Statement on the economy

Thanks to New Labour letting reckless bankers have a free hand the recession is likely to continue for at least a year. Repossessions have doubled since the summer. Llanelli has seen hundreds of jobs under threat. Plaid’s Llanelli AM Helen Mary Jones is working hard to keep manufacturing jobs in Llanelli, and Plaid’s Ieuan Wyn Jones is making sure that the Assembly Government is doing all it can, but for many of us the future is uncertain.

Myfanwy is calling for further action to help Llanelli get through this difficult time.

Town Centres in Llanelli and Burry Port: Shops can be left empty when tenants face legal problems getting out of their leases. The County Council must act to match new clients to empty shops in Llanelli and Burry Port.

Myfanwy will support a realistic bid for funding for Upper Park Street and will campaign for changes to the Local Development Plan to reflect the needs of people in Burry Port.

Businesses: Ieuan Wyn Jones has introduced the ‘ReAct’ scheme to provide cash payments to businesses who take on unemployed people.

Companies with orders on their books for the future who don’t have work now can be helped to keep workers on by the ‘ProAct’ scheme. Myfanwy has called on Mr Jones to make sure all Llanelli companies know how to apply.

With her colleague Adam Price MP and Jill Evans MEP, Myfanwy is campaigning to change EU competition law so that the Assembly Government can provide loans to Welsh business at below the market rate.

Affordable Homes: Myfanwy is calling on the Council to make sure that people in Llanelli can get help from Plaid Minister Jocelyn Davies’ mortgage rescue scheme and to make best use of nearly £1 million pounds Jocelyn Davies has made available to provide more affordable homes in Carmarthenshire.

Help for Families: With Helen Mary, Myfanwy has called on the UK Government to fund affordable childcare for all parents.

Myfanwy has joined Plaid MPs in calling for a limit on energy prices and for cheaper rates for those struggling to pay, especially young families and pensioners.

Speaking from her campaign office in Llanelli, Myfanwy said: “ Plaid in the Assembly is taking practical steps to help ordinary people and businesses. Now it’s time for Labour in London to invest where it matters instead of throwing money at the banks . We need action now to safeguard real jobs and get ready for the future. And we need new laws to make sure greedy bankers can never do anything like this to our communities again.”