Tighten rules on political donations, says Plaid Cymru
- Published
No party should be able to "buy votes to interfere in our democracy", Llinos Medi says
Donation scandals in the Tories and Labour mean the rules on political donations need to be changed, a senior Plaid Cymru figure has said.
Anglesey council leader Llinos Medi said "scandal after scandal" meant "the public has lost confidence in politicians".
No party should be able to "buy votes to interfere in our democracy", she added.
Ms Medi comments come on the second day of Plaid's conference in Caernarfon.
Meanwhile Plaid Cymru's health spokesman Mabon ap Gwynfor said if it won a Senedd election his party would boost wages for workers in social care.
The Conservatives have faced calls to hand back £15m in donations from a donor accused of racism.
The campaign of new Welsh Labour First Minister Vaughan Gething's was dominated by the donation of £200,000 from a company owned by a man previously prosecuted for environmental offences.
Mr Gething said he followed the rules and has promised a review into future leadership campaigns.
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has called for the money to be handed back and said on Friday that Mr Gething had to restore trust.
He said on Friday that his party's co-operation deal with Labour could end earlier than originally expected.
Ms Medi, who is standing as Plaid Cymru's candidate in the seat of Ynys Môn, said: "I'm sure that, like me, you're tired of scandal after scandal coming from Westminster.
"If only they put as much energy into governing the country as they do in looking after themselves, maybe we'd be in a better place.
"No wonder the public has lost confidence in politicians."
She added: "Here we hope that Labour will show a better example, but no.
"Where have the basic principles of public life gone? It looks like 'bank transaction' is more important than 'public service'.
"I'm proud that Plaid Cymru is a grassroots party, and that means being accountable to the people we represent, not to big business and billionaire investors. Let's tighten the rules and ensure no party can buy votes to interfere in our democracy."
In an interview with BBC Wales Ms Medi said she was open to some form of cap on donations.
"It completely needs a relook," she said. "Lets have a level playing field.
"If we're standing in elections against candidates from these well funded parties - well is there fairness in that?"
Llinos Medi said she was "proud that Plaid Cymru is a grassroots party"
In a speech on Saturday, Mabon ap Gwynfor said a Plaid Cymru government in Cardiff would ensure carers in Wales were paid £1 an hour above the real living wage - which is based on the cost of living and is £12 an hour.
In his speech, Mr ap Gwynfor warned that problems in the health service were so bad that "unless action is taken now... we won't have an NHS to care for our loved ones in a generation, let alone for another 75 years".
"For the system to work, we need both ends of the service to function - the front end where people get their initial contacts and the back bench where people need to leave the system," he said.
Plaid is promising a "retention and training programme" to recruit 500 more GPs.
"At the other end of the care service we are seeing lengthy ambulance queues, hundreds of patients not being discharged, and vulnerable people providing thousands of hours of unpaid care to loved ones," he added.
"Our carers are the unsung heroes of our health and care system, caring, tendering, and looking after our vulnerable loved ones day in and day out, and they do it because they care.
"Our message to carers is - if you care for our loved ones, then a Plaid Cymru government will care for you."
Plaid Cymru would need to be successful at a Senedd election to form a Welsh government - the next one is due to take place in 2026.
The Welsh government has promised to pay social care workers the real living wage.
Mr ap Gwynfor said Plaid Cymru stood "in solidarity" with the junior doctors striking this week, and paid tribute to the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group.
He said it was a "disgrace" the government refused to hold a Welsh Covid inquiry.
Related topics
- Published22 March
- Published17 March
