Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Lansiad heddiw


Wel, mae ymgyrch swyddogol Plaid Cymru ar gyfer Etholiad Cyffredinol Cymru wedi ei lansio heddiw yn Aberconwy. Mi oedda yna lwyth o bobl yno - ymgeisyddion o bob cornel o Gymru, aelodau lleol sydd yn helpu'r ymgeisyddion ar draws y Gogledd ynghyd a'r wasg. Roedd o'n gyfarfod gwych, ac mi aeth yna griw mawr ohona ni wedyn ymlaen i Gonwy i ymgyrchu hefo Iwan Huws, ein ymgeisydd yn Aberconwy. Ymateb gwych iddo. Ymlaen a'r frwydr dros yr wythnosau nesaf!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Blog fideo gan Heledd Fychan



Dyma flog fideo gan Heledd Fychan, sydd yn ail ar restr Plaid Cymru ar gyfer rhanbarth Gogledd Cymru. Ebostiwch eich cwestiynnau i heledd.fychan@plaidcymru.org

Video blog by Heledd Fychan



Video blog by our second placed candidate on the list for North Wales, Heledd Fychan. Please email any questions to heledd.fychan@plaidcymru.org

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Plaid’s devastating critique of Bodelwyddan process

Plaid’s Llyr Huws Gruffydd has launched a devastating critique of the methods used to assess the impact of the massive house building proposals for Bodelwyddan in Denbighshire. He has received strong backing from Euro MP Jill Evans.

Serious questions were raised at a public meeting held last week (Monday 17 January) to discuss proposals for the programme.

The main focus of the meeting was to consider Denbighshire County Council’s draft assessment of the community and linguistic impact of the proposed development. The draft document entitled “Community & Linguistic Assessment - Bodelwyddan Strategic Site” answers a checklist of 12 questions and concludes that the proposed development will have 8 Positive, 3 Negative and 1 Neutral impact on the local community. As it stands, it therefore gives the 'green light' to the proposed development.

Addressing the meeting Plaid Cymru Assembly candidate for the North Wales Region Llyr Huws Gruffydd said:

“Whilst I welcome the council’s decision to undertake such an assessment, in my view, the content and methodology of the draft report is questionable. It lacks statistical support, is often anecdotal and shows little evidence of specialist input about linguistic and other policy areas.

“For example, one question asks if the development will lead to or heighten the fear of crime in Bodelwyddan. It says current levels locally are average for the north, then concludes that "there is no reason why this should change". There is no comparative or statistical examination of the effects of increased urbanisation or the size of communities or the effects of rapid migration on crime trends. Nor does the answer refer to any policing plan.

“Another question asks if the development is likely to have an impact on local businesses and local job opportunities. Yet the answer doesn’t refer to any professional studies dealing with the topic nor is a single statistic used in its support.

“These apparently unsubstantiated, not to say opinionated, responses are endemic throughout the report. They should be challenged when the final version - which may be different from the draft - is published on 26th January.”

Plaid MEP Jill Evans has also raised major questions about the proposals and the process undertaken by Denbighshire County Council. In a message conveyed from her to the meeting she said:

“Good quality agricultural land has been reclassified as indifferent quality. This allows houses to be built on the land – a remarkable action, and very much prejudicial in favour of the council's proposals.

“Indeed, the community objects both to the decision itself and the secretive process by which it was taken. The government report has not been made public so that it can be verified, nor is the decision subject to appeal.”

Following representations, Jill Evans MEP has personally taken up both issues with Elin Jones AM, the Rural Affairs Minister.

Llyr Huws Gruffydd added:

“We also have major concerns about the lack of proper public consultation on the county's proposals. Plaid Cymru is raising the matter with the European Parliament's Petitions Committee.

“If the committee agrees that there’s an initial case to answer, the petition will be passed to the European Commission who will investigate in detail whether or not Denbighshire County Council has broken EU laws on public consultation and environmental protection.”

“We also reject the assessment of housing need in the north east of Wales which is driving this excessive new house building programme and the proposals for Bodelwyddan.

“We believe local demand is much lower and the figures they issue to county councils should be reduced. It’s also time that existing empty properties can be included within the housing need assessment. This would help reduce the pressure for building new houses, taking some of the pressure off areas such as Bodelwyddan.”

