Welsh Labour - The Real Voice of Wales

During tonight's seven-way TV debate, you're going to hear a lot of strange things from some of the smaller parties. Big unaffordable plans, and wild utopian visions. However, nothing will be more at odds with reality than Leanne Wood's claim to speak for Wales.

During tonight's seven-way TV debate, you're going to hear a lot of strange things from some of the smaller parties. Big unaffordable plans, and wild utopian visions. However, nothing will be more at odds with reality than Leanne Wood's claim to speak for Wales. In the outgoing Parliament, Plaid Cymru had just 3 out of 40 Welsh MPs. They are currently flat-lining at 11% in the polls and Welsh support for independence, their raison d'être is at a historic low - 3% and then 6% in the last two polls. Even in our devolved Government, the National Assembly for Wales, Plaid Cymru are only the third party - putting them on a par with that well-known political powerhouse, the Scottish Conservatives.

There is only one party that can truly lay claim to being the voice of Wales, and that is Welsh Labour. It is Welsh Labour who run the Welsh Government and councils up-and-down the land - and for good reason, it is us who people trust to make the best decisions in these tough times.

Our values are the true Welsh values - we've kept the private sector out of the NHS. It was a Welsh Labour Government who introduced new regulations to protect the Welsh language just last month. We've concentrated on making all our comprehensive schools good schools, in contrast to the failed expensive experiment of Free Schools. And crucially, we believe in the value of the United Kingdom - even if we do think it needs to change. The value of our membership of that family of nations is shown in our election pledges - a little extra tax on well-off mansion owners will pay for the training doctors, nurses and therapists in the Welsh NHS. Whilst a bank levy will pay for more childcare for working parents in Wales. These sorts of redistributive policies, that reflect the differing needs of the UK, would be impossible if Wales became independent.

It was Welsh Labour who stood up for Wales when David Cameron sought to smear our NHS - claiming that Offa's Dyke was a line between life and death. What an incredible line for a Prime Minister to use about the country he is meant to govern. And where were Plaid Cymru during that debate? Wringing their hands on the side-lines, even though they knew that all the independent experts say Wales has closed the gap on health outcomes since devolution.

What Wales really needs is a Labour Government in Westminster, working in partnership with a Welsh Labour Government in Wales.

As with last Thursday's debate, I expect Ed Miliband to come out on top tonight. His straight and honest answers will be a stark contrast to his opponents. And crucially he has a better plan than any of the others to make the UK, and Wales, a better, fairer place.

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