05/03/2016

:00:00. > :00:12.Two months to the day before the Assembly election and the battle

:00:13. > :00:24.between the parties is hotting up. Welcome to Conference 2016.

:00:25. > :00:30.Good afternoon. Welcome to the fourth of our spring party political

:00:31. > :00:34.conference programmes. Today it's the turn of Plaid Cymru who are

:00:35. > :00:43.gathering in a seat they really want to take back from Labour, which is

:00:44. > :00:49.lp. You too can join in the debate. -- which is Llanelli. No conference

:00:50. > :00:53.programme will be complete without Vaughan Roderick. The outcome of the

:00:54. > :00:57.election in May is uncertain for all parties. More so would you say for

:00:58. > :01:01.Plaid Cymru than any of the others? I think it's an election that we are

:01:02. > :01:06.entering with a huge number of variables. We have the European

:01:07. > :01:09.referendum. The rise of Ukip. The possible demise of the Liberal

:01:10. > :01:14.Democrats as an Assembly force. The problem for Plaid Cymru is this,

:01:15. > :01:17.they don't have a long shopping list of constituencies seats they can

:01:18. > :01:23.hope to pick up or might be able to pick up as the Conservatives have.

:01:24. > :01:26.So they're very much dependent on the roulette wheel of the list.

:01:27. > :01:30.Sometimes that can work in your favour, sometimes against. We know a

:01:31. > :01:34.lot of seats in that regional section get decided by very small

:01:35. > :01:39.margins. Plaid Cymru could be facing up to quite a grim election or quite

:01:40. > :01:41.a good election. What there suspect any sign of at the moment is a

:01:42. > :01:48.breakthrough election which is what they really want. It's the first

:01:49. > :01:51.election for Leanne Wood as leader of party going into a Welsh general

:01:52. > :01:57.election. Is there particular pressure on her to perform this

:01:58. > :02:01.time? I think so. I think partly because the Assembly has now moved

:02:02. > :02:06.from a four-year term to a five-year term. I think it's going to become

:02:07. > :02:10.the norm for opposition party leaders to only be given one crack

:02:11. > :02:17.at an Assembly election. If they don't do well, I don't see the

:02:18. > :02:21.parties hanging around. I don't expect, unless this is successful,

:02:22. > :02:25.to see either Leanne Wood or RT Davies leading their parties in

:02:26. > :02:28.about a year or 18 months from now. Yes, it's crucial for her. She

:02:29. > :02:32.wasn't a well-known figure before she became leader. She had all this

:02:33. > :02:35.attention in last year's general election. If she can't translate

:02:36. > :02:39.that into concrete electoral success, questions are certain to be

:02:40. > :02:42.asked. Vaughan, thank you very much for now. Plenty more from Vaughan

:02:43. > :02:47.during the afternoon. Keeping her ear to the ground for us at the

:02:48. > :02:50.conference in Llanelli is our reporter Bethan Lewis. Good

:02:51. > :02:52.afternoon. Good afternoon.

:02:53. > :02:55.afternoon. after Leanne Wood's speech yesterday

:02:56. > :04:40.that after Leanne Wood's speech yesterday

:04:41. > :04:46.in a five-year opportunity to renew our democracy, to reappraise our

:04:47. > :04:53.priorities as a nation and elect a new Government. To give a new

:04:54. > :04:59.mandate for that Government to confront the challenges that we all

:05:00. > :05:05.face. Too often in politics people are told there is no alternative.

:05:06. > :05:10.Plaid Cymru will show that there is an alternative, that there is

:05:11. > :05:18.nothing inevitable about the outcome of this election. Continued

:05:19. > :05:24.stagnation deepening inequality is not bound to continue. We can chart

:05:25. > :05:30.a different course and it's time to believe that that is possible.

:05:31. > :05:35.APPLAUSE Yes, it's good to be back in this

:05:36. > :05:39.fantastic part of our country. I want to take this opportunity to pay

:05:40. > :05:45.tribute to the achievements that have been made in a short space of

:05:46. > :05:55.time by Plaid Cymru led Carmarthenshire Council.

:05:56. > :05:58.APPLAUSE Plaid Cymru took control of that

:05:59. > :06:03.council under difficult circumstances last May and they're

:06:04. > :06:07.in the process of turning the council around, despite those

:06:08. > :06:12.difficulties. Council leader has recently announced that almost 3,000

:06:13. > :06:16.staff on the lowest pay grade are to get a 6. 4% pay increase as the

:06:17. > :06:25.council moves towards paying a living wage.

:06:26. > :06:30.APPLAUSE Proposed cuts to respite care for

:06:31. > :06:35.disabled children and young people have been rejected and a rural

:06:36. > :06:40.enterprise fund will help people set up new businesses and will also help

:06:41. > :06:43.existing firms create new jobs. Economic growth will be promoted by

:06:44. > :06:50.a number of capital investments, extra ?2. 4 million in road repairs,

:06:51. > :06:54.a new leisure centre for Llanelli and more investment in flood

:06:55. > :06:59.defences. Labour said it couldn't be done. But within months of them

:07:00. > :07:12.being removed from office, Plaid Cymru is getting on and doing it.

:07:13. > :07:18.APPLAUSE The party of Wales rejects the

:07:19. > :07:22.mantra that there is no alternative, here in Carmarthenshire and

:07:23. > :07:26.everywhere else. We have shown what that alternative looks like and now

:07:27. > :07:33.we are going to demonstrate that to the entire nation. And what a team

:07:34. > :07:41.of candidates we have here in Carmarthenshire at these elections.

:07:42. > :07:52.The multi-talented former MP Adam Price.

:07:53. > :08:02.The erudite and determined Simon Thomas. The hard-working and

:08:03. > :08:11.compassionate Helen Mary Jones here in Llanelli.

:08:12. > :08:17.And with police commissioner candidates Dafydd Llanelli they are

:08:18. > :08:20.a formidable team with a fantastic wealth of experience and expertise

:08:21. > :08:24.between them. All will bring so much, not just to Plaid Cymru's

:08:25. > :08:29.team, but to Welsh politics as a whole. Now everyone knows there's

:08:30. > :08:34.much more to politics than just policy. Politics is about people

:08:35. > :08:39.too. I have such a talented team of people who all bring different

:08:40. > :08:44.expertise and skills to the table, who together have got what it takes

:08:45. > :08:47.to turn this country around. But before we look to the future, I

:08:48. > :08:53.would like to take this opportunity to thank some of those who have

:08:54. > :08:58.worked hard over many years for devolution, often unseen and behind

:08:59. > :09:05.the scenes, who will be retiring from the Assembly at this election.

:09:06. > :09:15.Carmarthenshire's very own Rhodri Glyn Thomas.

:09:16. > :09:21.APPLAUSE Alongside Alun Fred Jones and

:09:22. > :09:26.Jocelyn Davies. APPLAUSE

:09:27. > :09:30.All three have served their communities with distinction and all

:09:31. > :09:35.three also served their country as Ministers. Wales is a better country

:09:36. > :09:41.today for their endeavours. On behalf of all of us, I want to say a

:09:42. > :09:51.big thank you for your dedication, for your service to Plaid Cymru, and

:09:52. > :09:58.to Wales. APPLAUSE

:09:59. > :10:02.And for the future, we have an excellent team of strong candidates

:10:03. > :10:07.to follow in your footsteps who are ready to lead for Wales, who are

:10:08. > :10:13.ready to tackle the problems that are facing all of us. So what are

:10:14. > :10:18.those problems? In this nation the birthplace of the National Health

:10:19. > :10:24.Service, it is a scandal that there are fewer doctors per head than

:10:25. > :10:32.almost any other country in Europe. The average wait for a hip operation

:10:33. > :10:38.is now 197 days. We have some GP practices turning all but emergency

:10:39. > :10:43.cases away, people lying on the floors of A departments waiting

:10:44. > :10:48.for hours to be seen. The conditions that our hard-working frontline NHS

:10:49. > :10:55.staff have to endure because so many of their colleagues have quit in

:10:56. > :11:02.despair is shocking. And we want to put that right. This is what Labour

:11:03. > :11:09.celebrates as the halfway point of their decade of delivery. In this

:11:10. > :11:12.nation one of the pioneers of mass education, one in four of the

:11:13. > :11:16.poorest children leave primary school unable to read well. Funding

:11:17. > :11:21.for part-time further education courses under the current Labour

:11:22. > :11:26.Government have been slashed by 50% and there are 90,000 fewer adults in

:11:27. > :11:31.part-time learning than there were ten years ago. We have fewer

:11:32. > :11:36.engineers per head than any other nation in the UK. The people who

:11:37. > :11:43.make things. Too many of our schools are in a state of disrepair. This

:11:44. > :11:49.nation, the leading light of the last industrial revolution, now lags

:11:50. > :11:57.behind in terms of wages, business start-ups. In fact, by almost every

:11:58. > :12:01.measure our economic performance is either stagnant or in decline. Our

:12:02. > :12:06.steel industry is in a critical state. Yet our current Labour

:12:07. > :12:13.Government cannot be bothered to give it life support. 65,000 young

:12:14. > :12:21.people are out of work and jobs in manufacturing sector have been

:12:22. > :12:26.slashed by 21%. That's 40,000 jobs lost in Wales since 2001. Labour's

:12:27. > :12:32.decade of delivery has been more like decades of decay. But it

:12:33. > :12:36.doesn't have to be like this. People have a choice. Will they give Labour

:12:37. > :12:42.another five years to finish Wales off? Or will people vote to replace

:12:43. > :12:47.them with a team of people who believe in our country, who want to

:12:48. > :12:53.rebuild it and strengthen it? A team who believes in and wants to support

:12:54. > :12:58.our health workers, our teachers, our business leaders, our

:12:59. > :13:04.communities. Will they give the party of Wales the mandate that we

:13:05. > :13:08.need to lead this nation? If Labour are allowed another five years and

:13:09. > :13:14.if the current pattern continues, then by the end of this decade, two

:13:15. > :13:20.decades of Labour rule, I would ask you to consider what the state of

:13:21. > :13:25.our public services and our economy will be. If people in Wales keep

:13:26. > :13:28.doing what they've always done with their ballot papers, then Labour

:13:29. > :13:35.will keep on doing what they've always done to our NHS, to our

:13:36. > :13:41.schools, and to our industries. I have heard already that what we seek

:13:42. > :13:47.to achieve at this election and beyond cannot be done. Throughout

:13:48. > :13:52.the course of our history, indeed all history, those who seek

:13:53. > :13:58.fundamental change have had their detractors. Some cannot and some do

:13:59. > :14:03.not want to believe that a successful Wales is possible. But I

:14:04. > :14:09.know and I think most of you out there know too that this is not as

:14:10. > :14:19.good as it gets for Wales. APPLAUSE

:14:20. > :14:27.So many of you understand that our people have been taken for granted

:14:28. > :14:32.for far too long, that you might have given a lifetime of loyalty to

:14:33. > :14:38.one party, but you are now asking what you are getting back in return?

:14:39. > :14:49.I would call on all of those people who are feeling this way to get

:14:50. > :14:58.behind Plaid Cymru this time. APPLAUSE We know that Wales has got

:14:59. > :15:03.what it takes. We believe in our ability to solve our problems for

:15:04. > :15:07.ourselves. Why not get behind a team of people who refuses to accept that

:15:08. > :15:14.we have problems here that cannot be fixed? The party of Wales knows that

:15:15. > :15:20.another Wales is possible and today we can see the glimmers of those

:15:21. > :15:24.possibilities. Did you know that world leading generalet yiss at

:15:25. > :15:30.Swansea University are bind nearing efforts to eradicate the zika virus?

