Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said this morning (7 April) that her party will act as a progressive force for the whole of the UK in the event of a hung parliament, pushing for policies that will benefit Wales and beyond.
She told the BBC that the measures Plaid Cymru will demand if called to the negotiating table after polling day are rooted in social justice and economic prosperity for all the people of the UK.
Wood reiterated Plaid’s commitments to scrapping the Trident nuclear weapons system and implementing a living wage. She also pledged to prioritise a “geographical rebalancing” of the British economy.
Plaid Cymru, whose name means ‘Party of Wales’ in Welsh, is a socialist party working towards an independent Wales within the European Union.
“We recognise that communities are suffering in all four nations of the British state as a result of the Westminster government's austerity agenda,” said Wood. “That is why we want to see a genuine rebalancing of wealth and power throughout the UK to make sure that prosperity reaches all corners of these islands.”
The general election to be held on 7 May is widely seen as the toughest to call for decades, with a strong chance that the parties outside the mainstream could hold the balance of power.
"In the event of a hung parliament, we in Plaid Cymru would push for a range of measures that would benefit all the people of the UK,” said Leanne Wood. “These include a genuine living wage to put more money into people's pockets, and scrapping Trident so we can inject billions into our public services instead.”
She added, “We also want to see an increase of 1% of GDP in infrastructure spending throughout the UK in order to improve our roads, railways, schools and hospitals, creating jobs and boosting growth. “
Many British voters outside of Wales encountered Leanne Wood for the first time in the ITV Leaders’ Debate last week. She drew applause when she told Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, to be “ashamed of yourself” for his comments on HIV patients.
With her increasing profile outside of Wales, the Plaid leader is keen to emphasise her support for people suffering from austerity in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as Wales.
Today she said, "From Newcastle to Newport, the establishment parties have failed our communities. In this election we have an unprecedented chance to hold them to account and make sure that Westminster works in the interests of all the people."
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