Today (Thursday 21 May) Plaid Cymru Westminster Group leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, said that while the UK Government’s cost-of-living measures announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves are welcome, they do not adequately consider the higher costs faced by Welsh households which require targeted intervention.

In a statement to the House of Commons, the UK Government has unveiled a series of measures in response to higher costs facing households and businesses as a result of the war in Iran.

These measures include: extending the fuel duty cut; foreign branch profit tax changes; suspending tariffs on some supermarket foods; a Great British Summer Savings scheme to temporarily cut the rate of VAT on some attractions; and free bus travel across England for children in August.

Ms. Saville Roberts referenced the “structural inequality” in energy costs affecting households in the north of Wales, and called on the UK Government to improve heating costs for households through “long-term measures”.

Responding in the House of Commons, Liz Saville Roberts MP said:

“People are very aware that President Trump’s war with Iran is worsening the cost of living.

“But there are measures within the gift of the government - long-term measures – which could improve heating costs for households.

“In north Wales and Merseyside we pay the equivalent of £255 a year on standing charges – that compares with £160 for London.

“When will she be addressing this structural inequality in heating costs?”

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, answered:

“In the Budget last year I reduced energy bills by £150 and just a few weeks ago I put in additional money to help with the cost of heating oil.

The issue around standing charges and those allocations is one for DESNZ, but I will pass on her concerns to the relevant minister.”

Speaking after the debate, Ms. Saville Roberts added:

“While support announced by the UK Government is welcome, the Chancellor has not alleviated my concerns that the scale of challenges facing people in Wales is not being fully recognised – including our sky-high heating costs.

“It’s not just higher standing charges either - we also have the oldest housing stock in the UK, and a high proportion of off-grid housing that fall outside the scope of the energy price cap.

“So while Welsh families will certainly benefit from the fuel duty cut extension, and the temporary VAT cut on summer holiday attractions – this package fails to recognise the unique costs facing Welsh households and businesses. Wales requires a serious, dedicated response.

“From ending unfair standing charges, increasing support for those on heating oil and LPG, tackling exploitation by energy companies, and reducing bills by fully breaking the link between electricity and gas prices – Plaid Cymru call on the UK Government to include targeted measures that will make a real difference to communities across Wales.”

https://www.partyof.wales/cost_of_living_chancellor

Ann Davies MP to demand full devolution of rail in meeting with UK Government

Today (Tuesday 19 May) Plaid Cymru’s Transport Spokesperson, Ann Davies MP, said that HS2 has been “shambolic from the outset” as Heidi Alexander, the UK Government’s Transport Secretary gave an update on HS2.

The HS2 project is now expected to be delayed until beyond the mid-2030s and the budget could surge to more than £100bn.

HS2 is classified as an ‘England and Wales’ project, despite not a single inch of track being in Wales. Plaid Cymru says that Wales is already owed £4 billion from HS2 and has called for the reclassification of the project as ‘England-only’ so that Wales can be given the money it is owed.

The party’s Transport Spokesperson, Ann Davies MP has said that the people of Wales refuse to be treated as second-class passengers any longer’.

Ms Davies is set to meet with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport, Keir Mather later this afternoon to discuss her amendment to the Railways Bill that calls for the full devolution of rail to Wales, in line with Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Ann Davies MP also said that her party has a renewed mandate from the people of Wales to devolve rail to Wales after having elected a Plaid Cymru Welsh Government earlier this month which was a core manifesto ask.

Plaid Cymru’s Transport Spokesperson, Ann Davies MP said:

“HS2 has been shambolic from the outset. People are right to be angry at the severe lack of leadership and planning that has led us to this point - from repeated delays and scaling back of plans to its spiralling costs. The UK Government’s statement today is an admission that it has failed to get to grips with the failures inherited from the previous Conservative Government since taking office in 2024.

“But in Wales, we have an additional reason to be angry. HS2, a rail line connecting London and Birmingham, continues to be wrongly classified as an ‘England and Wales’ project. The railway is nowhere near Wales and will bring no meaningful benefit to our communities, yet people in Wales are still expected to help pay for it.

