Austerity Has Failed Us

Wales sends our sincere congratulations to Natalie. As our new Party leader, she knows she has my full support, and I am very happy to have spent time with her on the campaign trail. I've got to know her a little, and believe me you have one impressively hard working lady who will stamp us even more firmly on the political map. Wales is not particularly on the map of the Green Party of England and Wales -- a different government, different laws -- it's difficult to speak for 2 countries in one breath. For example we have a Labour government more concerned with holding onto the shreds of power than producing policies which will help people struggling in their lives; a Labour government acting with indecent haste to bring nuclear armed submarines to Wales should an Independent Scotland render them homeless. These few minutes are for me to give you an indication of news and views from the Welsh perspective. Wales has the potential to become a truly green country. 30 % of our energy needs is soon to come from one single offshore windfarm, creating 1000's of jobs. We are building a culture whereby we are proud to be part of a renewable revolution, proud that clean energy can be produced in place of the dirty energies of the past, which claimed, and continue to claim, so many lives. We also have tremendous wave power potential, and trials off Pembrokeshire are currently being evaluated for commercial use in 5 years time. Renewables create jobs. According to Save the Children, 53% of Welsh children are worrying about whether their parents have enough money for food and clothing, thanks to austerity measures put in place by a few millionaires, to solve a problem created by a few other millionaires. Child poverty is on the increase, yet David Jones, the new pro-nuclear Welsh Secretary is prioritizing economic growth over everything else. Economic growth for whom, we ask. Will he be campaigning to put money in the pockets of ordinary people? Because that's the only growth we need. The Wales Green Party is currently developing a communications strategy to take us to the next general election. Our priorities are: no more cuts, investment in training and infrastructure, renationalisation of railways and more renewables for more jobs. The hollowness of endless growth and endless consumption is finally sinking in. Austerity has failed us. Lower consumption could translate so easily into reclaiming life from money, reskilling, reconnecting, sharing. The joy of localising the economy seems to be just around the corner. Tantalizing so. But the old ways will not die out without a fight. Government regurgitates old solutions in the vain hope they will solve new problems. They won't. The Greens in Wales have found their voice, and it is getting louder. We know we do not represent the familiar order, and that is our strength. Our opinion is being canvassed, our policies studied. We need to stick to our core messages, magnify them, canvass constantly, and yes, call in our dear old friend: plain hard work. Wales is working to elect our first Green MP in 2015, and definitely our first AM in 2016 - which is long overdue. We know the message: Austerity has failed us; renewables create jobs.