Homelessness In Wales

On a slightly different note this week, I would like to focus on the issue of Homelessness in Wales.

The last few years of recession have had a serious impact on the lives of so many people, across Wales and further afield, and this impact can be seen vividly in the rise of homelessness. In 2011 figures suggest that Homelessness in Wales rose 11% on the previous year.

In Swansea, the number of people “seeking help” with regards to homelessness was 2,945. Since these figures only contain those who sought help we must assume that the real figures for homelessness are indeed higher still.

While The Times Rich List reports record earnings for the 1%, people in Wales are being forced from their homes and onto the streets, all the while the Con-Dem government asks us to believe that we are all in this together.

The BBC recently aired a documentary that followed the lives of a number of homeless men and women on the streets of Swansea. I would recommend it to anyone. Making people aware of this issue is a necessity. However, awareness alone will not solve our concerns.

We need to call on the government in Westminster and in the Bay to do more, to do much more! To help and support our nation’s most vulnerable. There are plenty of charities in Wales that do excellent work to help those most in need, for example The Wallich and Shelter Cymru.

However, with such a dramatic increase in homelessness and less money being raised through donations in these tough times, such charities find themselves swimming against the tide. It is with this in mind that Zachary Ripley, Rhodri Schelewa-Davies, and I decided to walk the 177 mile Offa’s dyke national trail, which runs along the border of Wales and England.

We will be camping along the way for 14 days and nights and we are doing so to raise money for 'The Wallich.' So please check out our page, share it with friends and donate.

Any contributions will be greatly appreciated.

Glenn Page
Press and Communications Officer

To donate, please go here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=RhodriZacharyGlenn&isTeam=true

Figures obtained from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17303892

You can watch Swansea living on the streets here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01db84y

The Wallich:
www.thewallich.com

Shelter Cymru:
http://www.sheltercymru.org.uk

Better luck next time!

We didn’t win in Cathays but I am happy to say that we beat the Conservatives.

I didn’t manage to get down the votes per candidate in Cathays last night but I’ve tallied up the votes per party:

1. Labour - 3345 - 3 Lab elected
2. Liberal Democrats - 3087 - 1 LD elected
3. Green Party - 2221
4. Plaid Cymru - 950
5. Conservatives - 835
6. Independent - 139

As for the national result for Plaid Cymru, there’s no escaping the fact that it’s disappointing. Plaid Cymru lost some fantastic councillors and it’s disappointing that in some places, there were hard-working local champions from Plaid Cymru barely holding onto their seats, or not getting elected. It really does make you wonder how that can be, when the people they’re up against do nothing for their communities.

There is a possible answer to be had in that Plaid Cymru was the only party that ran this local election campaign in the way that local election campaigns ought to be run. The clue’s in the title - it ought to be about LOCAL issues. Unfortunately, the British parties decided to use this LOCAL election to fight WESTMINSTER battles. Couple that with the influence of the British press and hey presto, what have you got? People up and down the country wanting to use this vote - which ought to be a vote on local issues - as a protest vote.

Perhaps Plaid Cymru was silly not to join in with the extreme coalition-bashing. Perhaps we ought to have set ourselves up as the real alternative to the Con Dems, and asked the people to vote for us in order to send a message to David Cameron and Nick Clegg.

Politically speaking, that would probably have been the right thing to do. But we can take pride in the fact that we were the only party to run this campaign properly. Even if that means that Plaid Cymru had a disappointing night, I’m glad that that’s how we did it. We were fair and honest.

I really am desperately sorry for the Plaid Cymru councillors across Wales who lost their seats, and for the candidates who didn’t get elected. I know that they won’t give up though, because despite how cheesy it may sound, in Plaid Cymru, you don’t get politicians. You get real, local champions, and one disappointing evening won’t stop those people from showing Labour up over the next five years.

On the flip side, there are some positives. I’m pleased that Plaid Cymru has retained two councillors in Cardiff, and I know that Neil McEvoy and Lisa Ford will continue to do a fantastic job in Fairwater.

