Plaid Cymru promises action on NHS, childcare and economy
Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru says it has a "bold and confident vision" for Wales' future and will "take action where it is needed most", as the party unveils details of its Senedd election pledges.
Party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says a government led by him will cut NHS waiting times, help with childcare costs and grow "a stronger" Welsh economy.
Ap Iorwerth says the pledges in his party's manifesto are "rooted in fairness" and "driven by ambition", offering a "clear sense of direction for the future of the country".
Plaid Cymru will formally launch its full manifesto on Thursday, with voters in Wales going to the polls in just under a month's time on 7 May.
Speaking ahead of the manifesto launch, Rhun ap Iorwerth said Wales had "enormous, untapped potential" but had lacked a "government with the ambition and the plan to realise it".
"Our manifesto sets out a new direction for Wales – one rooted in fairness but driven by ambition," he said.
"We will take action where it is needed most – cutting NHS waiting times, supporting parents with the cost of childcare, raising standards in our schools, and growing a stronger Welsh economy that works for our communities."
The Plaid Cymru leader added: "This election is a turning point. We can continue with more of the same, or we can choose a new path for our nation.
"Plaid Cymru is ready to lead that change."
The party's manifesto outlines what it says are the "the immediate key priorities that will define a Plaid Cymru government".
These include:
- cutting long NHS waiting times
- helping with childcare costs
- tackling child poverty
- raising standards in education
- "unlocking the full potential" of the Welsh economy
- securing "a fairer deal" from the UK government
Plaid Cymru says it wants more public sector contracts going to Welsh firms in order to boost local businesses and it also intends to invest more in housing by upgrading and retrofitting housing stock and protecting renters to make good homes.
Minority government
Opinion polls have suggested Plaid is vying for first place with Reform for the 7 May Senedd election.
Plaid Cymru has never won an election to Cardiff Bay but has supported Welsh Labour-led governments in the past.
Plaid has previously said it hopes it can win enough seats to form a minority government - meaning it would govern alone but would still need the help of other politicians to get votes through the Senedd.
No party has ever won more than half the seats in the Senedd, and the new system makes winning a majority theoretically more tricky with a more proportional voting system.
Voters in Wales go to the polls on 7 May to where they will elect 96 new MSs, up from 60.
There are 16 new constituencies, each returning six members to Cardiff Bay.
