Plaid Cymru - "Unfit for Government" claims Bates

3.08.55pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th Mar 2007

Mick Bates AM for Montgomeryshire has branded the Plaid Cymru manifesto 'unfit for government' after the Nationalists revealed a policy wishlist which would force real terms cuts on the health and education in Wales.

He also criticised Plaid's "financial illiteracy" and lack of credibility.

Mick Bates said,

"This is a manifesto without substance. It covers 36 pages, but many of those are pictures of models. Are they too embarrased of their candidates to show people what they look like?

"More worrying than the lack of detail is the lack of financial literacy. Plaid's spending proposals are based on spending every extra penny the Assembly receives on their wide range of gimmicks. They have forgotten that teachers and nurses will be expecting pay rises, that heating and lighting bills will go up. To fund their gimmicks, there will have to be a real terms cut in spending on health and education.

"They have forgotten about inflation. No government - even in an independent nation - can credibly assume zero inflation. Their manifesto reveals their lack of credibility. "

Mick added,

"The Plaid manifesto doesn't explain how their promises will be delivered. It also contains policies that cannot be delivered by the Assembly, such as the scrapping of council tax and its replacement by a local income tax and the creation of a National Care Fund from this to pay for free personal care.

"It is a manifesto unfit for government. There is also confusion - Plaid state they will cut business tax - but it is unclear if this is for all businesses or just small and medium businesses or just successful businesses?

"The manifesto does come clean on one thing - gone is the previous waffle of full national status within the EU. Now people can be sure that Plaid stand for a Wales cut off from its neighbours."

Notes:

Welsh Liberal Democrats have already published a detailed pre-manifesto, which can be seen at www.welshlibdems.org.uk

The fully costed manifest will be published in April.