:15:31. > :15:33.Did you know that scientists in Cardiff are playing a crucial role

:15:34. > :15:39.in physics in discovering the biggest discovery in physics in over

:15:40. > :15:43.a century? The long-awaited gravity waves breakthrough. Did you know

:15:44. > :15:48.that this country's creative industries sector is worth ?1

:15:49. > :15:55.billion a year to our economy and employers nearly 30,000 people? And

:15:56. > :16:00.that Wales has a world leading manufacturing sector in automotives

:16:01. > :16:06.and aerospace? We have unrifled potential in green energy and let's

:16:07. > :16:10.not forget our amazing athletes. Our rugby players, cyclists, swimmers,

:16:11. > :16:13.gymnasts, and, of course, our national football team who will take

:16:14. > :16:19.their place among Europe's finest this summer.

:16:20. > :16:25.Wales is not a country on its knees, it is a nation held back by an

:16:26. > :16:39.underperforming government. APPLAUSE

:16:40. > :16:47.I would ask people in this forthcoming election not just to

:16:48. > :16:50.judge Labour's domestic record. Consider how we can make our

:16:51. > :16:55.feelings known to the Tories in Westminster. We should be angry at

:16:56. > :17:01.our government's impotence to stand up for the interest of our people

:17:02. > :17:05.against the damaging policies foisted upon us by the Tory

:17:06. > :17:11.government in Westminster. APPLAUSE

:17:12. > :17:20.Just compare the situation in Wales to that of Scotland. The Scottish

:17:21. > :17:24.Government has managed secure a financial deal that protects people

:17:25. > :17:26.in that country. The Welsh government could not even secure for

:17:27. > :17:32.Wales devolution settlement that would give us parity with London,

:17:33. > :17:42.let alone parity with other devolved nations. The Northern Ireland

:17:43. > :17:46.executive has secured devolution of corporation tax and hundreds of

:17:47. > :17:51.millions of pounds in extra funding. Where is the fight from our

:17:52. > :17:55.government? The Labour Welsh government has not won a single

:17:56. > :18:01.extra penny for Wales or a single significant additional economic

:18:02. > :18:04.lever. In fact, they have spent their time accusing Plaid Cymru of

:18:05. > :18:10.demanding too much funding for Wales. Other governments stand up

:18:11. > :18:17.for their people. Other governments win concessions for their countries.

:18:18. > :18:21.Our government has surrendered. While Scotland, Northern Ireland,

:18:22. > :18:26.London and even Manchester are to be in control of policing, for example,

:18:27. > :18:29.where is the determination to get hold of policing powers from our

:18:30. > :18:34.government? The first Minister cannot even win backing on the

:18:35. > :18:41.simple matters. He has failed to win around his own colleagues in London

:18:42. > :18:47.to pressurise the UK government into postponing the EU referendum. If he

:18:48. > :18:56.cannot persuade his own colleagues in London, then how on earth is he

:18:57. > :19:10.going to persuade conservatives? -- the Conservatives?

:19:11. > :19:14.APPLAUSE Through their insistence on holding the EU referendum in June,

:19:15. > :19:18.the UK Government is denying the rights to all devolved nations to a

:19:19. > :19:24.full and uninhibited national election campaign. There is no doubt

:19:25. > :19:28.in my mind that it is in our country's short, medium and

:19:29. > :19:35.long-term interest to remain a part of the European Union. Yes, we want

:19:36. > :19:40.a full voice. Yes, there are aspects of that union we would want to put

:19:41. > :19:46.right, and yes, the Democratic structures can be improved. But

:19:47. > :19:50.without a doubt the EU is an organisation that has located the

:19:51. > :20:03.longest unbroken period of peace on this continent in history.

:20:04. > :20:09.APPLAUSE It is through cooperation between the countries of Europe that

:20:10. > :20:15.all are best placed to overcome the major issues that do not stop at

:20:16. > :20:21.national borders. Rights, climate change, conflict resolution, terror,

:20:22. > :20:26.trade, migration. None of these issues will go away by dulling out

:20:27. > :20:33.of the EU. They are challenges that can be best confronted together as

:20:34. > :20:39.Europeans rather than in conflict or in composition is individual

:20:40. > :20:45.nations. Plaid Cymru once the EU to work better for its citizens, but

:20:46. > :20:50.the EU as a model of international cooperation serves Wales far better

:20:51. > :20:59.than the UK model of a centralised multinational superstate. I say to

:21:00. > :21:03.people in Wales, given the overlap between the assembly campaign and

:21:04. > :21:08.the EU referendum campaign, and the risk that the debate we need to have

:21:09. > :21:15.will get drowned out here in Wales, separate the two campaigns. In May,

:21:16. > :21:23.vote for the future of our NHS. In May, both for Wales. In June, think

:21:24. > :21:27.about Europe. It suits the Tories and Labour to both present made's

:21:28. > :23:16.election is and Labour to both present made's

:23:17. > :23:21.But the greatest danger they pose, without doubt, is to our national

:23:22. > :23:28.health service. Wales cannot afford for the Welsh NHS to have its

:23:29. > :23:33.strings pulled by Jeremy Hunt in Whitehall by a Tory Welsh Health

:23:34. > :23:42.Minister. APPLAUSE The long-term implications

:23:43. > :23:47.of that spell disaster. Now, I don't want to see junior doctors treated

:23:48. > :23:53.as badly here as they were in England. We cannot afford to allow

:23:54. > :23:57.the Tories to privatise the Welsh NHS through the back door as they

:23:58. > :24:02.are doing in England. There have been billions pounds worth of

:24:03. > :24:06.private NHS contracts awarded in England since just 2013, and

:24:07. > :24:13.billions more are expected in the coming months. It would be near

:24:14. > :24:16.impossible to reverse the privatisation of the Welsh NHS and

:24:17. > :24:20.that is why we can never allow that to be a Tory Welsh Health Minister.

:24:21. > :24:39.APPLAUSE When it comes to the Welsh NHS, let

:24:40. > :24:44.people be in no doubt. Why Labour -- while Labour run it down, the Tories

:24:45. > :24:50.want to sell it off. Plaid Cymru has a vision and programme to create a

:24:51. > :24:56.Wales that is wealthier and well-educated. Our team has the

:24:57. > :25:02.education to make it happen. We have a deliverable programme of ideas

:25:03. > :25:07.that will build our country the institutions and infrastructure that

:25:08. > :25:11.well functioning economies must have. My team has gone out to so

:25:12. > :25:17.many communities and we have listened to what people have to say.

:25:18. > :25:20.We have listened to their concerns, and we have sought to find

:25:21. > :25:27.solutions. Our programme is designed to tackle what people tell us are

:25:28. > :25:32.the main problems. The state of the economy, our living environment or

:25:33. > :25:41.the public services on which we all depend. Plaid Cymru's solutions will

:25:42. > :25:46.enable us to leverage our small country's advantage. It is a package

:25:47. > :25:50.which together as a whole take advantage of our size, big enough to

:25:51. > :25:54.tackle beyond the local but small enough to be manageable. Plaid

:25:55. > :26:00.Cymru's policies are laid out in three ambitions with three steps

:26:01. > :26:07.within each of those ambitions. Our first royalty is the nation's help.

:26:08. > :26:12.-- priority. Our ambition is to see a Wales that is well with a free

:26:13. > :26:16.universal health service that is run for people and not for profit, kept

:26:17. > :26:23.in public hands for the public good. While many of you have told us about

:26:24. > :26:28.your positive experiences of their health service, and you have

:26:29. > :26:32.particularly praised the NHS staff, many NHS workers have told us how

:26:33. > :26:35.they are overworked and how so many of their colleagues are leaving the

:26:36. > :26:41.service altogether. We cannot carry on like this. You told us about

:26:42. > :26:46.other problems with the health service. If you are suspected of

:26:47. > :26:52.having cancer, you should not have to wait so long. Plaid Cymru's

:26:53. > :26:56.Cancer contract will prevent cancer, support those with a diagnosis, end

:26:57. > :27:01.the postcode lottery for new drugs and treatment, and we will cut

:27:02. > :27:05.waiting times so no one has to wait longer than 28 days for a diagnosis

:27:06. > :27:19.for the all clear. APPLAUSE Three new cancer diagnostic

:27:20. > :27:25.centres will be dealt to deliver on this pledge and one of those will be

:27:26. > :27:28.built in the north. You told us that you are waiting too long for an

:27:29. > :27:35.appointment with a GP, queueing for hours at A, or waiting on a long

:27:36. > :27:40.list for an operation because of staff shortages. It is not just

:27:41. > :27:46.frustrating but in some cases can be painful. I have dealt with a

:27:47. > :27:49.harrowing case this week, for examples. An Army veteran with

:27:50. > :27:53.post-traumatic stress disorder and took his own life while waiting to

:27:54. > :28:02.be seen by mental health professionals. We have heeded the

:28:03. > :28:05.warnings made by those on the front line. Plaid Cymru will invest in the

:28:06. > :28:11.health workforce and we will bring down waiting times by training and

:28:12. > :28:17.recruiting an extra thousand doctors and 5000 nurses. And you have told

:28:18. > :28:22.us that it is not fair that older people who need care or those who

:28:23. > :28:27.develop dementia have to pay for their care. So Plaid Cymru will end

:28:28. > :28:32.the artificial divide between health and social care and we will provide

:28:33. > :28:39.free care for older people, starting by abolishing charges for care and

:28:40. > :28:48.people with dementia within the next five years.

:28:49. > :28:54.APPLAUSE And we will pay for these commitments by ring fencing the

:28:55. > :29:00.Welsh health budget, prioritising health, and we will make sure that

:29:01. > :29:04.the promised new money that comes to Wales for health will be spent in

:29:05. > :29:14.its entirety on health and social care. The three point hands for a

:29:15. > :29:17.well Wales is designed to end the situation where avoidable death

:29:18. > :29:23.rates are about 50% higher in Wales than in neighbouring countries. --

:29:24. > :29:29.plan. My grandmother never tired of telling me stories as a child about

:29:30. > :29:36.how hard life was or how generation growing up during the 1930s. She was

:29:37. > :29:43.sent off to London to work in service at the age of just 14, so

:29:44. > :29:47.that money could be sent back home. That generation enjoyed great

:29:48. > :29:52.hardships and they made big sacrifices. In return, they were

:29:53. > :29:58.promised that they would be cared for from the cradle to the grave. As

:29:59. > :30:04.well as honouring that promise to them in hell, a Plaid Cymru

:30:05. > :30:08.government would also ensure that today's generation of children are

:30:09. > :30:14.given the best start in life. A Plaid Cymru government will not let

:30:15. > :30:18.our young people down. Our three steps forward for education will

:30:19. > :30:24.make sure all of our young people are catered for, from the cradle

:30:25. > :30:30.through to the career. Every parent without exception will say that they

:30:31. > :30:34.want the best start for their child, and the hope from every generation

:30:35. > :30:42.is that the next one is better than the last. Plaid Cymru will introduce

:30:43. > :30:48.a national cradle to career education system within which our

:30:49. > :30:52.young people will thrive. You told us that you know of many parents who

:30:53. > :30:58.want to work but are struggling to make ends meet because of the high

:30:59. > :31:03.costs of child care. We will invest in early years education, beginning

:31:04. > :31:07.the process of creating a national childcare service, delivering free

:31:08. > :31:08.full-time places for all three-year-olds by the end of the

:31:09. > :31:29.next assembly. We will reward the highest skills

:31:30. > :31:34.teachers and teaching assistants with a pay rise. You told us that

:31:35. > :31:39.you want to see our young people have the very best opportunities to

:31:40. > :31:44.thrive and work here in Wales to boost our economy. So we will fund

:31:45. > :31:49.our universities properly and will encourage graduates to come back

:31:50. > :31:56.home and contribute to our economic renewal by writing off up to ?18,000

:31:57. > :32:01.of their student debts. And to complete this circle, Plaid Cymru

:32:02. > :32:07.will guarantee a job or a training place for all under-25s and to

:32:08. > :32:13.fulfil that we will create 50,000 new apprenticeship places. Wales'

:32:14. > :32:17.success politically, socially and in terms of improving our public

:32:18. > :32:23.services, hinges on turning around our economic fortunes. Plaid Cymru's

:32:24. > :32:29.ambition is to create a wealthier Wales, and this means closing the

:32:30. > :32:36.gap between this country and our neighbours. Among my first acts as

:32:37. > :32:40.First Minister in May will be to initiate talks with the UK

:32:41. > :32:45.Government to address the chronic and deep-rooted divide in economic

:32:46. > :32:53.prosperity between Wales and the rest of the UK. However, the full

:32:54. > :32:56.achievement of parity will require further economic powers. We will

:32:57. > :33:01.therefore initiate emergency talks with the UK Government to address

:33:02. > :33:07.the chronic and deep-rooted divide in economic prosperity between Wales

:33:08. > :33:11.and the rest of the UK. We will seek agreement on the establishment of an

:33:12. > :33:15.independent commission on economic equalisation to make sure that Wales

:33:16. > :33:22.has the powers and the resources that we need to close that

:33:23. > :33:28.prosperity gap within a generation. Our long-term plan will consist of

:33:29. > :33:33.three dimensions. Raising skill levels, an active industrial

:33:34. > :33:39.strategy and a comprehensive plan for infrastructure investment. The

:33:40. > :33:45.party of Wales is determined to get this country back on its feet. You

:33:46. > :33:51.told us that you wanted to see transport links improved. So we will

:33:52. > :33:55.undertake the biggest investment in transport, green energy and digital

:33:56. > :33:58.infrastructure through the establishment of a new national

:33:59. > :34:02.infrastructure commission. You told us that not enough is being done to

:34:03. > :34:07.tell the world about some of our great products and the fantastic

:34:08. > :34:12.features that we have as a business destination and that so much more

:34:13. > :34:19.could be done to promote our reputation as an exporting nation.

