MOVING WALES
FORWARD

INTRODUCTION

This pandemic has tested all of us. Many of us have lost family members, friends, and neighbours to Covid-19, and we know that there are others still struggling with the lasting impact of the disease upon their health and wellbeing. 

We have, all of us, battled against the pandemic. We owe a big debt of gratitude to those heroes in health, care services, the police, education, other key workers and to countless volunteers. We have relied on them all to help us through the crisis. At the same time, we have all done our bit to keep things going, often under the most difficult of conditions. We must not put that hard work and sacrifice at risk.

Social solidarity is at the heart of the Labour movement. Never have we seen that more widely displayed than in Wales during these awful times. We have stood together, shoulder to shoulder, working, whenever we could, with the other devolved nations and the UK Government.

Here are some of the specific actions that we have taken to combat the pandemic.

The credit for every single one of them lies with those who have worked so hard to deliver them, with the support of your Welsh Labour Government, to: 

The people of Wales look out for each other; we care for those in difficulties, and we understand how much more we can achieve when we work together. Welsh Labour shares the same values and your Welsh Labour Government has shown how to put those values into action. No other party in Wales comes close to demonstrating that it can be trusted to do the right thing for all the people of Wales.

As we work together to move forward beyond the pandemic, Welsh Labour is fired with the ambition to create the different, sustainable, exciting Wales of the future, built on the values that make us the nation we are.

Welsh Labour has the experience and the vision to lead Wales’ recovery from the pandemic and we pledge to the people of Wales we will invest in our NHS to put it back on track, including a new medical school in North Wales; we will pay our care workers the Real Living Wage; we will fund up to 1,800 additional tutoring staff in schools to make sure our children are not left behind; we will offer our young people a guarantee of work, education, training, or self-employment; we will abolish the use of the most littered, single use plastics; we will put more police community support officers on our streets; we will build 20,000 new low carbon homes creating thousands of new jobs, as well as so much more.

When I look back over the difficult and testing months since March of last year, as well as the enduring sadness for lives and livelihoods lost and damaged, it is the thousands and thousands of small acts of kindness which I think will remain long in the memory. That is the experience, of looking out for and looking after each other, that we want to build on and take forward into the future. 

In this manifesto, we set out exactly how we will create the kind of Wales that we all want. I urge you to read it and join us in Moving Wales Forward.

Mark Drakeford
Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister

pledges ᐁ Manifesto ᐁ Our budget plan
Download Manifesto PDF DOWNLOAD EASY TO READ MANIFESTO PDF

WELSH LABOUR’S PLEDGES

1. Recover after covid

The biggest catch up programme in our NHS and schools and a new medical school for North Wales

  • We will put our NHS Recovery Plan into action on day one to boost the services and treatment needed to keep Wales healthy. We will deliver a new medical school in North Wales to boost the training of health professionals in Wales.
  • We will recover and raise standards for our young people with a major schools catch up plan, employing 1,800 additional tutoring staff so that none of our young people are left behind.

2. A Young Persons Guarantee

Work, education or training offer for all under 25s

  • A recovery that Moves Wales Forward means an economy that works for everyone. That is why Welsh Labour will stand by our young people and guarantee everyone under the age of 25 an offer of work, education, training, or self-employment.

This offer includes the young people who will benefit from Welsh Labour’s 125,000 new apprenticeships to give people of all ages high quality routes into better jobs.

3. A FAIR DEAL FOR CARE

The Real Living Wage for care workers

  • In the face of a global pandemic, the dedication of the social care workforce has inspired a nation. Welsh Labour will deliver the Real Living Wage for all our social care staff.

We will continue to cap non-residential care fees and maintain the £50,000 capital limit, helping people hold onto more of their savings before paying for care than any other UK nation.

4. A GREENER COUNTRY

Abolish more single use plastics and create a National Forest for Wales

  • Wales’ natural beauty is a gift to be shared and protected. Welsh Labour understands the risks to our common heritage posed by climate change and other environmental pressures.
  • We will abolish the use of the most littered, single use plastics, saving our seas and countryside from the scourge of plastic pollution. Welsh Labour will extend the new National Forest for Wales to promote our landscape, boost sustainable tourism and support our green economy.

5. SAFER COMMUNITIES

More Police Community Support Officers on our streets

  • The Welsh Labour Government has stepped in to fund 500 Police Community Support Officers to help keep our communities safe.

We will increase this support to fund 600 officers whereas the Tories plan to cut every post.

6. NEW JOBS FOR WALES

Create thousands of jobs in a low carbon house building revolution

  • The next Welsh Labour Government will build a greener Wales with jobs fit for the future and deliver 20,000 new low carbon social homes for rent.
  • Welsh Labour will move the Welsh economy forward with greener homes, hospitals, schools, town centres and transport, driving new jobs in a radical transition to a zero carbon Wales.

MANIFESTO