Thursday, 1 April 2010

SNP a'r Blaid yn datgelu '4 dros Gymru 4 dros yr Alban’

Yr wythnos yma datgelodd arweinyddion yr SNP a Phlaid Cymru, Alex Salmond ASA a Ieuan Wyn Jones AC, '4 dros Gymru, 4 dros yr Alban’ - cytundeb rhwng yr SNP a Phlaid Cymru i sicrhau gwell bargen i bobl yr Alban a Chymru os digwydd senedd grog.

Gyda Dirprwy Brif Weinidog Cymru Mr Jones a Phrif Weinidog yr Alban Mr Salmond yn y gynhadledd i’r wasg yr oedd arweinyddion grwpiau’r SNP a Phlaid Cymru yn San Steffan, Angus Robertson AS ac Elfyn Llwyd AS.

Dyma fydd elfennau allweddol y rhaglen, sydd â phedair rhan:

1. Cyllido teg i Gymru a’r Alban

2. Amddiffyn gwasanaethau lleol a’r rhai mwyaf bregus

3. Camau i helpu’r economi werdd

4. Cefnogaeth i dwf busnes

Bydd Mr Salmond a Mr Jones yn llofnodi copi mawr o’r cytundeb yn y gynhadledd i’r wasg.

Meddai, Mr Salmond :

"Gyda gwir bosibilrwydd senedd gytbwys yn San Steffan, mae’r sefyllfa yn llawn cyfle i’r Alban a Chymru.

"Mae Llafur a’r Torïaid fel ei gilydd yn bygwth toriadau dwfn a llym fydd yn peryglu’r adfywiad yn yr Alban a Chymru."Mae’r Canghellor Alistair Darling eisoes wedi cyfaddef y bydd y toriadau sydd ar y gweill gan y Llywodraeth Lafur yn "llymach a dyfnach" na rhai Margaret Thatcher.

"Dim ond bloc cryf o ASau’r SNP a Phlaid, trwy ddefnyddio ein pleidleisiau a’n dylanwad i ennill consesiynau hanfodol, all amddiffyn yr Alban a Chymru.

"Fel y saif ar hyn o bryd, gall Llywodraeth y DG gymryd y gyllell i gyllidebau’r Alban a Chymru fel y myn, ac mae’n gwneud hynny. Mae fformiwla Barnett wedi siomi’r Alban a Chymru. Dyna pam fod arnom ni yn yr Alban angen annibyniaeth ariannol a bod ar Gymru angen bargen gyllido decach.
"Mae toriadau arfaethedig pleidiau Llundain yn fygythiad gwirioneddol i ysgolion, ysbytai a gwasanaethau rheng flaen yn yr Alban a Chymru. Rhaid i hyn newid.

"Gan weithio gyda’i gilydd, bydd ASau’r SNP a’r Blaid yn ymladd o blaid cyllido tecach a gwarant o ddarparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus sydd yn hanfodol i’r rhai mwyaf bregus yn ein cymunedau."

Meddai arweinydd y Blaid Mr Jones:

"Yn eu ras am allweddi Rhif 10, mae pleidiau Llundain wedi anghofio beth sydd o wir bwys i bleidleiswyr yn yr Alban a Chymru, ond nid yw’r SNP na Phlaid Cymru wedi anghofio.

“Gyda phosibilrwydd senedd gytbwys yn dod yn fwyfwy tebygol, yr ydym ni’n credu mai etholiad na fyddai’n rhoi mwyafrif clir i’r un blaid fyddai’r canlyniad gorau oll i’n cenhedloedd.

“Byddai cynghrair Geltiadd o ASau Plaid ac SNP mewn sefyllfa i drafod manteision gwirioneddool i bobl Cymru a’r Alban. “Po fwyaf y bleidlais i’r Blaid a’r SNP – gorau fydd y fargen i Gymru a’r Alban. Dyma gyfle cyffrous i wneud gwir wahaniaeth.

“Buasem yn mynnu cylido tecach i Gymru a’r Alban i amddiffyn swyddi, ein hysgolion, ein hysbytai a’r mwyaf bregus mewn cymdeithas.

"Wrth graidd ein safbwynt byddaiangen hefyd gwir ymrwymiad i dyfu ein heconomiau trwy gysylltiadau cludiant cyflym a mwy o genfogaeth i greu miloedd o swyddi o ansawdd uchel yn sectorau’r diwydiannau gwyrdd a’r diwydiannau creadigol."

April Fuels Day - Labour's new tax raid on motorists starts today

Today may as well be known as April Fuels Day as Labour's latest tax raid on motorists takes effect today.

