It'll be a long and tough fight, but anyone who values our public mail service should back the postal workers in this dispute.

Budget disaster for Wales

£416 million will be cut from the Assembly's budget next year. New Labour are calling the cuts "efficiency savings". Adam Price said yesterday:

"When taking these and other already announced cuts into account, public services in Wales will be around one billion pounds per year worse off by 2013-14."

This is disasterous news for Welsh public services. Swathing cuts to frontline services are inevitable. Its difficult to see how these cuts can be implemented without job cuts. Jobs are already at risk at the Mint.

The public sector should be providing jobs now, not cutting them. Great opportunities have been missed to invest in a Green New Deal - something that could have provided thousands of jobs and training opportunities well as helping us to prepare the way for the effects of climate change and peak oil.

Why didn't the chancellor scrap the plans to introduce ID cards and replace the TRIDENT nuclear missile system? Billions could have been saved in two simple moves. Instead, the poorest - those who make most use of public services and who don't have the luxury of being able to afford alternatives will bear the brunt of these cuts.

Energy companies profit from rising oil prices

Today's Observer reports that the energy watchdog, OFGEM, will this week criticise the UK government for its failure to stop energy companies from making excessive profits at the expense of consumers. As usual, its the poorest who pay the most, with households on pre-payment meters paying on average 20% more for fuel than direct debit customers. Energy bills have rocketed in recent years and this article claims that the energy suppliers have creamed off huge profits while using the inflated price of oil as an excuse for those rises. It goes on to make a good argument for the public ownership of utilities. Fuel is, after all, a basic necessity.

Numbers of people living in fuel poverty continue to increase with official figures almost doubling between 2004 and 2006 to nearly 250,000 homes. I've previously called for an increase in the Winter Fuel Allowance and its extension to cover other vulnerable groups and I will be raising a question about growing fuel poverty with the First Minister this Tuesday. I'll keep you posted.