My first afternoon as Leader of Plaid Cymru was spent just a stone’s throw from my birthplace, Tonteg. At Coleg y Cymoedd’s Nantgarw campus, I met a group of inspiring, inquisitive, and enthusiastic young people who reminded me why I came in to politics ten years ago.
After nearly two decades as a broadcaster and journalist more used to asking the questions, I became restless about finding the answers myself. Why are life chances for too many in Wales limited by poverty and inequality, when our country has produced so much wealth? Why is Wales plagued by fuel poverty as an energy-rich nation? Why are Welsh workers paid so much less each week than their neighbours across the border? And how do we ensure that our young people have the chance to flourish wherever in Wales they’re from and whatever their background?
Yesterday’s visit focused my mind even more. The young people at Coleg y Cymoedd training to be the engineers of the future were testament to the huge potential our nation holds – potential not realised by either Labour or Tory governments at either end of the M4.
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This week’s unemployment figures follow a bleak trend of Wales topping all the wrong league tables. Educational standards, NHS waiting times and economic stagnation highlight the urgent need for change. As Shadow Minister for the Economy and more recently for Health and Social Care, I am acutely aware of the issues which are important to people in their day to day lives.
From the young couple in Pwllheli unable to afford their first home, to the parents in Pontypridd struggling with the cost of childcare, to the grandmother in Prestatyn fearful for her pension, I want Plaid Cymru to be there for them all – whatever their geography, whatever their generation.
So, as I begin my work of leading Plaid Cymru, I’m committed to developing a vision for building a stronger, fairer economy able to support sustainable public services which empower Wales to realise its full potential.
I want Plaid Cymru to be a home for everyone who is ambitious about creating a fairer, greener, more prosperous society - a home for those already curious about independence, for those as confident about its potential as I am, or those whose curiosity is yet to be sparked. And being that spark is central to what I want to achieve in politics, sharing my firm belief as positively as I can, to an audience as wide as can be, that this is not as good as it gets for Wales.
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United in purpose and clear in our thinking, Plaid Cymru will re-double our efforts to build the Wales we know it can be, putting our ambition for our nation front and centre of everything we do.
I know that people are struggling. High inflation and the damaging economic impact of Brexit are adding insult to the misery of stagnant wages, low pay, regional and national disparities. The redistribution of wealth and opportunity has never been more important, it is only by levelling out the playing field that we can enable everyone to reach their potential, no matter their background.
If, like me, you are for fairness, for ambition and for Wales this is a journey we can embark on together - on a road that many countries of a similar size to Wales have travelled, with no regrets. Far from pulling the drawbridge behind us we can open Wales up to the world, forging new partnership with near neighbours and new friends. An outward looking, fair, and inclusive nation making its own decisions, accountable for its actions and reaping the rewards.
Leading the party which means so much to me is not a responsibility I take lightly. I will lead with passion, I will lead with humility, and I will do all I can to lead us out of a difficult period for the party. Recent events have highlighted the many lessons we have to learn, as all parties do, and I give my personal commitment that the work which is already underway to set new foundations will be completed – with no short cuts but no delay either.
It has been my long-held belief that Wales needs a strong Plaid Cymru. With a chaotic Tory government in Westminster and a Labour administration in Wales lacking urgency and ambition, I’m determined to make Plaid Cymru a credible and inspiring alternative.
We owe it to the next generation, the young people I met yesterday, to improve lives and outcomes. Working together, we can build a more confident, fairer, greener, more prosperous nation.
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