:34:20. > :34:25.So we are going to establish a WDA which will find new opportunities

:34:26. > :34:29.for Welsh exports and promote Welsh businesses and Wales as a business

:34:30. > :34:35.destination. And you told us that you are fed up with people here

:34:36. > :34:39.having lower wages and lower prosperity than people elsewhere in

:34:40. > :34:44.the UK. That is why we will boost the income of small firms by cutting

:34:45. > :34:49.business rates and we will make sure that when public contracts are

:34:50. > :34:56.awarded, more of that work is given to firms that are in Wales in order

:34:57. > :35:04.to lock that Welsh pound much more into our communities. Plaid Cymru's

:35:05. > :35:07.economic principles are based on decentralism and equality.

:35:08. > :35:15.Opportunities for well paid work must be available across the nation,

:35:16. > :35:19.not just concentrated in one corner. We all know that trickle down

:35:20. > :35:27.doesn't work. No one believes that money spent in one area will provide

:35:28. > :35:32.benefits to people somewhere else. Sustainable economic development

:35:33. > :35:36.would not result in the entire borrowing capacity of a Government

:35:37. > :35:43.spent in one small corner of Wales as is being proposed with the new M4

:35:44. > :35:48.by the current Government. Plaid Cymru wants to ensure that all parts

:35:49. > :35:53.of Wales see investment in their communities. So our package of

:35:54. > :35:59.measures, focussing on building a well Wales, a well educated Wales

:36:00. > :36:06.and a wealthier Wales, will improve the day-to-day lives of our citizens

:36:07. > :36:13.and allow our country and everyone in it to realise their full

:36:14. > :36:24.potential. APPLAUSE

:36:25. > :36:35.Conference, it's been 480 years since the first act of union. 480

:36:36. > :36:41.years on, and it's no longer legal constraints that hold our nation

:36:42. > :36:47.back. Wales is held back today by the two establishment parties who

:36:48. > :36:54.both have an interest in maintaining the status quo. I have said many

:36:55. > :37:01.times that there is nothing inevitable about this country and I

:37:02. > :37:09.sincerely believe that to be true. As one eminent economist once said,

:37:10. > :37:14.in Wales, one thing is certain, her poverty stems from conviction, not

:37:15. > :37:23.from fact. It's political, not economic in origin. It's a poverty

:37:24. > :37:32.of structure, in the midst of plentiful resources. Friends, we

:37:33. > :37:38.have just 62 days to undo nearly 500 years of false conviction. 62 days

:37:39. > :37:47.to liberate each other from a mindset that says our country's fate

:37:48. > :37:52.is sealed. 62 days to secure five years of a Plaid Cymru Government

:37:53. > :37:55.that will deliver the change Wales needs.

:37:56. > :37:59.APPLAUSE That was Leanne Wood yesterday with

:38:00. > :38:03.an impassioned plea to Labour supporters to turn their attentions

:38:04. > :38:07.to Plaid. Vaughan, I suppose the problem for Plaid in that respect is

:38:08. > :38:10.that apart from Llanelli there are few constituencies, if any, where

:38:11. > :38:15.Plaid are going head-to-head with Labour? Well, that's right. The

:38:16. > :38:20.other main target is Conservative-held. They're not

:38:21. > :38:24.ruling out some head-to-head Labour battles. Leanne Wood is standing in

:38:25. > :38:27.Rhondda, for instance. Caerphilly might be competitive. They're even

:38:28. > :38:31.talking about Cardiff West. There aren't that many seats, constituency

:38:32. > :38:38.seats that are going to switch from Labour to Plaid, which leaves Plaid

:38:39. > :38:44.very dependent on the roulette of the regionalries -- of the

:38:45. > :38:49.regionalries lists. -- regional lists. This is a very unpredictable

:38:50. > :38:53.election. It could go either way. Some of the opposition parties are

:38:54. > :38:59.saying this is a rather sort of two-faced attack by Plaid, bearing

:39:00. > :39:03.in mind that in the past they have struck deals with Labour in the

:39:04. > :39:06.Assembly, that they're natural ally, if you like, are the Labour Party.

:39:07. > :39:10.Well, the Conservatives are saying that. They would say that, wouldn't

:39:11. > :39:15.they? Because Labour throughout the life of the Assembly has chosen to

:39:16. > :39:19.do deals, occasionally coalitions, either with the Liberal Democrats or

:39:20. > :39:23.with Plaid Cymru. Labour has deliberately kept the Conservatives

:39:24. > :39:26.at arm's length, that suited the Conservatives, as well. So, you

:39:27. > :39:33.can't be surprised at that attack coming from the Conservatives. What

:39:34. > :39:37.is true, though, is that we could be heading towards an Assembly where we

:39:38. > :39:40.have two centre-left parties and two centre-right parties, rather than

:39:41. > :39:43.three centre-left parties and one centre-right party. That will change

:39:44. > :39:47.the dynamic of the Assembly because you will have two parties, Labour

:39:48. > :39:51.and Plaid, competing on the left. Two parties, Ukip and the

:39:52. > :39:55.Conservatives, competing on the right. Often there is an old line in

:39:56. > :39:59.politics, you know, your opponents are on the other side of the

:40:00. > :40:04.chamber, your enemies are behind you. In a sense, parties which have

:40:05. > :41:54.similar political outlooks very often have far stronger feelings

:41:55. > :41:58.similar political outlooks very time. Because in 2007 the reason it

:41:59. > :42:01.took so long was you had two possible First Ministers, Rhodri

:42:02. > :42:05.Morgan and Win Jones. I don't think the maths will put us there this

:42:06. > :42:09.time given Leanne Wood has ruled out a deal with the Conservatives.

:42:10. > :42:13.Vaughan, thank you very much. Plaid's MEP also addressed the

:42:14. > :42:19.conference, not surprisingly, the main theme of Jill Evans' speech was

:42:20. > :42:24.Wales relationship with Europe. Wales' natural home is in Europe.

:42:25. > :42:30.The European Union has promoted our interests and shared our values. I

:42:31. > :42:37.want to see this relationship develop further and flourish. The EU

:42:38. > :42:43.has been an amazing achievement. It's not without its problems, of

:42:44. > :42:48.course, very serious problems. But I firmly believe that we have a better

:42:49. > :42:56.chance of solving those problems together than apart. Because leaving

:42:57. > :43:00.the EU won't take the problems away. Wales benefits from EU membership,

:43:01. > :43:06.economically, socially and culturally. Through the EU we have

:43:07. > :43:10.laws on equality, on the environment, on workers and

:43:11. > :43:13.consumers' rights, on farming and food quality and we have taken

:43:14. > :43:18.action to tackle climate change and much, much more than that. We have

:43:19. > :43:27.been able to control the chemicals in our environment and clean up our

:43:28. > :43:35.rivers. No one likes rules and regulations, but they do protect us.

:43:36. > :43:39.It's often the UK or the Welsh Government that's responsible for

:43:40. > :43:44.the overburdening, the gold-plating as it's called, the added

:43:45. > :43:50.regulations, not the EU. But the EU is blamed. Well, let's show who is

:43:51. > :43:55.responsible. It's about time the meetings of Government leaders in

:43:56. > :44:04.Brussels were opened up so we can see who votes which way. There's too

:44:05. > :44:10.much secrecy. We want an open and an honest Europe.

:44:11. > :44:16.APPLAUSE But look at the big picture. The EU

:44:17. > :44:21.has done more for Wales than the UK would have done on its own. But our

:44:22. > :44:26.work doesn't stop with the referendum. By no means. We want a

:44:27. > :44:31.stronger voice for Wales and we will continue to work for that with an

:44:32. > :44:35.ambitious and an active Welsh Government we can have a much

:44:36. > :44:40.greater role. We could make changes now in Wales and I am not talking

:44:41. > :44:47.about European treaty changes, but changes in the way the UK works, the

:44:48. > :44:53.UK structures, that would give Wales more influence on EU policies. To do

:44:54. > :44:58.that, we need a Plaid Cymru Welsh Government. We can't lose the voice

:44:59. > :45:04.we have in Europe. We have made a mark and we can contribute a lot

:45:05. > :45:10.more to building a fairer and a better society but we can't do that

:45:11. > :45:15.if we have no voice and no influence.

:45:16. > :45:19.APPLAUSE Change is happening. Change of a

:45:20. > :45:26.different kind. Change of a positive kind. There's a progressive movement

:45:27. > :45:30.across the European Union and Plaid Cymru is part of that. The European

:45:31. > :45:37.free alliance that we belong to has been working since the 1980s for a

:45:38. > :45:41.different kind of Europe, a Europe that truly recognises the value of

:45:42. > :45:49.diversity, that doesn't give powers just to the member states, but

:45:50. > :45:54.recognises the real diversionity and democracy across Europe, recognises

:45:55. > :45:59.that bringing Europe to the peoples means political equality for all

:46:00. > :46:05.nations and historic regions, all our languages and our cultures. We

:46:06. > :46:11.have a lot to change about the EU which can only be done from within.

:46:12. > :46:17.There's no point in us shouting from the sidelines. We have to be there

:46:18. > :46:18.as a nation, standing alongside our partners, working for democracy,

:46:19. > :46:31.working for Wales. Europe is constantly changing and

:46:32. > :46:40.evolving. We can help change it, it is not static. The EU needs to be

:46:41. > :46:44.more accountable and accessible. Prioritise people and not profits.

