Plaid Cymru has launched its general election campaign by claiming it has the opportunity to "burst that Westminster bubble".

Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said that in a hung Parliament it would aim to "negotiate the best deal for Wales".

The party, which returned three MPs at the last election, has formed a "Celtic bloc" with the Scottish National Party.

Mr Jones said at the launch in Anglesey that only Plaid could offer "fairer funding" for the Welsh budget.

"This is not a time for politics as usual," he said.

You can be sure that a Plaid Cymru MP will put the needs of your area first Ieuan Wyn Jones, Plaid Cymru leader

"In this election Plaid has a real opportunity to break that Westminster bubble.

"With a balanced parliament Plaid's duty will be to negotiate the best deal for Wales and the best deal for our communities.

"Whether you live in Anglesey or Aberystwyth, in Llanelli or Llandudno, in Nantgaredig or in Neath, you can be sure that a Plaid Cymru MP will put the needs of your area first - and MPs who will get the best possible deal for the people of Wales in a balanced Parliament."

The Plaid leader said Gordon Brown and David Cameron were "engaged in a phoney war over who can inflict the worst cuts on our public services."

He accused Labour and Conservatives of having "allowed the banks to be deregulated and allowed the worst financial crisis we've seen since the end of the Second World War".

Plaid claims that under the Barnett formula which allocates Treasury funding to the nations of the UK, Wales is being "short-changed to the tune of £300m a year".

Mr Jones said Plaid MPs would "negotiate the best deal for Wales," which meant "getting a good deal for our pensioners, fair funding for the Welsh budget, so that we can protect our jobs, schools and hospitals".

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version