Despite long-standing campaigns from Plaid and leading industry voices calling for fuel duty to be frozen, the Chancellor announced in his Budget that fuel duty would rise from today and againa in October and again next January.

By then, January 2011, there will have been six increases in fuel duty since December 2008 marking a 17% rise overall.

Fuel duty had already risen by 11.6% in the last 18 months and is rising again by a further penny per litre today.

Meanwhile, the AA estimates that the average cost of running a family car has increased by £52 per month in the last year.

The cost of petrol at the pump has increased by 17% since early-February.

These increases are hurting hard-working families, small businesses, public services and especially those in rural areas.

Plaid has already criticised this fuel duty hike in an Early Day Motion lodged at the start of the week we demanded a freeze in fuel duty and we repeat our call for the introduction of a fair fuel duty regulator which would cap fuel prices.

The price of petrol at the pump has risen significantly since early February and is starting to be felt strongly by people from all walks of life. For many people who rely on their car for work or family life, this is a heavy and unexpected burden at a time when they are economically stretched.

Labour will soon have pushed fuel duty up by 17% in barely two years, well above inflation.

We need to be supporting struggling communities and industries or we risk damaging a very fragile economic recovery.

This unfair fuel tax is another example of an uncaring, out of touch Westminster Government.

Phil

Tudno FM gets another boost from the Welsh Government

Tudno FM has been awarded a grant of over £15,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Community Radio Fund to meet its ongoing costs in providing a service to the local community.



The news was welcomed by local Aberconwy AM Gareth Jones, Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones AM and Phil Edwards, Plaid's Aberconwy candidate.

“I am delighted that Tudno FM has won through and continues to be supported by the Welsh Government through this fund," said Gareth Jones AM. "The whole team does wonderful work for the local community in Llandudno and I wish them all continued success.”

Tudno FM is one of six local community radio stations to profit from a £100,000 fund in this year’s competitive bidding round.

Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, was himself interviewed live on Tudno FM last year and he added:



“These radio stations play a valuable role reflecting the issues affecting people living in these communities. They also provide opportunities for residents to gain new skills and in some cases employment. I’m very pleased to announce these grants and to congratulate the stations on the important role they play in their communities.”

The six stations were chosen for their commitment to their communities in a number of areas, including; encouraging healthy lifestyles, promoting training and social enterprise for excluded and vulnerable people and strengthening cultural and linguistic identity.

Phil Edwards, Plaid’s Westminster candidate for Aberconwy, took part in Tudno FM's live election hustings debate last week and launched the New Year campaign live on Tudno FM with the Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones. Phil commented:

“The staff and volunteers do a tremendous job in producing a radio station we can all be proud of and their strong commitment to the local community in English and in Welsh is clearly evident whenever I visit.”

Plaid’s Phil Edwards interviewed by the Howard League live on twitter

A first for me today being interviewed by The Howard League for Penal Reform live on twitter today.

I believe that it’s important to use a wide range of media in connecting with the electorate, and very much enjoy using twitter for informing people about my campaign and especially for this interview.

Today I was able to engage with the debate on the future of criminal justice in a very new way and I’m thankful to the Howard League for the opportunity.

The Howard League, a much-respected organisation which focuses on reforming the criminal justice system, questioned me on the current legal system and as a former police officer and General Secretary of the North Wales Police Federation, I was able to draw on my own experiences in a thirty-year career.



Plaid Cymru wants to see a reduction in the number of people in prisons, but more importantly we want to see a reduction in the amount of crimes being committed. We need to sufficiently support young offenders once they are released back to the community in order to ensure that they do not re-offend.

We believe that a small prison should be built in North Wales, which would accommodate the needs of the area. As a former Police officer, I’m lucky to have an insight into the legal system, and I’m well aware of the challenges we face with issues of law and order. Plaid Cymru has the conviction and the policies which would reduce crime across North Wales, and ensure that our communities be kept safe from dangerous individuals.

It’s essential to use any means possible to discuss such important issues as this. Technology has become a major part of political communication, and I welcome any forum which allows us to debate on a range of matters, whether it be regarding health, law and order or education. If you would like any further information regarding my election campaign, please don’t hesitate in contacting me via twitter.

@PhilEdAberconwy

Fighting for a fair deal for Wales

A letter published in the local paper this week:

If there is anyone left in Aberconwy or in any part of Wales who had any niggling doubts as to who would best serve Wales in Westminster after the General Election, those reservations must surely have been dispelled after the Chancellor sat down having delivered his election Budget.

There was nothing positive in it for pensioners, the low-paid or struggling businesses.

