This year I had the pleasure of working with three young people from the Rhondda who won the competition to make a DVD about my work as an MEP, aimed at young people in particular. With the help of the Pop Factory they filmed me in Brussels and in Wales and then put together a film which highlighted for them the important issues. The result you can see for yourselves but I think it’s brilliant! And it shows the young talent and skill that we have in Wales. That’s what we in Plaid Cymru need to encourage and promote. And that’s what a Plaid Cymru government would encourage and promote.
And all over Wales we see magnificent work being done by people in their own communities. People are fighting back against government policies that are taking away their services and undermining their communities. Whether it’s campaigning to keep schools and hospitals open or to buy more local food or to get decent housing for their children, thousands of people across the country are taking action themselves. That is politics and people in Wales are interested in politics – real politics that affects their everyday lives.
And that is the difference between Plaid Cymru and other parties. We believe in people-powered politics. We campaign with people. We know that people living in their own communities know what those communities need.
If we are not listening we are not doing our jobs – we are not doing it right. I got involved in politics and joined Plaid Cymru because I wanted to make my own community, the Rhondda, a better place. I now have the privilege of working with communities throughout Wales as an MEP to make our country a better place.
A’r un peth mae pobl yn dweud wrthyf fi drwy Gymru – mae’r llywodraeth wedi anghofio amdanon ni – mae’r llywodraeth wedi troi cefn arnon ni - dydyn ni ddim yn bwysig. Dyna sut mae pobl mewn rhai o’r ardaloedd mwya difreintiedig yng Nghymru yn teimlo. Dyna adlewyrchiad damniol o’r llywodraeth Llafur yma sy gyda ni.
Mae Rhodri Morgan wedi bod yn siarad am lwyddiant Cymru yr wythnos yma. Mae ‘na lwyddiannau, wrth gwrs. Ond mae tri chwarter o’n gwlad mor dlawd rydyn ni’n dal i dderbyn y lefel uchaf o arian Ewropeaidd. Gorllewin Cymru a’r Cymoedd yw un o’r ardaloedd tlotaf yn Ewrop i gyd. A dyw e ddim yn fater o ddaearyddiaeth. Mae’r Rhondda ond tafliad carreg o’r Cynulliad ond gallai fod ben draw’r byd. Mae’n anghofio am hyn – mae’n dewis anghofio methiannau ei lywodraeth. Ond yn waeth na hynny, mae fe’n mesur llwyddiant yn nhermau adeiladu stadiwm neu senedd newydd. Nid adeiladau ond ein pobl yw ein cryfder fel cenedl.
I am always inspired by people working at a local level across Wales. I do my job in committees and in parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg, and enjoy the work, but it is meeting people around Wales that guides that work. People who care so passionately about their own communities that they write letters, lobby politicians, collect signatures door to door and protest on the streets. People who become experts who can argue their case with politicians at any level and often win the arguments. That is real politics. And everyone who campaigns at the local level is contributing to a different kind of Wales as well.
It’s not surprising that those same people are disillusioned by politicians and feel let down by governments. The Labour government’s priorities are not their priorities. The government has an unending supply of money for the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. It can find £25 billion to buy new nuclear weapons. But how come there are always excuses for not doing other things? Why is it that the resources and political will can be found for war but not to prevent children dying every few seconds in the poorest countries?
They are obsessed with their so-called war on terrorism. We are obsessed with a different kind of war - on poverty, injustice and inequality.
And why, why, why are we always seeing the crocodile tears of Labour when jobs are lost. Like Burberry in the Rhondda two weeks ago announcing the closure of their Treorci factory to move production to Asia with the loss of 311 jobs. The announcement followed a year long review – not involving the workers of course. After the announcement is made they hold a 90 day period of consultation with the workforce. Now do you think that is real consultation? Of course not! You consult before a decision, not after the decision is made. But that’s how the law works here, under this Labour government. They refused to bring in strong enough laws to protect workers from these overnight announcements. It couldn’t happen in other European countries, but it happens here.
And Labour wouldn’t listen when we were calling for the Rhondda Fawr to be included in the Heads of the Valleys strategy – it was unbelievable that it could be left out in the first place. But now they’ve changed their minds – after one of the biggest employers in the area has decided to move out. Why is it that in other countries there are policies in place to identify possible problems and take action to either prevent jobs being lost or to find other employment for the workers way before closure announcements are made? Why is the government of Wales always wringing its hands afterwards – when it’s too late?
It all comes down to political priorities and political will. While Labour squabbles about its leader, people are losing their jobs.
I walked with Ieuan Wyn Jones through the Rhondda in the summer as part of his Wales Wide Walk. I know we have to follow our leader but I had a job keeping up with him! During the walk we talked to people about how we can work together to make Wales an even better place to live and work.
But on that walk we also talked about the local schools closed by Labour. We visited the Glyncornel Environmental Centre - closed by Labour. And we went to the only thing closed by Plaid Cymru when we ran Rhondda Cynon Taf – Nantygwyddon Tip. It really highlighted the difference. People in the Rhondda had campaigned to keep the schools and the centre open but Labour ignored the people and closed them down – a devastating blow to those communities. People had campaigned for the tip to be closed – and Plaid Cymru listened and closed it, making the Rhondda a cleaner and healthier place to live in. It’s not often that we can be proud of closing something but in this case we were.
We are asking the people of Wales to trust us. I know that’s an alien word in politics these days. We don’t use it lightly. But we mean it. And if you want the proof, look at our record. We’ve never sacrificed our principles and never will. We are not in the pocket of big business or answerable to George Bush. We are answerable only to the people of Wales and we will never forget that. How can we? We are the Party of Wales.
And just as my inspiration comes from the people of Wales working in their communities across the country, we in Plaid Cymru can inspire you too. We will put forward an exciting programme for government in the Assembly. Not more of the same but new ideas about how we can support vibrant and sustainable communities in a successful country.
We are serious about this. Wales deserves better than it has now. We are not second class citizens – why should we always lose out? We have a beautiful country and wonderful, talented people. We want to make the most of that – and we can. We can win peoples’ hearts and souls because we have put our hearts and souls into this campaign.
Our passion for Wales is what gives Plaid Cymru its strength. We want equality and fair play. We want a country that will live up to its proud history of radicalism, socialism and internationalism. A Plaid Cymru government will give you that.