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Taro'r Post

Cynhaliwyd rali yn Llundain heddiw fel rhan o’r ymgyrch i wrthwynebu cynlluniau llywodraeth y ConDemiaid i breifateiddio’r Post Brenhinol. Cydlynwyd y rali gan Undeb y Gweithwyr Cyfathrebu – y CWU ac roedd Elfyn Llwyd yno yn siarad ar ran Plaid Cymru.

Mae’n dweud cyfrolau am gyfraniad cynyddol abswrd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol i’r llywodraeth glymblaid yn San Steffan fod Vince Cable wedi creu deddfwriaeth sy’n mynd ymhellach nag a fentrodd yr Arglwydd Mandelson a hyd yn oed Mrs Thatcher.

Mae’n ymddangos bod y llywodraeth yn Llundain yn ystyried y Post Brenhinol fel rhywbeth y gellir ei brynnu a’i werthu fel unrhyw gwmni arall. Y gwir amdani ydi wrth gwrs nad yw hyn yn wir. Mae’n sefydliad sy’n cyflawni gwasanaeth cymdeithasol y mae nifer o bobl a busnesau bychain yn dibynnu arno.

Fe wyddom mai’r unig bobl sydd wedi manteisio o’r “liberalisation” o wasanaethau hyd yma ydi’r busnesau mawrion. Yn y cyfamser mae’r gweddill ohonom wedi gorfod dioddef prisiau uwch a gwasanaethau’n crebachu.

Mae cynlluniau Vince Cable hefyd yn fygythiad gwirioneddol i barhad yr ymrwymiad gwasanaeth cyffredinol (“universal service obligation”) sydd mor bwysig i gymaint o ardaloedd yng Nghymru, ac i gynifer o swyddfeydd post lleol – yn enewdig mewn cymunedau gwledig.

Mae’r ddeddfwriaeth arfaethedig yn llawn gwendidau gyda gweinidogion fel petaen nhw’n croesi’u bysedd y bydd Swyddfa Post Cyf yn goroesi ar ei ben ei hun. Does arlliw o ddim yn y ddeddfwriaeth sy’n gwarantu bod perthynas fusnes yn parhau rhwng y ddau gwmni.

Does dim sentiment ym myd y busnesau mawr – elw ydi’r unig gymhelliad. Oes unrhywun wir yn meddwl y bydd Post Brenhinol wedi ei breifateiddio’n llawn yn parhau ag unrhyw gyfrifoldebau cymdeithasol? Mater o amser fydd hi cyn iddyn nhw geisio’i llacio, ei ddiddymu neu hwyrach fynnu sybsidi cyhoeddus – gan adael ni’r trethdalwyr yn colli eto.

Dangosodd pôl diweddar gan YouGov mai dim ond 15% oedd yn cefnogi preifateiddio, tra bod 60% yn credu y dylai aros mewn dwylo cyhoeddus.

Mi fydd Plaid Cymru’n parhau i fod ar flaen y gad yn yr ymgyrch i wrthwynebu’r ddeddfwriaeth wirion yma

Llyr

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Happy New Year?

As we all brace ourselves for the VAT rise on the 4th January the real implications of that 2.5% increase in tax is becoming evident.

Research released today shows that it will leave the average family with £225 less disposable income every year. Earlier this year it was estimated to add an extra £33 to all our annual shopping bills. Thousands of the everyday items we buy are going to become more expensive overnight and a report for data management firm Acxiom says it will affect many households ‘harder than they expect’.

It has also become clear that there are some curious discrepancies in the items that are liable for VAT. If you want to avoid paying extra take a look at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs website. Small changes in the items we buy might save us money. HMRC tells us that whilst partly chocolate coated biscuits are subject to VAT, chocolate chip biscuits are not. Potato crisps are liable for VAT whilst corn chips are not. A gingerbread man decorated with two chocolate eyes is exempt from VAT, but if it contains any more chocolate standard-rated VAT is charged.

