In her keynote speech to Plaid Cymru’s Annual Conference in Aberystwyth today, Jill Evans MEP, the party’s Vice President and representative in the European Parliament will launch a scathing attack on New Labour’s duplicity and call for more powers for Wales within the European Union.

Attacking New Labour’s duplicity, Jill Evans MEP will say:

“We have a government in Cardiff and in London - the same New Labour government - which is always telling us what’s best for us. They tell us we’re doing well as a country - but we are so poor we get the same level of European funding as the former Communist countries.

They tell us we have the best health service - but people die on hospital trollies in corridors. They tell us they are regenerating valley communities - but when was the last time they drove up through the Rhondda?

I was in the Basque Country last month and wherever you went - even to the smallest towns - there were excellent new roads and new development growing up around those roads. They tell us we can’t spend European funding on roads - nonsense!!

They talk about the environment but they build poisonous landfill sites and incinerators. They talk about climate change but they are planning to build more nuclear power stations. Where? In London? I don’t think so!

They talk about an ethical foreign policy but they engage in an illegal invasion of Iraq resulting in thousands of innocent deaths.”

Highlighting the success of other small nations in Europe in comparison with Wales, Jill Evans MEP will call for greater powers for Wales in the European Union:

“The truth is that Wales could do so much better. We could do what other small nations in Europe are doing. But we can’t because New Labour stops us. How many times have we seen community and voluntary organisations coming forward with plans - only to be told by Labour that they can’t go ahead.”

“We are not poorer than other parts of Europe because of any failing or weakness on the part of the people of Wales. We are a skilled people with everything that it takes for economic success – well almost everything. What we lack, and what other countries have, is real power to shape our own political and economic destiny.”

Diwedd/Ends