Their Budget was not about us the people, it was about them - London Labour pulling any trick in the book to try and get themselves re-elected in a few weeks time - and it won't work.

Wales was already underfunded to the tune of £300 million every year, we now know from the Auditor General for Wales that that figure is going to be closer to £1 billion a year under Labour.

The cuts which the Conservatives have promised and seemingly relish will be even deeper.

Plaid is the only party that is committed to fighting for Wales and protect our public services.

And fight we will.

Phil Edwards

Wednesday, 31 March 2010

More Nats = Less Cuts.....Plaid and SNP unveil ‘4 Wales 4 Scotland’


The leaders of the SNP and Plaid Cymru, Alex Salmond MSP and Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, today unveiled '4 Wales, 4 Scotland' - the SNP and Plaid Cymru's joint agreement to secure a better deal for the people of Scotland and Wales in the event of a hung parliament.

Deputy First Minister of Wales Mr Jones and Scotland’s First Minister Mr Salmond were joined at the press conference by SNP and Plaid Cymru group leaders at Westminster, Angus Robertson MP and Elfyn Llwyd MP.

The key elements of the four part programme will be:

1. Fair funding for Wales and Scotland


2. Protecting local services and the most vulnerable


3. Action to help the green economy


4. Support for business growth

Mr Salmond and Mr Jones signed a large scale copy of the agreement at the press conference.

Plaid Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said:

"In their race for the keys to Number 10, the London Parties have forgotten about what really matters to voters in Scotland and Wales but the SNP and Plaid Cymru have not.

“With the prospect of a balanced parliament becoming more likely by the day, we believe that an election that gives no single party an overall majority would be the best possible outcome for our nations.

“A Celtic alliance of Plaid and SNP MPs would be in a position to negotiate real benefits for the people of Wales and Scotland.

“The greater the vote for Plaid and the SNP – the better the deal for Wales and Scotland. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference.

“We would demand fairer funding for Wales and Scotland to protect jobs, our schools, our hospitals and the most vulnerable in society.

"At the heart of our platform there would also need to be a real commitment to grow our economies through fast transport links and additional support to create thousands of high-quality jobs in the green and creative industry sectors.”

SNP Leader Alex Salmond said:

"With the real possibility of a balanced parliament at Westminster, the situation is redolent with real opportunity for Scotland and Wales.

"Both Labour and the Tories are threatening deep, harsh cuts which will endanger the Scottish and Welsh recoveries.

"Chancellor Alistair Darling has already admitted that the cuts planned by the Labour Government will be "harsher and deeper" than those inflicted by Margaret Thatcher.

"Only a strong bloc of SNP and Plaid MPs, using our votes and influence to win vital concessions, can protect Scotland and Wales.

"As it currently stands, the UK Government can and does slash the Scottish and Welsh budgets with impunity. The Barnett formula has let Scotland and Wales down. That's why in Scotland we need fiscal autonomy and Wales requires a fairer funding deal.

"The cuts proposed by the London parties are a real threat to Scottish and Welsh schools, hospitals and front line services. This must change.

"Working together, SNP and Plaid MPs will champion fairer funding and guarantee provision of public services which are vital to most vulnerable in our communities."

Thursday, 25 March 2010

Think Different.Think Plaid.

At the end of the live hustings debate on Tudno FM, Head of News, Siôn Pritchard asked all four candidates why people should vote for them at the forthcoming General Election.

Here's my response:


I've been knocking on doors for over twelve months now and people are telling me that they've never felt so angry, so let down, and so sick of the same old politics from the London parties.

Professors, Political Editors and Pollsters tell us that only Plaid can beat the Conservatives here.

So the people of Aberconwy have a clear choice.

They can either have a Plaid MP, answerable only to our communities, standing up for them and for Wales in Westminster, very possibly in a hung parliament, or a Conservative MP who would be bound by what his London party dictates.

A Tory victory isn’t a foregone conclusion here - it doesn't have to happen here in Aberconwy like it surely will happen elsewhere.

I'm standing for election to work side by side with our AM and colleagues in the Welsh Government, working to protect and improve our hospital not to cut NHS spending, working with our police and council officers - not against them, fighting for fair funding for Wales and for a better future for the people.
I'm standing up for our communities here, for farmers in the Conwy valley, for pensioners in poverty, for the small businesses and motorists and the average worker who have all been taxed till the pips squeak because these London parties have let the banks run riot.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

More and more of your listeners are turning to Plaid because they know Plaid offers something different to the rest. I don't have to toe their London party line. I am here to work hard for our people – for fair play, honesty and justice.
This isn’t a time for politics as usual. You can make this happen.

I urge you to Think Different.Think Plaid.