:46:45. > :46:48.The European Parliament is as much a Parliament for Wales as it is for

:46:49. > :46:54.any other nation. We must regain European democracy for the people of

:46:55. > :47:01.Wales and all the people of Europe. We see Wales's future firmly as in

:47:02. > :47:06.Europe. In a practical way, Europe has given us the freedom to travel,

:47:07. > :47:12.to live, to study and work in other countries, and the same freedom for

:47:13. > :47:16.people from other countries to contribute to our society and

:47:17. > :47:22.economy in Wales. That was Jill Evans on the merits of continuing

:47:23. > :47:30.membership of the EU. We go to the conference where I am joined live by

:47:31. > :47:39.the former Plaid Cymru MP in Caernarvon East. Good afternoon, Mr

:47:40. > :47:45.Price. Good afternoon. You predicted Labour would lose the election in

:47:46. > :47:48.May, does that mean lose the moral authority to govern, lose seats or

:47:49. > :47:55.be relegated as the largest party in the assembly? I would say that they

:47:56. > :48:00.have already lost the moral authority based on their record of

:48:01. > :48:03.failure. We have very serious problems in the Welsh economy and

:48:04. > :48:08.Welsh society and Welsh public services. It makes me increasingly

:48:09. > :48:13.angry to see what is happening to my country, so I think they have lost

:48:14. > :48:18.their moral mandate already, but I think that is slowly coming across

:48:19. > :48:22.to the people I speak to on the doorstep in Carmarthenshire and

:48:23. > :48:27.Wales. Former Labour voters whose loyalty over generations has really

:48:28. > :48:37.been rewarded with this terrible lack of complacency. If you or I or

:48:38. > :48:42.any member of Plaid Cymru or a citizen of Wales were First

:48:43. > :48:47.Minister, we would have that sense of ambition, that sense of taking

:48:48. > :48:50.the initiative and trying to make our country a better place, and we

:48:51. > :48:55.don't see that from the Labour Party or the Welsh Labour government at

:48:56. > :48:59.the moment, unfortunately. The party has run out of steam, run out of

:49:00. > :49:04.ideas, and I think the people of Wales are realising that. Would you

:49:05. > :49:09.stop at anything to try and throw them out of office? You have

:49:10. > :49:13.instigated talks with the Lib Dems recently and the Green Party which

:49:14. > :49:18.came to nothing. Would you for example talk to other parties like

:49:19. > :49:24.the Conservatives if you had a sufficient number of seats to govern

:49:25. > :49:31.alone? I have been very consistent about this over the years. I will

:49:32. > :49:34.work with regressive is, I am a pluralist by my very nature. I don't

:49:35. > :49:42.think anybody has a monopoly on the truth. A part of this problem with

:49:43. > :49:46.this single party statement mentality is the idea that one party

:49:47. > :49:51.can rule or should rule and produce the changes we need. I have always

:49:52. > :49:56.said I want to work with others. Unfortunately, that will not be

:49:57. > :50:00.possible. One of the parties did not want to work with us for the benefit

:50:01. > :50:06.of Wales, so Plaid Cymru will have to do it on its own as a party, but

:50:07. > :50:12.we can't do it on its own. In this sense, we need the people of Wales

:50:13. > :50:15.and supporters. We can be a vehicle for change and I sincerely believe

:50:16. > :50:20.the people of Wales wants to see this. The people of Wales have two

:50:21. > :50:25.vote for the National party, the party of Wales, and see the fresh

:50:26. > :50:33.new ideas that we saw lots of Ming in Scotland as a result of the first

:50:34. > :50:37.nonlabour government there. -- blossoming. I believe people are

:50:38. > :50:42.yearning from it but they have two vote for it in 61 days' time. Has

:50:43. > :50:46.there been something wrong with the Plaid Cymru offer over the years?

:50:47. > :50:51.You had a good election in 1999 but you have made no breakthrough since

:50:52. > :50:58.then. You haven't, for example, when seat in the Welsh valleys which you

:50:59. > :51:07.one in 99, what has gone wrong since the high ground of then? Well, I

:51:08. > :51:10.think there have been peaks and troughs in support for the party

:51:11. > :51:13.over the years, and in Carmarthenshire where we won our

:51:14. > :51:22.first Parliamentary seat 50 years ago... You know, it is impossible --

:51:23. > :51:26.it is possible to inspire people to believe there is an alternative. In

:51:27. > :51:33.Wales, we have had 100 years of single party rule effectively. You

:51:34. > :51:38.can break through that. It is a matter of political self-confidence.

:51:39. > :51:43.The people of Wales, in so many ways and so many areas of our lives, we

:51:44. > :51:50.are brought up to believe there is no other way and what we see around

:51:51. > :51:54.us is as it will always be. We have to breakthrough that lack of self

:51:55. > :52:03.belief. We did in 1999 and within or partially in 2007 where we managed

:52:04. > :52:08.to win back Llanelli. I believe we will do it in nine days' time. The

:52:09. > :52:13.water is warm, the people are receptive, and the people are also

:52:14. > :52:16.willing the party on in Wales, they want us to believe that they can

:52:17. > :52:21.believe. We want to work together here, we have to create a national

:52:22. > :52:25.self-confidence to say, it does not have to be this way, we can have a

:52:26. > :52:32.different government and the different Wales. You say there was

:52:33. > :52:36.another way, and the academic Laura McAllister says the other way is

:52:37. > :52:45.just more of the same and your offer is very similar, too similar, to the

:52:46. > :52:48.Labour of. I challenge that. Which is the party with the most radical

:52:49. > :52:55.policy on higher education? It is this party. No party has come up

:52:56. > :53:00.with this idea of actually creating an incentive so that instead of

:53:01. > :53:05.losing our talent as we currently are as a nation, a greater brain

:53:06. > :53:10.drain than any other country in Europe, we have a brain gain so we

:53:11. > :53:18.can invest that talent and is built into the Welsh economy. -- talent

:53:19. > :53:22.and skill. A few weeks ago, the Labour Party were saying it will

:53:23. > :53:27.never work, we do not have the money for it. We have gone from having a

:53:28. > :53:31.policy not ambitious enough to a policy that is too ambitious. There

:53:32. > :53:35.is no party in this election presenting such a complete and

:53:36. > :53:37.comprehensive package of transformation for the economy, some

:53:38. > :53:45.I totally challenge that and when you see the manifest though, hiding

:53:46. > :53:49.away between canvassing and working together, crowd sourcing using the

:53:50. > :53:53.incredible ideas and expertise that we have in Wales to produce the most

:53:54. > :54:01.exciting programme of government that any party has ever produced...

:54:02. > :54:06.On this specifics, on health for example, you are talking about a

:54:07. > :54:11.costly reintegration, at a time when money is tight and when people will

:54:12. > :54:17.be concentrating on waiting lists, wondering when they will have their

:54:18. > :54:20.hip replacements. How will that help people in Wales who are currently

:54:21. > :54:27.waiting longer than they should on waiting lists? It is the most

:54:28. > :54:36.radical reform of the NHS that we have had in over 50 years. We are

:54:37. > :54:40.going back to the original founding principles of the NHS, which is that

:54:41. > :54:45.it should be free at the point of need. Not just in the health service

:54:46. > :54:51.but in terms of social care because as we age as a day, the difference

:54:52. > :54:54.between health and care is vanishing. There is a continuum

:54:55. > :54:59.between health and care and part of the problem with the waiting times

:55:00. > :55:03.crisis, which is an epidemic, you know, huge proportions in West Wales

:55:04. > :55:09.and across Wales, part of the problem is that we have two systems

:55:10. > :55:16.that are insufficiently connected and we are bringing them together.

:55:17. > :55:20.You can't have a system in social care which involves charging

:55:21. > :55:27.otherwise you will have delayed transfers of care. Over 450 people

:55:28. > :55:31.are in beds in hospitals in Wales that do not need to be there,

:55:32. > :55:35.preventing people that need to be there from having the care they

:55:36. > :55:40.deserve. Yes, that is ambitious, we have done our homework and it is

:55:41. > :55:42.costed, but that is the vision we expect from a party that will take

:55:43. > :55:48.our country forward. We're not seeing it from anyone else. Free

:55:49. > :55:54.elections since Leanne Wood was elected leader, you have not made

:55:55. > :55:58.ground in some of those elections and you have lost ground in some of

:55:59. > :56:06.them, will she have to step up to the mark this time and if not we'll

:56:07. > :56:11.fingers point in her direction? Is the party of Wales, the election

:56:12. > :56:16.that really matter as, the referendum on the fate of our

:56:17. > :56:23.country, that is the Welsh election, and all our efforts and energies,

:56:24. > :56:29.our creativity and initiative has been focused on this election in six

:56:30. > :56:33.to one days. Which is why she has to do well? That will make the

:56:34. > :56:38.difference and so we have been focused on that. Which is why she

:56:39. > :56:43.has to do well? I will make a prediction or you, OK? There would

:56:44. > :56:48.be a huge shock in nine weeks' time, a political earthquake. Our friends

:56:49. > :56:53.in the media will have missed it in the run-up, but if you go out there

:56:54. > :56:58.and do what I am doing, getting out of the studio in Cardiff, and

:56:59. > :57:03.actually go and speak to people on the doorstep and see the appetite

:57:04. > :57:06.for change, Wales is going to have a different government with new ideas

:57:07. > :57:10.in nine weeks' time. There will be a political earthquake that will

:57:11. > :57:13.change the tectonic plates of Westminster politics more

:57:14. > :57:20.importantly than that, it will change the lives of the people of

:57:21. > :57:24.Wales for the better. The result of that earthquake, where will it leave

:57:25. > :57:35.Plaid Cymru in terms of assembly seats? I think we will have a Plaid

:57:36. > :57:40.Cymru government. The SNP, a few months before the election in 2007,

:57:41. > :57:44.were 14 points behind, no one was predicting what would happen in

:57:45. > :57:49.2007. The same thing will happen here in Wales. We are going to have

:57:50. > :57:52.a political revolution made by the people of Wales, and for the first

:57:53. > :57:56.time in 20 years, a government that is led by a party that does not take

:57:57. > :58:01.its orders from headquarters in any other city because it is made up of

:58:02. > :58:04.the people of Wales, it is about Wales, it will give us the vision

:58:05. > :58:09.and the future that our country is crying out for.

:58:10. > :58:11.and the future that our country is joining us from Llanelli. Plaid

:58:12. > :58:17.Cymru wants to take back Llanelli from Labour. Labour took a seat in

:58:18. > :58:23.Cardiff Bay from them five years ago. The candidate is Mary Jones and

:58:24. > :58:36.this is her message to the conference.

:58:37. > :58:46.SPEAKS WELSH. I was so proud to support so many community campaigns.

:58:47. > :00:31.SPEAKS WELSH. I was so proud to field of

:00:32. > :00:33.which is all very well and may be, as a resident said to

:00:34. > :00:39.which is all very well and may be, doorstep, better than nothing. Well,

:00:40. > :00:44.I can tell you that if I am elected in May, I won't be settling for

:00:45. > :00:45.services for our community that are better than nothing.

:00:46. > :01:01.APPLAUSE The whole health service is

:01:02. > :01:08.struggling. ,324 operations frp cancelled in our hospital alone in

:01:09. > :01:15.the last two-and-a-half years -- 6,324. 6,324 patients left in pain

:01:16. > :01:19.due to lack of staff, lack of equipment, lack of beds. And staff

:01:20. > :01:23.are at the end of their tethers. You may see them smiling in photo

:01:24. > :01:28.opportunities with the Labour health Minister, but when I meet them on

:01:29. > :01:33.the doorstep and the supermarket, it's a different story. Overwork,

:01:34. > :01:39.stress and anger about not being able to care for their patients in

:01:40. > :01:42.the way they've been trained to. Experienced, caring professionals,

:01:43. > :01:47.seriously considering quitting the profession altogether. Labour is

:01:48. > :01:55.letting our health service down, staff and patients. Staff are doing

:01:56. > :01:59.their best but they need support. Plaid has practical costed policies

:02:00. > :02:02.that would bring 150 extra healthcare professionals to the

:02:03. > :02:07.Llanelli area, break down the barriers between health and care and

:02:08. > :02:13.free staff from pointless bureaucracy. We can only Plaid can

:02:14. > :02:19.deliver the change our health service needs.

:02:20. > :02:24.APPLAUSE Our economy in Llanelli undoubtedly

:02:25. > :02:30.took a battering in the 80s but we have fought back. When the economy

:02:31. > :02:34.crashed in 2008 I worked hard to ensure that Llanelli firms would

:02:35. > :02:37.benefit from the proact and react schemes that Plaid brought in under

:02:38. > :02:41.the One Wales Government. Investing for the future, and helping

:02:42. > :02:45.companies keep staff on and retrain them, instead of having to let them

:02:46. > :02:51.go. I was so pleased to visit a couple of weeks ago one of the

:02:52. > :02:55.companies supported at that time. Supported by a committed workforce

:02:56. > :02:59.and an innovative management, Government support at the right

:03:00. > :03:02.time, there are now twice as many people working there in a

:03:03. > :03:08.manufacturing plant as there were in 2008. And during that time business

:03:09. > :03:14.rates were cut for some of our small businesses to help them through

:03:15. > :03:22.tough times. But now our economy is stuck. The value of exports from

:03:23. > :03:27.Wales has fallen by ?2. 6 billion in the last two years. There are great

:03:28. > :03:31.companies that are bucking that trend but it's not good enough.