And then of course, as Chair of Plaid Cymru Youth, I am over the moon that two of my members have been elected as Councillors. Mair Rowlands will do a brilliant job in Bangor, and of course my good friend and colleague Rebeca Lewis won fantastically against the Labour incumbent in Trebanos, Neath Port Talbot.

I am tremendously proud of you both and want to wish you the best of luck for your five years as councillors. I know you’ll do a brilliant job representing your constituents, and will show Labour up for who they really are.

Overall, it’s a dim picture, but having said that, there’s a silver lining to every cloud. Our task for the next five years is to hold Labour to account and show the people of Wales that Plaid Cymru is the only real party of Wales and the only party that really cares about local communities up and down our country.

In the words of a wise woman - YMLAEN!

Cerith Rhys Jones
National Chair, Plaid Cymru Youth

Diwrnod Gweithredu | Day of Action

Ddydd Sadwrn 21 Ebrill 2012 - penblwydd Mrs Windsor - fe gynhaliodd Plaid Cymru Ifanc ddiwrnod gweithredu, yn ymgyrchu gydag ymgeisyddion y Blaid yng Nghathays a Phenarth. Cawsom ddiwrnod da o daflenni ac ymgyrchu yn y dau ward, lle mae gan y Blaid chwe ymgeisydd ifanc. Yng Nghathays, mi ein Cadeirydd Cenedlaethol Cerith Rhys Jones yn sefyll wrth ochr ein Is-Gadeirydd Cenedlaethol Emyr Gruffydd, ein Swyddog Cyfathrebiadau Cenedlaethol Glenn Page, ac Andrew Pearc. Ym Mhenarth, mi fydd ein Swyddog Polisi Cenedlaethol Osian Lewis, a'n Cyn-Gadeirydd, sydd bellach yn Llywydd ar Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Abertawe Luke James, yn ymgyrchu i ennill y ward oddi wrth y Ceidwadwyr. Fe ymunodd arweinydd newydd Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood AC, gyda ni am sesiwn o daflenni ar brif ffordd siopa Caerdydd, Heol y Frenhines, lle'r oeddem oll yn hapus gyda'r ymateb addawol a gafwyd gan siopwyr Caerdydd.

On Saturday 21 April 2012 - Mrs Windsor's birthday - Plaid Cymru Youth hosted a Day of Action, campaigning with our candidates in Cathays and Penarth. We had a great day leafleting and canvassing in the two wards, in which Plaid will be fielding six young candidates. In Cathays, our National Chair Cerith Rhys Jones will be standing alongside our National VC Emyr Gruffydd, our National Comms Officer Glenn Page, and Andrew Pearce. In Penarth, our National Policy Officer Osian Lewis and former Chair, now President of Swansea SU, Luke James, will be heading up Plaid's campaign against the incumbent Conservatives. The new Leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood AM, joined us for a leafleting session on Cardiff's main shopping street, Queen Street, and we were all pleased with the positive reaction shown by Cardiff's shoppers. Lluniau / Photos © Kirsten Whitney

A Proper Voice for Young People

This is my first ever blog so I hope you blog addicts approve of it! I will be taking a break from Election talk and will be looking at Funky Dragon.

I have for a long time believed that the Young people of Wales lack a proper, professional and serious forum in which they can voice their concerns and ideas. At the moment the closest thing that young people in Wales have to a proper Youth Parliament is Funky Dragon, an organisation which in my view has had varying degrees of success and lacks credibility. It lacks proper resourcing and funding from the Welsh Government and has not made a big impact amongst young people.

What we need in Wales is something similar to the Scottish Youth Parliament which has run interesting and engaging campaigns and is an organisation which is generally taken seriously by young people and politicians alike!

Members of Plaid Cymru's youth wing have taken the lead in highlighting this issue in the past. Our current chair Cerith Rhys Jones not so long ago highlighted some of the problems with Funky Dragon on S4C. We must now progress the issue and press for a reformed body that young people in Wales will actually take seriously and will want to participate in.

In about 3 weeks time voters across Wales will face local Council elections. This made me realise, who elects the Youth Representatives that make up Funky Dragon and where do they get their mandate to represent Young people?

