‘There is no I in Wales, only We, so let’s write a new chapter now’
Plaid Cymru’s new leader, Adam Price, reveals his plans to deliver on the party’s vision for the future of Wales
FORMING a Shadow Cabinet is supposed to be a tricky task for the leader of a political party. Difficult decisions and potential disappointments are meant to be the order of the day.
However, the talent, passion and hunger of Plaid Cymru AMs made yesterday’s announcement of my Shadow Cabinet one of the easiest jobs in politics.
I lead the strongest and most united group of politicians in Wales. And together we have a radical and transformative programme for government.
This is our chance to turn the page on the politics of the past. Our opportunity to bring new energy and new ideas to the problems we face, to offer a new direction and a new dynamic to the country that we love; our time to write a new chapter in Wales’ story.
Labour will not be its author. And neither will it be written for us in the marbled halls of Whitehall and Westminster. It will be written in the streets and shops, the pubs and rugby clubs, the homes and hearts of our nation.
And it will be the Party of Wales, Plaid Cymru, that delivers that better future. The future our nation deserves.
Political decisions can be boiled down to the question of change – is it better to stay the course or try something new?
For the 20 years since the dawn of devolution, Labour has been passively overseeing the decline of the Welsh economy, falling education standards and a broken health service.
The same old solutions for newworld problems – Wales has been an oasis of stasis in a sea of change.
It’s not Wales that needs Labour, it’s Labour that needs Wales. Our nation is nothing but a factory to them, churning out compliant Labour AMs and MPs, who will follow the London party line.
It is only Plaid Cymru that believes our nation can be prosperous. That it can be confident. That it can be selfgoverning and successful.
With this Shadow Cabinet we are ready to show what can be achieved by a committed, determined party of government with a radical imagination and the political will to carry it out.
The Labour Welsh Government is waiting for change in Westminster to provide it with answers. We are a government in waiting, ready to provide the answers to the problems our nation faces.
From the expertise of Dr Dai Lloyd and his plans to create a National Care Service, to the experience of Leanne Wood, who will lead the charge on social justice – this new Shadow Cabinet stands ready with new ideas to form a new Welsh Government; a new government that will deliver a new Wales.
When the people of Wales voted for devolution in 1997, they voted for powers to provide our people with the opportunity to have a greater say over their own lives. An opportunity to chart our own course and deliver radical Welsh solutions to unique Welsh problems. People believed that a new Wales was possible.
This Shadow Cabinet will deliver on that vision for the first time.
Be it the creation of a real Development Bank for Wales to help local companies grow and even be bought by the staff themselves. Or the creation of a Welsh national energy company with the profit used to build up a basic income for all our citizens – we will use devolution to its full effect, delivering change for the people of Wales.
But, we have a mountain to move and each of us must grab a shovel. There is no “I” in Wales, but there is a “We”.
And we need everyone who cares about Wales to help build this new Wales, whether you are a member of Plaid or not, whether you’re a supporter of any party or none. We can’t do this without you. Join us.
And at the moment, you can join us for free. For the rest of 2018 membership of our movement is free.
So pick up a shovel. Get involved. Help us create a New Wales.