Plaid Cymru ‘working collaboratively’ to fight Coronavirus

AS Governments worldwide respond to the Covid-19 crisis, Plaid Cymru has reiterated that this is a time to put party politics aside and work collaboratively to fight the Coronavirus and “save lives”.

Speaking at the end of a week of ever-intensifying restrictions on our day-to-day activities here in Wales, and Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Health Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth AM said whilst those in Government had to take all necessary action to protect the public, it was the responsibility of all politicians to provide people with “reassurance and leadership”.

In its determination to positively scrutinise Welsh Government and hold it to account, this week, Plaid Cymru has called for a number of reassurances on initiatives within the health and care sector, from ramping up testing and the sourcing of ventilators, to converting private and field hospitals, and accelerating the training of medical students to meet the coming demand on critical care capacity in the NHS. It has also been vocal in calling for support for struggling businesses and an Emergency Universal Basic Income to allow everyone at risk of losing employment to receive uniform, flat-rate payments.

Rhun ap Iorwerth AM said that everyone should “work together” to put the “health, well-being and economic security” of citizens first.

He said Plaid Cymru would always put “people before party” and would approach the coming months in the “spirit of collaboration”.

The Party’s National Executive Committee last night passed an official statement which committed the party to approaching the next few months by “speaking with one voice for one purpose – saving lives”.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Health Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth AM said,

“Faced with unprecedented demands on the NHS and the need to support individuals through tough economic times, it is our responsibility as politicians to provide people with the reassurance and the leadership so desperately needed.

“That currently means holding governments to account and acting upon the needs of the people we represent. That includes calling for the best possible support for our health and care system. For example, extending the testing to the wider population, the conversion of private and field hospitals, hotels and hostels, acceleration of training medical students, sourcing thousands of extra ventilators and protective gear and so on must happen to meet the demand on our critical care capacity and adequately fight the disease.

“And facing unprecedented concerns over financial and economic hardship, we’ll be pressing for the most urgent, radical and unprecedented action from both the Welsh and UK Governments by the establishing of a Universal Basic Income of a thousand pounds per month to allow everyone at risk of losing employment to receive uniform, flat-rate payments.

“We all need to work together to put the health, well-being and economic security of our citizens as the utmost priority. Plaid Cymru will always put people before party and will be approaching the coming months in the spirit of collaboration.”