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.