:03:32. > :03:36.Where is our Labour Government been in all that time? Plaid in

:03:37. > :03:39.Government will set up a new Welsh Development Agency to drive Welsh

:03:40. > :03:43.sales abroad. We will establish a new national commission on

:03:44. > :03:47.infrastructure, railways, roads, broadband, and that will ensure that

:03:48. > :03:53.companies all over Wales can compete fairly. And we will take thousands

:03:54. > :03:58.of small businesses out of business rates altogether, which, with the

:03:59. > :04:02.major investment that Plaid councils are already delivering, will make a

:04:03. > :04:07.huge difference, for example, to traders in our market in Llanelli.

:04:08. > :04:12.Conference, back in our history Llanelli was a great generator of

:04:13. > :04:15.wealth. Our people gave their strength, their health, and often

:04:16. > :04:20.our beautiful natural environment, mostly to fill the pockets of

:04:21. > :04:25.others. Now is the time to harness all that energy, all that creativity

:04:26. > :04:29.that is in our communities to create wealth that can transform the future

:04:30. > :04:36.for us all. It is possible. It is necessary. And the time to elect a

:04:37. > :04:43.Government to make it happen is now, a Plaid Cymru Government.

:04:44. > :04:47.APPLAUSE And, of course, I hope to be there

:04:48. > :04:53.to ensure once again that Llanelli gets its fair share. I hope to be

:04:54. > :04:58.part of that team that will be delivering the change our economy

:04:59. > :05:03.needs. This part of Wales has a track record of making history, of

:05:04. > :05:10.believing in a future for Wales. Perhaps it's going a bit far back to

:05:11. > :05:17.refer to the Welsh men and women who opened the gates of the Castle,

:05:18. > :05:23.might be stretching it a bit in for certain in 1966, 50 years ago,

:05:24. > :05:27.Carmarthenshire elected Plaid Cymru's first MP, sending shockwaves

:05:28. > :05:32.through the British establishment as the voice of Wales was raised once

:05:33. > :05:35.again. And for certain, it was the votes of the people of

:05:36. > :05:41.Carmarthenshire that delivered the yes vote in the 1997 referendum that

:05:42. > :05:50.gave us our first democratic forum for Wales, for all its faults, our

:05:51. > :05:54.own, our own Assembly. This year, we have the opportunity to make history

:05:55. > :05:58.again. I am asking the people of Llanelli to give me the opportunity

:05:59. > :06:03.once again to serve our communities, to help harness all the energy and

:06:04. > :06:07.commitment that is in those communities, to build the future

:06:08. > :06:13.that we all deserve but more. I am asking the people of Llanelli and

:06:14. > :06:16.the people of Wales to take a bold step and elect a Government that

:06:17. > :06:21.believes in Wales. A Government that is ambitious for Wales, a Government

:06:22. > :06:29.that has a vision of our future as a nation and then practical plans to

:06:30. > :06:42.deliver that vision. Wales first, Plaid Cymru Government. Friends, for

:06:43. > :06:48.far too long we have lived under governments that have held us back

:06:49. > :06:52.and kept us down. Tacitally accepting that poverty in Wales is

:06:53. > :06:57.somehow inevitable and accepting that it's OK to provide us with

:06:58. > :07:05.public services that are better than nothing. Enough is enough. No more.

:07:06. > :07:09.We need to wake up on May 6th to a new Government, a Government that

:07:10. > :07:16.can deliver the change that Wales needs and I believe with all my

:07:17. > :07:22.heart that if we all do all that we can in the next 62 days, we will

:07:23. > :07:26.wake up on May 6th with our leader, my friend, Leanne Wood, as our First

:07:27. > :07:29.Minister. It really is the time for the change Wales needs.

:07:30. > :07:33.APPLAUSE That was Helen Mary Jones, bidding

:07:34. > :07:39.to return to the Assembly as the member for Llanelli. Vaughan, I am

:07:40. > :07:42.sure most people would agree that as marginals go this is one of the

:07:43. > :07:46.interesting ones with neutral observers saying that you have two

:07:47. > :07:55.very strong candidates here in Helen Mary Jones and the Labour candidate

:07:56. > :07:59.Lee Walters. Yes, it's a seat that's been back and forward. It's always

:08:00. > :08:03.close. Helen mayor jib Jones has a few things going for her -- Mary

:08:04. > :08:07.Jones. One of those, there was not a spoiler candidate, but a candidate

:08:08. > :08:11.for People's Choice at the last election. Took about 3,000 votes and

:08:12. > :08:16.most think a lot of those votes came from Helen Mary Jones. What we don't

:08:17. > :08:22.know is the impact Ukip will have in Llanelli. If you look at the general

:08:23. > :08:27.election, Labour had a very good result in the general election in

:08:28. > :08:32.Llanelli. Plaid had put up a strong candidate, a strong campaign and

:08:33. > :08:36.Labour actually pulled ahead quite substantially, ahead of Plaid in the

:08:37. > :08:42.general election. So, it's all to play for in that seat. Both parties

:08:43. > :08:46.know it. Labour do have a slight disadvantage, though, this time in

:08:47. > :08:50.that in the past they've been able to pour workers into Llanelli. They

:08:51. > :08:53.lost Gower, one of the adjoining constituencies to the Conservatives

:08:54. > :08:57.in the general election. So, they will be playing defensive across a

:08:58. > :09:00.wider range of seats in this Assembly election, than they have in

:09:01. > :09:03.the past. Vaughan, thank you very much. Let's cross over back to

:09:04. > :09:09.Llanelli. Bethan is joined by some guests.

:09:10. > :09:18.Thanks. Yes, I am joined by two people who will be battling for

:09:19. > :09:24.votes in other parts of Wales. Stefan Lewis standing in the

:09:25. > :09:28.south-east. We heard you have a message that can appeal beyond the

:09:29. > :09:33.heartlands. Why has Plaid struggled over the past few years to appeal

:09:34. > :09:37.beyond those heartland areas in a way it did in 1999? There is a need

:09:38. > :09:40.now for us to create a new excitement around a Welsh election

:09:41. > :09:43.and as we look at this National Assembly election the message is

:09:44. > :09:45.very clear from us that it doesn't have to be a false choice between

:09:46. > :09:49.the Labour Party or the Conservatives, that we are an

:09:50. > :09:52.alternative here in Wales for the too tired establishment parties and

:09:53. > :09:56.I think a message in terms of the future of the NHS is crucial, as

:09:57. > :10:00.well. Now we have in Wales a track record from both Labour in Wales and

:10:01. > :10:04.the NHS and the Tories in England on the NHS and on the doorstep the

:10:05. > :10:07.health service is the number one issue and I think the more people

:10:08. > :10:12.consider options in this election, Plaid Cymru will become the obvious

:10:13. > :10:18.one. You mentioned creating this excitement. And a new vision. How do

:10:19. > :10:21.you go about it in practice creating excitement and a buzz around the

:10:22. > :10:26.party that doesn't exist at the moment? I disagree, I think the

:10:27. > :10:31.plays is buzzing. It's all the party faithful here. I was with a young -

:10:32. > :10:35.I was a young teenager in 1999. I remember the victory. The context

:10:36. > :10:38.and the political circumstances at the time that create the sense of

:10:39. > :10:41.excitement and if we look now at the state of politics in Europe and the

:10:42. > :10:45.UK there is this yearning now for change. People are looking for

:10:46. > :10:49.something different from what's gone before and after 17 years of a tired

:10:50. > :10:53.Labour Government they've had their chance now in Cardiff Bay and people

:10:54. > :10:57.are open to hearing our case for why we should be leading the next Welsh

:10:58. > :11:02.Government. Leanne Wood was supposed to be a leader who could appeal

:11:03. > :11:07.beyond the traditional areas. How does she go down in areas like

:11:08. > :11:13.yours? She's very popular in our area. We had a launch recently and

:11:14. > :11:20.she was very well perceived, this year on this and a different kind of

:11:21. > :11:27.politician, I think, offering something different and a new

:11:28. > :11:35.opportunity for Wales. Plaid Cymru could lead and have a better NHS I

:11:36. > :11:40.think and Leanne's main message is that we offer something different.

:11:41. > :11:47.You don't have to choose between bad or worse, between Labour and the

:11:48. > :11:53.Tories. We have a strong team and a strong programme for a better Wales.

:11:54. > :11:58.You say Leanne Wood is popular, but why hasn't that paid dividends so

:11:59. > :12:03.far electorally for the party? There are challenges. There are other

:12:04. > :12:08.parties possibly Ukip getting attention with the European Union.

:12:09. > :12:15.But I think especially amongst young people I see that Leanne is the

:12:16. > :12:20.politician that they see they are attracted to mostly. You mentioned

:12:21. > :12:26.Ukip. Particularly in the south-east maybe and the north-east, as well,

:12:27. > :12:29.Ukip are perceived as a particular challenge maybe, maybe more than

:12:30. > :12:34.Plaid stshgs a problem for that you Ukip may be seen as that alternative

:12:35. > :12:37.party, rather than Plaid Cymru? No, actually I am very much looking

:12:38. > :12:41.forward to them parachuting failed Conservative noose Wales for our

:12:42. > :12:44.national elections and I am very much looking forward to seeing them

:12:45. > :12:48.go back over the bridge on May 6th. We are up for this fight. This is a

:12:49. > :12:50.party fighting fit. We have an exciting programme of Government. We

:12:51. > :12:54.have the personnel, we have the energy to lead this country. It's a

:12:55. > :12:57.party whose time has come and I am very much looked forward to us

:12:58. > :13:02.leading the next Government of our country. In the Vale of Clyd Ukip

:13:03. > :13:07.may be a challenge there, as well. How do you go about combatting that

:13:08. > :13:12.message? Well, this election is about our health service, our

:13:13. > :13:16.education, creating jobs, I don't think Ukip offer any policies on

:13:17. > :13:24.those, it's all about a single issue and I think it's important to remind

:13:25. > :13:28.people what they're voting on on May 5th and we offer many good policies.

:13:29. > :13:31.Different enough though, because you are talking about health, education

:13:32. > :13:34.and the economy. Same things everyone else is talking about.

:13:35. > :13:38.That's what's important to people. That's what we hear on the

:13:39. > :13:42.doorsteps. Are they the sort of policies that capture the public's

:13:43. > :13:46.imagination? Obviously on health we know that it's a radical idea to

:13:47. > :13:51.bring down the boundary between health and social care. But it's

:13:52. > :13:55.something that engages people. It is actually. Conversations I have had

:13:56. > :14:01.on door-steps, they see the intense in integrating the health and social

:14:02. > :14:06.care and our policy on free care for the elderly, that policy on child

:14:07. > :14:12.care for under three-year-olds, I think those policies people are

:14:13. > :14:15.engaged with and it's those #308s -- it's those policies people want to

:14:16. > :14:19.see. Thank you for joining us. I will let you go back to the hall.

:14:20. > :14:22.You are speaking shortly. Back to you.

:14:23. > :14:25.Thank you. It's not just May's Assembly election on the agenda this

:14:26. > :14:29.year. Europe is also part of the discussion. Earlier this morning

:14:30. > :14:32.Plaid's leader in Westminster spoke to the conference outlining the

:14:33. > :14:39.party's reasons for wanting to stay in the EU.

:14:40. > :14:44.We in Wales have a different agenda and different priorities. The

:14:45. > :14:47.Assembly elections and our future governments are the most obvious

:14:48. > :15:02.examples. So that we could have a full debate

:15:03. > :15:10.on the benefits to Wales of EU membership. And set an agenda for

:15:11. > :15:15.reform from within. For it to be clear, our support for staying in is

:15:16. > :15:23.very strong. But it is conditional. We want change. We want reform. Just

:15:24. > :15:32.one example of our misgivings will suffice this morning. The European

:15:33. > :15:38.Union and the Cameron and Merkel looks set to sign a deal. It may

:15:39. > :15:46.bring further remorsal privatisation of our public services. We reject

:15:47. > :15:51.that deal entirely. APPLAUSE

:15:52. > :15:56.We said to the Prime Minister we need a full debate, we need time.

