Plaid Cymru has used the one-year anniversary (April 1st) of the UK Government’s welfare reforms to condemn austerity’s legacy in Wales and urge a change of economic directions towards a focus on investment for growth.
Social security spokesperson, Hywel Williams MP, said that 12 months of rolling back the welfare state has had a devastating impact on communities up and down Wales – from a huge rise in youth unemployment to tens of thousands affected by the bedroom tax.
Mr Williams pointed to a new poll by Beaufort Research highlighting that an overwhelming 2/3rds of Welsh people want to see fewer or no further cuts, and stressed that Plaid Cymru is now Wales’ only anti-austerity party as Labour, Lib Dems and the Tories have all pledged to cut billions should they gain power in 2015.
Mr Williams said:
“One year on since the Coalition’s welfare reforms were put in force, communities up and down Wales are enduring austerity’s painful legacy.
“Welfare cuts are now wiping £1bn from the Welsh economy each year. The bedroom tax has hit 40,000 people in Wales. The use of food banks has quadrupled in the last two years. The list goes on.
“With Labour and the ConDems signed up to further cuts should they gain power in 2015, Plaid Cymru is now Wales’ only anti-austerity party – a stance supported by an overwhelming 2/3rds of Welsh people according to new research.
“At the last Budget, we presented policies that would tackle inequality, redistribute wealth, and generate thousands of Welsh jobs through investing in major infrastructure projects. In addition, we made the case for progressive cuts and taxes such as scrapping Trident (saving £100bn over its lifetime) and a Financial Transaction ‘Robin Hood’ Tax.
“In stark contrast, all three London parties united last week to vote in favour of George Osborne’s welfare cap that will limit the help available to those most in need, however dire the state of the economy might be in future years.
“If the Labour party wants to protect our nation from the Tories’ so-called “war on Wales”, voting against their policies in Westminster would be a good place to start. They have lost all credibility as a true alternative to the ConDems.
“Plaid Cymru recognises that austerity isn’t working for Wales. We would urge anyone who shares this view to join us in ensuring that our nation has MPs who vote to protect Welsh people’s interests, not to please their London masters.”