At the moment local youth forums elect people to represent them on the “National Council”. The first problem I see is that how many people know that these Youth Forums exist and attend their meetings? In order to really have a more meaningful impact and mandate, why doesn’t Funky Dragon engage with Schools and Colleges and find a way for a much broader spectrum of young people to engage in their organisation?

A complete rebrand is required and in particular changing the name is a must! I can only assume that the name Funky Dragon was chosen to try and make it sound cool and fun, however I think it has the opposite effect. I have friends who have been involved with Funky Dragon and are often too embarrassed to tell other people that they belong to an organisation with that name.

Young people want to feel that they are being taken seriously and are treated with respect. A proper Youth Parliament could be leading the campaign against higher tuition fees, Votes at 16, Gay marriage which a lot of young people in the LGBT community feel strongly about, Climate change and the list goes on!

I don’t like comparing Wales to Scotland much but in this case I think we in Wales could really learn from the SYP or Scottish Youth Parliament which has run campaigns on many of the topics above.

YMLAEN!

William Thomas
Non-portfolio Officer

Darlledu ein llwyddiant. Broadcasting our success.

Fe ddarllenais i erthygl Rhuanedd Richards yn y Ddraig Goch ac o ni'n gyffrous ac yn hyderus am neges y Blaid. Llawn pethau cadarnhaol a neges glir i fynd â ni mewn i'r etholiadau lleol. Yn fy marn i, nid oedd y neges hynny wedi cael ei gyfleu yn y darllediad newydd. Mae llawer o bobol dyddiau hyn yn cysylltu'r Blaid gyda hunaniaeth Cymreig a Chymru, does dim angen neulltio darllediad cyfan i hunaniaeth. Dyma ddyfyniad gan gyd aelodau o Blaid Cymru pan ofynnwyd iddynt beth y byddent wedi bod yn well i weld:

"Byddai’n well gennym ni glywed neges am gymunedau Cymru a Chymru ei hun yn sefyll yn gadarn am yr hun rydym yn ei drysori – yn erbyn ymosodiadau SanSteffan i’n trysorau cenedlaethol ni. Clywed am yr ysbryd cymunedol sydd dal gennym ni fan hyn yng Nghymru. Byddwn ni ond wedi hoffi Darllediad Gwleidyddol a fyddai’n dangos bod gan Blaid Cymru hanes o amddiffyn y pethau anniriaethol, anfesuradwy hynny sydd yn diffinio’n Cymru ni fel gwlad unigryw, ac roeddwn yn meddwl y byddai gan Blaid Cymru y soffistigeiddrwydd i wneud rhywbeth felly, ac nid fel y gwelswn y darllediad gwleidyddol.” 

"Dim trafod polisi, prin iawn oedd y sôn am amcanion craidd y blaid. Y frawddeg ‘Os ydych chi’n Gymry dylech chi fod yn pleidleisio i Blaid Cymru’ ond yn ein gwneud ni’n hollol rwystredig.”

Mae Adam Jones o blog banw yn ychwanegu:

"Mae na le i weld diben darllediad Plaid Cymru, hynny yw ei fod e'n ceisio creu rhyw ymdeimlad o Gymreictod i ennill cefnogaeth, ond does dim sylwedd na pholisiau i'r darllediad yn hytrach mae fel bod pwy bynnag oedd yn gyfrifol am y ffilm yn ceisio dynwared rhyw dechneg spielberg a troi gwleidyddiaeth yn rhyw ddiwydiant ffilmio. Diolch i dduw bod 'da ni bobl da yn ymgeisio ac yn ymgyrchu ar lawr gwlad i ennyn cefnogaeth, achos yn gelain mae'r neges yn ein darllediad 'Beth yw Cymru' neu 'Ble mae'n polisi' yn fwy addas efallai?"