But it isn’t just ordinary families across the land that are facing more pressure on their budgets. This VAT increase will hit our public services hard. Just this week Plaid released figures showing that it would cost the NHS in Wales over £20m extra every year. £13.2m extra on revenue allocations whilst the impact on the current NHS capital programme would be at least £7.7m in a full year. (These figures don’t include Velindre NHS Trust so the total is even higher in reality).

Here in the north of Wales our Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has to find £2m to cover the impact of the VAT rise on revenue costs alone. And it isn’t just health. Other public bodies across the north will have to take a huge chunk of their tight budgets away from essential services to cover Westminster’s VAT rise.

Raising VAT is wrong. It’s another example of a Tory/Lib Dem policy hitting the poorest in our society the hardest.

So if you want to give Cameron, Clegg and the taxman a poke in the eye why not swap your VAT liable salted nuts without shells for some VAT exempt salted nuts supplied in shells. Very appropriate given that this policy truly is nuts!
This tax rise is indiscriminate and unjust. It will clearly hit the poorest consumers hardest, as people who earn least already spend proportionately more of their income on VAT.This tax rise is indiscriminate and unjust. It will clearly hit the poorest consumers hardest, as people who earn least already spend proportionately more of their income on VAT.

Llyr

Friday, December 10, 2010

Yn unedig yn erbyn y toriadau!

Penwythnos diwethaf, fe ddangosodd tim Plaid Cymru yng Ngogledd Cymru ar gyfer etholiadau'r Cynulliad flwyddyn nesaf ein bod yn unedig yn erbyn y toriadau trychinebus gan y ConDems yn Llundain. Fel ymgeisyddion rhestr, roeddwn i (Heledd), Llyr, Liz a Dyfed yn y rali yn erbyn y toriadau a drefnwyd gan Cymdeithas yr Iaith yng Nghaernarfon. Ond nid jest ni oedd yno. Roedd yr ymgeisyddion canlynol yno hefyd i gefnogi a gyrru neges glir ein bod ni yr unig Blaid wnaiff sefyll fyny'n iawn yn erbyn Llywodraeth San Steffan: Carrie Harper, Marc Jones, Alun Ffred Jones, Eifion Lloyd Jones, Maurice Jones, Iwan Huws, Mabon ap Gwynfor a Mark David Jones, ynghyd a hefyd Jill Evans, Dafydd Iwan, Hywel Williams a Myfanwy Davies heb son am nifer o aelodau'r Blaid ac aelodau o staff.

Er gwaetha'r glaw a'r oerfel, roedd yna gyffro ynghyd a phendantrwydd na wnawn ni adael i Lundain ein dinistrio heb frwydro'n galed am yr hyn sydd yn iawn i gymunedau Cymru. Mae yna lot o waith o'n blaenau dros y misoedd yn nesaf, ond mae tim Plaid Cymru yn y Gogledd yn barod amdano. Rhaid ennill y refferendwm, a rhaid i ni ddal ein tir ynghyd ag ennill mwy o seddi yn etholiadau'r Cynulliad er mwyn sicrhau llais cryf i'n cymunedau. Os hoffai unrhyw un ymuno a ni wrth i ni ymgyrchu ym mhob cornel o'r Gogledd, yna plis dewch i gysylltiad drwy ebostio: plaidcymrugogledd@googlemail.com

Hwyl am y tro,

Heledd

*Diweddaraid 11/12/10: Pan ysgrifennais y blog ddoe, doeddwn i ddim yn ymwybodol o'r celwydd yn Golwg ynglyn a phresenoldeb y Blaid yn y rali. Ar ddiwedd y rali yr aeth yr ymgeisyddion i gael tynnu eu lluniau. Roedda ni allan yn y gwynt a'r glaw yn gwrando ar yr areithiau ac mae gennym y lluniau i brofi hynny. Yn wir, ymgeisyddion Plaid Cymru oedd y mwyafrif o'r bobl yn y rhes flaen ar gyfer areithiau Hywel Williams, Dafydd Iwan a Marc Jones (ein ymgeisydd yn Wrecsam) ynghyd a gweddill y siaradwyr. Mae'n biti fod Golwg wedi cyhoeddi'r fath gelwydd. Faint o ymgeisyddion y pleidiau eraill yn y Gogledd oedd yn y rali? Dyna'r cwestiwn y dylai'r wasg fod yn ei godi.