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Why Labour voters should vote Plaid Cymru

Today Plaid launches its manifesto for the Welsh Assembly elections. Labour voters will not find much with which to disagree, no more than in Labour’s own programme. It defends the record it shared with Labour in Government. It is an unmistakable Left social democratic programme. They attackthe dark shadow of Conservative and Liberal Democrat cuts to the Welsh budget.” Of course Plaid is in serious competition with Labour in Mid and West Wales and in a number of constituencies elsewhere, leading it to differentiate itself from Labour. But in every region of Wales apart from Mid and West Wales, it is not in competition for regional seats because, as we previously argued, Labour will not win any anyway. Labour voters should therefore use their regional votes to support Plaid Cymru (except in Mid and West Wales).

Nerys Evans, Plaid Cymru candidate in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire and the party’s Director of Policy, says on Left Foot Forward:

Plaid is going to facilitate investment of up to £500 million in building new schools, hospitals and roads, without using PFI. We’re going to ensure that we halve illiteracy rates within the next five years, and that we virtually eradicate the problem by 2020. We’ll renegotiate GP contracts, and invest in a world-class system of cancer care and treatment. We’re going to roll out high-speed broadband, and put in place a modern wireless and mobile signal network across Wales.”

Elsewhere, she also says:

We cannot afford five more years of Labour failure and lack of ambition.”

But that rhetoric is understandable in the light of the prospect of losing as many as six seats, mainly to Labour. It is not a reason for Labour voters to waste their regional votes. By voting Plaid (in every region apart from Mid and West Wales), Labour voters will not be depriving Labour of a single seat — it can only hurt the Tories and Lib Dems.

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