“Wales is already owed around £4 billion as a result of HS2 being misclassified, but if the project’s costs rise beyond £100 billion as expected, the scale of that injustice will only grow. Every increase in HS2 spending further skews transport funding away from Wales, reducing the share we receive across the wider UK Transport Department budget and baking the underfunding of Welsh rail infrastructure into future spending decisions.

“The people of Wales refuse to be treated as second-class passengers any longer. That is why Plaid Cymru has consistently called for HS2 to be reclassified, so Wales receives the fair share of funding we are owed to from this England-only project. We have also long argued that powers over rail infrastructure should be devolved to Wales, so that we can properly invest in our own transport network and ensure communities across the country benefit from reliable, modern public transport.

“I will be meeting with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport, Keir Mather, this afternoon where I will push for the funding and powers that Wales is owed, because Plaid Cymru has a renewed mandate from the people of Wales to do so.”

https://www.partyof.wales/hs2_update

Today (Monday 18 May) Plaid Cymru have tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech calling for a new Wales Bill. The amendment sets out calls for stronger powers, including the devolution of rail infrastructure, the Crown Estate, justice and policing, water and social security to Wales.

Plaid Cymru have called for the Barnett Formula to be replaced with a settlement that reflects Wales’s needs and to end the UK Government’s underfunding of non-devolved areas. In addition to this, they have called for the Welsh Government’s capital borrowing capacity to be increased.

Liz Saville Roberts MP, the party’s leader in Westminster said that the people of Wales can see that they are not getting ‘fair treatment’ from Westminster and that her party now has a clear mandate to fight for these powers.

Plaid Cymru brought Labour’s 100-year domination in Wales to an end on 7 May by becoming the largest party. Last week, Rhun ap Iorwerth was elected First Minister and announced the cabinet of his Plaid Cymru Welsh Government.

On Thursday (14 May) Rhun ap Iorwerth and Keir Starmer had their first call. The UK Prime Minster confirmed he would be open to a conversation on powers relating to devolution after the First Minister of Wales made clear he wished to negotiate on the Barnett formula, fair funding, borrowing powers, rail and further devolution.

Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader, Liz Saville Roberts said:

“The Senedd election result represents something far bigger than just a rejection of Labour’s failed status quo and Reform’s fear-driven division. The growth in support for Plaid Cymru in every region of Wales shows a fundamental shift in people’s hope and aspirations for our nation. This isn’t as good as it gets for Wales, and Plaid Cymru have shown that with our ambitious and credible plans for government.

“People can also see that Wales doesn’t get the fair treatment that we deserve. From the injustice of HS2 to wealth from our natural resources being siphoned off to Westminster, to the chronic underfunding of key services. That is why they voted for Plaid Cymru, and we now have a clear mandate to fight for these powers.

“It was disappointing that the King’s Speech failed to match the people of Wales’s appetite for major change. Plaid Cymru has tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech calling for a new Wales Bill in which we will set out why and how stronger powers and fair funding for our nation are necessary to bring about the change Wales needs.

“If Keir Starmer is serious about being ‘open’ to discussing more powers for Wales, then his Government should listen to our demands for a new Wales Bill. The people of Wales have sent Westminster a clear message – you cannot ignore our voices any longer.”

https://www.partyof.wales/new_wales_bill

Speaking today (Wednesday 6 May), only one day before the Senedd election, Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said that the value of service is a value that would guide him as First Minister every day.

Mr ap Iorwerth went on to say that Plaid Cymru’s offer of new leadership for Wales would be “centred around compassion and credibility” and “loyal to the people and communities of Wales”.

Speaking on the eve of the Senedd election, Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said:

“Service is a value which has always sustained Wales. It’s a value instilled in me from a young age by my parents, both teachers. It’s a value I’ve sought to pass on to my children - the gift of giving back to the people and places who gave us so much.

“Tomorrow is a chance for the people of Wales to choose who serves our nation for the next four years. It’s Plaid Cymru’s deep sense of service to Wales - focusing just on our needs and our future - that first drew me to politics.

“We’re a party with no master in Westminster, no instructions to follow or interference - we take our cue from the people of Wales. And as your First Minister, service is a value that would guide me every day.

“Plaid Cymru offers new leadership defined not by scripts signed-off by others, but by loyalty to the people and communities who have shaped me. New leadership which places compassion and credibility at its heart, and which replaces the old way of doing things with new humility and real ambition for Wales.

