General election 2010: Plaid Cymru manifesto promises to protect Welsh jobs

Plaid Cymru will promise to fight to protect public services, jobs and the most vulnerable people in society when it launches its manifesto today. The nationalists claim that with a hung parliament "a real possibility", Plaid has "never before been in such a strong position to negotiate the best possible deal for Wales". Plaid won only three Westminster seats at the last election but it has forged a "Celtic alliance" with the Scottish Nationalist party that both hope will afford greater influence if the major parties fail to win an overall majority. Plaid's manifesto aims to reflect the "conscience, values and priorities of the people of Wales". The manifesto will focus on seven key areas. The party said it would focus on: • "Protecting the Welsh budget – including jobs, hospitals and schools – from the London parties' slash-and-burn cuts; • increasing the state pension to ensure that our older people have a pension upon which they can live; • caring for our troops and veterans who have been shamefully neglected by this government and bringing them home from Afghanistan; • helping Welsh business grow by improving connectivity through broadband and high-speed rail links as well as creating a venture capital fund. • creating a new environmental action plan to enable Wales to lead the way in the green revolution and create thousands of high-quality green jobs; • having proper powers for our National Assembly to ensure that we in Wales have the tools to do the job and make an even greater difference to people's everyday lives; • and tackling the deficit by stopping costly and unnecessary government spending; closing tax loopholes and introducing more progressive taxation measures. Plaid also wants to see reform of the banks and for bonuses to be curbed immediately. Plaid Cymru's leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said: "This election is being fought against the backdrop of the worst financial and economic crisis for over 60 years. "Labour's mismanagement of the economy and the Tories' complicity in deregulating the banks will lead to the introduction of massive cuts in public spending. "As a result, this election will be fought on the basis of the values and priorities which you bring to the process of addressing those cuts. "In our case it is about protecting the vulnerable, particularly pensioners and children; about protecting those frontline services on which we depend, schools and hospitals, and making sure that resources are targeted at protecting jobs and training."