I was not surprised to see Plaid Cymru address culture and heritage as a core manifesto issue in the election. As the party of Wales with an aspiration for greater devolution, Plaid recognises the role of cultural institutions in building identity and pride, as seen in its manifesto calls for Welsh control of TV station S4C or for Wales to be represented independently at Eurovision.
Plaid’s manifesto identifies that cultural organisations are at a “critical” level of risk that threatens their existence. Funding for the arts in Wales from national bodies has decreased in real terms by 30% since 2017. This is the highest cuts seen in any country in the UK.
Plaid’s manifesto promises to safeguard “[Wales’s] national collections for future generations”. The party plans to pay for this (and its other pledges) through a revised formula for how much money the country receives from Westminster, and increased taxation on those “with the broadest shoulders”.
