A
call for money from the European Union to be used to help unemployed
youngsters find work or an apprenticeship has come from one of the
candidates representing Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales.
Addressing a meeting of party members and supporters in Penarth, Ioan Bellin said the Welsh Government should make a legally binding commitment for all young people who have been unemployed for four months to be offered a job, training or further education, funded through the European Social Fund.
Ioan Bellin (centre) with Penarth's UK Parliament and National Assembly candidates Ben Foday (left) and Dafydd Trystan Davies
“Long-term
unemployment has rocketed since the current Labour Government took
control in Cardiff Bay,” said Mr Bellin. “The number of young people
claiming job seekers allowance for more than a year has more than
quadrupled.
“Solving
this crisis is vital, and it’s high time the Welsh Government
followed the lead of Plaid’s Euro-MP Jill Evans, who has been
campaigning for European support to reduce youth unemployment and
help our young people become a skilled workforce.”
Mr
Bellin also called for a change in European rules and a cut in red
tape so that more Welsh contracts could go to Welsh businesses.
Such
a move, he said, could create an estimated 46,000 new jobs in Wales.
He
said that Plaid’s campaign for the European elections included
support for a living wage both at home and in the rest of Europe, a new
Welsh transport plan and guaranteed jobs, education or training for
under 25s.
It
was vital, he said, for Jill Evans, Plaid’s Member of the European
Parliament, to be re-elected so that she can continue to be able to
speak up for Wales.
Mr
Bellin was welcomed to the meeting by the Chairman of Plaid Penarth,
Adrian Roper. He was thanked by the party’s national Chairman,
Dafydd Trystan Davies, who emphasised how important it was for Plaid
to retain its seat at the European Parliament.
Mr Bellin also made reference to the unique place Penarth holds in the history of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales, as the first meeting of the group which led to the foundation of the party was held in the town at Bedwas Place 90 years ago.
Every pound spent in our local shops is worth twice as much to the Penarth economy than one spent in the supermarket, writes National Assembly candidate for Cardiff South and Penarth, Dafydd Trystan Davies...
Dr Dafydd Trystan Davies
My first
experience of Penarth was a rather painful one. Rather foolishly a
few years ago I signed up to run the Snowdonia mountain marathon and,
living across the Bay, the hills of Penarth seemed very inviting
(from afar!). Many hours of slowly trudging up and down the hill from
the Bay to the centre of Penarth and, once I’d got a little more
adventurous, down to the Pier too, I was ready for Snowdonia! But
I’d also come to appreciate the wide range of independent shops in
the town centre.
More recently,
my Dad moved to Penarth, so the rather breathless window shopping
when out running has turned into actual shopping and quite a few
coffees and cakes at Foxy’s Deli! Foxy’s is a particular treat
as a group of us - weather and light permitting - go for a short bike
ride on Wednesday mornings, with a coffee and cake afterwards at
Foxy’s most definitely the highlight of the ride!
Power is in your pocket
Shopping locally
in Penarth is a pleasure but also really important to the wider
economic success of the area. Though the economy of Penarth is
certainly more robust than some other towns, the more that can be
done to encourage people to do more shopping locally to help maintain
vibrant high streets the better.
There’s a
splendid book shop, Windsor Books, with a good range of books and
greetings cards in English and Welsh. Pencerdd has a great variety of
musical instruments for sale, though, thankfully for the musically
inclined, my violin playing days are long over! Foxy’s Deli has an
enviable display of ‘goodies’ and you don’t have to cycle up
the hill from the barrage to earn a coffee and cake there! These
local businesses deserve our support.
I am, as you’ve
probably gathered by now, a keen cyclist and chair the social
enterprise, Cycle Training Wales, which offers a wide range of cycle
training bike maintenance courses and bike recycling. So I am
naturally pleased that Penarth has the Bike Shop selling and
repairing bikes in the centre of town. If you’re after a new bike
then the Bike Shop is the place to go, while Cycle Training Wales’
Cardiff Cycle Workshop at Ely Bridge offers recycled bikes in monthly
sales.
There are of
course many more local traders in and around Penarth and I’m
pleased that they have got together to produce a loyalty card to
support local, independent traders and give offers and discounts to
customers. The card is an initiative of Gwyrddio Penarth Greening
and, as a keen environmentalist, I think this is just the sort of
scheme needed to help our town centres.
I wonder how
many Penarth residents have this card and, while it may not have been
a New Year’s resolution, how about making a St David’s Day
resolution to shop more locally?