“So tomorrow, Wales can seize that chance, we can vote for a party ready and willing to serve you, the people of Wales, and for a First Minister who will always put national interest before self-interest. Vote for Plaid Cymru.”

https://www.partyof.wales/serve_wales

Ahead of a visit to Cwm Arian Renewable Energy in Pembrokeshire - a community energy project whose profits are reinvested in the local community - Plaid Cymru has said its plans to achieve greater energy independence and reach Net Zero by 2040 will benefit communities across Wales - while Reform UK want to take Wales backwards.

In its manifesto for the upcoming Senedd election on 7 May, Plaid Cymru outlines plans to unleash Wales’ potential in renewable energy while also supporting local communities:

• Develop a National Energy Strategy, mapping Wales’s current and future energy needs and setting out a clear, long-term plan for the infrastructure required to meet them.
• Create a new Renewable Energy Sector Deal that will coordinate action between government, the renewables industry, further and higher education, communities and trade unions, while providing clearer planning requirements and firm, predictable consenting timelines for renewable energy projects.
• Create a single, strengthened national energy company with more clout, greater capacity to grow community ownership of renewable energy, and a clear remit to help reduce energy bills over the medium to long term.
• Create a Wales Wealth Fund, capturing a fair share of profits from Welsh renewables to invest in community-led projects in areas like housing and energy.

Plaid Cymru candidate for Ceredigion Penfro, Cris Tomos, said that seeking greater energy independence is “a must” given increasing global instability.

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin, said the party’s ambition to “unlock Wales’ potential” contrasts starkly with Reform UK’s anti-renewables stance and its denial of the climate emergency.

Plaid Cymru’s Cris Tomos said,

“In an increasingly unstable world, seeking greater energy independence is not an option – it’s a must.

“Policies from two Labour governments in Cardiff and London have seen renewable energy developments and progress towards Net Zero in Wales stall. Reform want to scrap Net Zero targets altogether.

"Plaid Cymru's is the most ambitious target on Net Zero of any party contesting this election, and it goes hand in hand with energy policies that would empower our communities and speed up delivery.

“We’ll harness Wales’ potential to make us a world leader in renewables, push for the devolution of the Crown Estate and make sure it is our communities that benefit from our natural resources – just like the profits from Cwm Arian’s community wind turbine are used to support the local community project.

“Only Plaid Cymru offers the ambition needed to create a fairer, greener future and stop Reform UK, whose policies would continue to leave our communities at the mercy of both climate change and energy price shocks.”

Plaid Cymru candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin, Cefin Campbell added,

“The choice facing Wales on 7 May could not be any more stark – backwards with Reform UK, or a hopeful future with Plaid Cymru.

“Nothing epitomises this quite like Plaid Cymru’s ambition to unlock Wales’ potential and reach energy independence, while Reform are doubling down on their climate change denial.

"Their pledge to scrap Net Zero is dangerous and unworkable, as are their proposals to re-open the mines and restart the blast furnaces in Port Talbot. Reform's plans don't add up economically or environmentally.

“Where Reform are denying basic scientific truths and indulging in economic fantasy, Plaid Cymru are focused on the future - unlocking Wales’ potential in renewable energy, creating well-paid local green jobs, and supporting our communities.

“Wales has the potential, but for too long, we’ve lacked a government with the ambition to realise it.

“In just over a week’s time, people can choose hope and ambition to stop Reform’s division, and vote for new leadership with Plaid Cymru.”

https://www.partyof.wales/renewables_community

• Develop a National Energy Strategy, mapping Wales’s current and future energy needs and setting out a clear, long-term plan for the infrastructure required to meet them.
  
  
• Create a new Renewable Energy Sector Deal that will coordinate action between government, the renewables industry, further and higher education, communities and trade unions, while providing clearer planning requirements and firm, predictable consenting timelines for renewable energy projects.

• Create a single, strengthened national energy company with more clout, greater capacity to grow community ownership of renewable energy, and a clear remit to help reduce energy bills over the medium to long term.
  
  
• Create a Wales Wealth Fund, capturing a fair share of profits from Welsh renewables to invest in community-led projects in areas like housing and energy.