:15:57. > :16:02.Was David Cameron listening? Was Labour listening for that matter?

:16:03. > :16:08.What did Labour in Wales say? What did Labour in London reply? Carwyn

:16:09. > :16:14.Jones said, leave us decent space, boys, leave a decent space. Labour

:16:15. > :16:20.in London said, June 23 looks just fine to us, a mere six weeks after

:16:21. > :16:26.our general election, June 23 looks fine to us. Labour in Wales now say

:16:27. > :16:34.they haven't changed their view. But the referendum will still be on June

:16:35. > :16:37.23. That's the way that Wales Labour First Minister carries.

:16:38. > :16:47.The polls now show it is tight. I press people for an answer and it is

:16:48. > :16:56.about 50-50. Our friends and neighbours, family members, many are

:16:57. > :17:02.uncertain, and no surprise there. For years, for decades, self-serving

:17:03. > :17:08.politicians have played up the European bogeyman, aided and egged

:17:09. > :17:15.on by self-serving press barons. From straight bananas to businesses

:17:16. > :19:06.in red type, it is always the Europeans that are at fault.

:19:07. > :19:09.in red type, it is always the is never stated. All the way from

:19:10. > :19:14.investing in the fundamentals which support and enable business and

:19:15. > :19:19.commerce, from building roads, rail, housing, from superfast broadband,

:19:20. > :19:26.towards everything else for that matter, Westminster's unspoken

:19:27. > :19:33.policy affects two regions of the UK, London and the South East. When

:19:34. > :19:40.British Telecom came to see me to talk about the benefits of superfast

:19:41. > :19:44.raw bands and all the money they were going to spend on it, I asked

:19:45. > :19:54.them, so, are you going to start with the places that don't have much

:19:55. > :20:01.in the way broadband -- broadband. Places of resilience and energy but

:20:02. > :20:10.disempowered and held back. In the Rhondda, here in clinically. --

:20:11. > :20:18.Llanelli. You're not starting in the City of London, I said. You know the

:20:19. > :20:22.answer, of course, I don't have to tell you. Another example. When we

:20:23. > :20:27.had the news about the electrification of the South Wales

:20:28. > :20:32.mainline, and by the way, is still don't have a single inch of

:20:33. > :20:39.electrified rail in south Wales, but when this news came out, back then,

:20:40. > :20:49.I asked, well, which end you going to start? Where are you starting it?

:20:50. > :20:54.Surely Llanelli? Somewhere around Reading, towards Central London.

:20:55. > :20:58.There is an understated policy which hampers Wales and holds us back and

:20:59. > :21:08.gives us a bad deal. If we pull out of the EU and the regional policy

:21:09. > :21:13.and the regional funding, if they are brought back from Brussels, if

:21:14. > :21:18.they are repatriated, then those powers and that money must not stop

:21:19. > :21:25.in London, they must be passed directly to the people of Wales.

:21:26. > :21:29.That is ?4 billion up to 2020 for a start. If you add in match funding

:21:30. > :21:35.that is. If you add in match funding. If anyone thinks that that

:21:36. > :21:42.would be easy, that it would happen automatically, that we would ditch

:21:43. > :21:44.those pesky Europeans, we would lose convergence funding for West Wales

:21:45. > :21:51.and the valleys, but find Westminster with a smile coming up

:21:52. > :21:54.with the dosh. Anyone who thinks that, just you remember the struggle

:21:55. > :22:01.we had in getting the London government to provide match funding.

:22:02. > :22:05.We remember what happened. That investment, small comparatively,

:22:06. > :22:15.that investment which would throw in the extra EU billions, we had to

:22:16. > :22:21.force Westminster to cough up. Also making the claim that Wales and the

:22:22. > :22:27.UK should stay part of the EU. I am pleased to say we join the Plaid

:22:28. > :22:33.Cymru leader Leanne Wood joins me from the conference in clinically.

:22:34. > :22:39.Good afternoon. Good afternoon. -- Llanelli. Adam Price, a candidate,

:22:40. > :22:46.predicted a political earthquake in May. If there is only a little

:22:47. > :22:51.tremor, does that mean your days are numbered? You know very well that my

:22:52. > :22:56.political project is a long-term one. I was elected as leader of

:22:57. > :23:03.Plaid Cymru almost four years ago and my project is to build a nation.

:23:04. > :23:06.Elections are important stepping stones on the way to achieving that

:23:07. > :23:13.project, but it is a long-term project and I intend to see it

:23:14. > :23:18.through. You have been highly critical of the Labour governments,

:23:19. > :23:21.especially in your speech yesterday. It sounds like a very different

:23:22. > :23:29.Leanne Wood to the one that took over Plaid Cymru backing 2012, when

:23:30. > :23:32.you said, and I quote, that you would be prepared to work with a

:23:33. > :23:37.party who put forward progressive policies, ditch tribalism, and you

:23:38. > :23:42.would work with Labour under those circumstances. What has changed

:23:43. > :23:47.since then? I have been a politician who has always been prepared to work

:23:48. > :23:53.with others on the progressive left to try and achieve change, and I am

:23:54. > :23:57.always welcome to doing that. What we have in the government here in

:23:58. > :23:59.Wales is that they are the establishment and they have been

:24:00. > :24:05.running our public services pretty badly. They have not achieved any

:24:06. > :24:09.significant progress in terms of economic development and so I would

:24:10. > :24:16.argue that Labour in Wales are not a progressive option at all. I am

:24:17. > :24:18.still open and willing to work with people who want to work up this

:24:19. > :24:23.country but I believe we have reached the point where we had 17

:24:24. > :24:29.years of a Labour government and if we are to progress as a nation, we

:24:30. > :24:32.have to have a period of time where Labour are no longer running the

:24:33. > :24:36.government and that is why I put together a fantastic team of

:24:37. > :24:40.candidates, and excellent programme, which you will see when the

:24:41. > :24:44.manifesto is published, and we are going all out to provide people in

:24:45. > :24:47.Wales with an option of an alternative government, and it is a

:24:48. > :24:52.matter for them as to whether they want to take that option and that is

:24:53. > :24:56.a democracy. This is a phoney war, isn't it? You have struck deals with

:24:57. > :25:05.Labour in this current government. We have. That is because we had a

:25:06. > :25:10.minority Labour government who have had to work with other parties in

:25:11. > :25:15.order to get legislation. It is not happen for you? It is not always

:25:16. > :25:19.been asked but we have sought to maximise the opportunities that have

:25:20. > :25:24.been presented to us to try and make sure we get our priorities into

:25:25. > :25:30.implementation, and given the system we are in, what else are we to do?

:25:31. > :25:34.Let's look at some of the policy is your party are putting forward for

:25:35. > :25:37.the May election. You want to recruit an extra 1000 workers in the

:25:38. > :25:44.NHS which will cost up to ?100 million. You want to get rid of care

:25:45. > :25:51.costs as well with a total rail of over ?200 million. What will be cut,

:25:52. > :26:00.-- Bill. There are a number of programmes within the existing

:26:01. > :26:03.government policy which I am not -- which are not providing the outcomes

:26:04. > :26:07.we would like to see so we will look at all of those, and what we have

:26:08. > :26:14.said about education is that education policy is a route out of

:26:15. > :26:17.policy effectively said are a number of initiatives existing within

:26:18. > :26:22.government and we want to refocus some of that work to making sure we

:26:23. > :26:27.get better outcomes in education because at the end of the day, the

:26:28. > :26:31.best route out of poverty is through education, gaining better skills,

:26:32. > :26:38.being able to get better jobs and money. You also want to undertake a

:26:39. > :26:44.very costly reorganisation where the NHS and social care would merge. Any

:26:45. > :26:47.but a big on how that would cost, where the money would come from, and

:26:48. > :26:51.is that the right thing to do bearing in mind the financial

:26:52. > :26:57.climate that you are working in at the moment? Well, you have made an

:26:58. > :27:02.assumption that that the reorganisation being proposed is

:27:03. > :27:06.very costly and I would reject that. I would say that the reorganisation

:27:07. > :27:11.would eventually save money but we have a situation in health and

:27:12. > :27:14.social care, the two organisations are separate, people are not working

:27:15. > :27:18.together and that causes problems in the system. The system is not fit

:27:19. > :27:27.for purpose and so we want to reform. You stand as a candidate in

:27:28. > :27:35.the valleys in the election but Plaid Cymru since 1999 has failed to

:27:36. > :27:39.win a constituent seat, so what has gone wrong in trying to break

:27:40. > :27:42.through to the Labour heartlands? Let's wait and see what happens in

:27:43. > :27:48.May before we draw any conclusions on that front. Plaid Cymru, until

:27:49. > :27:54.quite recently, held control of a council in Caerphilly, so it is not

:27:55. > :27:59.quite true to say that we have had a long time with representation only

:28:00. > :28:03.in certain places. We are speaking to people in all communities

:28:04. > :28:07.throughout Wales. The electoral system of the assembly means we have

:28:08. > :28:11.to win votes in every single unity, so we're not prioritising one part

:28:12. > :28:16.of Wales over another part. I have been very clear about my project to

:28:17. > :28:21.try and unite Wales, and make sure we go together as one Wales. Our

:28:22. > :28:28.candidates and activist will be working all over the country and I

:28:29. > :28:32.hope that in may we will be rewarded with good results. Some of your

:28:33. > :28:39.closest confidence are happy to talk to other parties. Any party that

:28:40. > :28:44.meant Plaid Cymru are in government. Would you be happy to talking to the

:28:45. > :28:48.Conservatives on any level? I talk to the Conservatives on a regular

:28:49. > :28:53.basis. We have just recently gone through the Saint Davids Day process

:28:54. > :29:01.whereby the draft Wales Bill, OK, it was disappointing, but we work and

:29:02. > :29:05.cooperate with parties all the time. What I have said is that a coalition

:29:06. > :29:09.with the Conservatives is something that we would not do, and that is

:29:10. > :29:13.because I do logically, they are so far away from us, and given that

:29:14. > :29:16.they are the government in Westminster, holding back evolution

:29:17. > :29:22.and threatening to reverse devolution, and also handing out

:29:23. > :29:25.these horrendous cuts which are having an impact on so many families

:29:26. > :29:28.and communities, I cannot see how we can put a programme of government

:29:29. > :29:33.together with the Conservative Party. All other options are on the

:29:34. > :29:43.table, and I look forward to the results in May. It is the people in

:29:44. > :29:48.the election who will decide the result. For Plaid Cymru to form the

:29:49. > :29:52.next Welsh government, albeit a minority government it would mean

:29:53. > :29:57.you would have to double the number of assembly members you have. It is

:29:58. > :30:02.a big leap of faith to believe you can go from your current numbers to

:30:03. > :30:06.somewhere around 20, bearing in mind that this is not an opinion poll

:30:07. > :30:10.saying this, this is the electoral track record of Plaid Cymru, you

:30:11. > :30:18.haven't broken through all come very close to breaking through in the

:30:19. > :30:22.Labour heartland. We have not had the election campaign yet, we have

:30:23. > :30:26.61 days to change the course and direction of Welsh politics. I think

:30:27. > :30:30.it can be done and it is down to us to get out there and speak to as

:30:31. > :30:35.many people as possible to ensure that as many people as possible know

:30:36. > :30:40.what the policies are and understand that we have got solutions for the

:30:41. > :30:48.problems that we face. We are in a democracy, and it is just not right

:30:49. > :30:51.that that result is seen as inevitable. Nothing is inevitable.

:30:52. > :30:55.Let's give the people a chance to vote.