Byddwn i, ynghyd ag eraill yn awgrymu newid mewn neges i gyd-fynd â neges etholiad Rhuanedd. Mae rhaid i ni ganolbwyntio ar y llwyddiannau a lledaenu'r addewidion y manifesto. Fel mae Rhuanedd yn dweud mae rhaid i ni ganu clodydd ein hunain trwy sôn am yr hyn rydym wedi cyflawni ar lefel lleol megis y rhai isod:

• Cyhoeddi help gwerth £4 miliwn i 30,000 o bensiynwyr gyda threth y cyngor yn 2010-11; 

• Cynyddu'r arian a roddwyd i gynghorau lleol o 3.2%; 

• Sicrhau bod cynyddiadau yn Nhreth y Cyngor yng Nghymru ar ei hisaf ers dros ddegawd;

Yn y dyfodol mewn bwysig y rydym yn ei roi dros y ffordd yr ydym yn wahaniaethu o bleidiau eraill a pham Plaid Cymru yw'r blaid gorau a dim ond o Gymru. Bwysleisio ein cyflawniadau a llwyddiant mewn cynghorau ar draws Cymru gyfan. Yna gallwn fynd ymlaen gyda hyder ac agwedd gadarnhaol.

                                                           ***********


I recently read Rhuanedd Richards article in The Welsh Nation and i was excited and confident of Plaid's message. Full of positivity and a clear message to take us into the local election. In my opinion, that message did not come across in the new party political broadcast. Many people these days connect Plaid with identity and Wales, there is no need to dedicate a whole broadcast to identity. Here's a quote from fellow Plaid members when asked what they would have preferred to see:

"I'd prefer to hear a message of Wales' communities and Wales as a whole standing up for what they value - against assaults on these values hailing from Westminster. Of an ideal of community spirit that we we still have in Wales. I'd just like a PPB that highlighted that Plaid has a history defending those intangible things of immeasurable value what define Wales for the distinct nation that it is, and that the party has a level of sophistication that is quite dismissed in the PPB I just saw." 

"No talk of policy, barely any talk of core beliefs. The phrase 'if you're Welsh you should be voting Plaid Cymru' just leaves me slapping my forehead in utter disbelief."

Adam Jones from blog banw added:

"There’s room to see where the motive was behind Plaid Cymru’s PPB, which is that it portrays a feeling of Welshness in order to attract support, but there wasn’t any substance to it and no policies were mentioned in the broadcast. Instead it feels that those whom are responsible for the PPB are trying to create some kind of film, some kind of Spielberg strategy of turning politics into a film industry. We’re lucky however that we have great people on the doorstep campaigning across Wales to attract new support, because I’m afraid our political broadcast will fall on deaf ears. ‘What is it to be Welsh’ or perhaps more adequately named ‘Where’s our policy?"

I, along with others would suggest a change in message to correspond with Rhuanedd's election message. We have to concentrate on our achievements and let people know our manifesto promises. As Rhuanedd said we need to blow our own trumpet over our local achievements and here's a couple to name a few:

• announced £4 million to help 30,000 pensioners with council tax in 2010-11;  

• increased the amount of money given to local councils by 3.2%;  

• kept council tax increases in Wales the lowest for more than a decade.

In future, it's important we put over how we differ from other parties and why Plaid Cymru is the best and only party of Wales. Emphasizing our achievements and success in leading councils across Wales. We can then go forward with confidence and a positive attitude. Ymlaen.


Branwen Alaw Evans

Plaid Cymru Ifanc - Cangen Bangor

Gan Mair Rowlands, Ymgeisydd dros y Blaid ym Mangor

Mae’n gyfnod cyffrous ym Mangor ar hyn o bryd gyda cangen myfyrwyr Plaid Cymru yn ail gychwyn yma a hefyd gyda’r ymgyrch etholiadau lleol, lle mae 2 ohonom sy’n aelodau Plaid Cymru Ifanc, Illtud Jones a minnau (Mair Rowlands), yn sefyll yn Ward Menai Bangor. Mae’n dda gweld cymaint o ymgeiswyr ifanc yn sefyll, ac mae gennym griw da o fyfyrwyr ym Mangor sydd wedi bod yn helpu gyda’r ymgyrch.