Alongside its immediate priorities, the party has set out a wider programme for economic renewal, including:

• Creating well-paid jobs with a new plan to support Welsh businesses, reviving town centres by reforming business rates, use public procurement to invest in the future, and make sure skills and training match real jobs.
• Supporting families with the cost of living with £30,000-worth of free childcare for children aged 9 months to 4 years, with parents being able to get into work and giving every child the best start in life.
• Raising literacy and numeracy standards in schools by introducing a new Literacy and Numeracy Plan, supporting teachers, and giving every primary school a library by 2030, giving young people the skills they need to succeed.
• Standing up for Wales to get a fair deal from Westminster to invest in infrastructure – including fair funding and further powers
• The devolution of the Crown Estate to keep profits in Wales and invest in the long term through a new Wales Wealth Fund supporting community energy and community ownership, affordable and energy-efficient housing, and essential national infrastructure

Speaking after the manifesto launch, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“The election on 7 May will be the most important since the dawn of devolution.

“It is an election which offers real hope for the future of Wales. That hope is represented by Plaid Cymru - tangible action from day one to tackle the immediate challenges facing our country, a longer-term vision for renewal, and a promise to always stand up for Wales.

“That opportunity for change stands in stark contrast to Labour’s record of managed decline, and their refusal to make a stand for the interests of our nation against Westminster’s indifference.

“And it is the key to stopping the threat of Reform, who offer no real solutions to the challenges we face, dealing instead in empty soundbites and fanning the flames of division.

“I am proud to present this Plaid Cymru manifesto, our plan for a modern, confident Wales – a Wales where all our people and communities can contribute to and share in our nation’s success.

“We will cut NHS waiting times, freeing up time, space and resources to build a sustainable and integrated health and care service for Wales – one that does more to keep people well, rather than just treating illness.

“We’ll support families and give every child the best possible start through a transformational new free childcare offer for all children aged 9 months to 4 yars old.

”We will unlock our untapped economic potential – building on our strengths to create well-paid and secure jobs and spread prosperity to every part of Wales.

“And with a new, bold and determined drive on numeracy and literacy skills, we will raise the bar on standards in our schools, so every child in Wales is set on the path to success.

“Together, and for the first time, we can give our nation the leadership it needs and deserves.

“Leadership that takes its cue from the people of Wales and nobody else.

“Leadership that believes when we choose hope over division and seriousness over chaos, Wales can - Wales will - prosper.

You can read the manifesto here.

http://partyof.wales/manifestolaunch26

Speaking ahead of the launch, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said the manifesto was “rooted in fairness” and “driven by ambition” and offered a “clear sense of direction for the future of the country”.

The manifesto will outline the immediate key priorities that will define a Plaid Cymru government:

• cutting long NHS waiting times
• supporting families with the cost of childcare and tackling child poverty
• raising standards in education
• unlocking the full potential of the Welsh economy
• and standing up for Wales to secure a fairer deal from Westminster.

The manifesto will also set out a longer-term vision for a stronger, more self-confident Wales - building a more prosperous economy where opportunity is shared across the nation.

This includes using public procurement to invest in the future of local businesses, ensuring Wales profits from its own resources through a new Wales Wealth Fund, investing in housing by upgrading and retrofitting our housing stock and protecting renters to make good homes more affordable.

Plaid Cymru will formally launch its full manifesto today (Thursday 9 April) at 11:00 am.

Speaking ahead of the manifesto launch, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said,

“Wales is a nation with enormous, untapped potential. What we have lacked is a government with the ambition and the plan to realise it.

“Our manifesto sets out a new direction for Wales – one rooted in fairness but driven by ambition. It is about building a country where public services work, where families are supported, and where everyone has the chance to build a good life.

“We will take action where it is needed most – cutting NHS waiting times, supporting parents with the cost of childcare, raising standards in our schools, and growing a stronger Welsh economy that works for our communities.

“But this is about more than changing what is broken. It is about the future we can build together – a confident Wales, standing on its own two feet, and ready to succeed.

“This election is a turning point. We can continue with more of the same, or we can choose a new path for our nation.

“Plaid Cymru is ready to lead that change.”