:30:56. > :31:02.The conference also heard from Plaid's spokesman on the economy. He

:31:03. > :31:04.told delegates in his words that Wales needed a break from Labour and

:31:05. > :31:10.Labour needed a break from Government too. Here is more of what

:31:11. > :31:16.he had to say. Plaid Cymru's response to the recent steel crisis

:31:17. > :31:21.has, I think, been a very good example of our proactivity as a

:31:22. > :31:25.party and our determination to seek solutions to some of the deep

:31:26. > :31:30.problems facing our country before they reach a point of no return.

:31:31. > :31:34.Whilst the Labour First Minister stood up in the chamber after the

:31:35. > :31:39.devastating Tata announcement in January and said he hadn't realised

:31:40. > :31:44.the extent of the steel industry's troubles, remarkably, a week earlier

:31:45. > :31:48.we had called on Welsh Government to consider co-investing with Tata as a

:31:49. > :31:54.means to help it through this time of crisis. I said that I didn't

:31:55. > :31:58.think Welsh Government could continue to be passive observers to

:31:59. > :32:02.the situation, as the situation with Welsh steel continued to

:32:03. > :32:06.deteriorate. We called for the establishment of a taskforce to

:32:07. > :32:12.immediately examine all options for protecting the steel industry in

:32:13. > :32:17.Wales. A week later, the economy Minister did establish a taskforce

:32:18. > :32:20.after and in response to the Tata announcement. Now I am not really

:32:21. > :32:25.interested in playing a game of told you so. We all have to be united

:32:26. > :32:32.now. All parties in fighting for the future of the steel industry in

:32:33. > :32:37.Wales. But across the board, in health, in education, we are warning

:32:38. > :32:43.about what's happening in Wales. The people of Wales know what's

:32:44. > :32:48.happening in Wales. We put forward our ideas, our solutions, not

:32:49. > :32:52.perfect, perhaps. But well thought out costed ideas, measured but

:32:53. > :32:57.innovative, ambitious, but achievable. Yet the Labour

:32:58. > :33:01.Government refuses to acknowledge the scale of the challenges we face

:33:02. > :33:08.and refuses to take the actions needed to face up to those

:33:09. > :33:13.challenges. That cannot continue. It's time for change. The election

:33:14. > :33:22.in May is the time to begin that change and Plaid Cymru is the change

:33:23. > :33:29.Wales needs. APPLAUSE

:33:30. > :33:33.Now why are we all here? Why have we decided to seek a brighter future

:33:34. > :33:38.for our nation through Plaid Cymru? The party of Wales. On a personal

:33:39. > :33:42.level, it was, I suppose, through growing ever so slightly frustrated

:33:43. > :33:46.at merely observing that I decided to seek the opportunity to actually

:33:47. > :33:54.take some action myself and Plaid Cymru I knew was the only party that

:33:55. > :33:59.shared my ambition for Wales, an ambition married with a belief in

:34:00. > :34:03.our potential as a nation and our capacity working with other nations,

:34:04. > :34:08.of course, across Britain and the European Union to steer our own

:34:09. > :34:14.course as a country, as a people. I am driven by knowing that all of you

:34:15. > :34:19.here today and many thousands around our nation share that ambition and

:34:20. > :34:25.are willing to put in the time, the effort and the hard work to realise

:34:26. > :34:29.that ambition. I haven't yet been bitten by a dog on the campaign

:34:30. > :34:33.trail, maybe I am still the new boy. There's time. I do know plenty of

:34:34. > :34:38.people who have been, though. It's a hazard of the trade, I suppose.

:34:39. > :34:42.There are ways around it. I am also learning that there are wise heads

:34:43. > :34:46.out there who have learned how to post that leaflet through the

:34:47. > :34:51.letterbox with any breed of dog you care to mention sitting on the door

:34:52. > :34:56.mat at the other side and still come away with fingers in tact. But

:34:57. > :35:02.between now and May 5th we have got to be at more front doors than ever,

:35:03. > :35:05.posting more leaflets than ever, and, crucially, having more

:35:06. > :35:09.conversations than ever. Because our programme for Government, our three

:35:10. > :35:15.ambitions, our nine steps forward in health, in education, and on the

:35:16. > :35:20.economy, are steps that everyone in Wales can sign up to. For

:35:21. > :35:26.long-standing Plaid Cymru supporters their an affirmation of why we are

:35:27. > :35:31.here. Ideas that can help build our nation and rebuild those services

:35:32. > :35:36.that are so important and so dear to the people of Wales. To those who

:35:37. > :35:42.haven't before voted Plaid Cymru, there is an appetite. It's palpable

:35:43. > :35:50.to bring 17 years of Welsh Government led by Labour to an end.

:35:51. > :35:55.Wales needs a break. A long break. Labour needs a break. Many Labour

:35:56. > :37:45.supporters have stuck with them through thick and thin but

:37:46. > :37:48.supporters have stuck with them excitement about our plan for a new

:37:49. > :37:54.national infrastructure commission to invest in the building blocks of

:37:55. > :37:58.the economy in all parts of Wales, transport and digital links, modern

:37:59. > :38:04.green infrastructure for a modern, green Wales. The largest investment

:38:05. > :38:12.in infrastructure since the advent of devolution.

:38:13. > :38:19.APPLAUSE These plans are bold. These plans

:38:20. > :38:25.are responsible. Frankly, we have no choice but to take these steps if we

:38:26. > :38:35.are to end years of Labour economic stagnation. So now is the time to

:38:36. > :38:41.decide, for the employee, business owner and entrepreneur alike,

:38:42. > :38:47.looking for a new era of economic confidence, Plaid Cymru is the

:38:48. > :38:53.change Wales needs. For the teacher looking for respect from Government,

:38:54. > :38:58.for the nurse and doctor and patient looking for support from Government,

:38:59. > :39:04.Plaid Cymru is the change Wales needs. For the family of dementia

:39:05. > :39:09.sufferers looking for a helping hand, for the young adult looking

:39:10. > :39:15.for opportunities, for the young family looking for a brighter future

:39:16. > :39:20.for their children. For a new Wales, with a new Government, a new kind of

:39:21. > :39:27.Government, and leadership that Wales is crying out for. Plaid Cymru

:39:28. > :39:34.is the future, the hope, the change Wales needs.

:39:35. > :39:37.APPLAUSE Rhun Ap Iorwerth on plans to boost

:39:38. > :39:42.the economy. Final thoughts of Bethan and her guests now in the

:39:43. > :39:47.conference milling area. Thanks. I am joined now by two more

:39:48. > :39:50.people who have been working hard and I am sure will be working harder

:39:51. > :39:55.over the next few weeks trying to get elected in the Assembly

:39:56. > :40:00.elections. You are trying to hold on to ash van

:40:01. > :40:05.for Plaid Cymru and Neil, standing in Cardiff West. Two very different

:40:06. > :40:09.constituencies. What's the message that you find

:40:10. > :40:14.works in the heartland area? The message that we are using on the

:40:15. > :40:20.doorstep is quite similar I am sure to what you are using in Cardiff, we

:40:21. > :40:23.are emphasising the need for the NHS to be properly developed now and

:40:24. > :40:28.looked after and actually we don't have to go out with that message,

:40:29. > :40:33.that's what people are telling us. Once we explain there is an election

:40:34. > :40:36.and what the matters being discussed are, they say health, yes, we have

:40:37. > :40:40.to do something about what's happening there. So, I think the

:40:41. > :40:43.message is the same. What about Cardiff West There is huge concern

:40:44. > :40:49.about the NHS, the ambulance service. Cases of ambulances not

:40:50. > :40:52.turning up and dire circumstances. In our constituency they know,

:40:53. > :40:55.people know if they vote Plaid Cymru they can vote to sack the health

:40:56. > :40:59.Minister and that's one of our campaigns. So the NHS obviously is a

:41:00. > :41:03.big issue and all the polls suggest that's the most important issue for

:41:04. > :41:07.people in this election. What is it about Plaid Cymru's message that is

:41:08. > :41:13.going to engage people? We offer solutions. We want 1,000 extra

:41:14. > :41:15.doctors, extra nurses, the cancer pledge is key. Most families,

:41:16. > :41:20.unfortunately, are touched by cancer. You should have a diagnosis

:41:21. > :41:24.or clear within 28 days, that's key. Those pledges are going down very

:41:25. > :41:31.well. More than anything else, I am sure it's the same up your way, we

:41:32. > :41:34.offer solutions across the board. We have a very tired, complacent Labour

:41:35. > :41:38.Government who expect to be re-elected. This time it's not going

:41:39. > :41:45.to happen. You have been saying that for a while now. People have still

:41:46. > :41:48.backed Labour in Wales. Why are they sticking with Labour? Why haven't

:41:49. > :41:52.they engaged with the vision you have been putting forward this

:41:53. > :41:57.weekend? That's about to change. That is about to change. I think we

:41:58. > :42:01.have to respect the fact that people have been traditionally Labour

:42:02. > :42:11.voters in many areas but we have seen it in Arfon. Decades ago it was

:42:12. > :42:14.a Labour safe area. But people have now trusted completely in Plaid

:42:15. > :42:19.Cymru. We have to respect that it does take a little bit of get

:42:20. > :42:25.sometimes to actually change - a little bit of guts. We are asking

:42:26. > :42:28.people now is to have that oomph and the guts to actually just change

:42:29. > :42:33.where they put their cross on the ballot paper. We haven't heard so

:42:34. > :42:37.much really over the last few weeks from Plaid and certainly the last

:42:38. > :42:41.couple of days, haven't heard so much about the constitution. Why

:42:42. > :42:47.aren't you talking about the constitution? Because the

:42:48. > :42:52.constitution isn't relevant to what the Assembly is about really. In

:42:53. > :42:55.this time-scale it's health, education, what we can do on the

:42:56. > :43:00.jobs front, infrastructure, transport. Those are the things that

:43:01. > :43:05.people are worried about. They're not really worried about the powers.

:43:06. > :43:09.The constitution and the long-term aim of independence is something

:43:10. > :43:12.that is different about Plaid Cymru. If you just talk about health and

:43:13. > :43:16.education and the economy and obviously those are things that are

:43:17. > :43:23.really important to people, do you lose that USP? No, we are finding

:43:24. > :43:26.that everyday issues are really important to people because they

:43:27. > :43:30.really affect lives. What we are doing, we are offering solutions. We

:43:31. > :43:33.are saying is a child born in Wales today will have less spent on his

:43:34. > :43:37.education than a child in England, will have to wait longer for medical

:43:38. > :43:41.care and will learn less when they enter the workplace. It doesn't have

:43:42. > :43:46.to be that way. We are saying is we have a programme for Government and

:43:47. > :43:49.come with us. Come with us. My constituency is changing massively.

:43:50. > :43:57.We doubled our vote last year. We are going out on the estates, we are

:43:58. > :43:59.seeing the former bread baskets of Labour votes collapsing and coming

:44:00. > :44:05.across. That's borne out with the ballot box, as well, we are in

:44:06. > :44:10.second place. We are unique. We have three ambitions, we have the plans

:44:11. > :44:13.to go with those ambitions around health, education and the economy.

:44:14. > :44:19.But we are the only party thinking about Wales. The others are all part

:44:20. > :44:27.of British, London-based parties. We are unique. We want to deliver for

:44:28. > :44:30.our country. Briefly, do you realistically think you will be

:44:31. > :44:33.leading, that Leanne Wood and Plaid Cymru will be leading the next

:44:34. > :44:37.Government in Wales? I do. Anything is possible. Over the next

:44:38. > :44:41.eight-and-a-half weeks, and if enough people vote Plaid Cymru we

:44:42. > :44:45.will be leading the Government. Cardiff West, I am confident that I

:44:46. > :44:49.can be the AM on May 6th. It's up to the people. We need to get out there

:44:50. > :44:52.and knock on doors and be visible and that's what we are doing. In

:44:53. > :44:56.Cardiff West, you don't see Labour politicians on the streets. Only at

:44:57. > :45:04.election time. We are there all the time. Thank you. We will see you in

:45:05. > :45:08.60 something days. Back to you. Time for more one c from the

:45:09. > :45:12.conference stage and it's from the Plaid AM Simon Thomas, his party's

:45:13. > :45:16.spokesman on education. Much of his speech was on that theme.