Mae Menai Bangor yn cael ei gynrychioli ar hyn o bryd gan ddau gynghorwr y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol. Roedd Plaid Cymru yn agos ati yn yr etholiadau lleol diwethaf, ac gan fod gan y ward boblogaeth uchel o fyfyrwyr gallwn ddisgwyl gostyngiad mawr yn y gefnogaeth i’r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol. Mae’n rhaid i ni ysgogi cefnogaeth ar draws y ward, ac os ydym am gynyddu y nifer sy’n pleidleisio oedd dim ond yn 19.34% nol yn 2008, mae’n rhaid i ni gael y myfyrwyr allan i bleidleisio trwy bwysleisio bod Plaid Cymru yn blaid a fydd yn ymladd ar eu ran.

Roeddem yn ddigon lwcus i gael cwmni Leanne Wood arweinydd newydd Plaid Cymru ym Mangor nos Lun. Roedd pawb yn gyffrous iawn i’w chael hi yno - roedd o’n hawdd iawn siarad â hi, ac mae hi’n bendant yn apelio at bobl ifanc. Bu trafodaeth ddiddorol iawn ynglŷn a pob math o faterion; materion lleol, sefyllfa’r economi a diweithdra, Wylfa B, ynni adnewyddadwy a llawer mwy cyn i ni fynd allan i ganfasio. Mae’n rhaid i mi gyfaddef bo fi heb gael llawer o brofiad blaenorol o ganfasio ond roedd cael Leanne yna gyda ni yn hwb mawr. Roedd yr ymateb gan y mwyafrif yn gadarnhaol a chefnogol, ac roedd y ffaith bod Leanne yno gyda ni wedi creu argraff.

Gyda dim ond ychydig dros bythefnos i fynd tan ddiwrnod yr Etholiadau rydym am wneud popeth a allem i ledaenu neges Plaid Cymru a pwysleisio fod pleidlais i’r Blaid yn bleidlais dros Gymru well!

Mae cangen myfyrwyr y Blaid ym Mangor wedi trefnu gig sy’n arwain i fyny at yr etholiad fydd ar Nos Wener y 27ain o Ebrill am 8pm - noson o adloniant gyda Crash Disco, Rosary a Yr Ayes yng Nghlwb Rheilffordd Bangor i godi arian i’r Blaid ac i Eisteddfod yr Urdd Glynllifon. Y gobaith ydi y gallwn ddenu criw ifanc newydd i ymwneud â’r Blaid gyda’r math yma o ddigwyddiadau. Mi fyddai’n wych pe byddai modd trefnu digwyddiadau fel hyn ar draws Cymru i ddenu mwy o aelodau ifanc.

The independence mindset

Some people in Plaid Cymru have been calling for a more aggressive stance from our politicians on independence for a long time, most notably an alumnus of this youth wing, Adam Price. It seems that since our sister party's landslide victory last year, that view has been adopted by most in the party, and certainly since the overwhelming endorsement it received in Llandudno last year by the membership, we as a party have been significantly more vocal on the issue.

Although I am certain of my support for an independent Wales, I do not share the view of the majority in our party that we should be moving the independence campaign into top gear just yet. It has been inspirational to witness the SNP's success in Scotland and I believe we have a lot to learn from them, but simply copying and pasting their rhetoric on independence would be a mistake. There are many reasons why Scotland is constitutionally so far ahead of Wales, not least the manner in which it was united with England and its success in preserving a distinct education system, legal jurisdiction and civil society. Wales was not united with England, it was assimilated into England, along with all aspects of civil society. Wales' distinctiveness was almost exclusively cultural for the best part of half a millennium. It is understandable therefore, that civil society in Wales has taken its time to build itself into the intrinsic role within Welsh governance that it now plays.

These differences are such that the SNP have been able to include in their manifestos and indeed, in their programmes of government, a promise to hold a referendum on independence. Only once do I remember any senior figures within Plaid Cymru mentioning such referenda in Wales, and even then it was a promise to hold one after we manage to become the biggest party in the Assembly in two consecutive elections. It begs the question therefore, why are we pushing the independence campaign to the forefront of our message at a time when a Plaid Cymru government would do nothing to deliver on that message?