Money spent in independent shops on
the high street is money that stays locally, and it has been
estimated that every £1 spent locally puts twice as much money back
into the local economy as £1 spent in a supermarket. Local shops
employ local people, are supplied by local businesses and create more
jobs with their profits kept in the local community.
Wales has a strong
tradition of food producers and craft businesses, and buying locally
is the perfect opportunity to support them.
Just some of the mouth-watering Welsh produce available at Foxy's (Image: Penarth View)
But there is
only so much individuals can do. There is also, in my view a
responsibility on public bodies to choose local suppliers wherever
possible. In Plaid Cymru, for whom I have been selected to stand in
the next Assembly elections, we have been campaigning for some time
on public procurement.
Currently, about
50 per cent of goods and services purchased by the Welsh public
sector come from Welsh-based suppliers and I’d very much like to
see this increased to 75 per cent to provide even more support for
local businesses and local jobs. It’s been estimated that
current public sector purchases account for nearly 100,000 jobs in
Wales and an increase to 75 per cent would mean more than 45,000
extra jobs.
We have the
opportunity to support our local traders in Penarth, to boost the
economy and to encourage our councils and public bodies to do more to
source their goods locally. We all have a part to play in this and,
while you may not want to join me in running up and down the hills of
Penarth (why not – it’s great fun!), I hope you will join me in
continuing to support our local traders.
Ben
Foday (second left) shaking hands with Dafydd Trystan with supporters
There are
huge challenges ahead for Penarth that need addressing. Issues
such as inappropriate development, a proper Local Development Plan
and a major focus on the economy are crying out for action. This was
the message from the Westminster and National Assembly candidates for
Plaid Cymru at the launch of their campaigns.
Party members
were buoyed by the stunning Assembly by-election result in Anglesey
and the equally impressive Caerffili council by-elections victories
this month.
Jobs and the
economy are top of Plaid agenda with a special emphasis on public
bodies such as councils and the Health Trusts sourcing goods and
services from local companies. If we could achieve the level that the
Scottish Government manages to use local companies an extra 46,000
jobs could be created in Wales.
Ben
Foday standing for Westminster said, “I am so delighted to be Plaid
Cymru’s candidate in Cardiff South and Penarth for the 2015
Westminster election. This shows clearly that Plaid Cymru is a
party is for everyone in Wales in general and Cardiff South
and Penarth in particular. I am determined to give this true image of
the party to the electorate over the period leading to the election.
Dafydd
Trystan the Assembly candidate said, “I
look forward to talking to thousands of residents across the
constituency over the years ahead and placing Plaid's positive vision
before the people in 2016. I'm sure that people will respond
positively to the contrast between Plaid's vision and Labour's
inaction.”
Coalition welfare
reforms will take £38 million out of Vale economy
Mae ymgyrchwr
lleol Plaid Cymru, Osian Lewis, wedi awgrymu y bydd pobl y Fro yn dioddef yn
enbyd ar ôl y datgeliad y bydd y Fro yn colli £38 miliwn mewn blwyddyn o
ganlyniad i newidiadau nawdd cymdeithasol.
Iain Duncan-Smith
Erbyn diwedd y
flwyddyn ariannol nesaf, amcangyfrifwyd y bydd Cymru gyfan wedi colli dros
biliwn o bunnoedd o ganlyniad i’r gwahanol newidiaduau i’r system lles.
Dywed yr
adroddiad, gan y Ganolfan Ymchwil Economaidd a Chymdeithasol Rhanbarthol ym
Mhrifysgol Sheffield Hallam, fod hyn yn cyfateb i golli £473 am bob oedolyn
mewn oedran gwaith yn y Fro.
Dywedodd Osian
Lewis: “Mae dyfnder a graddfa enfawr y toriadau a amlinellir yn yr adroddiad
hwn yn erchyll. Mae’n anfaddeuol cymryd mwy na biliwn o bunnoedd o bocedi’r
sawl all ei fforddio leiaf yng Nghymru. Mae llawer o deuluoedd sydd ar hyn o
bryd yn ymdrechu i gadw eu pennau uwchlaw’r don yn awr yn cael eu taflu i
ddyfnder tlodi ac mae’n bwysig nodi hefyd y bydd y newidiadau hyn mewn
gwirionedd yn dwyn ymaith y cymhelliant i weithio oddi wrth fwy o bobl nac y
byddant yn helpu.”
