Plaid Cymru Q&A's

This time it is the turn of Plaid Cymru is answer our searching questions as the elecion looms large. 

What has been the experience of Welsh people living on state pensions and benefits during austerity?

The experience of people in Wales living on state pensions and benefits during austerity has been one of increasing hardship. Research by Sheffield Hallam University showed that in the first year after the Government’s cuts to social protection, over £1.1bn was taken out of the Welsh economy. Around 36,000 people have been hit by the bedroom tax here and around a third of people here are classed as living in fuel poverty.

What are the most pressing social issues facing Wales right now?

Austerity and the myriad of social problems this creates are the most pressing issues facing Wales right now and bringing it to an end is a priority. Overall the underperformance of the economy is the problem underpinning most problems in Wales. Successive Westminster Governments have left Wales one of the poorest countries in Western Europe in terms of income per head. We want to develop our economy, investing to bring jobs and growth, allowing Wales to eventually stand on its own two feet and create the fairer society we want to see here.

To cut the deficit and would you make benefits cuts, if so where?

 We would not make benefits cuts. The deficit can be brought down in a fairer and more equitable way that does not penalise the people who did not cause the economic crisis. For instance, we would not waste £100bn on a new generation of unusable nuclear weapons. We also want to raise the minimum wage to the level of the living wage. This would reduce the in-work benefit budget by ending government  subsidy for businesses that pay poverty wages. We would also introduce rent caps that would bring down the housing benefit budget without targeting benefit recipients with cuts. If New York and Germany can do it, it can be done here.

What is your Party’s attitude to benefit sanctions?

Benefit sanctions are cruel, pernicious and vindictive. We will work to end them. It is outrageous that the current government is planning to make £12bn worth of further cuts to social protection benefits in the next parliament when people have already suffered such hardship through cuts. Benefits sanctions have been one of the main drivers in people having to turn to foodbanks – over 1 million people in the UK and more than 85,000 in Wales – a number far higher than a proportion of our population share.

Would you scrap or modify Zero Hours contacts?

We would scrap compulsory Zero Hours contracts. Plaid Cymru pushed for a ban on the use of zero-hours contracts in the agriculture and social care sectors in Wales but this was rejected by the Labour Welsh Government. We will push for legislation at Westminster scrapping compulsory zero hours contracts throughout the UK.

What are your policies on youth unemployment?

We want a greater emphasis on skills training in order to give young people the skills employers want. In a budget deal with the Welsh Government, we secured an investment of £40 million to create thousands of higher apprenticeships in Wales, which offer apprentices a higher level skillset. We would adopt the European Youth Jobs Guarantee for employment, education or training for all young people aged 18 – 25 who have been searching for work for more than four months. 

How do Plaid Cymru propose to reduce child poverty?

Child poverty is best tackled by ensuring that parents are in adequately paid and secure jobs. Our policies are to end compulsory zero hours contracts and raise the minimum wage to the level of the living wage. We would also investigate how tax credits can be better used to reduce child poverty.

We want to break the link between child poverty and low attainment. We would maintain the Pupil Depravation Grant to ensure disadvantaged children reach their full potential and we want to give young children an additional year of schooling to our youngest children with qualified educational staff because this is the best way to equalise a child’s life chances.

What is Plaid Cymru’s policy regarding free prescriptions?

Prescriptions are free in Wales as the NHS is a devolved matter. We would keep prescriptions free and push for greater investment in the health service by recruiting an additional one thousand doctors (Wales has one of the lowest doctor per head ratios in the EU), as well as integrate health and social care.

Would you let prisoners vote?

Yes, provided that they are due for release in the current electoral cycle.

Do you have any desire to return the railways or the utility companies to public ownership?

We believe that a publicly owned not-for-dividend company should run the railways – similar to the one that ran the East Coast mainline so successfully before the coalition’s ideologically driven decision to re-privatise it again – so that any profit can be reinvested in the service and in lowering fares. We also want to see a similar publicly owned company energy generation and transmission company here in Wales which would result in the same benefits for consumers.

What would you say to those living in the more prosperous South who might feel that they will be funding Welsh plans with higher taxes?

There are many people in the prosperous South of England who are hit by grinding poverty and a lack of economic opportunity as well. The UK is the most unequal state in the EU, and London is the most unequal city. We will work with other progressives to ensure there is a levelling-up of economic performance between individuals as well as regions. London and the south east of England has benefited from massive transport and infrastructure  investment as well as an economic framework that favours its strengths. The foundation of a civilised society is a progressive taxation system, where those who are fortunate enough to be doing well should be contributing the most. The broadest shoulders should bare the greatest burden to fund the vital public services that we all depend on.

 Do you intend to have MPs outside Wales in future?

Plaid Cymru means the Party of Wales, so we don’t intend to have MPs outside Wales in future. However, we will work with other progressives throughout the nations and regions of the UK to secure a genuine rebalancing of power and economic opportunity and bring about an end the austerity advocated by the main Westminster parties.