Plaid Cymru must get free school meals credit - senior party figure

Cefin Campbell says "we have to get the credit for the work we have done"

Plaid Cymru must ensure it gets the credit for policies such as free school dinners, one of its senior politicians has said.

Free meals for all state primary school children is a key part of the co-operation deal between Plaid and the Welsh Labour government.

The three-year agreement, due to end in December 2024, will also expand the Senedd from 60 to 96 members.

Plaid Senedd member (MS) Cefin Campbell was speaking at the party's conference.

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During a panel discussion at the conference, in Aberystwyth, Plaid Cymru politicians working on the deal were asked how they stopped Labour taking the credit.

"That is the big challenge, I think," Mr Campbell said.

He is one of Plaid's two Senedd members working with the Welsh government to introduce the deal's 46 commitments.

He said: "We have won so much for Wales.

"We have achieved so many of Plaid Cymru's aims through this agreement - and we have to get the credit for the work we have done."

All the party's members had to tell people where they live that "it's Plaid's influence that has made sure this is happening", he added.

The agreement was signed by former Plaid leader Adam Price.

His successor, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has said he will not seek to extend it after the three-year deal ends.

The introduction of free school meals in all state primary schools in Wales began last year

The free school meals pledge was in Plaid's manifesto at the 2021 Senedd election, but was not offered by Labour.

With no majority in the Senedd, Mr Drakeford depends on Plaid Cymru's votes to pass legislation and budgets.

Later in Aberystwyth, Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader accused Welsh Labour MPs of backing their party's London leadership over Wales' first minister.

Liz Saville Roberts said the gap between Labour's Welsh and UK leadership was widening, citing differences over devolving policing and justice powers as well as proportional representation.

Mr Drakeford has called for police and justice powers to reside in Wales.

A report on how Britain might look under a Labour government last year failed to back his suggestion.

In March, Sir Keir Starmer said introducing proportional representation for UK general elections, something strongly supported by Mr Drakeford, would not be a priority for an incoming Labour government.

Plaid changed leaders in the summer after a damning report into harassment and misogyny

On Saturday afternoon, Ms Saville Roberts told party activists: "With the gap between Mark Drakeford and Keir Starmer widening, Labour MPs who should be representing Wales' interests ignore or pour scorn on the views of Welsh Labour in the Senedd, who increasingly follow Plaid Cymru's lead."

Some Welsh Labour MPs have privately said they are worried about the Welsh government's default 20mph speed limit law, which has proved controversial and has a record-breaking petition against it.

One said the new law throws the "drowning" Tories "a lifeline", another called the measure "madness".

Local councils have the power to exempt roads from the new limit, which applies to built-up areas in the way the previous 30mph used to.

'Hoarding powers in Westminster'

In a BBC interview on Saturday morning, Ms Saville Roberts said the Conservatives had been "weaponising" that issue "extremely cynically".

In her speech to conference, she said "Plaid Cymru and Mark Drakeford are on the same page" on devolving powers over policing and the justice system to Wales.

"But [Mr Drakeford's] London bosses and Labour MPs in Westminster are protesting passionately for hoarding powers in Westminster, despite all of the evidence of the social damage and waste of resources it's causing," she argued.

The conference voted against a call to oppose freeports

Before the 2019 general election, Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party agreed not to stand against each other in dozens of seats.

Speaking to Radio Wales Breakfast, Ms Saville Roberts indicated there are, for now at least, no plans for such a pact for the next UK election, expected to take place next year.

"We will, as a party, put out our own stand with our own vision, because it is obviously fair for electors to be choosing between different visions," she said.

"For where we stand now, I think, that's the fairest thing for me to say."

Freeports

On Friday, the conference voted against a call to oppose freeports, one of which is being established on Anglesey in Rhun ap Iorwerth's constituency.

Freeports are zones where companies benefit from tax and duty relief and simplified customs processes.

A motion tabled by the party's trade union branch Undeb said freeports had been a "complete failure" in the UK.

But members in Aberystwyth instead voted for amendments tabled by Plaid Senedd members and MPs which said the way ports are run should protect workers' rights.