In my opinion, we need to design that “roadmap” that Elin Jones promised in her leadership campaign. We need to know exactly what we are campaigning for. Simply saying, “We support independence… but not yet” is not good enough. We need to be campaigning for the first step on that road map, something that we could include in our manifesto. In doing that, we would be able to argue effectively, that what we are doing is advancing down a path towards a level of prosperity that would make independence a viable option. If we are going to reach our shared goal of setting our country free from the British puppet strings, we need to make this a priority after the election on May 3rd.

***************************************************

Mae rhai ym Mhlaid Cymru wedi bod yn gofyn am agwedd mwy ymosodol gan ein gwleidyddion ar annibyniaeth ers amser maeth, yn fwy nodweddiadol na phawb yw alumnus o’r mudiad ieuenctid hwn, Adam Price. Mae hi’n ymddangos, ers canlyniad gwefreiddiol ein chwaer-blaid y llynedd, fod y barn hynny wedi’i fabwysiadu gan y rhan fwyaf yn y Blaid, ac yn enwedig ers y cefnogaeth llethol cafwyd yn Llandudno llynedd gan yr aelodaeth, rydym ni fel plaid wedi bod yn llawer mwy lleisiol am y peth.

Er fy mod i’n gadarn fy marn o blaid annibyniaeth, dydw i ddim yn rhannu barn y rhan fwyaf yn y Blaid y dylem rhoi annibyniaeth ar flaen y gad yn ein hymgyrch presennol. Rydym ni gyd wedi ein hysbrydoli gan lwyddiant yr SNP yn yr Alban ac yr wyf yn credu bod gennym lawer i’w ddysgu ganddynt, ond bysai eu copïo gair wrth air yn gamgymeriad. Mae yna lawer o resymau pam fod yr Alban yn gyfansoddiadol mor bell o’n blaenau. Un o'r prif resymau yw natur yr undeb rhwng yr Alban a Lloegr a llwyddiant yr Albanwyr i ddal ymlaen at eu system addysg, awdurdodaeth gyfreithiol a’u cymdeithas sifil. Ni fu undeb rhwng Cymru a Lloegr. Gorchfygu Cymru y gwnaeth Lloegr, gan gynnwys pob agwedd o'n cymdeithas sifil. Mi 'roedd Cymru'n wahanol i Loegr o ran diwylliant yn unig am bron i hanner mileniwm. Mae hi'n ddaelladwy felly, bod gwasanaeth sifil yng Nghymru wedi cymryd ei amser i ddatblygu mewn i'r rol ganolog y mae yn eu chwarae heddiw o fewn proses llywodraethu Cymru.

Mae'r gwhaniaethau yma mor ddwys, y bod yr SNP wedi gallu cynnwys addewid yn eu manifesto, ac wrth gwrs, yn eu rahglenni llywodraethu, i gynnal refferendwm ar annibyniaeth. Dim ond unwaith yr wyf yn cofio aelod uwch yn y Blaid yn son am fath refferendwm, ac mi oedd hyd yn oed yr aelod hynny yn son o fewn cyd-destyn o Blaid Cymru'n llwyddo ennill mwy o seddi nac unrhyw blaid arall, ddwywaith yn olynol. Ac felly, mae'r cwestiwn yn codi, pam gwthio'n hymgrych am annibyniaeth mewn adeg lle bysai llywodraeth Plaid Cymru yn gwneud dim byd i wireddu'r ymgyrch hynny?

Yn fy marn i, mae angen dylunio'r "map" hwnnw yr oedd Elin Jones yn son amdano yn ystod ei hymgyrch arweinyddol. Mae angen i ni wybod yn union am beth yr ydym yn ymgyrchu. Dydy dweud yn syml, "rydym yn cefnogi annibyniaeth... ond ddim eto" ddim yn ddigon da. Mae angen i ni allu dadlau yn effeithiol mai yr hyn yr ydym yn ei wneud yw symyd Cymru fyny llwybr tuag at lefel ffyniant mor uchel, bod annibyniaeth yn opsiwn go iawn i'r niferoedd. Os ydym am gyrraedd ein nod o rhyddhau ein cenedl o ddwylo'r Saeson, wedyn mae rhaid i ni wneud dylunio'r map yma yn flaenoriaeth ar ol Mai y 3ydd.


Osian Lewis