Plaid Leader: We can win for the people of Aberconwy

Plaid Cymru Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones along with Honorary President Dafydd Wigley and Elfyn Llwyd have yesterday visited the Aberconwy constituency to campaign with local candidate Phil Edwards and his hard working team of supporters.

Mr Jones told local activists in Conwy that only Plaid will fight for the future of Wales’ hospitals schools and businesses – as well as the most vulnerable people in our communities such as pensions.

In the event in Aberconwy, Mr Jones said that now is the time to ensure that the people of Wales know that Plaid is the only party that will go to Westminster focused on getting the best deal for Wales once the hung parliament negotiations begin.

Plaid’s Candidate in Aberconwy Phil Edwards said that the people of the constituency have only a day and a half left to ensure that they are not left with an MP who’ll put the orders of his party bosses in London above the needs of local communities.

Plaid Cymru Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones AM said:

“People across Wales are joining our campaign to make sure that our communities are funded fairly over the coming years of economic hardship. Only Plaid will stand up for our needs in Wales during negotiations in a balanced parliament.

“The cuts we’re facing are enormous – Labour have already announced almost £3 billion worth of cuts and the Tories and Lib Dems want even more. If that is allowed to happen before our economy has recovered sufficiently, jobs and communities will be hit doubly hard. None of the London parties seem to understand this.”

Plaid Cymru candidate in Aberconwy, Phil Edwards said:

“With the momentum behind our campaign here in Aberconwy, we now have a final few days to ensure strong, independent minded representation for this constituency. We need a strong team of Plaid MPs in Westminster – after all, only Plaid will prioritise the needs of our communities when it comes to the negotiations after the election. Plaid is accountable only to the people of Wales – and we will fight for the best possible deal for the people we represent.”

Wigley: “Who do YOU want in Westminster to fight Wales’ corner come Friday?”

Only Plaid will protect our interests in hung parliament

“Plaid will go up to Westminster to fight for the future of our jobs, hospitals and schools”, says Plaid Cymru Honorary President Dafydd Wigley.

At a campaign event in Aberconwy yesterday, Mr Wigley said that the cuts planned by the 3 London parties would be disastrous for the Welsh economy and that none of them would give a second thought to the needs of Wales during negotiations in a balanced parliament.

Mr Wigley added that Plaid Cymru is the only party that would focus 100% on the needs of Welsh communities during negotiations – the only party that will fight for our interests. He said that Tory, Labour or Lib Dem MPs returned on Thursday would be told to tow their party line and ignore the needs of their communities.

Plaid Cymru Honorary President Dafydd Wigley said:

"Never before have we faced such a fight to ensure the future of jobs and services in Wales. Labour has already announced around £3 billion worth of cuts to Wales over the next 3 years - the Tories propose to cut harder and deeper, and the Lib Dems are planning savage cuts.

“Be under no illusions - none of the 3 London parties will be giving a second thought to the needs of Wales in the event of a balanced parliament.

“The Conservative, as always, refuse to look after Wales, the Lib-Dems don’t know how to look after Wales and Labour are totally incapable of looking after Wales - they’re finished.

“There is only one team that can now be trusted to defend Wales’ interests around any negotiation table – a strong Plaid team will go up to Westminster to fight for the future of our jobs, our hospitals and schools.

“Come Thursday, we have the opportunity to give our communities real local champions, ready to go up to Westminster to protect our communities and defend our country from disproportionate London cuts – It’s time to put Wales first.”

A hectic but enjoyable month of campaigning

Apologies for the lack of blogging but since Easter I've been out with the campaign team virtually all day every day and a very enjoyable time it's been too.

But what with the hundreds of emails from various groups and people seeking my views also to attend to, coupled with meetings and visits here and there, I'm afraid blogging has had to take a back seat.

The blog will be updated shortly with some of the highlights of the last month of hectic campaigning.

But I should just make mention of two things:

First, the very warm welcome we've had from the people of Aberconwy, wherever we've been, and by now we've been everywhere. It's been a fantastic response and the feedback we're getting is that it really is a close two-horse race between us and the Tories. With the Labour vote slumping dramatically and no sign of Clegg-mania here, our messages are clearly getting through to the voters and all the signs point to an excellent result for Plaid in Aberconwy on 6th May.

Secondly, the response from our own members and volunteers has been amazing and I'd like to thank each and every one of them who has turned up to help. On some days we've had a couple of dozen enthusiastic door-knockers and leafletters out there and with the blessing of blue skies and warm sunshine we've done more door-to-door campaigning in the last four weks than I ever thought possible.

And a special thanks too goes to Plaid's most senior figures and familiar faces who despite the heavy demands on their time have been out and about with us in Aberconwy almost every other day: Aberconwy AM Gareth Jones, Plaid Leader and Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, President Dafydd Iwan, Hon President Dafydd Wigley, Llywydd Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, our Leader in Westminster Elfyn Llwyd MP and Hywel Williams MP.

Diolch o galon i chi i gyd.

Phil

Wigley in Llandudno - Plaid’s biggest ever Westminster advertising campaign

Plaid Cymru’s biggest ever advertising campaign has been underway in the run-up to the UK general election and our party’s Honorary President Dafydd Wigley made a special call at Llandudno to see for himself the impact we're making in Aberconwy.

Following a fund raising campaign by party activists, Plaid is using a combination of ‘tried and tested’ and ‘new and innovative’ methods of getting their message across.

One of the inventive means that Plaid is employing to communicate with people in communities across Wales is adverts on fleets of buses across the country. Plaid trialled the bus advertising in the Llanelli constituency in October last year. Following a very positive reaction, the party has rolled out the campaign to several constituencies across the length and breadth of Wales, including Aberconwy.

Plaid Cymru is the first party in Wales ever to use this kind of advertising for a political campaign. As well as the bus campaign which includes internal and external adverts, Plaid has been supplementing its intensive Wales-wide door-to-door campaign with innovative web marketing and use of social networking sites.

Dafydd Wigley said:

'Many voters are turning away from the Westminster-based parties in this election. Plaid's outstanding record of being clean of sleaze at Westminster, and of giving the lead to avoid such problems in the Assembly makes Plaid's candidates - like Phil Edwards here in Aberconwy - a natural choice for voters disgruntled with the London parties.

Plaid stands to win its highest-ever tally of seats in the new House of Commons. Every vote strengthens the party's hands in fighting for a better deal for Wales.

I’m delighted to see the message being broadcast loud and clear here in Llandudno both in the town centre office and on the streets.”

Phil Edwards said:

With the three London parties working with the broadcasters to stitch up the Leaders’ debates and exclude Wales’ voice, Plaid has intensified its campaign to speak directly to the people and communities of Wales. Our message on the doorstep will be simple - the choice between the same old politics of Westminster or an independent minded, locally focussed Plaid MP who will stand up for the needs and interests of the communities they represent.

Plaid has to find new and innovative ways of getting our message across to the communities we represent. This year we are running our most ambitious Westminster advertising campaign to date.

After a very positive response from the public to the initial bus advertising, we have now rolled this across Wales in places such as Bangor, Blackwood, Llandudno, Aberystwyth and Cardiff.

Plaid’s ability to embrace innovation and technology is a well recognised success. In addition to our existing presence on the web on websites, blogs and social networking, we will be using internet advertising on sites such as Google to get our message across to as wide an audience as possible.

All of this will of course supplement our Wales wide intensive door-to-door campaign. Plaid candidates for the coming election will all be out and about, talking to people in our communities and ensuring that we take the people’s priorities and values with us to Westminster when called upon.