:45:17. > :45:25.Five years of holding the government of account and exposing the Labour

:45:26. > :45:31.leadership in Wales. The arrogance of a party asking for a chance of a

:45:32. > :45:36.decade of delivery after 15 years of failure. When we could, we delivered

:45:37. > :45:39.on promises, such as gaining an extra ?40 million for

:45:40. > :45:43.apprenticeships. Some of you know that I am a great fan of

:45:44. > :45:48.apprenticeships, and in the Shadow Cabinet of Plaid Cymru, we have

:45:49. > :45:54.served apprentices, ready to govern for our nation. It is time to say,

:45:55. > :45:59.you are fired, to Labour's First Minister, and you are hired to

:46:00. > :46:07.Leanne Wood and Plaid Cymru. APPLAUSE. And if we are hired, what

:46:08. > :46:13.a difference we could make. There is no single proven effective

:46:14. > :46:17.anti-poverty measure than education. A whole generation of our children

:46:18. > :46:24.has been educated under Labour education ministers in a system

:46:25. > :46:28.described by one of the ministers himself is mediocre. The prospects

:46:29. > :46:35.of my young people have been dashed. There is no socialism in abandoning

:46:36. > :46:43.young people to the fate that hit their grandparents or parents. A

:46:44. > :46:47.system which believes its accountability lies with the

:46:48. > :46:51.government and not with the pupils and wider school community is a

:46:52. > :46:54.system which paralyse its its professions in a straitjacket of

:46:55. > :46:58.accounting for everything and taking responsibility for nothing. A system

:46:59. > :47:03.where the smartphone being played with at the back classroom by a

:47:04. > :47:08.pupil is smarter than the people itself and has let down that pupil.

:47:09. > :47:10.There are of course outstanding exceptions to this rule and many

:47:11. > :47:15.examples of leadership and good teaching in Wales, but they are not

:47:16. > :47:19.widely shared and not a consistent feature of this system and that is a

:47:20. > :47:24.direct quote from the schools inspectorate. Plaid Cymru will

:47:25. > :47:29.create a world-class professional educational workforce, from

:47:30. > :47:32.classroom assistants to teachers, lecturers and shooters. A profession

:47:33. > :47:36.that sets its own standards for training, access to the profession

:47:37. > :47:40.and for ongoing continuous professional development. Empowering

:47:41. > :47:45.teachers and workers to set professional standards and deliver

:47:46. > :47:48.them so that people to whom we entrust our children's education are

:47:49. > :47:51.the best train, at the highest standards and police their own

:47:52. > :47:57.profession to weed out any poor teaching. In return, as the

:47:58. > :48:02.education minister of Plaid Cymru, I will introduce a teacher's premium

:48:03. > :48:05.as an incentive to maintain standards and training in Wales.

:48:06. > :48:12.Plaid Cymru is serious about driving up standards and we want to work

:48:13. > :48:16.with teachers to deliver that. It is a declaration of respect in our

:48:17. > :48:19.teachers. Rewarding their expertise while letting them get on with the

:48:20. > :48:25.job of giving children the best quality education. I want to see all

:48:26. > :48:28.of our pupils remain in educational training of some kind or another

:48:29. > :48:34.until 18 at least, and for those that pursue apprenticeships or

:48:35. > :48:39.undergraduate degrees, I want them to get the support in the Welsh

:48:40. > :48:43.universities. This is why Plaid Cymru will commit to an extra 50,000

:48:44. > :48:48.apprenticeships over the next assembly, bringing the total in

:48:49. > :48:54.Wales to around 100,000. Let's be honest. Some of this cannot happen

:48:55. > :48:57.until we deal with a large educational elephant in the room.

:48:58. > :49:03.The current tuition fee subsidy is no longer sustainable for students.

:49:04. > :49:07.It means over and ?92 million a year being paid to universities in Wales

:49:08. > :49:15.and not a penny being reinvested back in Welsh institutions in Wales.

:49:16. > :49:19.It is way beyond forecast costs. In response of the Labour Party has

:49:20. > :49:24.been to maintain this fictional totem of equity by raiding the

:49:25. > :49:28.educational budget is two years in a row and by pinching this year ?40

:49:29. > :49:33.million from the budget of the higher educational Council. We

:49:34. > :49:41.fought that cut and although it has been partly reversed this year, the

:49:42. > :49:46.money to do so it has come from reverse reserves. The only solution

:49:47. > :49:52.is a radical reform of higher educational funding. In its place,

:49:53. > :49:57.or we want to introduce a Wales learning bond. In effect, this will

:49:58. > :50:04.pay for tuition fees wherever Welsh student studies, alone towards their

:50:05. > :50:08.future. If however the students lives and works in Wales, within

:50:09. > :50:15.five years of graduation, then we will write off their bonds at ?6,000

:50:16. > :50:20.per annum. In this way, we make a signal investment in young people as

:50:21. > :50:24.they make their mark in our economy and society. A golden hello to the

:50:25. > :50:38.working world in Wales. APPLAUSE We also release ?100

:50:39. > :50:43.million currently going to English universities to reinvest directly in

:50:44. > :50:48.our universities to support part-time learners, high cost

:50:49. > :50:51.subjects such as medicine and research which powers our economy.

:50:52. > :50:57.As well as making good on some of the cuts in the further education

:50:58. > :51:00.sector introduced two years running by the Labour Party. I believe that

:51:01. > :51:04.education is the single biggest change we can make in Wales. From

:51:05. > :51:09.investment in early years through to students, Plaid Cymru government

:51:10. > :51:16.will not let our young people down. To achieve that we need 60 hard for

:51:17. > :51:23.campaigns, 60 by-elections in effect across Wales. It has been a

:51:24. > :51:28.privilege to be a member of the Plaid Cymru assembly. Truly a

:51:29. > :51:33.boyhood dream come true is yes, I am that sad! To be in a Welsh

:51:34. > :51:37.Parliament speaking for our nation. It is a particular privilege to

:51:38. > :51:41.stand before you as the candidate for Carmarthen West and South

:51:42. > :51:47.Pembrokeshire. To stand in part of the seats, 50 years after the

:51:48. > :51:52.ground-breaking by-election victory gives me a sense of pride. Working

:51:53. > :51:55.with a great team to make sure our message gets to the doorstep and

:51:56. > :52:00.that we take that seat from the Tories. We can do it and it will

:52:01. > :52:11.make us proud to seem Lou Carmarthen turned green again. -- to see blue.

:52:12. > :52:18.I want to thank my team of activists and volunteers and I want to invite

:52:19. > :52:24.you to join them in wee conquering Carmarthen for Plaid Cymru. Imagine

:52:25. > :52:29.the headlines in May when we turned the whole of Carmarthenshire back to

:52:30. > :52:32.Plaid Cymru. That includes clinically and Carmarthen West and

:52:33. > :52:37.South amateur. It can be done but only with dedication and commitment.

:52:38. > :52:41.-- Llanelli. We have strong local campaigns on restoring local

:52:42. > :52:47.services, hospitals and access to GPs. Long-term health plan to

:52:48. > :52:52.recruit and train 1000 and five thousand nurses is for the

:52:53. > :52:54.well-being of the nation. I have been successful in getting the Welsh

:52:55. > :53:00.government to take seriously the need to abolish the tolls on the

:53:01. > :53:04.bridge and I am delighted our manifesto has set out how Plaid

:53:05. > :53:09.Cymru will do that. I have been working with Ceredigion in order to

:53:10. > :53:15.reopen the railway there, the need for investment in infrastructure in

:53:16. > :53:21.West Wales is underlined by my two-hour journey to Plaid Cymru this

:53:22. > :53:26.morning. -- Llanelli. The poorest wards have been abandoned by the

:53:27. > :53:33.Labour Party. A cut in business rates, better town centre management

:53:34. > :53:37.is necessary. That is something Plaid Cymru will deliver. All these

:53:38. > :53:43.policies will on the terrific start rate by Carmarthenshire County

:53:44. > :53:46.Council is in kicking the stale counsellors out and bringing in a

:53:47. > :53:58.fresh new council based on investment and leadership.

:53:59. > :54:03.APPLAUSE In 2005 as a member of the West must Parliament I had the

:54:04. > :54:10.enormous privilege of visiting the funeral in Aberystwyth. As he had

:54:11. > :54:13.borne many of us running politicians into life in the first place. I

:54:14. > :54:18.would like to finish in his words. Many people thought that the sun in

:54:19. > :54:23.Wales had set for ever but I do not think so now. Looking round the

:54:24. > :54:28.country in which I live, I can see something different. It looks more

:54:29. > :54:32.like the rise of a new dawn. Westwood, look. The land is right.

:54:33. > :56:22.From now until May, with Westwood, look. The land is right.

:56:23. > :56:25.on the doorstep they can deal with the main criticism they will face

:56:26. > :56:30.which is that this is the last thing in the world that an already under

:56:31. > :56:34.pressure NHS needs to deal with. They feel they can take the moral

:56:35. > :56:40.high ground on this and say that in 17 years of devolution, they have

:56:41. > :56:45.been talking about it but we are the only ones brave enough to achieve

:56:46. > :56:48.it. A relationship question about the political earthquake and this

:56:49. > :56:53.comes into the trash filled elements, the slightly grubby

:56:54. > :57:02.elements to the conference and what happens afterwards. At one level,

:57:03. > :57:08.the Labour bashing could be seen as an attempt to thrust home the

:57:09. > :57:21.message that there is no appetite in the party for a former -- formal

:57:22. > :57:24.coalition with Emily any party -- any party. Then they took back a

:57:25. > :57:27.formal arrangement with the Conservatives. There are others who

:57:28. > :57:33.are saying maybe that threat of doing some kind of deal with the

:57:34. > :57:36.Conservatives, all the Labour bashing rhetoric, is a way to get

:57:37. > :57:41.leverage with Labour. You can go round in circles on it. I suppose

:57:42. > :57:45.the thing I would say in relation to be political earthquake and the

:57:46. > :57:48.message from Adam Price was reflected in his speech. All the

:57:49. > :57:55.Labour bashing only really works if the narrative of Labour can be

:57:56. > :58:03.matched by one of Plaid Cymru momentum, and that is the problem

:58:04. > :58:06.they are facing. This is a party which has seen no major or

:58:07. > :58:12.significant electoral gain in recent years. Nick, thank you very much

:58:13. > :58:15.indeed. The final fours with born. As Nick alluded, it takes to

:58:16. > :58:25.Llanelli tango. Labour would have to come this way, Plaid Cymru would

:58:26. > :58:30.have to come that way. -- the final thoughts with Vaughan. It is a

:58:31. > :58:38.tipping point when it comes to the Labour Party. In the Welsh electoral

:58:39. > :58:43.system, there is a quirk or design liberally included. As long as

:58:44. > :58:48.Labour get 32% or above of the vote, they would get approaching 50% of

:58:49. > :58:52.the seats, but if Labour dropped low 31% then they will be in trouble and

:58:53. > :58:59.they could start losing seats rapidly. -- drop below. Not just to

:59:00. > :59:02.one party but various parties succeeding in different areas. If

:59:03. > :59:10.that happens and Labour did drop lower than say 26 or 25 seats, there

:59:11. > :59:12.would be questions over the leadership of the Labour Party,

:59:13. > :59:19.there would be questions over the mandate. Where would Plaid Cymru

:59:20. > :59:27.look to win seats? Llanelli, possibly Carmarthen West, Rhondda,

:59:28. > :59:30.Caerphilly and all the others! Vaughan, thank you very much. You

:59:31. > :59:36.can follow all the latest on Twitter. That is its for our

:59:37. > :59:42.coverage of the Plaid Cymru Spring Conference. The final conference

:59:43. > :59:47.will see the Conservatives meet next weekend. Join us for that if you

:59:48. > :59:49.can, same time, same place. From all the team, have a good afternoon,

:59:50. > :59:52.goodbye.